I went to Mennonite grade school, Calvinist (Christian Reformed Church) high school. I'm always surprised to see that so many of my old classmates are still perfectly happy and faithful Christians, even as adults. Then again, the CRC high school fed into a local CRC college, and most Mennonites never even attended…

I went to Mennonite grade school, Calvinist (Christian Reformed Church) high school. I'm always surprised to see that so many of my old classmates are still perfectly happy and faithful Christians, even as adults. Then again, the CRC high school fed into a local CRC college, and most Mennonites never even attended…

Thanks for the recommend! Mishima: A Life in Four Parts is a fab movie, but I haven't read any of the guy's fiction yet. I read Gore Vidal's assessment that the guy was a lightweight Maughm knock-off, and took it too seriously; Gore's been wrong before, though, and since watching the movie I've been considering…

Thanks for the recommend! Mishima: A Life in Four Parts is a fab movie, but I haven't read any of the guy's fiction yet. I read Gore Vidal's assessment that the guy was a lightweight Maughm knock-off, and took it too seriously; Gore's been wrong before, though, and since watching the movie I've been considering…

I found the fire/brimstone racket to be totally terrifying as a kid, too, but that unfortunately didn't convince me away from it, back then. My thought was: well, it sounds bad, but it's not impossible that the world's just a pretty shitty place. Nothing dictates that God has to be fair. My dad, a pastor, seemed to…

I found the fire/brimstone racket to be totally terrifying as a kid, too, but that unfortunately didn't convince me away from it, back then. My thought was: well, it sounds bad, but it's not impossible that the world's just a pretty shitty place. Nothing dictates that God has to be fair. My dad, a pastor, seemed to…

This really makes me want to see Breaking the Waves. Nice.

This really makes me want to see Breaking the Waves. Nice.

Well, there's also the possibility that some atheists have had to struggle down the long, arduous journey down that road—I have, and have been told all sorts of not-so-nice things by my family—and have to deal with people who tell us that we're wrong on a daily basis. I teach school, and the kids who find out about…

Well, there's also the possibility that some atheists have had to struggle down the long, arduous journey down that road—I have, and have been told all sorts of not-so-nice things by my family—and have to deal with people who tell us that we're wrong on a daily basis. I teach school, and the kids who find out about…

Funny. My parents gave me Christian comics (Chick tracts, anyone?) and told me that their variant of horror comics—demon spirits leap from rock records to drag teens' souls to hell—was isomorphic to reality. For me, Bible and horror were one.

Funny. My parents gave me Christian comics (Chick tracts, anyone?) and told me that their variant of horror comics—demon spirits leap from rock records to drag teens' souls to hell—was isomorphic to reality. For me, Bible and horror were one.

Raised Lutheran, with traces of Calvinism; currently atheist.

Raised Lutheran, with traces of Calvinism; currently atheist.

This is a good idea for a thread: religious works that turned people off from religion.

This is a good idea for a thread: religious works that turned people off from religion.

I grew up on the aforementioned "Spire comics"—I remember writing/drawing a ripoff David v. Goliath one inspired by another one I'd read. It pains me now to think that I could've been reading real comics, developing real drawing skills and stuff, if I'd have grown up in a slightly less religious environment.

I grew up on the aforementioned "Spire comics"—I remember writing/drawing a ripoff David v. Goliath one inspired by another one I'd read. It pains me now to think that I could've been reading real comics, developing real drawing skills and stuff, if I'd have grown up in a slightly less religious environment.

Hmm. This seems a bit, well, combative. I haven't lived here a year yet, but you haven't lived here for hundreds of years either. We each get just one lifetime. If @avclub-e576423831e043f7928d9ac113abbe6f:disqus was born in AZ, then he's every bit as much a "native" as you are, no matter what cred you have via family…

Hmm. This seems a bit, well, combative. I haven't lived here a year yet, but you haven't lived here for hundreds of years either. We each get just one lifetime. If @avclub-e576423831e043f7928d9ac113abbe6f:disqus was born in AZ, then he's every bit as much a "native" as you are, no matter what cred you have via family…