Smokers?

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

I smoke a pipe myself. Yes it is irrational and destructive but it is the social circle that is most compelling. I counted it up once that I have 3 times more gay friends than non-smokers. It is even worse now we (in the UK) have to smoke outside as that`s where I meet everyone. As for addiction tales. My favorite is from "South with Shackleton". If you don`t know the story Shackleton and his crew were trapped in the ice in the Antarctic in 1914. It took 3 months before Shackleton could effect a rescue. Here (as best as I can recall) is his account.."It was the smokers felt most sorry for. They had already broken up all their pipes but one to smoke in the remaining pipe and they were reduced to smoking seal skins. As I approached I threw a pouch onto the shore. They dived upon it as if they were street urchins, diving for pennies".

How do you deal with Door-knockers?

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

Most of them say that errors from the old testament don`t count. So I ask them "did the last supper happen before or after the Passover"? Mathew says one thing Luke says another.

Here are 8 ways the religious right wins converts – to atheism

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

Most of them say that errors from the old testament don`t count. So I ask them "did the last supper happen before or after the Passover"? Mathew says one thing Luke says another.

What if you are wrong and there IS a god

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

https://youtu.be/os3rn8NOrFs

Trumps first year

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

It is easy to turn around the economy when you max out your credit cards with tax breaks deregulation etc. All you are doing is passing the buck to the next administration. Sorry folks in the US of A but you have 13 trillion dollars of debt and rising. What happens when the rest of the world calls in your markers?

Anyone find themselves angry at both political parties?

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

Whoever you vote for. The government always gets in.

Anyone find themselves angry at both political parties?

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

One of my favorite atheist authors Douglas Addams. Has the president of the galaxy as someone who does not want the job. Because anyone who does would not be suitable.

I just became aware of a brilliant experiment that some 4chan users did one time.

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

White is okay but ginger?? lol

Christian women throwing a fit after atheist post a bible scripture on the back of his vehicle.

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

I actually quoted this to a high street bible thumper. They really piss me off. She never came back to that spot

So many posts asking about Atheist music (I object to the term atheist but I digress).

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

May I also recommend Randy Newman's "Faust" at least the opening. Bear with James Taylor as god at the start because Randy as the devil is worth it "We`re a figment of their imagination".

How comfortable are you with the word "Atheist" ?

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

I too have a problem with term, for all the reasons mentioned. However it does seem to be the handle we are stuck all with. Just as many of you would hate to be called "Yanks" especially if you come from the south. It`s just easier to type.

Atheism and pot

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

Jeff Sessions said that "Good people do not smoke marijuana" I suppose that makes George Washington and Thomas Jefferson bad people?

What are your favorite Atheist songs?

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

Roy Harper is my favorite atheist songwriter. It is difficult to choose just one as there are so many. "the same old rock" has Jimmy Page on acoustic lead and musically recreates an orgasm. "the Game" contains the great line "and to say that god is dead presupposes that he was at some time alive". But I will go with this one "Where`s the love your all talking of. If we can`t stand man to man" https://youtu.be/os3rn8NOrFs

My dads entire life he was an Atheist.

273kelvin comments on Jan 10, 2018:

A Buddhist monk and novice were walking by a river when they came upon a young woman in distress. "Please help me" she asked. "My mother is sick and needs a doctor but I cannot get across this river to fetch him". The monk put the lady on his back and fords the river. He returns to the novice and they continue on their journey. After a few hours have passed, the novice talks to the monk and says "I am troubled". "What is troubling you?" the monk asks. "Well we are forbidden all contact with women and yet you carried that young lady across the river". "Yes I did" said the monk "but I put her down. You have been carrying her for the past 3 hours". Whatever differences you have with your stepmom, you both do have one thing in common. You both loved your dad and presumably he loved her, despite of their different beliefs. We only get one innings and when your out, your out. The anger that you feel is very justified but it only hurts you. If you could bring yourself to forgive her then it might go some way to show that Christians do not have a monopoly on forgiveness. It may also go some way to help you deal with your loss. I ask you to try, for you and your dads sake if not hers.

When Is It Time For Sex?

273kelvin comments on Jan 9, 2018:

I have had 4 long term relationships and in 3 of them we had sex on the 1st date. Not that I made it a prerequisite it just went that way.

Flat Earthers

273kelvin comments on Jan 9, 2018:

Winning a argument against a flatty, is like winning a boxing match with Stephen Hawking

Who wrote thIs book called bIble?

273kelvin comments on Jan 9, 2018:

Allegedly Moses wrote the first chunk of it. Even the bits after he died. I wish Gore Vidal had his literary agent, I would love to hear him on Trump. It is an odd piece of trivia that the old testament was written after the new. It was collated around 100 AD

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O: Shel Silverstein’s Sweet Allegory for the Simple Secret of Love...

273kelvin comments on Jan 9, 2018:

Never read him but I love his songs

Are you eclectic?

273kelvin comments on Jan 9, 2018:

If you like history the may I recommend "Wolf Hall". It`s the Anne Boleyn story from Thomas Cromwell`s perspective.

Are you eclectic?

273kelvin comments on Jan 9, 2018:

Funny you should ask that. I help run an open mic night called "eclectic acoustic"

Does rank have its privileges?

273kelvin comments on Jan 9, 2018:

If it is deserved though merit them privilege is one thing. Unfortunately in the UK it is not. A prime example of this was an interview with Jamie Lee Curtis. As you may or may not know she is married to Christopher Guest or Lord Haden-Guest (Spinal tap "this goes up to 11" fame) to give him full title. Now she finds it easier to book a restaurant table in England as Lady Haden-Guest than as Jamie lee Curtis.

Does rank have its privileges?

273kelvin comments on Jan 9, 2018:

The socialist anthem in the UK is called "the red flag". It is the same tune as "Oh Christmas tree". A comic parody uses the lines "The working class can kiss my ass. I`ve got the foreman`s job at last".lol

Joe Scarborough Reports trump has Early Dementia

273kelvin comments on Jan 8, 2018:

Apparently just after he was elected. There were dozens of mentally unstable people who were committed to institutions, claiming they had been sent back in time to kill him and save the world.

Moral question

273kelvin comments on Jan 8, 2018:

Lots of responses to this one so I try and discuss them here. Firstly my question was not whether the Sioux WOULD have used such a weapon but would they have been justified to do so? Although it is ironic that many of you invest more morals in a people that (at that point in time) the US did not even class as human. If as most say no, even when faced with the destruction of your nation and population then when would it be justified? If the answer is still never then why have them? Secondly I used the question of nukes to take the question of "collateral damage" to the extreme. If it wrong to drop a nuke then what about a cluster bomb or cruise missile? How many innocent civilians deaths constitute an immoral act? When you kill 70 people it is murder, when you kill 100,000 or more it becomes a statistic. Before we get on our moral high pedestals on this, lets remember that we live in a democracy. Even if we did not vote for the button pushers, we support the system that put them there and as such are morally culpable.

How much of a skeptic are you?

273kelvin comments on Jan 8, 2018:

knock knock "Yes". " Hello we are Jehovah`s burglars and we are persecuted by the government because of our beliefs". "What do you believe"? "We believe that you have valuables in this house"

For those from a religious background, what is one positive thing you have taken away from your ...

273kelvin comments on Jan 8, 2018:

In my youth I dabbled with the Jehovah's witnesses. This gave me lots of ammunition against all the other religions.

Would you raise your children religious just to fit in?

273kelvin comments on Jan 8, 2018:

The state school system in the UK is such that many couples have to feign religious belief in order to get their kids into a better church school. My ex`s grandchildren being an example. As I was one of the only few of the circle that had actually been baptized. It fell on me to be a godfather in this charade. The priest asked of me to renounce the devil and all his works and I acquiesced. After the ceremony I was jokingly asked if that included his music (I love playing the blues). I replied "If he comes to claim copyright".

Would you run for office as a non believer?

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

In the UK it would be a knotty constitutional issue, as we do not separate church and state. The Queen is both head of state and head of the church of England. Before Tony Blair it was the prime ministers job to pick COE archbishops but he delegated the task (permanently) as he was a closet Catholic. We did have an agnostic run for office, Neil Kinnock (he did not win).

[youtu.

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

A few years ago I watched the Faraday Christmas lecture. Where Richard Dawkins explained to all those middle class kids that religion was a "mind virus". Truly priceless.

Boycotting: Do you avoid spending money for some products/services?

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

I live in a city where we all do. https://youtu.be/gjMZAKvMTQI

Best Friend Defends Islam, Bashes Christianity.

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

My daughter is Jewish. This is not a question of belief but of race. The mum is Jewish and that`s how it goes. She 21 and an atheist. Whilst she respects her culture and history, she rejects the religious part of it. This is mostly due to it`s subjugation of women. You could explain to her that whist you respect her roots and insights into Islam. It is historically at the same age as Christianity was in the 16th century. With all it`s inherent sectarianism and violence and that you totally reject any doctrine that automatically makes you (as a woman) a 2nd class citizen.

What are your thoughts.

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

Joke; Patrick was dying, he had been a good Catholic for all his long life and as he lay on his death bed he asked to join the orange lodge. Quite taken aback by this request and also unsure how to proceed, his family called in the priest. Father John spoke to Patrick asking "now I know that you have been a good Catholic all your life. What is this nonsense about joining the orange lodge"? "You`re quite right father, I have been a good Catholic but now I am not long for this world and when I go I want there to be one less of the bastards"

I was at a bar tonight for a New Year's Eve celebration, though I rarely drink, and I started ...

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

Done with great aplomb by this guy https://youtu.be/aPV2BepZu8E

Boycotting: Do you avoid spending money for some products/services?

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

Nestle. I have not bought Nescafe for decades. I stopped buying it after the companies aggressive marketing of formula milk in Africa. Now it a has similar corporate mindset to water and what it pays for chocolate/coffee beans.

Just how far do you take you non-belief?

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

Wow lots of comments here. Too many to reply to individually so I will do so here; From what I know of the artist, this was a genuine heartfelt response to an event which shocked him. Not a call to arms. However the line "and you can put a lead bullet clean through this guitar, coz I`m not overjoyed with the story so far" may be okay for the individual but what about others? When I looked this track up, this was the only post I could find. I suspect that Roy himself may have pulled the youtube posts in light of subsequent events (9/11, Iraq war etc.). Not wanting to condone violence or racism. I am also reminded of a west coast radio station that cancelled a Richard Dawkins interview last year because they discovered his rails against Islam. Although they were well aware of his published views on Christianity. This begs the question; When does cultural identity become racial prejudice? And when does fear of being perceived as racist lead to censorship (self or imposed) of ideas?

Homophobic atheists?

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

It could be conditioning. I also had a friend with a similar outlook. So I asked him how much he resented people trying to tell him,how he should live his life 1 - 10. Not surprisingly he answered 11. "Well then what gives you the right then?" Also mathematically the more gay guys there are then the more women for straights. As for lesbians, well you can`t blame someone for fancying women, they`re lovely.

Never played out..

273kelvin comments on Jan 7, 2018:

If you put me against a wall and said "choose one", then it would probably be "Paradise and lunch" by a Californian guy called Ry Cooder. Then again I don`t play it much now because I have over listened to it. I am more likely to play "Ten new songs by L. Cohen. Maybe "Stormcock" by Roy Harper as it has a great atheist take on sex vs religion "Same old rock". Where he and Jimmy Page (under a pseudonym) recreate an orgasm musically.

Do have friends to keep you entertained, or do you entertain yourself?

273kelvin comments on Jan 6, 2018:

I am an introvert who exudes an extroverted persona. As a part time musician and song writer I do open mics regularly. Which leads to lots of friends coming round and socializing. After they have gone it`s just me and my cat. I have female friends coming out of my ears. Sometimes it would be nice to have one cuming out of my ears. You could try social events such as one in my city "Philosophy in pubs". Intellectual discussion groups. You would not necessarily have to say much (if you did not want to), as these things tend to attract talkers.

Sexual relationship or relationship with sex?

273kelvin comments on Jan 6, 2018:

Okay You say he has been a friend for quite a while. So you know you get on...yeah. Your looking for something more but he says sex is as far as he wants to go...yeah So a FWB or FB is a goer...yeah Where do you imagine the romance will come from? You did not fall in love from the get go? He did not make a move on you? Men want to be loved, if you end up having sex do think he can curb any emotional ties with you? Men arent that good at emotions. To be crude ,suck it and see. I have had 3 long term relationships and 2 of them started off as one night stands. Love requires a leap of faith. Men say we just want sex like women say they just want a GSOH. Its a lie used to cover up our real wants.

Are there any creative writers in the group?

273kelvin comments on Jan 5, 2018:

Its the joke called ;the elephant and the Polish problem. A classroom of different nationality kids are attending class. The new teacher asks them all to write a story about an elephant. Which they all do except for the Polish kid who writes a story called the elephant and the Polish problem. We all bring our own agendas to our writing. One of my favorite authors is Graham Greene. Hardly any of his works do not contain some reference to Catholicism but then he was a convert in his 20s. To be fair he also maintained that there was very little reference to it in most other literature of his day.

Ever have a blah day?

273kelvin comments on Jan 5, 2018:

Try singing it to the tune of "house of the rising sun". If you don`t know it then your about the only guitarist that doesn`t. It works.

The Zionist Story an independent film by Ronan Berelovich, an Israeli and ex reserve soldier.

273kelvin comments on Jan 5, 2018:

I will take the time to watch this very soon. In the meantime reflect on this. Simon Sharma once said "As a Jew you would have to be an idiot not to be Zionist". There are many great Jewish songwriters of of them is Yip Harburg, an immigrant from E, Europe. Wrote the lyrics to "buddy can you spare a dime" and "paper moon" among many others. Then he gets a gig for an MGM musical in 1942. As he picks up his Oscar for "Somewhere over the rainbow" What was happening in his former homeland?

Definition of an Insomniac, agnostic dyslexic Someone who lies awake at night wondering if there ...

273kelvin comments on Jan 5, 2018:

“The last refuge of the insomniac is a sense of superiority to the sleeping world.” L, Cohen A fellow urban lighthouse keeper.

How do you feel about people saying "I'm proud of my heritage", "I'm proud of being British", etc.

273kelvin comments on Jan 5, 2018:

I think you can be proud of your culture and its achievements, Whether that be Jewish, English or US or anything. Most of all you can by proud if your community does something good in the world. Even if you only played a small part. The last time I felt this was at a festival and I heard this song. https://youtu.be/NGGQDs2SYYI Coming from and living in Liverpool, tears rolled down my eyes as I listened. It being only a few weeks after the Hillsborough verdict. For those unacquainted with the story, 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at a soccer match. Tabloid newspapers (most noticeably the Sun) tried to vilify the supporters themselves, blaming them for the tragedy and printed lies including robbing and urinating on the dead. This led to a campaign not only for justice but also against the Sun newspaper itself. To this day it is almost impossible to buy the most popular UK newspaper (Murdoch owned) in my city. A fact of which I feel rightly proud as it stands a shining example of how people can effect change if we stand together.

How do you feel about people saying "I'm proud of my heritage", "I'm proud of being British", etc.

273kelvin comments on Jan 5, 2018:

The best example that sprigs to mind is during Churchill`s second term. He was awakened early by his aid with "We have grave news prime minister". "Are we at war"? "No prime minister. A junior minister was arrested last night after being found with a young guardsman on Clapham common". "It was very cold last night". "Yes prime minister, the coldest night of the year so far" "Makes yer proud to be British".

If you came out of religion to agnosticism or atheism, is there religious music you still find ...

273kelvin comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Good question. I am a fan of Leonard Cohen and his lyrics are rife with religious symbolism. Also I love gospel music. I think that you can still enjoy an art form without buying into the whole package. Whether that be the Sistine Chapel or Wagner.

How do you deal with Door-knockers?

273kelvin comments on Oct 28, 2017:

For the most part I shoe them away. What gets me is the high street bible thumpers. Shouting at everyone that they are wrong and bad people. Now even though I am an atheist, I do know quite a lot about the bible and religion (a bit like lord of the rings). So I pull them up on doctrine. One woman was going at like nobodies business and I quoted "let your women be silent in the temple". Not I think that of women but she should if she really believes ALL the stuff in that book. FYI the one to kill any fundamentalist christian argument is "was the last supper before or after the Passover"? Luke and Mathew say the opposite of each other.

Abandonment

273kelvin comments on Oct 28, 2017:

It was a relief when I came home from Sunday school after hearing the story of Isaac. I asked my dad if he believed in god an he said no. Ever since I`ve been on highway 61