I’ve got a much, much longer post in works as to why I now lack a belief in any gods, but I wanted to tell you a little about me and my history.

• My first (and chosen) name is Kerri.
• I’m 34 years old — born 1979.
• I deconverted from Christianity in November 2013. So I’m really new at this!
• I was born a male, but never felt like one. I came out as as transsexual in 2002, and have been living as a woman ever since. I’d love to say my transition has been completed, but finances only go so far. My immediate family was wonderfully loving and accepting, but my extended family and friends were much less so.
• I was a fundamentalist Christian. I was a part of the Church of the Nazarene (my family still is), and I believed the Bible was the inspired, inerrant Word of God. That meant I believed it was perfect, couldn’t have any contradictions, etc.
• I’m a pastor’s kid. My dad is still a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene.
• My transition required me to rethink some of my beliefs regarding my fundamentalism, including my stance on homosexuality.
• My college years (1997-2001) introduced me to all sorts of new ideas about the Bible (namely: not inerrent, not written the way I thought it had been, etc.).
• I was a Young Earth Creationist, through-and-through, and proud of it. I’d been introduced to Ken Ham at a young age (“were you there?”) and bought it, hook, line, and sinker. I even went so far, in college, to write a paper stating emphatically that one could only be a true Christian by accepting the literal six-day creation story (because to accept anything else meant the loss of a literal Adam and Eve, and without the foundation, everything crumbled). My instructor at the time asked (after class), “You don’t really believe that, do you?” I admitted that I’d stayed up late writing the paper, and was probably a bit harsh, but inside I was furious that my instructor didn’t think the way I did. But it started me thinking, and over time, I accepted evolution (though I believed God was guiding it).
• I’m a computer nut. I had a Commodore 64 when I was very young. After that, I graduated to a Tandy 1000. I’ve had many machines since, but I was always very interested in programming and logic. Math, not so much, but I did complete a mathematics minor in college.
• I love music. I love performing music. I’ve played for church services, and I really did love doing it. Unfortunately, the hymns I once loved have lost their luster, as I don’t believe the words (and some of those concepts are now utterly repulsive). Perhaps this will get better over time, but for now, I can only listen to and perform secular music (with a few exceptions).
• I’ve also written some technology books and am working on the second edition of one of those books. Fun — and not-so-fun—and it takes up a great deal of my time. Should there be a long pause on this blog at any time, it’s probably for that reason!
• I’m also a photographer. I’ll take pictures of just about anything — landscapes, portraits, macros, etc.
• I have various health problems, and that complicates matters greatly. Looking back, I’ve probably blamed God for them (and certainly blamed him for the lack of improvement). Now I realize that it’s genetics and luck (bad luck, but still), and that there isn’t a God inflicting these problems on me. I also realize that it is up to me to do what I can to deal with them and potentially improve the situation.
• I feel so absolutely free now that I’ve given up the concept of God, except when I’m with people who don’t know about my deconversion — which is most everyone at the moment. My mom knows, but the remainder of the family doesn’t know yet. I’m working through the difficulties that coming out entails, and I’m not particular ecstatic about needing to do yet another coming out, but I’ll get there eventually.
• I told you my first name, but the last name is off limits until I’m fully out. Which will happen — just not sure when, and I hope that it is sooner rather than later.

So, there’s a lot more to come — I wanted to create this blog and a new Twitter account (@TransNazAtheist) so I could post my thoughts and ideas, and so I could actually participate in some fashion in the wider Atheist community without outing myself prematurely. But for now, this must do — it’s about time for bed, and I’m tired!