Thank you all for helping me clear my head of the muck of blind faith. The world is so, so much clearer, more beautiful, more awe-inspiring and more stimulating when viewed through my new "No God" glasses. I love it!
I am a new atheist (6 months as of Dec 2009) and I can't fill my head fast enough with ration and reason. My ipod is filled to capacity with podcasts/audio books (all of the 4 horsemen books and nearly every atheist/skeptical thinking podcast I can find). It's as if my mind has been hungry for years and is now feasting at the bountiful table of skepticism and critical thinking.
Religous beliefs were not the only casualty of my conversion. I was a flag waving, fox news watching, Glenn Beck loving conservative back when I was blind. Hell, I even liked Ann Coulter. I now understand important topics so much better then before - issues like global climate change, health care, separation of church/state, the economy and so much more.
What happened to me, is I think, the single most damaging aspect of religion and blind faith - how it distorts, clouds and strangles critical thinking. Now, more than ever, our world needs the full power of ration and reason, without the burden of irrationality inspired by religion.
As a thank you to everyone here, I'll do my best to "spread the good news" of ration and reason to everyone within my sphere of influence, especially to my two children.
Larry L