Comments on: From the Mailbag http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html NIGHTTIME IS FOR DREAMING. DAYLIGHT IS FOR ACTION. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:09:52 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: C. M. Houck http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-47920 C. M. Houck Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:17:45 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-47920 I still check around, but not as often as before due to some commitments. I was surprised to find a note of encouragement that I had sent some months back. To update on my blog site, it is no longer monkeywrenchthought.blogspot.com. The new one is on a book I wrote, and in which religion gets a few black eyes. If interested drop by: http://timeframesandtaboodata.wordpress.com I like your pro-atheism approach -- and try not to get too grumpy around the irrational "faithful" I rub shoulders with. Keep up your positive work. C. I still check around, but not as often as before due to some commitments. I was surprised to find a note of encouragement that I had sent some months back. To update on my blog site, it is no longer monkeywrenchthought.blogspot.com. The new one is on a book I wrote, and in which religion gets a few black eyes. If interested drop by: http://timeframesandtaboodata.wordpress.com I like your pro-atheism approach -- and try not to get too grumpy around the irrational "faithful" I rub shoulders with. Keep up your positive work. C.

]]> By: C. M. Houck http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39865 C. M. Houck Sat, 18 Oct 2008 23:33:51 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39865 It is so nice to check in on your site when I get to thinking that I am surrounded by god's bullies. Even though I usually go to an atheist meeting once a month, I like to check around for like-minded persons to get me through each week. Your site even got me enthused enough to start my own blog. So if you'd like to look in its: http://monkeywrenchthoughts.blogspot.com/ Keep on keeping on. C. It is so nice to check in on your site when I get to thinking that I am surrounded by god's bullies. Even though I usually go to an atheist meeting once a month, I like to check around for like-minded persons to get me through each week. Your site even got me enthused enough to start my own blog. So if you'd like to look in its: http://monkeywrenchthoughts.blogspot.com/ Keep on keeping on. C.

]]> By: Sam http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39790 Sam Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:31:56 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39790 I completely agree with the people who e-mailed you. You have a natural talent to write pro-atheism in a manner that uses logic, not insults, to "debunk" theistic claims. I love your writing, and I've been trying to read your Ebon Musings essays as of late. I haven't read anything I haven't liked. You keep my temper managed on Sundays (since I read your articles most often then, ironically) when I'm forced to go to church with my family, especially when I'm told by the priest for whom to vote in the presidential election based on who is pro-life or not (*face turns red*). So thank you very much, and keep up the great work! =) I completely agree with the people who e-mailed you. You have a natural talent to write pro-atheism in a manner that uses logic, not insults, to "debunk" theistic claims. I love your writing, and I've been trying to read your Ebon Musings essays as of late. I haven't read anything I haven't liked.

You keep my temper managed on Sundays (since I read your articles most often then, ironically) when I'm forced to go to church with my family, especially when I'm told by the priest for whom to vote in the presidential election based on who is pro-life or not (*face turns red*).

So thank you very much, and keep up the great work! =)

]]> By: Adele http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39722 Adele Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:42:03 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39722 I feel the same as Dante. Unfortunately I already posted my conversion story on a different post having not seen this one - but Ebon Musings and Daylight Atheism were by far the most helpful resources for me. I could not and would not have done it without you! I cannot express my thanks enough. I feel the same as Dante. Unfortunately I already posted my conversion story on a different post having not seen this one - but Ebon Musings and Daylight Atheism were by far the most helpful resources for me. I could not and would not have done it without you! I cannot express my thanks enough.

]]> By: Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39705 Ebonmuse Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:32:01 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39705 Thank you, Dante, for those wonderful kind words. It's always a great honor to me to hear that my writings played some role in the intellectual journey of a new freethinker. Well done, sir! It takes courage and preparedness to stand up for yourself, but it's worth it. Being honest with the world is a reward that can't be overestimated. And by standing up for yourself and spreading the good news of atheism, you may well give courage to other people you know who are struggling with the same doubts. Thank you, Dante, for those wonderful kind words. It's always a great honor to me to hear that my writings played some role in the intellectual journey of a new freethinker. Well done, sir!

It takes courage and preparedness to stand up for yourself, but it's worth it. Being honest with the world is a reward that can't be overestimated. And by standing up for yourself and spreading the good news of atheism, you may well give courage to other people you know who are struggling with the same doubts.

]]> By: Dante http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39694 Dante Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:22:11 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39694 I am a first time commenter but been reading your site daily since 2005. Me too, since sometime June 2005 or so, I first found out and fully convinced that I am an atheist when I first read your front essay on ebonmusings.org. And that's it. I become an outed atheist and very very proud of it. My first thoughts are a mixtures of joy, intellectual liberation, but also, I am sad because I know my love ones, famiies and friends will find it hard to disbelieve or accept atheism. But, I am working on it and I would like to really thank you. I will continue to read your postings and look forward to your book. You have really done a great job in favor of atheism more than you can imagine. Keep up your good work, many more will be enlightened by your essays. Cheers!!!! I am a first time commenter but been reading your site daily since 2005.
Me too, since sometime June 2005 or so, I first found out and fully convinced that I am an atheist when I first read your front essay on ebonmusings.org. And that's it.
I become an outed atheist and very very proud of it. My first thoughts are a mixtures of joy, intellectual liberation, but also, I am sad because I know my love ones, famiies and friends will find it hard to disbelieve or accept atheism.
But, I am working on it and I would like to really thank you.
I will continue to read your postings and look forward to your book.
You have really done a great job in favor of atheism more than you can imagine.
Keep up your good work, many more will be enlightened by your essays.
Cheers!!!!

]]> By: velkyn http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39629 velkyn Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:52:14 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39629 I'll have to say that Ebon Musings and this site were a welcome find and did give me the courage to stand up and be noticed. I have never found it good to keep quiet about a subject you feel strongly about. I have been lucky enough that my local newspaper often prints my letters to the editor (and the occasional longer piece) and I have *always* had people take the time to find my phone number and thank me personally for showing that there are other people who think like them, everyone from a WWII vet who helped liberate the camps and who lost any faith in a "God" to someone who was *in* those camps and who was glad that someone was willing to speak out against the fundamentalists as was a retired Lutheran minister. Strangely enough, it has always been those older than me that call. I suppose they did feel that they couldn't say anything before atheism became more acceptable, which is sad. Yes, there is a danger in doing being an "out" atheist because of the kooks but it's worth it. I'll have to say that Ebon Musings and this site were a welcome find and did give me the courage to stand up and be noticed. I have never found it good to keep quiet about a subject you feel strongly about. I have been lucky enough that my local newspaper often prints my letters to the editor (and the occasional longer piece) and I have *always* had people take the time to find my phone number and thank me personally for showing that there are other people who think like them, everyone from a WWII vet who helped liberate the camps and who lost any faith in a "God" to someone who was *in* those camps and who was glad that someone was willing to speak out against the fundamentalists as was a retired Lutheran minister. Strangely enough, it has always been those older than me that call. I suppose they did feel that they couldn't say anything before atheism became more acceptable, which is sad. Yes, there is a danger in doing being an "out" atheist because of the kooks but it's worth it.

]]> By: Eshu http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39628 Eshu Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:16:44 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39628 I'm glad you shared this. It's good to know that atheist writing is helpful to people other than ourselves. Plenty of people are atheists without having a thorough understanding of all the arguments, perhaps only the one that makes most sense to them (although this number is probably dwarfed by the number of theists who don't understand the arguments!). I think atheist and freethinker websites are essential, not only to crystallise agnostic doubts into a considered atheism, but in helping atheists to ask the right questions and show the weaknesses in theistic arguments. I found <a href="http://ebonmusings.org" rel="nofollow">ebonmusings.org</a> especially helpful when debating with a Christian friend, and even gave him a few of the essays as a swap for his C.S. Lewis book. I'm glad you shared this. It's good to know that atheist writing is helpful to people other than ourselves.

Plenty of people are atheists without having a thorough understanding of all the arguments, perhaps only the one that makes most sense to them (although this number is probably dwarfed by the number of theists who don't understand the arguments!).

I think atheist and freethinker websites are essential, not only to crystallise agnostic doubts into a considered atheism, but in helping atheists to ask the right questions and show the weaknesses in theistic arguments. I found ebonmusings.org especially helpful when debating with a Christian friend, and even gave him a few of the essays as a swap for his C.S. Lewis book.

]]> By: Brad http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39627 Brad Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:02:27 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39627 The essays on Ebon Musings also helped me when I was at the end of my own deconversion. Many of my vague ideas formed into solid thoughts, and I saw a bigger picture of God and religion. I can easily say that EM and DA are the best atheistic resources out there - whether print or electronic - and it is not just because they are engagingly intellectual. They are strangely both very professional and very personal. An example of personal writing was Into the Clear Air. (Internet Infidels was likewise an awesome resource.) This isn't to say I agree with everything you wrote, obviously, or that I think you have covered every type of belief. For one, you almost always assume the fundamentalist version of hell, and I was never raised with such a belief. Or at least I was raised with mixed ideas of the doctrine. The essays on Ebon Musings also helped me when I was at the end of my own deconversion. Many of my vague ideas formed into solid thoughts, and I saw a bigger picture of God and religion. I can easily say that EM and DA are the best atheistic resources out there - whether print or electronic - and it is not just because they are engagingly intellectual. They are strangely both very professional and very personal. An example of personal writing was Into the Clear Air.

(Internet Infidels was likewise an awesome resource.)

This isn't to say I agree with everything you wrote, obviously, or that I think you have covered every type of belief. For one, you almost always assume the fundamentalist version of hell, and I was never raised with such a belief. Or at least I was raised with mixed ideas of the doctrine.

]]> By: BlackSun http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39625 BlackSun Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:19:23 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39625 Good job, Ebonmuse. You are indeed making a difference to people who may have a profound impact on our collective future. The ripple effect gives me hope. . Good job, Ebonmuse. You are indeed making a difference to people who may have a profound impact on our collective future. The ripple effect gives me hope.
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]]> By: the chaplain http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39623 the chaplain Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:29 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39623 Thanks for sharing these. It's easy to wonder if blogging about atheism, rationalism, etc., is a worthwhile use of time. These emails (I've received similar ones) remind us that there are people who need encouragement in working through issues related to belief and non-belief. Thanks for sharing these. It's easy to wonder if blogging about atheism, rationalism, etc., is a worthwhile use of time. These emails (I've received similar ones) remind us that there are people who need encouragement in working through issues related to belief and non-belief.

]]> By: Trung http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/10/from-the-mailbag.html#comment-39621 Trung Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:54:03 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=853#comment-39621 I'm not suprised. Your essays and posts are a fantastic read. Reading your work really inspires me to help others. I'll read as long as you write. I'm not suprised. Your essays and posts are a fantastic read. Reading your work really inspires me to help others. I'll read as long as you write.

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