The Antichristian Phenomenon
These are the Antichristian Phenomenon authors’ answers to a short questionnaire for their profile page. Actual profile pages for individual authors will appear on the site shortly. The pages will include the answers to the questionnaire and potentially a picture. We may change the layout of the pages over time.
If you are an author and you don’t see your answers here, you need to go to my post and fill it out. Then, PM or email it to me (anath(at)antichristian-phenomenon.com).
[edit]Sneltrekker has sent in his answers.[/edit]
In reverse-alphebetical order:
Waldheri
1. Why are you Anti-Christian?
I am antichristian because I think that Christianity is dangerous. Christianity denies children the right of free thought by recruiting them into the church at a young age. Because these children can’t yet see fiction from truth, it is dangerous to indoctrinate them with a dogma that precedes even the dark ages. This is the fundament of my antichristianity. There are, of course, also the historical injustices (among other religious wars: the crusades, the Spanish inquisition, the suppression of science) by the church unto others, of which the last is still active this very day. It is therefore that I am, since a year or two, actively opposed to Christianity.
2. What personal experience do you have with Christianity?
I was born into a catholic family. I was baptized and took part of the Eucharist when I was very young. To me, it was merely singing some songs. I used to have to go to church with my parents at Christmas, easter and the like, but at some point my parents luckily decided that this wasn’t in fact necessary. I have been angry that I was pushed into this ridiculous cult without knowing what it was actually about, but I am glad my parents ‘revised their plan’ of raising me. I ‘unregistered’ from the local religious community at the age of 18. An example of the effect that my catholic indoctrination has had on me was that it took me a very long time to register myself as an organ donor. There was always a voice telling “what if you’re wrong, and you need to bring your kidneys to the afterlife” which is very silly, because I don’t even believe in an afterlife. Yet it was a strong emotion of fear of death that Christianity, among other religions, knows how to abuse.
3. Are you strictly Anti-Christian, or are you against other religions/belief systems as well? Why?
Any religious community that discourages free thought and/or tries to shut out science does not earn my respect. I also reject religious systems that justify inhuman treatment of others. I am also very skeptic about religions that lean on ancient, fictional (often to the absurd) stories as a vessel of truth. If you have found a religion that does not meet any of these criteria, please drop me a message.
4. What parts of Christianity or religion are you NOT against?
All religions are based on some philosophy. Religion is this philosophy cloaked as truth by various means. Often it is attempted that this religion be the basics for legislation. But you have to understand that philosophy is not truth, it is the search for it. I accept and heartily welcome philosophy. For example, the underlying philosophy of Christianity is that we should try to live in peace with one another; to follow the example of the prophet Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter whether he actually performed his miracles or even lived at all. Nor do even the reasons why we should do this matter. The important part is the message of his story. And I agree that we should try to live together, and respect and help eachother.
5. Briefly, what DO you believe in?
I do not believe in anything that can not be scientifically proven or philosophically argumented. I’d rather not call them beliefs, but I have ideas of life and the world we live in. Drop a message of you want to know specifics.
6. What does your Username mean?
I found out that the origin of my given name (Wouter) is germanic and that it is composed of two words: Wald (rule) and Heri (army). My username Waldheri therefore means “ruler of the army”. Mind that at the forums I bear the name of SpHaeR, which is based the word “fear”.
7. What are your music preferences?
I like metal, classical, new age, folk (celtic) and film score music. I generally listen to metal and it would not be untrue to label me a metalhead. Of the countless subgenres of metal, I like those that incorporate different musical styles: progressive-, symphonic- and viking/folk metal.
8. Briefly describe from where you are coming and going:
I live in the Netherlands, a small and densely-inhabited but prospering country. I live near the city of Eindhoven (where in 1891 some guy named Philips and his son decided to set up a company and start producing light bulbs – yes, that Philips).
As of September 2007, I will start my second year studying Biomedical Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology. I plan to attain my master degree before 2012. I’m still uncertain in what field of biomedical engineering I want to achieve this degree, but that’s a decision for later.
To get around, I have a simple job at a local supermarket at the moment, where I work on Saturdays.
9. What are your Political Views?
I do not identify with a certain political party, which is one of the reasons that I do not vote. My views can, however, be broadly identified with socialism and libertarianism. I think we should care of others and allow them to be free to do what they will, within certain limits. I think communism is a wonderful idea, but sadly it is not practical because of human nature.
10. What other hobbies and interests do you have?
A am interested in a lot of things like almost any science, philosophy and arts. I like watching movies (of any genre) and enjoy reading science-fiction and fantasy books. I’m currently in a course to learn ballroom dancing.
Sneltrekker
1. Why are you Anti-Christian?
I left Christianity around the age of 13, and since then I have been searching. I realized back then it was stupid to follow a religion just because of tradition or family, and began to actually study several religions in my spare time. The more I learned about Christianity, the less I liked it. I was mostly apathetic to it though, until I was around 20. That timing isn’t a coincidence since that’s about the same time I decided to turn my complete life around, and where I finally found myself, after trying to fit in unsuccessfully for many years.
2. What personal experience do you have with Christianity?
I was raised “Catholic”. Though my parents were non-practicing. My mother always cared only for the outside appearances of looking like a Christian, so the neighbors wouldn’t talk bad of her. My father actually dislikes Christianity and all other religions, but still goes to church for weddings, funerals and so on because he won’t risk a fight with my mother over it. That’s the family situation. I also went to Catholic schools all my life, since they’re the only schools in Belgium that give worthwhile education.
My elementary school was actually run by monks, and was pretty fundamentalistic. We still had to go to confession regularly, and we’d get beaten with blackboard wipers if we ever did anything wrong. Still, outside those idiocies, they were great teachers. My high school and college on the other hand were extremely liberal, and were only Catholic in name anymore. I’m still grateful to the religious studies teacher in High School who taught me to think critically. Even though she’d probably dislike the way I turned out in the end.
3. Are you strictly Anti-Christian, or are you against other religions/belief systems as well? Why?
Judaism and Islam I put on the same line as Christianity. All three Abrahamic religions share the same flaws. All three say their god is the only god. All three say unbelievers will burn in hell. All three try to convert by threats and acts of violence.
I have less of a problem with polytheistic religions, since polytheism by nature is more accepting. When you accept there are 10 gods you worship yourself, it’s not a stretch to also believe there’s an 11th god, even if you refuse to worship that god yourself, and his worshipers have proven to be annoying people.
4. What parts of Christianity or religion are you NOT against?
I’ll actually have to say Jesus. Jesus has some great teachings. Teaching like: love your neighbor, don’t attack people when you’re not perfect either, and so on. From what I’ve read, Christianity in its early days, when it was still prosecuted in Rome, actually followed those ideals still. I’m sure I would look again into being Christian, if their religion hadn’t been corrupted by the power church leaders gained throughout the centuries.
5. Briefly, what DO you believe in?
I used to be atheistic for a long time. But somehow I can’t put the thought beside me there might just be something out there anyway. So the past months I’ve been reverting to an agnostic state. I think if that something really exists though, it will be more of a force of nature split up in many spirits that inhabit the world. It does not desire worship or conversion, in fact it wouldn’t care at all about us humans. Not more than we humans care about an ant hill at least.
6. What does your Username mean?
Actually, it is Dutch for “fast wanker”. I picked it when I was 16 because in my pubescent mind it sounded funny. Since 2006 I’ve been doubting about getting a new nickname actually, but too many people know me simply as Sneltrekker and don’t know my real name. I’m quite convinced that it would take me more work to change my nickname, fix all my profiles and websites, and let everyone know than it would take me effort to change my real name.
7. What are your music preferences?
I am a metalhead. I like just about every kind of metal though, not just one specific subgenre. Outside metal, there’s also several genres I like to listen to in smaller amount, which are in no particular order: J-Rock, New Wave, Punk, 80s Pop, Celtic, Industrial and Classic.
8. Briefly describe from where you are coming and going:
I live in Belgium, most of my life I lived in a small hillbilly town. I was born in Ghent though, one of our bigger cities. My dad couldn’t wait until after university to get my mom pregnant. Since I was born during his final year there I only spent three months in Ghent though. At 18 I moved to Leuven, another university city in Belgium. At 20, due to financial reasons, I moved back in with my parents.
Right now I study logistics in college, which is a professional Bachelor’s degree. In September 2007 I’ll start my final year. The college I go to is the KHK, short for the Dutch translation of Catholic College Kempen, with Kempen being the region I live in.
For the future, I hope I’ll get through college with a distinction, and find a job with influence in Belgium, Netherlands, UK or Scandinavia. I feel as a logistics manager, if I succeed at climbing the corporate ladder, I might be able to make a difference in how the world, or at least my company, is run. I also consider I might end up with a non-profit organisation instead, I guess in the end I’ll choose to end up wherever I can make the bigger difference.
9. What are your Political Views and Philosophy on Life?
I believe in freedom. I’m mostly left-wing, though there’s also many thing I agree on with right-wing libertarians. Ultimately I see marxism and/or anarchism as unattainable utopias, that we should however strive for.
When it comes to voting, I refuse to vote. Problem is that in my country, voting is considered a civic duty, not a right. Therefor each 4 years I am dragged to the voting desks anyway. Each election so far, I’ve simply ticked the blank option.
10. What other hobbies and interests do you have?
I love video games, roleplaying games, music and movies. My favorite videogame is Baldur’s Gate. My favorite roleplaying game is Dungeons and Dragons (Forgotten Realms setting). My music I mentioned above. My favorite movie is Kassablanka. A Belgian movie about an interracial Romeo & Julliette like story, based in Antwerp between an extremist Muslim family and a white neo-nazistic family.
I also spend a lot of time in Second Life every day, where I am known as the avatar “Daman Tenk”.
Mirror
1. Why are you Anti-Christian?
I disagree with many central claims of Christian doctrine that I also consider to be intellectually dishonest. Christians teach that humans require salvation to be perfect, they devalue this world as a test, and claim that they alone possess ultimate truth. Although some Christians are actively involved in seeking proof of Christian claims, most go through life seeming to never seriously question Christian doctrine and to never consider other possibilities or the evidence in their support. I have been anti-Christian since I was eighteen.
2. What personal experience do you have with Christianity?
I was (nominally) a Christian for the first seventeen years of my life. In the last few years of that, I began to get more serious about my faith, even witnessing to others. Many of my high school friends were also Christians, though few new friends since then have been. All of my close family was Christian until this generation (we each left the church more or less independently). I haven’t read the entire Bible, but I’m as familiar with the same major stories as the average American Christian and slightly more familiar with the history of the book.
3. Are you strictly Anti-Christian, or are you against other religions/belief systems as well? Why?
I have the same reaction to all intolerant monotheistic religions, all religions that teach humans are in need of salvation, and all religions that value faith above reason and inquiry. Any belief system that insists it is the absolute truth shouldn’t be afraid of encouraging its participants to routinely examine their beliefs and not resort to spreading misinformation or brushing away criticism.
4. What parts of Christianity or religion are you NOT against?
I am not against the symbolism, the rituals, the congregation, the desire to improve the human condition, or the search for non-material answers.
5. Briefly, what DO you believe in?
I believe religion and morality are fascinating and beautiful creations of biology that we should do our best to understand. I believe that material/mathematical answers can explain our universe without leaving gaps for metaphysics to fill. I believe that human beings have the capacity to discover more than we can even conceive right now. I do not believe that science will solve our social problems, but that humans working together can overcome the artificial cultural barricades we’ve raised throughout our history.
6. What does your Username mean?
The Mirror Pool is an album by Lisa Gerrard, one of my favorites.
7. What are your music preferences?
I like 1920s-30s swing, old-time, Memphis blues, etc. Also folk, folk-rock, chamber pop, ethereal wave, and more.
8. Briefly describe from where you are coming and going:
I was born in Indiana, USA. I am currently finishing an MA in Linguistics and intend to move onto a PhD program. I supervise a math tutoring program at my current university.
9. What are your Political Views?
I consider myself a progressive anarcho-socialist (or libertarian socialist). In essence, I believe political and economic systems should be democratically controlled and that any democratic process should seek anarchism as its ultimate (if unattainable) goal.
10. What other hobbies and interests do you have?
I play guitar and tenor banjo. I bike. I write and read fantasy fiction, preferring work with either political weight or a closer affinity to ancient myth. I am intensely uncomfortable with the romantic/classist notion of the hero, and I hope to someday find new ways of telling tales. My professional interests include the interaction of syntax and semantics, formal models of language contact and language change, and the application of linguistics in education. If I hadn’t pursued linguistics, I would probably be studying the writings of 19th century European and American mystics and alternative religious leaders (the Theosophical Society, the Golden Dawn, etc).
Db0
1. Why are you Anti-Christian?
I have started labeling myself Anti-Christian after doing some research on the history of Christianity and it’s effect on the world. I have discovered that this “religion of love” is responsible for most of the world’s suffering in the last few millenia. It is a religion that promotes anti-knowledge and unquestionable slavery to a higher being and his representatives. Even the theory behind it is of ultimate subjugation (An angel dared challenged god and for that was cast down to hell etc). When people are raised this way it is not strange that they end up following and backing their leaders to atrocities in the name of God or Nation (See Crusades and Fascism). I am anti-Christian and anti-monotheist because I hate anything that
promotes stupidity as a virtue in order to control people more easily. I’ve been anti-christian since about 2002 where I started reading more about the subject.
2. What personal experience do you have with Christianity?
I am fortunate to have been in a family where my parents were not pressuring me about religion. My mother did not really care about it and my father was dead. Unfortunately the extended family was much more religious and the greek school system is set up to proselytize.
I do not know why I never was proselytized (although I tried to fit in a few times) but I always found the Christian mysteries silly. After I came out as an atheist and later agnostic the extended family, as always, freaked out; but they didn’t have much say in it. I got more
flak in the -very christian- Greek army but I was fortunate I was not living 40 years ago.
Generally I have not had bad experiences with Christianity but I know what it is capable of.
3. Are you strictly Anti-Christian, or are you against other religions/belief systems as well? Why?
I am fanatically against all abrahamic-religions and against all religions that promote anti-knowledge and subjugation to laws handed from above (like Hinduism). I am against all forms of organized religion and believe that if someone wants to believe he should do it
without affecting anyone else. I find religion inherently flawed as it allows cunning people to easily take control of simple and/or stupid ones. I would prefer no religions at all but I can live with polytheistic religions that have a much more moral outlook to nature. I still find
them ridiculous but there are still a lot of stuff humanity cannot explain and I think that a religion can serve as a focus to tap into unlocked powers of the human mind.
4. What parts of Christianity or religion are you NOT against?
Since Christianity just built upon the Golden Rule and later on perverted it, I cannot say that I am against that. I am human after all. As mentioned before, I am not against polytheistic religions as long as they are not organized.
5. Briefly, what DO you believe in?
Belief is a strange word to ask about. I am an atheistic agnostic if that is what is meant. This means that I cannot, without any shadow of a doubt, prove that there is no higher force out there.
I am positive that if there is something(s) it is completely oblivious to the human
world.
I believe that there are still human powers we have not unlocked that need some kind of meditative focus to use.
I believe that the universe is without beginning and end, in time or space.
I believe that there is no “life after death.”
I believe that the world would be a better place without religion.
6. What does your Username mean?
Db0 means Divided By Zer0. It’s a twist on an old program runtime error from the age where compilers where not that good 
A division by zero also equals infinite or is undefined (guess which one I prefer), so that’s cool as well.
7. What are your music preferences?
http://www.dbzer0.com/about/personal/music/
8. Briefly describe from where you are coming and going:
I am from Thessaloniki/Greece and I am currently living in Frankfurt am Main/Germany. I left Greece because of horrible job prospects, went to London to find a job and ended up in Germany after miserably failing to do so.
Frankfurt is a nice place but it doesn’t have a lot of Rock/Metal places. I’ve been fortunate to meet a few good people here that I can hang out with and I’m trying to convince them to join the ACP as well
I do not have a university degree but rather a low level technical school degree in programming. I got it in 2000 with 4 scholarships and the highest grade in the year but it still did not help me find a job in the slightest.
Currently I am working in the European Central Bank as an IT Service Desk staff and eventually I hope to start my own Non-profit organization.
9. What are your Political Views and Philosophy on Life?
I try to live my life in an Epicurean way. I do not always succeed but I try and I am that much the happier for it. Not needing any of those expensive toys to be happy really sets you free. I could do with more close friends but I’m working on it.
As a result of this lifestyle and political views I consider myself a new-age marxist of sorts (for an example, google for the “dotCommunist Manifesto”). I find the communistic
ideals to be great but also utopic in our current society. Communism or Anarchism (the pure idea behind those is basically the same) IS the only sociopolitical system that is fair for everyone but it cannot come through violent revolution. Liberalism is great as well, until
you consider that being liberal is only feasible if you are lucky enough to be born in a first-world country.
10. What other hobbies and interests do you have?
I try to have a few. Other than music (which is a way of life rather than a hobby) I’ve got computers, philosophy, fantasy & sci-fi, religion, fire dancing, role-playing games, comics, TV Series, history and the Intarwebs.
Anath
1. Why are you Anti-Christian?
I have been dogmatically opposed to Christianity ever since I began to learn what the religion really entailed. I began to stir in middle school, and during high school, my eyes were opened wide. I can not live on my knees in ignorance. I can not offer my life for a higher power to control. These points aside, there are far too many bastardizations of the “holy” scripture. I’ve seen it abused to their ends, misinterpreted, completely misunderstood, and not even read in many cases. I can not approve of a religion propagated by fear and ignorance. With every new revelation comes repulsion. It is a religion of hypocrisy, one that I will oppose with every fiber of my being until either it or I are destroyed.
2. What personal experience do you have with Christianity?
My parents are Christian. My Grandparents are Christian. My aunts, my uncles, my old “friends”, my parents friends… my entire life, I have been immersed in Christian culture. Kindergarten through fifth grade, I attended a Catholic school. Sixth grade through ninth grade, I attended CCD (”Confraternity of Christian Doctrine”, aka “Sunday school for big kids”). Tenth through Twelfth grade I was a teachers’ aide in the CCD program; yes, even after my eyes were opened. I have my reasons. Throughout elementary and middle school, I was an altar server. Many of my most terrible revelations were made while watching the congregation kneel and chant as I held a cup full of blood/wine. In high school, I dated a boy who was intensely Christian, and I tried to recommit to the faith. After all, if this boy, who was so intelligent in my eyes, could be so dedicated and believe so strongly… why couldn’t I? My attempts to rejoin the mindless herd only turned me farther away from the Church. Eventually, we parted ways and I continued my studies, looking deeper into everything than I ever had before.
3. Are you strictly Anti-Christian, or are you against other religions/belief systems as well? Why?
I am against any belief system that demands blind belief, monotheistic or otherwise, or proclaims to know “The Ultimate Truth” or “Be The Only Path To ‘Heaven’ / Only Salvation”.
4. What parts of Christianity or religion are you NOT against?
I am not against religion-fronted charitable organizations that genuinely have the disadvantaged as their first and foremost interest. The basic message of the Golden Rule is also good, and if everyone followed it, most problems would be solved. (But by no means am I suggesting that the Golden Rule is unique to Christianity)
5. Briefly, what DO you believe in?
Though “belief” might be the wrong word for my views, I will call them beliefs for purposes of this blurb. I don’t know that I am definitively “right”, or that another is absolutely “wrong”, but I have discovered many things through introspection and study, and this is a brief (though incomplete) overview of how I see things. Feel free to disagree… everyone has a right to decide for themselves.
~I believe there are “higher” forces, if they are only “higher” in the fact that they reside in another plane. There are forces of “positivity” and “negativity”, but not “good” and “evil”. I do not believe these beings are “Gods”, and the deity of the Big Three monotheistic religions belongs to this extra-planar hierarchy. There is a “One True God”, but that being is not anthropomorphic, or even really a “being”, but underlying mathematical patterns, energies, and essence. This “being” IS nature, and follows the predictable and unpredictable algorithms of “creation”. “It” is not to be worshiped, or prayed to, nor does it “want” conversions, missionaries, and wars in “its” name. “It” simply is, as We simply Are. The energies of “this being” (or rather, the energies of existence) can be channeled and manipulated.
~I do believe that reincarnation is a possibility, but not a certainty, and that what we call “souls” do exist, as a unique piece of the essence inherent in “creation”.
~Thanks to firsthand experience, I believe in a sort of “Twin Soul” concept, where a soul enters this plane split into two perfectly complementing parts, with a common goal to reunite with the other Half.
~I do not believe in “heaven” and “hell” as the definitive destination of an afterlife, but rather that a human can not know what happens after their physical shell dies, so “what happens” can not be determined. If anyone tells you they know “where you will go”, they are trying to sell you something. I do believe death means freedom from this plane and these mortal, restricting shells… for some.
~I also believe in the value of the Individual. The Individual chooses his own destiny (or has the illusion of choice). The Individual is his own Salvation. The Individual thinks for himself, and can make his own decisions, with no one encroaching on his right to think and decide for himself.
Anyone who is interested in a more in-depth explanation of any of these points, or my views on other points not mentioned, feel free to message me.
6. What does your Username mean?
My interest in mythology led me to the Phoenician pantheon, wherein I discovered the goddess Anath (also spelled Anat). She is a renowned goddess of Love and War, she appears as a fierce and bloody warrior. She also destroyed Mot, the God of Death who slew her consort/brother Ba’al. She is said to have “split him with a sword, winnowed him with a sieve, burnt him with fire, ground him with millstones and scattered the remnants to the birds.” Clearly, she is not a goddess to cross. Neither am I. I am part of the archetype of Anath, and so I Create through her name.
7. What are your music preferences?
I am an extreme black and death metal fan. I generally prefer the underground to the mainstream. I’m not an elitist, I just have refined my tastes. I know what I do and don’t like, and it takes a certain type of sound to satisfy me, and usually a bit of intellect mixed in. I also enjoy dark ambient, fun folk metal, classical, movie/game soundtracks, and some jazz. For more info check my Last.fm profile page.
8. Briefly describe from where you are coming and going:
I hail from a small town in the Midwest United States, nowhere near any city (or even a Starbucks) and surrounded by religious conservatives. I am leaving for Boston in the fall of 2007 to attend the Art Institute of Boston for a BFA in Illustration. I am constantly working part time jobs and stashing away/investing money so that some day I don’t have to work and can research and enjoy personal art full time.
9. What are your Political Views and Philosophy on Life?
I value natural law and natural living. Strip away all the pretenses that is modern human society, live in modest moderation, and find your place. No, men were not created equal, and I believe that society will only become more efficient when individuals realize their personal capabilities and strive to better them. The extent to which we emphasize “equality” in this society is unrealistic.
Politically, I don’t favor any particular system, and dislike most. I am somewhat an idealist in my goals for society, and prefer systems that work well on paper but not with real people, because humans are … (yes, I am a misanthrope.) I would like it if a governing body were not necessary, or if the governing body were composed of officials who were actually looking out for the interests of their citizens and not their pocketbooks, or at least could balance the two. Fortunately I am somewhat realistic in my actual world VIEW (not goals). The only way to solve the problem of humanity is to eradicate it. Can you think of a better solution? ;P
10. What other hobbies and interests do you have?
I like to be online, watching videos from Youtube or checking the latest updates on icanhascheezburger.com. I generally belong to a number of forums, and I am the admin of Korpiklaani-fanclub on deviantART, as well as an Author here, and an editor on hyperblastmetal.com. Many times, I’m reclining at my desk or on my bed with the computer running, music blaring, and a book in my hand. I draw and paint mostly with traditional media. I love both video games and pen and paper RPG’s. I collect strange things, such as but not limited to: books, cds, DVD’s, Trading Card Games, Roleplaying rulebooks/dice, Pokemon, cats, dragons, black t-shirts (both geeky and metal), silk and satin panties, and video games.
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