Can i? Or should I?

wellsy57 comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Just walk away.

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

No way in hell. That is condoning it!

Can i? Or should I?

wordywalt comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Any instance of racism should be denounced.

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Yes, we need a genuine upwelling of righteous indignation in this country -- and I think the "me, too" movement and its supporters have already set the movement into motion!

Time's Person of the Year 2017: The Choice

amberliberty1 comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I think the Choice Is Awesome. Have they not giving it to more than one person in the past? Or am I wrong.

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

To ignostic)skeptic: You simply don't understand: It is a MOVEMENT that is going to make a huge difference in our world -- something no single person could do. Wake up!

In your experience, do opposites attract?

NerdyOkieDude comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Yes. For instance, my wife is attractive and personable.

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Sounds like humility is one of your virtues.

What do you think about Exodus 21 where the Bible teaches slavery

SteveB comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Remember this is the same book that condones the ability of a rapist to marry the person he raped as long as you pay the family 50 shekels and the father agrees. Deuteronomy 22:28-29. Slavery would have been accepted practice back then, but I get pissed with people today applying Bronze Age laws ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Shows what a deliberate moral idiot that pastor is.

Why is it you seldom hear about women sexually assaulting men?

wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:

# reasons: 1. It does not happen nearly as often. 2. Some men actually consider it a compliment. 3.. Other men are too ashamed to admit it.

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

80 years of living among fellow males.

Good night, fellow ladies and gentlemen. Has been delightful. To tomorrow!

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Well, it's morning here. Not sure where you are. Is today tomorrow already?

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Yep!

What do you think about this quote?

markdevenish comments on Dec 6, 2017:

I wish you'd used ethically instead of morally as ethics promote the species but morals are imposed by men in silly hats

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Ethical and moral are synonyms. Just because you have a personal version to the word moral does not mean that we all should.

Time's Person of the Year 2017: The Choice

wordywalt comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Love it!! This movement may be the greatest thing ever to clean up our political system and culture, to foster gender equality, make our society both more democratic and more civil. Keep going!!! I have two other emotional reactions: (1 I am saddened to see men I have respected caught up in ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

And, given the evangelical Christians embrace of Trump and Roy Moore, it may well diminish the stature of fandamentalistic Christianity, as well. That would be great for our democracy!!

The finer things in life.

evestrat comments on Dec 7, 2017:

I ***love*** my coffee .... I have a French press, a Moka pot for espresso, and a pour-over coffee dripper (as well as the usual automatic coffee pot). I am a member of this coffee club where they send coffee beans from different parts of the world with information about the people there, how to ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

I haven't had good mocca coffee since Berlin over 55 years ago.

Some words of advice from an old man to young, single men: 1.

Hope4Zoe comments on Dec 7, 2017:

Relationships should change us for the better. If they do not change us we stagnate. The important things in a relationship are to be giving and open, to be communicative, to be loyal, committed, honest, to grow together and to grow individually. If we want someone who is "us" (as in have all our ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

On people warning you: Specifically, I am talking about the older sister and brother-in-law of the woman I later married (unfortunately). They knew her better than anyone else and their warning was entirely valid. I only wish that I had heeded their warning. On 1: You don't understand much of the male psyche. It is often there, but does need to be unlearned.

It’s time to make national service a universal commitment

wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:

I agree wholeheartedly. As a person who served my country in the US Army, I believe that ALL young people should serve our country in some capacity -- military, forest service, Peace Crops, etc - for at least 1 or 2 years. It is a small price to pay for the privilege of living in our nation. ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 7, 2017:

Yes, compared to the majority of countries in the world, it is a privilege to live here. Being in this country provides all of us privileges and opportunities not available in much of the world. hey are worth paying for with a bit of our time.

Let me add one admonition to all of us (which I did follow and served me well) about relationships:...

AstralSmoke comments on Dec 6, 2017:

But I'm attracted to crazy.

wordywalt replies on Dec 6, 2017:

So, you like trouble?

Some words of advice from an old man to young, single men: 1.

MrLizard comments on Dec 6, 2017:

Made Mistake #2 with my ex-wife. Made Mistake #3 With my ex-girlfriend. So yeah - great advice.

wordywalt replies on Dec 6, 2017:

I made all 4 with my first wife. Result: A nightmarish disaster!

What would you say is your best quality?

wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I think that those who have known me are better qualified to answer that than I am. If they could answer, I would be interested in what they say.

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

Some asked what I thought of them and when they did, I answered honestly and tactfully in most cases, if not all. The reason I never asked was I felt that it would be like fishing for a compliment and I don't feel comfortable in doing that. But, even without direct words from them, one can still teel a great deal from the verbal and nonverbal behavior of others in your presence. I am sure that some had good opinions of me. But, some whom I have opposed on some issues and actions consider me a real SOB. When I feel strongly about an issue or action and am sure that I am on the right and moral course, I will fight for my cause with everything I have that is legal and moral. I won't give the other an inch if the other is not willing to deal with me in a win-win manner. I have been in a number of such conflicts and I never lost. And,. I am still proud of what I was able to accomplish by pursuing my chosen course of action in each of those cases. I don't pick fights, but if you force a fight with me on an issue I believe in I will right -- to the bitter end. Those are the people who will call me an SOB -- some respectfully, some bitterly.

Do you have a BFF=Best Friend Forever?

evestrat comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I met my soulmate when I was 18 years old in college – she and I were inseparable. We were not romantically or sexually involved, although many of our friends would tease us and ask if we were lol - I have always believed soulmates do not have to have a romantic or sexual component. She and I were...

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

With different experiences, people change and relationships grow apart. It was nothing that you did or said. But, keep options open. he time may come when she needs the contact with you if you also want it.

CHRISTMAS MUSIC THAT DOESN'T SUCK....

wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Big band leader Stan Kenton did some beautiful jazz arrangements of Christmas music which, when he died, he willed to a Methodist church in Wichita, Kansas. I attended a Christmas service the church with a friend over 20 years ago just to hear the arrangements. They were fantastic! The church ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

I don't think so. The renditions are the sole property of that church and , to my knowledge, they have never recorded them -- only performed them.

Weapons

wordywalt comments on Nov 17, 2017:

A weapon s primarily a device with which to attack others. Our minds and speech can also be used to attack others. Hopefully, we have the moral courage and intelligence to choose not to attack others in any way, except if absolutely necessary self defense.

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

Thank you, Lancer.

What would you say is your best quality?

wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I think that those who have known me are better qualified to answer that than I am. If they could answer, I would be interested in what they say.

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

I seldom, if eve asked.

Do you have a BFF=Best Friend Forever?

wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I did have a BFF until he became an ultra-religious evangelical and such an extreme right winger on political and economic issues. After 50 years, continuing contact and dialogue became too painful. He was no longer the reasoning, intelligent, and caring person I used to know -- and it hurt to ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

To add a point. I am not a loner -- have more than a few good neighbors and friends whom I appreciate. but few I would consider real "soul0mates."

What is a nickname that your friends and/or family call you or have called you in the past?

wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:

shots or shotgun.

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

You got it, evestrat -- and I did most of my hunting with a 16 gauge shotgun.

Oh boy! Politics, I know, are hazardous discussion fodder.

SeptemberSara comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I grew up in a family that would now fall under “alt-right” this is how they’ve always believed. It’s why I left the Republican Party as soon as I had my first child and I began to look at everything through the lens of humanity instead of my pocketbook. Weirdest thing is, we were dirt poor,...

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

You are describing my family situation 50 years ago. In 1968, my father voted for George Wallace and my mother for Nixon. Today, as then, poor and marginally educated people feel absolutely overwhelmed and threatened by social changes they do not understand and are looking for anything possible to stop their image of a "runaway train." They simply do not understand that they "are being played like a fiddle."

What are the things that have positively impacted your life?

wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Luck, real friends, the pursuit of knowledge and knowledge itself, art, music, the intense pursuit of worthwhile goals.

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

Let me also add being in West Berlin, Germany during 1959 - 1962. Being in that threatening Cold War climate taught me to live in the moment. It also changed many of my social and political points of view and allowed me to see my own culture without blinders on. Intellectually, I grew more from that than I did from my entire undergraduate education.

What is a nickname that your friends and/or family call you or have called you in the past?

wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:

shots or shotgun.

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

No. Still more simple and direct.

What is a nickname that your friends and/or family call you or have called you in the past?

wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:

shots or shotgun.

wordywalt replies on Dec 5, 2017:

Still no. Good reasoning, eveatrat, but the reason is more simple and direct than that

What is a nickname that your friends and/or family call you or have called you in the past?

wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:

shots or shotgun.

wordywalt replies on Dec 4, 2017:

No.

What is a nickname that your friends and/or family call you or have called you in the past?

VictoriaNotes comments on Dec 4, 2017:

Little shit River rat

wordywalt replies on Dec 4, 2017:

someone who loved the river environment -- fishing, swimming, exploring.

What is a nickname that your friends and/or family call you or have called you in the past?

Mattbat637 comments on Dec 4, 2017:

In high school everyone called me 'Batson.'

wordywalt replies on Dec 4, 2017:

That's a tough one.

Political Blindness

Varn comments on Dec 4, 2017:

You’ve got it, and I think a key point remains those ‘single issue voters.’ I live on an island of intelligence surrounded by the red sea of ignorance… For decades these people have been bombarded by wrong-wing propaganda, feeding their fears and ignorance. On top of that - a multitude of...

wordywalt replies on Dec 4, 2017:

"single issue" voters are a problem. I honestly think that we must hold up to public view the fact that in their blind pursuit of that one issue, they are doing damage to our people and country -- and shame them for it. Some will eventually peel away. Some others will simply shut up rather than face the flack. The rest -- ignore as much as we an.

Do Governments do more harm than Good?

wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:

Your view is jaundiced. You lump all governments in one basket of bad eggs. Governments can do a huge amount of harm but can also do a great deal of things which enable our freedom and well-being of us and our environment. It is up to us to act strongly and consistently to make sure that our ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 4, 2017:

I don't know what "raraitarism" is. Never hear od the word (?). The rest of your response is just random carping. Trying stringing together thoughts so that you come out with a coherent statement.

Paul Piff: Does money make you mean? | TED Talk

wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:

Back in the 1970s, when I was teaching a class of teaching methods for teaching social studies, I ysed a simulation called "Starpower" -- a simulation disguised as a game. In the simulation players were to trade tokens among other games, but the game was stacked in favor of one group from the very ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 2, 2017:

A great post, Evestrat!

DEATH Someone just posted about dealing with another's death. How about your own?

wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:

As an 80 year old, I would suggest that you allow yourself to live every minute of every day to the fullest extent -- not in the sense of cramming things in, but in the sense of a connoisseur of fine brandy would snift the aroma and savor the bouquet. Appreciate the little things for what they are ...

wordywalt replies on Dec 1, 2017:

I also plan and carry out a fishing outing, and hold a fish fry with friends and family. I spend time conversing with colleagues on Agnostic.com; and so on. I reflect on people and events from the past which or whom I value. Enjoy the things you have while you can.

Who scares you more - Donald Trump or Mike Pence?

wordywalt comments on Nov 30, 2017:

Trump. He is a stupid, egomaniacal sociopath whose mental health is about gone.

wordywalt replies on Dec 1, 2017:

To Harleyman: I will not stoop to deliberately trying to insult you, even though I obviously disagree with you. Why do you engage in such reprehensible behavior?

The Basis of Morality

reluctantexan comments on Nov 30, 2017:

Humans are innately good. Religion only corrupts what children know is right, causing confusion and unnecessary guilt.

wordywalt replies on Nov 30, 2017:

I disagree. Humans are not innately either good or bad. What makes them either good or bad, overall, are the consequences of their choices and actions.

Can you describe yourself in one sentence?

wordywalt comments on Nov 30, 2017:

No, I can't describe myself in one sentence. No, the city does not speak to me. The only city that I have ever really loved was West Berlin, Germany in the 1960s (I doubt that I would like the Berlin of 2017 nearly as much). What speaks to me is beauty -- natural beauty first, then man-made.

wordywalt replies on Nov 30, 2017:

To evestrat: I'll try one long sentence: I am a person who (1) cares about the human condition and our democracy, (2) loves to live in his mind through thought, music, discourse(3) worked hard to make our public schools better -- with some real results, and (4) is relearning to live in the moment and to have satisfying short-term goals which I can relish.

Can you describe yourself in one sentence?

evestrat comments on Nov 30, 2017:

1. An unapologetic feminist who is a bit dorky, extremely feisty, claims to be intelligent (this is contextual of course), can be extroverted as necessary but is introverted by nature, still cries at those Sarah McLachlan commercials (every damn time), and doesn't suffer fools lightly. 2. No ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 30, 2017:

You are a spunky, thoughtful, and interesting lady.

Is a certified marriage license required?

wordywalt comments on Nov 28, 2017:

For what? What do you mean by "certified"?

wordywalt replies on Nov 29, 2017:

In spite of your sarcasm, you still did not answer my question. You used the phrase "certified marriage license." Certified by whom? For what purpose?

So,how will the universe end ( not that I care,but,scientists seem to have a fascination with this)?

Lancer comments on Nov 29, 2017:

D. The universe will end when we do. What we perceive as the universe is just a spacial domain. Once we leave that domain it ceases to exist from our perspective and we cease to exist in it from the universes perspective. Overall the energy in the universe may possibly be being lost using the ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 29, 2017:

Unless some unexpected astronomical catastrophe wipes out the earth , I think that the human species will be long since gone when the current phase of the universe ends.

Hard data indicate the following 1.

MsOliver comments on Nov 29, 2017:

You aren't the only one wordywalt. I think we're on the verge of turning a corner though. As I work with the young people here in the South, I see a generation that largely disagree with their parents and grandparents on issues of racism, sexism, LGBTQ rights, environmentalism, economics, ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 29, 2017:

I certainly hope so!

Has politics become the new religion?

wordywalt comments on Nov 28, 2017:

No, what has happened is that evangelicals are using every tactic they can to make religion part of politics, and corrupt politicians are aiding and abetting them.

wordywalt replies on Nov 29, 2017:

Let's hope not!. And let's do everything in our power to prevent it!

Evolution

wordywalt comments on Nov 28, 2017:

We do not know what combination of physical forces and conditions led to the initial origin of life here. But, i KNOW that evolution explains what happened from there.

wordywalt replies on Nov 28, 2017:

Evolution is not a theory but an established principle. It has so much supporting evidence that the principle is settled science.. Saying that is a theory is what non-believing religious people say to demean the idea.

Something that living in a different culture taught me years ago; When two or more of us start a ...

DharmaBum50 comments on Nov 27, 2017:

During one graduate course I took in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), we had some sort of cultural simulation game called Bafa Bafa (I think that's what it was called). That is precisely what that simulation was all about, and I thought of it often later on during my life as an expat ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 27, 2017:

Yes, is surely would.

Something that living in a different culture taught me years ago; When two or more of us start a ...

mzee comments on Nov 27, 2017:

Also be careful not to associate dIfferent cultures as only living in different countries; for example there are 6 or more cultures in my home town. So communicate like we are really dumb [explain yourself]

wordywalt replies on Nov 27, 2017:

Good idea.

Isn't it so annoying when a religious person tells you," you're taking it out of context?"

wordywalt comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Turn the argument back to him o her by asking, "Explain. In what way am I taking that out of context.?" Challenge the challenger.

wordywalt replies on Nov 24, 2017:

Hope it works!

Got into a heated argument more than once about Hitler, Stalin and Mao Zedong killing millions of ...

RunnerMiler424 comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Hi, There are several ways to respond to the argument you've been presented with. It just requires a good amount of knowledge, I think. For Hitler: How come the Nazis signed one of their first treaties with the Catholic church? It's called the Reichskonkordat. How come Hitler, in Mein ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 24, 2017:

Your information about the Nazis is ganz richtig! Sie wissen wovon She sprechen. Stalin was a power hungry sociopath (he studied for the Russian Orthodox priesthood, but left that). His motivations were twofold: (1) absolute power, and (2) total commitment to Marxist ideology. That ideology called for a period of absolute dictatorship by an elite of the ideologically pure to stamp out all bourgeois though and Stalin systematically created that dictatorship.

Got into a heated argument more than once about Hitler, Stalin and Mao Zedong killing millions of ...

Charles1971 comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were fascist tyrants, which had nothing to do with their religious beliefs. Also, Hitler was Catholic. Atheism isn't a cause and has no ideology or rules. A lack of belief doesn't drive people to be evil dictators. Here is one article that might be helpful. ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 24, 2017:

Get your facts straight. Stalin and Mao were not fascists. They were communist. What drove them to kill was both their ideology and their own viciously dictatorial personalities.

Greed: Is it good or bad?

wordywalt comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Surely you are kidding when you ask that question. Any thinking and moral person already knows the only moral answer.

wordywalt replies on Nov 24, 2017:

I believe that it is almost always best to be honest and direct. There have been more than a few times in my life that someone in my life was honest and direct, and I am glad that they were. There is a difference between being honest and direct and being deliberately abrasive.

I recently came to this forum considering myself to be an atheist.

wordywalt comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Two men Oliver and Shaver,wrote, in the 1960s and 1970s about an approach to moral decision-making with which I agree. The moral decision we have to make are seldom between absolute rights and absolute wrongs. Rather, they between relative goods or lesser evils. The question is what should be ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 24, 2017:

More detail: The men were Donald Oliver and James Shaver who (along with Fred Neumann) created the Harvard Social Studies Education Project. It focused on values decision-making in social issues. They called their approach the "jurisprudential approach." I am sure that you can find information on it on Google.

There have been people in my life who, to present memory, can seem obscure, and yet, upon ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Each of us will live on in the effects which our words and deeds have had on others, whether they remember us or not. In turn, that will effect others with whom they come into contact. That is both a big burden and a deeply gratifying thought.

wordywalt replies on Nov 23, 2017:

If we do or say something which ends up hurting people, we are responsible for the consequences. It is and should be a burden. That premise is one of the prime bases for existential morality. Are you saying that you ard not responsible for the effects of your actions?

When a person or human organization makes a statement of fact or claims that something exists, it is...

markdevenish comments on Nov 23, 2017:

unfortunately that same premise exists for any statement at all and unless you have a camera mounted on your forehead you have no proof of ANYTHING

wordywalt replies on Nov 23, 2017:

Your intended diminishing of the statement with your "Camera on the forehead" comment is intentionally misleading. There MANY different kinds of proof -- all data-based. Don't play games.

When a person or human organization makes a statement of fact or claims that something exists, it is...

webbew1 comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Of course, the same could be applied to the theory of evolution, which is why science calls it a theory and not a fact. Until we can jump in a time machine and observe the exact moment of creation with our own eyes, every argument from either side of the fence is mere speculation.

wordywalt replies on Nov 23, 2017:

Your definition of "theory" is both wrong and misleading. It closely resembles the nefarious misinformation attempts of creationists. The word theory means a set of fully interrelated constructs explaining an event or answering scientific questions, fully supported by scientific data and in accordance with scientific methods. It is not a wild hair as you depict. In fact, ALL available scientific evidence fully supports evolution. Some of the exact details are still open to debate, but the PRINCIPLE -- not theory -- of evolution is clearly settled science. You do no one -- including yourself -- no favors by misrepresenting things!

When a person or human organization makes a statement of fact or claims that something exists, it is...

MsOliver comments on Nov 23, 2017:

wordywalt, have you been reading George Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God? This post sounds an awful lot like his pre-Hitchen's Razor essays.

wordywalt replies on Nov 23, 2017:

I envy you. I used to read at least a book a week. But, in my old age, I have macular retinopathy and have great difficulty reading now (also don't drive), I miss the reading.

When a person or human organization makes a statement of fact or claims that something exists, it is...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Why bother? Religion makes them happy. Not believing is what makes us happy. If they prefer to believe in a god, then let them. In demanding that they provide empirical evidence to support their claims, we essentially become like those who try to force their religion on others.

wordywalt replies on Nov 23, 2017:

O agree/ I simply want to create and maintain space so that we also have freedom from religion without intrusion.

Most of us grew up in families in which religion was simply part of our lives.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

You make a good point. But as an adult, it's fully their choice. It may be the last real choice they make, but they made the choice to join the religion, and in a free country, they have every right to later leave if they don't like it. Why begrudge people their choices?

wordywalt replies on Nov 23, 2017:

I don't want to take away their freedom of religion. I simply want to create and maintain space so that I have freedom from religion without intrusion.

When a person or human organization makes a statement of fact or claims that something exists, it is...

MsOliver comments on Nov 23, 2017:

wordywalt, have you been reading George Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God? This post sounds an awful lot like his pre-Hitchen's Razor essays.

wordywalt replies on Nov 23, 2017:

No, just some thoughts spurred by listening to a discourse on NPR.

Entropic musings

wordywalt comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Two implications. First, that our mere existence is due to the sheer randomness of bounded chaos. Second, that our consciousness is the accidental result of that vast scale chaotic dynamic. Third, that random chaos will eventually consume our planet and us, and there will eventually be no trace ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 23, 2017:

Yes, life has probably evolved elsewhere. To me, I'm just being realistic.

In the battle between tradition and progress, beliefs and science, where do you stand and why?

wordywalt comments on Nov 22, 2017:

It depends entirely on how you define progress and the uses to science will be put. Science has no morality: It is neutral. The question is always: To what ends will science be used and what will the consequences of such use be? Your question is so broad and ill-defined that it is meaningless.

wordywalt replies on Nov 22, 2017:

If a religion opposes vaccines which can save human lives and prevent human misery, the religion is wrong and must be opposed. That should also lead one to question real morality of such religious dogma.

Do you believe jihad is committed by fundamental Muslims or extremists?

Betty comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Neither and both. I think violence is committed by people who are angry and want to control and gain power through as much destruction as possible. These people have been damaged and use religion and politics to their advantage to enlist others into their cause.

wordywalt replies on Nov 22, 2017:

Well stated.

What do fellow members do for a living?

wordywalt comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Retired educator who spent his career in a number of roles with the intent of improving teaching and learning in public schools.

wordywalt replies on Nov 22, 2017:

Thank you Kreig. Several things I am proud of. At the college level, I teamed with my department chairman to create a teacher education program which won national recognition. As a staff development and school improvement center founder and director, I created and implemented a number of programs which also won state and national recognition. Among them were (1) a training and support program for beginning teachers to maximize their chances of success, (20 training and supporting school improvement teams in schools, with the result of substantially increased student achievement, (3) training school principals in evaluating teacher performance and assisting low performing teachers in improvement or separating them from service, (4) writing a training program to assist special educators in working with regular classroom teachers in working with handicapped students. It was fun!

Right handed, Left handed, or Ambidextrous?

wordywalt comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Has had no effect.

wordywalt replies on Nov 21, 2017:

Let me change that: In a social context built for right-handers, it taught me that the world was not built specifically for me and that I was going to have to (1) adapt my behavior, and (2) modify my world so that it fitted me. So, it made me more prone to improvise.

So many men and women have died for the values that our flag represents.

wordywalt comments on Nov 20, 2017:

In cases in which the treasonous acts have resulted in irreparable harm to our country and/or resulted in American deaths, yes. Otherwise, 25 years to life.

wordywalt replies on Nov 20, 2017:

If Trump is convicted of treason, the best sentence would be life. Then he would live thee reast of his life as a disgraced loser, in abject misery.

Given that Satanism is an atheistic religion focused on the self I'm curious if there are any on ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 18, 2017:

Satanism creates an alternative master. I DO NOT need any masters!

wordywalt replies on Nov 20, 2017:

Not only do I NOT need any master, I also don't need any cults, inane rituals or alternative ideologies.

I'm off to my nans for chrismas(bleugh), but the issue being is all the family over there refuse to ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 18, 2017:

Your comment seems self-absorbed. Everybody else does not do what you want, so you are pissed off and maybe even uncivil to them. I hope that I am misinterpreting. If my perception is correct and if you were my daughter, I would tell you to do something to contribute to the relationship or stay ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 19, 2017:

I could not understand your situation from what you said originally. Sorry.

There is only one creator, TIME.

wordywalt comments on Nov 14, 2017:

Time does not create anything. It is simply a dimension that exists.

wordywalt replies on Nov 15, 2017:

to Mike1961: Your response to my comment does not make sense. It is gobbledegook.

How should pedophiles be dealt with?

wordywalt comments on Nov 14, 2017:

I can understand the sentiment, but you would violate the due process of law -- one of the foundations of our democracy. As with you vegan cats, you show poor judgment.

wordywalt replies on Nov 14, 2017:

In other words, you do not believe in our constitution or the idea of constitutional democracty?

“How many?

DJVJ311 comments on Nov 14, 2017:

Jesus(the historical figure now known as Jesus Christ), Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins

wordywalt replies on Nov 14, 2017:

I would also draw up a couple of extra chairs for Darwin and for Mark Twain.

"Has Evangelical Christianity Become Sociopathic?"

bwright comments on Nov 12, 2017:

Christianity has gotten so strange. When I went to Sunday school as a boy, we sang Jesus loves me and, it was all about compassion, now christianity seems to promote hate and violence. My mom and dad who are pentecostal minister and wife think Trump's a great man of God. When I got whipped for ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 12, 2017:

anyone who thinks Trump is a great man of God is lying to himself or herself. Down deep they know that is not true if they have ANY capacity for morality and reason. They have become such ideological "true believers" who are trying to create a theocratic state that they have betrayed the tenets of thie religion. I am sorry for them, but also fear people like thyem greatly.

Curses of Culture: the Belief That Man (Human Beings) are the Measure of All Things.

davtim68 comments on Nov 11, 2017:

Dude, please don't include me in your idea of humanity. When you use the word "we" you're saying all of humanity and let me lay a truth on you. All humans don't evolve at the same speed. This may be true of some but not all.

wordywalt replies on Nov 12, 2017:

There will always be exceptions or outliers to any valid generalization. But, when the predominance of the evidence supports the generalization, that does not negate the basic premise of the generalization.

Curses of Culture: Aggressive nationalism A sense of being part of a larger community than ...

MichaelSpinler comments on Nov 11, 2017:

i will add that the attitude of america is some kind of beacon , that we cant take ideas that work in other countries, because its not merkin. like healthcare, and the gun laws. , the excuses are always the same, it cant work here.

wordywalt replies on Nov 11, 2017:

It is saddening to see howstupid and hurtful some people can choose to be!

Curses of Culture: Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is the belief that our culture is exclusively the...

davtim68 comments on Nov 9, 2017:

So, the sky is falling? I don't have that dismal outlook on life. Trump and his band are just a faze we're going through right now. We've had worst

wordywalt replies on Nov 9, 2017:

I disagree strongly. If we do not stand up to them with vigor, ethical spine, and hard facts about the corrupt culture surrounding Trump and the extreme ethnocentrism of white supremacists, this can easily morph into a dictatorship and destroy our attempt to sustain a democratic society.. In the 80 years of my life, this IS THE WORST

My fellow atheists and agnostics, some of you seem to want to demean mock, condemn and disparage ...

goatgirl comments on Nov 9, 2017:

I have been MILDLY, personally condemned, mocked etc. for most of my life by pious Christians. I have always managed to fit in enough to function in this ultra-religious culture that honestly repulses me. I have had a few heated exchanges with people that chose to begin by attacking me first. So far...

wordywalt replies on Nov 9, 2017:

I fully understand how you felt over the remarks of your neighbor. He was a cruel and vicious man, period. Even most religious persons would not act in such an abhorrent manner.

"Curses of Culture" I am going to write a series of posts on the topic "Curses of our Culture.

andygee comments on Nov 8, 2017:

Will there be an opportunity cost analysis on these? If we consider culture components as memes (in the original sense of being ideas that act like genes, rather than the popular sense of buzzwords) and that the successful ones reproduce faster, doesn't it mean that originally each culture ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 8, 2017:

Among biological organisms, environmental changes causes natural selection for mutations which enable the species to adapt to the environment. Failure to adapt to the environment causes problems for the coping and survival of the organism or species. Similarly, cultural components which interfere with the adaption of the culture to changing conditions cause dysfunction for both individual and culture, and nay lead to cultural decay or collapse. But, in the case of humans and a culture, some cultural developments benefit one group or culture for a time, but with unjustified negative effects for other groups or cultures. And such prejudicial cultural developments may hart the entire civilization and/or species.. Any questions in relation to the curses of culture I present I will gladly entertain.

I feel like non-believers are more likely to entertain the notion of implementing more gun control ...

silvereyes comments on Nov 6, 2017:

Because they love their guns, god, and government! That's the conservative way. Stay true to the founding principles. I see the conservative party as highly resistant to change. Personally, I think we should be pragmatic. We're having issues with shootings. We should be looking at how these ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 6, 2017:

Most social groups are resistant to change. Those guided by ideological dogma are most resistant to change. We need to make sure that we do not become dogmatic adherents to an ideology of our own and that we remain critical and analytical thinkers, not ideologues full of ourselves.

Any other old people out there?

evergreen comments on Nov 6, 2017:

What is your definition of "old" , as it's kind of a subjective term. I see "old" as a mindset, rather than the number of years on earth. I've met 30-somethings that were way "older" than me ! And 90-somethings that were delightfully playful and wise (and totally mentally aware) . ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 6, 2017:

I agree with the fitness. I have been told by a professional trainer that I work out with the heaviest weights of any man my age he knows of -- from 120 to 400 pounds depending on the muscle group. I also take care of my yard, the produce 3 vegetable gardens a year: That with a pacemaker, diabetes, COPD. With those conditions, if I don't stay active, I'm gone.

My fellow atheists and agnostics, some of you seem to want to demean mock, condemn and disparage ...

Benthoven comments on Nov 4, 2017:

Basically, this sounds like asking NASA engineers to respect Moon Landing Hoaxers. Or asking architects and building engineers to respect 9-1-1 Truthers. Or asking biologists to respect Creationists... Why? There is nothing we can say, no piece of evidence that can brought forward, no reasonable ...

wordywalt replies on Nov 4, 2017:

"True believers" are dogmatic in their religious beliefs. They are not worth wasting our time on. But ,not all people who are members of a religious community are fixed in their beliefs and doubt=free. They can be reached. At one time, I was one of those. In any case, I see no reason to go out of our way to offend even our foes.

Honoring the dead & cremate or bury?

MarcIveson comments on Nov 2, 2017:

Donate your body to science . I have , hopefully they will find the grumpy gene!

wordywalt replies on Nov 2, 2017:

I treied to act to donate my body to science, but was told that I or my family would still have to pay fto have my body embalmed. They are going to use my body and I will have to pay for it? No thanks!

Do you have a soul?

evidentialist comments on Oct 31, 2017:

It depends on what definition one uses. If it is the psyche (the mind), yes, of course. If one means an animating force, no.

wordywalt replies on Oct 31, 2017:

Be careful of that. Many evangelicals believe that the mind is the soul, and that it leaves the body when one dies and continues to live on its own. That, of course, is an impossibility as the mind is the sum total of all of the cognitive schema and structures, and memories contained within the brain of an individual. When a person 00 a biological organism -- dies, so does his or her mind.

Do you have a soul?

gearl comments on Oct 31, 2017:

No

wordywalt replies on Oct 31, 2017:

I agree.

Just want to know the political distribution here

WillKincaid comments on Oct 31, 2017:

I figured there would be more commies

wordywalt replies on Oct 31, 2017:

I am not surprised. As predicted in his book, WITHOUT MARX OR JESUS, Jean Jacques Revel wrote in 1972 that people are finally showing some wisdom and realizing that all total system ideologies ( ones which purport to include and explain everything, are deeply flawed and that we do not need them!

Just want to know the political distribution here

WillKincaid comments on Oct 31, 2017:

I figured there would be more commies

wordywalt replies on Oct 31, 2017:

I'm not surprised. As predicted by Jean Jacques Revel in his book

As an agnostic or theist, do you fear death? If so, why?

xplorva comments on Oct 30, 2017:

I actually was near death a few months ago. I came near to dying from bacterial sepsis from a tick bite. My internal organs were shutting down. No, I don't fear death, but I'm very afraid of not living a full life while I'm alive. Dying totally sucks, though! lol

wordywalt replies on Oct 30, 2017:

Several times in my life I have faced the possibility of death (in accidents and in medicals situations. Oddly in an auto accident, at the moment just before the crash, I felt utter peace.

As an atheistic, moral patriot, I am filled with anger and fear by the coalition of evangelical ...

MichaelSpinler comments on Oct 29, 2017:

agreed, why i get more upset at apathetic atheist, than the rt wing nut jobs, who else is going to fight for secular laws?

wordywalt replies on Oct 29, 2017:

Many atheists fear retribution if they stand for freedom from religion. We need to help them to understand that they have even more to lose if we do not stop the comingling of politics and religion.

What type of animals do you prefer as a pet?

wordywalt comments on Oct 26, 2017:

I love their affectionate independence!

wordywalt replies on Oct 27, 2017:

Oh, yes.

Do you want to influence more people to move away from religion?

KLMFTFW comments on Oct 27, 2017:

Great question and well thought out possible actions. I do want to influence people to move away from religion. I am an anti-theist at some level. I believe religion and the belief in some deity is harmful to the individual and to society. That said, I don't want to be confrontational because ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 27, 2017:

I totally agree that we must have tOTAL separation of church and state. The comingling of politics and religion debases both and threatens our democracy!

Why can't there be more meeting places in communities where atheist and agnostics can go and do good...

wrknbuzz comments on Oct 26, 2017:

Because Atheists and Agnostics have no reason to proselytize, therefore little reason to organize. Look for volunteer opportunities in your area based on things that align with your values. You're bound to meet a core group of like minded people.

wordywalt replies on Oct 26, 2017:

Absolutely correct! Right on!

Atheism is often attacked vicariously via attacks on "Godless Communism.

BobLang comments on Oct 21, 2017:

Communism, as we know it, has not been "Godless". Stalin made himself a god, Mao made himself a god. North Korea is certainly run by the cult of Kim. They just replace people's popular concept of a god by making people venerate the current leader. In that way they do away with another power group ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 21, 2017:

You are incorrect. Marx, Engels, and Leniin, the creators of communist ideology, all saw all religion is a competing ideology which was to be eliminated.

Atheism is often attacked vicariously via attacks on "Godless Communism.

snytiger6 comments on Oct 21, 2017:

It is hard to differentiate for peopel who are misinformed and think they already know it all. First of all, "godless communism" usually refers to communist totalitarianism. You can have communism without totalitarianism. It actually works very well... in villages of 200 or less people. Once ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 21, 2017:

I disagree. Communism, as an ideological system developed by Marx, Engels, and Lenin, is inherently a totalitarian system. You need to read THE NEW CLASS written by Milovan Djilas. Djilas was a communist who rose to the viuce-presidency of Tito's Yugoslavia, then became disillusioned with a flawed ideology and wrote the book. He served over 20 years in in prison for writing the book. His correct theses was that communism inevitably results in a new, more powerful class of "true believer" ideological zealots that sees elimination of any differing opinion as its goal so that the communist utopia can emerge. I abhor both communism and any semblance of theocracy.

I want a path to follow though I don't believe how to find meaning w out a god?

silvereyes comments on Oct 19, 2017:

The good thing about not having God or religion is that you can create your own path. Take what works for you-- discard the rest. Live your life the way you want. All of it opens up to you when you don't have anything else dictating how to live. Find things that are important to you, bring ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 20, 2017:

Totally agree!

As an agnostic or theist, do you fear death? If so, why?

erodednotion comments on Oct 19, 2017:

To me, dedicating your entire life to fearing death is the same as dedicating your entire life trying to find a way to stop the sun from rising; it's utterly pointless because it's inevitable no matter what you do. Whenever you focus so hard on death, you lose that much time you could've spent ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 20, 2017:

Totally agree.

As an agnostic or theist, do you fear death? If so, why?

Hugene2002 comments on Oct 19, 2017:

I don't fear death. I'm sort of sad about it as there is nothing afterwards, but death is basically easy, it's living a full and good life that is harder.

wordywalt replies on Oct 20, 2017:

I guess that I am lucky. I am an old man and have had a full life, with real ups and downs. I am much nearer the end, and that is okay. I've had my shot

As an agnostic or theist, do you fear death? If so, why?

AMGT comments on Oct 20, 2017:

Unfortunately now, I look forward to my death. Losing a kid is a game changer, I’m no longer physically capable of the unabashed joy and excitement for life that I used to feel. I can acknowledge the profundity still, I still love and laugh and share, but it is never without the deepest pain and...

wordywalt replies on Oct 20, 2017:

I'm sorry to hear of your daughter's death. As hard as it seems no, the pain will diminish over time and you will be able to experience joy again. Hold on to those positive memories.

As an atheist, I enjoy discussing metaphysics and philosophy, but recently I find myself getting ...

snytiger6 comments on Oct 16, 2017:

My biggest life problem has been varied interests. i learn a little here and a little there, but cant' stick with one subject or idea too long without gettign bored and wanting to think of other things. By the time IO graduated from college with a BA, which required 200 units, i had accumulated ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 18, 2017:

The more fields that one explores, the more unexpected connections one finds. The real growth areas in knowledge are in the catchment areas or overlaps between fields.

As an atheist, I enjoy discussing metaphysics and philosophy, but recently I find myself getting ...

Dylan comments on Oct 16, 2017:

I'm a mathematician, and I never feel that way with math. It always seems there's still another fascinating thing to learn in some area of math. If you look hard enough, I'm sure there's still new works in the philosophy world to fascinate you.

wordywalt replies on Oct 18, 2017:

If you have not already done so, you might try exploring the area of existentialist philosophy. It shows such precision, clarity, and connections without contorted metaphysics that it might appeal to a mathematician.

If you are interested in the origins and effects of religion, I would recommend what German ...

ErichZannIII comments on Oct 17, 2017:

Well, it would seem logical to believe that religion started in part as a way to explain physical phenomena. The rain came because the gods commanded it to, storms and natural disasters happened because the gods were angry.

wordywalt replies on Oct 17, 2017:

That is part of the reason. In general, humans find it difficult to know that they know little about the world around them, and that they have such little control over that world. There they create gods who not only understand, but also control that world. They then ascribe the best attributes of humans to their gods to create these ideal beings, In so doing they demean and lessen themselves. They also give over much of their freedom and what little control they do have to the created gods and the priests who purportedly represent the gods. Basically, that is what Feuerbach said. Will follow later with the gist of Fromm's writings. I think they are even more important.

I am deeply concerned about the concerted attempts of evangelical Christians to erode, if not ...

Paul628 comments on Oct 16, 2017:

This seems to be especially prevalent in far-right GOP politicians. They pander to their base of Christian voters who scream, piss, and moan whenever a group like the FFRF makes them take a cross or a Ten Commandments monument off of public land. They also hate letting other beliefs have equal ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 17, 2017:

Agreed. Let us work together to prevent them from forcing their comingling of politics and religion on us!

I am deeply concerned about the concerted attempts of evangelical Christians to erode, if not ...

marvintpa comments on Oct 16, 2017:

They mirror the ISIS desire for an Islamic caliphate. Even if their methods differ (for now) they both want the same thing, just based on a different god.

wordywalt replies on Oct 17, 2017:

Agreed. Let us work together to prevent them from forcing their ideology on us through comingling of religion and politics.

I am deeply concerned about the concerted attempts of evangelical Christians to erode, if not ...

MichaelSpinler comments on Oct 16, 2017:

you should be, they are determined and well funded . trump has been sucking up to the evangelicals as well. i cant begin to count the number of creationist i have spoken to over the years , that lie about the founding fathers. try to punk there way to this being a christian nation . built on ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 17, 2017:

Religious, as well as political demagogues lust for power and control. They are "true believers" in what they consider to be an ideology which explains and controls everything and will not hesitate to try to impose that ideology on all others. Let us work closely together to keep them from establishing their tyranny.

I am deeply concerned about the concerted attempts of evangelical Christians to erode, if not ...

DeiP comments on Oct 16, 2017:

I am too. It is amazing how they rewrite history also.

wordywalt replies on Oct 17, 2017:

Let us work together to prevent the comingling of religion and politics from poisoning our culture and society.

I am deeply concerned about the concerted attempts of evangelical Christians to erode, if not ...

tsjames comments on Oct 16, 2017:

Yes, agreed. My impression is that there has been a slow erosion in the separation between church and state in the US over recent decades. Perhaps activist secular organizations deserve support.

wordywalt replies on Oct 17, 2017:

Let us work together to prevent the comingling of religion and politics from poisoning our culture and government.

I am deeply concerned about the concerted attempts of evangelical Christians to erode, if not ...

goatgirl comments on Oct 16, 2017:

I live in the ruby red state of South Carolina where they thumb their noses at separation of church and state. They pray specifically to Jesus before city, county and state council meetings. They constantly try to push Christian prayer in to public schools. They spend tax funds on religious holiday ...

wordywalt replies on Oct 17, 2017:

Let us work together to prevent the comingling of religion and politics from poisoning our cultue and government.