As I pause to reflect on my 79 year climb up the Mountain of Life, it occurs to me that it is time to declare myself a Skeptic. From my earliest memories, my deeply religious family continually presented me with stories that had no logical basis. I was told to 'have faith' in those stories. As a young child, I decided that religion was a magic show but I was always in conflict about how those older than me didn't see the deception. I still struggle to understand how so many people at all levels of intelligence can continue to believe. I asked a close family member how she resolves continuing to believe with so much science indicating a different story. Her crushing reply to me, “I just don’t think about it.” That was the point that I decided to learn more about organized Skepticism.
My background is Southerner moved to the Midwest as a Transportation Design and Managing Engineer. I have started listening to the SGU podcast and find it refreshing. My Spirit is finally Home.
The above was my introduction to the SGU last December. In addition to being mystified all my 'aware' life about how I was apparently the
only member of our extended family who couldn't accept religion on faith; likewise, I have been mystified for the past decade or so about why I have intense cyclic sexual urges at age 79. My martial situation has been such that relief is necessarily a solo event. At my age that is more of a nuisance than it is a highly anticipated happening.
It was incredulous to me, then, when Steven chose ' Are Men’s Religious Ties Hormonally Regulated?" as a 'Science or Fiction' segment, particularly since it turned out to be true that evidence indicates that male hormones and religious beliefs
are related. I knew that somehow I was born different from my 4 siblings when it came to accepting religion but hadn't connected my still raging hormones to that difference. This is one of the most important revelations in my many decades of learning about myself.
Thank you, Steven and the SGU, I am glad we could have this very personal talk. Any comments?