Comments | smithy161: (без темы)

smithy161

(Untitled)

Sep 11, 2008 21:44

Snagged off Becky, because I'm bored and feel like babbling:

Curious about my opinion? Politics, religion, sex, sexuality, fandom, weather? (In short: What the hell ever). Ask! I promise an honest (maybe too honest) answer.

Comments 21

morgynleri_fic September 11 2008, 20:48:20 UTC

Lawn vs. garden?

smithy161 September 11 2008, 20:53:15 UTC

Isn't the lawn just grass, and the garden is the entire outside of a property?

morgynleri_fic September 11 2008, 20:56:27 UTC

Er... lawn is the grass, garden is plants and flowers and vegetables and herbs. American definition of garden. *makes a mental note about the difference in what 'garden' means*

smithy161 September 11 2008, 20:58:53 UTC

I don't know, never really thought about it o_O

Thread 11

nin_of_eden September 11 2008, 22:03:25 UTC

OK, um, what's your opinion on... Abortion?

smithy161 September 11 2008, 22:16:16 UTC

Pro-life. Which isn't a common position for an atheist, I've found. I just think that once it's conceived, it's a person.

Just to be clear, I wouldn't dream of telling anyone else what to do, or judge people who have abortions - I don't know what's going on in their head, and I won't say anything against them. I just know I couldn't do it. Or, right now, I don't think that I could.

nin_of_eden September 11 2008, 22:40:44 UTC

Mmmm, I feel the same really - unless the baby has a severe disability or pregnancy could kill the mother, in which case it seems the lesser of two evils.
Although that said, I do know a couple of people who've had them, + I don't think any the less of them. So on one level I'm still a bit undecided.

fajrdrako September 11 2008, 22:13:24 UTC

Tell me something about your views on religion.

Is there any book, or TV show, or genre, or - any type of entertainment - you don't talk about much on LJ, that's maybe an obscure or unusual taste?

What got you into fandom?

smithy161 September 11 2008, 22:37:44 UTC

I'm an atheist. I find religion curious, and I'm frequently surprised by how seriously some people take it. I suppose I'm a scientist at heart, and if you can't present a hypothesis with sufficient evidence, then it isn't worth wasting any more thought on. "I just know" isn't good enough either. Hindus "just know" their gods exist, Christians "just know" theirs exists, same for any religion you care to mention. Same for kids with imaginary friends.

Hm, there's not much entertainment-wise that I don't talk about! I tend to mention whatever I'm reading or watching. I suppose I don't talk much about the comics/graphic novels I read because I don't get involved in those fandoms. I'm not sure if I've mentioned my love for HP Lovecraft, but he's less obscure than I thought when I found him.

It was definitely shipping Remus Lupin/Sirius Black that got me into fandom. I searched for Harry Potter stuff on my grandparents computer, and found people writing stories where they were in a relationship, and that was me hooked on slash.

fajrdrako September 11 2008, 22:59:15 UTC

Hmm. I actually believe all you say about religion and atheism. So why do I hesitate to call myself an atheist? I'm not sure.

I don't talk much on LJ about the comics and graphic novels I read mostly because I don't find the time. Sometimes I have things to say, too.

What a nice way to discover slash!

smithy161 September 12 2008, 17:46:05 UTC

So why do I hesitate to call myself an atheist?

It does come with some negative connotations! And sometimes labelling oneself isn't helpful.

Thread 5

phoenix64 September 12 2008, 04:34:14 UTC

You've mentioned more than once that you feel atheism corresponds with your being a scientist - I'm curious as to your opinions of the fact that several esteemed scientists, particularly physicists (that I've noticed, but then again I'm probably paying more attention to the physicists), who feel differently.

smithy161 September 12 2008, 17:40:36 UTC

I suspect it's just a difference in personality. Perhaps they adhere to the idea that there are things science can't explain, which - well, of course there are. If there was nothing scientists couldn't explain, they'd be out of a job, since their job is explaining things. It's not just a romantic view of science that makes me think we might explain everything one day, it's the irrationality of assuming we won't. What we can do now with technology would look thoroughly alien to anyone living three, four hundred years ago, so I find the assumption that we won't make much more progress, and explain away things we don't understand now... well, I find it odd. But I suppose there are some people who want there to be unexplainable things, or have reason to believe that there are ( ... )