welcome!!

we have a great number of athiests here, actually.  all kinds, really... some are real dawkins-like...  loud and in your face about it, others are quiet and just let it be.  all are welcome.

just as long as you don't break the rules, you can hang out.  i love having athiests around, actually, because they are able to really see what we are talking about from a completely different point of view.  that is refreshing.

I image by now you have been registered for more than 30 seconds and, apart from the awkward silence, nothing has happened yet, right?

So the answer is - we welcome everyone. And I welcome you Matthimaus to wondercafe. This would be a rather boring place if we all started quoting from the Bible wouldn't it. So, yes your views are welcome and appreciated.

There are a number of other atheists who comment regularly on this site so you won't be alone.

Big Welcome, Matthimaus!  Personally, I'm flattered that you didn't realize this was a "church site" right off the bat.  Wondercafe must be doing something right, in my opinion..

And you are most welcome, as an atheist here, and you're certainly not alone.  Lots of atheists, agnostics, bible thumpers, pagans and a ton of others like me who are still trying to figure it all out. 

Anyway, hope you enjoy it here and that you jump right in. 

we had a scientologist once, but he didn't last more than a few weeks.

Hello Matthimaus, Welcome to Wonder Cafe. Have no fear, as others have said, you're not going to get kicked out just for being an athiest. There are certainly other athiests here.

Basically, if you're here to share your ideas with us, and are willing to discuss things, you'll be easily accepted.

Again, welcome.

hey, if they'll let a Witch in here, I'm sure an extra Atheist won't be a problem.

since that athiest with the 'borat' avatar left, we've had a real vaccum in the 'dawkins style' athiest point of view.

so, matt, do you think you can take on a fundie dawkins style??  cause that was always a fascinating thing to watch unfold.

hey, welcome. but who are you athier than?

Actually, I often find the atheists more congenial than the believers.

I'm fairly new here, Matthimaus, a self-described "functional atheist" (deeply agnostic - open minded but understanding a distinct lack of probability in regard to the supernatural), but I've felt quite welcome.  There's some very thoughtful conversation that goes on here.

Excellent, thank you everyone for your support!  Im actually excited now.

"Sighsnootles" - thanks again, also whats a "fundie dawkins style"?

im geusing it has to do with darwin?

Matthimaus - welcome.  Please come in, pull up a chair, get yourself something to drink (sunshine or moonshine?), and join us.  As others have said, there are lots of folks here who are athiests, agnostics, people following other faith paths, as well as various Christians from Progressives, through Moderates, to Fundies.  We talk about various things - sometimes silly, sometimes profound - we tell each other our troubles, we ask questions, we give advice, we support one another.  We are community.  And yes, sometimes we bicker a bit - and hopefully someone pulls us up in our tracks before somebody gets hurt. 

By the way, this site is sponsered by the United Church of Canada.  Not only are atheists welcome on this site, they are welcome in many of our churches.  In the little church I attended for over 30 years, I knew two men who were atheists (there may have been more).  They came regularly and took part in much of the life of the congregation. 

Again:   WELCOME!

Welcome Matthimaus!

I think a fair description of "fundie dawkins style" would be to compare them to a certain other group.  You know the Bible-thumping, hard-core, far-right, evangelical Christians, right?  Picture an atheist version who is a devout follower of Richard Dawkins. 

And we have the best parties in SociaL AND YOU ARE VERY WELCOME.

You are especially welcome because you have a cool name :)

Hi Matt...welcome to the cafe.  Many of us have been on twisty journeys and we're pretty open to whereever people are at the present.  I hope you'll start some topics and tell us what you're thinking these days....

hey thanks, I like your name too. What does your avatar mean? its cool looking anyway

Hey Matthimaus, welcome in.

(The cupcake avatar is great!)

Peace - r

Hello, hello! I'm one of those other atheists. Glad to meet you! I really like Wondercafe. I hope you do too!

Hi Mattimaus:

Welcome to wondercafe! But you better watch our for kitty-cat!

(For those who don't get the joke: "Maus" is the German word for "mouse," and is pronounced the same way :-)

Of course artheists are welcome to wondercafe!

I am an atheist myself, albeit a spiritual atheists. And I belong to the United Church. And I will be conducting the service at our local church next Sunday.

That's how diverse, inclusive, open and welcoming we, the United Church, are.

Welcome Matthimaus! Now I want a chocolate cupcake...

Welcome Matthimaus.

As other have said atheism is not an issue here and you will learn soon enough it is not just newbies that get things wrong

LB

Above all, remember that the most important thing you can take anywhere is not a Gucci bag or French-cut jeans; it's an open mind.     Gail Rubin Bereny

Don't worry, we have a ton of different people here of various religious beliefs from Christianity to Paganism to Atheism :P  you should feel right at home.

Matthimaus,

First, welcome.

Second, as an atheist who has read Dawkins and feels hurt by the supposed "vaccuum" of my kind around, I personally find it interesting that when it comes to contentious issues, I find myself siding with the UCC'ers more often than not, usually against the Baptist and other evangelical types.  If, then, I was forced to attend a church at gunpoint, I would choose a United Church, without hesitation.

Third, you will not be banned here for espousing the observation that God has made a lousy case for his existence.  Some UCC church members will even agree with you, to a point.  Arminius will confuse you by both agreeing and disagreeing, in the same sentence, on the same topic.  Don't sweat it.  He confuses everybody.

Craig

Is that what it is?    I'd best work harder on the 6th beatitude.

Do we mind that you're here?

Nah!  But just as a little icebreaker could you please describe the God (or whatever) you don't believe in. 

I'm not an atheist but just so as not to put you on the spot or anything I'll go first.  The God I don't believe in looks like a man, has a beard, lives in the sky (well actually just above it), wears a long robe (something like Gandalf) and pronounces dooms and will cause the Green Bay Packers to win football games if you pray fervently enough.  If you are really good sometimes he will take your side in a war. 

Matthimaus,

Those who do mind don't matter
And those who matter don't mind :3

(oh, and welcome to a model of paradise)

I find this forum to be the delightful kind where we're here to form *relationships*. Which means the people who come in for the 'one-shot kills' or with something to proove...don't usually last.

This forum is very like a cafe...or a drop-in center, where there are no obligations to stay, and there are quite a variety of rooms. Where everyone can be, at the same time, be considered an atheist and a believer, without contradiction :3

Just a Self-writing poem,

Inannawhimsey

Can I buy you a coffee, Inanna? You too, Matt.

Of course you are welcome! Keep in mind that I am more interested in dialogue--the sharing of ideas--than in debate--the winning of an argument.

Lord AlfredTennyson said:

"There lives more faith in honest doubt,

Believe me, than in half the creeds. 

I am interested in: What are your honest doubts?

Perhaps what we need to do is define what we mean when we say 'god'. With this in mind, check out:

http://atheism.about.com/od/definitionofatheism/Definition_of_Atheism_Di...

Yes, RevKing, definiton is important.

If, for instance, one believes in a universe that is self-creative, then this is an a-theistic or non-theistic belief, but not necessarily anti-theistic.

In a self-creative universe, there can be only one God (the self-creative universe ITself) or no God at all (because there is no external deity that created the universe) or any number of Gods of Goddesses (beause everyone and everything is innately godly)

In a self-creative universe, the focus of religion is, or should be, our awakening to our innate godlines, and thinking and acting directly from the awareness of our godliness: Paradise on Earth!

This kind of belief is beyond belief. It is not a belief in a particular doctrine but an experience, the definition of which is up to the experiencer. 

Greetings!

Welcome Matthimaus!

In the walk of life I can learn from you and you can learn from me, irregardless of our beliefs or non-beliefs.

Hope, peace, joy, love . . .

WElcome, Matt: As long as we obviously more intellectually advanced Atheists and the  Ignorant Christians treat each other with respect, there is room for everyone here....

*takes tongue out of cheek*

Hello Matthimaus and welcome to the WonderCafe.

To be technically precise it is related to "a" church not "the" church.  The United Church of Canada is the official sponsor of WonderCafe.ca.  The United Church of Canada has not pretentions that it is the only authentic expression of Christ's church in existence.

The only ones who have been "booted off" of this site are those who will not play by the rules and insist on breaking what rules we have.  Those who can play within the rules are generally welcome to stay although if they decide they are not up for open conversation they might find the waters choppy.

I have no problems with having an openly athiest person here provided they understand what respectful dialogue is.  I have no problems with openly Christian persons being here provided they also understand what respectful dialogue is.

I don't think the topic has been done a thousand times yet.  As far as being a newbie goes this site is officially three years old in November so all of us were newbies here at one point.

Some of us here will go "arrr" about repetitive topics.  If you have a new slant on old themes I suspect that will be appreciated.  If you don't mind being pointed to the archived threads by some I know that there are others who are always game to open old discussions.

We are mostly harmless here.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Dude, if you're an atheist there's no description necessary...  You can just say *all* of them....  Because you're an "a-theist", as in "without gods".

Bizarre question, really...

Okay timebandit it was bizarre.  I tried to make it bizarre (maybe a better word might be "startling").  It was only meant to head off a rehash of the some of the most common of the preconceived notions by pointing out that the notion of "God" might be more amorphous than our new friend Matthimus might first have imagined.  I am in, in fact, in the "all of 'em" camp .  My thinking is along the lines of what Arminius describes.  I just want to bypass a lot of the stuff that RevLGKing was trying to ease us past too.

Make that a Matcha Latte and you've got yourself a deal :3

timebandit - even if you cannot, perhaps Matt can articulate what it is in which he does not believe.  And certainly it seems that he has come here for dialogue.  Simply shutting that avenue down, seems counter-productive...cms

Much like Canada as a whole, it's BETTER that WC have people of varying backgrounds, faiths, creeds, sexualities and colours (etc.).  It helps us all hear the other side of each post topic and has certainly helped ME personally be more open to the other side.

So WELCOME good Sir.  Say, do you HAVE any of your pictured cupcakes you'd care to pass along? :-)

Kinda like this fella?

Matti,

 Actually, today was my turn to conduct worship and I was very glad to be able to include atheism in my sermon as an aspect of needed awareness when looking at Christian philosphy.  I was able to come from a Buddhist perspective, but not all my ideas were based from that framework.  There's nothing wrong in just not-beiieving.  Personally, I don't beleive one needs to be theist to be Christian, and theologians will agree with that statement. 

Having said that, there are people here who aren't Christian, but most seem to have some sort of formal religious affiliation.  I don't see anything wrong with just being a secularist interested in philosophy and religion, though.

 And anyway, your'e a male and as we live in a predominantly male-oriented society in which neither men nor women can  even clearly hear women speak  unless they have aPHD or some heavy status,   or  perhaps, at least a 6 figure salary ( or just be married to a man who has one) ,  - and this website is no different in it this assessment  - I  should  be asking you if it's  o.k. with you that I'm an intellectual Socialist Feminist Christian (Buddhist) member of the lower middle-class?