Hello everyone,

  My name is Matthew and I very proudly admit to being an atheist/Secular Humanist. A bit about me- I am former fundamentalist/Evangelical and I was one for ten years. I went from being an Christian, to a deist, to an agnostic, and I am finally at home with being an atheist. I also consider myself an antitheist as well. I not only believe that there exist excellent reasons for believing and concluding that no divine beings, in all likelihood exist, but I am very much opposed to theism. I see theism is a harmful superstition that must be eradicated from this planet along with a lot of the other sinister nonsense and irrationalities that infest our world.

 I am a graduate student right now, having very recently been accepted into San Francisco State University, where (starting in January), I will start studying for my M.A. in the philosophy of religion. I eventually hope to train as a biblical scholar so I can help educate as many people as I can on the origins of the Bible and refute myths about the Bible such as it being "the inerrant word of God". I am 30 as of this writing, recently single, and looking for good discussions as well as the opporutnity to make friends.

 I have decided to join the forum because I am very much interested in the Rational Response Squad and becoming an active member. For some time I have been interested in peaceful coexistence with believers of all persuasions. I now see this as a very futile endeavor; I believe that I have ethical responsibility to educate and reach out to friends and loved ones and combat hateful bigots on the fundamentalist right. I am very much interested in activism on behalf of atheism and I believe that it's time for me to overcome my reservations and timidity. I have been much too torn to see perfectly good and sensible people taken hostage by the fakery that passes as religion or "faith". I am becoming more and more enraged at the lies, propaganda, flawed reasoning, and misinformation that religion spreads.

 I am even looking forward to either joining or even starting my own local chapters of the Rational Response squad. I am hoping to make new friends and there even burns the faint flicker of hope that I can meet a significant other who would be ideal for me. In the mean time, I am trying to enjoy life the best I can and learn from others.

 Matthew