Hello everyone

1« Previous thread | Next thread »
- DaveK
- Member
- offline
Hello everyone
OP - December 19, 2015, 02:54 PM

Hello. My name is Dave Kinard. I am an american who is passionately anti-authoritarian, and a rational secular humanist.

I have always been a critic of all religion, and especially organized religions that claim supernatural forces make rules for humans. I am here to learn, support, and exchange information. I have been dismayed in recent years that many on the "new left" in the west have seemed to deem Islam as uniquely immune from criticism, and equate any criticism of such as racism. I feel many have put themselves in positions of apologists and enablers for the worse sort of recationary authoritarianism, and am interested in learning about the experience of people who have lived under the rule of religion, as well as the complex intersection of opposing both authoritarian fundamentalism and legitimate racism, which also exists.

I am a punk rocker, with a diverse set of intellectual interests, a unique life story, and a particular passion for science. My music, my ethics, and my desire to understand the truth of the world for me combine to form my own sense of meaningful spirituality, a sense that humans are unique in that we are parts of the universe that ar self aware, and inject our own meaning and narrative into it. I believe that there are great and wonderful parts of human nature, and humanity should aspire towards these, and that we are capable of transending previous limitations. I believe society is approaching several singularities, and our generation has a unique significance in human history, as the era of transhumanism is right around the corner, and the evolution of our species will be shaped by the values of those who act first and win the technological race in reforming the economy, the global consciousness, and ultimately, our own genetic codes and minds.
- ExMuslimVlogGuy
- Ex-Muslim
- Ex-Super Salafi
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #1 - December 19, 2015, 04:01 PM

Welcome

"If you don't like your religion's fundamentalists, then maybe there's something wrong with your religion's fundamentals."
"Demanding blind respect but not offering any respect in reciprocation is laughable."
"Let all the people in all the worlds be in peace."
- three
- Ex-Muslim
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #2 - December 19, 2015, 07:52 PM

Welcome!
What sort of punk music do you like, and do you identify with any particular brand of punk?

Don't let Hitler have the street.
- Quod Sum Eris
- King of the
- Pub Regular
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #3 - December 20, 2015, 01:58 AM

As an American punk rocker, instead of the usual welcome parrot I'll give you this instead.

Ah what the hell, I'll give a parrot as well. Welcome.

`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
- DaveK
- Member
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #4 - December 20, 2015, 06:23 AM

Awesome. I read the comic. I enjoyed it, although I wish they had spent more time on the later period when "jesus" lead the atheist punk rock band.

To answer three, I like a large variety. My favorite tends to be the melodic hardcore of Epitaph, what some call pop-punk. I like stuff with great, poetic lyrics. To me, punk is essentially a vehicle for poetry. The immediacy of the music bypasses my intellectual filters, conveying the emotional charge of the poetry directly. My all time favorite band is Bad Religion. Second would be Dead Kennedys.

Of course, I also like street punk, oi, and generally a broader group of what falls under the umbrella of punk . Don't know how many of you are familiar with punk, but many in the punk scene don't consider melodic hardcore to be "real punk." I do, and have a slight preference for it, mainly because on average I find the lyrics more poetic and interesting. But I like everything from Blood for Blood (hardcore) to MC Lars (punk nerdcore rap)

Only thing I'm not that into is folk punk, as I feel like too many bands are clones of Against Me. But even there, there are exceptions.

(Relevant to this forum, I am aware of TaqwaCore, but don't know any bands really)
- Quod Sum Eris
- King of the
- Pub Regular
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #5 - December 20, 2015, 06:59 AM

I actually didn't like the comic that much. It was incredibly moving at times, like when Chris almost drowned trying to walk on water or desperately tried to bring his mother back to life. I was greatly amused how the man in charge wanted light skin and blue eyes, the geneticist pointed out Jesus isn't and never was white and the bloke said he knows but wants him to look like the Jesus of children's biblical stories. It was a brilliant little jab at the real world. But honestly I felt much of it was a let-down. It could of explored a number of issues and concepts but really brushed them aside, which I felt was unfortunate.

Haven't listened to much TaqwaCore myself, but there are some sweet islamic black metal bands out there.

`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
- DaveK
- Member
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #6 - December 20, 2015, 11:28 AM

Yes, I sort of agree. I liked the comic, but thought the premise was sort of wasted. As I said, I would have liked for the end part to be more of the story, and the initial stuff to be more condensed (the comic was described to me as, "reality tv show clones Jesus, he rebels and starts a an atheist punk rock band")

I think it would have been a lot cooler to have his band form a sort of parallel to the narrative of the gospel, but with punk rock, secular ethos, and coming to similar humanitarian conclusions but from a completely opposing principle (from rational humanism as opposed to divine inspiration.)

I feel like that could have been a much deeper storyline, getting into notions about culture/environment versus inherent personality, the notion of aspirations to the divine being the expression of an element of human nature that struggles for transcendence. Also, the parallel for me that is particular meaningful, of punk as a form of secular religion, and the music having a spiritual meaning for some who are struck that way, as well as the a notion that has always appealed to me; the idea of the act of true artistic creation and a form of communication and vision that goes beyond language as being a way to temporarily occupy the position of prophet/poet, and understanding and reclaiming that human impetus.
- Quod Sum Eris
- King of the
- Pub Regular
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #7 - December 20, 2015, 11:41 AM

The idea of a clone of Jesus being created/born in the 21st Century has a shit-ton of potential with or without him becoming an atheist. Particularly the running commentary on the talk-show with the religious nut and the scientist was just so flat and boring, to the point it was literally "Evolution is just a theory!" "So is gravity" and "I usually don't like punk but I like this because it's anti-religious"...really? I mean sure work it in there if you want, but the way it was presented...really?

I also felt there was a huge wealth of potential with his bodyguard being a former IRA member and all the stories that could of been woven with religion and politics one just one opportunity among many wasted. Sadly I felt it was good to pass the time as a one time read only.

My mum was heavily involved in the punk scene in England during it's height. It's a fascinating subculture that in many ways seems to have faded (which is a shame, but at the same time makes it lot more interesting hanging out with punk rockers as they tend to be genuine as opposed to people going through a phase or rebelling against their parents), and I genuinely don't think people realise how much of an influence it's still having today in art and culture, including pop culture.

`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
- three
- Ex-Muslim
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #8 - December 21, 2015, 01:41 AM

Quote from: DaveK on December 20, 2015, 06:23 AM
Awesome. I read the comic. I enjoyed it, although I wish they had spent more time on the later period when "jesus" lead the atheist punk rock band.

To answer three, I like a large variety. My favorite tends to be the melodic hardcore of Epitaph, what some call pop-punk. I like stuff with great, poetic lyrics. To me, punk is essentially a vehicle for poetry. The immediacy of the music bypasses my intellectual filters, conveying the emotional charge of the poetry directly. My all time favorite band is Bad Religion. Second would be Dead Kennedys.

Of course, I also like street punk, oi, and generally a broader group of what falls under the umbrella of punk . Don't know how many of you are familiar with punk, but many in the punk scene don't consider melodic hardcore to be "real punk." I do, and have a slight preference for it, mainly because on average I find the lyrics more poetic and interesting. But I like everything from Blood for Blood (hardcore) to MC Lars (punk nerdcore rap)

Only thing I'm not that into is folk punk, as I feel like too many bands are clones of Against Me. But even there, there are exceptions.

(Relevant to this forum, I am aware of TaqwaCore, but don't know any bands really)

Ah yes, Bad Religion. That brings back a memory of a high school protest. My second advocacy project, really. Free speech on shirts and all that.

Don't let Hitler have the street.
- DaveK
- Member
- offline
Hello everyone
Reply #9 - January 01, 2016, 01:41 PM

Quote from: Quod Sum Eris on December 20, 2015, 11:41 AM
The idea of a clone of Jesus being created/born in the 21st Century has a shit-ton of potential with or without him becoming an atheist. Particularly the running commentary on the talk-show with the religious nut and the scientist was just so flat and boring, to the point it was literally "Evolution is just a theory!" "So is gravity" and "I usually don't like punk but I like this because it's anti-religious"...really? I mean sure work it in there if you want, but the way it was presented...really?

I also felt there was a huge wealth of potential with his bodyguard being a former IRA member and all the stories that could of been woven with religion and politics one just one opportunity among many wasted. Sadly I felt it was good to pass the time as a one time read only.

My mum was heavily involved in the punk scene in England during it's height. It's a fascinating subculture that in many ways seems to have faded (which is a shame, but at the same time makes it lot more interesting hanging out with punk rockers as they tend to be genuine as opposed to people going through a phase or rebelling against their parents), and I genuinely don't think people realise how much of an influence it's still having today in art and culture, including pop culture.

I wouldn't say it's faded. I moved to Philly largely because it's become a center for the punk scene. I think that it's more so there's more competition for countercultural niches, and the scene itself has diversified and fragmented. But there's definitely places that tend to become the focal point of scenes.
1« Previous thread | Next thread »