Who Am I? What Is This Blog About?

What's My Story

Hey there! Glad you stopped by. My name is Gregory Atkinson, you can just call me Greg (in fact, I insist you do, I've been Greg all my life). I have been an atheist since I was about 7, and curious about what are known as the big questions of life for about 25 years now. For the past decade I have found myself immersed in various online communities listening to theists (of various religious stripes) and atheists debate endlessly. I have been on countless platforms, lying to myself that I would eventually quit. One thing I have not really done though, is publish under my name. 

So, as I approach my twilight years (and finally tired of being accused of "hiding under a nickname", as if that made my arguments any less valid), lo and behold me:

And this is my dog. He is a good boy:

What Is This Blog About

Ok. Now you have met me (and my dog). So what will this blog be about? Well, the primary focus of this blog will be to document and write stories about religious nutjobs. A religious nutjob is a person who is so far gone from our point of view that we view any argumentation with them as hopelessly pointless. All we can do in the skeptic community is point and laugh and hope that cynicism will deter people from joining them.

Here, I will cover the scandals, the personalities, the allegations and everything in between that have befallen these folks.  I hope lots of hilarity will ensue. 

Secondary goal will be to promote strong atheist creators, whether they be writers or podcasters, and their arguments that debunk religion. I do not claim to be neutral. I was raised in a Western country, and the religions and the people I have encountered have not been equally distributed. Thus, I have no tolerance for people who ask me to devote equal time to Buddhism as I devote to Christianity. 

Disclaimers

As always there has to be a disclaimer. In my case, two.

First and foremost, this is an atheist blog, written by a strong atheist aimed and geared towards an anti-religious audience. If you are deeply religious, there is a high chance you will be offended. This might sound mean, but I am telling you upfront. I, of course, welcome anyone to engage with my postings here, but I do not want anyone to be under any illusions. This blog will offend you, and if you are someone who gets upset easily over this kind of content, it might be best to walk away. 

Secondly, while I will aim to be amusing and bring you all the drama and religious crazy stories we crave, I will avoid all forms of defamation. This will keep the content fun and enjoyable while steering clear of becoming a toxic place. If I write something negative about someone's character that is not stated as a personal opinion but as a fact, I will do my best to have evidence that would always hold up in a court of law. 

Engagement Rules

This applies to everyone, but especially if you are religious, please, do not try proselytizing here. You are welcome to comment, and even debate if other people are willing to listen and engage, but we (and yes, I get to speak for others on this blog) are not interested in being preached at. This is not a violation of your freedom of speech. You have a right to start your own blog and devote it exclusively to proselytizing to atheists. That is guaranteed by the First Amendment, and many of us would fight by your side to protect your right. You do not however have the right to preach to people who do not want to be preached at. Keep in mind also, that it is highly likely that we have heard every single argument you may want to try. Just accept that your arguments, for whatever reason, are simply not good enough to convince us of your particular god's existence.

Also, please remember, that even if you are an atheist "preaching" to us that religion is not bad and that it's actually a positive can become a form of proselytism. You are welcome to hold your opinion should it come up, but please, respect the fact that we have a different opinion than you.

I am making it as clear as possible that I am not here trying to create a neutral space for all views. Everyone is welcome but clearly this blog has a certain view and is geared towards a certain audience. If you do not like that, you are in luck as the internet is a big place and you can always find a platform or a blog that is more geared towards neutral debates.

Now that we are clear on the basics, let the fun begin!