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["Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>]

O.K., I had the trauma, twice (saw my favorite aunt beat and kicked by an 
uncle, then was at the hospital two years later [my 6th birthday] when she 
was given the Last Rites.

My lack of belief, I don't believe, is hinged on those incidents and comfort 
or lack thereof.  My lack of belief comes from spending 5 years studying the 
Bible (won a week at a Billy Graham thing in SF) and finding it full of more 
holes than Swiss cheese.  Plus, finding that most people who proported to be 
Christians were not living in a "Christ like" manner.

I've known a few who were *real* Christians but they are so rare, so far and 
few between, that it made it all the more unrealistic to me.

but then again, I am a puzzle person and pick things apart and look for the 
logic.  Mr. Spook is my hero <g>  I don't find that in religion.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "EarthNSky" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>


> LOL, yeah, and now from the woman's perspective...LOL
> It is interesting that neither of you mentioned the third aspect of that
> study, sexual exclusivity.  Comments?
>
> This part is relevant, too...
> "Bailey also said that these preferences may stem from a desire to show
> superiority or elitism, which also has to do with IQ. In fact, aligning
> oneself with "unconventional" philosophies such as liberalism or atheism
> may be "ways to communicate to everyone that you're pretty smart," he 
> said."
>
> Now, I don't profess to have Don or Gene's IQ, but in my neck of the
> woods, it wouldn't be too smart to proudly say "I'm a sexy, liberal,
> atheist".  I keep my liberal ideas, my religious beliefs, and my sex
> life to myself (or the lack thereof on all three parts, as the case may
> be).
>
> I often think about things like this.  I've never had this discussion
> with Gene or Don, but of the atheists/agnostics/deists/pantheists I know
> in my real life, basically everyone who has broken away from the
> mainstream Judeo-Christian upbringing in this country, has had some kind
> of trauma in their life early on, a pain, a heartache that needed
> consolation.  For them, and here I must include myself, mainstream ideas
> were no comfort, so I turned to other ideas, other belief systems.  We
> actively and intentionally turned away from the mainstream in search of
> a 'better' remedy for the pain.  Some block it all out and let nothing
> in, they wall up their pain.(not all atheists fall into this category,
> but we all know someone who is fits the description) The result is
> usually broken relationships of one sort or the other as the issue
> resurfaces with a new face later in life. (not that they have a monopoly
> on that, either)
> I suppose we all go through some kind of pain in childhood, and I've
> always envied those who found comfort in a mainstream idea.  I certainly
> don't advertise my unconventional beliefs.  I don't need that kind of
> negative attention.  I really don't even think it would be different if
> I lived in someplace like California known for its open-mindedness.  It
> has been my experience that when I am in the company of extremely
> intelligent, open-minded, liberal, atheist/agnostic people, there is
> very little, um, warmth, for the lack of a better word.   There is just
> a coldness, emptiness or loneliness that I sometimes sense in their
> presence.  I can't explain it.  However, to contrast that, when I am
> around people who would be considered the opposite of the above, there
> is a warmth, and a feeling of contentment and peace is conveyed. In the
> presence of these people, I feel envious and I am humbled.  Their IQ may
> be 6-11 points lower than yours or mine, but perhaps what they have is
> more important in the grand scheme of things....or maybe it is just good
> for the balance.   Even if there is no grand scheme, perhaps what they
> have enables them to live a life just a bit richer than I could 
> experience.
> What do I know, I missed the genius 140 mark by 8 points the last time I
> took the test. I suppose that explains why I can't figure out how to
> download ringtones for my phone.
>
> Bev
>
>
>
> Gene GeRue wrote:
> > It doesn't take much smarts to follow the herd and accept simplistic
> >  fairy tales and take life as it is without striving for and
> > achieving improvement.
> >
> > As for sexier, modesty prevents me from responding. Chris has been
> > known to, um, speak favorably in that regard.
> >
> > Gene
> >
> >
> > On Feb 26, 2010, at 5:00 PM, Don Bowen wrote:
> >
> > > I guess us liberal atheists are just smarter and sexier, eh Gene.
> > >
> > > http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/26/liberals.atheists.sex.intelligence/index.html?hpt=C2
>
>
> --
> Many of our greatest American thinkers, men of the caliber of Thomas
> Jefferson, Henry Thoreau, Mark Twain, William James, and John Muir, have
> found the forest an effective stimulus to original thought.
> Bob Marshall
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