What is it about a woman's boobs that men (and some women) find so attractive?

ToakReon comments on Jan 18, 2019:

I'm not a 'big boobs' man. I'm a 'long legs' man. A pert C cup is quite sufficient. Beyond that and I start thinking 'Heck, does she ever get backache - poor girl?'

Caption pending..

ToakReon comments on Jan 18, 2019:

I am a scientific, product tester. I'm washing the dishes (hence the gloves), using an experimental detergent that tends to make your eyes sting (hence the safety glases) and has the unfortunate effect of causing cloth to degrade (hence I'm taking off my jacket first). This scientific experiment is taking place in a well lit research lab and I don't want to be dazzled by the lights as I work (hence the peaked hat). Any suggestion that this picture is in ANY WAY intented to be erotic is utterly outrageous.

Going main stream

ToakReon comments on Jan 17, 2019:

She's a good-looking girl.

Couple Bringing Japanese Bondage to Art Classes This kinbaku dojo teaches rope tying, hosts life ...

ToakReon comments on Jan 17, 2019:

I adore rope bondage play - as the one who ties rather than the one tied - yet it's a game that, while incredibly enjoyable, needs to be played sensibly by people who properly know and properly trust each other

It has been asked, if God made us all in his likeness why didn't make us all invisible.

ToakReon comments on Jan 17, 2019:

God created mankind in his image - so look at a human, and you will see what God is like. Yet before creating heaven and earth, there was NOTHING. No atmosphere to breathe, but he had lungs (apparently - because we have them, and we are like him). Nothing to smell, but he had a nose (by the same reasoning). Nothing to walk on, but he had legs and feet. Nothing to see, but he had eyes. Nothing to hear, but he had ears. Nothing to eat, but he had a stomach. Nothing to bite, but he had teeth. Nothing to pick up, but he had hands. No gravity to resist, but he had a skeleton. Odd, isn't it, how God's body - that he chose to copy in order to make us - appears to have been adapted specifically for a habitat that did not exist until god, himself, created that habitat... not for himself, but for us?

Please vote and/or comment what kinds of pics you would like to see in the immediate future here in ...

ToakReon comments on Jan 17, 2019:

OK - personal preference (being a lecherous, old, straight git) obviously female... ?... Not that I, in any way, object to pictures of men - they just don't do anything for me. Other than that, HAPPY people, enjoying the expression of their sexuality. Joyous pictures of the content and relaxed - but if the young lady in question happens to be an utterly depraved, BDSM-inclined, bondage-loving spankee, then go for it.

I have only 170 points to get to reach level 7 - so now is the time for a poll.

ToakReon comments on Jan 17, 2019:

My thanks to all!

I have only 170 points to get to reach level 7 - so now is the time for a poll.

ToakReon comments on Jan 17, 2019:

AND BANG! As quick as that, I'm now level 7!

Question: Do you agree this as acceptable?

ToakReon comments on Jan 17, 2019:

Well - I voted 'no' because it's bollocks, but that wasn't actually the question. The question was whether it was ACCEPTABLE - and there we have a problem. Is it ACCEPTABLE to be wrong? I would say that every one of us is wrong. Probably many times a day. Does this make us unacceptable, or does it just mean we have things yet to learn and to understand? Is making a statement that is not true unacceptable? If you do so deliberately, then you are lying - and that might be considered heinous - but what if you state a falsehood in genuine and sincere mistake? Should you then be declared unacceptable? Or does it depend on whether or not you're open enough to consider your words, assess their validity, realise they were erroneous, and change your mind? I voted 'no' - but, to be honest, I think it's just not as simple as that.

Why did religions originate in the first place?

ToakReon comments on Jan 17, 2019:

Religions take hold because people want to believe they know something 'special', that puts them above others of the 'common herd'. Wander up to someone and say, "Hey! Let me tell you a secret! Not many people know this, but you have been SPECIALLY CHOSEN to receive this knowledge...!" and that person will probably be intrigued and flattered. They will not only know 'the secret', but the fact that they have been chosen to hear it makes them feel 'significant'. And once they've locked onto how this special knowledge makes them, themselves, special, they'll invest their own pride, their own self-value, their own purpose in life into it - even if it's complete bollocks. Particularly if they are poor at the concept of critical thinking, and seeking evidence for 'knowledge' - which is why religions almost universally detest any form of education that is not inherently religious.

OK!!! I've had enough of this crap!!! Knock it off or else!!!

ToakReon comments on Jan 16, 2019:

I hope you have a pleasently acceptable random day, Cutie.

Catholic nuns accused of sexual misconduct - YouTube

ToakReon comments on Jan 16, 2019:

Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers.

Here's a couple ideas / thoughts on how to respond to nonsense on the site....

ToakReon comments on Jan 16, 2019:

I can't remember the identities of the two gentlemen in question - but there were two English gentlemen who had been 'aggressively opposed' for years. They met, walking in opposite directions, on a narrow track in their local woods. The first declared, "I shall not stand aside for a fool!" To which the other quietly responded, "I, however, will," and stood aside.

The left is getting more radical all the time.

ToakReon comments on Jan 16, 2019:

The crazy thing is that she's not 'extreme' left wing at all. The 'extreme' tax rates she suggests are actually LESS than the tax rates for the wealthy before Ronald Reagan - and she proposes implementing them only on earnings in excess of 10 million a year. Providing healthcare for all is a concept that the US rejects, but practically every other 'advanced nation' provides. Ditto for providing basic education for the population. AOC's possition is what, 50 years ago, would be seen as the 'normal possition of politics'. The Republican party has shifted so far to the right, and into the pockets of corporate business, that it has no interest whatever in the welfare of normal, US people. The Democratic party has hung on to the Republican coat-tails, becoming more right wing that the Republicans themselves were a few decades back. The US has a right wing Democratic party, and a hard right (maybe ultra right) wing Republican party - and people who express basic concepts of caring for those who need help, and actually suggesting appropriate taxation on the insanely rich, are declared 'hard left' when, in truth, THEY are the moderates.

Maybe I’m just paranoid

ToakReon comments on Jan 15, 2019:

Anatidaephobia: (noun) The irrational fear that you are being watched by a duck.

Pastor claimed that he went to hell and killed satan.

ToakReon comments on Jan 14, 2019:

And Satan received a fair trial, and was found guilty in accordance with law, receiving a death sentence by means of 'slaughter by mad pastor'?

Do you watch Sunday morning political shows?

ToakReon comments on Jan 13, 2019:

Being British, if I watch Sunday morning political shows, they're British ones.

Do you think violence is ever justified? Agree or disagree.....

ToakReon comments on Jan 13, 2019:

Of course there are occasions when violence is justified. If a man is attemping to rape a woman, for example, she is QUITE justified in kicking him in the bollocks. Hard.

Is Hillary Clinton A Closet Lesbian?

ToakReon comments on Jan 13, 2019:

I strongly suspect that Hillary Clinton is not a closet lesbian. She's many things - including a non-progressive, 'corporate democrat' - but I suspect lesbian isn't one of them. What is significant, however, is the 'assumed fact' that if she DID have lesbian tendancies, that would undermine her credibility as a politician. If GOP could unearth evidence that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was lesbian, for example, they would gleefully publish it - and it would be considered by many to be 'damaging' to AOC, but it actually should mean nothing at all.

Well the blessed independant state of Oswaldtwistle is cold wet and rainy.

ToakReon comments on Jan 13, 2019:

Oswaldtwistle? That's midlands Blackburn/Preston way, isn't it?

The Seven Republicans who voted against the bill to retroactively pay govt workers when the shut ...

ToakReon comments on Jan 12, 2019:

Ah... the 'Seven Cunts'

What quality(ies) of the opposite sex do you appreciate the most?

ToakReon comments on Jan 11, 2019:

What qualities of the opposite sex do I appreciate most? Insanity. What I look for most is a gorgeous, intelligent, fascinating, charming, charismatic, young lady in her twenties - with the figure of a goddess and legs that go on for ever - who is so absolutely HOWLING MAD that she would want to hurl herself at a 54-year-old codger who looks like a gremlin. (And yes, you did say 'in a genuine, non-sarcastic way.' Sorry!)

Is Jesus a communist?

ToakReon comments on Jan 11, 2019:

No. Jesus cannot be a communist, on account of the fact that Jesus (certainly the version in the bible) does not, and never did, exist - so the question is as invalid as asking if Winnie the Pooh is a lover of Japanese kabuki theatre.

Glasses. Which pair do you wear?[agnostic.com]

ToakReon comments on Jan 11, 2019:

Bifocals - 'cause I'm both ancient and short-sighted.

So you are a "liberal/socialist" You invent a widget that is inexpensive to build.

ToakReon comments on Jan 11, 2019:

I am assuming this is a hypothetical question, formulated and presented to try and make some point about 'liberal/socialists'. If so, it just doesn't work. Try again.

What do you believe in?

ToakReon comments on Jan 11, 2019:

Well, I exist - as do dogs (my own examples are archy and mehitabel - retired racing greyhounds). Energy exists. Abandon exists. I guess those I 'believe in', as there is evidence that they're there - but I don't believe in them as a 'higher power'.

WhiteHouse.

ToakReon comments on Jan 10, 2019:

Well - I wrote, and asked if Mr. Trump was truly aware of the contempt and scorn with which he is regarded by a majority outside the US - and, indeed, by a significant proportion within. I received a very polite response, stating my point would be 'carefully considered' and thanking me for making the effort.

@MrLizard and I are looking for a good home for Sonja.

ToakReon comments on Jan 10, 2019:

Aww - she looks lovely. Hope she finds a great home.

My sweet little 18 year old kitty climbed on my lap and put her head on my chest then past away.

ToakReon comments on Jan 10, 2019:

The death of a loved pet breaks your heart. Stella loved you, and you loved Stella - both of you would have had a poorer life, more sterile and emptier, without the other. So miss her, for sure - but also allow yourself to rejoice, and remember, and smile.

Do you think atheism can lead to higher consciousness?

ToakReon comments on Jan 10, 2019:

I think you're struggling, here, if you don't provide a crisp, clear definition of what you mean by 'higher consciousness'

Donald Trump's Border Speech Gets A Savage Instant Fact-Check On Fox News

ToakReon comments on Jan 9, 2019:

It appears there comes a level of fictional piss-taking where even Fox news starts thinking, 'Hang on - if we don't challenge this bollocks, even OUR viewers are going to doubt us!'

The random, meaningless announcements thread. For your random, meaningless announcement.

ToakReon comments on Jan 8, 2019:

I have known PI to 20 decimal places since I was 8 years old. 3.14159 26535 89793 23846 Which means that:- IF the world was a perfect sphere - which it is not, and IF I knew it's exact diameter - which I do not, I would then be able to calculate the circumference of the earth to a precision of five trillionths of an inch.

Gals, what is a pickup line that worked? (For real now!)

ToakReon comments on Jan 8, 2019:

There was a lad I knew who went into nightclubs, wandered up to the best looking girl he could see and said, "Hi. I'm Jeff. Wanna fuck?" He would get rejected - sometimes very aggressively - nineteen times out of every twenty, but if there were more than twenty good looking girls in the club, he tended to end up going home with one.

Gals, what is a pickup line that worked? (For real now!)

ToakReon comments on Jan 8, 2019:

Not one that I've ever tried, but it amuses me:- "Excuse me Miss, I wonder if I could ask you a question? I'm doing a study on corny chat up lines, and I'd be grateful if you would listen to the following, three examples - and tell me which you think would be the most effective. "1 - What's a nice girl like you doing in a dump like this? "2 - If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me? and "3 - Excuse me Miss, I wonder if I could ask you a question? I'm doing a study on corny chat-up lines..."

How as athiest do you determine right from wrong ?

ToakReon comments on Jan 8, 2019:

That which harms people or makes their lives worse is undesirable, morally. Sometimes, however, a situation occurs where harming people or making their lives worse is a consequence of doing something that makes other people's lives better - take the example of shooting a moron who's running around a school killing children, bad for him but the 'positive' of stopping more children dying outweighs the harm done to the shooter. In those situations where there is no 'balancing act of harm done' then I see the situation as remarkably clear. This is why I oppose the death penalty as a concept - the criminal dies, but who are saved from harm or having their lives enhanced? No-one, except those who enjoy the grim satisfaction of saying, "He deserved to die! Kill him!" - and that is, lets face it, a limited form of satisfaction, born of desire for vengeance rather than justice. Similarly, we come to homophobia. Making your homosexual next-door neighbour's life a misery does what? Damn all. What he/she does in the privacy of the bedroom has no effect on you - so the homophobia is pure harm without any offset. It's where there IS a trade off that things get complex - and here other thoughts creep in. Is the harm you're considering causing just? A man may be white, a man may be black, a man may be asian - none of that is his 'fault', nor should he suffer for it, even if it would enhance the lives of others if he did. Being black does not justify people making you a slave - even if the profits of your slavery will buy your owner's children new teddy bears and make them really happy. Is the harm you're considering based on a concept of selfishness? Yes - stealing a wad of a wealthy person's cash could greatly enhance your life, but doing so is more a matter of selfishness than morality. I could go on - but in all honesty it's summed up by two things:- THINK, and DON'T BE A CUNT.

Cat or Dog?

ToakReon comments on Jan 7, 2019:

Dog. Or, in fact, plural - dogs. Due to pick them up from the rescue kennel next Saturday. Names 'archy' and 'mehitabel' - those who know where the names come from will also know why they don't start with capital letters.

This government shutdown for the funding of a wall is a tad bit ridiculous.

ToakReon comments on Jan 7, 2019:

Trump being juvenile and throwing his toys out of the pram. "I want a WAAAAAAAAALL!"

What if ?

ToakReon comments on Jan 7, 2019:

An update of Pascal's wager. Which is more likely to piss off a god? 1. You actively worshipping ANOTHER god? 2. You not actively worshipping a god - but dishonestly trying to pretend you do? 3. You being honest enough to say 'I haven't seen anything to convince me yet?' 1 is where you're a 'real worshipper' who just happens to be brought up somewhere the 'real god' doesn't happen to be worshipped. With all the different gods that are believed in, it's VERY unlikely you'll just happen to get the 'right one' by chance. 2 is where you try Pascal's wager - and we won't even talk about the chance that you'll falsely, and deceptively pretend to worship the WRONG god. 3 You're an atheist - and an honest one.

Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian

ToakReon comments on Jan 7, 2019:

Good - but basically could be summed up as 'irrational hypocrit'.

In a relationship, How many "I hate you's" is enough?

ToakReon comments on Jan 7, 2019:

Are you the one saying 'I hate you', or your partner.

Hello, I am new to this site.

ToakReon comments on Jan 7, 2019:

Welcome to the merry gang. Hope you have a good time here.

PunctuationMatters.... LOLOL

ToakReon comments on Jan 5, 2019:

A woman, without her man, is nothing. A woman: without her, man is nothing. You have no IDEA how much punctuation matters!

How do I ask a woman at the bar for some fun ;)?

ToakReon comments on Jan 5, 2019:

You ask in the full understanding that you might end up hit. Or arrested, of course - but I suspect being hit is more likely.

I am 500 points short of halfway to 50k. Can 500 people please say congratulations?

ToakReon comments on Jan 5, 2019:

Only get one for a 'congratulations'?

I write as an English observer across the pond.

ToakReon comments on Jan 4, 2019:

Absolutely not. Being an atheist means you don't believe in the existence of any supernatural god (I shall avoid putting an extra word in there, it causes needless debate). Not believing in any god does not NECESSARILY mean you oppose Trump - but, to be honest, if you're rational of thought you tend not to believe fairy-tales, AND you tend not to be gullible enough to believe Trump's lies.

Have you ever experienced negative consequences for "coming out" atheist at work?

ToakReon comments on Jan 2, 2019:

British - and in general being an atheist is not a problem here. In fact our former prime minister, Tony Blair, delayed declaring that he was a born again, church-going catholic because strong religious belief was considered actively NEGATIVE for a politician - and Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democratic party, (a committed 'strong' christian) was heavily criticised for allowing his religious views to affect his political views (not sure if the criticism was justified, actually) and ended up resigning from Lib-Dem leadership.

This sentence is perfect for this site!

ToakReon comments on Jan 1, 2019:

FIVE IN A ROW When writing the phrase 'fish and chips' you should leave a space between 'fish' and 'and', and 'and' and chips. ELEVEN IN A ROW A teacher asked two of her pupils, John and James, to show the use of the past tense by describing a man who had recovered from a cold. John suggested, 'He had a cold.' The teacher wasn't entirely happy, as John's offering did not indicate that the cold was fully in the past and recovered from. James suggested, 'He had had a cold.' The teacher was more impressed with James's offering. In other words:- James, while John had had 'had', had had 'had had'; 'had had' had had a better response from the teacher.

A clown and a prostitute walk into a bar........ You finish the joke.

ToakReon comments on Dec 31, 2018:

... and the barman says, "Hello Donald. Back again? And with your usual style of company too."

Political affiliation and religious belief

ToakReon comments on Dec 29, 2018:

Not US - so Democrat/Republican doesn't fit. Besides, considerably more liberal/left-wing/progressive than the majority of the Democratic party. Atheist.

Twelve Reasons Why Mike Pence Is Just As Bad As Donald Trump.

ToakReon comments on Dec 29, 2018:

Pence is very different from Trump. My own thought is that Trump is sufficiently incompetant that his incompetance limits the danger he poses. I actually believe Pence is more dangerous.

The most cute puppy ever is desperately fighting for his life in freezing water.

ToakReon comments on Dec 29, 2018:

... and then, we wake up and think, "What a bloody stupid dream that was!"

That's me :)

ToakReon comments on Dec 29, 2018:

Yet there is a problem. If harm is being done, if people are being hurt and disadvantaged, if bigotry and injustice are being inflicted - then we DO have a duty to criticise, to state that what is being done is wrong and unjust. And if that harm is being inspired, driven and justified by beliefs that are, of themselves, invalid - then those beliefs are, themselves, harmful and should be properly opposed. Yes, it's 'nice to be nice' - but if doctrines are hurting people, killing people and damaging lives, then by not opposing those doctrines you are indirectly supporting their continuation, and you become complicit in their harm.

How to respond to those who say they will pray for you?

ToakReon comments on Dec 28, 2018:

It depends if you want to be actively 'anti-theist'. If not, react as if they had just said 'good luck, hope things go well'... which is basically that they are saying. If you want to make a point, you can go for something like 'Thank you - and I'll talk to my pet gerbil for you. I expect similar results.'

How do you explain to others that you have morals and ethics despite not being religious?

ToakReon comments on Dec 28, 2018:

Dogs are loving, caring and affectionate without god - are we humans less inherently capable of morality than dogs?

May be because Im a bit of an emotional dude, but I keep coming back to the topic of Theodicy.

ToakReon comments on Dec 28, 2018:

There are a vast number of arguments against the bible. That book can be shown to be:- - Internally inconsistent (in many ways) - In direct contradiction of testable fact (in even more ways) Basically the bible is directly refutable - and the bible is the only 'evidence' of god.

Here is a question, where does your online name come from and is it always the same?

ToakReon comments on Dec 28, 2018:

I used, long ago, to play 'Advanced Dungeons and Dragons'. 'Toak Reon' what my second favourite playing character - a 'magic user' (sorcerer) who rode a donkey, and had a pet eagle he called 'Sparrow'. When I was looking for a 'non real name' to use online, old 'Toakie' sprang to mind. I would have felt wrong using my FAVOURITE playing character, Ellemir Nehar - 'cause she was a girl... ?

Seeing quite a few rather sexists posts just lately.

ToakReon comments on Dec 28, 2018:

Damn! So you mean it's not appropriate to mention a delightful, young lady's huge bazongahs? Curses! Foiled again! But on a less facetious note, Amisja, a very good point.

Question primarily for women.

ToakReon comments on Dec 27, 2018:

"Does a woman feel different in a bikini to the way she feels in a bra and panties?" This, ladies and gentlemen, is an ambiguous question. It could mean 'if a woman wears either a bikini or a bra and panties, does she feel different in herself, depending on which item she wears?' or 'if someone felt two women, one wearing bra and panties, the other wearing a bikini, would they feel different to the person feeling them?'

Hey everyoneone, I’m so lonely emotionally. I just feel bad.

ToakReon comments on Dec 27, 2018:

Loneliness can be horrible - it drains you. I hope you find a way through it to contented companionship.

Hating a God that doesn't exist.

ToakReon comments on Dec 27, 2018:

I don't hate god - just as I don't hate flourescent green rabbits, and fairies, and trolls who lurk under bridges, and talking snakes, and the loch ness monster... and all the other stuff that doesn't exist. I don't waste my time and emotional effort summoning up hatred of nothing at all. I don't hate christians, I don't hate jews, I don't hate muslims... I don't hate believers of any faith for their belief. What I hate are people who act like obnoxious cunts:- - people who believe their fairytale book about their fairytale god gives them a right to discriminate, belittle, abuse, restrain, hurt, and generally act badly towards other people. - people who believe their personal sky-fairy gives them the right to declare themselves moral judge, jury and executioner. - people who terrify their own children with tales of fire and brimstone, and fill their minds with nonsense, stealing away those children's ability to rationally think for the rest of their lives.

For believers, fear of atheists is fueled by fear of death

ToakReon comments on Dec 27, 2018:

The believer spends their whole life sitting in 'Heaven's waiting room', waiting for the 'real life' - the eternity of heaven - to start. Yet what they do in the waiting room dictates whether they get through the door into heaven at all. In effect they're looking around and thinking 'Well - this is crap, but I need to be a good girl/boy for the next fifty years or the doorman won't let me into the main event. And how must I be a good girl/boy? Firstly I must keep telling the doorman how awesome he is, and how much I really love him - even though the bastard keeps threatening me with fire and brimstone. Secondly I must try and hazard a guess about what people the doorman dislikes - atheists, homosexuals, those damn worshippers of other religions, blasphemers and the like - and be REALLY nasty to them.'

Hello, lovely people.

ToakReon comments on Dec 26, 2018:

I've not been around a while myself - but trying to get back into the 'agnostic.com' habit. Welcome!

Run Mary run!!!

ToakReon comments on Dec 26, 2018:

If Mary gave birth to Jesus, and Jesus is the 'lamb of god', then Mary had a little lamb.

Unfortunately had to put my best friend to sleep last week.

ToakReon comments on Dec 26, 2018:

It's very hard - I lost my dog, Sophie, a few years back. They leave a hole in your life. I am hoping to take on a couple of rescue greyhounds soon.

Our economy and security are in deep do do with this moron president. Market will continue to tank.

ToakReon comments on Dec 26, 2018:

Damn, those Trumpists must be tired of how much winning they're enjoying...

New to this, testing to see if anyone sees my post

ToakReon comments on Dec 25, 2018:

Didn't see it. Sorry. This reply is a figment of your imagination.

How do you respond when a complete stranger approaches you in the street and tells you "Jesus loves ...

ToakReon comments on Jul 7, 2018:

'I'm sure Donald Duck loves you just as much'

Have You Saved Someone's Life?

ToakReon comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Absolutely - thousands of times. In fact many times every day. I'm driving my car. There is a curve in the road. There are pedestrians on the pavement. I turn the steering wheel to follow the course of the road. My actions - turning the wheel - directly avoid my car mounting the pavement and killing those people. If I had not taken that action, they would have died.

The formal intellectual position on belief in supernatural beings is agnosticism.

ToakReon comments on Jul 3, 2018:

I cannot PROVE that there is no flourescent pink fairy living at the bottom of my garden - but, you know what? I don't believe any such fairy is there. I cannot PROVE that there is no god - but you know what? I don't believe any such god is there. There is no contradiction between being an agnostic and being an atheist - you can be both, and I am both. Atheism does not come with any presumptions at all. It is simply lack of belief in the concept of god. You can 'not believe in god' and that's it - it doesn't mean anything else, or imply anything else.

Your favorite dog breed!

ToakReon comments on Jun 24, 2018:

I confess I love dogs more for their personalities than their appearance. I do however rather like a dog to have a 'proper nose' which I define as not being the stub-like nose you get on boxers, pugs and so on. I am currently about to move home, but once I have settled in to my new place I'm planning to give a new 'rest of their life home' to a couple of ex-racing greyhounds.

Sarah Sanders says restaurant owner in Virginia told her to leave - CBS News

ToakReon comments on Jun 23, 2018:

Mixed feelings. If it is acceptable for SHS to be ejected from a restaurant for being a lying, objectional bitch, then that weakens the case for saying 'you have no right to discriminate'. I don't like SHS - but no, just because she's a nasty piece of work does not justify her being ejected, just as being black or homosexual doesn't either. Society has to be BETTER than the Trump administration - not sink to the same level.

What books should all atheists read?

ToakReon comments on Jun 21, 2018:

Read whatever your curiosity leads you to. It's not a matter of what you read so much as whether you THINK. That said, The God Delusion by Dawkins and God Is Not Great by Hitchens are good sources to fire up those critical processes.

I have really had it as of today.

ToakReon comments on Jun 20, 2018:

Ultimately, who is to blame? Trump/Pence ... or the millions of supporters who put them in the Whitehouse? Yes - Trump's a cunt, but more terrifying by far is that millions of Americans are damn fool enough to still give this cunt their loyalty.

Would Clinton really have been better? [democracynow.org]

ToakReon comments on Jun 17, 2018:

She would have been LESS BAD. That's a whole, long way from 'good' - but still an improvement on Trump. Honestly - almost anyone would be better than the Trump/Pence combination.

How often does it annoy you when people assume atheist don’t believe in anything at all?

ToakReon comments on Jun 17, 2018:

Why should it 'annoy' me? A theist has absurd beliefs about his mythical sky-fairy, so why should it bother me AT ALL if he is equally absurd in his beliefs about me?

I'm from Sydney, Australia, and a new member.

ToakReon comments on Jun 17, 2018:

Basically I want to see every different place, and every different culture, that I can. So if you ask 'would you like to visit X?' then WHEREVER X is, the answer is 'yes' unless there are actual reasons NOT to go there!

Please enjoy my cartoon:

ToakReon comments on Jun 17, 2018:

Is it significant that war is actually less ugly than god?

Is Atheism a belief system?

ToakReon comments on Jun 17, 2018:

We need to define the difference between 'belief' and 'faith' - and this, I admit, is a contentious issue that many atheists have long arguments about. My OWN definitions are:- BELIEF: something you personally accept as being true. WHY you accept it as true is an entirely separate matter - but if there is something that you personally accept to be true then that is a BELIEF that you hold. I BELIEVE that evolution is a genuine process by which forms of life gradually change in response to their environment and lifestyle.This 'belief' is based on vast amounts of evidence - DNA, fossil records, direct observation, etc - that evidence is WHY I 'believe'. Why I accept this concept as being truth. FAITH: is belief WITHOUT EVIDENCE. Faith is, in effect, when you say 'I believe X!' and when someone asks you why, your only real response is 'Because I DO!' Do I 'believe' the words of the bible are mythical bullshit of the first order? ABSOLUTELY I DO! And with good, evidence-based reason. The words of the bible are inherently incompatible with so much that we can see, and measure, and experimentally test - so yes, that is a concept I personally accept to be fact. Do I 'believe' that the concept of god is equally mythical? CERTAINLY! To believe in god forces you to believe in all sorts of other stuff - such as the 'telepathy' inherent in prayer, the corruption of the concept of cause and effect, and so on - which is completely at varience with our observations of the world around us. So yes, my atheism is a 'belief system' because it is a personal acceptance of certain things being true - but it is belief BASED ON OBSERVABLE EVIDENCE. It is BELIEF, but it is not FAITH.

Hot Button Question 3

ToakReon comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I like the occasional 'ism'. Within reason, of course. I'm commited to reasonable'ism'ism.

How great is cheese?

ToakReon comments on Jun 10, 2018:

It's distinctly and decidedly not bad.

Is it just me or does the Christian doctrine of “you are weak, broken, worthless without god” ...

ToakReon comments on Jun 10, 2018:

'Completely' underpin? A contributory factor, perhaps.

Why do christians and the Jews claim their god is so forgiving?

ToakReon comments on Jun 9, 2018:

The 'god of the bible' is not merciful. Not in any way. The god of the bible sent bears to rip 42 children to pieces for the 'crime' of daring to mock a bald man. The god of the bible slaughtered not only every man, woman and child on earth with the exception of a single family, but slaughtered the entire land animal and land plant population. The god of the bible turned Lott's wife into salt for looking back over her shoulder, but didn't give a shit when Lott's daughters got their father rat-arse drunk in order to have sex with him. The god of the bible declares that if a man rapes a woman, he has only to pay her father 50 shekels and he can marry her and continue to rape her for life. So why do christians say their god is good? Because actually admitting the truth would be seriously embarrassing - so they LIE!

The Atheist movement has changed since the days of Christopher Hitchens (hallowed be his name).

ToakReon comments on Jun 9, 2018:

Multiple beliefs existing peacefully? When has that EVER happened? It never has, it never will - religion is fundamentally devisive, fundamentally judgememtal, and fundamentally harmful.

What teams you chear ?

ToakReon comments on Jun 9, 2018:

Russia vs. Saudi Arabia. One of those odd games where you wish BOTH sides could loose.

Why does the sea taste salty?

ToakReon comments on Jun 9, 2018:

Why does the sea taste salty? 'Cause it IS salty.

I hate suicide.

ToakReon comments on Jun 9, 2018:

Society is changing. You used to have communities that were largely the same, within the community. Sure, one person might be a farmer, another a publican, another a blacksmith - but they lived in the same village, they knew each other, they were 'companions'. They may have been poor, but those they knew were also poor. They understood each other's position, and related to it. That's just not the case now. Modern society is less personal. Less 'understood' by those in it. Everyone has heard about everyone else - but doesn't actually KNOW or UNDERSTAND those other people. This adds to the stresses. Being poor is even harder to bear when you're always hearing about bastards flying in their private jets, driving their Porches and partying through the night - the sense of 'injustice' adds to the pressures you face. Yet it happens to rich celebrities as well. What can be more soul-crushing than knowing your life is falling apart when you 'should' be living the 'perfect, celebrity life' and you're surrounded by people who you should be like, who seem to be having so much of a better time than you? There would be the sense of 'This SHOULD be heaven, so why is it HELL?' I'm not surprised more people are killing themselves, to be honest, at all levels of the social ladder.

Hypothetical celebrity question

ToakReon comments on Jun 8, 2018:

Hmm a strange question. Odd concept.

Why do some men think women as "prudish" if they don't want to hookup?

ToakReon comments on Jun 8, 2018:

Because it's less damaging to the ego to say 'She's a prude!' than to admit 'She doesn't fancy me'. Her being a prude is HER 'failing' - the man being unattractive is HIS.

When Kim Kardashian declared her allegance to Satan, what did y'all think?

ToakReon comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I didn't know she had - but if it's Kim Kardashian I would suspect it means nothing at all ... just a publicity stunt.

Super new to this. What up peeps?

ToakReon comments on Jun 7, 2018:

^

Here’s an easy quiz: if a theist told you “I believe in god because my faith provides me with an...

ToakReon comments on Jun 7, 2018:

The problem is the word 'because'. 'Because' is a word that claims a 'cause and effect' relationship. When you say 'X because Y' you are stating that Y is the CAUSE of X. Now let's take the two halves of this statement:- "I believe in god" BECAUSE "my faith provides me with an anchor and an explanation." Presuming this person is not lying, both of these sub-statements may well be true - but I cannot see how the second is a CAUSE of the first. I would see both as being 'caused' by a single, common factor - childhood religious indoctrination.

So my 16 year old, (who knows how to do everything,) used my iron to put a transfer on a hoodie.

ToakReon comments on Jun 7, 2018:

Ah, when you loose your iron it's a pain in the arse not having an iron. The temptation to buy an iron would be strong, particularly if you like using your iron, or if you have a large number of clothes that need to be smoothed by means of an iron. Of course your 16-year-old who wrecked your iron, and placed you in the position of not having an iron, you having found your old iron and then promptly lost your old iron again, does need to be disuaded from using your iron in the future, for fear that they might wreck yet another iron. Perhaps that 16-year-old might be disciplined by insisting they use your iron for the purpose of smoothing your clothing by means of an iron. That way they will learn how they should properly use an iron, instead of using the iron to apply a transfer, therefore destroying the iron. HA! Your record for the use of 'iron' was short-lived!

Meaning of existence

ToakReon comments on Jun 7, 2018:

Of course we can. Why do you need a 'purpose' in order to enjoy life? Just listen to good music, read good books, watch good shows, enjoy the company of good people, eat good food, make a fuss of good dogs, look at good art, walk through good scenery, and generally be a 'good person' so you help your fellow humans do all those things too. And other than that - chill out. Honestly, what else matters?

Wow! After feeling so isolated in this crazy religious freedom shitstorm of a year, it sure feels ...

ToakReon comments on Jun 7, 2018:

It must be horrific as a non-believer in a deeply religious community. I count myself very lucky. Best of luck, and I hope you don't have any bad experiences because of your views.

You and your kid are at the fair waiting in a long line.

ToakReon comments on Jun 5, 2018:

Me and my kid are waiting in line? What do I do? I wonder 'How the hell did I suddenly get a kid?'

Is it possible to detach religious art from its original theistic context and appreciate it entirely...

ToakReon comments on Jun 4, 2018:

Absolutely. There is incredible religious art, there is incredible religious music, there is incredible religious architecture. The theistic motivations of the artists involved do not detract from the beauty of their creations.

If you could choose to design and be awake inside a lucid dream, where would you go and what would ...

ToakReon comments on Jun 4, 2018:

I'm afraid my 'lucid dream' would be entirely inappropriate for discussion in this forum. It would, however, involve Keira Knightley, Gemma Arterton, Emma Watson and Talulah Riley.

Do you think the recent controversy about the racist comments made on Twitter by Roseanne Barr are ...

ToakReon comments on Jun 2, 2018:

As I understand it, Roseanne Barr said 'The Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes had a baby' of Valerie Jarrett, and Samantha Bee called Ivanka Trump a cunt. The first as a statement is distinctly intollerant: religiously and racially. The second is just a one word term of derision. Yes, perhaps calling Ivanka a cunt was indelicate and probably 'wrong' - but it's not equivalent to Roseanne's comments.

California adds 8th state to travel ban list: Oklahoma - San Francisco Chronicle

ToakReon comments on Jun 2, 2018:

I don't know what effect it will have, but the principle is good.

How would you handle a situation if you just met someone socially and they said something you found ...

ToakReon comments on Jun 2, 2018:

It would depend on circumstance and on whether it was a one-off or an ongoing habit. If, for example, a howling lunatic burst in, yelling 'Donald Trump is the BEST PRESIDENT EVER!' then I could hardly complain if she said something rude.