I Aspire to More than Anger and Hate

by | May 23, 2017 | Blog

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

I often struggle for a better world but it is hard when hate is more motivating than love…  Shamefully, the world thrives on bigotry and it needs to stop, no matter what style of society it is wrong. While I have often impressed some with my skilled words of anger, it is my world of kindness, that has truly changed lives. There is someone somewhere that remembers “you”, simply because you showed them kindness. So as often as you can, strive to be kind.

I Aspire to More than Anger and Hate

We can change the world if only we can first change us. May I be a good human, kind in all I do, a true friend to the world fighting for a loving humanity we can all share; in brotherhood, sisterhood, and otherhood whatever, may we all flourish as one. Eyes of hate will always find a victim, whereas eyes of love may find a friend.

How often in my past did anger wet my lips and spill out over everyone such words can be heard? All too often have such emotions allowed me to stop seeing the need to care? How dangerous is the devaluing of those around us how easy we can think we stand firm upon the shore of the good yet are lost in the sea of me far from the world of the friendly? May my humanity push out such possible hate? It’s not that we need be blind to the reactionary things in life. No, I too see who people are and do get angry but I strive to keep it a feeling and not abusive behavior. I am not saying I don’t fall short, as Of course, I do everyone can we are all humans with a deep emotional reactiveness to stimuli in life. I strive to see the value of humanity above my desire to turn my feelings of anger into harmful…

Be thoughtful in what you say, because, words once released have power, due them being a method of transferring feelings not just ideas. Words are world builders and dramatic destructors. They can build mental castles to protect or dungeons to torment. May I strive to be kind to others with my words. And, I think back on my life, it’s not the times I was the most selfish but the times I was kind, that brighten my life. May I now make an even stronger effort to do so in all I do, as it’s so valuable to an enriched wellbeing in life.

May I strive to “call people in” to assist in their chance at positive change not simply try to “call people out” when they error. I stopped seeing only me and realized there are so many in need I must be better if things where ever to change.

A truly rational mind sees the need for humanity, as they too live in the world and see themselves as they actually are an alone body in the world seeking comfort and safety. Thus, see the value of everyone around them, as they too are the same and therefore, rationally as well a humanistically, we should work for this humanity we are part of. Moreover, we simply can either dwell in or help its flourishing (the humanity we are part of), as we are all in a metaphoric way, are in the hands of each other and communally need each other. We rise by helping each other and we may fail if we keep going as hurtful as humans too often are to each other. May we be good humans. We can be builders of life or its destruction. The person is political so the actions of my life are the expression of my political values even before I tell you what brand I may claim. We are not our past, though we are bound to it. We are also not our future self yet. So, just be the best you in the here and now. May the actions of my life be written deep with the poetry of my humanity. What do your actions say?

I am a high thinking primate, just trying to live an honorable life, being of service to others, and I wish as a life’s mission to be a kindness aficionado.

Reject the Weakness of Anger and Open to the Strength of Kindness.

I wish to be more than the weakness of anger and instead with open arms of love welcome and support kindness as a way of life, not just a thing I do if convent. To me, it is almost never deserved rather it’s a gift. How beautiful is kindness not earned? Well, in my personal case at 17 when a thoughtful person showed me undeserved kindness and in my case it was life-changing. This kindness gift as often as I can as people matter. I wish to add value to the world and send out kindness to the world wishing to promote human flourishing as much as I can and we flourish best in acceptance, understanding, and support, may I be a good human I would be proud to be inspired by. I am wise realizing the wisest thing I have ever done was be kind, even though for me it has been so hard and I am proud to say I am a good human who strives to be kind.

May I be a kindness aficionado…

Even when I am debating people who are aggressive, I don’t generally wish to be aggressive back not for them but for the person I want to be. I do sometimes fail at this as I am not always as great at emotional intelligence as I would like to be. Ideally, I would be stoic but I am a hot head and that is something I am constantly striving for as I don’t want to abuse others even with words. I don’t try to make others look bad. I want to help others. I am intelligent and could be mean but I am also very thoughtful as well as open by nature, I also strive to be wise. Thus, I wish to be kind to others as much as I can, even those who are unkind to me, as I wish to be such a bright light of kindness that it can change lives and that is so valuable to me. I don’t want to be their leader I wish to inspire them to be their own leader and thus I see I must assist others not attack others.

From a child of anger and a youth of violence to an adult of love… Kindness set me free!

I cry when I think back on my childhood and want to help change that for other kinds as childhood should not hurt. I am a child of abuse and was a youth of violence. But I wish to be an adult if compassion, understanding, and kindness. I am both aggressive and violence-prone by nature. As I am a high functioning sociopath. I was bullied as a child even told I was stupid and was placed in special education. I know know that I am actually very smart, but I struggled in school do mainly to extreme child abuse I was experiencing. However, I am not the ting abuse made any longer I am the “me” I choose to be. I see I lost my right to unchecked anger, as anything but an alarm for me that something is not right. Thus I should investigate and thoughtfully address, not merely become irate. I wish to be more than my weakness of unchecked anger. I wish for my greatness of love. Battling myself has always been the most rewarding wins thought. I am who I choose to be in the here and now, and I choose to be thoughtful, rather than angry. Watch the video and tell me what you think. I address my child abuse, and I cry in the video. I tried not to, but I could not help it. Not that there is anything wrong with crying.

If the only rights you fight for are your own, then you have a lot to learn about the value of rights.

Some wonder at my poor grammar, spelling or math?

I am quite intelligent, yet some wonder why I am so bad at rudimentary education like my poor grammar, spelling or math, its largely due to two factors being raised in a fanatical religious cult, that was almost completely shut off from the world (no Music, TV, or outside things, EtC) extreme intelectual/educational abuse and extreme child abuse; Physical abuse (sexual abuse to hitting, spanking, beating, lack of food, lack of shelter, lack of clothing, medical neglect to go with the general neglect), psychological abuse, disrupting my life.

Am I a survivor?

I fell as you tripped me again and from your hate, I remove myself from such mind and being corruption freely walking into the gates of love so longed for. You have not beaten me, you cannot stop me, you don’t want me to live, to thrive, to be all the best I can be but you hate and yet I am still here, a survivor, a full life liver, a thriver, as well as a warrior for kindness and compassion, reaching the care I was rarely offered, as a gift to the ones so desperately oppressed under your harsh gaze. May we all be free and the positive best we can be, I know I am as best I can. I am here growing stronger every day. Who am I, you ask, I respond loud and proud, I am a survivor and even in these chains from my past, you will not stop me. Sometimes, we need to see the truth, that many people are liers and deniers while claiming they are believers. Once we stop seeing the dignity of others we feel free to violate them with impunity. But when dignity is a friend respect has become once path.

I am a survivor!

“Child’s Eyes”

I find a sanctuary of hope, in the Armageddon of my life.

I see a sweet young child and I think if we are all born with love.

Where do we learn to hate?

And why?

I look into the eyes of the young child Only finding a gentle love with an uncorrupted honesty.

I think,

how I wish not to know,

hate!

I wish only for the innocence of love.

I wish the dark postcards of my heart were blank

but how can a piece of wood turn back into a tree?

How can I forget the pain inside of me?

I wish to forget.

I wish to unlearn.

To be cleansed by love and set free.

I look down into the child’s eyes wishing for what I can never have again,

My own innocence.

May I not be yet another silent watcher as millions of children like me suffer.

Don’t give up, think of all the people who you get to prove wrong with your success.

But now my thinking is strong like a bomb, deep like the ocean, and creatively imaginative as if a star shining brightly. I want a war of ideas where the loser is ignorance or hate and the victor is kindness and a rational mind.

Some think I should forgive my father for extremely abusing me. But I will never forgive the man who broke my tailbone by hitting me with a 2×4 fuck that piece of human garbage but I am not a piece of garbage he tried t make me become instead I chouse to be a person of light and kindness no matter the darkness I was forced to walk or chouse out of anger. But I let the life of anger go. I strive to not let anger become an unethical behavior, I wish to be a person that is a terror to tyrants but future to the vulnerable, yes, may I be a good human.

“Damien, I have a question: Who/what gives humans value?”

My response, We give value, as value is an awareness and judgment, it is an emergent property of validation; the ability to use critical thinking and logic in a useful way, to conclude worth, benefit, or good. May the actions of my life be written deep with the poetry of my humanity. Some people fight for people and some seem to just like to fight with people. We are our best when we are showing thoughtful regard, not thoughtless indifference.

A truly rational mind sees the need for humanity, as they too live in the world and see themselves as they actually are an alone body in the world seeking comfort and safety. Thus, see the value of everyone around them, as they too are the same and therefore, rationally as well a humanistically, we should work for this humanity we are part of. Moreover, we simply can either dwell in or help its flourishing (the humanity we are part of), as we are all in a metaphoric way, are in the hands of each other and communally need each other. We rise by helping each other and we may fail if we keep going as hurtful as humans too often are to each other. May we be good humans. We can be builders of life or its destruction. The person is political so the actions of my life are the expression of my political values even before I tell you what brand I may claim. We are not our past, though we are bound to it. We are also not our future self yet. So, just be the best you in the here and now. May the actions of my life be written deep with the poetry of my humanity. What do your actions say?

I am a high thinking primate, just trying to live an honorable life, being of service to others, and I wish as a life’s mission to be a kindness aficionado. I am not the thing abuse made, I am a shooting star blazing bright, shining far pass my past. There is so much ned but together we can see it through if only we can see the right path ahead. Well, I am the “one” you have been waiting for; I am will to power. A deep thought, so true it has taken flight, to the lofty aspirations dreamed for and a care transmitted to offer hope to humanity in this understanding. Yes, I believe in you “humanity” and will strive to champion you with all I have for you are so worthy and the need so great it needs thoughtful championing…

My life; the good, the bad, and the ugly: from forced hereditary religion in a Christian cult then non-denominational Evangelical Pentecostalism in my youth to an adulthood of then non-denominational Christianity until 35 years old in college.

Losing My Religion and MY Faith Addiction

I was born and raised in Southern California. I was raised in a broken home with both parents pushing their “follow the rules” morals and brand of the Christian religion on him. My’s father was from a Christian religious cult called The Local Church and his mom’s Christian church was Pentecostal Evangelical were they danced in the aisles, flailing their arms in the air, and chanting. These two different and radical versions of Christianity were weird to me and seemed far removed from any idea of love and respect. Both parents like their faiths, said they believed in love but more often just gave hate and pushed fear. Their fear worked and from the age of 13 to 15, I thought I was possessed by demons. I rejected their brand of Christianity until he tried to become sober. At 17, I became sober and again tried this god thing and became a strong Christian though not fundamentalist like my parents and much of my family. I was a true believer and did not doubt my previous Christianity. At 35, I entered college for psychology, was educated in science and religions, and turned atheist. I chose to leave the god idea his parents still valued, and the other bullshit behind.

I was asked how did I come to atheism?

“I was Christian for 35 years, read the bible twice, and took two religious classes before realizing the conclusion of atheism.”

My Life Unplugged: “Losing My Religion and Finding Myself”

I lost my religion and faith addiction in 2006 after going to college to be a drug and alcohol counselor. However, I don’t know if I should be called a just an atheist as this is too limited to define my disbelief. Thus, I am best described as an Axiological atheist: (Ethical/Value theory Reasoned and Moral Argument driven) Atheism, Anti-theism, Anti-religionism, and Secular Humanism I also value Ignosticism or igtheism.

My college classes on religion removed my faith, replacing it with facts showing religion should not be trusted. 

I was raised in a Christian cult before 13 then non-denominational Evangelical/Pentecostal Christian. I was basically such, non-denominational Christianity until I was about 35 years old (2006). I was raised Christian and lived my whole life in believing the Christian faith. I could have never been touted as a holy person or a true follower of the Christian rules. My life more often resembled the sinner than the saint. However, I truly believed what was taught to me about Christianity was the truth. Though I nitpicked and had qualms with some of the philosophy, I still wholeheartedly was a believer and felt I was born again. I never even doubted god until then and never had an atheist friend I knew of nor did I even want to know anything about atheism. How I changed was in college learning science and most of all taking a competitive religion class learning things about other religions I had never even cared to ask just beloved they where all wrong only Christian was right. Then I finally stopped believing in all religion with my class on understanding the Bible. Halfway through that class, I stop all belief in god and though did not know it nor even understand the word I had become an atheist. I have been working hard at becoming informed since then. Yes, as logical and critical thinking I do now, I use to not think much at all and thus I was an undoubting Christian until the age of 35 years old, while in my second religious studies classes and so you know I have read the entire bible twice before I ever took the two college classes on religion and the bible before realizing I was an atheist; I was a very superstitious supernaturalist as well as a strong theist not even once did I think to doubt or even question. I am sad to say I was not much of a rationalist now that is my driving force. Now, I question everything and think through almost everything.

The Mental Parasite Called God?
God is not simply a myth, it a mental parasite feeding off your life, is like a mental prison concept, disemboweling you, and any religion that supports the concept of god(s), becomes like a controlling jailer to the mind of the god believer. What is love, if it is so cheap, that it is for wholesale to myths? To me, it is truly a sad thing, when you have people offer more love to an unknown and at best unproven thing they call god; not even evident in this world, over real people, even loved ones, which are known in this world. Sadly, all too often a mind full of god(s) myths have no appetite for reason.
My main goal against religion is to fully stop as much as possible forced indoctrination, one could ask but then why do I challenge all adults faith? well, who do you think is doing the lying to children in the first place. End Hereditary religion, if its a belief let them the equal right to choose to believe.

Here is a writing of mine relating to my abuse by my father:

“Father is an “F” word”

Ho Father…

I want you to understand what I went through and

how your parenting affected me and what it produced so you can understand what you need to make amends for.

You may have been my father but you were never my DAD.

I was abused, as a child because of you

I felt fear, as a child because of you

I had to steal to eat, as a child because of you

I was improperly clothed, as a child because of you

I felt stupid, as a child because of you

I had to eat dog food as a child because of you

I was improperly clothed, as a child because of you

I had to break into my own house, as a child because of you

I was improperly sheltered, as a child because of you

I had to seek shelter from the rain and cold under the tarps you left to protect your lumber obviously more important than me.

I had to go to the bathroom outside like a dog, as a child because of you

I felt stupid, as a child because of you

I felt shame for being me, as a child because of you

I was humiliated for who I was, as a child because of you

I had no friends, as a child because of you

I was made unsafe, as a child because of you

I felt unlovable, as a child because of you

I felt everything I did was wrong, as a child because of you

I felt mistrust, because of your abuse, as a child because of you

You had babysitters for my brother and sister, but not me, I felt extremely alone and shamed about it, as a child because of you

I learned to value hate over love, as a child because of you

I was neglected as a child because of you

I was abandoned as a child because of you, you took me to a store and intentionally left me

I was misused made to be your masseur and slave as a child because of you

I felt I could never be good enough as a child because of you

I was made into a secondary dad to my siblings and punished for their wrongs as a child because of you

I never knew love from my father but I did understand hurt as a child because of you

I lost my sweet innocence as a child because of you

I feared life more than death at times as a child because of you

Instead of looking into my father’s eyes and seeking love I saw selfish darkness

You committed many sins against me but most of all your biggest problem is you are selfishness. I think that has more to do with why you committed such atrocities and have the problems still today.

You broke my tailbone by hitting me with a 2X4

so FUCK You for fucking up me…

p.s. This is very heartfelt and raw for me, it is me talking to the fucker that was my father but never a dad. I have not talked to him in 20 or so years and look to fucking piss on his grave when he dies…

In my life I was rapidly abused, spanked, hit physically, lacked shelter and medically neglected, not properly clothed, emotionally and psychologically abused, abandoned, severely neglected, starved, etc. etc. etc.

I have overcome a lot, had much counseling but I never got to say FUCK YOU ex-father. You didn’t win. I have….

YOUR ex-son

Value-blindness Gives Rise to Sociopathic evil.

The Importance of Axiological Thinking

Value-blindness gives rise to sociopathic evil.

“Nature and nurture organized our values around three dimensions (cognitive “mechanisms”) dedicated to values and valuations that give rise to behavioral “content” such as emotions, motivations, aesthetic values, political values, ethical values, moral values, etc. The distinction is one of deep axiological mechanisms vs. superficial axiological content. The underlying dimensions or mechanisms have technical names, but we’ll stick with intuitive, but slightly deceptive, descriptors like Feeler (F), Doer (D) and Thinker (T). With the brain’s help, they become the “building blocks” of behavior. Tapping into them allows the measurement of one’s General Capacity to Value, and one’s capacity to value in each of three core dimensions of value.” ref

It is amazing that I turned out to be such a kind, helpful, and informed intelligent person.

A fact about me, people sometimes think I am arrogant. I am arrogant, as I am a sociopath, do to extreme child abuse, largely fulled by religion belief of my family. I strive to not let my arrogance affect my thinking and behavior with others; and why I constantly talk about kind behavior, as I am reminding myself.

It’s hard, I almost did not make it, I became a mild sociopath and use to feel like the world was plastic and devoid of meaning. I cared about almost nothing and no one I was very aggressive and destructive to things, myself and others. I never hit or hurt women but I did attack males I attacked them with almost no provocation. I was expelled for fighting the first time in first grade and was kicked out of elementary school for the rest of the school year over three months in 3 grade I think and I was or suspended 23 times for fighting on just the bus alone my 7 grade year as well as several times other suspensions and 4 expulsions along the way once for hitting a teacher for calling me a name the other expelled a weak for beating the shit out of a teacher until he cried because he pushed me. I was a delinquent and an alcoholic and drug addict trying to escape my inner and outer pain. at 15 my heart stopped from crack and at 17 my liver failed both times I almost died. and much more mostly in m,y youth I have been clean and sober 28 years I have had individual, marriage, family and group counseling and did most of it for years. I have not been violent for some time, since in my twenty’s and am now a very strong supporter of non-aggression and anti-spanking and anti-child abuse. Now I am almost always in a happy or easy-going mood. I rarely ever have low moods only like two or so times a year and only for a short time. But when it does hit me. It’s hard mostly because of my emotional mental health issues tied to being a mild sociopath in my feelings. I can feel out of it and disconnected from the world frame of mind it only happens when I get way over stressed or overly angry or can happen when I feel overly attacked but sometimes all that can happen and I am fine so who knows. When I feel “off” it usually only last a few hours but it has lasted a few days at times. It’s like being hopped up on way too much coffee and feeling very emotionally sad and angry or switching between them. When like this it’s hard to think, clear and feels like I am not normal. I don’t just go with it I fight it to not let it affect others or make me impulsive. I try to be as thoughtful of others as I can while I feel like this as I don’t want to do something wrong to someone or offend others but it is overwhelming for me and often makes me cry. I am not who I was and it has taken lots of work.

I am a high functioning sociopath (do to extreme child abuse, by fundamentalist parents providing some of the reason I was so mistreated) and I am now aggressive by nature thus not at all prone to kindness. But after being kind I started to feel a change in who I was. I once was quite different from how you view me today, this change is after at least 20 years of on and off counseling services. One of the reasons I am good at understanding caring is much of my childhood lacked it. One of the reasons I am good at understanding kindness is I have had little in my life. One of the reasons I am good at understanding hope is I felt little of it most of my life. I don’t just blindly theorize such things, I have lived the lack of them. This upfront view has shown me a lot, demonstrating in living color of my own experiences just how important they are and why I must further their support, firstly in my actions rather than just some call for action of others alone. Kindness used to be against my nature as a high functioning sociopath (some likely genetic most helped by my suffering abuse), but through reason, I am changed into something more than me, not a victim of my nature, I am better than merely my nature.

“So, as I understand it, you have labeled yourself as a sociopath. You think you have no conscience? Doesn’t seem in keeping with what you share. Curious???” – Questioner 

My Response, I had conduct disorder until an adult, due largely to extreme abuse and after 20 years of counseling I am much better but still somewhat unconnected to others, and if I am not careful I can get violent if under an emotional hijacking, think of what I have as a version of PTSD.

“Conduct disorder” refers to a group of behavioral and emotional problems in youngsters. Children and adolescents with this disorder have great difficulty following rules and behaving in a socially acceptable way. They are often viewed by other children, adults and social agencies as “bad” or delinquent, rather than mentally ill. Many factors may contribute to a child developing conduct disorder, including brain damage, child abuse or neglect, genetic vulnerability, school failure, and traumatic life experiences.

Children or adolescents with conduct disorder may exhibit some of the following behaviors:

Aggression to people and animals

Destruction of Property

Deceitfulness, lying, or stealing

  • has broken into someone else’s building, house, or car
  • lies to obtain goods or favors or to avoid obligations
  • steals items without confronting a victim (e.g. shoplifting, but without breaking and entering)

Serious violations of rules

  • often stays out at night despite parental objections
  • runs away from home
  • often truant from school

Children who exhibit these behaviors should receive a comprehensive evaluation by an experienced mental health professional. Many children with a conduct disorder may have coexisting conditions such as mood disorders, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse, ADHD, learning problems, or thought disorders which can also be treated. Research shows that youngsters with conduct disorder are likely to have ongoing problems if they and their families do not receive early and comprehensive treatment. Without treatment, many youngsters with conduct disorder are unable to adapt to the demands of adulthood and continue to have problems with relationships and holding a job. They often break laws or behave in an antisocial manner. Treatment of children with conduct disorder can be complex and challenging. Treatment can be provided in a variety of different settings depending on the severity of the behaviors. Adding to the challenge of treatment are the child’s uncooperative attitude, fear, and distrust of adults. In developing a comprehensive treatment plan, a child and adolescent psychiatrist may use information from the child, family, teachers, community (including the legal system) and other medical specialties to understand the causes of the disorder. Behavior therapy and psychotherapy are usually necessary to help the child appropriately express and control anger. Special education may be needed for youngsters with learning disabilities. Parents often need expert assistance in devising and carrying out special management and educational programs in the home and at school. Home-based treatment programs such as Multisystemic Therapy are effective for helping both the child and family.Treatment may also include medication in some youngsters, such as those with difficulty paying attention, impulse problems, or those with depression. Treatment is rarely brief since establishing new attitudes and behavior patterns takes time. However, early treatment offers a child a better chance for considerable improvement and hope for a more successful future.” ref

Not all people who have sociopathic or psychopathic tendencies harm others.
 
Such as the neuroscientist who discovered he was a psychopath but did not harm others and I am a mild sociopath but do not harm others.
The cause of psychopathy is different than the cause of sociopathy (1). It is believed that psychopathy is the result of “nature” (genetics) while sociopathy is the result of “nurture” (environment). Psychopathy is related to a physiological defect that results in the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions. Sociopathy, on the other hand, is more likely the product of childhood trauma and physical/emotional abuse. Because sociopathy appears to be learned rather than innate, sociopaths are capable of empathy in certain limited circumstances but not in others, and with a few individuals but not others. Psychopathy is the most dangerous of all antisocial personality disorders because of the way psychopaths dissociate emotionally from their actions, regardless of how terrible they may be. But still, not all people who have sociopathic or psychopathic tendencies harm others. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wicked-deeds/201401/how-tell-sociopath-psychopath

Friends of Kindness, Nate Terrell and Damien Marie AtHope

 

I am an anti-religionist, not just an atheist, and here is why summed up in three ideas I am against. And, in which these three things are common in all religions: “pseudo-science”, “pseudo-history”, and “pseudo-morality”. And my biggest thing of all is the widespread forced indoctrination of children, violating their free choice of what to not believe or believe, I hate forced hereditary religion. And my biggest thing of all is the widespread forced indoctrination of children, violating their free choice of what to not believe or believe, I hate forced hereditary religion. As well as wish to offer strong critiques regarding the pseudo-meaning of the “three letter noise” people call “G.o.d” (group originated delusion)!

I am now a rationalist, as well as an atheist. Therefore, I am happy to correct the errors in thinking many atheists, agnostics, and skeptics may have, mainly because of the overconfidence in skepticism and the lack of a respect for the supremacy reason needed for logic which is needed to standardize validity. Religion should be seen as ancient mythology to be marveled and laughed at, rather than promoted as truth, when it is only feeble pseudo-truth.

And why do we so often error it thinking to wish on myths and not believe in scientific proven “godless-reality”, is because We are emotional beings who have a thinking strategy called reason we only sometimes use. Simply, We are not rational beings who have a bonding strategy called emotions we sometimes use. 

Atheists talk about gods and religions for the same reason doctors talk about cancer, they are looking for a cure or a firefighter talking about fires because they burn people and they care to stop them. We atheists too often feel a need to help the victim’s of mental slavery, held in the bondage that is the false beliefs of gods and the conspiracy theories of reality found in religions. 

To me, Science is a multidisciplinary methodological quest for truth.

As an atheist, I feel more wonder than I did as a theist because I thought, “big deal” to any wonder I experienced, thinking god could do anything. So with such an unrealistic mindset, everything lost its wonder but it’s the opposite as an atheist. As a theist, the world was full of superstitions and supernatural magic possibilities and thus utilized thinking that was not in the real world. As an atheist all I have now is the real world, not that all atheists seem to get this, we all are in a real world devoid of magic anything, therefore, everything adds to my feeling of awe.

Here are the two books I had in my two Religious College Classes
*One was a class on the top world religions using the book (Living Religions: A Brief Introduction) http://books.google.com/books/about/Living_Religions.html?id=ITnlAAAAMAAJ

Turning Atheist?

In the middle of the class on the Bible the things I learned assisted me in turning atheist. I was asked by a Christian, “for those 35 Christian years what Christian denomination did you belong to?” Well, I was raised in the “local church” (a Christian cult with similar features to Jahovas Witnesses) the teachings of Witness Lee / Living Stream movement: http://assemblylife.com until around 13. Then I was in Eagle’s Nest Ministries Gary Greenwald http://eaglesnestministries.org/ then other Christian churches. Mostly, non-denominational. I was then asked, “would you say that your faith was shaky from the start? Or, were you well grounded in your faith through the scriptures and later on engaged in research that led to you leave Christianity altogether?” I was a devout believer not always a great follower but I totally believed until learning facts in college especially on the devil.
The Devil?
 
The Bibles clear teaching is that the wages of sin is death. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning…” 1 John 3:8 It is impossible therefore to have an immortal being who can sin. If we attempted to suggest that the Devil was a mortal monster then how is it that he has supposedly lived for thousands of years and possesses the powers of disease, deception, death, pain, and torment and is permitted by an almighty God to challenge his authority. The devil is not satin. It is interesting to note that in the detailed record of god’s dealings with Israel in the Old Testament, nowhere is there given an indication of a personal devil who goes around tempting people. The Hebrew equivalent of the word devil is only used 4 times and is in connection with false worship and idols of wood and stone – not an immortal being. It is impossible for a rebellion to happen in Heaven, think about it? Jesus himself proclaims that God’s will is done in heaven when he teaches his followers to pray for God’s coming Kingdom to be on earth in what has become known as “the Lord’s prayer”:
 
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
 
If God’s will is done in heaven then how is it that a rebellion was supposed to of taken place by the angels, one of which became the so-called monster the Devil. So, if the Bible teaches that man is responsible for his own sin and that this sin comes from within him, who or what is “the devil” or “Satan” which is spoken about in the bible scriptures? In essence, the Devil and Satan is simply a “personification” of sinful desires of man’s rebellious lusts. There is nothing unusual about the scriptures using personification. For example:
 
Riches are personified (Matt 6:24)
Sin is personified (Romans 5:21, 6:16)
Death is personified (Revelation 6:8)
Nation of Israel personified (Jeremiah 31:4, 18)
Believers in Christ are personified (Ephesians 4:13, 1 Corinthians 12:27)
The Holy Spirit is personified (John 16:13)
 
Thus we shall see that the original words for “devil” and “satan” are descriptive and not titles and these words are simply used or personified to express this idea of sin in different forms.
 
And you should also need to know the serpent, Lucifer, and Satan are not the same person. “The serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made.” Genesis 3:1 Did you get that “wild animal” not a supernatural being. And to one of the most popular misconceptions among bible believers which is that Satan also is designated as “Lucifer” also known as “the morning star” within the pages of the Bible. No… The name “Lucifer” is referring to the king of Babylon as “the morning star” not supernatural being and not the Devil or Satan. To read more on how “Lucifer” is not Satan: http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1091 So, get this if I did not make it clear enough, even within the Bible the serpent, devil, Satan, Lucifer, or whatever, as there is no supernatural being at all. lol
More on My Losing My Religion?
I don’t know if I should be called a just an atheist as this is too limited to define my disbelief. Thus I am best described as an Axiological atheist: (Ethical/Value theory Reasoned and Moral Argument driven) Atheism, Anti-theism, Anti-religionism, Secularism and Humanism. I also value Ignosticism or igtheism. I was raised and forced to be Christian and for a time lived my whole life believing in the Christian faith. Though, I could have never have been touted as a holy person or a true follower of the Christian moral rules. My life more often resembled the sinner than the saint. However, I truly believed what was taught to me about Christianity was the truth. Though I nitpicked and had qualms with some of the philosophy, I still wholeheartedly was a believer and felt I was born again. I fully enjoy being a free thinker and a rationalist atheist who is fully free of religions and their magical thinking.
 
So what changed?
 Reasons for or Types of Atheism
 
The beginning of the change was getting a bachelor of arts in Psychology, grasping critical thinking, rational analysis, universal ethics, and the need of proof. However, the true starting point was Biology. In essence, learning that we all begin as female and it takes specific processes to turn into a male. But what fully made me “change” was two classes on religion the first comparative religions the second understanding the bible halfway through that class I stopped believing.
 
So, I thought, if a woman was created first then the Bible was starting with a biological lie!
Therefore, I thought if the Bible starts with a lie, how can it ever find full truth?
 
I started using a new rationale to analyze the bible and not accepting it as truth outright. I thought how positive would we view a parent who puts a 2 years old child next to a cookie jar and tells them not to eat any cookies. Then not only punish them for the rest of their life but to every generation to the end of time for an action they did not understand. No parent would be seen as just. Even the Bible says we should forgive after 7 years and how can it be justified to punish everyone who is guiltless for the action of one even if they did understand. That would not be convictable in any court anywhere in the world. Yet, we are taught to praise a god who did just that. I could go on and on about my views on the Bible and Christianity but I will end with one statement. The bible touts that the most important thing is the word. The word is so important that God himself wrote on stone with a lightening finger. Yet, we are to believe that Jesus comes to earth and does not write a word.  Was he illiterate? If he was, how could he be God? Jesus never asked anyone to write anything more in the Torah. Maybe he just forgot since he was so busy or maybe he was not God. He had 12 disciples; why did not all of them, author a book on his behalf? Instead, they too are silent. If Jesus and his disciples were silent, maybe he was not god. Of if he was God, maybe he was silent because the Torah was already perfect. That would make the Christian Bible heresy.

The Me Now 11 years later as an Atheist?

 “I am a Caring Firebrand Atheist”
Damien Marie AtHope: Axiological Atheist, Anti-theist, Anti-religionist, Secular Humanist. Rationalist, Writer, Artist, Poet, Philosopher, Advocate, Activist, with schooling in Psychology and Sociology as well as an Autodidact in Science, Archeology, Anthropology, and Philosophy. Damien Promotes Science, Realism, Axiology, Liberty, Justice, Ethics, Anarchism, Socialism, Progressivism, Liberalism, Philosophy, Psychology, Archaeology, and Anthropology; advocating for Sexual, Gender, Child, Secular, LGBTQIA+, Race, Class Rights, and Equality. 
Unplugged from the Control Matrix?
 
The matrix is all the biases, values, morals, stereotypes, beliefs, judgments, and requirements that society and religion mythologies force upon us. The matrix tells us how to act, think, and behave, what is right or wrong, and good or bad. The matrix is the heartstring of every culture. It forces upon us what it feels as right and never caring about what we really need. The matrix binds us and confines who we really are.
 
How did I unplug?
 
The first and most crucial element that must be grasped and lived wholeheartedly to be removed from the matrix and stay unplugged is the unilateral valuing of women, the way they think, and their gift of being to the world. Without this understanding of women, one can never be removed from the matrix. The matrix is male-dominated in its width and breath and in the movie “The Matrix” all the agents were men. When women rule everyone has rights and when men rule only men have rights. If you have a country or people who allow or support torture, I will show you a country that women are not equal or valued and are oppressed. The greatest unused asset occurring in the world that is untapped and could help solve the world’s problems are women. Another key aspect is to remove all religion. I started to unplug myself when I removed my indoctrinated religion mythologies and replaced them with human compassion/kindness and ethics. An ethics persuasion removed from religious morals and sin. I no longer have morals which are personal judgments and sin that condemnation built on a religious otherworld men pseudo-reality judgments. I no longer follow good or bad handed down by some deity, culture, or family value, but it’s truer axiological value. I strive to do what is healthy and pleasurable mentally as I tend to live in my mind and there is just no way to escape that for any long period of time, but sweet relief is indeed possible, not that I am always the best at utilizing this. I strive to not do what is harmful or causes pain try to be thoughtful of everyone around me and beyond. In this endeavor, I do not claim perfection. I am but a traveler and seeker of ethics, justice, and pleasure.
 
One of my lifelong struggles, is My Addiction?
I was sneaking drinks as far back as I can remember. But conclusively, I would say at the age of 13 was the first time I got shit-faced drunk. This would be a new behavior that I would indulge in until my stopping at 17. I first tried marijuana at 14 and excessively added that to my repertoire. By the age of 15, I had tried almost every drug but heroin and had become a crack addict. Cocaine would come and go in my life but what would stay are other drugs and alcohol. Some people have a drug of choice; mine was the sensation of getting high. At 17, I quit all drugs and alcohol on January 24, 1989, and I have been clean and sober to this day. I have been through drug rehab around 45 days of inpatient as well as attended NA for 2 years and AA for 17 years until I realized that I did not want to follow that religion anymore it gave me a lot but I am no longer struggling with addiction I am trying to live life. I have been to years of individual, group, and marriage counseling, read sober, self-help as well as inspirational books, and worked excessively on myself. I do not believe I have removed my addiction; only found new ways to manage and control my behavior. When it comes to drugs and alcohol, I believe in complete and utter abstinence. I believe there is nothing so bad a drink or drug cannot make worse in my life. I help confronted and comforted myself with poems that lifted my inner self again and again even when things looked lost, feeling the freeing feeling that words the voice of my lived emotional experiences contained in now forever in my first book “Taste Your Emotions” where the heartstrings of my life and my inner feelings spanning the beginning (17 years old) into my late sobriety (35 years old, I am now in my middle forties). The poems it contains were written about what I felt and saw in my world, an ever-changing one. They were not written a one time but over a 10 years period as they were being experienced. On January 24, 1989, I was admitted into an addiction rehab against my will I had just withdrawn from drugs and alcohol and I was faced with a barrage of suppressed emotions. Were the emotions good or bad is not the question. The poems are expressions of how I was feeling at that moment of time. These emotions are an honest account of my reality, which was ever changing. I had realized what I had missed of life by suppressing my feelings. For the first time in my life, I started to be willing, listening, and acting on the advice from others. These actions created such intense emotions that I had never experienced before. I had masked my feelings and emotions with a life full of chemicals and anger. The poems have helped me to clarify by identifying my emotions. The poems broke through my stagnant existence of detachment. These poems released my inner self so I could see my hidden pain and find the inner truth. I have become the person I have always wanted to be by the enlightenment expressed in the poems in Taste Your Emotions.
Will you take the mental walk through the darkest and brightest journeys in my life. If you do, you will hear my cries of agony, feel my pain and joy, and experience my hope.
 
 Myth-Free
You may see no value or benefit in atheism as I see no value or benefit in the myths of gods or religion. This does not mean your values are equal to my values or benefits as in assessing this difference in value. I will say faith in myths is like addiction in relation to sobriety is myth free. You may think sobriety is foolish, however that is not evidence of anything, only a misunderstanding of the benefit of living addiction free. I am as an atheist who is sober from the addiction of myths and you may dismiss the benefit of living myth-free, which in no way removes its value. Do not get me wrong, I am in a sense not against myths depending on how they are used. Myths are great for movies and fantasy books, however, when they become disruptive or even potentially harmful and when they are taken as fact and used as the main worldview. Even worse is when they are kept as fact in the face of real validated facts or reliable contradictory proof. Then myths change and become abusive as well as corrosive to a free rational mind or a non-biased critical thinking mind. Any belief you protect from scrutiny is already like a virus eroding your human spirit. I hypothesis that faith is fiction in the face of fact and can be understood as a nonadaptive byproduct of evolved mechanisms that malfunction when intending to solved adaptive problems among our primitive ancestor. Adherents to faith in myths of gods or religion can and are susceptible to a great many and fantastic non-natural notions. Using axiological awareness to assist in argumentation: I hear some saying that the universe does not care and thus no one matters. However, the universe is not aware to make any thought or judgment of any kind. Just as a tree or rock, not understanding love does nothing to devalue love. Therefore, the universe not caring about humans is an invalid argument because it cannot be said to assess humans’ value. Because of this fact, it is disqualified to provide any valid rebuke of value or what matters. Let me make this clearer, the universe can make no assessment at all and this means nothing to the truth status of anything, such as I could say the universe does not know I exist but that expresses nothing about me existing or not. But, that I don’t matter to the universe, does itself not matter.
I strive for the understanding that Disciplined-Rationality can give to go beyond only seeing the faith addiction and not the faithful victims it is oppressing them is somewhat leaving me a bit and I am starting to see it as truly more than just a sad and cognitively foolish which could be somewhat natural and not only nurture. It seems some people may have an innate insecurity or are somewhat incapable of a myth-free reality and thus feel a need to seek out myths to bye into no matter it is true. Therefore, some people may contain a hyper maladaptive tendency to desire myth as a way of thinking or myth as a way of life.
 
Things such as politics, culture, and religion are self-motivating and habit-forming social capital (the collective value of social networks). Only religion seems to have the elements to resist seeing itself as addiction, even if it is a toxic habit forming thinking and is excused as devout thinking or that the addiction-thinking problem can be alleviated by yet more religion. Rituals and keeping traditions are deliberately introduced dogma addictions; religion like one’s societal culture becomes habitual and thus addictive behavior. Religious thinking and sacralized faith doctrine become addictive substances. All religion can become addictive not because they are real or offer a truth but by their very nature which is disconnected from reality and are. Thus, to be believed in the face of superstition free actual reality would require and benefit from dogmatic beliefs, which then have the potential to become addictive. Thus, all religion may be more prone to or encourage ways of thinking that are conducive to addiction or toxic habit forming thinking. In general, the common denominator helping to further the non-reality addiction that is offered in holy books, religion, or superstition is you such as wishing for access to fantasy powers that are often more appealing than the actuality of realities powerlessness. I would never support removing the rights to freedom of religion from adults but would express concern with its overuse with children. I do value secularism and support the freedom of religion; however, I also believe that there should be freedom from religion. In most of the holy books, I see religion and the non-reality addiction offered as valuable when in fact are valueless and tainted, even in its most watered-down forms.

If the only rights you fight for are your own, then you have a lot to learn about the value of rights.

I am all for free thinking if the evidence is there. Great, go down the rabbit hole but do not eat the rabbit shit offered as real; when its proof disappears like a mental mirage, gone in a poof magic as simple as the magical thinking that inspires all manner of flawed beliefs.

Religion has been a reason for violence and harm and at times a promoter of peace. Science does not need to fill the gap of religion. We need to remove it as it was always an abstraction not a realistic thing to being with. Not one thing religion offers that is thought of as good that cannot be done by persons not following any religion. Atheist generally is simply life with religion removed, all its pseudo meaning as well as pseudoscience, pseudohistory, and pseudo-morality. We have real science, realistic history and can access real morality with a blend of philosophy, anthropology, psychology, sociology and cognitive science.

World, do you hear me now, because you were nothing but silent as I suffered extreme religious oppression and to this news, you simply spit in my face telling my religious freedom and all I can think is, no, you mean my parent’s religious freedom, which may I remind you is a violation of my religious freedom and was instead my religious oppression. Where are you now, while millions await this same fate if you keep doing nothing?

If the only rights you fight for are your own, then you have a lot to learn about the value of rights.

Childhood Indoctrination is often the gateway drug, to a life of irrational magical thinking superstitions, like ghosts, gods, or guardian spirits…

Let’s make it simple:

Atheism is the reality position.

Theism is the anti-reality position!

I don’t need religion or its fake gods.

“Reason is my only master.”

I am will to power!

Here is why “Reason is my only master”

The most Base Presupposition begins in reason. Reason is needed for logic (logic is realized by the aid of reason enriching its axioms). Logic is needed for axiology/value theory (axiology is realized by the aid of logic). Axiology is needed for epistemology (epistemology is realized by aid of axiology value judge and enrich its value assumptions as valid or not). Epistemology is needed for a good ontology (ontology is realized by the aid of epistemology justified assumptions/realizations/conclusions). Then when one possesses a good ontology (fortified with valid and reliable reason and evidence) they can then say they know the ontology of that thing.

So, I think, right thinking is reason. Right reason is logic. Right logic, can be used for mathematics and from there we can get to science. And, by this methodological approach, we get one of the best ways of knowing the scientific method. Activating experience/event occurs, eliciting our feelings/scenes. Then naive thoughts occur, eliciting emotions as a response. Then it is our emotional intelligence over emotional hijacking, which entrance us but are unavoidable and that it is the navigating this successfully in a methodological way we call critical thinking or as In just call right thinking. So, to me, could be termed “Right” thinking, that is referring to a kind of methodological thinking. Reason is at the base of everything and it builds up from pragmatic approaches. And, to me, there are three main approaches to truth (ontology of truth) from the very subjective (Pragmatic theory of truth), to subjective (Coherence theory of truth), then onto objective (Correspondence theory of truth) but remember that this process as limited as it can be, is the best we have and we build one truth ontop another like blocks to a wall of truth.

Pragmatic theory of truth, Coherence theory of truth, and Correspondence theory of truth

Psychological certainty and Epistemic certainty?

god Claims are a Non-Reality Commodity

In a general way, all reality, in a philosophic sense, is an emergent property of reason, and knowing how reason accrues does not remove its warrant. Feelings are experienced then perceived, leading to thinking, right thinking is reason, right reason is logic, right logic is mathematics, right mathematics is physics and from there all science.

Science is not common sense?

Science is quite the opposite of just common sense. To me, common sense in a relative way as it generally relates to the reality of things in the world, will involve “naive realism.” Whereas, most of those who are scientific thinkers, generally hold more to scientific realism or other stances far removed from the limited common sense naive realism. Science is a multidisciplinary methodological quest for truth. Science is understanding what is, while religion is wishing on what is not.

A basic outline of scientific epistemology:
 
Science: Hypotheses (Rationalism/Deductive, Inductive, or Abductive Reasoning etc.) + Testing (Empiricism/Systematic Observation) – Checking for errors (Skepticism/Fallibilism) + Interpret/Draw a Conclusion (Rationalism/Deductive, Inductive, or Abductive Reasoning etc.) *if valid* = Scientific Laws (describes observed phenomena) or Scientific Theory (substantiated and repeatedly tested explanation of phenomena) = Justified True Belief = Scientific Knowledge = Epistemic Certainty supportive of correctability
 
*being epistemically certain, is believing a truth has the highest epistemic status, often with warranted psychological certainty but it may not, neither is it a requirement*

I am that freak of nature, a power from the anti-power crusaders, warring against the power dynamic to return it back where it belongs- the hands of the people. I am a free-thinking invader into the shell of malignancy infecting humanity which strangles reason out of the world. A proud anarchy theorist, I breathe the fire of the heathens, a thought revolutionary and mental freedom fighter. I am a humanist atheist who desires a better world for us all, one that is kinder, more just, and more rational in its pursuits.

The eyes of the world predicted my failure but here I am, I am a survivor, No longer do I hide my face, I no longer fear a fall from your grace for I find my courage plain as day in the human race, may I be a good human. May I put truth above all and valiantly thrust a crusade or truth and caring, which will help show love can and will in the end if only in my black heart so often close to that deadman’s plank. I am a fighter, I don’t need you to save me, I don’t need your empty claims of magic in the world, a stumbling block to many, yet, I am no longer one of them, I am will to power. Say the truth plainly don’t allow pretend but do so with a caring desire to teach as one would to a friend. May I be a caring firebrand atheist. One, with an awakened humanity fully alive in my humanist heart, Desiring to Demonstrate my humanitarianism as I fully stand up for truth as a reality as well as kindness as all reality revolutionaries should, strongly speaking what is right as the truth is not pretended. I am bound by the limitations we all face but may I bravely be a good human past it all…

“Reason is my only master, whereas faith offered as reality is most defiantly not my friend.” 

Theistic believers think that as an atheist, I have a life without meaning. What foolishness, I only have this one short life, how precious life is when you only have “one life” with no extra afterlives nor any reincarnation do-overs.

No, as an atheist, there is just this one valuable life, may I live it well.

I still wish to make a difference in others’ lives, to give back, and to bring about change in myself and others. I wish to be bold in what I believe in and to match my actions with my words. I believe that many forms of bigotry and hate are still major problems in the world today and should be addressed thoughtfully. These issues of inequality need more than a voice of reason; they need the momentum of “action” and more action! I live with my wife Shayna, with whom I have an open marriage and our two cats “Demon” and “Spirit.” I am a prolific writer and meme creator on Facebook with many followers, shares, and likes. In addition, I have a web page with a blog and a YouTube. Soon, I will publish an atheist book called “The Tree of Lies and its Hidden Roots” (Exposing the Evolution of Religion and Removing the Rationale of Faith).

Compare and Contrast (religious and non-religious)

 The following is a poem from the book Taste Your Emotions that relates to this:

“Rebirth”

I rub my eyes, Is it true?

I am smiling

Giddy with joy

I look at myself in the mirror

It is like a new me, looking back.

Warm sun sits on my face

Blue skies float inside my eyes.

The happiness of my smile glitters like the stars

I feel new, the mountains of my life did not landslide.

For now, I stand here growing strong.

My life came from a hard seed of hate.

Now changed and strong, I spring forth into a sturdy tree of love.

As a religious believer, I was a far cry from the individual I am now. Almost a complete opposite juxtaposition can be seen in most areas. Some of my past fanaticism mirrors my family’s’ membership in a strict religious Christian cult called “The Local Church”. Theologically, the Local Church is considered by most Christian apologists and counter-cult professionals to be a cult of Christianity. According to cult leader Witness Lee, all are evil, even others in Christianity are viewed as blind, fallen, poor, and degraded. Witness Lee calls all other Christian denominational groups harlot daughters of the whore of Babylon (Apologetics Index, 2009). I was also uncaring as a result of my parents’ sexual, physical, emotional, and mental abuse and living in a community of aggression and violence. This oppression and empathy robbing happened both in the home as well as from being from tough schools and neighborhoods in southern california which exposed me directly to seeking approval through acting out violently as well. The topics that will be analyzed are love, cohabitation, sexuality, gender, divorce, working women, marriage, extramarital affairs, child-rearing practices, homosexuality, war, America, politics, family, religion, society, media, racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, morals, and the American justice system.

My Views as a religious thinker

*Love: was a fantasy of the gullible few and what could be obtained was more akin to heavy liking than the conception of romantic love. This was also true with family or friends.

*Cohabitation: was okay, but not really what you should do because it was a sin.

*Sexuality: must be controlled, it was fun but if overt or out of the norm it was shameful or evil.

*Gender: was who we were supposed to be as designed by God and the bible’s understanding of gender told you how to correctly act.

*Divorce: was a sign of failure and showed you did not try. Marriage was to last forever till death do you part.

*Working women: should not have to work if they do not want to; unless it is required in order to earn the needed combined income to survive.

*Marriage: equals monogamy. It was meant to be forever good or bad and was between only one man and one woman.

*Extramarital affairs: sex outside marriage was totally wrong, sinful, demonstrated you did not love the other party, and if accrued will end a marriage.

*Child-rearing practices: I thought spanking should be limited due to his abuse by spanking.

*Homosexuality: I hated homosexuals; I thought being gay was totally wrong, sinful, and demonstrated perversion of the natural world.

*War: was a good means of bettering the world by killing all those who are against America or threaten democracy. I was all for war. I loved radical American nationalism and the thought of power through fear of war with America. In fact, I was so into war that when the first gulf war happened, he was thrilled and hoped the U.S. would bombed and killed the region back to the “Stone Age.” I almost joined the military just to have the opportunity to go to war, be masculine, and kill the enemy but was denied because he was too heavy.

*America: I thought America was the greatest country on earth, blessed by bible God and had a positive legacy of reason and justice; it was a spearhead of freedom for the world.

*Politics: I was a proud conservative republican and was active in politics. I felt it was a responsibility of every American to vote. At the age of 18, was the first time to vote, I was paid to serve in the voting booth operation. He served in the voting booth operation more than once and thought it was a demonstration of my staunch patriotism.

*Religion: I thought the only real true faith was Christianity and it should be pushed on others.

*Society: I thought society was a positive structure necessary to human advancement and god as well as religion were an important part.

*Media: was mostly helpful with a few negative themes.

*Racism: was not good but was mainly an issue of the past.

*Sexism: was mostly a man overexerting masculinity or women’s overreaction of men’s God given authority.

*Ethnocentrism: I saw it as cultural pride a positive love of one’s own kind.

*Morals/ethics: laws given by the Christian God.

*The American Justice system: could be totally trusted. It was simply one of the best judicial systems formed by man.

My Views as a non-religious thinker

*Love: is an amalgam of intertwined emotions and connectedness realized in expressiveness. It is not a one time event but a continually fluid reactional experiential relative multi-dimensional conception. Love can be experienced and shared by several different variations of women and men in any grouping they choose, be it homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, or group romantic partners. Love changed because I now have positive significant romantic relationships in my life which are different than those modeled by family in my past. Love is similar to maturity in that they do not simply reach some sort of plateau or final state; instead they are a lifetime process of becoming.

*Cohabitation: I think it is no different than not doing it. Cohabitation differs now from before because he has universal ethics, not morals.

*Sexuality: to me is now seen through universal ethics, thus is morally neutral. It should be openly expressed and experienced because it is a positive expression of life and holds no shame or negative orientations, if consenting and between adults. Sexuality differs now because I have universal ethics, not morals. Things like sex for fun, swinging, fetish, porn, prostitution, homosexuality, bisexuality, nudism, strip clubs, group sex, polyamory, polygamy, or polyandry, and even sex between consenting adult family members hold no preconceived negativity or innate wrongness. My universal ethics is a moral standard allowing sexual freedom up to the limit of coercive harm. Since universal ethics is independent of culture, societal standards, moral codes, religious laws, or personal ethical views “sex” or one’s sexual orientation and gender identity loses its right or wrong status; thus, it is morally neutral (Foldvary, 1980).

*Gender: to me is now is an oppressive somewhat invented categorization which forces a picking of one side instead of seeing all people having a varying expression of both masculinity and femininity and should not devalued those who do not fit a socially conceived ideal. Gender has changed because I learned it was not who we are, but who we are told to be. In acknowledging my true self, I realized I had both femininity and masculinity. I have a genderqueer identity; 40% female-typed and 60% male-typed, yet 100% straight.

*Divorce: to me is now is simply a separation that one chooses for personal reasons holding little ethical significance. Evolutionary psychologists contend that human beings are designed to fall in love but not stay in love (Crandell et al., 2009).

*Working women: to me is now are not different than other human beings in obtainment of rights. Thus, they should be wholeheartedly supported to work which includes childbearing without having to jeopardize their high-level career positions. Furthermore, women or the care giving spouse should not have to work if they do not want to unless it is required in order to earn the needed combined income to survive. High-level career positions are just as important for women to reach as men (Crandell et al., 2009).

*Marriage: my current marriage is defined under shared openness with my bisexual wife and their responsible non-monogamy. Thus, marriage is not so rigidly defined as in society. Marriage could involve monogamy or any other forms of chosen non-monogamy, it should also alough gay marriage as well as for all LGBTQI, I also support multiple marriage/poly marriage as long as it’s of free consent. If it is a committed partnership which could involve several different variations of women and men in any grouping they choose, be it homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, or group marriage. If adults wish to lawfully join no matter the grouping, they should be allowed to do so.

*Extramarital affairs: to me now may involve sex outside of agreed upon mutual relationship rules is not congruent with entered into marriage contract, though being that stringent monogamy is not suited to all, it is understandable even if not a highly valued practice buy some but I am in an open relationship practicing ethical nonmonogamy and have a happy marriage and life. Some adults do make distinctions in types or situations to either understand or justify infidelity which may include practicing ethical nonmonogamy.

*Child-rearing practices:  I am anti-spanking and am against physical, psychological or emotional abuse of children. I have never had children and by choice had a vasectomy to never have them. Though he feels there should never be any form of physical violence done to a child of which spanking falls under that category.

*Homosexuality: to me is now is a healthy sexual form of desire expression and simply another category of normal sexuality. In addition, homosexuality is both common and natural being observed in close to 1500 animal species.

*War: to me is now is physical harm and killing, this killing is murder of which is mostly illegal and unethical in other circumstances, unless involved for protection or a (just) war that is restrained, humane, and ultimately directed towards the aim of establishing lasting peace and justice (Colero, n.d.). Though some killing in war is necessary it must not be taken lightly being that it is still murder. Just reasons to go to war could involve restricted reasons, self-defense, and the rescue of another from an aggressor. Likewise, self-defense may be broadened from defense against actual attack to defense against threats, or against perceived threats, and it may be permissible to make pre-emptive strikes. My feelings about just war mirror Just War Theory which embraces principles about the way war may be conducted, generally ruling out gratuitous violence, war against civilians and innocents (Rigstad, 2008). I am for non-aggression but believe it is justified in self-defence or other-defence.

*America: I believe America was founded on a subjected ideal of freedom and had an often shameful, unethical even unjust past. Is there justice in the system or is it just us in the system? Though America had some good ideals and principles, it mainly supported the few such as white affluent Judeo-Christian men and not for the ethnic minorities, children, women, homosexuals, and non-Christians. America was slow to start or just recently began employing reason and justice to fight against ageism, classism, racism, religious intolerance, reverse discrimination, sexism, homophobia, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia.

*Politics: I am a eclectic Liberal and Leftist mainly involve Libertarian Socialism, Anarcho-Collectivism,  Anarcho-Mutualism, Natural Rights Libertarianism, Left-Libertarianism, Anarcho-Naturism, Green Anarchism, Dialectical Naturalism, Anti-capitalism, Progressive, Secularism, Democratic Socialism, Libertarian Municipalism, Radical Minarchism, and Anarcho-Mutualism Political Philosophies with Axiology.

*Religion: I does not believe in any gods nor do I feel favorable to any religion, as I am not just an atheist or even an anti-theist as I have stopped following or believing any religious mythologies. In fact, I am an anti-religionist. Not just Atheist, I am a proud anti-religionist. Religion is Conspiracy Theories of Reality, Not Worth Believing In. Those atheists who still like esoteric religions or religious philosophies that is not me at all. I reject it all, every religion or pseudo-religion. Just so I am not misunderstood this includes buddhism, satanism, taoism, paganism, wicca, spiritualism, etc. Don’t get me wrong I am against ALL religion. I challenge your beliefs, because you won’t. To me, every religion was new at some point and had someone who made shit up, yes all of them, every religion. As an atheist, I am a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of god or gods. In my non-belief, I am also ignostic feeling that every theological position assumes too much about the concept of god(s). As an ignostic, I am a person who rationale no idea of anything from reality whatever to label as “a concept of god” thus I can say I have no idea of anything that can connect to the term god and no reason to think anyone else can either. As an anti-theist, I am a person who is active in opposition to theism: both the concepts of god(s) as well as the religions that support them. This is because theistic concepts and theistic religions are harmful and that even if theistic beliefs were true, they would be undesirable. As an anti-religionist, I am a person who can look at religion on the whole and see it is detrimental to the progress of humanity thus am in opposition to all and every religion, not even just opposition to organized religion. In case you were wondering, I am anti-pseudoscience, anti-supernatural, and anti-superstition as well. Yes, I am a proud anti-religionist not just atheist or even anti-theist. So, as as atheist, anti-theist, and anti-religionist; I am against flawed superstitious magical beliefs like god(s) and/or religion. However, I am not against people. I have many strong opinions and beliefs as well as challenge or am against many types of beliefs especially if they involve supernatural or superstitious. However, I am not against people nor am I against their free right to believe as they wish. To me everyone owns themselves and their beliefs are theirs as well. Thus, to me not I or anyone has the right to force people on what to believe.

*Society: can be both positive and negative. Though most of its themes require those in it, to fit in and not be too different or risk condemnation. It can stifle out of the box thinking, values, or reasoning since it is by nature a box bound in group ideas.

*Media: is bias both somewhat positive and can be detrimentally negative. It cannot be trusted; it has many distribution channels though the most influential across the board has been television. We are constantly exposed to thousands of images of violence, sex, and Americanism, sexism, as well as mostly Judeo-Christian values. Television’s free unrestrained teacher is advertising, often expected to push ideas that are highly biased and without being challenged. There are about 40,000 ads a year. But who owns the media, which companies or people shape our values, beliefs and decisions. Basically only five major companies own 95% of all the media (Hubpages Inc., 2009).

*Racism: is an oppressive reality with a long history and sadly still lingering today in many forms.

*Sexism: is one of the last frontiers needing to be tackled and I feel a strong anger that this is not being changed. We cannot use aggressive words towards someone’s race without censure or outrage but put down a woman or use negativity about women towards men and it is either unnoticed or laughed about. Many in middle adult hood feel they have a personal responsibility to make the world a better place (Crandell et al., 2009).

*Ethnocentrism: I sees it as limiting the acceptance of others. Its negative exclusion tendencies surround believing that one’s ethnic, cultural group, language, behaviors, customs, or religion are better that all other groups which teeters on bigotry.

*Morals/Ethics: are not universally just to all, but the best we can have is universal ethics. Atheist Morality = Scientific Morality? Atheist Morality to me is generally somewhat like universal ethics whether they know it or express it as such. Some atheists don’t really address the philosophical arguments of atheistic anti-humanism from atheistic humanism. I am and was dissatisfied with what to me was a lack of scientific core in secular morality. Thus, looked for and found what I was hoping for in Formal Axiology (scientific value theory) which is a social science. I wish to promote common sense, thus challenge thinking that is flated or in error and bad behaviors as well as promote positive humanism and wish for human flourishing as people have dignity and what they may believe has no dignity. And, as far as what I want when it comes to beliefs, I wish to inspire the ethics of belief such as that which is needed in ones increased accuracy of beliefs. We should be thoughtful in belief acquisition, be open in our belief. maintenance, and intellectually honest in our belief relinquishment. This Guardian link is a interesting article close to the dissatisfied way I think some who are atheists seem to avoid or struggle in navigating the difference between anti-humanism and humanism. Which if not we’ll defined confuses the arguments especially in clearly relating atheistic morality in general. To me, it seems many atheists either somehow adopt quasi religious moral thinking try with little substance to core out a moral middle or reject morality entirely in either a relativistic or nihilism way. I reject that line of thinking and see morality as originating outside of religion, involving evolutionary scientific and objective and supported by Formal Axiology which has been proven empirically valid. I mainly hold to objective morality but I do believe morality at times is a blending of subjective and objective factors. This spectator link offers a very interesting critique that is not that different than I would make saying why atheism if it wants scientific morality must adopt axiology (philosophical value theory) or formal axiology (science of value) or something like it or have to give a valid way to account for or navigate its morality, I think that for many and why I think atheistic morality has not fully done more than either use some leftover religious thinking use of idealism and hope is they lack some grounding. *Value theory (informal/philosophical axiology) encompasses a range of approaches to understanding how, why, and to what degree person’s value things; whether the object or subject of valuing is a person, idea, object, or anything else. This investigation began in ancient philosophy, where it is called axiology or ethics. Early philosophical investigations sought to understand good and evil and the concept of “the good”. Today, much of value theory aspires to the scientifically empirical, recording what people do value and attempting to understand why they value it in the context of psychology, sociology, and economics. At the general level, there is a difference between moral and natural goods. Moral goods are those that have to do with the conduct of persons, usually leading to praise or blame. Natural goods, on the other hand, have to do with objects, not persons. For example, the statement “Mary is a good person” represents a very different sense of the word ‘good’ than the statement “That was some good food”. Ethics is mainly focused on moral goods rather than natural goods, while economics has a concern in what is economically good for the society but not an individual person and is also interested in natural goods. However, both moral and natural goods are equally relevant to goodness and value theory, which is more general in scope. Ref*Formal axiology (science of value) is a foundation upon which a scientific revolution of scientific morality can be attained or at least furthered. To position humanism even secular humanism or to say there can be a scientific morality can come one day, is not an account of a current fact or a true justification of not just how one lives there life or even believes that life should be lived but what empirical or philosophical evidentiary validation is offered? If you want to read about “Formal Axiology” check out this link. Formal Axiology, the science of value, has the distinctive difference of being based on deductive reasoning, a method by which concrete applications & interpretative detail are deduced from axioms, definitions and postulates. Hartman’s “Axiom of Value” provided us with a formal mathematical norm which can be applied to any field of study to structure the value parameters of that field, and then it weighs or measures individuals or teams against that scientific norm. Dr. Leon Pomeroy in his book, The New Science of Axiological Psychology (Pomeroy, 2005), has shown that formal axiology is also empirically valid. Value Science in a Nutshell: Science = Reason + Empiricism, “Formal Axiology” the science of value. Hartman was a philosopher who used the tools of reason, logic and mathematics to build his theory. He was not a committed empiricist and never tested the reliability and validity of his theory or the HVP. For this reason Dr. Leon Pomeroy had little interest in Hartman when Albert Ellis brought his work to my attention. Without plans or preparation, seven years later, fate intervened. Hartman’s friend, the Mexican psychiatrist Salvatore Roquet, M.D., demonstrated the HVP and convinced me to take another look at it and the theory behind it. The mathematical model Hartman used is “set theory.” Dr. Leon Pomeroy accepted it as a first approximation revealing the architecture of “value logic” or “value grammar” implicit in the mind’s native cognitive processing of values and valuations. Dr. Leon Pomeroy appreciated that this approach to values was an exploration of a world where no one had gone before. It was a creative frame of reference that struck me as “ripe” for empirical testing. Hartman called his theory “formal axiology.” This retained the old philosophical concept of “axiology.” Although understandable, Dr. Leon Pomeroy found it a bit confusing as a scientist. Because Hartman had developed a “new axiology,” he called his theory “formal” axiology to distinguish it from the philosophy of axiology. This invited more confusion among those who are not philosophers. No matter, the “new axiology” or “formal axiology,” is grounded in mathematics which distances it from the philosopher’s axiology. This precise construction of theory and HVP-testing inspired several Hartman students to become entrepreneurs marketing The Hartman Value Profile (HVP) to individuals and corporate clients. It also inspired them to view the theory in a way Dr. Leon Pomeroy found unacceptable. Ref *My quick definition of Axiology? Axiology is a philosophy (value theory) and a social science/science of value (formal axiology) mainly involving the “what, why, and how” of “value” the way epistemology approaches “knowledge” as in what is of value/good/worth/beneficial/ or useful? Why is the thing in question of value/good/worth/beneficial/ or useful? How should the value/good/worth/beneficial/ or useful be interacted with? “Axiological Atheism Explained”

*The American Justice system: is often quite fallible which offers criminal more rights, justice, and protection than victims. Victims need more protection, justice, and dignity.

References:

Apologetics Index. (2009). The local church. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://www.apologeticsindex.org/l40.html#overview

Bagemihl, B. (1999). Biological exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

Colero, L. (n.d.). A framework for universal principles of ethics. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://www.ethics.ubc.ca/papers/invited/colero.html

Crandell, T.L., Crandell, C.H., & Vander Zanden, J.W. (2009). Human development (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Foldvary, E.F. (1980). The soul of liberty: The universal ethic of freedom and human rights. San Francisco, CA: The Gutenberg Press.

Hubpages Inc. (2009). Mass media influence on society. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://hubpages.com/hub/Mass-Media-Influence-on-Society

Rigstad, M. (2008). Intro to just war theory. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://www.justwartheory.com/#INTRODUCTION

Why am I so open about my life, who I am or things about me?

I see the person as political as in my openness about me and my life is a form of advocacy and activism that is educational and inspires the momentum of systemic positive affirming change in the world.

I will not be silent, silence has never brought about needed change.

For those who may not know the phrase “The personal is political”, also termed “The private is political”, is a political argument used as a rallying slogan of the student movement and second-wave feminism from the late 1960s. It underscored the connections between personal experience and larger social and political structures.

Here is one of My favorite Poem “Only Human” from my book Taste Your Emotions
 
Most fear is perceived on things not known.
I must not fear change,
yet I do,
How about you?
Do you have more strength than me?
I see you standing tall.
It seems you bravely went through it all.
You look so big.
I feel so small.
But, Then you told me you had fear too.
Sometimes even questioned just what to do.
Sometimes even had feelings of being sad, lonely, and afraid.
Yes, You were only human.
You mean, I am not all that strange?
That I to can have, good and bad days.
Knowing this,
I too feel stronger!
Well what do you know, I am only human!
I have to work through my anger all the time.

 

Being a person of kindness is bravery.

I don’t always reply to people because I am not into wasting my time arguing with people as they are not important and showing them they are wrong has taken me hours or days to get them to understand. It is not my job to make people understand I make blogs and videos for that.

I am both intersex and non-binary (genderqueer) and did not choose either. I was born this way. It has caused me nothing but hardship. I would not have chosen to be either. I trying to be different but it’s just who I am and it is this shit society that hates people like me.

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

While hallucinogens are associated with shamanism, it is alcohol that is associated with paganism.

The Atheist-Humanist-Leftist Revolutionaries Shows in the prehistory series:

Show one: Prehistory: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” the division of labor, power, rights, and recourses.

Show two: Pre-animism 300,000 years old and animism 100,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”

Show tree: Totemism 50,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”

Show four: Shamanism 30,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”

Show five: Paganism 12,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”

Show six: Emergence of hierarchy, sexism, slavery, and the new male god dominance: Paganism 7,000-5,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Capitalism) (World War 0) Elite and their slaves!

Show seven: Paganism 5,000 years old: progressed organized religion and the state: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Kings and the Rise of the State)

Show eight: Paganism 4,000 years old: Moralistic gods after the rise of Statism and often support Statism/Kings: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (First Moralistic gods, then the Origin time of Monotheism)

Prehistory: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” the division of labor, power, rights, and recourses: VIDEO

Pre-animism 300,000 years old and animism 100,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”: VIDEO

Totemism 50,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”: VIDEO

Shamanism 30,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”: VIDEO

Paganism 12,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Pre-Capitalism): VIDEO

Paganism 7,000-5,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Capitalism) (World War 0) Elite and their slaves: VIEDO

Paganism 5,000 years old: progressed organized religion and the state: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Kings and the Rise of the State): VIEDO

Paganism 4,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (First Moralistic gods, then the Origin time of Monotheism): VIEDO

I do not hate simply because I challenge and expose myths or lies any more than others being thought of as loving simply because of the protection and hiding from challenge their favored myths or lies.

The truth is best championed in the sunlight of challenge.

An archaeologist once said to me “Damien religion and culture are very different”

My response, So are you saying that was always that way, such as would you say Native Americans’ cultures are separate from their religions? And do you think it always was the way you believe?

I had said that religion was a cultural product. That is still how I see it and there are other archaeologists that think close to me as well. Gods too are the myths of cultures that did not understand science or the world around them, seeing magic/supernatural everywhere.

I personally think there is a goddess and not enough evidence to support a male god at Çatalhöyük but if there was both a male and female god and goddess then I know the kind of gods they were like Proto-Indo-European mythology.

This series idea was addressed in, Anarchist Teaching as Free Public Education or Free Education in the Public: VIDEO

Our 12 video series: Organized Oppression: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of power (9,000-4,000 years ago), is adapted from: The Complete and Concise History of the Sumerians and Early Bronze Age Mesopotamia (7000-2000 BC): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szFjxmY7jQA by “History with Cy“

Show #1: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Samarra, Halaf, Ubaid)

Show #2: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Eridu: First City of Power)

Show #3: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Uruk and the First Cities)

Show #4: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (First Kings)

Show #5: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Early Dynastic Period)

Show #6: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (King Lugalzagesi and the First Empire)

Show #7: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Sargon and Akkadian Rule)

Show #8: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Naram-Sin, Post-Akkadian Rule, and the Gutians)

Show #9: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Gudea of Lagash and Utu-hegal)

Show #10: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Third Dynasty of Ur / Neo-Sumerian Empire)

Show #11: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Amorites, Elamites, and the End of an Era)

Show #12: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Aftermath and Legacy of Sumer)

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

The “Atheist-Humanist-Leftist Revolutionaries”

Cory Johnston ☭ Ⓐ Atheist Leftist @Skepticallefty & I (Damien Marie AtHope) @AthopeMarie (my YouTube & related blog) are working jointly in atheist, antitheist, antireligionist, antifascist, anarchist, socialist, and humanist endeavors in our videos together, generally, every other Saturday.

Why Does Power Bring Responsibility?

Think, how often is it the powerless that start wars, oppress others, or commit genocide? So, I guess the question is to us all, to ask, how can power not carry responsibility in a humanity concept? I know I see the deep ethical responsibility that if there is power their must be a humanistic responsibility of ethical and empathic stewardship of that power. Will I be brave enough to be kind? Will I possess enough courage to be compassionate? Will my valor reach its height of empathy? I as everyone, earns our justified respect by our actions, that are good, ethical, just, protecting, and kind. Do I have enough self-respect to put my love for humanity’s flushing, over being brought down by some of its bad actors? May we all be the ones doing good actions in the world, to help human flourishing.

I create the world I want to live in, striving for flourishing. Which is not a place but a positive potential involvement and promotion; a life of humanist goal precision. To master oneself, also means mastering positive prosocial behaviors needed for human flourishing. I may have lost a god myth as an atheist, but I am happy to tell you, my friend, it is exactly because of that, leaving the mental terrorizer, god belief, that I truly regained my connected ethical as well as kind humanity.

Cory and I will talk about prehistory and theism, addressing the relevance to atheism, anarchism, and socialism.

At the same time as the rise of the male god, 7,000 years ago, there was also the very time there was the rise of violence, war, and clans to kingdoms, then empires, then states. It is all connected back to 7,000 years ago, and it moved across the world.

Cory Johnston: https://damienmarieathope.com/2021/04/cory-johnston-mind-of-a-skeptical-leftist/?v=32aec8db952d  

The Mind of a Skeptical Leftist (YouTube)

Cory Johnston: Mind of a Skeptical Leftist @Skepticallefty

The Mind of a Skeptical Leftist By Cory Johnston: “Promoting critical thinking, social justice, and left-wing politics by covering current events and talking to a variety of people. Cory Johnston has been thoughtfully talking to people and attempting to promote critical thinking, social justice, and left-wing politics.” http://anchor.fm/skepticalleft

Cory needs our support. We rise by helping each other.

Cory Johnston ☭ Ⓐ @Skepticallefty Evidence-based atheist leftist (he/him) Producer, host, and co-host of 4 podcasts @skeptarchy @skpoliticspod and @AthopeMarie

Damien Marie AtHope (“At Hope”) Axiological Atheist, Anti-theist, Anti-religionist, Secular Humanist. Rationalist, Writer, Artist, Poet, Philosopher, Advocate, Activist, Psychology, and Armchair Archaeology/Anthropology/Historian.

Damien is interested in: Freedom, Liberty, Justice, Equality, Ethics, Humanism, Science, Atheism, Antiteism, Antireligionism, Ignosticism, Left-Libertarianism, Anarchism, Socialism, Mutualism, Axiology, Metaphysics, LGBTQI, Philosophy, Advocacy, Activism, Mental Health, Psychology, Archaeology, Social Work, Sexual Rights, Marriage Rights, Woman’s Rights, Gender Rights, Child Rights, Secular Rights, Race Equality, Ageism/Disability Equality, Etc. And a far-leftist, “Anarcho-Humanist.”

I am not a good fit in the atheist movement that is mostly pro-capitalist, I am anti-capitalist. Mostly pro-skeptic, I am a rationalist not valuing skepticism. Mostly pro-agnostic, I am anti-agnostic. Mostly limited to anti-Abrahamic religions, I am an anti-religionist.

To me, the “male god” seems to have either emerged or become prominent around 7,000 years ago, whereas the now favored monotheism “male god” is more like 4,000 years ago or so. To me, the “female goddess” seems to have either emerged or become prominent around 11,000-10,000 years ago or so, losing the majority of its once prominence around 2,000 years ago due largely to the now favored monotheism “male god” that grow in prominence after 4,000 years ago or so.

My Thought on the Evolution of Gods?

Animal protector deities from old totems/spirit animal beliefs come first to me, 13,000/12,000 years ago, then women as deities 11,000/10,000 years ago, then male gods around 7,000/8,000 years ago. Moralistic gods around 5,000/4,000 years ago, and monotheistic gods around 4,000/3,000 years ago. 

To me, animal gods were likely first related to totemism animals around 13,000 to 12,000 years ago or older. Female as goddesses was next to me, 11,000 to 10,000 years ago or so with the emergence of agriculture. Then male gods come about 8,000 to 7,000 years ago with clan wars. Many monotheism-themed religions started in henotheism, emerging out of polytheism/paganism.

Gods?
 
“Animism” is needed to begin supernatural thinking.
“Totemism” is needed for supernatural thinking connecting human actions & related to clan/tribe.
“Shamanism” is needed for supernatural thinking to be controllable/changeable by special persons.
 
Together = Gods/paganism

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope’s Art

Damien Marie AtHope (Said as “At” “Hope”)/(Autodidact Polymath but not good at math):

Axiological Atheist, Anti-theist, Anti-religionist, Secular Humanist, Rationalist, Writer, Artist, Jeweler, Poet, “autodidact” Philosopher, schooled in Psychology, and “autodidact” Armchair Archaeology/Anthropology/Pre-Historian (Knowledgeable in the range of: 1 million to 5,000/4,000 years ago). I am an anarchist socialist politically. Reasons for or Types of Atheism

My Website, My Blog, & Short-writing or Quotes, My YouTube, Twitter: @AthopeMarie, and My Email: damien.marie.athope@gmail.com

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