BAA

[Jeff]

May you visit a multitude of Stars during your long journey. 

Goodbye BAA/Mark, you are missed already. 

Jeff

[★ Citsonga ★]

Wow. This is a shock and very sad news. We are left with a BAA-shaped hole that none can fill, but may we all take comfort in knowing that his contributions have been immortalized on this board.

 

R.I.P. Mark

[Storm]

Wow. Words fail me now. I'm shocked and saddened. 

 

I enjoyed our conversations and I learned so much from him. I enjoyed the way he challenged me and my way of thinking. His attention to detail and how he carefully crafted his posts and responses will forever impact my way of participating in these forums. 

 

Rest in peace, Mark. You'll be missed. 

[Thought2Much]

Well... fuck.

 

BAA was one of the bright spots here at Ex-C, a person that made it worth visiting. His never-tiring commitment to fighting scientific bullshit was something I admired, but he was always able to be so damn nice about it, too, which is something I always envied.

 

I think it was Carl Sagan that said that life is the Universe observing itself. Now, it has one less person's perspective. You'll be missed, BAA.

[disillusioned]

 

Friends,

 

I honestly don’t know what to say. I recently celebrated my 30th birthday, and along with this somewhat arbitrary milestone came the realization that I have now been an ex-Christian for over seven years. I’ve only been a member of this site for 4 years, but I was a lurker here for quite a while before I joined. This site has had a very significant effect on my life. It has helped me through some very hard times, and I continue to derive a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction from my interactions with all of you, here.

 

Needless to say, BAA was one of the foremost contributors to this site. He was a force to be reckoned with. He was knowledgeable, forthright, and incisive. He and I shared a number of very productive discussions, both publicly and privately. I am very proud to say that I considered Mark to be a friend. A friend that, regrettably, I never had the privilege of meeting. A “friend-across-the-miles”, indeed.

 

No one that I have ever held discourse with was as dedicated to the authentic pursuit of truth as Mark was. He was truly relentless in his analysis, and sincerely passionate in his argumentation. And if he was, at times, a touch pedantic, it was only because he expected of others the same level of dedication to the pursuit of truth that he himself held to be of the utmost importance. He attempted, always, to be truly intellectually honest. And that is, perhaps, the highest compliment that I can give to a fellow thinker.

 

Mark’s posts on this site helped me a great deal on my journey away from the faith. In a very real way, he helped me to become the person that I am today. I know that there are many others here who can say the same. Personally, I am deeply grieved to hear of his passing. This site is diminished. This is unquestionable. Deepest condolences to Maureen, and to all others who, like me, are proud to have had the opportunity to call Mark a friend. My heart is torn asunder.

 

“They shall have stars at elbow and foot;

Though they go mad, they shall be sane,

Though they sink through the sea, they shall rise again;

Though lovers be lost, love shall not;

And death shall have no dominion.”

           -    Dylan Thomas    -

 

Farewell, my friend. Ave atque vale!

[TheRedneckProfessor]

The immortality of the dead is in the memory of the living.  Rest in peaceful memory, my friend, my mentor, my muse.

 

John

[Akheia]

My deepest, deepest sorrow for BAA's passing. I know I don't hang out much nowadays, but I always looked forward to BAA's very patient takedowns of Christian apologetics talking points. They were an education of inestimable value--just as he himself was an ex-Christian of inestimable compassion and intelligence. I cannot imagine the pain Maureen faces and offer my most profound condolences to her and the rest of BAA's circle of friends.

 

I'll always remember this eulogy - and its optimism and forward-thinking. In these and many other ways, it was a perfect reflection of BAA himself. I will miss him.

[Bhim]

Wow. I can still scarcely believe what I've read here.

 

BAA, as he'll always be known to me, was one of those rare posters with a sharp wit, an analytical mind, and a commitment to truth. I could write endlessly about positive qualities of his upon which others have already expounded. But what truly impressed me about this man is that he is the only person I have ever known who was a self-made cosmologist. When most of us think of self taught hobbies, activities such piano, woodworking, knitting, and auto mechanics come to mind. Never in my professional life could I ever imagine someone teaching themselves theoretical cosmology - one of the most challenging and intricate fields in all of physics - in their spare time without any formal training. Yet BAA spoke about cosmology and educated others with an insight generally possessed only by practiced researchers. He defended established physics against the pseudoscience of Christianity from an informed posture I have only seen from trained scientists. He would often ask me probing and incisive questions about astrophysics in order to bolster or debunk a particular scientific argument which would require a significant research effort on my part. I have rarely seen such passion for scientific truth even from tenure track professors in the field.

 

We will all miss BAA as a friend and fellow ex-Christian poster. But today I feel as though I've lost something irreplaceable. I have lost a rare kindred spirit, one who shares both my apostasy from Christianity and my determination to understand the nature and origins of the universe from a scientific and mathematical standpoint.

 

Goodbye BAA. You were the only self-made cosmologist I have ever known, and I do not think we will ever again see one of your intellectual stature.

[Fweethawt]

5 hours ago, Thought2Much said:

I think it was Carl Sagan that said that life is the Universe observing itself. Now, it has one less person's perspective. You'll be missed, BAA.

We are a way for the cosmos to know itself. - C. Sagan

[LogicalFallacy]

I am stunned and saddened by this news. This is an irreplaceable loss. I find myself in tears again, and I don't yet think that the full loss has hit me yet.

 

Many of you have known BAA/Mark for many years. I knew him only for  a year - since October 2016 - the briefest of blips in time. It was Mark who helped me as a person struggling from recent de-conversion. From the get go in private messages we were on first name basis. He patiently talked me through a lot of issues I was having regarding family and the like. I'm am not sure if I ever expressed how great an impact Mark made on me, how much he helped, how much I valued his friendship. Alas now it is too late to tell him but for everyone else here never let anyone ever tell you that you don't make a difference. Mark made a difference not only with his knowledge and keen intelligence, but with his compassion and caring. Mark truly cared about truth, and about helping others.

 

On the forum it was Mark that gave me my first grounding in cosmology. For a creationist whose education was woeful, I was slow to pick things up, but Mark, true to form, patiently walked me through examples and explanations. I can say that much of my scientific understanding of cosmology is directly attributable to Mark. To my great regret I will not be able to finish the threads I started with BAA over a year ago. 

 

Mark was the first atheist I felt I could call friend, and I hope he felt the same about me.

 

To Maureen, if you read this: You have my sincerest condolences. There is probably nothing anyone could say that can ease your pain, but please know that the man you loved truly made a difference in this world. 

 

So farewell Mark. We will pick up the torch that you carried so well on the forum, and though we will never reach your impact we will try to carry the message of finding truth.

 

Rest in peace

 

Logical Fallacy

[Thurisaz]

BAA certainly left a very positive mark on this site.

 

Call it religious if you want, or call it poetic, but a certain stanza from the Poetic Edda's "Havamal" comes to my mind. In memoriam!

 

Quote

Cattle die, | and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one's self;
One thing now | that never dies,
The fame of a dead man's deeds.

 

Viewed with the eyes of a man of the Vikings' faith... may he be carried to Valhalla, maybe not because he was a brave warrior (though perhaps he was... what do I know?), but for his wisdom. The sagas say Odin is, among other things, the God of wisdom so the two should like each other

[ironhorse]

I’m sadden about hearing of the passing of Mark. My prayers and thoughts are with his family and friends.

[TABA]

I didn’t have much interaction with Mark but I appreciate the great contribution he made here.  He was a smart, articulate voice for reason and for defending and encouraging ex-Christians.  His sudden loss is a shock.  I hope that Maureen’s pain, and the pain of others who loved him, will in time be eased by the happy memories and by the knowledge of the good he did. 

[mymistake]

The world has lost a great mind. 

[ConsiderTheSource]

I am so sad. 

[Joshpantera]

WTF? 

 

I literally just read this. Unbelievable! I've been busy after the hurricane and with the snow bird season. I started a new business and haven't been on much. I did notice that I wasn't seeing any BAA posts. But a car accident? 

 

RIP, buddy. 

 

BAA had the right idea, though. He put it as clearly as it can be put. 

 

But I'm still going to miss the hell out of him nonetheless.....

[Bhim]

Sorry for turning this into a "let's remember the good times with BAA" thread but...what am I saying? Of course I'm not sorry!

 

I was digging through old PMs between BAA and me. We used to chat every so often about astrophysics and cosmology, as well as argumentative strategies for dealing with specific Christian claims here in the Lion's Den. Once I was out of touch for a couple months because I was off in rural India getting married, and when I was back in civilization I sent him a message to let him know why I'd ducked out in the middle of one of our strategizing sessions. He replied by talking about a time when he and his partner Maureen had been on vacation and encountered a Hindu wedding party. Looking back on it, his ability to convey imagery via the written word was remarkable. Here is his message to me:

-----------------

Bhim,

 

About eight years ago my partner Maureen and I were visiting our British friends Neal and Katy and we spent a long weekend with them in London.  One afternoon we dined at the Belvedere, a fine restaurant in the middle of Holland Park.  http://www.belvedererestaurant.co.uk/Intro.html  It's a lovely place and every so often the staff have to shoo the peacocks out, because they wander in from the park! 

 

Anyway, while we were there I noticed a small group of very elegantly-dressed Hindi (is that right?) gentlemen entering the hotel foyer.  They all wore dazzling white, formal outfits with what Neal told me were Gandhi collars.

Later we saw that a large private room had been booked by them for what was clearly some kind of family celebration.  Because it was high summer, all the doors leading out to the park were left wide open and we caught glimpses of the party moving to and fro as they circulated and mingled, chatting and laughing.

 

What caught Maureen's eye was the sheer beauty and vibrant colors of the ladies sari's.  Peach, aquamarine, cobalt blue, rose and many other gorgeous shades.  Many decorated with delicate filigrees of gold.  They wore exquisite and elaborate jewelry too.  We soon realized that we were seeing a post-wedding celebration involving the bride and groom's extended families and their many guests and friends. 

 

OK Bhim, what I'm describing here happened in an urban setting, but if your wedding was anything like this colorful and joyous occasion, then I'm very, very happy for you.

-----------------

 

BAA, I must say your ability to freely absorb the grandeur of your surroundings knew no distinction between the terrestrial and the astronomical. I wish I had taken even more opportunities to converse with you while you were with us. I regret that I didn't take the time to reciprocate your profound musings on the seemingly trivial activities of life during our conversations, but now that you're gone I'll do my best to learn from your example.

[Bhim]

By the way BAA. Apologies for correcting you a bit too late, but it's Hindu, not Hindi. 

[Cousin Ricky]

On 1/13/2018 at 4:52 PM, Thought2Much said:

I think it was Carl Sagan that said that life is the Universe observing itself. Now, it has one less person's perspective. You'll be missed, BAA.

 

In light of Mark’s final letter, perhaps the cosmos will someday have a new perspective on itself from his atoms.

[midniterider]

I give a military salute to BAA. He was a fine champion of Ex-Christianity.

I also give a Vulcan salute to BAA, logician as well as Star Trek fan.

 

It was good to know you.

 

-Midniterider

[Vigile]

3 hours ago, Cousin Ricky said:

 

In light of Mark’s final letter, perhaps the cosmos will someday have a new perspective on itself from his atoms.

 

That's a nice sentiment. My grandfather, who was also an atheist, was similar to Mark in that he too was a self-taught scientist. He taught himself quantum mechanics, among other things. After my grandmother died, he liked to wax on about the fact that energy never disappears, just changes form. 

[MOHO]

I never posted directly to any of BAA's posts but I read much of his content here and, I can say, that it was a source of ammunition when debating the fundies.

 

Mark's posts were also a source for bolstering my convictions during those times when the indoctrination would gain a foothold. There's nothing like clear-concise logic and reason to repel the impact that religious brain washing can sometimes have.

 

BAA/Mark will be missed...

[Ellinas]

When words are insufficient, silence is all I can contribute.

[Questioner]

I just read this and I can't believe it - I think I'm still in a state of shock.  I've mostly been lurking here, so people don't know me, but I feel like I know some of you pretty good by reading your posts.  Those posts have been very important to me and have helped me a lot.

 

BAA was one of those people that I paid a lot of attention to his posts, and enjoyed them a lot.  His understanding of science and his use of logic have been so valuable.   I feel like a really big hole has been left here by his loss.  He will be so missed.  

[Margee]

On 1/14/2018 at 5:53 PM, ConsiderTheSource said:

I am so sad. 

I'm still so sad. Even today. I couldn't get BAA out of my mind.

 

I read so much on the board about what he was trying to teach about the cosmos but it was so over my head and he knew that. Lol I got just enough to understand a bit, thanks to BAA.

 

It's like one of our friends is vacant in the room. Someone who was always there.  For the rest of my life when I see Spocks' face from  Startrek, I will think of BAA.