I figured I would write a small thing about who I am and how I got here. I realized I have been here for about two months and have never really said much about myself.
My name is Daniel and I generally fit the stereotypical version of a computer geek sans the glasses (tho I'm sure in the not two distant future ill need them). I basically have been doing desk side and system administration for servers for years.

I am one of the lucky ones that was not indoctrinated into religion as a kid. My parents have always left it up to me to choose what it is I believe (I think part of that having to do with the fact that my Mom was forced to go to Catholic school and church so she knows how sucky that is to be forced to go). I had always never really questioned things and always considered myself an agnostic theist. "Yeah I guess God is there but whatever, I could care less." was somewhat my motto. Even when I was a kid I realized how prayer and saying grace was kind of weird to me. It wasn't until recent years that I really started questioning religion and about how stupid it was.

I generally consider the day I read the God Delusion as the day that I decided that I was an atheist and have really always been just kind of afraid to realize it. For the longest time I had thought "Ok, Christianity is not really my cup of tea. What else? How bout Wicca, that sounds cool. No hell, sounds ok. Oh wait, casting spells. Hmm no that sounds lame and retarded. Well, maybe buddhism. Well no, too many weird shit to listen to thats not me." and so on. I realized after reading the God Delusion (and as an aside to this, it probably could have been any atheist book that I may have read that provoked this reaction, for me it just happened to be Richard Dawkins book which really the only reason I bought it was the Root of All Evil documentary he did that I enjoyed so much.) that I did not need anything to believe in other than Humanity as a whole and myself.

After this point, which wasn't that long ago, I really realized how fucked up things have gotten especially in America because of religion (generally Christianity). I have always thought that people who try to take away the right for abortions and the ability to research stem cell was fucking retarded, but again you don't realize till you start looking at it from a new perspective that the ONLY reason that its an issue is because religion says its an issue. This also goes for gay rights (specifically lately in politics, gay marriage). People who love each other and want to get married can't because they happen to be the same gender and Christians say thats bad. Anyone who thinks that religion doesn't have anything to do with those ideas is fucking lying to themselves.

I just happened to stumble upon this website and group of people by accident. Honestly I don't even remember what brought me here other than perhaps someone linking something from RichardDawkins.net. The reason I have joined and am trying to take a more active role (through donations and dealing with the webserver) is because I believe we need to stop this retarded shit that has happened because of religion. If theists and even those atheists who wish to lay low would step back, analyze what religion does to our planet currently and how much harm it does, how much it holds humanity back and the walls it creates then they would hopefully also realize that we need this shit to stop. I am honestly sick and tired of our tax dollars going to create laws to stop abortions (even ones that may save the mothers life or allows abortions in the case of rape/incest), stopping gay marriage which affects fucking NO one except those who want it (this is one thing that has always pissed me off because I want someone to explain to me why this is such an issue when it hurts no one yet makes those that want to get married happy) and perhaps the worst tragedy of all the lack of support for stem cell research. Stem cell treatments may hold the key to treating some of the most fucked up diseases that we face now and could have the potential of helping millions if not billions, yet because christians and those that believe the same ideals hold that the 150 cell blastocyst may hold a "soul" we can't use it even tho there is no evidence of that, we can't do it. I would much rather see our tax dollars going towards helping the poor, creating better lives for people and increasing knowledge.

Anyways, apoligize for what has turned out to be a rant but my point is this. The Rational Response Squad (Brian, Kelly, Rook and everyone else who subscribes and contributes to this site and to its members) is one of the best groups I have dealt with. Unlike some places I have been (such as random IRC and other chat/forums and what not), the people here are smart and because I can converse with them, I learn more. This is why I have tried to dedicate a lot of my time here. Not only to learn but to hopefully also contribute to help end irrational beliefs.