left biblioblography: THE RELUCTANT ATHEIST IS NO MORE

Sunday, August 27, 2006

THE RELUCTANT ATHEIST IS NO MORE

As of the 27th of this month, August, my old website will be gone. Truthfully, I plunged into the blogosphere, and I prefer it to having a static site, and I prefer to have any interactions a matter of public record, rather than private emails (not saying I won’t take them, but I’ve seen what happens when two parties have such an exchange: somebody somewhere sometimes gets their panties up in a twist, acrimony is sown, and one or another or both parties end up in a ‘he said/she said’ situation that gets downright ugly: there’s too much chance of one of the parties lying about the other, and no proof who is the injured party). Plus, I left the website un-updated for many, many moons.

And I am changing my handle. I am now the Krystalline Apostate, having broken free of my chrysalis, and I spread my dark leathern wings over the universe, cackling in inhuman glee…

Yeah, right.


When I first adopted the nickname, a great many people mistook my purpose, and my meaning. Most took it to be that I am reluctant to be an atheist, when in actuality I was reluctant to become an atheist. Also, the prefixes RANTING and RAVING were already taken, and besides, who’s got the energy to be pissed off all the time?

Unbeknownst to me, many people tended to abbreviate it to RA, which causes some confusion in atheistic blogging circles: is it the Raving or the Reluctant Atheist? Rest assured, I wasn’t trying to piggyback off of RA (or TRA, as some call him) – it was entirely coincidental.

So over the past few months, I’ve given this some thought. It’s not only because some theists have assumed that it means they have a chance to convince me otherwise, although that is a part of the equation. It’s not only due to the identity confusion – again, a part of the equation. It’s not because some consider me to be a ‘weak’ atheist (I assure you, I am indeed hardcore), again, a portion of the whole.

It’s time to step up a rung on the ladder. Time to move on, move up, a change of pace.

This time, however, I’m fully aware of the implications of my abbreviation KA. So you can call me RA, or you can call me KA, or you can call me Krystal, or Krystalline – hell, you can call me anything you like, I’ve probably been called worse in my day. I’ll still respond to Reluctant, as well.

Just be polite, is all I ask.

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17 comments:

Mesoforte said...

I could make a prostrate joke, but I'm not being evil today. ^_^

I caught 'The Life of Brian,' clip. My favorite of the movie is 'Always look on the bright side of life'

Krystalline Apostate said...

MF:
I could make a prostrate joke, but I'm not being evil today. ^_^
???
My favorite of the movie is 'Always look on the bright side of life'
Really? I usually just FF thru that part (I got it on VHS).

Amanda said...

KA,

who’s got the energy to be pissed off all the time?

Ann Coulter? Wait, was that a rhetorical question? (scratches head)

Krystalline Apostate said...

aviaa:
Ann Coulter? Wait, was that a rhetorical question? (scratches head)
LOL. In that banshee's case, she gets paid for it.

Amanda said...

ka,

LOL. In that banshee's case, she gets paid for it.

Quite a bit at that. She was paid $15,000 to come speak at the local university. I went out of morbid curiosity... or that cognitive masochism stuff... or something like that. It was heartening to see just how much of the audience didn't buy her stream of anger at everything liberal (as measured by applause versus boos).

Your new name reminds me of one of the top right green countries in Risk that I can't pronounce (or spell) and therefore just refer to as ka-ka-ka. Every time I type ka, I get the urge to add on the rest. I've resisted thus far.

Anonymous said...

KA

I like the new name. Its kind of fem, but that is what I like about you. You are not threatened by feminity or this feminazi. lol

Krystalline Apostate said...

aviaa:
Quite a bit at that. She was paid $15,000 to come speak at the local university. I went out of morbid curiosity... or that cognitive masochism stuff... or something like that. It was heartening to see just how much of the audience didn't buy her stream of anger at everything liberal (as measured by applause versus boos).
Yeesh, we're all in the wrong business. 15000!?!?! Her opinion is good for mental compost, I'd say.
Your new name reminds me of one of the top right green countries in Risk that I can't pronounce (or spell) and therefore just refer to as ka-ka-ka. Every time I type ka, I get the urge to add on the rest. I've resisted thus far.
Kamchatka?
SNTC:
I like the new name. Its kind of fem, but that is what I like about you. You are not threatened by feminity or this feminazi
Ohhh, noooo, I've been emasculated! ;)
Just kiddin', darlin'.
Hmmm...probably 'cause there's more sibilants than gutturals? What an interesting angle.
KA is Egyptian at the root. 1 of the other reasons I chose it. Krystalline is from TNG, the 'crystalline entity.'
& I did get tired of the accusation that I was too flexible in my stance. So I 'krystallized' it, hehehehe.
Some new age stoner is gonna come along at some point, & claim I believe in 'crystal power', I'd be willing to put odds on it.
Just think of me as a sparkly geode, casting the reflection of light in the eyes of those who'd behold me. ;)

Amanda said...

sparkly one,

Kamchatka?

Right, ka-ka-ka.

Krystalline Apostate said...

aviaa:
sparkly one,
Hmmmm...another episode of 'When rhetoric goes awry'.
Ka-ka-ka.
Hmmmm...didn't even think of that 1.

Anonymous said...

KA (Reluctant, is that you?);)

I saw your new screen name on NGB and came over to see what was up with that. And, I see you have explained it.

I'll have you know, the new name didn't fool me a bit. Your style is too distinctive.

Krystalline Apostate said...

rosemary:
KA (Reluctant, is that you?);)
Reluctant has left the building. ;)
I'll have you know, the new name didn't fool me a bit.
Hehehehe. Wasn't shootin' for a complete makeover.
Your style is too distinctive.
A nicer compliment I couldn't ask for.
(time for a chorus of, "I gotta be MEEE, just gotta be MEEE". ;))
As the bard once said, "What's in a name?"

Jerret said...

I've never been one for an alias. My name is unique enough, haha.

PastaLaVista said...

KA:
My comment is pretty much along the same lines as Rosemary's. Recognized your style on NGB. Knew it had to be you. Interesting name.

Krystalline Apostate said...

jerret:
I've never been one for an alias. My name is unique enough, haha.
Actually, this is the 1st time in all my years that I've ever adopted a pseudonym. That is, when I began blogging.

PLV:
Recognized your style on NGB. Knew it had to be you. Interesting name.
Hey, what's up? I'm assuming you're localized now?

PastaLaVista said...

"Hey, what's up? I'm assuming you're localized now?"

Not much going on here KA. Yes I am "localized" since Sunday. I'll email you later. Take care.

Maggie Rosethorn said...

I kinda liked RA, but then, I always did like the Egyptian gods. If I recall, KA was a pretty cool god, too. I'll just have to remember which god you are!

Krystalline Apostate said...

maggie:
Actually, KA is from the Egyptian term for 'soul'.
http://www.answers.com/topic/egyptian-soul
"The Ka (k3) was the concept of life force, the difference between a living and a dead person, death occurring when the ka left the body."