Vomit Comet Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Yeah, you can find my big long introduction from late last year if you search for the keyword "long nightmare" within this forum. Use the parentheses. I was here for a few short weeks after I fell from my faith (Assembly of God), but then I got irritated by the stereotypically smug atheist elitism, as well as the anger and loathing that seemed to permeate much of what I was reading in here (which really was not helping me at all whatsoever at the time), so I pissed off. With the caveat that I might come back later. So I did, for despite my now being better off than I was, and being more secure in my disbelief, I still have unresolved issues. Also, I missed reading about people's anti-testimonies, which had been very helpful. Well, as a few of you may recall, I posted a "this place sucks" rant in the "Rant & Replies" forum; I didn't read any of the responses then and I won't now, so if anyone said anything nasty to me, I remain ignorant of it and shall remain so. That way, we all can have a fresh start! Okay? Okay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Captain Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Welcome back. I remember your Extimony. And yeah, I remember the incident in question. Just remember we are all individuals here, logging into a community just like you are. So please try not to broad brush insult us again. If you have a problem with a particular member take it up with them, don't assume that they speak for all of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted April 18, 2008 Author Share Posted April 18, 2008 So please try not to broad brush insult us again. If you have a problem with a particular member take it up with them, don't assume that they speak for all of us. Yeah, I guess I ought to apologize to everyone. I posted my rant and never came back (not even for a little peek) until today, so I have no idea how it was received. Probably not well! Anyways, I'm much more secure in myself now, because back then was a very bad, scary time for me. My girlfriend was the one who did the most to help me through, along with one or two people on another website that has nothing to do with religion. Well, as for why I said what I said, aside from me being a total spazzoid stress bomb at the time, freaking out and all, I guess I was also harboring a lot of residual Christian resentment for atheism; not the (dis)belief itself, but more the attitudinal stereotypes associated with it (smug elitism, etc.). Maybe I was flashing back to being "persecuted" by atheists; there were a few times in my 13 year stint as a Christian where I felt I was being fucked with by some real arrogant pricks who by general standards of decency were probably well out of line, and I resented it deeply. I also remember resenting it deeply whenever a well-known artist would attack Christianity. I remember hating... truly hating... truly, truly hating... Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Al Jorgensen (Ministry), Tori Amos, and Maynard what's-his-face (Tool). If you would have put me in a room with them and given me a Louisville Slugger, I would have been liable to charge at them screaming like Braveheart in righteous holy homicidal rage. Although to remain a gentleman I probably would have let Tori go with just a slap on the ass. Marilyn Manson, on the other hand, was more of a joke to me... Alice Cooper 2.0 and a shoddy one at that. Although Christian Death with Rozz Williams (versus that hairsute sex-crazed vampire Valor Kand) and other groups like Celtic Frost or Deicide or the various church-burning Norweigan black metal bands probably provoked more deep resentment and hatred than any of those other guys, even though they never had a top 10 hit in the USA or anything (and therefore weren't spreading their poison throughout my generation through MTV and Hot Topic). Although I kind of felt sorry for Rozz because he hanged himself and everything... reaped what he'd sown or something like that. In hindsight I can view all that with indifference. Most those groups make shitty music anyways, especially Tori. Well, Tool and Ministry do deserve credit, as does Christian Death.... Furthermore, now that my eyes are opened I see how Christians go around fucking with people on the streets, haranguing them with the Good News obnoxiously, and profoundly headfucking all who are ostensibly counted among their ranks, including vulnerable little children. Mormons too. Then there was that whole Thirty Years War, not to mention the Spanish Conquest, the violent subjugation of Greco-Roman paganism, and so on and so forth. Not to mention the Maoist assholes that killed millions upon millions. And those fucking Nazis! There are obnoxious sorts in academia as well that constantly get on my nerves. ("The reason that university politics are so nasty is because the stakes are so small." - Henry Kissinger.) And so on and so forth. I realize now that people who are pricks come in every stripe! As well as decent, tolerable folk... with the exception of fascism and the like. At any rate, all such behavior, regardless of its bent, flies in the face of my newfound "live and let live" philosophy of life that has allowed me to become very mellow and relaxed for the first time ever. Well, that, and finally getting pussy. The two best things that have ever happened to me in my adult life! Agnosticism and pussy. Well, I'm still not too fond of the hardcore Dawkins/Harris crowd -- or rather, I'm not fond of "New Atheism" itself, which is a much better way of stating it -- but oh well. To each their own! I can say that I've finally outgrown my residual Christian resentment of them -- and why should I not have? -- and would gladly have a beer with any of New Atheism's proponents... as long as they were an okay guy or girl. Same goes for Christians as long as they spare me the attempt of rescuing me back into the fold. Although if it's New Atheists, I would be greatly annoyed if they tried to recruit me for their Enlightenment crusade. Whichever the case, what a way to sour my beer! I guess I would now consider myself casually agnostic. Maybe there is some kind of spiritual goings-on out there (and maybe there isn't), but I'd rather not think about it or go looking for it. I don't harbor any anger or anything over what I went through or who did or said what to me, despite my residual issues with things... but maybe that's just me. I reckon that I won't fly off the handle and say a bunch of shit like that again. I was going through a tremendous amount of stress at the time, but that's no excuse because almost all of you have experienced the very same thing that I was experiencing. I hope we can let bygones be bygones. Sincerely, Vomit Comet. p.s. I apologize to everyone for spazzing out and saying all that shit. Even after I said it, I realized I was painting with far too broad a brush. And it's all good if you're a "New" Atheist. It's all good. It's all good. 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MathGeek Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I like your name. Quite crafty there, brother. Welcome back then, I guess. Sex really is an eye-opener. Once you realize that it doesn't deserve the stigma it has then everything seems to come into focus. Sex is a just a transmission of fluids to ensure reproduction, all the dopamine does is give you that euphoric high necessary to clear out the shit cluttering your mind. Glad you came back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Captain Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I hope we can let bygones be bygones. Of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I remember hating... truly hating... truly, truly hating... Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Al Jorgensen (Ministry), Tori Amos, and Maynard what's-his-face (Tool). If you would have put me in a room with them and given me a Louisville Slugger, I would have been liable to charge at them screaming like Braveheart in righteous holy homicidal rage. Wow, we definitely would not have gotten along as Christians when you were like that since Ministry and NIN were my two top favorite bands back then. (Yes I listened to them when I was a Christian). Although I have to admit at the time I was even a little shocked by some of Al Jorgensen's blasphemy. I just figured the Lard would take care of his ass by frying him in the lake of fire on judgement day. I still thought he was cool though. BTW welcome back, I guess the door didn't hit you in the ass very hard on your way out last time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 Wow, we definitely would not have gotten along as Christians when you were like that since Ministry and NIN were my two top favorite bands back then. (Yes I listened to them when I was a Christian). Although I have to admit at the time I was even a little shocked by some of Al Jorgensen's blasphemy. I just figured the Lard would take care of his ass by frying him in the lake of fire on judgement day. I still thought he was cool though. Hehhehehe... I probably would have either accused you of being an apostate, of being too weak in your convictions to filter out such things, or of arrogantly dancing too close to the edge thinking there was no chance that the devil would give you a little push. Well, all the way up until the end I avoided bands like Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, and all the various blasphemy-happy Nordic metal bands. Yesterday, though, I was looking at the site for ESP guitars, and Jeff Hanneman (Slayer) had a righteous signature axe that had a Kahler tremolo stock. I thought "me want!!!" Although I wouldn't get the version that had pentegrams for fretboard markers, out of respect for my old friends that I'm thus far successfully avoiding. I still think Tori Amos' music sucks shit through a straw. And she seems like she'd be a pretty annoying person, too. But that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 I remember hating... truly hating... truly, truly hating... Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Al Jorgensen (Ministry), Tori Amos, and Maynard what's-his-face (Tool). If you would have put me in a room with them and given me a Louisville Slugger, I would have been liable to charge at them screaming like Braveheart in righteous holy homicidal rage. Wow, we definitely would not have gotten along as Christians when you were like that since Ministry and NIN were my two top favorite bands back then. (Yes I listened to them when I was a Christian). Although I have to admit at the time I was even a little shocked by some of Al Jorgensen's blasphemy. I just figured the Lard would take care of his ass by frying him in the lake of fire on judgement day. I still thought he was cool though. BTW welcome back, I guess the door didn't hit you in the ass very hard on your way out last time HUH??? Is there more than one Al Jorgenson? The one who served as reader for my thesis can hardly be said to blaspheme, no matter what brand of Christianity you're from. Yeah, I'm sure you must be talking about another guy because the guy I know doesn't have a "ministry." He's just a prof and chaplain, so far as I know. Anyhow, welcome back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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