A few months ago I was ready to throw in the towel with ReligiousFreaks. After a rough year I felt that I couldn’t muster the energy needed to keep up the good fight. Even worse I started to feel that I wasn’t fighting the “good” fight, much less making a positive difference. Hopelessness comes to mind.
Just as I was about to pull the plug, a series of random events occurred that brought everything back in to focus and renewed my drive. I was at a local jazz club with some friends watching an old classmate perform. Everything was good to go! We had great music and several pints of Guinness. The only thing missing was some intelligent conversation.
It didn’t take too long before I ended up in a three-way conversation with people that had tagged along with one of my friends. Of course after a few pints of Guinness, I was ready to solve the world’s problems. We tackled the economy, politics, the bailout, and it wasn’t long before religion was up on the chopping block. Ok for those of you who aren’t aware… never under any circumstances engage in religious discussions at a bar after a several pints of Guinness. It rarely turns out well. But I’m not one to heed my own advice so in to the rabbit hole I go!
About 10 seconds into the “discussion”, it was painfully obvious that this woman was not the brightest crayon in the box. Now I don’t have a problem with people of faith… what I do have a problem with is a person’s inability to think rationally and more importantly think for themselves. Unfortunately the two seem to go hand-in-hand.
Before I knew it we were embroiled in a bitter argument on whether the Earth was 5000 years old or several billion. Oh it gets better. In between bouts of “Are you serious?” and “What do you mean the Earth is 5,000 years old? Are you crazy?”, I tried to explain the scientific method and all the research that has gone in to this. I laid out a pretty good case for science (best I could after several pints) to which she just laughed off.
I was completely dumbfounded and tried to discuss evolution. Big mistake! It was as if I were trying to teach my dog sign language. I felt like the miracle worker! This was the first time I had actually met someone like this in person. Sure I run across people like this on my website all the time, but it’s much more insane in person.
It was at that very instant though that this blog and everything I’ve been trying to do for the last several years came in to focus. My mission was far… FAR… ok I mean F A R from over. As a matter of fact I barely even scratched the surface. But was I even making a difference though?
Over the next few days I felt awful about how I had assailed her at times that night… I blame it on the Guinness ;) But seriously I realized that I had gotten it right with this site, at least partly. Posting real-life stories of religious idiocy is not only more subtle than blindly attacking people, but my guess is that it’s more effective too.
About a week passed when I was driving back to work from lunch and some woman cut me off. Normally I don’t really give a damn and just blurt out a few choice words, but today I decided to briefly tap the horn. As I peered through the back window of her car I noticed a rather large crucifix dangling from the rearview mirror which was soon accompanied by a middle finger! In between bouts of laughter I couldn’t help but think of this site. It was a sign from God! LOL
Over the following week this site was on my mind a lot and I seriously pondered what I wanted to do with it. I was still on the fence until I received an intriguing email from a woman who working for a production company. She said that a new documentary series was in the works and that they wanted to use a shot of my site. I contacted her and discussed the project and eventually signed a release for them. Before you get excited, it’s nothing big… just showing a specific webpage for a few seconds while they discuss the story. But nonetheless I was pretty excited ? I spoke with her a few times afterwards and it was rather motivating because she was validating all the hard work that I had put in this site.
Holy crap! I was just about to say, “To make a long story short…”, but that’s obviously too late ;)
Well to make a really long story not-so-long… I came to the realization that I was not thinking big enough with respects to ReligiousFreaks. Not only do I want to continue with this site, but I want to kick it up a notch and really make an impact. There really is no point to running a site like this unless you put everything you’ve got into it. With everything that went on in my life over the last 2 years, I didn’t have the time. And if I didn’t have the time to do it right then I wouldn’t do it at all. That’s how I felt and why I stopped posting. But much has changed in my life and not only do I have the time, more importantly I have the focus and drive to really make this site what it should be.
Stay tuned…
gasmonso
No related posts.
I know the feeling on that one, I generally try to keep my lack of beliefs to myself, but when the believers get too high, mighty, and preachy around me I just let it rip. My sister-in-law got me started a bit before Thanksgiving, she claims to be a catholic but has almost no knowledge of catholicism! I get the biggest kick out of her, she really is the stereotypical southern racist, pseudo-religous, loudmouth.
Good to have you back! I’ve been missing this site quite bit lately.
I work with a young-earth creationist, so I can feel your pain. He’s a great coworker, but there is just no way (that I can see) that I or anyone else is going to get him to consider anything contrary to young-earth creationism.
Gasmonso, welcome back to your own site! That’s worth raising a Guinness to!
Is the Latest Freak News section alive? I often run into stories that might be worth submitting there.
Happy new year, and thank you for your efforts of creating and maintaining this site.
Good to know you are still alive. I had started to worry about the fate of the website myself. The old articles have been getting constant comments. Can’t wait for the flood gates to open with the introduction of new articles. Maybe we can have a larger section for recently posted comments?
@Korgan: It’s good to be back home! As for the Latest Freak News section I definitely want to get that up to speed so we never miss a story :) If you have stories please submit them. Just need to figure out how to draw more attention to it so people actually read the articles and comment on them :)
@MarcDLS: I can expand the recent comment section to include more entries. Right now I’m wrestling with a caching system that is interfering with the recent comments. But I will figure something out :) What do you think a good number of recent comments would be?
Michael why do you have to bust your sister-in-law and also call her a racist. maybe it’s the other way around.
but i have to agree with you about my catholic brothers and sisters “but has almost no knowledge of catholicism!” i do my best to share the truth with them and that they need to be born anew.
Just like gasmonos encounter with that driver, she must be a catholic. the reason i am sure of this is because i too have seen cars with crosses. I have encountered a car with a lady driving it with a cross on the mirror and sticker on the outside that said “b-t-h inside.”
it is sad and if Korgan say’s “That’s worth raising a Guinness to!” it must be really bad for you and you should stay away from it.
“Before I knew it we were embroiled in a bitter argument”
“in whom”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmGeeNDJzx0&feature=related
Can we finally ban hyrocket’s ip(s)? I’m pretty sure the above post doesn’t relate to the quotes referenced in a coherent manner.
Spam can masquerade itself as ethnic to seem realistic, but it’s easy to spot the illogical. Just puttin’ it out there.
The first line of the last comment in the last six articles that were commented on would take up a minimum amount of space and still allow for a variety of topics to be on display:
Article title
Poster’s name
First line of comment
Example:
ReligiousFreaks.com number one site in the internet!!!
hyrocket:
MMMMM…dick…
you know when the password gang bust me, i listen to …
may the purpose and the reason lift you up as well and read what BasinLin say’s, just for you Korgan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU&NR=1
Welcome back!
I also vote to ban Hyrocket. He couldnt organise a piss up in a brewery anymore than he can actually read and understand what is being said, let alone respond in a way that appears related to said post.
PS i submitted a story to the news section some months back about a recent ‘cancer surviving pastor’ in australia…
Welcome back, I am thrilled that you’ve renewed your passion for the site. When I was struggling with issues of faith this site really helped me stay strong in my commitment to find true and stay on the right track. *tips hat*
Your conversation with a real, living YEC sounds like my experiences with my ex-wife’s church friends. These people really do exist, but unless one travels in their circles, you will seldom encounter them.
I had to fight them off when I was told I needed to completely give up research as a career path because science tries to disprove the Bible, ergo science is Satanic. It is better to be ignorant and saved than educated and damned to Hell. I actually sat through a pentacostal church service, (my now ex wife was a member) where that was the sermon for the day. I kid you not. The bottom line was simply don’t think, just believe. These ‘faithful’ are not anti-evolution or anti-science, but anti-Enlightenment.
Doc30… “These ‘faithful’ are not anti-evolution or anti-science, but anti-Enlightenment.”
Maybe you were in a church that does not “know” science or the lack of knowledge of it(like me) but understand “the core” of what Korgan talks about and Korgan is a ZOI compared to what i believe about YEC.
I know some brothers who are DOCs and they know both but support the truth in both.
For me personally, would encourage anyone especially of “faith” to know scripture so you do not fall away from “The real truth” like post 11. I know how this person feels and I can say I have been on both sides and seen the truth of the blindness or anti-enlightenment of what breaks up a family. So, because you don’t believe in YEC gives you reason to divorce your wife? i don’t know you and if your wife was the one that wanted a divorce, she is wrong and does not know scripture.
It is to bad you had to give it up your research but if you understood Proverbs 2:6 you would have received…
Proverbs 3:4.
i’m spewing-yes.
Hyrocket said “I know how this person feels and I can say I have been on both sides and seen the truth of the blindness or anti-enlightenment of what breaks up a family. So, because you don’t believe in YEC gives you reason to divorce your wife?”
My personal life is none of your business and this was just a minor issue.
The bottom line is that I’ve witnessed some very strange churches, particularly in the southern U.S., but there are a lot more of them than many people realize. Their spiritual beliefs are, IMHO, superficial and decidedly anti-Enlightenment. They are based entirely on conformity without deviation and do belive the rest of the world should be as they are. It’s based on Biblical literalism, which on its face is indeed at odds with the real world. Anyone who belives in YEC fits in such a category.
You don’t actually have to ban Hyrocket. Just implement a simple logic puzzle as part of the post acceptance process and you will never see a post from him again.
Thanks Doc30 for that post 14 and i understand your point. Is it like post 15 on what you mention concerning anti-enlightenment.
Scriptures tells me to test to see if these are so and i am for the testing for why would a Father lie to his son. I love my Father and my Father loves me. Even Gasmonso knows this fact to be true.
And your right your personal life is none of my business and was just trying to make a point. i apologize for that.
This is as good a place as any to tell this story. My sister is in the military. Her old bunk-mate (who is now in Kuwait) is from Iowa and is 19 years old, with the military being her first real experience of the “outside.” I had known before that she was sheltered. It’s one of those situations where she’s “rebelling,” and it’s kind of amusing because she doesn’t quite get it (like smoking, but not inhaling – just puffing). About two weeks ago I found out that part of her “rebellion” was dating some goth guy. Basically, black leather, piercings, slicked back hair, and all of that.
Here’s where it got fun. I found out that her mother became furious for dating a “pagan,” and went on a fast for several days, refusing to eat and praying incessantly for her to break up with her evil Satanist (for, of course, all pagans are Satanists) boyfriend. I guess the fast failed, but she still prays daily for the relationship to end.
I sometimes feel like I’m missing out because I never actually meet these people. The most I’ve found are those who are religious out of habit or religious and uncomfortable talking about it. Makes me a bit sad, really :)
“PS i submitted a story to the news section some months back about a recent ‘cancer surviving pastor’ in australia…”
Damn, seems no one wants to hear about australia’s more recent religious freak – the submitted story was rejected! :(
@Jayman: Sorry about that, but by the time I got back to my blog it was outdated. But from now on all news links submitted will be posted… so long as they are relevant of course :)
Glad you’re back!
I am glad you are back.
Ah! our moments of doubt and falling by the wayside.
Greetings brother, my first visit here, and only in pursuit of a graphic I readily admit, but I have had a wander round your interesting site and it’s here on this post I ended up.
Perhaps it might be easier to quote my own moment of doubt that I penned instead of writing further drivel.
Peace.
Himself
Were I to be entirely honest I would have to admit I’m struggling a tad to get back into the swing regarding blogging and calling the whole thing a day has passed my mind, but.
But when I read the likes of what is writ below I know I must carry on and serve mankind by bringing you such stuff.
Now don’t be telling me mankind is a bollocks, ’tis a fact I am so well aware of, but just how big of a bollocks? well I suppose in some cases it could be pro-rata to the bollocks that you write.
Have you ever in all your life read anything like this……..
“This is the law of the first plane, and it governs all the atomic subplanes of each plane. It marks the beginning of the work of the Logos, the first setting in motion of mulaprakriti. On each plane the vibration of the atomic subplane sets in motion the matter of that plane. It is the key measure. more
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what if earth was never created it was there for eternity. how the can you disprove that theory with science.
jay,
Questions end with question marks.
“how the can you” learn English and reasoning skills? Soon, please, mmmK?
Hi! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My blog looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to resolve this problem. If you have any recommendations, please share. Appreciate it!