My first dewberries from my yard! More are ripening.

RussRAB comments on Mar 28, 2020:

The look just like blackberries. Do the taste much different?

Yep, to pass the time while hanging by nails on a cross 2000 years ago he was thinking, I wonder who...

RussRAB comments on Mar 28, 2020:

Well, He was God so he didn't really feel any pain. He had to have something to occupy his mind while hanging around.

More irises are blooming.

RussRAB comments on Mar 27, 2020:

Here are two more in bloom I missed earlier.

Christian Preacher: God is Using COVID-19 to Warn America Against Fornication | Hemant Mehta | ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 27, 2020:

Just the other day, we heard Michele Bachmann claim the coronavirus had everything to do with porn and masterbation, while the president's Bible teacher blame this pandemic on the gays. I do wish God would get his message straight before telling all these fundies what it is supposed to be. One might think these fundamentalists are just making it up as they go along.

Will e picking my first green beans of the year this afternoon.

RussRAB comments on Mar 27, 2020:

Sounds delicious. My grandparents grew green beans every year and they were just the best cooked just as you describe. I've never grown a variety I liked as much as theirs.

CORONA VIRUS STATISTICS UPDATE Get the latest of the worldwide stat from here ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 26, 2020:

When I reviewed the site just now, the US leads the world in total cases - including China. I was criticized here not too long ago for quoting an estimate of 50k cases of infections in the US. This count shows the US at 83k. I believe our testing is woefully inadequate in our nation so I expect this number to go even higher. With Republicans encouraging people to go back to work and to resume going out to eat and out for entertainment, it could get a whole lot worse. GOP Lt. Gov. Of Texas Dan Patrick says we should sacrifice our grandparents to this disease to keep our economy running.

So I'm bummed out.

RussRAB comments on Mar 26, 2020:

Is there evidence that pets can carry the virus?

How does the atheist community react or respond to the following for example: This is Lent right ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 26, 2020:

The stock market crashed in 1929 marking the start of the Depression on Oct. 28 and 29 right before Halloween, and again in 2008 on Sep. 29 starting the Great Recession. Sep. 29 was National Coffee Day. In 1945, on Aug. 6 - National Root Beer Float Day - the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. The point is that bad things, when they occur, must occur at some time on the calendar. This calendar is filled with all sorts of memorials to all sorts of different things, some well known and some not. Events that occur will necessarily correspond to some sort of memorial set on a date on the calendar. That this disease corresponds to Lent is really no more meaningful than when the stock market crashed near Halloween or on National coffee day, or when the day dedicated to root beer floats happens to be the same day thousands of Japanese citizens lost their lives to the world's first use of an atomic weapon. Humans are pattern seeking beings and we can and do find patterns where none exist.

Say “No” to Death’s Dominion | R. R. Reno | First Things

RussRAB comments on Mar 25, 2020:

I read or heard a report somewhere that survivors of COVID-19 show what is expected to be long term damage to lung function, but I am not able to find it. The virus itself is SARS-CoV-2 and this pathogen causes the disease COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 belongs to a family of viruses which includes the one which caused SARS years ago. The long term effects of SARS may not be known to a lot of people, but they are significant. The article linked discusses the long term health effects of SARS not COVID-19. The long term effects of COVID-19 will not be known until we have some long term survivors. What I read and now can't find was that the damage to the lungs of COVID-19 survivors was similar to that observed in survivors of the SARS outbreak. Given that the diseases are in the same family and that the condition of the lungs is similar after recovering from these diseases, I think it is reasonable to assume that we can expect long term residual effects to the health of COVID-19 survivors. My point here is that while we discuss who is most at risk of dying from contracting COVID-19, death is not the only adverse effect on those who become infected. Those who recover are likely to experience a lifetime of residual health effects. https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2010/09/02/sars_survivors_struggle_with_symptoms_years_later.html

I planted a ginkgo sapling a few days ago.

RussRAB comments on Mar 24, 2020:

No experience with ginkgo tree except they can be gorgeous when the leaves turn in Fall.

Zia, our little peanut.

RussRAB comments on Mar 24, 2020:

Good lookin' dog.

My loquat tree surpassed itself this year.

RussRAB comments on Mar 24, 2020:

I guess I'm not as creative. Loquat jam is all that came to mind.

Japanese Truck Gardening Competition [odditycentral.com]

RussRAB comments on Mar 24, 2020:

What an incredible display! It's just beautiful.

Shh...🤭🤭

RussRAB comments on Mar 22, 2020:

That is so funny! LOL!!

If your puppy looks like this they may have corona.

RussRAB comments on Mar 22, 2020:

How Frightening! Now, was that you have corona, or that you had too many Coronas? 😉

500,000 infected?

RussRAB comments on Mar 21, 2020:

The US is currently 4th in the total number of cases of COVID-19 and 2nd in the number of reported new cases (China doesn't have a new case number reported). The US is still not testing as aggressively as other natons, so our numbers may be understated. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries There are reasons why we in the US hold these positions. https://digbysblog.net/2020/03/an-epic-cascade-of-errors/?fbclid=IwAR2pva7bJH2BN7YEOfCBUt0r8zQpGu_X110jEDOJKFCi6JloNmS6WEO62g8

Time to put one's money where one's mouth is.

RussRAB comments on Mar 21, 2020:

Love your plumaria and passion flower. If I recall correctly, you live in a more tropicsl/semi-tropical area?

Would be gardeners should never travel in Spring.

RussRAB comments on Mar 21, 2020:

I am to the point where I need to completely redo a couple of my plots. Get out the shoval and turn everything over.

I was looking up information on Dan Barker and his reasons he left Christianity.

RussRAB comments on Mar 21, 2020:

A point or two in my origin post apparently need clarification. I believed I had read that the issue of human suffering was one which Dan Barker had written was a reason he had questioned his faith. I have not read Barker's book, but mamy years ago I had read several articles by him and about him. The specifics of what I read a long time ago are sometimes a little fuzzy. I wanted to try to clarify my memory so I attempted to find something through a Google search. The Wintery Knight website was listed as part of the search. Looking at the summary on the search, I thought the Wintery Knights site might hold the answer I was looking for. It didn't, but it did trigger an old pet peeve al about religionists who belittle the struggle and turmoil of at least some of us who questioned and eventually left our religion. I never doubted that Dan Barker didn't have valid reasons why he left Christianity, nor do I believe that any of the 4 reasons suggested by the Wintery Knights site was one of Barker's reasons. Wintery Knight is not a site I would regularly visit or read from. My comment was from a negative reaction to it. Going to the site at all was due to the snippet Google offered in response to my search which did not reveal the kind of site it was.

Has any one else noticed, you get MORE religion SHOVED down your throat here, than if you were say a...

RussRAB comments on Mar 20, 2020:

Seems to me religion is spit up and out here and not shoved down anyone's throat. Who here is telling you to worship their God (or else), pay offerings to their church (or else), or shaming you for your belief/disbelief different from theirs?

Auntie Zelda has finally overcome her fear of these babies.

RussRAB comments on Mar 20, 2020:

Getting attached to puppies is a problem for me too. Our current 2 poms are a male and female and after considering whether or not to breed them, we chose not to. We get too attached to cute puppies, and we decided we just wanted them to be our pets.

Many people are pushing fake virus cures and are being called out for it.

RussRAB comments on Mar 19, 2020:

Alex Jones needs to pay off some fines. https://apnews.com/f07ede9177eaa45b1792a5559c9c2593 https://apnews.com/cc46fee3220c4e26a77b1239f5132170 https://apnews.com/cc46fee3220c4e26a77b1239f5132170 I suppose he saw televangelist Jim Bakker hocking a silver solution to cure COVID-19 and figured he could cash in on scamming people too.

Some of what's going on in my garden : I don't know what the red berries are , but I suspect they ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 19, 2020:

Beautiful flowers. The one with the berries looks like one I have along my fence. I thought it was sold as a kind of bamboo. It wasn't tall enough for what I needed so I only have the one.

Do you think the Corono-virus will hurt or help religion?

RussRAB comments on Mar 19, 2020:

I think it will be a tough call. Some people will see its futility at solving their problems but others are as likely to find hope, perhaps to see loved ones who died, or a loved one who was ill and recovered (attributed perhaps to prayer).

51 Senate Obstructionist republican fascist voted against paid sick leave to protect us in this ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 19, 2020:

Lawmakers should not be allowed to set their own salaries or benefits. The American taxpayer should need to approve all pay increases. Unless someone owns a business, they don't set their own compensation package. Representative are "hired" by an election and need to be more answerable to their constituents rather than to special interests, big donors outside their districts (the Koch brothers, Mercers, etc.) or even their party. Either we are a government of the people or we aren't.

Today, Thursday, Googling "coronavirus in CT".

RussRAB comments on Mar 19, 2020:

One possible explanation for dramatic increases in cases within the US is that testing was slow to be available to everyone. As testing increases and conducted on a much wider scale, the more cases that had previously gone untested and undetected will come to light. Low numbers which the administration has quoted as "doing a great job" is meaningless when testing is limited. It gives a false picture and allows undetected cases to mingle with the population and to unknowingly spread the disease.

March and it's still true.

RussRAB comments on Mar 18, 2020:

Me Too !!!

Daylilies from last year.

RussRAB comments on Mar 18, 2020:

I have only 1 problem with Daylilies - they only last a day. But then no flower stays around forever as I would like.

When you finally realize that your imaginary friend is going to let you down because they are ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 18, 2020:

Now we know it is a virus. When most religions formed, they didn't have this fact and disease was something God did because humans did something bad or evil (even though those who were evil were as likely to survive as anyone else - go figure).

When I was a teenager and in a bad place, I believed that there was a God.

RussRAB comments on Mar 17, 2020:

I have understood that bad times and difficult living conditions often lend themselves to reliance on supernatural beliefs for confort and hope. The supernatural certainly has been given credit for natural disasters and harsh weather. The supernatural also often promises a better easier afterlife. To me, it seems counter intuitive, but the same is true for other phenomenon such as divorce. Divorce rates tend to drop when economic conditions like a recession come on. I would think the increase stress of economic hardships would cause divorces, but perhaps the need to work together or to rely on one another creates an opposite effect. Perhaps the same is true with belief in the supernatural.

We got rid of one of the puppies, but for some reason nobody is wanting these two sweethearts so ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 17, 2020:

Very cute. I especially like the picture of them under the bed - one sleeping and the other peeking out from behind.

[theguardian.com] Good article on the therapeutic effect of dogs.

RussRAB comments on Mar 17, 2020:

That is a good article. Thanks for posting it. I'm going to ho home and give my dogs a big hug of appreciation. 😊🤗🤗🤗😊

That look!!!

RussRAB comments on Mar 16, 2020:

Let's see ....! a dog that can talk probably could ride a bicycle. 😉

Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum Refuse to Close During Coronavirus Scare | Hemant Mehta | ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 15, 2020:

More than half the cases in South Korea are from members of one religious cult which told members not to be concerned about infection because their religious belief protected them. Might we see the same phenomenon here in the US among evangelicals? We have already seen Jim Bakker trying to bilk his viewers with unproven cures, and another televangelist faith healing through the TV set. Others like some of Trump's spiritual advisers are saying similar things. Such disregard for practical measures of protection would seem to imply that evangelicals heeding these religious figures will end up at greater risk of exposure and infection. It certainly was the case in South Korea.

President Trump tests negative for Covid-19.

RussRAB comments on Mar 15, 2020:

The president should be tested. He has been in contact with individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Many many more Americans need to be tested but apparently can't be due to the poor response to this pandemic in the US. I've read estimates of infected individuals as high as 50,000 in the US (obviously not from a source trusted by conservatives since they parroted the president's declaration that it has all been a hoax) but we have only tested several thousand.

Paula White Featured Speaker At Event Promising ‘Supernatural Protection’ From Coronavirus | ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 14, 2020:

If she was vaccinated as a child, can we blame it for her complete and dangerous lunacy?

Documentary : Pet food that kills

RussRAB comments on Mar 14, 2020:

I was told by our vet that the jerky treats seemed to be on the recall/warning list 9 times out of ten as compared to othe pet foods and treats. A few years ago, there was a warning of dogs being poisoned from tainted food/treats.

Why do the nonreligious let that go unchallenged?

RussRAB comments on Mar 14, 2020:

I don't think it does go unchallenged. But superior morals is part of Christian indoctrination and any claim to superiority assumes rights of control. It becomes part of the reward for Christians for sacrifices of their belief.

I have terrible aphid infestation on my loquat tree.

RussRAB comments on Mar 13, 2020:

This site may be helpful. https://www.naturallivingideas.com/12-organic-ways-get-rid-aphids/

Why do the faithful fear coronavirus?

RussRAB comments on Mar 13, 2020:

The other side of this story are those who are trusting God to protect them. I've repeated the situation in South Korea several times here. Over half the cases in this country are among one religious cult which told its followers they would be protected from disease and to continue proselytizing for new convert. They also were instructed to attend their church meetings which are intentionally crowded. Another conservative South Korean preacher has told Christians they should be honored to die from the virus and that it was patriotic. Worse still, an US organization dedicated to freedom of religion is urging the South Korean government to protect the religious freedoms of these religious cults in light of the epidemic/pandemic. We might be able to tolerate some of this nonsense if it only effected those who chose to believe, but these religious fanatics urged to disregard warnings and precautions put everyone at risk because of their beliefs.

Sorry out of tp

RussRAB comments on Mar 13, 2020:

Sorry, I couldn't get the link to work.

Christians, or as I call some of them, christian scum, like to call evolution and science "Lies from...

RussRAB comments on Mar 13, 2020:

The concept of justice per many Christian evangelicals is also convoluted. Access to heaven requires the professing and acceptance of Jesus as your personal saviour and you're in. If you don't believe, then you are out destine to burn for eternity. Even if the believer is the scum of the earth as an individual and the non-believer is near perfect, the believer get the big reward and the non-believer gets burned.

I can only assume a batch of faulty magic underpants is to blame for this Church and ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 11, 2020:

I'd rather they take these precautions than as some other religions which told their congregants that their faith would protect them from becoming ill. About half the cases in South Korea are all from one church which told followers just that, and as a result, the disease spread like crazy among these believers. It didn't help that their rituals involves contact between members. Your comment, however, is not lost on me. Magic underwear doesn't really do anything beyond what regular underwear does. Mormon leaders are likely to be particularly careful since the coronavirus effects older folks much more severely than younger ones. The top 15 are right in the age group to be taken out if they contract the disease.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, Oregon. I think I'll make a visit this year!

RussRAB comments on Mar 11, 2020:

Beautiful. I am a fan of iris and Schriener's Iris Farms are located there in Oregon. I'd love to attend their spring open house sometime. https://www.schreinersgardens.com/about-schreiners

Okay, so there is always the Atheist vs.

RussRAB comments on Mar 11, 2020:

I don't see the whole spectrum of belief and disbelief as static. Individuals change their minds about their beliefs all the time and it is not just agnostics "falling off the fence." Theists become atheist, atheist take on a theistic belief, and agnostics change to atheism or theism. I identify as an agnostic but I believe it also falls into the realm of atheism since I have no specific belief in diety. But agnosticism isn't just fence sitting. In my case, I don't believe God is a knowable entity by human beings. I don't believe human beings with our sensory perceptions or our cognitive abilities can discern between God and an impostor who has abilities or knowledge superior to our own - the greater the difference, the more difficult to discern. Consider the scenario of the alien astronauts coming to earth and encountering prehistoric man. Their abilities would necessarily be far more advanced than that of ancient humans and our distant ancestors could easily mistaken these beings as supernatural Gods. Such phenomenon has occurred with primitive peoples when they come into contact with more advanced cultures. Even today with our own advanced knowledge of the natural world, we may be better prepared to determine a divine fraud, but this does not mean that some beings couldn't have abilities or knowledge which could fool our own to discern. For me, agnosticism is as much a belief that God is unknowable and not just a question of not knowing whether or not if God exists.

At least 3 weeks early this year:

RussRAB comments on Mar 10, 2020:

They are still beautiful. My daffodils were up and blooming in February and are mostly all spent. I have some that come up every year but don't bloom. I imagine they don't get enough cold days.

Lol doggy wants his treat

RussRAB comments on Mar 9, 2020:

That's one way of getting them in the tub.

Oops wrong one

RussRAB comments on Mar 9, 2020:

His owner must have read the sign wrong - is instead of does.

Orthodox Israeli Rabbi Claims Coronavirus is God’s Revenge for Gay Pride Parades | Beth ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 9, 2020:

It's a common enough claim among conservative religious believer apparently of all faiths. The problem for them is that gays will not be the only people to contract the virus and those who are less diligent - like not believing they need to wash their hand like others - will be particularly vulnerable to contracting the disease. I suppose it will make believer angry at gay peple if these zealots lose loved ones to the virus if they truly believe this is the cause. It's mental abuse to try to have anyone believe this kind of nonsense.

How are these god pumping people dealing with the current virus?

RussRAB comments on Mar 9, 2020:

They pray, then go to the doctor and take the medicines prescribed, feel better/recover and attribute their recovery to prayer. If it's dramatic enough, some promenant preacher features them as proof that prayer is effective and lots and lots of people hear about it. They never hear of those who rely on prayer alone and die, or those who die after treatment even if that scenario is the most common outcome. I will never forget the reaction of Iraqis from Bush II's invasion of that country. Regardless of our opinions of this invasion, the reaction of Iraqis being liberated from the oppression of Saddam Hussien was to attribute their liberation to Allah. Never mind the invasion force (of infidels) who toppled the regime, it was Allah who gets all the credit.

Right-Wing Pastor: God Sent Us Coronavirus Because of Homosexuality | Beth Stoneburner | Friendly ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 9, 2020:

These evangelical Pasters are just way too obsessed with gays. Get a real life guys!

I wish this video had been shared millions of times in September 2015.[m.facebook.com]

RussRAB comments on Mar 9, 2020:

The Republucan party of today is nothing like the Republican party of the 1960's. It would be difficult to say how they would react to this video. They might just laugh - they are jaded into believing anything other than what reinforces their belief is fake news.

"Televangelist Jonathan Shuttlesworth claims God will spare conservative red states from the ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 8, 2020:

As time has gone on, the number of cases in the US and the states with cases of coronavirus infections has increased. I wonder (and doubt) if Mr. Shuttlesworth would renounce his prediction/prophesy. https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-updates-united-states.html

Someone recently argued that greater educational attainment in first nations is the driver behind a ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 6, 2020:

Michael Shermer wrote a book titled "How We Believe" in which he discusses various aspscts of belief within our society. One aspect he examined was educaton and he discussed the results of 2 surveys - one taken from redpondants from the Skeptic Society and one taken by a polling company from a random sample. As expected, the magnatude of the results from the Skeptic Society sample were greater than the randon sample but the trend from both studies were consistent. This trend clearly showed that greater education coresponded positively to a greater degree of disbelief. Those who fit into a category of having earned an advanced degree such as a Masters degree or PhD were more likely to disbelieve than those who had earned a BS or BA, which were more likely to disbelieve that those who has some college but did not earn a degree or who had earned an Associates degree, and this group was more likely to disbelieve than those who had earned no greater education than a High School diploma. Other factors also come into play of course. Other explanations may also explain the observation and correlation does not prove causation. The fact still remains that greater degrees of disbelief corresponds with higher levels of education attained.

It is Time!!! trump 2020. 20 years for Treason, 20 years for Obstruction.

RussRAB comments on Mar 5, 2020:

I love it! I never dreamed I would feel this way about anyone, but what comes to mind with Trump is "LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP!"

‪This 'gay, atheist, leftist' is taking on Poland's right-wing government — by running for ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 5, 2020:

I thought Pete Buttigieg made an excellent candidate in the Democratic Primary. He had impressive educational background, impressive military service, he was well spoken and steady when fielding criticism, etc. I would have rather he had a bit more experience in office although being mayor isn't a bad start. I wouldn't mind seeing Buttigieg serving in politics in the future. Nothing about a gay person is necessarily disqualifying for political leadership. We do ourselves a disservice by disqualifying them out of hand simply for being gay. Without knowing much about Robert Biedron of Poland (just from this article) I hope he can do something to counter the right wing extremism on the rise in Poland.

Finally.

RussRAB comments on Mar 5, 2020:

At 91! Wow! I'd feel lucky just to reach that age much less still be gardening. Congrats on your good start. Btw, I looked up your profile and you don't look anywhere near 91. Good Job!

When a god... any fucking god gets tired of some shit... First Reaction is a Plague... so...

RussRAB comments on Mar 3, 2020:

They won't get it. They will blame the plague on gays , or feminists, abortion, or one of their other favorite scapegoats.

Racism and republiKKKans are holding hands.

RussRAB comments on Mar 3, 2020:

I have no words. Just give me a moment and maybe I'll find a few .........

THE WORLD HEALTH UNDER republiKKKan ADMINISTRATION LED BY trump.

RussRAB comments on Mar 2, 2020:

Trump has no vision of the world beyond how it benefits him. It's evident in nearly everything his administration does.

How can a Country Founded, Populated and Developed by Criminals Expelled of their Native Nation can ...

RussRAB comments on Mar 1, 2020:

I had understood that Britain emptied its debter's prison and sent them to America. These "criminals" wouldn't necessarily be of the same charactere as murders and theives often thought to be incarcerated in a prison. Just the same, the offspring of a criminal can't be assumed to have the same character as the parent. Even certain characteristics that may have contributed to criminal behavior under one set of circumstances may have been an asset under another. The premise of the original comment, however, is incorrect even as the attached article explains. While Britain did release its prisoners in America, they prifoners did not necessrily reach a significant portion of the whole population. America did attract any number of immigrants seeking new opportunity or freedoms from oppression experienced in their homeland. Never the less, I won't find fault in a country like Australia that appears to be a functioning democracy any more that the nations of Europe ruled for centuries by immoral and downright criminal monarchs. As nations, we all have a dark and sordid side that many would prefer to ignore or forget. But either ignoring it or embracing it doesn't change the facts that it exists nor the fact that nations also have their bright accomplishments and successes.

We all believe in evidence-based science, and that's why we're agnostic/atheist, right?

RussRAB comments on Feb 28, 2020:

Is it that we believe evidence-based science, or do we basically trust it more than the alternatives? As was pointed out in a couple discussions from the Creation vs. Evolution board I once participated in, science has made a number of error over time but the errors were caught and corrected by the scientific method and when the evidence no longer supports (or is discovered to have never supported) a previously believe theory. Religious believers on the other hand often holds onto their religious dogma even way past any evidence or common sense to the contrary.

Yup thats why

RussRAB comments on Feb 28, 2020:

Except that most dogs seem to like smelly body odors. Maybe it's the way we tend to perfume ourselves that dogs object to ...

How do you handle garden pests?

RussRAB comments on Feb 28, 2020:

Necessity is the mother of invention. I like what appears to be hinges on the wire overings so you can access the garden. Very clever.

AG William Barr: “Men Are Far Likelier to Obey Rules That Come from God” | Hemant Mehta | ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 27, 2020:

It hasn't been true of Mr. Barr's boss. Barr is so steeped in his own religious confirmation bias that he can't even detect corruption when it smacks him the face every day of his life. Of course, it smacked him in the face and he jumped right on board and participated in the corruption himself. So, I guess Barr's behavior itself refutes his statement and belief.

Faith Healing Kills: Conservative Christian parents in Michigan who refused to get their dying ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 27, 2020:

I participated in a Yahoo discussion group of Creation vs. Evolution. The subject of killing in the name of God came up in one discussion. The response from one creationist was to claim that killing someone in the name of God was not immoral because God gave life and God could restore a life taken by God's command. I suppose most of us on the other side were kind of dumb founded by the comment. I suppose the same could be argued about a life taken for any reason by someone of any belief (or lack of) but I don't recall anyone making that argument. Of course, we have NO examples of someone being killed and God restoring their life. Plenty of opportunities have existed, but no one has ever come back to life.

Thought I'd try to post some photos from my garden.

RussRAB comments on Feb 27, 2020:

Very lovely. You've made good use of your space. I wouldn't mind relaxing there if I had the opportunity.

Faith Healing Kills: Conservative Christian parents in Michigan who refused to get their dying ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 26, 2020:

Jehovah's Witness have been allowed to refuse certain life saving procedures for their chidren for a long time. I believe their is a supreme Court ruling "protecting" their religious freedom (sometimes at the expense of their children's lives).

Having been encouraged by @Heidi68 who posted about her success with orchids, I had purchased one ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 25, 2020:

It's a beautiful flower. You chose well. 😊

I miss church.

RussRAB comments on Feb 24, 2020:

You might look into a Unitarian church. I understand congregation can vary a lot but many are diverse with various beliefs. Those I have been aware of have been very accepting od nontheists as well as alternate religious beliefs.

I went hiking through the woods on the back side of my property a few weeks ago and found this log.

RussRAB comments on Feb 24, 2020:

You have a lovely collection of orchids. The log you found will be very beautiful once your orchids take hold (and even now being strapped on).

What dissappoints me most when reading posts by many atheists/agnostics is the tendency to blame the...

RussRAB comments on Feb 24, 2020:

In recalling my own journey out of religion, I recall being the victim of any number of well meaning religionists acting out of their life long indoctrination/brainwashing. Their concern often manifested in a kind of ridicule intended or not and they often encouraged that I ignore or deny things I learned that made more sense to me than did their alternate inside-the-box explanations. The point here is that those who are still the victims of their lifelong indoctrination/brainwashing - I don't disagree with you on this point - they can also be perpetrators looking for victims to either spread their indoctrination/brainwashing, or victims who need to be reinforced in the indoctrination/brainwashing. The roles an individual can play are not static and can change with the individuals intent in relation to those around them

I am an atheist in a supernatural God but I have come to see that as long as someone is talking ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 23, 2020:

Your concept of God sound very much like the way Einstein referred to God. Einstein would regularly make references to God in his writings as the beauty he found in the natural world and as represented in the equations physicists found in the natural world. But Einstein's references were often musunderstood by those who conceived of God in a different way. Because the term being used is the same, it gave theist the opportunity to claim that Einstein believed something he didn't actually believe. Einstein once stated, "It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.” My conclusion is that it is probably better to avoid using the term God in order to avoid this confusion and misunderstanding (whether accidental or intentional). Terms like natural order or somthing similar may be close enough to convey the wonder and spiritual-like awe for the beauty and wonder of the natural world. As a side line: My God concept - the closest to a belief, but not a belief - is a pantheist concept of God where God is the equivalent of everything real in the universe. This is not a personal God that one can pray to and expect an answer or response, and it would include all the ugly things of the universe - like predation, starvation, disease, pain and suffering, etc. It isn't necessarily a pretty or feel good version of God we generally like to conceive, but it includes all this but also all the opposites as well.

This is my dog.

RussRAB comments on Feb 22, 2020:

I love that second picture. So relaxed and owning the couch. Have you ever seen a Puggle? It was popular a while ago but I haven't heard much about them for a while. They are a cross between a Pug and a Beagle. That was my first thought when seeing the first pic.

Henbit could probably best be described as a weed.

RussRAB comments on Feb 22, 2020:

OOPS! I don't know how I did it, but I posted this comment twice. Ugh!

Have you ever thought of religion and communism as not being that different?

RussRAB comments on Feb 19, 2020:

Any idea can become an obsession to the point of being cultlike. Micheal Shermer wrote about Ayn Rand in his book Why People Believe Weird Things. Her concept of objectivism became cult of personality with her followers worshiping her as if she could do no wrong. In my view, religions are only ways people view the world and try to make sense of it - at least, that would be how the started out. For the most part, communism is pretty much the same.

Loved this article - some of these plants I've only eaten once or twice, or not seen in years! ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 17, 2020:

Enjoyed the link.I haven't tried many of what was listed but several look interesting to consider. I did grow sun chokes for several years but found I don't care for their flavor. I bought the sun chokes from the produce department at a local grocery store. I did the same with tumeric and ginger but I'm not certain they made it through the winter even though it's relatively mild here. We still get a hard freeze a couple times each year.

I've just started reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins and he say something that I never ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 16, 2020:

I recall reading that monotheism was often a evolution due to political concerns where the preferred God of rulers became the only God that could be worshipped and recognized. Any and all offerings must be made only to this preferred diety. Regardless of the status of Gods, even monotheisti Gods are surrounded by a 'heavenly hosts' of helpers. In Christianity, they're angels some with names and specific roles. The model is of monarchies where a monotheist God or a polytheist king of Gods sits on a throne as if holding court.

I watched "What On Earth" to discover that we have satellites everywhere that can zoom in on ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 16, 2020:

The Noah's Ark story has mountains of problems to overcome unless magical means are employed to resolve these problems. Once magic (or miracles) becomes acceptable, no problem resulting from natural means can't be solved. I have heard magical arguments like all the predatory animals ate hay so they wouldn't try to prey on their natural food sources. One person once suggested that God miniturized all the animals so they didn't need as much space or as much food. I suppose God could have put them all in some kind of suspended animation to solve all the problems of food and waste products. Somewhere the Bible says all things are possible with God, so anything one can imagine is possible to solve any problem with any Bible story. It's a no lose situation unless one is interested in actual facts to come close to what is actually true. Final thought: Greenland ice core research (GISP2) has counted annual ice layers back some 110,000 years using multiple methods. Nowhere in these ice cores is there any indication of a worldwide flood covering all the earth. Paul H Seely is a graduate with a B.D. from the Westminster Theological Seminary of Philadelphia who wrote a lengthy article in 2003 describing the methods and findings of the ice core research, and he explains how the observations from this research disprove a worldwide flood that covered all the earth.

Politics Question. How will you vote...and WHY?

RussRAB comments on Feb 14, 2020:

Trump is a danger to the basic philosophy of our government in relation to the people of the nation. His ignorance of how our government is supposed to work coupled with his gross, unrestrained greed, inability to be truthful, and malignant narcissism causes him to act in his own self interest at the expense of anyone and everyone else. Trump has a very long history of lawlessness to satisfy his greed which has included bribery, fraud, tax fraud, and bringing in illegal immigrants to perform work on tourist Visas and instructed these workers to lie to authorities if asked about their status. Trump has connections with all sorts of nefatious characters around the world including the Russian mob and is suspscted of laundering money for corrupt international leaders attempting to legitimize money embezzled out of their countries of origin. Accumulating money and wealth is Trump's primary and perhaps sole concern which causes him to be incapable of being a civil servant who considers the welfare and benefit of all Americans. Ordinarily, I would prefer to answer this poll differently, but Trump poses such an extreme threat to our nation that removing him from office is a primary concern. So far, none of the Democratic candidates show anything remotely close to the defective character and atrocious behavior of Trump. Any of them would make a better President than our current poor excuse for a human being President.

America Isn’t Growing Hostile Towards Christians, It’s Growing Hostile Towards Religious ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 9, 2020:

It must be that the number of religious bullies are increasing.

Christian Blogger on Hitting Kids: “You Must Make Sure It Hurts to be Effective” | Beth ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 9, 2020:

Christisns can be so far behind the times. "Spanking is correlated strongly and quite exclusively with multiple negative outcomes for children. The negative outcomes often appear only after the spanking has begun, and the effects of spanking remain significant and sizable even after controlling for the influence of other variables such as parental age, child age, sex, race, family structure, poverty, emotional support, cognitive stimulation, etc." https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201802/the-spanking-debate-is-over

Im puppy sitting my moms Bassett Hound. My Transylvanian Hound isnt happy

RussRAB comments on Feb 8, 2020:

Your mom's Basset Hound looks like he couldn't care less. Made himself right at home.

A convoluted argument hard to grasp for agnostics, but if it were to succeed...? [sojo.net]

RussRAB comments on Feb 7, 2020:

In many ways, the natural world has been considered an adversary threatening life; one which God often uses through its extreme such as floods and earthquakes to punish humans for defying God in some way. We still use the phrase "acts of God" in insurance to describe certain incidents with no particular reason for why they occurred. Many aspects of religion would appear (imo) to keep people separated from nature rather than integrated with it. I recall passages from Genesis Christian know granting humans dominion over everything connected twith the earth and that God gave the earth to humans to use for their benefit. These passages have had as much to do with Christians supporting environmental abuses or at least disregarding environmental protections.

Attorney General Warns of 'Militant Secular Effort' to Drive Out Religion

RussRAB comments on Feb 4, 2020:

Barr should be more concerned with the rise of the militant right. https://warontherocks.com/2019/11/are-we-entering-a-new-era-of-far-right-terrorism/

4 of my 7 orchids are blooming.

RussRAB comments on Feb 2, 2020:

Beautiful!

Could I be considered an atheist or a deist?

RussRAB comments on Feb 2, 2020:

The online dictionary.com shows 2 definitions for deism: 1- belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation; and 2- belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it. What you descibe sound a bit like the socond definition. How firm is your belief? I have read that agnostics are sometimes classified as atheist agnostics and theist agnostics. Would one of these apply to your belief any better than deism? As far I am concerned, how you classify yourself is far less important than how you behave toward yourself and others. Take as much time as you want/need to work out what you believe and what you classify yourself as.

I can't say I'm very shocked by these comments, but it does make me wonder how these people could ...

RussRAB comments on Feb 2, 2020:

In my process of deconversion, I struggled with the idea that religon made or at least helped them to be moral, but it isn't true. Being moral/ethical is a choice an individual makes and they continue to make as they internalize the value. Religion may provide the moral code they choose to internalize but choosing a set code does not detract from the fact of the decision to adopt the religious code. The worst situation is someone who believes themselves to be moral because they belong to a religion but then know nothing or very little of what tneir religion requires of them in order to comply with the religion's moral code. Then there are the codes that essentially apply only to other believers. Open season is then understood to be the case with non-believers. Religion does not necessarily translate into any kind of real morality. The Divine Command theory says anything God demand of the believer is moral. So, if God demands a believer to kill or commit mass murder, it is moral. If God demands a believer rape someone, it is moral. Actually, if God demands one of these things of a believer, they would be immoral to refuse God's command. The Bible provides an example. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and having recieved one of the 10 Commandment not to kill, God commanded the Israelites to cross the Jordan River and "cleanse" the land of Canaan. To fulfill the commandment, the Israelites commensed with a genocide. So much for "Thou Shalt Not Kill".

How old are your dogs?

RussRAB comments on Feb 2, 2020:

My poms are 2 and a hslf and 2. 14 is the oldest any of ours dogs have lived, but they always looked a lot older than your huskies. Beautiful dogs.

I might have fucked up on Facebook, ya’ll.

RussRAB comments on Jan 29, 2020:

Christians have enjoyed the privilege of having goverment endorsement and support for a very long time in the US. More recently (like over the last 50 to 70 years) this privilege has been challenged and the courts have upheld the rolling back of this privilege. For Christians, many will see their loss of privilege and support as oppression since they no longer have what they had before. The fact, however, is that tnese Christians now experience what other people of other religions have experienced. It isn't oppression but the change may feel like it.

Mississippi Bill Would Force Teachers to Say the Ten Commandments Every Day | Hemant Mehta | ...

RussRAB comments on Jan 18, 2020:

I'd like to say the courts would put a stop to this law pronto, but with the recent additions to the Supreme Court, I'm not so certain.

I wonder why?

RussRAB comments on Jan 15, 2020:

Similar rules were opposed by the Mormon church at other times. The Mormon Office of the President filed a freinds of the court brief in the Catholic church's child abuse case (in Oregon, I believe) concerning rulings about priests not turning in those who confessed to abusing children. The Mormon supported the Catholic's position.

Do any of you think that a meaningful relationship can be acheived with a christian?

RussRAB comments on Jan 13, 2020:

It depends on the individuals involved. Each partner needs to respect the other's enough not to mock or ridicule their belief. As for the Christian side of this question, there is a New Testament passage that seems to validate the mixed belief relationship. 1 Corinthians 7:14 "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." Many other passages are not at all complimentary of disbelief and would make mutual respect within a mixed belief relationship impossible, but such is the nature of the Bible saying one thing in one part and something opposite in another. It's my belief that a successful relationship will place the wellness of their partner (along with themselves) at the top of their priorities in the relationship. It means beliefs would be secondary to the partner's well being which would include a sort of "hands off" the partner's beliefs. Both partners need to hold this similar value. As I write this, I can think of all sorts of caveats and sticking points - how to raise the kids, what if certain beliefs are harmful either to the believer or others, etc. I would still maintain that these issues could be dealt with for the most part if the partners in the relationship respected one another. Behaviors and attitudes are much more important than beliefs within a relationship. When beliefs become an issue, I suspect it is because the belief adversely effects behaviors and attitudes.

Not everyones cup of tea but obviously a passion, and a what a display. [youtube.com]

RussRAB comments on Jan 3, 2020:

Cactus flowers are some of the prettiest. https://youtu.be/1yYbUpesXMQ

My mothers dog of 17 years, Rufus, crossed the rainbow bridge on New Years Eve.

RussRAB comments on Jan 3, 2020:

My condolences. I think many who haven't experienced the loss of a loyal and loving canine companion wouldn't understand just how difficult the loss can be. ❤🐶❤

Does god exist?

RussRAB comments on Jan 2, 2020:

But of course we must have a definition of what God is and how God is defined before we can answer whether or not God exists. The parameters of who and what God(s) are has varied quite a bit between cultures.

Is 'god' an impersonal force of nature, a 'universal consciousness' similar in quality to other ...

RussRAB comments on Dec 23, 2019:

I believe the typical definition and understanding of 'god' (or 'God' ) isn't impersonal. From my belief and understanding, describing the phenomenon you mention as 'god' lend itself to misunderstandings of what is being discussed. Einstein would refer to God when talking about natural phenomenon and those who understood God differently would claim Einstein to be religious like themselves. I would think we would be better off avoiding the term God in favor of other descriptions - 'natural physical laws', 'governing principles', etc. In terms of humans personifying the inanimate and nonpersonal, I believe it is clear that humans tend to naturally think in think in this way. We are a pattern seeking species and we will find patterns where none exist. We will also find faces from random patterns. This phenomenon is apparently something we do from an early age since infants are attracted to faces more than other patterns and shapes.

WSJ Essayist: Atheists Should Just “Lie” to Their Kids When Talking About Death | Hemant Mehta |...

RussRAB comments on Dec 7, 2019:

Nonbelievers have the same right to discuss issues of life and death with their children consistent with their personal beliefs as believers do with their children. In then end, the children of both parents will make up their own minds when they become adults. Certain believers can be so arrogant to suggest imposing their beliefs onto the children of others is something they have a right to do. They don't.

Getting to the time when all pets should be indoors

RussRAB comments on Nov 17, 2019:

Couldn't agree more!

Europeans and Americans have a very different point of view on neutering.

RussRAB comments on Nov 17, 2019:

We have had both neutered and unneutered dogs of both sexes. I prefer to have them neutered unless we were intending to breed. When we adopted our two Poms, we debated trying to breed them, but decided against it. We figured there were already plenty of dogs needing homes, we didn't intend to show, and neutered canines are easier to care for. They are just as loving - and onery. We love them just as much.