To all you free thinkers, a big hi from Italy .

[JohnD]

   What a relief to find like minded free thinking people who really do know the truth My religious background was probably typical for the time. I grew up in the UK, my parents were staunch Irish Catholics so I was indoctrinated into the Catholic faith. Despite all the Sundays spent at Church, the catechism classes and a childhood spent attending Catholic schools, i always had my doubts and even questioned the sincerity of the religious convictions of many priests whilst i was growing up. I couldn't come to terms with all the suffering in the world, the extreme poverty, the wars, the innocent victims and while all this was going on, we could see the wealth of the Catholic church being show boated around the globe without shame.  I think i stopped believing in god around the same time i stopped believing in Santa Claus.

  Anyway i gave it all up when i left school, and got on with my life without religion dragging me down. Of course good  things never last and 'we' soon realise that we are all affected by religion, or should i say, other people affect our lives with their religions. Growing up in my hometown of London, i've seen the effects of the Catholic V Protestant wars in Ireland with their mainland bombings, the bombings by Muslim extremists. The country changing as it submits to more and more religious dogma.

    Now i live in Italy with my Italian wife. She, like myself was raised Catholic but saw the light, so no longer practices. I always find that religious people have a problem keeping their religion to themselves and feel the need to share their mundane religious experiences with myself or like minded people. We can't get away from it, it will always be there, confronting us. Now i just look at them with a semi pitiful look yet with an encouraging demeanor, the kind you give when a sweet child is telling you a story about their fantasy friend!

[aitm]

welcome to our forums, we have longed for a member of the mafia to do some dirty work for us.....





oh fine then....welcome.

[Mr.Obvious]

Welcome to the forum! (I mistakenly thought your other topic was the one in which you introduced yourself.)

[PickelledEggs]

Welcome!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Hi, and bouna sera, etc. (I probably screwed that up, it's been a while.) Anyway, I used to live in Provincia Catania, Motta San Anastasia.

[renasimplified]

Glad you are here JohnD! Hopefully you find this an awesome place to get involved! I think the members here are blunt, argumentative if the situation demands, supportive, just a bit sassy and oh so wonderful! Enjoy!

[Solitary]

Welcome aboard JohnD! Cio! Many that come here seem patso, but are merely stupidos. Solitary

[aileron]

...Irish Catholics...Now i live in Italy with my Italian wife.

Dude, Ireland and Italy... You seriously need to download Angelo Branduardi singing W. B. Yeats, especially I Cigni di Coole and Un Aviatore Irlandese Prevede la Sua Morte

[stromboli]

Welcome. I think I was actually off the coast of Italy once in the Navy, but didn't see it. 

Btw, I love pasta.

[JohnD]

Thanks for the welcome guys 

[Hakurei Reimu]

Um. Hi.

[DunkleSeele]

Ciao John, benvenuto in questa gabbia di matti!

(Scherzo, non siamo poi così matti...MWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!)

[DunkleSeele]

Dude, Ireland and Italy... You seriously need to download Angelo Branduardi singing W. B. Yeats, especially I Cigni di Coole and Un Aviatore Irlandese Prevede la Sua Morte

Branduardi is seriously overrated...

[Island Breeze]

Ciao Bello!

From another newbie, Welcome! 

This is my first post, but I saw you are from Italy so I had to respond!  Cool!  I visit Italy 1 - 2 times a year, either Napoli or Sicily.   Are you in the Navy or are you born in Italy?   What part do you and your wife live in?  My family is from the southern part of Italy but I was born in the US.

[JohnD]

Ciao Bello!

From another newbie, Welcome! 

This is my first post, but I saw you are from Italy so I had to respond!  Cool!  I visit Italy 1 - 2 times a year, either Napoli or Sicily.   Are you in the Navy or are you born in Italy?   What part do you and your wife live in?  My family is from the southern part of Italy but I was born in the US.

A free thinking welcome to you also :) I was in the Royal Navy.There are no Brit navy base in Italy and i have no affiliation to Italy. I originally came to Italy 12 yrs ago to do an airbrush workshop being taught by a beautiful Italian girl, and the only reason i am here today is because i fell in love with her. We live in the outskirts of Bologna, 15 mins from the Lamborghini factory.