Introduction to the Proud Individual Blog

Ever wonder when installing software or an account anywhere why they ask you for your company name. It's as if you are nobody unless you are employed. It's much like slavery. I always resented having to fill in a company name. I stood for myself and myself alone. I started always entering Individual and Proud into the company name fields on forms.

Well that's where the name of my blog came from. I intend it to be a forum to explore my ideas on religion. I have come to feel that Christianity is intellectually and morally bankrupt. Nearly everything that religious christian people do and say comes from superstition and ignorance. While one would assume that age old religious conflict would have produced writings that cover everything there is to say, most of what I can find is about what someone believes and want to force me to believe. It's as if your religion is like your company. I haven't found any good summaries or sources for the ideas that I have had, so I am going to use this theme in my blog to explore the deficiencies that I see.

I have attended church with my family since I was a child and have not been reserved about mentioning the flaws in what's happening around me. I have been interested in all of the studies and discussions about religion and what is happening in religion. I recently finished reading "The Reformation, A History" by Diarmaid MacCulloch, and watching "The History of Christianity in the Reformation Era" by Brad S. Gregory, a course from The Teaching Company. The course was given to me as a christmas present by my daughter and her family after hearing how much I enjoyed MacCulloch's book. I have currently been attending a local Alpha Course as described at alphacourse.org, but it is so bad that I doubt I'll finish it.

I have often become discouraged and depressed about how stupid peoples arguments usually are about religion and how difficult it is to even have a conversation about the issues they bring up. I had given up on attempting to make a difference. But now I have a problem. I have a 12 year old granddaughter who is starting to ask "Grandpa, why don't you believe in God". I'm starting this blog to clarify to myself what I think, so that I can responsibly answer her.

I would guess that other religions experience the same problems, but I don't have any background or experience to say anything about them and I'm not interested in doing any research to change that.

If discussions about religion with ideas that you don't agree with upset you, then don't read my blog. I intend to be ruthless and say my mind. Rational comments are welcome.

Gary Young
Proud Individual