Given that life in itself is meaningless, what do we have in mind when we talk about the "meaning ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Astute observations. Yes, the substance that comes to comprise our personal "meaning" comes from the outside. As Jean Piaget pointed out, we are biological organisms in constant interaction or exchange with our environment. We are constantly taking inputs from that environment, and, just as we build cellular structures to incorporate and use those inputs, we do so with our minds. We are constantly taking (passively or intentionally) from the our environment and building them into cognitive structures and schema (patterns of action) which we use to build cognitive structures which constitute our sense of "Meaning."

The meaning of life.

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Life, in and of itself, has no meaning. It simply is. It is up to each and every one of us to weave together patterns of meaning which give substance and direction to our lives.

From the conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation, and yet this report is an utter indictment...

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Probably accurate, and almost entirely due to today's corrupt Republican political culture, which seems to think the ill-informed people are easier to manipulate and control. They have gutted public education, blocked attempt to strengthen school curricula, and drawn funds and effort away from public education. When taught history and government at the high school level many years ago, I can guarantee you that my students understood the structure and function of government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

How agressive should athiesm be?

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

The only person you will ever change is yourself. You can respectfully and civilly ask religious people questions of religious people to make them think, but it is they who will have to deal with their choice, not you.

Are you impressed?

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

he combination of genuineness, astute perception, the ability to conceptualize complex issues, civility, and communication skills.

So unusual question and massive controversial question here but what do you all think about ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

Vaccinations are absolutely necessary for public health. They should never be optional unless there is an imminent health danger from the failure to vaccinate the individual.

Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis, occurs when a group makes faulty ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

In all sectors of life, we need loyal devil's advocates to ensure that our thinking is not being channeled along a wrong path. I read Janis's book some 45 years ago, and still consider it one of the most important books I have ever read.

I find, as a group, atheists are highly intelligent and I enjoy the mostly well thought out ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

We do need to be kind whenever possible. Still, we do need to be constructively critical of fallacious reasoning, misinformation, false beliefs, and bigotry

What is with this Atheist/Agnostic divide stuff lately.

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

It is a false issue. Some people just like to be judgmental of others.

What binds us together.

wordywalt comments on Apr 30, 2019:

We still need to be able to disagree without being disagreeable. We still need to be able to critique fallacious reasoning, biases, and false assertions. We serve our group and society best when we are civil, but also constructively critical.

Short stop in Atoka, OK. Taken with my phone and converted to b&w.

wordywalt comments on Apr 29, 2019:

Could be one of dozens and dozens of declining small towns on the Great Plains.

It ain't frank zappas movie..

wordywalt comments on Apr 29, 2019:

Without a doubt. He has no real competitors for the title.

Liars! every one..

wordywalt comments on Apr 29, 2019:

What is worse is that they ar threatening the very roots of our democracy every day.

Classy, huh?

wordywalt comments on Apr 29, 2019:

Franklin is a damnable charlatan!

I have been going through a very stressful period and it looks like it will continue at least for ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 29, 2019:

I feel for you. In what way are you stuck with having to deal with that person? Can you not make it clear to that person how intolerable her behavior is? can you not make it clear that you simply will not accept that behavior? Twice in my life I had to confront a person about such behavior. In both cases, I gave the person the choice of changing her behavior or leaving her relationship with me. That solved the problem in both cases. The first resulted in a divorce which ended thirty years of conflict and pain. The second resulted in a real change in behavior in my eldest daughter.

What are your plans for your corpse?

wordywalt comments on Apr 29, 2019:

You should be aware that organizations managing the donation of your body to science require that you or your family pay to have your body embalmed before they will accept it. That seems very cheap of them. I inquired and chose not to donate my body to science for that reason.

Trump’s sleazy reelection campaign is stealing millions of his donors’ dollars for his — and ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 28, 2019:

I am not surprised.

From Charles Pierce, in Esquire: "In my life, I have watched John Kennedy talk on television ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 28, 2019:

Well stated.

Death arrangement

wordywalt comments on Apr 28, 2019:

Go on the internet and google the companies or crematoria in Brevard County that will meet your wishes. I did the same here in Tampa and have given my wife the directions to follow: No funeral or service of any kind. She will take my ashes to Kansas (where my daughters live and where I lived for 17 years. My wife (not my daughters' mother) and my two daughters are to scatter my ashes on a windy point on a lake where I fished often. The only thing I ask them to do while scattering my ashes is to play the "Ashokjen Farewell." The melody is a beautifully poignant melody from Ken Burns's "The Civil War." You can look it up and hear it on YouTube music.

Bidens voting record..

wordywalt comments on Apr 28, 2019:

A biased depiction. Yes, over along and distinguished record in public service, he has made mistakes that he has learned from. We all do stupid things in our ill-informed youth. Wise people learn from their mistakes. Biden certainly has.

I have a buddy I was in Vietnam with.

wordywalt comments on Apr 27, 2019:

I have a friend of well over 50 years. I taught with him at a small town in central Florida. We are both Army vets. At the time that he became a close friend, he was a moderate, kind Christian. We engage in intense dialogue over many topics and explored ideas together. We remained in close contact over the years, both personally an professionally. Unfortunately over the past 20 years or more, he has moved more and more to the extreme political right, and his religiousity has become extreme. He seemed to see it as his personal mission to "save" me. It reached a point that I wrote to him that I will maintain contact with him, but I will NOT respond to anything religious or political from him. We do not communicate often these days, but did not completely cut off contact. He was an old and dear friend, but is no longer a person I wish to associate with.

"Atheism deserves better than the new atheists whose methodology consists of criticizing religion ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 27, 2019:

A good point. Although I want nothing to do with religion, I am not offended be people and/or a religious creed that tries to treat all with full dignity and respect. Unfortunately, those creeds area a minority among religious communities.

We're on a road to destruction if we don't make changes.

wordywalt comments on Apr 27, 2019:

There are a few members of the extreme r and/or irrational right on this site. As a group they are the most unwilling to have their thoughts and biases examined and challenged without becoming verbally and emotionally abusive. Yes, I have become angry at such despicable behavior and I b believe such anger justified. To me, they do not belong in a community willing and able to engage in critical, but constructive dialogue. If they feel uncomfortable with legitimate criticism, so be it.

Trump is facing impeachment.

wordywalt comments on Apr 27, 2019:

It's a start. We also need to elect a Democratic leader who can get things done, oust McConnell and take the Senate, oust most Republican governors and legislators. Then we can sweep away this damnable tide of corruption and greed and make democracy work for us, the people.

If you’re at all familiar with the German language, you’ll enjoy this meme... 😂

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

I ch finde ea nicht besonders komisch.

Latest moderator feature: q:337670

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

The proliferation of groups will be the undoing of this site.

The Most Corrupt Cabinet Ever:

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

A cabal of corruption.

Why we can't have good things:

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

And, people support Republicans? Why?

There is a good political reason to not impeach trump.

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

Impeachment would make it abundantly clear how far from morality, patriotism, and integrity the Republican party has moved.

[foxnews.

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

This arrogant idiot will destroy our nation if he is not removed by one means or another.

Had to arrange an academic disciplinary with one of my personal students.

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

You did not let her down. Her behavior violated your trust.

Most political punditry is saying Trump will likely win reelection in 2020.

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

Hogwash!!!! Trump's ratings are going down to a base of about 33-35 percent. And, his erratic, greedy, cruel, and corrupt behavior is driving more and more people way from him and strengthening the resolve of those who oppose him to make sure that he is never again elected to any public office. And, he WILL be indicted and convicted when he is defeated.

Deutsche Bank begins process of providing Trump financial records to New York's attorney general

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

I hope that the cooreration of Deutsche Bank will be complete. It is a known fact that Russian oligarchs have laundered billionsof dollars into Deutsche Bank. I am certain that there is a connection between that fact and the willingness to loan Trump money when no other bank would. There will be the proof of Russia owning Trump's allegiance.

Maddening foot injury prevents hiking

wordywalt comments on Apr 26, 2019:

It is both frustrating and saddening when our aging bodies tell us that we need to lessen activities that we genuinely love.

@Admin and everyone else: I have a suggestion that I think will help with the current lack of ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 25, 2019:

Whatever it takes, restore the Community forum, or I am gone. I was a member of the site long before there were any groups. I joined the site because of the Community Forum.

Yes, we removed the general forum.

wordywalt comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Unless the general form is restored, I will leave the site. One of the greatest problems we face in our society today is that too many people are segregating themselves into self-reinforcing groups. And you want to go to the same model? Not smart and not in our best interest.

Why Romantic Relationships are not the Cure for Loneliness.

wordywalt comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Loneliness is largely due to the absence of meaning or the feeling of significance in one's life.

Religion is lazy way of governing/parenting.

wordywalt comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Most, if not all religions are total system ideologies. That is, they purport to include and explain everything. There are also total system political ideologies, like communism, which also purports to include and explain everything. When one becomes a "true believer" in any total system ideology, he or she is giving up personal control to the absolutism of the dogma and to tyranny of the true believer group.

Do scientific and religious explanations necessarily contradict each other?

wordywalt comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Yes, unless the religion accepts the reality of scientific facts.

OMG.

wordywalt comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Another loony bin pronouncement. The Supreme Court has no jurisdiction in the matter.

Trump showdown with House Democrats ignites into all-out war The White House and congressional ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Trump is so stupid. By investigating his corruption so strongly, Democrats are deliberately drawing Trump into a conflict that will inevitably lead to his impeachment. Keep it up and pour it on!

Trump's New Enemy: Survivors of Sexual Violence

wordywalt comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Trump and his cabal are despicable!

Gallup Poll: US Global Approval Rating Plunges but Americans Believe the Opposite

wordywalt comments on Apr 22, 2019:

I disagree with the results of that poll. I genuinely believe that only "Trump's base high on hate, racism, ethnocentrism, an aggressive nationalism believes that international approval of the US has gone up. But, their intoxication on the fumes of fetid moral putrescence makes them delusional.

I've been tasked to teach Social Studies in Summer School this year.

wordywalt comments on Apr 21, 2019:

I also wove true stories into history which no textbooks show, pointing out that two major factors in our winning the Revolutionary Ware were a madman and a fungus. The madman turned the battle of Saratoga, and the fungus profoundly influenced the behavior of Cornwallis at Yorktown. If you are interested, I would be glad to share the two stories.

I've been tasked to teach Social Studies in Summer School this year.

wordywalt comments on Apr 21, 2019:

As a former teacher certified in both science and social studies, the first thing I would say is that doing justice to the teaching of history in a summer school setting is most difficult. If I were offered that choice, I would decline. Second, you are right. Texas state textbook selection processes are the most whitewashed and biased in the entire country-- and have been for close to a century. . When I taught U.S. History years ago, I never followed the textbook closely. Instead, I asked the questions that need to be asked, introduced information from many sources and asked the students to think for themselves. I also used both case study and inquiry methods to get the students really involved in thinking for themselves. I also tried to make the study of history a multidisciplinary matter -- examining and weaving together the political, economic, social and cultural contexts to give a much richer picture of each historical period. But all this was in Florida, a long time ago.

Mmmh. First time I heard of this. Is the world tired of dogmatic practices?

wordywalt comments on Apr 21, 2019:

A lot of us atheists have long since rejected dogmatic religious, political, and economic ideologies. That is true of me for almost 50 years. If you want to really understand how total system religious and p0litical ideologies entrap and control people, read Erich Fromm's ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM.

In your view, what is the single most significant/important US/Western cultural development in the ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 21, 2019:

It is the breakdown of a sense of community our towns, cities, states, and country. That breakdown is due to two things. First is the growing power of special interests with no interest in maintaining the workability and viability of the local situation. The focus of that special interest may be political and/or religious ideology, and/or personal privilege and profit. Second is the corruption of our political process led by Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, Dick Armee, and Mitch McConnell. That team made ideology, not results the focus and turned politics into a win-lose blood sport. Then teaming with the special interest, they are deliberately destroying any real sense of community.

Fearless is not the absence of fear, it’s overcoming it Fearless, not stupid it sharpens my ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 21, 2019:

Fearlessness is only warranted in 2 circumstances" (1) when one feels certain that he or she has all of the needed information to safely undertake a matter successfully, or (2)when one is prepared to face disastrous consequences, even death. I have always been a risks taker. but fear always made me assess the situation and prepare to face known risks, so that my efforts were calculated risks, not wild stabs in the dark. I do not fear death, as I know it is inevitable and I know that here is no afterlife.

Are positive illusions a necessary condition for being happy?

wordywalt comments on Apr 20, 2019:

Yes, we all need to have some positive illusions, especially in a time of crisis. But, we cannot carry that to an extreme in which we lose contact with reality.

I think Donald's chances of winning a second term in 2020 just diminished a little bit. Lol

wordywalt comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Not just a little bit. And, we must make sure that he loses. Then he will be indicted and sent to jail! That is what we need.

Do you feel mentally exhausted by analysis of Robert Mueller's Report?

wordywalt comments on Apr 19, 2019:

No. Im amazed by the brilliance of Mueller's work. Trump is headed to jail in 2021.

The Mueller Report, even in a redactred from, contains so much clear and unequivocal evide3nce of ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Mueller is brilliant. What he has done is to provide the evidence needed to indict Trump once he leaves office at tghe end of this term. That makes it ESSENTIAL that Trump is defeated in 2020. If he is defeated, he is headed for jaul without a doubt.

Human morality has acquired two faces.

wordywalt comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Leon Festinger, in his work on groups, noted that in cohesive groups governed by the sharing of a rather rigid set of beliefs and values act in a very controlling manner. People outside the group are treated as a lesser "other." Within the Group, if a member acts in a manner that violates the norms of the group, the group cajoles him gently, reminding him of the norms. If he or she continues to violate the norms, their pressure mounts and becomes more coercive. If the violation is viewed as major enough and if the violator does not conform, he or she will be expelled from the group and treated as a lesser, untrustworthy heretic. Of course, this most true in groups dominated by adherence to strict dogma -- social, religious, political, or economic.

Ok, I finally removed the "Group" posts section from the main page.

wordywalt comments on Apr 19, 2019:

Good. I think that the focus should be on he exchange between members, not self-segregating groups.

Are Mueller and his team in on the Deep State coverup?

wordywalt comments on Apr 19, 2019:

The "deep state" is a whole cloth fabrication of the rabid right. Trump did obstruct justice. If if were not for the Justice Department stance that a sitting president cannot be charged, he would have been indicted. There were some 90 contacts with the Russians, but they were not able to get the direct evidence of intent instead f simple stupidity-- but if the House can get Trump's financial records, that may well yet be proved.

I was flipping through channels and briefly paused on the ID channel (true crime.

wordywalt comments on Apr 19, 2019:

White southern cordiality extends only to fellow white believers and defenders of the conservative and racist southern order. I know, as I grew up in the rural south, and saw the same all throughout the region.

Is there any way that religion can be proved to be man made?

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2019:

Simple. Religion did not exist prior to lthe time that evolution produced the modern homo sapien.

I'm going to see my brother tomorrow.

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2019:

If he begins to focus the dialog on religion or politics, I would simply say, " I came here to focus on our family and on the good things we have shared., not to argue about religion or politics. I ask you to keep the same positive focus and not destroy it." If he does not honor your request, I would walk out on the dialog.

On track to one of the worst [projects.fivethirtyeight.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2019:

His unpopularity is not high enough.

Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

I believe it 100 percent. Trump's entire persona is built on hate, fear, racism, greed, and sociopathy. People who like Trump share some, if not all, of those attributes.

I wish Nancy Pelosi (or as Chump calls her, Nancy) would run.

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

I like Pelosi, too. But, we Democrats need her exactly where she is.

Thought I share something that made laugh and smile.

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

I am 82 and my wife gets irritated at me because I say similar things when I see Trump on the TV screen. She is no Trump supporter either, but likes to be less outwardly expressive or her disdain.

The Bible Says Jesus Was Real, but is There Other Proof?

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Even if Jesus did exist, there is no reason to believe that he was the "son of God." History is full of figures claiming to be gods, spokespersons of gods, and god-related figures, and they were all impostors.

Scientists have established a link between religious fundamentalism and brain damage

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

I can believe that.

Bill interviewed Julian Assange right after he posted thousands of DNC emails.

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

I would not believe one damned word of anything Assange says.

Rick Santorum: Separation Of Church And State A Communist Idea, Not An American One

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Santorum is an outright liar -- a demagogue who tries to twist reality to fit his false "reality." He is a despicable man. He has a condo next to that of a longtime friend of mine. He has managed to change my friend to a loiving, moderate Christian to that of a hating fundamentalist who not believes in right wing political conspiracy fantasies. I detest the man.

For me, my motivation is the present moment.

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

The best path is to live in the moment WHILE still building for the future. Ignoring either leads to undesirable consequences.

Interior’s watchdog opens an ethics probe into Bernhardt four days after his Senate ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Any person Trump names to any post should be swcritinized to the Nth degree, given his and their track record. However, it is so sad the the Republican's in the Senate are so lacking in moral fiber that they would name Bernie Maddoff to a government post.

Chump's "peace plan" for Israel/Palestine [haaretz.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Given how corrupt the three people involved are, how could it include a Palestinian state?

Michelle Bachmann....getting Religulous; [wp-media.patheos.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Bachmann has always been more than a few bricks shy of a load.

Is there a gap between Homo sapiens and other animals?

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Vertebrates from birds to chimpanzees display some ability in all of those areas. It seems to be a matter of degree, not the presence or absence of those attributes or skills. And, that is not surprising. After all, we, like they, are the products of evolution.

Everyone dies, but not everyone lives We have pushed Death away from Life, the dying away from ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2019:

No. Here is a repeat of my metaphor about the issue: My old friend, the conductor to death, still waits quietly in the wings. But, as I go through my final years, I converse with him. I tell him that I do not hold his role against him as I know that it is the natural order of things. He responds that he appreciates both my understanding and my willingness to face reality. I tell him that I appreciate the fact that act when the time comes to relieve me from the agony of mental confusion and/or physical pain. He assures me that he will act. I share with him my reflections on aging as a process of being forced to give up many things that add quality to life , a time of loss of dreams and aspirations, a time when (with few new experiences) we are driven inward to reflect on past experiences. life chapters, successes, failures losses, memories. He tells me that such inward reflection is a healthy way for people to gain a sense of who they are, a process that is not possible in an aspiring young person. Such is the nature of our dialogue. Both the conductor to death and know that when the time comes, he will step forward and say, 'it is time.' I will shake his hand, gesture for him to lead the way, and follow him into peaceful oblivion. That is as it should be. I find that most comforting."

I've recently given up my faith because of a few comments people gave made to me here.

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Base your moral code on the concept of minimum violation of human dignity and well-being and of the environment which sustains us. Add to that the existential position that we are responsible for all of our decisions and actions, for in all cases we could have chosen otherwise.

Don't you think it is wondering and disappointing that more than 50 % of the world population ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Disappointing, but not surprising. Read Erich Fromm's ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM.

Mar-a-Lago is a counterintelligence nightmare - The Washington Post

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2019:

Trump has the unique capacity to screw up anything and make it a clear and present danger.

When plunder becomes a way of life....

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2019:

A perfect description of what Trum and the culture of greed are trying to do to us -- and a red flag warning telling us why we had damned well better stop it -- NOW!

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for April 14, 2019 - GoComics

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2019:

Tragically funny.

As increasing numbers of US citizens self-identify as "without religion" in both red and blue ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2019:

No they will not, as they are spread across political perspectives from the extreme right to the extreme left.

Real journalists only repeat government approved progaganda. ;)

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2019:

Assange is not and has never been a journalist. He is a narcissistic, self-absorbed provocateur who thrives on creating chaos.

What can I say to my daughter?

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2019:

If I were her father, I would tell her that I want her to go to a non-sectarian liberal arts school because I feel that she would be better served by being exposed to a wide range of information and ideas.What religion, if any, she chooses is up to her, but I do not want her to mix education and religion. Also I would tell her that I will not support any or her costs at ORU, but will help all that I can in a liberal arts college choice.

What others say about the Orange Toddler. 😱

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2019:

They know -- better than anyone else.

11-year-old ordered deported without her family

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2019:

A despicable act!

Evangelical Taylor U community in uproar over Pence speech: "Deeply at odds with following Christ"...

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2019:

At least some evangelicals are wising up to how morally bankrupt the entire Trump administration is.

How (and Why) Americans Were Taught to Hate Atheists

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2019:

The demonization of atheists and atheism has existed since the Great Awakening in the 1730 and has existed ever since the strong emergence of evangelical Calvinism in America. The article is wrong. To all evangelicals, a key element in their belief is the promise of a heavenly afterlife to be awarded to those persist in their belief through the travails of life. ANYTHING which challenges that promise is viewed as a great threat to be condemned. Ergo, evangelicals tend to believe that atheists are to be both condemned and persecuted.

Are human rights universal or linked to a particular culture? -

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Human rights area human conception, a human creation. Each culture has its own definition of what rights accrue to each of us. Our modern "western" concept of human rights is derived from from the belief in the dignity and worth of all human beings. I believe that is derived both from (1)the observation that both the person and the culture do best when each person is treated with dignity and respect and when opportunity is available to all, and (2) a more enabling and open culture. Such norms will not develop in an authoritarian society, or in one controlled by dogma -- religious, political, or economic.

Donald encourages law breaking. [nytimes.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Of course, he does. He has done it for decades.

Funniest thing I've read today.

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2019:

To Stone: Tough, trumpeting turkey.

That strawberry business...

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2019:

He is off his rocker much more than Captain Queg.g

Will Drumpf hand over tax returns or drop out of the race or declare martial law? [thehill.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2019:

It will go to the Supreme Court. If the court ru;es against him, he will be forced to hand them over. By the way, it is martial law, not "Marshall Law." Even he is not dumb enough to declare martial law. He would be imprisoned for that.

Hi all.

wordywalt comments on Apr 11, 2019:

I believe that the death penalty should be reserved for the most extreme cases in which the person is actually caught in a cruel and vicious attack or deliberately sociopathic action which is terribly dangerous to others; and only such cases that there is a clear and persistent pattern which makes the person a clear and present danger to society. In such cases, there is no doubt that such a person MUST isolated from society, but we have no obligation to expend public funds to keep such a person alive. Ergo, such a person merits the death penalty.

Ive been asking myself lately how I could have been so ignorant to have followed the myth of ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 11, 2019:

If you have not read Erich Fromm's ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM, yoo may find it useful in explaiuning why religion had a hold on you for so long. Let me know if you do find it helpful.

From BBC news website today: Retired Pope Benedict XVI has published a letter which blames ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 11, 2019:

Benedict is a knowing liar. He was always an ultraconservative fraud.

As a gun owner myself, I feel we need intelligent gun regulations.

wordywalt comments on Apr 11, 2019:

I am also a gun owner, and was rated "expert" with the M-1 rifle in the Army. Still, I believe that NO ONE needs a pistol, an automatic or semi-automatic weapon of any kind, or an assault rifle as a private citizen. The same does for large capacity magazines or armor piercing bullets. The NRA of today is a corrupt organization dominated by greed. It receives tens of millions of dollars from gun manufacturers. It has the clout that it does due to the influence of money in our politics today, and due to a cozy relationship with Republican politicians.

What helps you manage impulses?

wordywalt comments on Apr 11, 2019:

I used to be a sweerahoolic, Nt first wife would make a lemon pound cake and I would snarf down half of it in one day. Once I developed diabetes and understood what the disease could do to me. That all changed, but regretfully. I thought, "Damn, think of all the good stuff I have to give up."For the last 35 years, the only sweets that I eat are whole fruit without any sugar.

Trump Goes Beyond Cronyism—To Something Far Worse [theatlantic.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 10, 2019:

He is using his corrupt cronyism to try to destroy our institutions.

Does anyone recognize this plant. It's flowering for the first time.

wordywalt comments on Apr 9, 2019:

It is a round cover plant known in Florida as "wandering Jew."

Mnuchin reveals White House lawyers consulted Treasury on Trump tax returns, despite law meant to ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 9, 2019:

What else does one expect from the corrupt cabal?

Looking for some positive alternatives talk today.

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2019:

I think that you will find a number of people on this site who have long since rejected all ogma-based religious, political, social, and economic ideologies. These are people who believe in treating all humans with full dignity and respect and simply getting things done which benefit all of us. Generally we believe in democracy in its fullest extent, That is, we believe on representative democracy as a structural concept, but with the full underpinnings of treatment of all with dignity and respect, respect for the rights of all, equal opportunity, and institutions which put these underpinnings into full play.

Yet another way religion is killing us - [futurity.org]

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2019:

I am sure that the assertion is correct for evangelicals. For the rest of Christians, I doubt it.

For all you history buffs out there...

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2019:

Why do you waste time with inanities?