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Theme Changer

 Topic: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?

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  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #30 - March 20, 2010, 07:47 PM
    Quote from: Q-Man on March 20, 2010, 06:58 PM
    Yeah, but neoconservatism is a secular ideology, and thus not wholly founded on irrational superstition. One could be entirely rational and be a neoconservative, just having some fundamentally different values on the justification of force and exercise of power than you and I do that accounts for the ideological disagreement.


    I hink he can at least be receptive to the other point of view when it comes to this. I've changed my political inclinations over time, including a tendency to some schools of thought I now look back on and wonder, what was I thinking.


    "we can smell traitors and country haters"


    Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
    God is Love.
    Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.

  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #31 - March 20, 2010, 08:14 PM
    Oh, yeah, I was never questioning that part of your post. Indeed, I would like to see further discussion/debate on the topic with HighOctane.

    I'm just saying that if it's a matter of questioning your beliefs and reasoning through things, like you just described and I have gone through myself, he will more likely be open to changing his position than if it comes down to a fundamental difference in values, rather than a difference in thinking/analysis. Although values can change over time too-- but that's largely an evolutionary process forged by life experiences, rather than reasoning through it with reading and dialogue.
    fuck you
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #32 - March 21, 2010, 04:17 AM
    Quote from: Q-Man on March 20, 2010, 08:14 PM
    Although values can change over time too-- but that's largely an evolutionary process forged by life experiences, rather than reasoning through it with reading and dialogue.

    I think so too.
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #33 - March 21, 2010, 06:54 PM
    Hi all, yes indeed I may change in the future, but with so much realized understanding and knowledge than when I was in a deluded position, it will take either new information or a different way of thinking to change my from being a Neocon. Although chances are low, sure I agree I might do a 180 flip as I have done with many opinions in life. I'll start a new thread.
    Hear ye -->> DONATE TO CEMB

    Relativism | Cognitive dissonance | Cognitive biases | Memeplex | Consequentialism
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #34 - March 21, 2010, 07:06 PM
    New thread-- good idea. Looking forward to it.
    fuck you
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #35 - March 21, 2010, 07:14 PM
    Quote from: billy on March 20, 2010, 07:47 PM
    I hink he can at least be receptive to the other point of view when it comes to this. I've changed my political inclinations over time, including a tendency to some schools of thought I now look back on and wonder, what was I thinking.

    such as?
    My Book     news002       
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  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #36 - September 06, 2010, 10:36 AM
    Quote from: Q-Man on March 21, 2010, 07:06 PM
    New thread-- good idea. Looking forward to it.


    Could someone link me to this "new thread" please, I can't seem to find it?  Huh?
    "The greatest general is not the one who can take the most cities or spill the most blood. The greatest general is the one who can take Heaven and Earth without waging the battle." ~ Sun Tzu

  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #37 - September 10, 2010, 12:26 PM
    Quote
    i) changed
    ii) what have you gained
    iii) learned that you were not as aware of before?


    I have changed in the sense that I've gained some sort of emotional comfort in knowing that there are others like me in much greater numbers than I expected.

    I've gained a sense of belonging as an apostate, I'm no longer uncomfortable about rejecting Islam and having to probably in the future be outcasted by my family and most of my former friends. I have a place which I can come to tell my story and vent my feelings, feel shit about myself for being such an idiot and feel better that I'm not unique in that respect. I've pretty much gained a decent knowledge of the dos and donts with regards to admitting one's apostacy(which for me is probably a few years off) and I've gained friends that I wouldn't have met otherwise(or almost-met, Rationalizer!).

    I've learnt that the 10:1 Male-Female ratio on the internet has its counterexamples, and I've met more females on this site than I have in 9 years of forum-going.
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #38 - September 10, 2010, 01:04 PM
    -I didn't know there were many others like me for quite some time before stumbling across this site

    -By viewing this forum and reading others' stories, and getting to know ppl i've allowed myself to not guilty about my apostacy, learnt that i have got to live life for me not for the religious ideas my parents might have, and i'm taking steps to ensure such a future myself in the following few years.

    strangely enough, maybe its this forum or simply finding that i'm maturing, but i used to be in a state of quite a bit of anger and felt very bitter about life and religion, but I've really gotten past that. Perhaps this is because back then I had one friend who could actually sympathise and emphathise with my plight and now I've had a chance to really vent about all of it many times, I find that there are better things to busy my mind with. Nonetheless I have gained a sense of sympathy for the religious, rather than hatered, have a sense of duty to the ex-muslim community. I want to help in some way, any way. And rather than hoping for the eradication of religion--particularly Islam--i instead aspire for liberalization.

    i've grown tired of hate.
    "If intelligence is feminine... I would want that mine would, in a resolute movement, come to resemble an impious woman."
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #39 - September 10, 2010, 03:52 PM
    Quote from: Ephemeral on September 10, 2010, 01:04 PM
    i've grown tired of hate.

    Me too. yes
    German ex-Muslim forum — My YouTube — List of Ex-Muslims —
    Wikis: en – de – fr – ar – tr
    CEMB-Chat
    I'm on an indefinite break...
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #40 - September 12, 2010, 12:26 PM
    I haven't really changed much since I came on this forum as my purpose was just to seek out others like me.  I always had a feeling that I wasn't the only apostate around. 

    Since joining this forum I have been inspired by many people here.  Listening to their stories, struggles and triumphs has been great for me, and it has instilled some much needed courage to hopefully come out to my family one day.  I have also met some wonderful people here, and find it amazing how much we have in common. Smiley I don't feel like a lonely apostate anymore, in fact, I feel proud to be part of this movement.  Obviously I've had Thinky's support and I'm grateful for that, but I think it's been good to find other ex-muslims rather than ex-revert muslims because when you are born into islam it is more difficult to shrug it off due to family ties, etc. 

    I think I'm not as angry towards islam as I used to be - I mean I still feel it - but it's not as damaging anymore.  Sometimes I even feel bored of islam, I'm not excited about debating it anymore - I just want to get on with my life and deal with the issues relating to my family.
    'The greatest glory of living lies not in never falling but in rising everytime you fall'
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #41 - September 12, 2010, 12:45 PM
    I've been meaning to post on this thread again. Apart from all the inner memeplex/philosophy/consequentialism/relativism/cognitive dissonance/mass thinking/far left and far right political aspects and a much better understanding of the entirety of Islam and other religions within our world, there are other non-Islamic things I've gained on this forum:

    - A feeling of belonging Smiley
    - Learning how to maturely express oneself
    - Think about maturity in general and the way one should approach their interactions with others
    - Meeting people in real life here, going on a demonstration
    - Learn how to win over people's trust
    - Read people's advice and apply it, and share advice too and see if it was the right way of thinking emotionally
    - And just to come to a close ... discovered I can rhyme a little ... I suppose!

    Quit honestly, I don't have a bustling social life, and this place is a super short cut to having a social life that makes up for the fact I don’t relate to most of my family or to the real life face-to-face acquaintances who I come across daily.
    Hear ye -->> DONATE TO CEMB

    Relativism | Cognitive dissonance | Cognitive biases | Memeplex | Consequentialism
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #42 - September 12, 2010, 01:43 PM
    Quote from: Maya on September 06, 2010, 10:36 AM
    Could someone link me to this "new thread" please, I can't seem to find it?  Huh?

    I think the thread in question is this one: Neoconservatism, started by HighOctane 5 months ago.
    "Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so." -- Bertrand Russell

    Baloney Detection Kit
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #43 - September 12, 2010, 02:03 PM
    I've become a lot more interested in not just organised religion but also the belief or disbelief in God. Coming on to this forum to read or discuss this sort of thing makes me realise how little I know, and how I am glad I am thinking for myself rather than using "God did it" to fill in the blanks with the questions that I am itching to understand.

    Secondly, to reiterate on the above, I am thankful more than ever that my parents didn't raise me religiously. It makes me realise that I could have had a completely different perspective on life if I were - a life that could have been closed off, where I didn't want to learn about the world. If or when I have kids, I will be sure to raise them to think critically and to question everything. I don't want to tell them what God is the real God, or if there is a God, I want them to develop their own opinions and beliefs.

  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #44 - September 12, 2010, 05:36 PM
    Quote from: ateapotist on September 12, 2010, 01:43 PM
    I think the thread in question is this one: Neoconservatism, started by HighOctane 5 months ago.


    Thanks ateapotist.    Afro
    "The greatest general is not the one who can take the most cities or spill the most blood. The greatest general is the one who can take Heaven and Earth without waging the battle." ~ Sun Tzu

  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #45 - September 14, 2010, 12:57 AM
    Quote from: IsLame on March 03, 2010, 03:07 PM
    Since joining this forum have you

    iii) learned that you were not as aware of before? 



    I've learned that ex-Muslim chicks are, pretty uniformly, fuckin hot.

    And other shit, but fuck all the other shit.
    fuck you
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #46 - September 14, 2010, 02:07 AM
    Quote from: Q-Man on September 14, 2010, 12:57 AM
    I've learned that ex-Muslim chicks are, pretty uniformly, fuckin hot.

    And other shit, but fuck all the other shit.


    Yes. The first statement is of supreme importance. Everything else is a distant second.   grin12
    I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I remain.
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #47 - September 14, 2010, 09:04 PM
    Quote from: Q-Man on September 14, 2010, 12:57 AM
    I've learned that ex-Muslim chicks are, pretty uniformly, fuckin hot.


    YES. From now on, if a chick tells me they're an ex-muslim it's an instant turn-on.
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #48 - September 14, 2010, 10:32 PM

    I actually came on here, because i felt i had little or no understanding of religion in general ( my own included) I've slowly but surely come to realise hanging out with you rather sharp, logical, witty and well read and rounded people that my original assumption that it's all bullshit was correct.
    If you ask me to define anything i will slap you with my pimp hand and make you cry like a biatch.

    Nick Naylor: "I didn't have to. I proved that you're wrong, and if you're wrong I'm right."~ Thank you for Smoking

    Perspective
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #49 - September 14, 2010, 10:34 PM
    dogma is not the preserve of the religious alone.
    At evening, casual flocks of pigeons make
    Ambiguous undulations as they sink,
    Downward to darkness, on extended wings. - Stevens
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #50 - September 14, 2010, 10:42 PM
    meee-owww  MSinghK
    My Book     news002       
    My Blog  pccoffee
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #51 - September 14, 2010, 11:01 PM
     Cheesy Yeah, z10. Hisssssss!
    fuck you
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #52 - September 14, 2010, 11:02 PM
    Quote from: z10 on September 14, 2010, 10:34 PM
    dogma is not the preserve of the religious alone.

    in fairness, I can let you say that as you are one of the few non-dogmatic people around here..
    My Book     news002       
    My Blog  pccoffee
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #53 - September 14, 2010, 11:14 PM
     Cheesy

    I didn't mean any offense to the regular members here, it was more directed towards the ffi types and their constant hate-mongering...
    At evening, casual flocks of pigeons make
    Ambiguous undulations as they sink,
    Downward to darkness, on extended wings. - Stevens
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #54 - September 14, 2010, 11:24 PM
    Meh, you're just a bitch

    My Book     news002       
    My Blog  pccoffee
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #55 - September 14, 2010, 11:25 PM
     lipsrsealed
    At evening, casual flocks of pigeons make
    Ambiguous undulations as they sink,
    Downward to darkness, on extended wings. - Stevens
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #56 - October 27, 2010, 02:26 PM
    Quote from: IsLame on March 03, 2010, 03:07 PM
    Thought it would be of interest to see if & how this forum has benefited members.

    Since joining this forum have you

    i) changed
    ii) what have you gained


    I've seen this thread around previously and I'm not sure exactly why, but I thought it's about time I stated what I've gained from being on here.

    I was never a hardline muslim - so making the progression to a non-practcing Muslim, something I must attribute to my presence on this forum, for me wasn't so difficult. So for example I prayed very infrequently - I would only usually perform Isha (the night prayer) but not regularly but I always fasted and gave Zakaat. I was however very passionate about my faith and therefore would engage in debate about Islam. Of course these days I have a very non-literal, non-classical interpretation of Islam and believe it only belongs in the past.

    The main reason for me adjusting my views was due to what a classical interpretation of the Qur'an says about people who do not beleive i.e. that they will be sentenced to torture in the afterlife. I had already apostated in my teens because of this very reason but I guess I craved faith and a meaning to life in my early twenties and decided to come back to religion. Although ignorance can be bliss, things were not always so comfortable for me. There were people I worked with etc. that I knew were good people and I found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that my religion says these people probably would be tortured in the afterlife for not beleiving. I felt an underlying guilt because of this and this caused me to distant myself from non-Muslims - not because I had any ill-feeling toward them (on the contrary I very much liked them) but because of the underlying guilt I felt. I was quite a reserved guy anyway to begin with - but this made it difficult for me to interact with anyone. People thought I was a pleasant guy but I think they always thought I was a bit odd for being so distant and even reclusive - but if I'm being honest I didn't mind. What ate away at me over the years however, is the fact when I saw a small non-Muslim child in the street, and then thought to myself this beautiful child will probably grow up as a non-beleiver and then go to hell - this was really difficult for me and generally quite upsetting.

    Since I've changed my views regarding Islam, I no longer feel these things. I can speak more freely with the non-Muslims around me without feeling that inhibition or guilt. And I can walk down the street and smile at strangers - I smile at people more often now. So if I'm grateful to this forum for anything - it's that by engaging in discussion and debate it has forced me to address these beliefs and stop ignoring them. This has led me to radically change my beleifs and as a consequence relieved me of the divisive effects of classical Islam.
    ''we are morally and philisophically in the best position to win the league'' - Arsene Wenger
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #57 - October 27, 2010, 02:32 PM
    ^^ beautiful
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #58 - October 27, 2010, 02:35 PM
    I received plenty of material to bash Islam on muslim platforms.  Cheesy
    Admin of following facebook pages and groups:
    Islam's Last Stand (page)
    Islam's Last Stand (group)
    and many others...
  • Re: What have you learned during your stay on COEM?
     Reply #59 - October 27, 2010, 02:39 PM
    to be honest, i was near paranoid about islam when i first joined the forum. i still think its pretty dangerous, but i cut muslims a lot more slack as individuals. also appreciate more hues and complexities of life as a muslim / ex muslim.
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