Name: Shane O’Connor
Born: 1982
Location: Ulster, Ireland
Organization: YouTuber
Label: Atheist, Humanist, Secularist, Skeptic.
Former Religion: Catholicism
My Story: As I became more enamoured by science throughout my teenage years, more and more of what I had been raised to believe crumbled under the weight of it’s own absurdity. One day I asked myself, “Do I believe this because it’s likely to be true or because I want it to be true?” As soon as I was able to give myself an honest answer I became an atheist.
Tagged with: 1982 • 25 • Atheist • Catholicism • Humanist • Ireland • Secularist • Shane O'Connor • skeptic • Ulster • YouTuber
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Dear Shane,
Like yourself, i have come to understand why coming out as an Atheist is as important and as being honest. Having said that, I have a question that came to mind when seeing your profile.
Given the recent history of sectarianism in the north. What is it like to be brought up in the catholic religion and eventually coming out as a non-religious person in the Ulster region?
Having asked this, i’m not assuming that you’re from Northern Ireland. Just wondering what it’s like from an atheist’s point of view.
Kind Regards,
Matthew Attard
Well, I grow up just south of the border. My experience was vastly different from that of people living on the other side but I can say that very little of the conflict centres around religion itself (though it has helped to draw out the problem by refusing to acknowledge mixed marriages).
Religion is just one of the banners around which people have rallied themselves in opposition to those they see as ‘other’. The most conflict prone regions were quite tribalistic and there were certain places one simply did not go if you were a member of either group.
In awe of that aneswr! Really cool!
Thank you so much. Just hearing you verbalize many thoughts I share about how STRANGE it is that people believe what they do is a comfort having to do with some level of relief from isolation. We are such a strange species and I honestly am disappointed in us. My parents were ‘light’ believers but still made us attend church weekly growing up. Then my mother sent me to a fundamentalist camp when I was at a tender age and boy did I love that ‘christian crack’. I was spewing ‘have you found Jesus’ for about 3 miserable years. Its amazing to me and I must say I’m ‘self-impressed’ that after 1 semester of college I had my ‘holy shit its all non-sense’ moment when it all clicked…and while the road was not without bend its been a steady march to atheism for me since then. From my perspective though I look back and find it all just so goddamn sad that people really remain whacked out on religion and for that matter general voodoo crap. Aren’t we progressed beyond this?? Sigh. I am a pediatrician and the whole vaccine thing is about to make me want to quit my job. Sigh again. I think I’ll just keep looking on line for other reasoned persons to have a community with. I’m very lucky my husband is also an atheist and found his way there as I did. Phew. Anyway, thanks so much for your video posting.
I had no idea how to approach this before-now I’m locked and ladoed.
I wanted to secure your permission to quote from or mirror a video of yours for my youtube atheist book.
Feel free.
Big help, big help. And seuprltavie news of course.
Good points all around. Truly apperciaetd.
You have really interesting blog, keep up posting such informative posts!