Welcome to the forums, Jubal!

Sounds to me like you are an agnostic atheist like most of the individuals on these forums.  We allow for the possibility that a god-like entity may exist.  We simply have no evidence to believe in one.

A person who says there is definetly not a god is a strong atheist.

Welcome,  What part of earth do you hail from?

Well I apologize for not even acknowledging all the hello backs before now..I was busy lurking on the forums.

Yes, I have read the agnostic vs atheist article. I think I'm pretty far into the agnostic category (As far as I'm concerned the existence of a God or non-existence, is most likely unprovable, however extremely unlikely).

I'm living in Lowell, MASS at the moment, and likely stuck here for several years.  I am originally from the West Coast (California and Washington) and have lived all over the U.S. at various points, even got to spend 3 years in (then west )Germany courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

I miss the west so much I can hardly bear it sometimes, and massatwoshits is particularly a place without redeeming quality IMO, but we're stuck here between family obligations and job stuff.

I've been spending the last couple days pouring over the site, and holy cow there's a lot of ground to cover. Most of the theist vs. atheist arguments are pretty old and tired to me. Not that they aren't necessarily true, it's just that at 43, I've heard it all before, most of it many many times. I am however, interested in how people believe, because frankly its fascinating. I doubt I'll ever talk someone out of their faith. No one was able to even put a dent in mine, it took a decent amount of education before I felt qualified to say: "OK, I've heard the differing arguments, from everywhere from Pentecostal bible thumpers to United Church of Christ milquetoast varieties, and frankly the things you see as Holy, I see as plain old villainy."

I've had some different experiences than I think a lot have. I will probably write it up for this site sometime soon, it's a kind of interesting "faith journey." At least I think it's a little unusual.

One thing I've noticed is a giant amount of hostility here. And let me say first, I understand.

When I threw off the label Christian, somewhere around 21, I spent a couple of years being pretty pissed off at Christianity,and sadly, I took it out on lots of otherwise perfectly nice people who got lambasted with all the anger I had for the lies I'd been told, the fear that had been bred into me, etc. Even though none of them had any part in any of it.

These days, I try (sometimes not hard enough) not to pick fights unless I'm just feeling ornery when the JWs come round. (Nothing like ushering them in with a warm smile and offers of coffee, and after it's been poured proceeding to remove all your clothes..yes I've actually done this).

While I have no respect for the belief system, I have plenty of respect for people honestly trying to do what they honestly feel is right, unless it's something obviously evil. (Yes I'm aware that the kind of thinking that motivates people to "witness" to me is the same kind that gets people to strap bombs to themselves, but I try not to project the most evil aspects of theism onto all theists.)

I try to remember that that in all honesty, even many people who would consider themselves "Conservative Christians" don't quibble over evolution, don't necessarily believe that Hell is an eternal fiery torment, etc. I know even when I was rolling with the Pentecostal wackos I could never understand why anyone would try to take Genesis as literal anyway. The allegory is a far more interesting and meaningful theme.

Not that I don't get pissed off. I am sure if I stick around it won't be too long until I rant about something or other the religionists did!

The wrath comes up when I see the anti-abortion nuts (especially the ones who also think birth control is a sin) or when the Fundies open their pie holes about how the U.S. "was founded as a Christian nation," or other injections of religion into the public forum that I think are obviously an attempt at making us into a more theocratic state.

Anyway, I'm rambling. THANK YOU for the welcome, and I think I'll be sticking around for a while!