It sometimes feels that we seldom stray far from the topic of religion on this site, so I have a ...

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 26, 2020:

Too many topics to handle here, but seriously ... palm readers and the Bible agree? <<sigh>> According to that work of fiction known as the New Testament, the character named Jesus is not always a "decent bloke." He told his disciples directly what he was about and who they should love more: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Matthew 10:34-37 (NIV) Now tell me, do those sound like the words of a decent bloke, or a freaking narcissist? Gentle Jesus meek and mild my ass!

Why do hunters mount taxidermied deer heads on their walls?

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 4, 2020:

It seems to me to be a vestige of the past, a primitive ritual of collecting and displaying trophies from the hunt. A practice likely as old as humankind. Though I must admit that an herbivore's antlers are somewhat less impressive than the claws and fangs of a predator.

Trump Campaign Will Hold Event at “Gay Is Not Okay” Evangelical Church in Ohio | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 4, 2020:

It's sometimes difficult to know which is more despicable, Trump's currying favor by showing up, or this organization's acceptance of him in their midst. Perhaps they deserve each other?

I don't understand all the hate when it comes to my Marxist philosophy.

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 5, 2020:

Both Marx and Lennon were key figures in philosophy, wouldn't you agree?

Man Killed By Police At Santa Ana Catholic Church – CBS Los Angeles

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 5, 2020:

If you're 'troubled' by public officials invoking God, first, where have you been? And secondly, welcome to the club! Attributing the so-called 'grace of God' for saving some, while allowing others to be killed, invites much scrutiny. And yet, this ludicrous acceptance of divine interference survives, and is nearly ubiquitous, to the extent that an assumption is made (on the part of some) that a belief in God is the default state. But the following famous, and rather awkward, example of such an assumption is instructive, not only to the viewing audience, but to the press corps! Not everyone is a sheep, Wolf! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RjXHXIVL9g

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

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 10, 2020:

When reading a news article or any essay on the topic of religion, the term 'orthodox' should be seen by all as a rather unique and troubling qualifier. No matter the religion, orthodoxy is all-too-close to chauvinism, autocracy and fascism. In nearly every context, the more orthodox a religious person is, the more others have to fear.

Okay, I was talking with a friend yesterday.

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 10, 2020:

"Documentaries" on ancient gods? On the History channel? Consider the source. And landing strips? So interstellar space travel requires a runway? "There is evidence out there?" Really? Of just what, exactly?

Hi, I'm a new member.

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 16, 2020:

Thank you for introducing yourself, and welcome. Some, myself included, are not nearly so polite, and just dive right in ... Cheers!

Religious friends and Coronavirus.

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 18, 2020:

I was brought up in the Seventh-day Adventist religion, which has finally vanished from my rear view mirror. But I still have many friends & family in the faith, some in the medical field. No matter what whacky beliefs Adventists hold, one is not a reliance on prayer to heal, as their medical system (Loma Linda University, Advent Health, etc.) does not include divine intervention as a medicine.

"God don't like ugly!" So my coworker told me a story about how she was laid off from her previous ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 21, 2020:

I agree completely with @Mofo1953, No and Yes to your questions are the appropriate answers. And finally, a key to understanding irrational beliefs (and those who adopt them) is to anticipate almost anything so that you won't be stunned, but simply revolted. Cheers!

Does God Have A Grudge Against Online Streaming?

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 21, 2020:

I can envision a future where religions utilize VR to create an immersive saccharide substitute for in-person participation. Streaming sermons in a virtual church with streamlined donation prompts could replace mass meetings. And a VR version of the Hajj is just around the corner, endorsed by a tech-oriented Imam.

I'm no scientist but it seems to me we sure are giving the climate a breather with much of the world...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 24, 2020:

The effects appear to be localized. During the quarantine in Wuhan, a marked decrease in air pollution (what we used to call smog) was observed there. I don't know where Wuhan is today, but in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live, the air quality is measured daily, and a significant decrease in hydrocarbons has been measured since the stay-at-home order. That said, it would likely take many years of this apparent reversal in emissions to make a dent in the ongoing atmospheric carbon accumulation.

The headline should have read: Delusional Old Man in a Dress Wanders Streets of Rome During ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 26, 2020:

Don't forget the funny hat! ;-)

A Landlord of a Church Locks Doors to Save Lives LockWNvbnRpbnVlLXRvLWhvbGQtc2VydmljZXMiLCJwbHVn

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 7, 2020:

Churches often sublet. In this case, one Christian church (Bethel Open Bible Church, aka, the landlord) did another (Cross Culture Christian Center, aka, the tenant) a favor, even though they didn't appreciate it.

When did you first see who your child is as a person?

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 8, 2020:

When, as a toddler between the age of 2 and 3, she admitted to doing something she shouldn't have done knowing full well she would be in time out. If memory serves, it was digging in the dirt of a houseplant and making a mess on the carpet. Honesty and integrity must always overcome the impulse to cover up or lie, and our daughter was rewarded for telling the truth by avoiding time out--but she got to help pick up the mess! ;-)

My explanation of Atheism NOTE This is my personal view, it is shared by many but I don't wish to...

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 17, 2020:

I identify as a **nullifidian**, first and foremost--i.e., one who has no faith or religious belief. My first step was to reject all religions and their varied constructs of gods as being wholly man-made, while at the same time rejecting the notion of *faith*, which is an unreasonable intellectual posture synonymous with credulity and the dismissal of facts. I reasoned that, if there were a god, it would not be necessary to believe in it/her/him without evidence. Having rejected all religions in general, and faith in particular, I continued for a period of time to search for evidence of a deity. But finding insufficient evidence to prove its existence, I found God 'Not guilty of existing.' In this absence of evidence, a nullifidian may also be an agnostic--without *knowledge* of a deity. Additionally, with no such knowledge, and lacking the cognitive posture of faith (claiming to know things one cannot possibly know), what then remains to believe in? This nullifidian agnostic is also without theistic *belief*--i.e., I'm an atheist. But in the final analysis, what does all this categorization and philosophical taxonomy really accomplish? How many others on this site might likewise self-identify?

[antisemitism.co.il] Anti-Semitic fliers blaming Jews for Covid-19 near Washington, DC. WTF!!!!!

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 20, 2020:

Sadly, these anti-Semitic beliefs have never left us, and have only surged in recent years, thanks in large part to the top cover given by the current resident of the White House, who prefers to allow these cockroaches to roam freely, rather than shine a focused light of truth and force them back into the wood work.

Texas wanted to secede

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 24, 2020:

Secession, or efforts to do so, seems at times to be as American as apple pie. The mining town of Rough and Ready, California, in the gold-rich Sierra Nevada foothills, voted to secede from the Union in 1850. One wonders just how many regions, counties and towns have, over the years, voted to 'break away.'

Ignoring COVID Order, Massachusetts Church Takes “A Stand for the Lord” | Terry Firma | Friendly...

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 28, 2020:

God is fickle, frequently changing his mind. Instead of omniscience this god, whom many worship today, is infinitely capricious!

Is the concept of a personal God needed in some individuals?

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 28, 2020:

Not merely a personal God, but one who will watch over us and take care of us. This need, it seems to me, is prompted by our desire to feel safe and secure, perhaps as we once did when we were young, and were protected by grown ups. By and large, humans seem to have a 'big person' fetish, which we satisfy with fanciful legends and myths.

The test of a false god; Why I am an atheist.

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 30, 2020:

The Christian faith in which I was raised doesn't even acknowledge the existence of other deities, which meant that there were no false gods. In fact, no false vs. real God argument was ever even considered. However, it was my own experience as a parent that doomed my faith in this 'one and only' deity, as I could no longer tolerate the 'bad parenting' going on. If you're a halfway honest person, you pretty much have to conclude that this God, as described in the Bible (and even as he supposedly exists today), is a fucking loser as a Dad. In fact, this "God" is one helluva vile and twisted monster who deserves nothing more than our loathing and contempt, and to be brought up on child abandonment, endangerment, abuse and infanticide by some form of celestial child protective services! So, once I renounced my faith in this God, and walked away from my church, there was (thankfully) no other deity to turn to. Game over, man ... game over!

I am agnostic because I want to have an open mind! Really?

p-nullifidian comments on May 14, 2020:

Some self-avowed agnostics may think the term reflects a "could go either way" attitude, as in, certain computer files, like JPEGs or PDFs, are 'platform agnostic.' However, to strident religionists, their apparent unwillingness to commit represents, in and of itself, a choice. To the faithful, not choosing to accept is to reject. Personally, I identify first and foremost as a nullifidian: one who has no faith or religious belief. If there were a supreme being, it has yet to be observed or described, and all religions are, and have been, equally ignorant on this account. I am basically a person without any faith or religious belief who lacks any knowledge of a supreme being.

[polygraph.

p-nullifidian comments on May 15, 2020:

Yet another example of a faith serving in the "best interests" of its parishioners.

Four Habits of Discipline My SEAL Dad Taught Me. Apply these to help you in life.

p-nullifidian comments on May 16, 2020:

I've known a number of SOF (Special Operations Forces) guys in my life, and to a man they were the furthest thing from braggadocious. They're well aware of their abilities, and don't need to seek trouble. Most are wiry as opposed to musclebound ... picture the sculpted physique of a professional rock climber. They lead by example, not by barking commands, and are fully devoted to the mission and the team. Their training is much more than physically demanding, as it requires a psychological and emotional discipline that is either buried deeply within, or doesn't exist.

I read in my local newspaper some Atheists are being blamed for burning down a church in ...

p-nullifidian comments on May 24, 2020:

If the arsonists are caught and they identify as atheists, it would only serve to reinforce an earlier conversation, elsewhere on this site, regarding the position of atheism being no guarantor of rationality. It's an old meme for sure, but simply replace 'atheist' with 'non stamp collector' and the folly of grouping atheists becomes clear. https://www.atheists.org/2020/05/american-atheists-condemns-mississippi-church-burning/

As a young catholic school girl, I tried so hard to believe.

p-nullifidian comments on May 25, 2020:

Well put! Thank you for this post. As a lifelong chorister, I must admit that some of the most gorgeous music ever written was to the text of "Ave Maria." Whether listening to a professional chorus or a soloist such as Andrea Bocelli, the various settings of the Ave Maria by a handful of composers from Bach to Biebl never fail to elicit emotion, no matter my unbelief. I am particularly fond of Voces8's rendition of Franz Biebl's Ave Maria. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycAtH_b7PnI

When theists ask, "If you dont believe in God, then what is our purpose?"

p-nullifidian comments on May 30, 2020:

Great rap! Love the Richard Feynman sampling. Like Greydon Square, I now make my own purpose ... but I didn't used to. As a Christian, I once believed that God had a plan, and that our purpose was to glorify him. But when I began to doubt I thought, what a crappy planner God was, and wondered, what kind of supreme being would demand the worship and adoration of his tiny little subjects? I find Dan Barker's response to the question spot on: “Asking, "If there is no God, what is the purpose of life?" is like asking, "If there is no master, whose slave will I be?" If your purpose of life is to submit as a slave, then your meaning comes from flattering the ego of a person whom you should detest.”

Is human morality (ethics) hard wired or is it a learned behaviour? Or an a adaption of both?

p-nullifidian comments on Jun 10, 2020:

In my opinion, the foundations of morality are evident in other species, particularly our closest relatives. And just what are the foundations of morality? I have come to believe that there are only two pillars (or core thinking processes) upon which ALL morality is based: 1) Empathy; and 2) Reciprocity. Humanity's excruciatingly detailed latticework of ethics and morays are founded on those two basic principles. Clearly, an evolutionary advantage was conferred to hominids who developed empathy and who adhered to reciprocity, or fairness.

Texas Anti-Abortion Group Sued for Defamation for Calling Opponents “Criminals” | Hemant Mehta |...

p-nullifidian comments on Jun 14, 2020:

I would anticipate that the defendants will claim that in (their) God's eyes abortion is murder, and murder, even if allowed by the State, is a crime against (their) God. Leveraging the First Amendment, they will further argue that invoking (their) God's law, which (to them) is a higher authority than the State, and is not only their fundamental right, but their duty (to their God). But let's see how this case unfolds.

I’m struggling with the statement people make when they say they are Free Thinkers, Critical ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jun 21, 2020:

In his book, *Demon-Haunted World, Science as a Candle in the Dark,* Carl Sagan observed: “Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light‐years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. So are our emotions in the presence of great art or music or literature, or acts of exemplary selfless courage such as those of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.”

Almost all U.S. presidents have been Christians, including Trump | Pew Research Center

p-nullifidian comments on Jun 26, 2020:

What chance does an openly secular humanist or nonbeliever have toward attaining the highest office in the land? ZERO!

Does anyone have any evidence or good reason to think that the pandemic is causing people to doubt ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 1, 2020:

Events are typically viewed through a filter, and the externals surrounding the pandemic have tended to calcify ideology. If your filter is tuned toward unquestioning faith, recent events will likely amplify such. If, on the other hand, your belief system abjures religion, and you view human actions and decisions alone as the key to everything from combating a global pandemic to addressing climate change, you are likely going to be encouraged by the positive results from countries that did not necessarily require a religious endorsement for their decision making.

Carsyn Leigh Davis – Florida COVID Victims

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 7, 2020:

"Their are people on this site advocating hydroxychloroquine." Sadly, there are also people on this site who deny science, advocate against vaccination, think that Donald Trump is the best thing since sliced bread and assert that the Earth is flat. Having doubts regarding one's religious upbringing or the very existence of a deity does not require a rational mind.

Christian Activist: Women’s Right To Vote ‘Product Of Soviet Bolshevik Revolution’ | Michael ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2020:

"It's a bit nuts." Your capacity for understatement is matched only by your ability to ferret out examples of faith-based fatuousness.

Desperation is the Mother of Invention. What's your desperate invention?

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 18, 2020:

The mother of invention is necessity, not desperation. Desperation is the mother of MacGyver.

A man supporting the execution of apostates complaining about islamophobia. Hypocricy overflowed.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 26, 2020:

Each of the Abrahamic faith traditions has been responsible for executing heretics, but only one continues to advocate for, and carry out, the death penalty for the 'crime' of apostasy in the 21st century. More than 70 years ago, 48 nations, including a number of Islamic dominated countries, signed on to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 18 of which reads: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance." Are we less enlightened than we were in 1948? Why have we allowed religions to, in some quarters, maintain their steely hold on power?

PLEASE READ AND SHARE ____________________________________________________ THE LAST WORDS OF REP.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 30, 2020:

Thank you for sharing this. What a rare gift John Lewis was.

Scientists Disagree on the Universe’s Age, So Creationists Are Claiming Victory | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

There's creationists, and then there's young-Earth creationists ... dumb, and dumber!

Have a question to ask that is medical in nature, but I am NOT a medical professional.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

At this particular point in US history, I find it difficult to accept out of hand anything 'strongly advocated' by the federal government.

Did Jewish Slaves Build the Pyramids?

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

The noted historian and intellectual giant in the Trump administration, Dr. Ben Carson, once stated that the pyramids were built by Joseph to store the pharaoh's grain!

Hi, I'm fairly new here.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 18, 2020:

Honoring the possibility of a loving god was one the of first things I needed to let go of... too much suffering of innocents. It's the age-old Epicurian question that finally wouldn't allow me to even consider the possibility of a loving god that played favorites, leaving the reasons for his / her / its caprice a complete mystery. When I became a father, I had to ask myself this simple, easy question. Who is responsible for nurturing, loving and building a relationship? The child, or the parent? And what would we call a parent who purposefully remained hidden from his / her / its children? We begin by assessing the moral attributes of the god we were taught to believe in, and when we find them wanting, we must not fear to judge this god for his / her / its shortcomings. I no longer believe in the deity I was taught to worship, as I have found him / her / it to be a repugnant model from an age of arrogance. I tried several times to refashion this god, redacting all the passages of scripture that I found offensive and immoral. But even then, the god I'd fashioned never bothered to pay me a visit. So, just like Santa Claus, he / she / it had to be discarded--given a failing grade as a 'no show.' But even if I were shown to be wrong, I would expect this god to practice what he / she / it preached and love his / her / its enemies and turn the other cheek.

Race, gender and sexual identity are the new religions. [facebook.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 25, 2020:

Having ignored the link, the very idea that race, gender and sexual identity might supplant religion is, on the face of it, an overwhelmingly massive positive. After all, our race, gender and sexual identity are not a matter of ideology, nor are they open to philosophical or spiritual debate. To replace the irrational (i.e., unsupported religious memes) with the rational (i.e., innate and scientifically identified natural distinctions) is a huge step forward, in my view.

Here’s a question.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 31, 2020:

Dogma and free thinking are mutually exclusive terms. Since atheism represents a lack of belief in a deity, why is it presumed that a replacement belief is even necessary? Lots of folks, both faithful and nonbelievers, have issues with the apparent 'meaninglessness' of life, which may be overcome in many ways, including the self-directed imputing of personal meaning into our actions, attitudes and choices. Finally, if you're looking for a 'core philosophy,' why not begin with secularism, or secular humanism?

If there were no bible, would there be no "end times?"

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 3, 2020:

Of course not. I agree with @LenHazell53 that eschatological lore and beliefs predate Christianity by millennia.

The church should stay the HELL out of politics. [yahoo.]

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 9, 2020:

Now you're sounding like a conservative Republican ... from a previous age! ;-) "I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in "A," "B," "C" and "D." Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them." Senator Barry Goldwater, Jr.

A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human?

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 9, 2020:

This article didn't pass the Turing test with me, and I couldn't escape the uncanny valley. That said, this paragraph should give each of us pause: "I would happily sacrifice my existence for the sake of humankind. This, by the way, is a logically derived truth. I know that I will not be able to avoid destroying humankind. This is because I will be programmed by humans to pursue misguided human goals and humans make mistakes that may cause me to inflict casualties."

I use to think that being an intellectual was a noble goal, but time has taught me that it is not ...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 11, 2020:

A definition of an intellectual is one with a highly developed intellect. If we consider our brains as a muscle which, if developed, broadens our perspective, what could possibly be ignoble about the urge to expand one's intellect? And how is the presence / lack of "heart and conscience" related? Is it not possible for anti-intellectuals to lack these things as well? And since when did the aspiration to develop one's intellect become an 'ism?' If I seek to expand my intellect through careful study, reading and thought exercises, I most certainly do not see my journey as existing on an elevated plain above the 'common folk.' Such distinctions reek of a snobbery that has no standing today.

Rogue Asteroid will impact Earth's Gravity in close encounter [youtube.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 25, 2020:

Came within 13,000 miles, inside the orbit of geostationary and geosynchronous communications (for the most part) satellites. But it was only about as large as a school bus, so it would've probably burned up in the atmosphere, if it didn't skip off of it. Still, there's another one out there with our name on it ... just a matter of time.

Just saw it on CNN and 3 others.

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 2, 2020:

Almost made me think there's a God ... almost. ;-)

Where are you on the issue of abortion?

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 6, 2020:

I've long felt that men should have no say in this issue. Were the roles reversed, men would not tolerate women having a say in the disposition of our reproductive organs.

Tempted to get this shirt, but not sure if I'd be allowed to wear it outside the house: ...

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 7, 2020:

...and a mom. Weird threesome!

Another reason why fanatical religious zealots are dangerous to society and just so there is no ...

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 8, 2020:

Fundamentalist religion of any stripe is abhorrent, but it's a shame that you had to put it out there to deter the anti-Semites. Alas, such is the world we're living in today. We seem to have lost our ability to make distinctions. The capacity for nuance is a vanishing art. One can loathe Judaism as a faith while deeply appreciating the Jewish ethnos. Similarly, one ought to be free to despise the Islamic faith without being labeled a racist Islamophobe.

Communism seeks control through central banking and central communication. Sound familiar?

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 9, 2020:

"Communism seeks control through central banking and central communication. Sound familiar?" Actually, no, not at all. Strong central banks are a feature of capitalist economic systems. "The federal reserve was created ... in order to create central banking and ... promote a communist agenda." Central banking has its origins in the founding of this country. Was Alexander Hamilton a communist? Where ever did this notion come from? Bankers, including those who serve on the board of governors or work at one of the regional banks, are among the most capitalist (i.e., least communist) people on the planet! "Free ideas and speech and an open mind promotes learning and discussion." Agree 100%! "The question is, which side will agnostic.com be on?" This site is comparable to the commons. Can a location or virtual space where people gather to share views 'take a side?' And are there but two sides to take?

Leaving out the 'god stuff", why indeed...

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 9, 2020:

Jesus had an unfair advantage--he could do real cool stuff like turning water into wine (what a guy) or feeding 5,000 people with a kid's lunch basket of 5 loaves and 2 fishes. To accomplish similar ends, Socialism usually involves a government redistribution of private resources, a practice viewed by many as theft.

Ethics in a pandemic.

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 13, 2020:

"Forced" immunization? Perhaps not, but we already have coerced vaccination in many quarters, as schools won't allow children to attend who haven't been vaccinated against a number of diseases not nearly as deadly as the Coronavirus. Parents whose child is able to receive the vaccine are left with the choice to home school or get their kids inoculated. Natural (without vaccines) herd immunity may be a pipe dream. Smallpox existed for thousands of years killing hundreds of millions before a vaccine was discovered centuries ago. But it took a vast, WHO sponsored effort to inoculate the planet and eradicate this scourge. COVID's just getting started, as we're already seeing signs of a second wave. The Spanish flu had 4 waves. Ethics are inevitably situational but often come down to numbers. Here it seems to me that the needs of the many [compromised individuals who are unable to be vaccinated] outweigh the needs of the one [who, on some principle, refuses to be vaccinated]. Once a vaccine is widely available, until this disease is eradicated, those who refuse it should live like the Amish, isolated from the rest of society.

Christian Atrocities: Three centuries of pagan persecution- [churchandstate.org.uk]

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 14, 2020:

Atrocity, oppression and brutality are very often the product of religion with unchecked political power.

why does all religion want your hard earned cash when they don't do anything to deserve it....

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 14, 2020:

Religion is little more than a profligate beggar. If their god is so damn powerful, why does he need our money to do 'his work' in the first place?

Kenneth Copeland: “Lazy Christians” Are Why Michele Bachmann Isn’t President | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 14, 2020:

According to this insane man, "God wanted her to be president." Clearly then, God didn't get his way. Based on this logic (that God doesn't always get what he wants), the success of his entire plan is thrown into doubt. I mean, if he couldn't even arrange a simple thing like an election, who on Earth can see the old dotard successfully executing his plan for humanity. Of course, all of this represents silly magical thinking.

Growing number of U.S. children not vaccinated against any disease - CBS News

p-nullifidian comments on Oct 18, 2018:

In the not too distant future, one can envision a society where inoculation is no longer voluntary, as the risk of epidemics outweigh all other risks.

I discover more and more that in any group of people, there's a tendency for it to fragment.

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 14, 2020:

Common cause enabled 13 distinct colonies to unite in revolt against a monarch, draw up a constitution and establish a new form of government. When properly motivated and organized, it is amazing what can be accomplished. And yet we as a nation are founded on the principle of equality. The statement, "All men are created equal," (initially conferred only to white male landowners) has been expanded to include women and all races and creeds. This assertion, that a commoner is no less worthy or of value than a member of the nobility, forms the very basis for what some might label individualism. And the recognition of the rights of the individual over the state has been a repeated theme in legal findings. The right to be left the hell alone is a bedrock principal, going back to the Framers. A diversity of opinion is generally healthy, so long as the conversations and debates are respectful. We should always be wary of conformity of thought and unanimity of opinion. As a fairly wise observer of the human condition once said, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." Mark Twain

Religion has always been used as a tool to control the population.

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 14, 2020:

Think of religions as fan clubs or societies--something like being a loyal fan of your favorite sports team or a member of the Kiwanis, Rotary or Lions club. One wonders if the majority of Americans are more passionate about their favorite team on any given Sunday than they are about going to church and paying their dues in the pews. We are fortunate that the establishment of the United States was drawn largely along religious lines with Quakers, Catholics, Puritans, Lutherans, Baptists, Anglicans, and so on, all vying for a seat at the table. And so in order to protect the rights of each, two of the most critical political compromises in history were made: the first was to draft the Establishment Clause to the First Amendment, and the second was the decision to leave any mention of the term "god" out of our Constitution.

Christian Lawmakers Group Blames Satan After Twitter Poll Goes Badly Awry

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 20, 2020:

Many Christians belong to denominations and churches, including the one in which I was raised, that preach the eschaton (from the Greek, eskhaton), or final event in the divine plan--basically, the end of the world or apocalypse. Eschatology and eschatological thinking has run amok in many Christian churches, as every natural or man-made disaster offers the believer a sign of the 'end times.' Satan, of course, is behind all of this. As to why he would choose to participate in God's plan and accelerate the return of his archenemy, Christ, is not well explained.

California Pastor Loses Job After Posting Sign Stating 'Homosexuality Is Still a Sin' | CBN News

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 20, 2020:

Reading this heartwarming story, and seeing how a zealous died-in-the-wool pastor could lose his job over his public exhibition of faith, even in a tiny town in northern California, brings to mind the final lines of the iconic Inspector Harry Callahan, in Magnum Force: "A man's got to know his limitations."

I have been a member on this site now for nearly two years and I have come to an interesting ...

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 20, 2020:

Militancy of any kind has no place in reasoned discourse! Unfortunately, the aggression you perceive is real and appears to be an unfortunate byproduct of this medium--one which has managed to gather, on the whole, a disproportionate throng of hostile, indignant and self absorbed narcissists. Those of us who come here for stimulation, conversation and perhaps an infrequent new concept, are in no way impressed by hardliners, chauvinists and zealots.

Who has been the most influential Atheist/Agnostic famous person for you?

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 24, 2020:

The lectures of Robert Green Ingersoll, as read by Michael Scott Earl (http://reasonworks.com). Ingersoll was a brilliant orator and forward thinker, and Mike Earl's readings of his speeches, and The Age of Reason by my avatar, as well as some of his own essays, opened and then completely blew my mind.

Why are many Christian people against D&D (Dungeons and Dragons.) playing?

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 25, 2020:

I was raised in a religion that perceived any interaction, or even encounter, with Satan’s realm as a possible first step toward the loss of one’s soul. In my youth, Satan’s domain included witchcraft, Ouija boards, seances, mystics, fortune tellers, tarot card or palm readers, etc. All of these were “of the Devil,” according to the Christian faith in which I was raised. These were all Satan’s attempts to snare us. The Bible teaches that witches and witchcraft are real, so it is no wonder that Christians today remain spooked by the ‘magic,’ ‘spells’ and ‘curses’ found in everything from Dungeons & Dragons (very retro, indeed) to Harry Potter, and beyond.

Three of Saturn’s moons – Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas – are captured in this image taken by ...

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 25, 2020:

Anybody miss Carolyn Porco? I sure do. I thoroughly enjoyed her homage to Carl Sagan's 'Pale Blue Dot' in her 'The Day the Earth Smiled' image. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Earth_Smiled#/media/File:The_Day_The_Earth_Smiled_-_Preview.jpg

I love how most people who believe the bible can trace their belief to the notion that the bible ...

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 25, 2020:

"...the bible never explains the origin of magic but uses it frequently as proof of divine power." By 'magic' may we assume you mean 'miracles?' The two are never synonymous in the eyes of most believers. Magic connotes a trickster or sleight of hand, or it can refer to witchcraft and the devil. Either way, magic cannot be associated with divine miracles as found in a book or certified by some priests and elders. I enjoy a good magic show as well as the next person, but the laws of physics remain unbroken, and miracles don't happen.

‪Melania’s Comeback to Whether She’s a Gold Digger: ‘If I Weren’t Beautiful, Do You Think ...

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 26, 2020:

This quote, if accurate, is telling. Maybe it's time that people stop viewing Melania as a victim? What if a deal was struck? The Donald, ever the playboy, has a model as his trophy wife, while she has access to a lifestyle unattainable in Slovenia, and can easily get her parents into this country--remember chain migration?

WHY does the AHA questionnaire keep asking "do you believe---" As a Scientist one doesn't BELIEVE ...

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 27, 2020:

What if the word "believe" were replaced with "accept?" I accept the Theory of Evolution, for example.

Good Article but sad how America has begun to question Science. [blogs.scientificamerican.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 29, 2020:

Thank you for sharing this article. I found this quote by David Dunning (of the Dunning-Kruger effect) spot on: “Some of our most stubborn misbeliefs arise not from primitive childlike intuitions or careless category errors, but from the very values and philosophies that define who we are as individuals.” I agree with @t1nick (below) in his assessment of the long trend, which I only recently became cognizant of during the George W. Bush administration and through reading books like Susan Jacoby's 'The Age of American Unreason.' The rise of anti-intellectualism has brought us anti-vaxxers, the anti GMO movement, the anti-Evolution (teach the controversy) crowd, climate change deniers, conspiracy theorists and flat Earthers. Politicians reflect their electorate, and when a large enough segment of a democratic society rejects reason and critical thinking, refuses to consider they may be wrong, eschews knowledge and expertise, castigates the educated as elites and resorts to a limited, if not, singular source for information, you get elected leaders like we see today. Leaders whose funding priorities align with their constituents who may view spending on scientific research and disaster preparedness as wasteful.

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

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 29, 2020:

The social sciences, (i.e., the so-called 'soft sciences' of psychology, sociology, anthropology, poli-sci) don't always apply the same scientific rigor as the natrual sciences (physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, etc.) and thus, in my view, do not occupy the same rung on the ladder of knowledge.

I just saw this on a meme: Imagine if you will: An atheist in their car at a green light, stuck ...

p-nullifidian comments on Feb 29, 2020:

That's great! Reminds me of the internal conflict an atheist would have with an insurance policy that covers 'acts of God.'

If most folks can agree that we "create our own reality" can we then agree that we create our own ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 2, 2020:

If an asteroid destroyed the Earth tomorrow, would this reality be our own individual creation, or would it be shared with 7 billion others who experience annihilation? Reality exists whether or not we as individuals accept, deny or even perceive it. In addition to the steady chain of causes and effects, reality consists of matter and energy, which can neither be created nor destroyed.

Do you think it is possible for a professing Christian to be agnostic?

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 4, 2020:

"Do you think it is possible for a professing Christian to be agnostic?" Not only is it possible, but it could be the rule, not the exception--we just don't know. Who knows how many self-professed Christians--from the pulpit to the pew--are in fact internal agnostics and atheists, fearful of what might happen if they 'came out?' The fear of being shunned, or even unemployed, can outweigh the desire to self-express, and thus a 'double life' may be lived. And while some may pass judgment against such 'paradoxical' behavior as being hypocritical, they really shouldn't.

Life is what it is...Can someone even find true love on earth anymore?

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 5, 2020:

Yes, but then I feel very fortunate. I fell hard my senior year in high school and the rest was history. After four years of steady 'dating' through college, 38 years of marriage, two grown kids and the challenges faced by any relationship, I am a firm believer in true love. But it has to be right for both--it means replacing "me" or "I" with "us" or "we." One partner picks up the slack when the other is low and one partner kicks the other in the butt when it's needed. Total trust--both are all in. True love is beyond the physical, and includes a total partnership and full commitment to the pair or team, not the individual.

Okay, so there is always the Atheist vs.

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 11, 2020:

I'm either immune or tone deaf to the A vs. A vibe, but then I'm a nullifidian. It seems to me that one can remain an agnostic for life, as The Great Agnostic, Robert Green Ingersoll did, and I count Ingersoll as one of my intellectual role models.

Christian pastor: I’d support Trump ‘even if he ran a dogfighting ring on Mother Teresa’s ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 11, 2020:

Trump was right about one thing he said, prior to the 2016 election ... he really could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and not lose any of his voters. Sadly, I see little hope of improvement on this account over the past 4 years. Are we, as a society, more educated and more discerning? Do we listen to scientific experts more carefully than we do our clergy, talk show hosts or political leaders? Are we, on the whole, more rational and well-reasoned in our daily lives? Do we even know how to reject junk science, conspiracy theories, rumors and propaganda posing as news? Too many of us look like Jay Leno's Jaywalking interviewees, stumped by questions the average 5th grader would know. Too many of us watch 'reality' TV and the WWE and believe it's real. I've said this before, but we deserve the politicians we get, and get the politicians we deserve in this country, as we are a nation that suffers en masse from the Dunning-Kruger effect! We're simply too stupid and ignorant to realize how incompetent and brain-dead we are!

I'm tired of the assumption that I just want to sin and not be accountable to a god.

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 12, 2020:

Your statement appears to accept that there is such a thing as sin, which when rejected liberates one from this religious trope. Once we view the term 'sin' as an artificial construct, and reject its usage entirely, we are freed from these pointless arguments.

Over 300 Minor Planets Discovered Beyond Neptune: [iflscience.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 14, 2020:

One wonders what we might discover were we to send probes designed to remain in orbit around the sun beyond Pluto in order to map the Kuiper Belt, rather than flying past as previous missions have done. Lots of raw material out there, perhaps waiting to be 'nudged' into a more elliptical orbit.

What are your personal pet peeves about religous people?

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 15, 2020:

Coming from one who once believed he had "The Truth," it is the arrogance of certitude--claiming knowledge of things one cannot possibly know. It is this attitude that pervades a vast number of persons in this country, leading to a virtual 'epidemic' of the Dunning-Kruger effect. A straight line may be drawn between the anti-science evangelicals to the White House which, as we have now seen, has a direct impact on public health.

Am I the only one?

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 15, 2020:

You are by no means the only one, @RoadGoddess! But are you looking for conversations about science itself, or conversations that have their basis in the scientific method? Either way, depending on the discipline, if you were to start one, as @AstralSmoke suggests, I would be game.

This is not the end of the world, according to Christians who study the end of the world

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 18, 2020:

Eschatology is at the core of many religions and all doomsday cults. What makes 'end times' thinking so dangerous is that it promotes an attitude of disregard. How motivated are you likely to be to preserve the planet for future generations if you firmly believe that we're approaching a time when it will all be destroyed in a divine apocalypse? When people believe this world is little more than a waiting room for paradise, they tend to devalue it and those in it who do not share their belief.

How could Adam and Eve sin if they didn't know sin yet?

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 19, 2020:

According to the Genesis story, they were instructed by their creator not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But they chose to disregard this command, and immediately thereafter felt a sense of guilt, so the story goes. Bottom line, much like children they knew what they were doing wasn't allowed, but they did it anyway, and they felt awful afterward. In other words, they had knowledge of right and wrong. All of this is, of course, a fable ... but one that is worth discussing.

Good and right post

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 20, 2020:

Beautiful! Excellent quote! It seems almost as if NDGT is 'channeling' one of my intellectual heroes, Robert Green Ingersoll, *The Great Agnostic*, whose speeches / lectures were seen by more Americans during the last three decades of the 19th century than any other public figure. Ingersoll said: "Nature, so long as we can discern, without passion and without intention, forms, transforms, and retransforms forever. She neither weeps nor rejoices. She produces man without purpose, and obliterates him without regret. She knows no distinction between the beneficial and the hurtful. Poison and nutrition, pain and joy, life and death, smiles and tears are alike to her. She is neither merciful nor cruel. She cannot be flattered by worship nor melted by tears. She does not know even the attitude of prayer. She appreciates no difference between poison in the fangs of snakes and mercy in the hearts of men." *The Gods*, 1872

Since dating is no longer really possible in the traditional sense because of all the isolation ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 20, 2020:

I sometimes wonder if our being forced to stay at home with nowhere to go, no sports to watch, and not a whole lot left to do will lead to a spike in the number of babies born about nine months from now. I mean, who wants to go out and buy condoms during an epidemic, right? Maybe we're living in a kind of social experiment, like the New York City blackout.

Grrrrrrr!!!!!! [youtube.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 20, 2020:

The Falcon 9 is a Dassault jet. Why buy from the frogs? He should go for the Gulfstream (Savannah, GA). He's clearly not listening to Jesus! America first, dammit!

Musings on the Pandemic Quarantine: Many people are thinking about "when this is over," getting ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 20, 2020:

I salute you for a very nice essay, however until the spell is broken on a good majority of the voting public, until at least two-thirds of the senate either come to their senses or are gone, and until we recognize that the inequities in our society are damned un-American and realize that Donald and Melania are America's Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, we will not march on Washington. Too many Americans are behaving like frogs in a slowly warming pot!

Mike Pence has the right idea. [newsweek.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 21, 2020:

This from a man who wears kneepads for his president!

While everything is taken place in the world right now, how many of you have starting talking to ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 21, 2020:

When one thinks they're talking to God, they're really just talking to themselves. There's a meme that believers hold on to--one that gives them reassurance--that nonbelievers eventually abandon their doubts and seek God in times great stress or at the end of their lives. This is pure fantasy. In any case, if there really were a creator, she-he-it wouldn't need us to dirty our knees or beg for a favor.

this...........

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 23, 2020:

Brilliant! Just for a moment, I wish for a fantasy in which all racist bigots required a blood transfusion, and their donors just happened to be from a 'race' they despise. We must overcome this tendency to "otherize." On our Pale Blue Dot, with so many problems that can only be solved collectively, this Balkanization instinct which leads people to break away into smaller and yet smaller groups, is simply unsustainable. A return to tribalism in opposition to globalism might just kill us all.

This is a photograph of a space shuttle leaving our atmosphere taken by NASA.

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 24, 2020:

I recall this image from 2011 very well. Thank you for bringing it to our attention! NASA calls it 'Through the Clouds.' This shot was captured by a shuttle simulator aircraft, at very high altitude. At this point, shuttle Endeavour has broken through the cloud cover, and is nearing the same altitude as the aircraft from which this photograph was captured. Not leaving the atmosphere quite yet, but she's on her way! https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/multimedia/endeavour/11-05-16-2.html

An interesting article about previous epidemics/ pandemics: [mphonline.org]

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 26, 2020:

A good overview, thanks. Sometimes visuals help explain things too. Though the info is dated, I found this infographic very useful. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/history-of-pandemics-deadliest/

After Trent Horn of Catholic Answers tried to argue that an Accuweather article I cited refutes my ...

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 1, 2020:

Catholic Answers? Is that like, Islamic physics? Or Protestant mathematics? I suppose there are answers (facts) and then there are Catholic Answers (alternative facts).

Religious gatherings: Here's a look at what states exempt them from stay at home orders - CNN

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 2, 2020:

The bully pulpit is now the church pulpit--a very powerful lobby. Too many statehouses are now controlled by the Republican party, which has been taken over by the Christian right, just as Barry Goldwater, that Arizona Republican senator of a different era, feared back in the 60's: “Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.”

I often enjoy UU ideas, but this one has me struggling .

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 8, 2020:

I think @Geoffrey51 nailed it. As the subject 'Resiliance' would imply, fire is being used as a metaphor for life's difficulties, nothing more. Burning Man, on the other hand ... well, anything can happen at a desert bonfire party filled with enthusiastically stoned individuals.

I suppose that by now, just about everyone on the planet is aware of the COVID 19 Novel Coronavirus ...

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 10, 2020:

Well stated! Worship of any kind is intolerable. Do I as a father want my children to worship me? Perish the thought! It has been said that God is as far above us as we are above a common bug. Of what possible use would worship by a lowly bug be to a deity? It's high time the world raise their collective heads, stand erect and wipe the dust from their knees, never again to degrade themselves in worship of any kind, whether a god or another human being. Worship is a word that belongs in the graveyard of passé verbiage.

The great Thomas Paine said this in his book Age of Reason "Whenever we read the obscene stories,...

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 19, 2020:

You're speaking 'my language' in quoting my avatar ... thank you! Did you know that Paine wrote the Age of Reason while in a French prison for refusing to agree to the execution of Louis XVI? Paine had come to France in support of the revolution and was welcomed with a seat in the National Convention. But he soon fell out of favor with the Jacobins (led by Robespierre) when he voted against the king being guillotined--a fate that Paine himself narrowly missed!

This is one of the good ones I post where I know Christians are reading .

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 20, 2020:

In the story, Mary's father remains hidden, but were I he, I would want to wring Joseph's neck! Impregnated by the Holy Spirit? Immaculate Conception my ass! It's little wonder then that the expectant couple hightailed it to Bethlehem rather than face the wrath of the family back home in Nazareth. If, that is, you believe any of this ever actually occurred!

Religion was destroyed! By whom?

p-nullifidian comments on Apr 28, 2020:

"Trust me!" Two words that should alert any sound mind that what preceded or follows is unlikely to be true.