Soooo, a bunch of people will have heard about my blog at the conference this weekend… and they’re going to want to be pointed in the direction of a couple posts:

- Why Atheists Annoy Me: The post that PZ linked to which resaulted in his little minions flocking over and attacking the place

- Full Frontal Reviewed: I can’t find the original post when Jessica Valenti first started spouting her pure disliking for me. This post, however, was one of the ones that she wasn’t too happy about. I also didn’t speak too highly of her here… Aaaaand pretty much every feminist on the blogosphere hated my “Making Feminism Inclusive” post…

- The Skatje thing. Why she wants to punch me… this one is going to have to happen in a few parts. Here is the original post that started everything, called Long Distance Relationships and Love. Skatje responded to the post by calling me a slut. It was never resolved and she’s hated me every since.

…From *that place* that *guy* posts some questions:

What is your mission statement?

I don’t really have one. Mostly because this blog has gone up and down and back and forth in terms of topics. It started out primarily about liberal politics, then there was a huge period of primarily environmental issues, then shifted a lot to feminism, then shifted a lot to science about dinosaurs and pre-historic stuff …now it’s just a slew of things, mostly atheism… When I started the blog I did it because I had a lot of free time and it seemed like a good idea. I was reading a lot of blogs and wanted to comment on things, but wasn’t really into the whole commenting thing because I didn’t like being attacked.

Then I wanted the site to be a lot like skepchick and wanted it to be more of a group blog. (BTW - I wish I read skepchick more often. But I totally hate that there is a 100% lack of Canadian issues. They mentioned Canada once in the time that I’ve been reading and it was to link to a completely biased and disgusting attack on the CBC. Suffice to say - I think they need some sort of Canadian blogger writing for them. If they had that, I’d be more interested in reading it.) That’s when I joined eco-chick with the intent of leaving lib-deb and going full time over there. But… slowly my interest in environmental issues didn’t disappear, but definitely lessened as I got involved with the secular movement.

Why do you blog?????????

For something to do, really. I have fun with it sometimes, and I think that people want to hear my opinion, so I go with that. Now - I blog at eco-chick because I’m concerned about the environment and they need someone to break their fluffy stuff and write about something that snaps people back to reality.

We’re starting Edger because we’re students concerned about religion and the progression of the secular movement. (I don’t think I’ll be having a very prominent spot there, although I’m one of the “founders” … I think primarily I’ll just contribute the weekly radio show that will be podcasted. …That will be my… main thing to do there. Originally I was going to be “the girl” but Shalini has been brought on, so she’ll cover that bit nicely.)

Oh - and because my brother thinks he’s going to start making money off my site……… yeah.

I’m sorry that I talk about Hemant so much - but I really only have time to read like 3 blogs, and his happens to be the one where all the interesting stuff happens. …He has a new girl blogging on his site - Lindsay Fay. She’s really funny, young (around my age), really pretty and a member of the mormon church.

When I first heard about Lindsay going to blog on Hemant’s site I was actually pretty excited - because I like to learn about new religions and talk to people about their religions.

However, some people at the humble abode of Hemant haven’t been so responsive to the newcomer.

RobL says:
Decided at 14 that it was total mind bending nonsense and have been atheist ever since. Joseph Smith was just a skilled con artist who duped all his naïve followers. Thanks for bringing back all the things I spent years trying to forget…

kamod says:
First of all most us know about Mormonism.. Yes it does involve in believing loads of things. But this post has done it finally, I agree with being friendlyatheist and all that shit. But I can’t read this blog anymore.. Well done Hemant. Good going.

Darryl says:

I know everything I need to know about Mormonism. It’s the product of one of the most obvious cons in religious history. The only aspect of it that’s worth study is its sociological meaning. I never cease to be amazed that otherwise intelligent and educated people can actually believe this stuff. Ah, the power of the imagination.

Escualidus Arrechus says:
I have to agree with kamod, actually, minus all the profanity.

Hemant has worked himself into an interesting corner. I don’t really care that these guys can’t just STFU and skip over stuff they don’t want to read but it all raised some interesting thoughts.

The easiest way to run an atheist blog is to post things that mock religion - because that’s what a lot of people read. I’ll even admit that I like looking at that sort of stuff. And really - thats a lot of what Hemant had gotten into posting. There has also been a lot of really good recent material on atheist groups and the evolving that they’re doing. But still - a lot of that stereotypical mocking religion stuff - and the crowd that’s reading played it up even more.

The comments were probably the biggest hazing ground for the religions that were brought up in the post.

So then Hemant introduces a religious person. Not only a religious person - a mormon. Once my grandma said to me [my sister is dating a guy from Utah] “Oh, lets just hope he’s not one of those crazy mormons” and she’s been a devote christian her whole life. Most people know Mormonism is a little strange. But that’s the new very part time face of the Friendly Atheist site.

How are people supposed to react to that? A lot of us who are now atheists used to be something else… United, Baptist, Anglican, Mormon, Catholic, Hindu… whatever… After that gigantic flip in our lives we’ve had to search for somewhere else to fit in. Find new connections, new places to go read and new people to talk to. So for me personally - I was waiting for those comments to come into Hemant’s blog.

It’s not that these people who are commenting are totally intolerant of religion - but they had found a domain to get information and people who shared a common lifestyle and common ideas. To throw a Mormon into the mix to write about her Mormonism and to teach us all about Mormonism just had “bad news” written all over it.

I know that Hemant wants to open up dialogue with religious people, but I don’t think inviting a Mormon to come into the atheist’s cave to talk about her Mormonism and teach us all about the rules and practices of Mormonism is the smartest way to go about doing that. Most of us left religion because it was a horrible experience in our lives. We didn’t like it, we felt that it was brainwashing, it was irrational… etc. Very *very* few people are like me… who left religion, but still wants to research religions, talk about faith, explore other people’s faith and get into their minds. Most just want religion to eff off, and don’t want to have to deal with it again.

I dont know if I’ve ever mentioned it in my many monday love posts - but those really are my lips and hand writing! I thought it needed a personal touch.

I have a problem when I read Hemant’s blog - I wish I wrote everything that’s on it… so I’m always like “I’ll just open this up in a new tab and write about it later” to the point where I have about 9 Friendly Atheist tabs open for like 3 days. Everything else gets closed because I lose interest in whatever topic happens to be there (unless it’s about dinosaurs) but his remain open. *sigh* But things like this post on a cheeto looking like Jesus - but really looking like a fetus is just absolutely hilarious, and I can’t just read it and go on with my life. I have to remain hung up on it for days.

So why is it that I don’t write about his blog ALL the time? Eventually I tell myself I’m being silly and close all my tabs in Firefox without doing anything about them. Yep. He’s like a drug. I flush it down, but I always get more. He’s like …Sufjan Stevens in blog form… only not religious. And I don’t picture him having an overly glorious singing voice. …

My group is becoming affiliated with the Secular Student Associated almost entirely due to the fact that we think it will be easier to get him into Canada this way mwa ha.

Anyway - the one thing I did want to take away from his blog has absolutely nothing to do about his blog or even him - but my Easter… rather, and the posts that are spawning from it. So watch for the following:

1. 9/11 wasn’t an inside job

2. skepticism doesn’t always mean atheism, and skepticism is nothing to be afraid of

3.  The OUT campaign and why I am going to finally embrace it.

I *will* write them tonight. This is what I call “forcing myself to blog” because I really do want to do it more. The problem is that I’d rather be group blogging. So that I had someone else to be blog happy with. Who wants to take me on??? Any takers?? I’m atheist who likes dinosaurs! What more could you want? Nothing.

If you’re not familiar with Hemant’s blog (i know at least 5 of you aren’t) go take a read now. And mention to him that you know an atheist girl who would marry him, but she’s not indian.

It’s pretty sad that I had to draw these pictures in an attempt to explain to the women I was working with what “pi/e” I was talking about. …Even by the end of the picture explanation I still don’t think they got why exactly today is pi day. Whatever. I will give in to the fact that I work with a lot of morons.

I  think the highlight of my pi day was reading Sage’s post about my blog. I LOVE that my site is banned from wherever it is banned from. Seriously. That’s so hilarious. And she’s right - I get a ton of traffic to that one post about porn… I have no idea why. Even Michael mentioned that he was getting traffic from there too… (And I do love love love that he wrote a nice comment, even if I haven’t replied to it - which I had every intention of doing - it was nice to get a real response to it.)

Speaking of Michael - whose blog I really do still love - I found another new blog that I might love just as much… Prose Before Hos. Whoa awesome fo’ reelz.

Anyway….. HAPPY PI DAY! woo!