Bad Apple and the Kindness of Strangers

Fernapple comments on Jan 5, 2020:

I went into a local government office, to make a enquiry about some government forms. It turns out that the office I went to, does not deal with that department, and the correct office was closed while next week. The lady behind the desk said. "You can do it on line." I explained that I had tried that three or four times, and failed perhaps because the first time I made a mistake and the website would not let me start again. "Oh yes the same happened to me that site is almost impossible." She said, and the man also agreed. Then she said that the department that had the forms was closed, but the man suggested that they could use their government access to log in to the other department and print me off facsimilies. Which they did then did. I said. "Great all I have to do is fill it in and post it." But they then printed me off a instruction sheet on how to fill it in, an addressed envelope, provided me with a desk to work on and directed me to the nearest post box. And it worked I had the information I wanted back a week later.

[thehill.

Fernapple comments on Jan 5, 2020:

No not really that is the usual sad example of gross over simplification. Mexico is a nation state with its own borders and the diplomatic power to use for it people at home and aboard if it wants. And sadly, Hitler though mad and prejudiced, did seem to have some real abilities, such as being able to string together a whole grammatical sentence.

To what extent do you let reason or logic make your decisions for you?

Fernapple comments on Jan 5, 2020:

Emotions are the engine which provides the power and drive, and logical thinking the controls which steer and brake the ship. You can not do anything without both.

Fox getting supper. [cdn.fishki.net]

Fernapple comments on Jan 5, 2020:

I know a dog who does that a lot in the snow, but she never seems to catch anything, just comes up looking silly with a pile of snow on her nose. Must require a lot of skill.

THE MOST DAMNING THING ON CHRISTIANITY Jesus died and his death and resurrection was ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 4, 2020:

Yes, but one other thing that you have to remember, is that the calender did not exist at the time Jesus was supposed to have lived, nothing like it came in until the Julian calendar on Jan 1 45 ad/ce. Before that people used many different ways of counting the time at that time. And some would still be using loonar months and other methods long after Augustus tried to codify the calender. Also there is good reason to think that if there ever was a real Jesus, then it is quite likely that he lived many years before the usually accepted date, if only because the myths seem to be well developed quite soon after then.

Name one good thing that comes from the Christian beliefs.

Fernapple comments on Jan 4, 2020:

I don't think that it is possible to untangle any one thing, not only because you have to take the whole thing as a complex, which works together as a whole or not at all. But also because every good thing, generally comes with an equal and opposite shadow. You could for example say the principle of, judge not lest you be judged. Which is a great liberal and humane ideal for the individual to live by, but it inevitably means that the business of judging is therefore handed over even more to the church, so that the church becomes even more judgmental and hands out guilt in vast amounts, without even the normal human compassion that an individual would show.

I joined this group to explore origin theories.

Fernapple comments on Jan 4, 2020:

So there is this vast incalculable intelligence, called god, which just exploded into life out off nowhere, and then decides to make somewhere for itself to live. ( See the problem.)

The more time I spend on this site, the more I realize that atheists know WAYYYYY more about ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 4, 2020:

It is often said that the best way to make an atheist, is to tell someone to read the bible.

Shades of The Godfather .

Fernapple comments on Jan 4, 2020:

Sounds very good in Mongolian. But that cigar wont do his voice much good.

A suggestion - could members limit themselves to one a day, or a few a week?

Fernapple comments on Jan 4, 2020:

Yes, too many tends to mean a lot of poor quality banal posts about the same themes. Not good.

Keeping Up With Faster People

Fernapple comments on Jan 4, 2020:

I generally am happy to stride along at a middle speed, but I stop a lot to look at things. However I sometimes go out with a gang of botanists, and they can take an hour to cover a hundred yards. Even I can find that a bit slow.

What are some of the somewhat natural sounds that give you joy?

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

PS. Bees buzzing around flowers and rain outside when you are in.

What are some of the somewhat natural sounds that give you joy?

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

All of those of course. But for something different, I also really love the sound of Corvids, crows and ravens, especially the one that nest socially. There is something domestic and homely about it, especially at the end of day, when it tells you they are settling down for the night, and all is well in their world, apart for the usual domestic soap opera that is their social life, so much and so timelessly like that of a human village.

Report: World’s Happiest Countries Are Also Least Religious | Michael Stone

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

It is also to be noted. Not maybe causal. That those 'Happy' countries are all both small population, and very democratic.

I was listening to One of Richard Dawkins books and it surprised me when he said that on his scale ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

I always call myself a broad church sceptic, as long as you have ditched the dogma and belief in religious texts and clerical authority, the the existence or not of some, nameless deist entity, is meaningless. But it is good to make the point in Dawkin's favour, that he is not the hard line, mindless, fascist, atheist straw man, that the apologists like use as disinformation, to frighten the uninformed.

How can plane tix still cost so much? We’ve been flying for a century now!

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

I think Spongebobs video below explains it really well, highly recommended.

Sometimes I am ashamed to tell how old I am, because my age does not correspond to the stupidity I...

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

The more you learn the less you know. If you think you are stupid then you are very wise, only the truly stupid fall into the Dunning-Kruger trap.

Happy fukin' New Year! 👅 So, what new years resolutions have ya made?

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

I made one not to make anymore new year resolutions, and I have managed to keep it.

I went for lunch at the local club today.

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

Can be a lot of things, heat especially, dehydration drink plenty of fluids, sometimes sudden unusual movement can cause blood pressure loss in the head, minor infections in the ear which do not cause other symptoms can make it worse. And sometimes in older people we can start to get a very common condition called, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, which is annoying and incurable but easily treated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_paroxysmal_positional_vertigo

"We have become a Nazi monster in the eyes of the whole world — a nation of bullies and bastards ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 3, 2020:

Viewed from this side of the Atlantic. No not all of you, a lot still seem sane when viewed through the telescope of this site at least.

Anyone notice this new trend?

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

It depends a bit on the degree, you are after all asked to select your feed preferences when you join this site. And it continues when you sign up for the 'I love cats' group rather than the 'Dog lovers', we all select all the time even before the web. But having said that. When the first religious conman looked at his tribe sitting in the cave, and asked for extra food in exchange for appeasing the spirits, he told the greedy one that he could get extra food if he paid him to perform the fruit tree rite, and promised warm weather, to the one with poor circulation. So we have always been the product.

A little New Year excitement for me! First turmeric harvest and this is one spadeful!

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

Wow I love Turmeric and it is so good for you. Do you grow ginger as well.

I turned 34 on last Thursday. Sometimes I can't believe I'm "old".

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

Happy birthday. I am nearly twice your age, and don't count myself very old yet, oldish yes. And 34 is still a kid, don't even think that people your age should even get the vote, for at least another ten years or so.

Today I’ve decided to be less serious with my quote and have chosen this one by the king of ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

Someone once said that. "A specialist is someone who knows more and more about less and less, until all his facts will dance on the head of a pin."

I visited the "holy" land (Jerusalem) as an atheist, and this was my reaction to all of the ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

Interesting pictures, but the presentation was a bit strident.

Photographer Captures Fairytale-Like Horses That Roam Iceland’s Beautiful Landscape | The ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

Beautiful pictures. But can't help the feeling that there is some fakery going on. That they seem to be the same two white horses, in all but one shot makes you wonder how truly 'wild' they are, or if they are being herded, even trailered, around.

His self-righteous papal prickdom assaults one of his flock.

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

It is hard to judge, I would think and hope, that in that situation, faced with someone obviously desperate and devoted, that most people would try to pull gently away and reason with the person. However it could be that a very elderly individual, under pressures that day which we do not know, may have been pushed by exhaustion to a point where he just could do no more than just snap. That does not seem likely however, and it is certainly true that most of the most self absorbed, shallow and uncaring people that I have met have been Christians. The religion seems to attract that type especially. Perhaps because its high altruistic ideology, provides as easy sham veneer of fake civility, behind which they can pretend to have caring values and humanity equal to the average person, and yet remain completely self centered and arrogant at heart.

Human Future?

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

Whatever we feel about it, it is not likely to happen, because we are very good at surviving. It is hard to envisage any disaster so bad that a handful of survivers will not stagger out of a bunker years later, and start breeding again, and then in a few thousand year become a burden to the planet once more. The most hopeful outcome is that if that did happen, we have in the recent past exhausted so much of the world mineral resources that we would never again be able to develop a destructive technological culture and would have to settle for being an animal within a sustainable. However in the long term we may go extinct, because we degenerate genetically under the conditions of modern technological culture, to the point where we are no longer good at surviving. Especially our probably rapidly declining intelligence. Then any small push could easily bring us total extinction. It is also possible that we may split into two species on class lines, the rich and the poor, because the rich will be able to enhance and control there genetics using genetic engineering. While the poor only survive by becoming, as R. Dawkins put it. "Stupid enough to not understand how to use contraception. " That level of none-intelligence being the best breeding strategy available to us at this time, and into the foreseeable future, creating a massive selective pressure against intelligence.

"One of the things that is wrong with religion is that it teaches us to be satisfied with answers ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

Of course that is religions product, on one ever got rich telling people their product did not work.

"Natural selection will not remove ignorance from future generations." - Richard Dawkins

Fernapple comments on Jan 2, 2020:

It may increase it, the human brain started to shrink after the agricultural revolution.

Alone in a Crowded Milky Way Even a galaxy teeming with star-hopping alien civilizations should ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Yes the trouble with the Fermi paradox, is that there are so many possible explanations, not too few. Three that I really like because they are not often mentioned are. The evolution of second generation stars, (needed for life ) and life itself takes time, so that life is only just reaching the space travel stage everywhere. There is an as yet undiscovered doomsday technology, which all civilizations are bound to discover sooner or later, and which always destroys all life in that solar system as soon as the switch is thrown for the first time. All technological civilizations destroy their own ecosystem. But I am sorry to say that it is most likely, that people, as in this article, who dismiss the problems of space travel just don't understand the problems, certainly we don't seem very likely ever to make it.

Hello, all.

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Welcome and enjoy.

“It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies.” - Noam Chomsky

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

That one, while true, does seem to belong in the, blinking obvious, zone. But OK.

Not a drinker, I made bread on New Year's Eve.

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Well done it sounds wonderful. I will email my address and send a stamped addressed parcel measuring 1 foot square.

“the Bible is probably the most genocidal book in the literary canon.” - Noam Chomsky

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

May not be quite true, I can think of a couple of others, but it is certainly on the short list.

This post does not pretend to represent a scientific analysis; it's just a conversation starter.

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Given that it may not entirely be down to just the way this site works technically. Leeloo could have got a lot of replies because people genuinely want to help, I have noticed that on this site appeals for help, of any sort, usually get a bigger than average and often a very big response. Seeker3CO made a post that was a little assertive and looked a bit like, a points fishing post, though that may have been unintended. But it did, if I remember right, follow a few hours after a very similar post which did get a good response, so perhaps people confused the two, or just thought it was boring as we did that five mins. ago. I know that is why I did not bother. And as to sweetcharlotte maybe people are shy to talk about their inner feelings and do not wish to burden others with them.

Used a Yashica D 120 camera and some very out of date B&W film.

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Nice effect, especially if you did not use a photo editing prog. afterwards.

What is spiritualism?

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

It is the name that people give to emotions which they get, when they can not find a rational cause for them. It is the emotional equivalent therefore of, the god of the gaps. I can't explain this emotion, therefore it must be supernatural in origin.

What gave you joy in 2019?

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Friends, best friend, garden, nature, this site, the village, coffee shops, travel, and getting a few jobs done.

70 Percent of the World’s Macadamia Nuts Came From One Tree in Australia [atlasobscura.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Interesting, and I read a bit since that there is an even worse problem with the worlds bananas, which are all one clone.

Happy New Year to everyone on Agnostics.

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

HAPPY NEW YEAR. PS. do know how to work the shit key, no accident.

“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Perhaps little too much work ethic for my taste.

"DNA neither cares nor knows. DNA just is. And we dance to its music." - Richard Dawkins

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Yet sometimes the great indifference of nature, seems far preferable, to the active and pointless cruelty of human culture.

Who has noticed in the last day or so there has been a resurgence of Islam bashing.

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

There is a little yes, but Islam is, or should be, as open to bashing as all the rest of the Abrahamic rubbish, for those who like bashing, though I am not fond of it myself. There are however two questions which have to be addressed, which are, is Islam a more threatening and intolerant religion than the others and therefore more in need of addressing in a sensible fashion. And is the bashing of Islam we see on this site motivated by closet racism or nationalism. The first being probably justified, the second being quite unacceptable. I think that judging by the tone of it, some of it is badly motivated. But as it is usually said, without proof you have to give the benefit of the doubt, or in other words assume innocent until proved guilty. Because if you do not do that, then you abandon the moral high ground for just the sort of position that you set out to counter in the first place. No one ever said that being moral was easy, and sometimes you can only use persuasion, reason and setting a good example as your weapons, slow and weak as they are.

Choose fun

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Life is a death sentence.

Advice for the new year wishing you all the best

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Best be leaving this site then.

Are you truely agnostic or an athiest in hiding?

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

The difference is unimportant, I recognize that nothing about the supernatural can ever be proved or disproved, because proof is entirely concerned with natural things, if that even exists at all. That is an Agnostic position, but if some people want to go a step further and say that they are sure there is no supernatural, then so be it. Because it makes no practical difference, since the existence or none existence of god or the supernatural is meaningless if that god/supernatural has nothing to communicate. Since an invisible silent god makes no dogma, and so has the same effect on the world as a none existent god, exactly none. The important thing is to have rejected dogma. So I always call myself a, board church sceptic.

Stephen Hawking's take on "Is there a God?

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Interesting but I don't think that any theist would be convinced by it, any proof about space and time are simply addressed by them by saying that god exists outside of space and time. As the saying goes, you can not reason someone out of something they never reasoned themselves into in the first place.

Here we are at the end of another year and another about to begin.

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Not really true anymore since BC was replaced by BCE. But I agree the equinox would be better, and new year does not fit the solstice either, it was just a date in the Roman calender fitted to the ancient South European agricultural cycles, Roman tradition and the whims of the Emperor Augustus, a practical compromise because they admitted they could not make the cycles of the moon fit, and a few later fixes by the Catholic Church. But it could be worse, the Islamic world is still fiddling around with the moon.

Your guiding principles matter. Mine?

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Try your best to make a positive contribution. If only because there is nothing else to do that is remotely interesting, regardless of whether is serves any higher purpose.

I listened to a lecture by Alan Watts on love just a little while ago.

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

I never thought that I would be in the position of defending the bible. But while it is true that you can not create love, it is still possible to uncreate the artificial barriers, which you put up to limit the range of your natural propensity for love. Having said that, it may also be true that we only have a limited capacity for love, and when it is used up that is it. Which explains perhaps why religious people who claim highly altruistic ideals, often seem to be the meanest of people. Because they are encouraged to give the maximum of themselves when within the congregation, and there is little left of the rest of the world outside.

Why does everyone want to argue today?

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

No I never want to argue though I understand that makes me a sample of one only. Three ideas. As the world gets smaller and the information flow increases, ideas which were once far apart increasingly rub up against one another. Sometimes wanting to help others can be misunderstood as an attack on their beliefs, especially when you want to help them towards understanding. Some people want their beliefs attacked, because if they can defend them, then their self doubt is lessened.

If life were fair Elvis would still be alive today and all the impersonators would be dead.

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Oh, you have to give everyone a chance.

How open-source software took over the world [cnbc.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Page would not download due to many very large adverts. Sorry.

This shows the change in Arctic sea ice. Especially for those of you still in denial. [twitter.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Link seems to lead to a lot of comments, but no actual content.

A neuroscientist explains why Christian evangelicals are hardwired to believe Donald Trump’s lies...

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Yes. It has also been described in the past as. False positives have a lower price in evolutionary terms than false negatives. Metaphorically. If I think I see an eye looking at me out of the woods and I run and hide, should it prove to be false, all I loose is the time and energy taken to hide behind a tree. If on the other I do not hide and it really is a tiger, I loose my life. Therefore since situation like that are common, it is thought evolution conditions us to favour false positives, in other words not to be sceptical.

Scientists establish link between religious fundamentalism and brain damage A study published ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Could very well be true. Though I doubt it is as simple as that, most people involved in research tend to over estimate the scope of their work, which is natural and human, but it may well turn out to be a major part of the picture.

Just had a thought.

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Maybe it is not the young who need it, and how about a class explaining Responsible Use of Schooling. and how to be critical of what you are taught in school. Especially for the home schooled.

[yahoo.

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

If you know everything, for what do you need research ?

I find it fascinating that when I put up content of substance, content that calls for a modicum of ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Dog created man in its own image. And if you want deep thought. Questions: 1. Is that quite literally true ? 2. Does the dominant partner in a symbiotic relationship have the greatest effect on its partners genetics, is it mutual or the opposite ? 3. Does symbiosis always lead to degeneration in one or both partners ? 4. Am I being sarcastic too, or geeky or both ?

vintagenews.com/2019/07/03/drought-reveals-palace/

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Link does not work. Sorry.

This site is awesome except for the “viewed me” feature.

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

A lot of times when I click or hover it is an accident, other than that it can be very useful. If for example someone writes something about news, weather, or environment, it is often good to check where they live, at least the continent, since that deeply affects how you understand what they are saying.

How do you feel now that the holidays are over?

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

The holiday in the UK does not really end until new year, Jan 2 usually, so the main effect on me is that I start to get bored.

Well, it IS Sunday: 😈

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

And the devil says. "I don't know, the Christians who run this place wont tell me."

Got out of the shower this morning to find this in my bedroom..... it's not my cat!

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

According to the stats the average cat has one and a half homes.

[mavenroundtable.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Hard to predict the future. The butterfly flaps its wings and everything changes, perhaps, but there are lots more things out there which could be fatal. Hawking was not a biologist, so what about infectious disease, genetic decay and drift. Greed and stupidity may be the reasons why we fail to rise to the challenges, but they may not be the only challenges.

Seriously, What are they celebrating?...

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

The winter solstice perhaps ? Nice to know I am not the only geek on here who takes these things seriously. Note. we must keep a count of how many times people tell us to, get a life, bet I get more than you.

[ugchristiannews.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

I think they may find that seventy million deaf people are not all waiting with bated breath. PS. There is a donation to the ministry button at the bottom of the page, may pay to warn people, it gave me quite a shock, and at my time of life that can be dangerous.

Study Shows That Homophobic People Tend To Have A Low IQ

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Well a higher IQ is probably a defense against most prejudices and phobias. Which is just looking at it the other way round, but it does not provide the same chance to be judgmental about people, who may be trapped in phobic subcultures with little chance of escape.

This was posted on FB by Grandmother’s for Nature: [grandmothersfornature.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Beautiful birds, not usually thought of as such but still very beautiful. And Grandmothers for nature is wonderful.

A toast to Americans! For their innovations. [vice.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Sorry, cheap shot as it is, but I just have to comment on the lady who hid her telephone in her vagina. And wonder if she was really trying to hide it, or does it have something to do with a vibrating ring tone ?!

I love visual aides.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

I think there should be more tags than that, perhaps they applied a very severe criterion, or they just thought a small sample would do.

It says there are 178 people on here but not many are making new posts. What are y'all doing?

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Yep, I have noticed as well, that comments and likes seem to be down, even on the posts that are there. Are members becoming less active, has the sites mechanics changed so that we are seeing less, or is it just a seasonal dip ?

It says there are 178 people on here but not many are making new posts. What are y'all doing?

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Commenting.

Why are we buried in a box.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

My mother at her request was buried in a biodegradable basket. Everyone who came to the funeral said it looked beautiful, and it was cheaper than a wooden coffin.

Teleportation Reported in a Qutrit For The First Time [sciencealert.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Interesting but. It may be a good idea to put an introduction or title on your posts, so that people know what they are being asked to view.

How Many Here are COMPLETE ATHEISTS (as I am)?

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

No. Bad defining of words, to make a point perhaps, but still bad defining. Atheism means none belief in a supernatural god, nothing more, the state may be that exact equivalent of a god, state-ism may be a religion,, but the state is perfectly natural. It is like saying that an animal is a plant, because they are both alive, and there are intermediate things.

A toast to Americans! For their innovations. [vice.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Love the, "patient unsure how it got there." caption.

I am puzzled about who pays for the web space this site uses.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

I often wondered that, either Admin or some other person is very generous with sponsorship, or there is some sort of data sales.

Australian landscapes — 1: Churchill/Lysterfield Park in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Is that a lizard sat on the rock in the Japanese garden, or a garden ornament ? The rock just in front of the lantern.

At least she has good taste in Whiskey.. 😋 [sun-sentinel.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

It says website not available in Europe. Sorry.

Non UK members may not appreciate this

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

This UK member never heard of her. Should I be sorry.

Has anyone made any New Years resolutions?

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Well done. A few years ago I made a resolution to stop making resolutions, and I have kept to it.

Assuming you don't attend any religous services on Sunday's, what do you do for fun?

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

All being well, I am going to trim back all last years dead growth in the garden.

For ex believers there is always this question of a religion replacement.

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Hello and welcome to the site. That sounds good to me. Enjoy.

I dislike any organized religion

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Deism is somewhere between religion and agnosticism, and very far from my take on the supernatural. But I usually call myself a board church sceptic, and so I am happy to say welcome to the site and please enjoy, the more differences of opinion the more interesting we are. Do check out the groups if you have time, there is something for everyone.

Evolution and Religion

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Because if you get in the habit of ignoring evidence, then you can believe anything you want. And the more practice you get at ignoring evidence the better you get at it. It is not just the evidence for evolution, but the very idea of evidence itself which is being rejected, so that it becomes possible to live in a world, where the truth is anything which tells me what I want to hear, and my truth never tells me anything that makes any demands on me.

Even though I am an atheist, I recognize that we have had great theologians, whose thoughts are ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

The established churches don't have to make ground. Evangelicals have to sell themselves, and dogma sells, because it appeals to our base instincts like, laziness, I don't want the bother of thinking, and hate, I want to blame someone else.

Do you think we'll ever reach a point when atheists are the majority and when?

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Here in the UK perhaps soon, in the US who knows. But we could also be on the brink of a new dark age, the future is unpredictable. A butterfly flaps its wings and everything changes.

Science Says You Shouldn't Drink Your Whiskey "Neat" [youtube.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

At last after months on this site, some useful advice about something important. ( Even if I don't agree. Blackcurrant jam 10% in warm water, let it cool add about half.)

The 5 Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Do crosswords and soduku in fact whatever is in the papers, but not jigsaws no. I also let the computer beat me at chess sometimes, don't want to hurt its feelings, by seeming too smart. And I mess about on a social media site when I have nothing better to do, which is a lot of the time as you can perhaps tell.

The Saint-Bernard Catholic Church was constructed between 1910 and 1942.

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

That is always a difficult one. In the UK we have many old historic churches, which can be a joy to visit, or some times just shelter from the rain when out walking. You feel that having benefited from and enjoyed the architecture, you should give something for is upkeep, especially as many of them have expensive upkeep costs. Yet you know that any money put in the collecting box can not be ring fenced, all being used to maintain the building, some of it will certainly go to propagate Christianity. I toyed with giving only half what I though a Christian would give, but that does not seem to work either. Because, even half can not be ring fenced and how do I know what a christian would give, ( they are usually very mean ) .

Today's Factoids: Phobias Somniphobia: Fear of sleep Caligynephobia: Fear of beautiful ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Is there a word for, can't get enough of any of those ?

He speaks truth

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Was it ever else?

I have a loquat tree, and with the need for pollination I feed the bees to keep them coming back.

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Great. But it is generally thought better to feed bees with white sugar, there is some evidence that brown can give them bowel disorders.

"Love, Friendship, Respect and Admiration, are the emotional response of one man, to the virtues of ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Seems a little obvious and banal really, it has to be said.

mysteries explained [youtu.be]

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Sci show is always a good ten mins. Thank you.

And the world was never the same:

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Newton belonged to a heretical Christian sect which did not believe in the holy trinity. And his college at Cambridge where he did most of his important work, was of course 'Trinity.'

Did anyone get any presents they really like? 😆

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Not known for doing a good job, keep an eye on him.

Did anyone get any presents they really like? 😆

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

I got a good night out and a great meal with my best friend. What more could you want.