As a Christian, I can remember mocking Islam and thinking how stupid the religion was.

David1955 comments on May 8, 2019:

Didn't Muhammad "rise" to heaven in a golden chariot or some such? That's the silliest thing I've heard since zombie Jesus came back three days later. How do people come up with this stuff. They certainly had fertile imaginations in the Bronze Age.

Time for someone to "leak" the Mueller report.

David1955 comments on May 8, 2019:

I blame Meuller. He needed to man up, take and keep control and do what he was supposed to do. I've had about enough of all this hero worship of Mueller. All the things he was supposed to be investigating, the financials etc, and in the end, nothing. Trump, no interview. Don "Fredo" Jr, no interview. No finding. No statement, nothing. And still they are hoping he'll come out and reverse Trump's suppression of the report through his lackies. Well, don't hold your breath. It might all come out in the end but by then it'll be too late. For two years Meuller has been attacked, insulted, abused, accused of every kind of misdeed by Trump and cronies, and he's taken it like a wuss. What's wrong with the man?

Is it possible to be an atheist and a Buddhist ?

David1955 comments on May 8, 2019:

Atheism isn't just a non belief in any god. It should also include embracing principles of reason and a rejection of mysticism of all kinds. Buddhism, despite its warm and fuzzy pretentions, is riddled with mystical nonsense, like karma and reincarnation which require a kind of faith, even if followers and practitioners claim otherwise. I lived in a buddhist country long enough to see it firsthand. There are a few ideas in buddhism I like, others I find repugnant. Some reconcile calling themselves atheist and buddhist, but I consider it sloppy thinking.

We serve the same god but give it a different name.

David1955 comments on May 8, 2019:

Rubbish. I feel no sense of political correctness to conform to any hero worship of Mr. Cassius Clay, AKA Muhammad Ali. If it's all all the same god, why are all the theologies inconsistent? Why have these religions fought each other for millennia? Why have countless died in these wars? Why is this one God so incompetent at conveying its existence and purpose? It's the God of stupidity and ignorance, created from our own foolishness, and it serves only to thwart our progress.

Retired Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating berates Australian Secret Intelligence organisation ...

David1955 comments on May 6, 2019:

Jeez I wish someone would tell that rabble of leftover ALP leaders to go fishing during federal elections. As if Keating hadn't done enough to help push the Australian political debate to the Right during his time with egomaniac Hawke. He's still looking for thanks. 30 years of political wasteland for the ALP since his glory econ-rationalism days, and still he won't shut the f--k up. He saved us from being banana republic, and instead created an oligarchy. I voted today, pre-poll. What a miserable experience voting for Shorten Labor, nothing else to vote for.

Should we respect other people's beliefs?

David1955 comments on May 6, 2019:

The principle is respect for the *right* of belief, not by necessity *the belief itself*, proving it doesn't involve hate or bigotry or speech deemed outside acceptable norms. "You must respect my religion" is one of most confused and erroneous claims religionists make. Never fall for it.

Perhaps atheists need religion to exist to justify their position.

David1955 comments on May 6, 2019:

The only thing atheists need is religion to disappear into the other side of history where it belongs, with all the other discredited irrational beliefs.

Sam Harris’s argument is that the real villains are the religious moderates.

David1955 comments on May 5, 2019:

You have characterised the argument crudely. It is not a matter of getting rid of religious moderates, but instead recognising that religious extremism hides behind, and in a sense is protected by, the false veneer and phoney respectability of so-called respectable moderate religion. It is an argument of modern atheism and i agree with it, as a fact about how and why religion exists. The attacks upon Harris and Dawkins and co are tiresome. They stand up to religion and call it out. I wish others would do the same.

"It is still a metaphysical faith upon which our faith in science rests – that even we seekers ...

David1955 comments on May 3, 2019:

The practice of science is not a faith based belief. The "flame" lit by faith pecedes Christianity by thousands of years. It is the flame of ignorance leaving destruction in its path. Plato wasn't Christian, impossible. God is not truth. Truth is not divine. Some people love Nietzsche. I am not one of them.

I'm glad the general forum was restored but it seems only a shadow of its former self.

David1955 comments on May 3, 2019:

Yes

How many on here either have decided to abandon major social media platforms (FaceBook, Twitter, ...

David1955 comments on May 3, 2019:

I'll have nothing to do with any of those, and you couldn't pay me to have anything to do with *anything* to do with Mark Zuckerberg. I figured him as a grifter a decade ago.

I urge everybody to watch this video on the Sixties from PBS on YouTube.

David1955 comments on May 2, 2019:

I continue to think that, despite the maligning of the 60s by reactionaries, malignant conservatives and the Right anti-modernist and 21Century proto-fascists, there are still elevant ideas and idealism from the 1960s which I hope will germinate in current and future generations. Despite Right Wing malice towards that decade, the influence remains: Hippy ideas evolved to the modern environment movement; women's lib evolved to the movement for identity equality; anti-establishment of the 60s evolving to the progressive movement against white privilege. That's why the Right still hate the 60s. They blame it for everything, all the changes to a world that suited them. The ideals of the 1960s may have been idealistic and even naïve; but we need idealism now more than ever. The Right have spent decades destroying all elements of idealism, and look at what they produced.

Hi everyone.

David1955 comments on May 1, 2019:

Hasn't this been sorted, a tech error fixed?

Mueller complained that Barr’s letter did not capture ‘context’ of Trump probe - The ...

David1955 comments on May 1, 2019:

What will it take for Mueller to man up and come out? Two years of abuse and personal attacks, the obvious attempt to scuttle his report, and still he won't call a press conference or demand to appear before Congress, to tell his story. Man up, Mueller! Your country needs you.

Given that life in itself is meaningless, what do we have in mind when we talk about the "meaning ...

David1955 comments on Apr 30, 2019:

I recall that the Delai Lama during one of visits here, at a TV broadcasted discussion, was asked a long waffley question about how we could tell the difference between "real meaning" and "false meaning" in life, and how we could find "real meaning" etc, and the big DL listened intently to this waffle and finally the audience waited, excitedly, for the great man's reply. He looked up and said, "I dunno!" I feel the bit the same about this post.

UPDATE ON LISA Lisa has been re-instated.

David1955 comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Good grief. Time to review the flag system.

I find, as a group, atheists are highly intelligent and I enjoy the mostly well thought out ...

David1955 comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Please cite some examples from clearly stated atheists, and exactly what they said. I'd like to know what you're referring to. I'm growing tired of complaining posts like this impugning atheists without examples.

Trump will defeat biden, it will take more than just an anti trump message to win

David1955 comments on Apr 30, 2019:

I agree. He and supporters think they can go back to the nice Obama days. The "nice" Obama days got Trump elected.

Did you have an atheist epiphany?

David1955 comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Actually, at an early age I had more of an atheist "Apissed-off-many": * Pissed off at being dragged to church every Sunday to hear a lot of nonsense. * Pissed off at being told I couldn't eat meat on Friday and for no good reason. (Funny, though, as now I don't eat meat. * Pissed off at being dragged to "Confessional" every few months to confess sins I had to make up. * Pissed off at being told in reply to reasonable questions about God, Jesus, history and common sense, that I was "too young to understand" and that I would "understand when I was older." They were right. I did understand. I understood it was all crap! I had an "Apissed-off-many" alright. Never looked back.

Please , bring back sassygirl3869 .

David1955 comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Unless there is something we don't know, I totally concur.

What is with this Atheist/Agnostic divide stuff lately.

David1955 comments on Apr 30, 2019:

You know, I agree with you, and up until I joined a couple of years ago I thought agnostics and atheists were comrades together in the same struggle. Then, I joined this community. Quickly I got told by agnostics that theirs was the "more nuanced position"; that atheists were no different from theists because we both have a "faith based belief" in something, unlike the purity of the agnostic; that the atheist has to "prove" that no God exists; and that we atheists are influenced by modern radical terrible awful harmful "leaders" like Richard Dawkins who have been like the black death to non-believers....and so it went. Whoa! I thought we were on the same side here? Well, attacks like that have an impact. You step back. Do you ignore them, or do you deal with the points. Well, obviously the latter. So, that's what has happened. Frankly, I don't want to argue with agnostics, I want to challenge religions. But there it is. I add I thought the agnostic/atheist squabble had actually toned down lately.

In case you missed Bill Friday night (April 26) here's a profound new Rule... [youtube.com]

David1955 comments on Apr 29, 2019:

Loved it. I could have kissed BM watching it last week. I was right about Mueller all along in my predictions. A few scapegoats, leave Trump and family off the hook, list some misdoings, avoid the financials, be indecisive, pass the buck, and keep his Republican party happy. Mueller could have cemented his place in US history as one of the heros and saviours of the Republic, like when you revisit McCarthy or Watergate. Instead he will now be just another sandbagger for Trump and his party. His reputation is diminishing with each passing day, unless he decides to grow a pair. Barr, Rosenstein, Mueller...same old, same old..

Matt Dilahunty once made the statement that "Atheists are those that don't BELIEVE in a god, and ...

David1955 comments on Apr 29, 2019:

Yes. I prefer to say, atheists are people who don't believe in ANY God ( but if you have evidence, we'll look at it), while agnostics don't believe in any God as well, *EXCEPT* for the God they grew up with, and possibly fear, and about which they are agnostic and say "I don't know."

Religion, the Oldest Weapon of Mass Destruction in Human History

David1955 comments on Apr 29, 2019:

Nice. I reject all religions. But let's acknowledge that monotheistic religions are the worst. There's a direct line from belief in a single one "true" God, to the word of God, the enemies or heretics of God, and finally the wars and slaughter of these enemies of God. It's inexorable. Add the Dark Ages, the combining of mono-G religions to empires, the wars between the one true God religions, and it's nothing less than an inevitable result in belief in a single God that is never wrong, that you're either with or against, and of course know exactly what he wants. I've written before, but if we could add up the deaths in human history due to religions, the wars, the religious oppression and other atrocities, then that figure would pale all others.

"Is Christianity an addiction?

David1955 comments on Apr 29, 2019:

I wanted add a follow up point on this article. Some might challenge the word "addiction" as applied to religion. I think it does apply, but with some nuance applied. Many things are potentially addictive, but not all become addicted. For example, gambling is potentially addictive, but many people might buy a few lottery tickets, play poker, or visit a casino occasionally, and not have an addiction. It doesn't control them. Sadly others blow huge amounts on gambling and it is indeed an addiction. Are all Christians "addicts" of religion. No. But religious belief, putting it crudely, comes from the emotional and pleasure seeking part of the brain, where addictive behaviour fires off. I'm no expert, but I've ready plenty about this from others who are. You match certain personality types to some religions, or variants thereof, and indeed addiction is what you have. It is good to see articles like this. Religious belief covers many things, including culture and politics, but it also involves human psychology and neurology as the basis for addictive and harmful religious belief. A lot of serious books about atheism deal with this issue, and I don't just mean the New Atheists. The psychology and neurology of religion is something we should all be concerned about. @Novelty

The ABC has lost the plot.

David1955 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

It's like the slow drip of water torture, but with control of funding by right wing governments. They're worn them down, stacked them with right wingers, degraded their values, left them (ABC, SBS) traumatized. In that state, all you want to do is please your torturers. I've long given up on Aust commercial media, and now it's the same with our national broadcasters. They have nothing I want any more.

Bill Maher from almost a year ago. Not old?

David1955 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

I totally agree with this dismantling of Meuller last week. All of those guys, Mueller, Rosenstein, Barr, they're Republican first and foremost. I predicted here months ago in a post when I said Mueller would catch a few scapegoats and let Trump and his family off the hook. I was right, with Manafort and Stone and Cohen the scapegoats. If Mueller had been investigating a Democratic President with even a fraction of the crimes of Trump, he'd have written an impeachment report and be all over the media himself. It's pathetic. No one in the US should have any illusions about these people and where they're only allegiances lie.

A long time ago

David1955 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

Yes, and the best part was, when you took the burger out of that foam container, half the soggy bun bread would stick to the foam, basically destroying the burger. Happy Days!

Despite being atheist, im pretty sure I 100% believe in Tarot cards.

David1955 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

I'm interested in how you think Tarot Cards "work"? Is it energy, or spiritual channels transmitted through the cards, or psychic flows from somewhere, or some kind of universe flow that transcends to the cards to reveal your future? Also, consider this: Tarot tells a person's "future". For that future to be "told" in advance, it must mean that a person's future is fixed or predetermined. Has to be or else what is it that is being "told". If that's true, then it doesn't matter what you do as your future is fixed and therefore "tellable". So, you can't possibly believe in free will. Free will means your future is based on your actions, and is not "tellable". Unless you say, well, it's not my future singular but futures plural that may come true, in which case the whole basis of the activity collapses and questions like "will knowing my future, result in my doing things differently and change my future?" in which case you have gone, argumentatively, from the frying pan into the fire. It's a fool's errand.

We're on a road to destruction if we don't make changes.

David1955 comments on Apr 28, 2019:

I can't say I'm much moved by this. For a start, there are conservatives and then there are conservatives. I was thinking recently that there were fewer posts now from the redneck "I hate lefties and government - except where it helps me") loony right wingers. I figured they were in their group reaffirning what they already know from right wing media. Now, not all conservatives fall into this category. I'm not going to pretend to care about what the first category thinks. As this is a place for free exchange of ideas, I'm not much moved by any notion, "be nice to the conservatives, dear, we don't want to hurt their feelings". If they are thoughtful conservatives, they can look out for themselves.

"Atheism deserves better than the new atheists whose methodology consists of criticizing religion ...

David1955 comments on Apr 27, 2019:

So, you quote this, but I assume you agree. Well, I don't. Writers like this always want to go back to the 20th century style of atheism -- polite, respectful, nice and tolerant, no matter how horrible religions are. That worked really well, didn't it. Growth of fanatical Abrahamic religious groups, the evangelical movement, the global insidious sins of churches, only exposed when people stood up to them and demanded accountability. You can keep your nice polite atheism. The New Atheists, so called, have made a huge impact on this debate. If that ruffles some feathers, then good.

Hi I'm thinking of get a tattoo.

David1955 comments on Apr 26, 2019:

Interesting idea. Never thought I'd get a tattoo, not really a tattoo guy (though I did think once about getting a Sharon Tate tattoo, but no.) What's wrong with the famous "A" for atheist symbol? Maybe I'll think about that...

I recently went to a religious a event with a family member at Easter time.

David1955 comments on Apr 26, 2019:

Flawed Christian logic: Jesus died, atoned, for our sins. You can't atone for someone else's sins. 'Tis not logical. Jesus wasn't sacrificed. He didn't die. He came back. Sacrifice means losing or giving up something. Jesus had a bad day, but he wasn't sacrificed. 'Tis not logical. He was "sacrificed" for our sins. Where did the sins come from? God created all things in heaven and earth, they believe. Sins are things. So, God had to have created sins. So, he sacrificed his only begotten son, only he didn't, for sins that we committed, which had to have been created by him in the first place, as an act of atonement, although no one can atone for someone else's sins. 'Tis not logical. PS does it ever occur to stupid Christians that an omnipotent Diety would know, even before creation, that imperfect beings and sins would be attracted to each other, and in essence it was his fault. Duh!

If I was to make a sculpture of a half naked, bleeding woman, nailed to a cross and distributing a ...

David1955 comments on Apr 26, 2019:

I confess I've offended enough Christians in my time by referring to the "death cult symbol" hanging around their necks. They hate that sort of brutal frankness.

God is everywhere.....it seems!

David1955 comments on Apr 26, 2019:

Yes. Who owns mainstream media? The elites. Who thinks that religion is good for the little people, gives them something to believe in while they're being done over? The elites. It's everywhere, from TV shows, movies, to anchors on TV prattling on about Faith and how they went to church on Sunday. It's a level above subliminal but below in your face, in the background all the time: Religion is good. Religious people can be trusted. They are good people. Being religious is normal means you're a better person. This is what the elites peddle, in the culture, in the entertainment, in the political debates. It's vile, phoney and insidious, but it's one of the ways elites rule.

"The narrative that government is inefficient and its optimum role should be ‘limited’ to avoid ...

David1955 comments on Apr 25, 2019:

Yes, the great triump of Right Wing Economics since the 70s has been to peddle and smother the political/economic debate with this narrative that private good and government bad. Even when the economic system came close to collapse in 2008, due to uncontrolled private financial system, the response by the right was bale us out and then remove what few resictions were left. But this dominant economic ideology has unravelled since that time; popular sentiment has turned against this right wing economic paradigm, and the right wingers flounder around, still peddling their discredited theories, like a gambler for whom one last bet will save the day, or an alcoholic who really only needs one last drink. But the progressive side of politics needs to stand up, argue its case, and stop cowering to attacks from the right.

First, I have read all the comments to my previous post and let me start out with an apology.

David1955 comments on Apr 25, 2019:

We know you do all the work, and our gratitude should never waver. Without you there would be no site. But without members, and active members, there is no functioning site. So, the relationship is codependent for a successful site, and one of the joys in the early days, for me, was having prospective changes and ideas raised and discussed. Hope that continues. Thanks.

Yes, we removed the general forum.

David1955 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

So, this is no longer a Community, but a collection of groups. That is sad. Will someone please set up a *Group* called *"Community"*, we'll all join, and we go back to where we were. Thanks Also, I remember the Good Ole Days when we were asked what we thought about possible changes. Since Humanist.com was set up without discussion that doesn't happen now.

How many of you feel discriminated against for been Atheist?

David1955 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

There are already laws of free speech, if the religious are not able to subvert them. There are places where non-religious people are discriminated against, and it's shocking. Not where I am. It's the failure to have or enforce free speech laws. What I resent is the constant stream of articles from mainstream conservative media maligning non religious people, and prominent atheists as well. This truly ticks me off.

what is an atheist? what do they believe?

David1955 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Where can I get one?

Point system?!

David1955 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

It serves a purpose. It gives members a sense of achievement for their contribution. It has some anomalies, but only a few seem obsessed by points. Like a lot of people here, mine just roll on in the background and I concern myself with my humble contributions and only that.

Happy Zombie Jesus Day

David1955 comments on Apr 21, 2019:

Jesus was a ghost with benefits. ...or something like that.

Catholic Church assures billionaires that none of their Notre Dame donations will go to poor - The ...

David1955 comments on Apr 21, 2019:

Well, we wouldn't want to set a bad precedent now, would we? As Jesus said, the one percenters will inherit the earth, and blessed are the oligarchs. :-)

Easter is a perfect day to watch Richard Dawkins videos.

David1955 comments on Apr 21, 2019:

Any time is a good time to watch RD's videos. If I could piss off even a fraction of the religious and the foolish that Dawkins has over the years, I would be so proud.

Minister says virgin birth is bizarre claim, prayer doesn't really work, maybe nothing happens after...

David1955 comments on Apr 20, 2019:

How about we stop saying "virgin birth" and say what we are really talking about: God impregnating a woman from the heavens, with or without her consent. I mean, really? Sure, that is what Gods do - knock women up so they can visit in human form. Even in early Christian variants of the religion they thought that was a crock. To think that some people today really believe that. Boggling.

Elizabeth Warren is gaining stock in my opinion.

David1955 comments on Apr 20, 2019:

I like the fact that she doesn't just waffle on about America the wonderful and all that kind of stuff, but says specific things, as in " this is what I'm going to do...A, B, C.." That is what you need. Enough Obama-like poetry. Clear prose.

There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding quantum mechanics.

David1955 comments on Apr 20, 2019:

Very much agree. QM has become the last best hope of religionists now that science has left religion in the dust; they hang on to this notion that QM and QT will somehow vindicate them. Pathetic. They think that maybe they'll see God at the quantum level and then proclaim they were "right" all along. The New Age peddlers got into it first. Now it has seeped into the periphery of mainstream religions. I've had religionists try it on with me, and I tell them to read real scientists with real Ph.ds. I won't have it. The attempted supernaturalizing of these fields of science should be called out vigourously. My own brother (who is religious) attempted to peddle this crap in a speech/sermon at our mother's funeral recently. I was not pleased.

Do you feel mentally exhausted by analysis of Robert Mueller's Report?

David1955 comments on Apr 20, 2019:

Truth is like water: it eventually seeps through. The truth about is seeping through, slowly but now with momentum. I'm tired of Trump, not tired of seeing him exposed. Wary that he might still get away with it.

So what should an atheist do if being sworn in for a testimony in court?

David1955 comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Take the Affirmation. I have in Court. Don't they have that there?

tRump’s own incompetence exacerbates efforts to bring charges against him.

David1955 comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Yes, finally....Finally! .. FINALLY!!!! the truth comes out from Mueller, at least in partly redacted form, but even that is shocking, confirming what those of us to have learnt to read and have reasonable instincts about people knew already: He's a liar, a phoney a crook, and a rotten businessman. The shocking arrogance of this crook is that he was stupid enough to think that becoming President would never bring light to his criminal cronies and connections and cons. As if Lucky Luciano might have said,"Hey boys, ya tink I might become President already?" Er, no, Lucky, that's only gonna bring the heat on us, they would have told him. But then Lucky was a smarter crook than Trump. But will it bring him down? Will that brainless "base" of his finally wake up? That's what we don't know.

What is the difference between Liberalism and Neo-Liberalism?

David1955 comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Neo liberals are liberals in the same way that The National Socialist party were socialists. That is to say, not at all.

I feel the need say this every now and then:

David1955 comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Throw in good food, fresh water, clean air, and Donald Trump in jail and I'm with you. :-)

What the establishment fears

David1955 comments on Apr 17, 2019:

Another Donald Trump quote I presume? That man has a way with words equal only by his hair cut. :-)

Hard core christians do not seem very happy.

David1955 comments on Apr 17, 2019:

I've always felt that believers, despite their pretense, are full of fear -- fear of God, fear of death, fear of sinning, fear they won't be 'forgiven', fear of their own impulses, fear of their church, fear of being caught out by other believers, and above all fear of their own doubts. Hardly likely to produce piece of mind or happiness.

Good News Poll Millennials are leaving church in droves [cnn.

David1955 comments on Apr 17, 2019:

Read that. Delighted. Consistent with studies showing rise of millennial apatheism, a great concern to religion. Whether atheist or apatheist, I don't care. It gives me hope that the trend line of history is secular, but it will be a bumpy ride as religions are dangerous and cunning.

[youtu.be] more aoc giving them hell!

David1955 comments on Apr 16, 2019:

There's nothing more frightening to the corrupt than an assertive idealist and seeker of the truth. Nothing.

Are you happy?

David1955 comments on Apr 16, 2019:

You think people really care?

Opinion on the Assange arrest - is it wonderful to be abandoned by your government and not ...

David1955 comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Yes, I agree with you. I just can't work out Assange anymore, but even so abandoned is what has happened. Even Australians who commit crimes abroad, like drugs, are rightfully given help, and no one hates drugs more than me. Don't expect that moral vacuum Shorten to do anything either. Australia is little more than a Protectorate of the US, despite our boasting and bragging.

We never did learn from Watergate and the betting is that we won't either from Trump.

David1955 comments on Apr 14, 2019:

The old dictum that those who refuse to learn from history are bound to repeat it, is quite right. The US is a case in point. Vietnam - Afghanistan; Nixon - Trump.

I was just wondering how many declared "Believers" are really atheists pretending to believe.

David1955 comments on Apr 14, 2019:

I would express it differently. I think many so-called believers are religious only in the sense of the habit, ritual and identity of religion, and not in any real sense to the claims and beliefs of religion. Press them on their religion and you get little more than a simple summary of religious clichés. The doubts they have are internized or ignored because the actual beliefs are not that important in the first place. Huge numbers of people like this make up the numbers in religion, in my opinion. I wouldn't call them atheists, exactly, but notionally religious people based on habit and intellectual laziness.

How to run for president: 1.

David1955 comments on Apr 14, 2019:

All true. But the rise of Trump is not just due to a bad guy becoming president. It's a reflection of the systematic failure and corruption of US political, electoral, and legal systems. The latter might just stop him, but after the failure of Mueller, whom I predicted months ago was a republican first and investigator second, I'm losing hope on that too. I hear Americans say that all they need to do is get rid of Trump. Wrong. They need major reform of the systems I mentioned above. World belief in American exceptionalism is dead. The US needs to stop preaching democracy and make an effort to practice it for a change.

I keep wondering what you people who call yourselves "agnostics" on here claim to be agnostic about.

David1955 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Good point about this word and the reaction people have. Change the word God to "Gerald" and how would people react? "Gerald loves me. I'm agnostic about Gerald. Son of Gerald born of a virgin. It's the Will of Gerald." Gerald is just a sound formed in our brains expressed in speech. So is God. The word is used to provoke an emotional response. But it's just a word, a sound. Atheists like me either never have had, or have expunged, an emotional response to this sound. It's just a sound. It doesn't mean anything.

We absolutely need to find a way to establish dialogue between competing groups.

David1955 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

You lost me at "The Universe in its infinite wisdom..."

Clarence Thomas: Atheists Can’t Be Trusted Since Oaths Mean Nothing to Them | Hemant Mehta | ...

David1955 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

That's a laugh, coming from a member of a court whose right wing appointees show questionable allegiance to the truth during their confirmation hearings while proclaming their religious convictions.

Holy Stairs believed to have been climbed by Jesus unveiled in Rome

David1955 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Yes, those "historically authenticated" sites of Jesus, mostly from heresay, and, as one religious tourist guide told Richard Dawkins during a tour in a doco, from "tradition" and stories "handed down" through the ages. (Dawkins seemed less than convinced). But the faithful are so gullible. If they told them this was where Jesus got his car serviced, they'd probably believe it.

i have just received an annoying email from the universal life church, congratulating me on my ...

David1955 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

I'd frame it. Great dinner party piece.

Christianity

David1955 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

I've seen this before and it's very good.

I couldn’t resist posting this: When we drink we get drunk.

David1955 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

False logic. When we get drunk we go to sleep? Not always. People get drunk, drive and hurt people, commit violent acts, and can do many bad things before sleep. So, no a world of drunk people won't improve things or guarantee heaven.

‘Julian Assange exposed great crimes & now great crime committed against him’ - George Galloway

David1955 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

I'm wondering what the real truth is here. Assange blowing open US phoney secrets, govt sanctioned crimes, false flags, deception, lies - in other words the usual US Establishment bullshit? I have no problem with that, and I'd be supporting him still. But dealing with Putin's thugs, doing business with Trump's gaggle of goons and criminals - in other words the Republican Party? Well now that's what I don't get. How could he have thought that was a good idea. Our Australian govt won't do damn thing for him. Our govt is little more than a regional office of the US and its interests. That's for sure.

From BBC news website today: Retired Pope Benedict XVI has published a letter which blames ...

David1955 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

I suspect that Catholic abuses have gone on for ages and ages, long before the changes in attitudes from the 1960s, only now they are coming out. This is an old theme from reactionaries, blaming the 1960s, from the religious and political right. It's pathetic. Doesn't this old boy have a boyfriend, some priest "assistant" at the place in Rome? I read that somewhere. These Catholics are such hypocrites.

The closed mind of Richard Dawkins

David1955 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

More attacks from the same old areas. Why don't these publications, sometimes right wing, sometimes regressive left, pick on the truly bigoted close minds that run the world. Attacking prominent atheists will not undermine this growing movement. Give it up.

The reason we do see god is because he lives in a black hole.

David1955 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

And his pet fairies, and angels, and the creature from the black lagoon... All one big black hole family.

I think it would be a good exercise for us atheists and agnostics to define the so-called God we ...

David1955 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

You're only talking about the Holy Trinity and Christianity, just one monotheistic religion (with three 1/3rds of a God, if you can believe that crap!) Why attempt to define this one more than any other? Because we grew up with it? Most of us think more broadly than that. I have no interest in attempting to define Bronze Age nonsense.

Last night I saw something amazing; I was watching the History Chanel and they had just started a ...

David1955 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

Beware of any TV documentaries about this figure unless they are created by or prominently feature real secular historians with real Ph.ds or credentials in this subject. Such shows that say things like, "The Bible tells us...." are to be avoided at all costs.

11-Year-Old Astrophysics Genius ‘Proves’ Stephen Hawking Wrong About God

David1955 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

When you cut through, all he's saying is that nothing can come from nothing. Hardly original, and plenty of scientists refute that. OK, he's young and smart, but his brain is wired to believe and he's still under the influence of his upbringing. He's a long way to go. But don't the media love this kind of crap.

Spirituality and/or Religion?

David1955 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

The word spiritual can mean anything and everything. So, as a word it means definitively nothing. It is not meant to convey meaning; it is intended to impress other people when someone uses it to describe themselves. But it doesn't impress me.

God, Irony and non-believers As I wander through this site and read here and there a connecting ...

David1955 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

You begin with a false assumption: that science is, has or will prove that God does not exist. Science is under no obligation to prove this negative, any more than it is to prove any other negative. If believers wish to try to "prove" their alleged God, then that's up to them, though it's a fool's errand, and actually they don't want to anyway. The whole premise of your post is questionable to say the least, and so therefore is your "conclusion".

What are the advantages of being an AGNOSTIC? Is it forever?

David1955 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

So, this post is directed only to agnostics, not atheists, am I right? A week or two back I posted my concern, actually annoyance, that there are too many posts like this addressed to agnostics, leaving it unclear whether it was just for agnostics, or really intended for all nonbelievers, and posters just thinking that since this site is called agnostic.com that it is ok just to say agnostics. I got criticised by some, saying that posts addressed to agnostics should be ignored by atheists like me. Others said that of course posts are directed to nonbelievers alike. So, you tell me. I still find this annoying. I, myself, do not specify a particular group unless I have a reason to do so.

If you knew of a way to use your estate following your death to greatly benefit humanity would you ...

David1955 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

I'll let you know when I've got an estate to leave.

What a strange coincidence that people have the same religion as their parents and it just so ...

David1955 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

I've never heard a religious person ever attempt to explain the fact that religions spread primarily in family and culture, save for one dumb woman who told Dawkins in interview that God wants some people to find the one true religion, namely hers. I see, so God directs some towards the one truth religion while deflecting others away. A logic nightmare. From the theological pan into the theological fire.

Michele Bachmann has made it clear she thinks it's the end of time, Jesus will come back soon.

David1955 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

Well, if their Jesus came back, and he was anything like their myth of him, he might have some choice words to say about looney right wingers, which, by definition, includes the Republican Party.

Imagination works!

David1955 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

Or trickle down delusional thinking.

Someone said that even if you don't believe in God, it is advisable to live your life as if there is...

David1955 comments on Apr 5, 2019:

Based on the assumption that any God is so stupid that it wouldn't know you were faking it. It's not like gods are omnipotent or omniscient or anything. If there's anyone you can pull wool over their eyes, it's a God. Yes sir.

Is anyone else bored to death with the entire atheist theist debate?

David1955 comments on Apr 5, 2019:

The debate between Atheism and Theism is central, so I don't see how that is boring. It is the debate between reason and mysticism; it is the debate between evidence and superstition; it is the difference between a world based on rational thinking and one based on supernaturalism. It is, as Bertrand Russell used to say, a debate that goes back longer than the Enlightenment, indeed it goes back to the time of the Greeks. For a thousand years the debate was lost. It was called the Dark Ages. Many here are committed to the idea that it will never happen again. And it could happen again. Winning the debate against theism, and it's pursuit of mysticism, supernaturalism, and magic based beliefs, is crucial to our future. Theism is becoming ever more weaponized and dangerous. No, I'm not bored to death with this debate. Quite the opposite. I am bored to death with the debate between *Atheism and Agnosticism*. But that's another matter.

I truly think the desperation is beginning to show with the ScumMo Lib-Nat Government.

David1955 comments on Apr 4, 2019:

The extra money for electricity is only for some, and struggling working people will miss out. Also I hear the scum electricity companies have already increased their prices. Nationalize Electricity Now! Don't expect the ALP to be any better. Shorten stands for nothing.

Attorney General Barr is holding onto to the Mueller Report on the auspice of redacting the mention...

David1955 comments on Apr 4, 2019:

I blame Mueller. Sorry, he's a good man and all that, but either he was compromised, or he showed poor judgement. Not making a clear finding on obstruction? That was his job. If he thought the President couldn't be indicted but should have been, he should have said so. If the finding was no obstruction, then say that. Make a statement. Hold a press conference. Do something instead of meekly giving it to Barr and hoping the Congress would do something. It was feeble. Now his people are leaking their disapproval. Not good enough. History will judge him well on the conduct of the investigation, but poorly on the delivery.

I am just curious are there many followers of Bill Maher on here, and is he a leader in his thinking...

David1955 comments on Apr 2, 2019:

Yes, I'm a fan. He's a good atheist brother and social and political critic. I know he is attacked, including from the regressive left. That's how it goes. He's funny as hell. His humour has a wonderful hard edge. I agree with his attack on political correctness as well.

Dear @admin .

David1955 comments on Apr 2, 2019:

Yes, three cheers for Admin, whoever he, she, or they are. Long may they admin.

MAYBE WE'RE WRONG -- Recently I've found myself wrestling with the question of God.

David1955 comments on Apr 2, 2019:

You've convinced me. If anybody wants me I'll be at the seminary. Repent heathens!

The buttons are up one day, down the next for me. What is going on????

David1955 comments on Apr 1, 2019:

The Gods are finally taking their revenge. .. or maybe the Russians .. or the Chinese... .. or the Republican party ..or maybe...

Anyone favour a mirror site to this one, but just for atheists and agnostics?

David1955 comments on Apr 1, 2019:

Well, that post threw the cat amongst the proverbial pigeons on April 1. Interesting points. I suspect, though, that overtime believers will increase in number on this site. We'll see what happens.

EQUALITY BETWEEN PEOPLE.

David1955 comments on Apr 1, 2019:

Problem is: everybody calls themselves humanists. This includes religionists. It can mean anything. Classical philosophy is fine. It's what it means in the real world that counts. I've stopped using the term. Words have life and can die like anything else. This word does not equate to secularism and non religious belief. It now means whatever you want.

After a conversation with a Christian, I've had some continuing thoughts.

David1955 comments on Apr 1, 2019:

From my experience, Christians invoke free will when it suits them, and they suspend it when it suits them. When you ask them why their God doesn't stop terrible things, they say God gives us free will and he doesn't interfere. When they want to "prove" their God, they invoke stories about God saving people, and other actions when God has done this and that on earth, including miracles, and indeed their whole Jesus story is one big godly intervention. When pressed on the contradiction they say it's all god's will, we can't understand, and it's all faith. On free will Christians have no credibility, whether they are well or poorly educated, they proffer the same nonsense.

Everyone believes that their religion is the right one, but who is right?

David1955 comments on Mar 31, 2019:

One of the "good" things about the religion "industry" is that there are never any return dissatisfied customers. Pay now, die later, no refunds. It's the perfect scam, really. As for which is "right", the real question is which is proven. Answer, none. Roll up! Roll Up! Join the religion industry. You'll be dieing to find out the truth.

Wow, the Lib-Nat Federal Government must be getting very bloody DESPERATE, they going to budget for ...

David1955 comments on Mar 31, 2019:

Yes, never forget that the free market always does things better. Duh! Electricity should be nationalised and run as a non profit essential service. We have a weak country, weak politicians and weak political parties. Don't hold out that the ALP will be any better. I don't any more.

🤡.

David1955 comments on Mar 31, 2019:

You seem to have posed a questionable assumption, linking religious non belief to higher intelligence, and then shot it down. I've never accepted that assumption expressed in that way, so I don't buy in. As for all of us prone to sloppy thinking and delusional thinking on some things, well yes.

Identity politics It seems to be the trend now that everyone is group.

David1955 comments on Mar 31, 2019:

If only we could achieve attachment to a human identity, without the prejudices. That would a postive outcome.

I just want to tell everyone I am so pleased to have found this site.

David1955 comments on Mar 30, 2019:

You'll never find a place with more scum and villainy...No, wait, that's what Obi Wan says about that bar place in Star Wars... Yes, its a nice enclave here, in world descending into chaos, autocracy and a new Dark Age. They're not taking me alive.

How can someone be agnostic and a believer both?

David1955 comments on Mar 30, 2019:

These days with this vast spectrum on which people like to place themselves -- believer, agnostic, ignostic, atheist-agnostic, agnostic-atheist - etc etc etc.. it seems you can call yourself anything and get away with it. I prefer less prevaricating across questionable spectrums and more serious thought and decisiveness in opinion. So, no, you can't be a believer and an agnostic.

I cannot comprehend the amount of bigotry and intolerance I see among my fellow atheists sometimes.

David1955 comments on Mar 30, 2019:

*How can you sit there and demand respect and religious freedom and then turn around and persecute another groups religion and treat them just as badly if not worse as we get treated?* I don't know what you are referring to. Can you be specific please.