I just subscribed to the SI magazine and thought I’d at least say ‘Hi’ to all my new CFI mates.

Up here in Alberta there are lots of fundies, but there are also lots of educated agnostics and atheists that have lived with religion their entire lives so don’t see it as a problem, just a fact of life.  Trying to organize us is appropriately compared to herding cats.  There are a couple of groups that aren’t associated with the universities, but they’re only used by a couple of people (literally) on a regular basis.  I guess it’s hard to bring people together based on something as all encompasing as skepticism.

Regardless of how hard it is to organize us, it’s nice to know there are so many of us around.  I believe we’re much more numerous than even we think, due to the fact that common-sense is not a typical rallying point and few feel the urge to attach themselves to a label that simply means you think about things.

My life is full of strongly religious people, naturopaths, ‘spiritual’ people, and other non-inquiring types.  They’re all nice and well-meaning, but sooooo annoying to be around sometimes.  It’s comforting to know that you all are out there.

I hope to be able to chat on here once in a while.  It’ll be like a breath of fresh mountain air after experiencing smog all day.

Cheers,
Pat

It’ll be like a breath of fresh mountain air after experiencing smog all day.

That’s why I hang out here. The members of this forum at least take a stab at what a generally reasonable person might just take for rational and critical thinking.

Where I come from, there are folks who genuinely believe that being a gullible know-nothing is a virtue!

Welcome aboard, Pat.

Equal Opportunity Curmudgeon - 13 July 2012 06:26 PM

Where I come from, there are folks who genuinely believe that being a gullible know-nothing is a virtue!

And how!  Sometimes I look around to see if there’s a camera on me, hoping it’s all a big prank.  How folks as smart as my friends are can believe what they believe in spite of all the information available is a mystery to me.  They’re insulated from real knowledge by their fear of it. 

The religious community shares the same misinformation, teaching the next generation to be the same.  As for the homeopaths and crystal people, that’s even more unbelievable, since they’re not hiding from information, but are instead simply picking what to believe on no grounds I can identify.

I’m regularly called ‘negative’, ‘close-minded’ and a pessimist, but I’m really a realist who doesn’t let stupid ideas go by without a comment.

The weather’s nice here, but when it’s crappy I plan on loggin in at lunches to participate in some discussion.  I hope it’s not all preaching to the choir and that there are actual differing opinions around this place.  My goal is to really look at other persons arguments and admit I am wrong or at least accept that they have a valid point from their point of view.

I edited it to correct the quotation symbol.  Sorry

3point14rat - 14 July 2012 10:11 AM

...I plan on loggin in at lunches to participate in some discussion.  I hope it’s not all preaching to the choir and that there are actual differing opinions around this place.

Don’t worry about that. We get plenty contentious.

Welcome Pat.  Glad to have you here.