Hola!

[Lux]

Hello everyone! My name is Lucia, I'm from Argentina (so I hope you can all excuse my mediocre English), and I'm an atheist.

I came across this website while looking for a Nietzsche quote. I decided to check it out because I love debating, and it's quite hard to find people who rationally and respectfully discuss religion.

I consider myself a very open-minded and respectful person. I'm here to debate, but also to learn, so I welcome corrections (including spelling and grammar ones!)

I'll go get started on those threads now!

[FinalEnigma]

Welcome to DC&R.

And your English is quite sufficient. I'm a writing tutor, and your English is very much beyond the ESL students I work with.

[McCulloch]

Hello everyone! My name is Lucia, I'm from Argentina (so I hope you can all excuse my mediocre English), and I'm an atheist.

Hello
Your English is better than my Spanish (or my French).

it's quite hard to find people who rationally and respectfully discuss religion.

Yes, people get quite emotional about it. It is sometimes difficult to find the balance between dogmatism one one side and the sense that religion is a taboo subject on the other.

I consider myself a very open-minded and respectful person. I'm here to debate, but also to learn, so I welcome corrections (including spelling and grammar ones!)

My mother was a teacher. I have always had an unnatural obsession and interest in syntax, grammar and language. I will be delighted to correct your use of English. Most people do not welcome my self-appointed role as Grammar Cop.

[Goat]

Hello everyone! My name is Lucia, I'm from Argentina (so I hope you can all excuse my mediocre English), and I'm an atheist.

I came across this website while looking for a Nietzsche quote. I decided to check it out because I love debating, and it's quite hard to find people who rationally and respectfully discuss religion.

I consider myself a very open-minded and respectful person. I'm here to debate, but also to learn, so I welcome corrections (including spelling and grammar ones!)

I'll go get started on those threads now!

Welcome.. From your post here, I don't consider your English mediocre at all. I probably would get frustrated with your accent if I had to listen to you on the phone (I talk to a lot of people from Argentina at work)

[otseng]

Welcome to the forum!

[Zzyzx]

.
Lucia,

Welcome to the forum and complements on your command of the English language. Is Spanish your native tongue?

From what I read, religion seems to be about as prominent in Argentina as in the US -- 80% range Christian (primarily Catholic in Argentina) and a little over 10% declared non-religious. Would you say the following quote from Wikipedia is accurate?

"A majority of the population of Argentina is nominally Roman Catholic. According to one source, about 76.5% of Argentinians are Roman Catholic, 11.3% religiously indifferent, 9% Protestant (with 7.9% in Pentecostal denominations), 1.2% Jehovah's Witnesses, and 0.9% Mormons." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Argentina

Is being atheistic difficult for you in the predominantly religious culture?

[Lux]

Thanks everyone!

.
Lucia,

Welcome to the forum and complements on your command of the English language. Is Spanish your native tongue?

From what I read, religion seems to be about as prominent in Argentina as in the US -- 80% range Christian (primarily Catholic in Argentina) and a little over 10% declared non-religious. Would you say the following quote from Wikipedia is accurate?

"A majority of the population of Argentina is nominally Roman Catholic. According to one source, about 76.5% of Argentinians are Roman Catholic, 11.3% religiously indifferent, 9% Protestant (with 7.9% in Pentecostal denominations), 1.2% Jehovah's Witnesses, and 0.9% Mormons." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Argentina

Is being atheistic difficult for you in the predominantly religious culture?

Hello Zzyzx,
Yes, spanish is my native tounge. Usually my English is sufficient for everyday interactions, but religion and science debates require a wider range of vocabulary, so I hope I don't fall short!

About the quote, I'm surprised it doesn't mention Judaism. I've met more jewish people than JWs, and I've never met a Mormon in Argentina.
Other than that, it seems pretty accurate. The vast majority of people are Roman Catholic. However, I would dare say that a significant number of those Roman Catholics go to church only on Christmas, if at all. I don't think most of them actually practice the religion at all.

Being an atheist hasn't been that hard on me as it has been on other people, mostly because my dad is an atheist, and my mom is agnostic. Also the fact that there are very very few fanatics in Argentina. I've actually had a much harder time with my atheism in the United States (I've stayed there for two months per year, for the last 5 years). I think it's because people are far more "orthodox" there, and therefore more suspicious of atheists.

[Zzyzx]

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Lucia,

Thank you for the informative reply. Just to verify, your command of English is superior to many native speakers who debate here.

I've actually had a much harder time with my atheism in the United States (I've stayed there for two months per year, for the last 5 years). I think it's because people are far more "orthodox" there, and therefore more suspicious of atheists.

Interesting observation.

Where do you visit in the US?

I am a fairly new resident of Arkansas (five years) -- in the "Bible Belt South" where it appears as though 90% of the population is Christian, and many are fundamentalist. Most local people seem very opposed to the concept of non-belief in "god" (whatever it may be called -- Atheism, Agnosticism, Ignosticsm, Non-Theism, etc). However, on a person-to-person level, many accept my non-belief rather well -- and no one has been willing to debate me on the topic.

[Lux]

.
Lucia,

Thank you for the informative reply. Just to verify, your command of English is superior to many native speakers who debate here.

I've actually had a much harder time with my atheism in the United States (I've stayed there for two months per year, for the last 5 years). I think it's because people are far more "orthodox" there, and therefore more suspicious of atheists.

Interesting observation.

Where do you visit in the US?

I am a fairly new resident of Arkansas (five years) -- in the "Bible Belt South" where it appears as though 90% of the population is Christian, and many are fundamentalist. Most local people seem very opposed to the concept of non-belief in "god" (whatever it may be called -- Atheism, Agnosticism, Ignosticsm, Non-Theism, etc). However, on a person-to-person level, many accept my non-belief rather well -- and no one has been willing to debate me on the topic.

Thank you, Zzyzx!

I visit South Texas every year. Texas is, from what I hear, considerably more religious than other states. Non the less, many people accept my non-belief there. It could be that they're not as fanatic as one might think, or maybe it's just that by the time they find out I'm an atheist they already like me
However, I have met several people who treated me very differently after they found out about it, some that stopped talking to me all together, and even a few who were outright nasty. I've never had someone stop talking to me because of my atheism in Argentina.

[Zzyzx]

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Lucia,

What is your career in Argentina?

Why do you visit South Texas annually?

I lived in northeast Texas for a couple years but live in the next state north now -- Arkansas -- a genuine "hillbilly" environment (and love it). Here religion is very prominent and "believers" really do respond differently to people they know to be "non-believers" than they do to fellow Christians (which is fine with me).

My wife and I have a number of friends who are Non-Theists as well as quite a few that are "born again Christians".