I'm finally coming out of the closet, atheism I mean.

[Max™]

You know, the most amazing thing happened to me tonight. I was coming here, on the way to the lecture, and I came in through the parking lot. And you won't believe what happened. I saw a car with the license plate ARW 357. Can you imagine? Of all the millions of license plates in the state, what was the chance that I would see that particular one tonight? Amazing!

I love Feynman quotes, such a wonderful mix of brilliance with absurdity.

 

[DevilsAvocado]

Richard Feynman used to go up to people all the time and he'd say "You won't believe what happened to me today... you won't believe what happened to me" and people would say "What?" and he'd say "Absolutely nothing". Because we humans believe that everything that happens to us is special and significant. And that — and Carl Sagan wrote beautifully about that in The Demon-Haunted World — that is much of the source of religion. Everything that happens is unusual and I expect that the likelihood that Richard and I ever would've met. If you think about all the variables: the probability that we were in the same place at the same time, ate breakfast the same. Whatever. It's zero. Every event that happens has small probability... but it happens and then when it happens; if it's weird, if you dream one million nights and it's nonsense but one night you dream that your friend is going to break his leg and the next day he breaks his arm... *sound of revelation* So the really thing that physics tell us about the universe is that it's big, rare event happens all the time — including life — and that doesn't mean it's special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo&hd=1"

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[DevilsAvocado]

I can only sympathize, I have this recurring dream about eating leeches

You see Borek? If you have one million dreams about eating leeches it’s nonsense. You’ve got to trust science on this!

... even though I feel sympathy for your 'reactions' ...

 

[lisab]

You know, the most amazing thing happened to me tonight. I was coming here, on the way to the lecture, and I came in through the parking lot. And you won't believe what happened. I saw a car with the license plate ARW 357. Can you imagine? Of all the millions of license plates in the state, what was the chance that I would see that particular one tonight? Amazing!

I love Feynman quotes, such a wonderful mix of brilliance with absurdity.

Can you imagine actually having ARW 357 on your car's license plate?! The value of your car would sky rocket! Well...if only to a very small, dare-I-say select few potential buyers...

 

[DevilsAvocado]

Bidding!

 

[Chi Meson]

SatansGuacamole is quickly becoming my favorite PF member.

[Did I pronounce that correctly?]

 

[nismaratwork]

SatansGuacamole is quickly becoming my favorite PF member.

[Did I pronounce that correctly?]

That's going to be a PF classic quote, I predict.

 

[Max™]

Can you imagine actually having ARW 357 on your car's license plate?! The value of your car would sky rocket! Well...if only to a very small, dare-I-say select few potential buyers...

Would be an interesting request for a plate number, embarrassingly geeky as well.

 

[mugaliens]

Can you imagine actually having ARW 357 on your car's license plate?

I'm sorry, but no. I am incapable of imagining any sort of thing.

"Air Refueling Wing? Is that what it stands for?

 

[Char. Limit]

I'm sorry, but no. I am incapable of imagining any sort of thing.

"Air Refueling Wing? Is that what it stands for?

It's the license plate mentioned by Richard Feynman in a famous quote by him.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I stopped going to church when I was little because I just didn't like it. Since my mom is not a very devout christian she did not care. She also never explained much to me about religion, I was just told I was christian and that's what I told people if asked. Sometime in grade school a girl in my class told me that I was not a true christian unless I believed Jesus was born of a virgin and sacraficed himself for my sins. my response was basically "Oh... Seriously? Well then I guess I'm not christian."
Currently I call myself "agnostic" and most people would probably consider me "atheist". I never really spoke to my family about my beliefs and I've never had any issues regarding it. Then again my family is not very close so it was easy to just not discuss it.
So that's my experience as a heathen in a christian family for what ever it is worth.

 

[KingNothing]

Honestly, I wish you the best. There are many things we can't change - the reactions of others being one of them. If they don't react supportively, all you can really do is remember that you did the right thing, and that's that.

 

[nismaratwork]

I stopped going to church when I was little because I just didn't like it. Since my mom is not a very devout christian she did not care. She also never explained much to me about religion, I was just told I was christian and that's what I told people if asked. Sometime in grade school a girl in my class told me that I was not a true christian unless I believed Jesus was born of a virgin and sacraficed himself for my sins. my response was basically "Oh... Seriously? Well then I guess I'm not christian."
Currently I call myself "agnostic" and most people would probably consider me "atheist". I never really spoke to my family about my beliefs and I've never had any issues regarding it. Then again my family is not very close so it was easy to just not discuss it.
So that's my experience as a heathen in a christian family for what ever it is worth.

Hmmm, I like your approach, but I'm sorry about your family.

 

[andiamaj1431]

i happened to be raised in a jehovahs witness household, and although my father was a non believer, when i told them i no longer had faith in god, well, let's just say, 3 months ago, i was in new jersey, now, i am live in florida with my atheist father and his chritsian wife, all i can say is, choose your words and actions wisely my friend, I am just 17 btw

 

[DoggerDan]

I think most people are predisposed to believe one way or the other, although neither has much of anything to do with one's brilliance or lack thereof.

At 2.3% of the world's population, it's definitely a minority belief: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism#Demographics

 

[shashankac655]

i was never a religious person but i thought of atheism not before i was 14 , my parents tried to change me but they gave up because i was too stubborn and i was asking too many questions for which they didn't know any answers .
Now i am an agnostic ,what do you mean by atheism?

It is not as simple as "i don't believe in god ,so i am an atheist"
It depends on your definition of god.
If god is according to you a creature that looks like a human but is immortal and has all kinds of powers then ,in that sense i am an atheist.
If god is according to you is a kind of undeniable logic under which the Universe works then i am an agnostic.

 

[DoggerDan]

Having run the gamut of having been a "true believer," then an agnostic, then an atheist, then back to rediscovering what it's really all about, I read the parade of opinions here with interest, to say the least.

Hm..