The one thing I've always liked about your other username is the reference to Dune.
Yeah funny story that.
When I first started using the internet around the age of 14 I was in the middle of reading through the Dune series so I instantly used the name because of that. Alas so did many other people so when you searched my user name you found lots of results. Including, at the time, someone on Usenet with an interest in Bestiality. A fact my school friends at the time made a lot of use of.
So one day I hit upon what I thought was the genius idea of misspelling it deliberately. You might notice that Mauddib is actually a misspelling. What my "genius" idea did not count on was that many people actually could not spell and my intentional misspelling just meant that NOW when you search my user names you still get a lot of results. So I had to start putting IrishMauddib instead of just Mauddib.
So one day I just took the word Nosferatu and not just misspelled it but did so egregiously. So far on the internet it has remained unique. (to my knowledge).
IIRC, TIME said that when a future prime minister of France introduced his fiancee to his parents he said she was "non-religious". I don't know what French word the writer had translated that way. You're living on "the Continent". Do you know what the French word is?
Not off hand no but I would probably not want to identify with it any more than I do with "atheist". I seem to have a wall in my mind about labelling myself by things I am not, rather than by things I am. So words like "non religious" and "atheist" have never really felt like they quite fit me. I recognise the utility of the words and use them when I have to, but I rarely self identify by them.
I agree completely, theology and religious apologetics have reached the point where they don't even deserve a place at the table of intellectual discussion.
I agree wholeheartedly, but I do so also while realizing that sheer weight of numbers means we still have to expect to find them at those tables, like it or not, and we have to remain prepared to deal with them when they are.
I would love tomorrow to renounce my membership of Atheist Ireland and never deal with religion again. Unfortunately all the things I AM actually interested in.... ethics, morality, education, children, science, politics, sexuality and more.... are realms of discourse where I am forced to face and deal with the religious all the time. Daily.... nay hourly.
Nice article, Nozz. I'm familiar with your post history as Irish and I've very much enjoyed your replies there. Welcome to the forum.
Thanks for that. Unfortunately recently I have felt compelled to reduce the posting I do "over there" as I have found that any thread of any interest recently either descends into quibbling about personal issues some users there have with each other... or into arguments over who has just smited who on the thread. Not to mention the barely concealed self hatred and trolling from two particular users... one of which I see you have the dubious honor to have over here in recent days.
The usefulness and enjoyment I once found "over there" seems to have been eroded to a barely visible dot. Hence my wandering over here to see what it is like here.
It was nice to see PZ publish my post though I have to admit. When the AAI conference happened in Dublin last year I was the one with the honor of driving DPRJones, AaronRa and PZ Myers to the talk from Dublin airport. When DPR did his annual 24 hour charity video blogathon he had Aronra and PZ on at the same time and they spent a few minutes reminiscing about how terrified they were of my driving skills in Dublin Rush hour traffic.
Not sure whether I was embarrassed or proud to be mentioned
Welcome, Irish person with the long screen name. I hope Nozz is an acceptable alternative.
It is what I am usually referred to as yes
