To everyone reading my introduction

Koonjane meaning hello from South Africa.

I am a fifty year old divorced father living with two children, a feisty teenage daughter and a "special" son of 19 years who suffers from severe cerebral palsy.

A couple of years ago I "deconverted" from Islam to become an "informed atheist".

When I look back I could never understand how a person like me who loves the rational and logical aspects of life could have lived for such a long time as a fundamentalist Muslim following my heart instead of my head.

Here in South Africa I’ve been through the period of a brutal apartheid era where human dignity was eroded to an unimaginable level.

We have emerged from this nightmare to come together in a peaceful manner to produce a constitution that is regarded as one of the most liberal and progressive in the world.

Yet the populace of South Africa is still steeped deep in religious dogma that is serving as a hindrance and braking from allowing South Africa to become a leading nation in guiding the world.

This is my duty. To help ensure our constitutional guidance is applied with the vigour it deserves.

Personally, I am the happiest man in the world. Why? Because I am comfortable with who I am, knowing that my view of life is based on rationalism and logic and this allows me a reason to defend my comfort.

Koonjane (Hello) from South Africa

To everyone reading my introduction

Koonjane meaning hello from South Africa.

I am a fifty year old divorced father living with two children, a feisty teenage daughter and a “special” son of 19 years who suffers from severe cerebral palsy.

A couple of years ago I “deconverted” from Islam to become an “informed atheist”.

When I look back I could never understand how a person like me who loves the rational and logical aspects of life could have lived for such a long time as a fundamentalist Muslim following my heart instead of my head.

Here in South Africa I’ve been through the period of a brutal apartheid era where human dignity was eroded to an unimaginable level.

We have emerged from this nightmare to come together in a peaceful manner to produce a constitution that is regarded as one of the most liberal and progressive in the world.

Yet the populace of South Africa is still steeped deep in religious dogma that is serving as a hindrance and braking from allowing South Africa to become a leading nation in guiding the world.

This is my duty. To help ensure our constitutional guidance is applied with the vigour it deserves.

Personally, I am the happiest man in the world. Why? Because I am comfortable with who I am, knowing that my view of life is based on rationalism and logic and this allows me a reason to defend my comfort.

Welcome young man,

From someone who has already been in discussion with you it is enjoyable to have you involved with us. I must say these forums are getting to be quite intercontinental affairs.

It’s good to have you here.
Jim

Damn, Doug, you beat me by a minute!!

Unfortunately there’s no prize!

:?

Thank you Doug and Jimmie Keyes for greeting me with such a warm welcome. I feel that I have at last arrived to my “intellectual home”.

As for your question about apostasy and why I am not using a pseudonym.

In South Africa we are learning the meaning of tolerance and when I look at my hero Nelson Mandela who was prepared to die for freedom than I think I owe it to myself to use my own name.

Anything less would mean I am pandering to the intolerance of a religious group and be subjected to fearing them. This would mean they have succeeded and I have lost.

Fayzal.

Fayzal,

I’m new here too but wanted to welcome you to the forum. I think it’s terrific you’ve been able to free yourself from religious dogma.

Nancy

Welcome, I am also new here.  I use my real name online all the time, I’ve never had any problems as a result.  (I keep my screen name bcause it’s funny.)

-Janice

Fayzal,

Welcome. I’m new here too. I applaud your courage. Perhaps I’ll start using my real name as well, although, I just put up a new website, and in the first week I got a visit from the NSA, which is the agency that is now illegally wiretapping our phones. Kinda scary.

I hope South Africa can pick up the democracy ball that we are apparently in the process of dropping.