that is so true...

wordywalt comments on Aug 12, 2018:

We have had them for for almost 150 years. It is just that they are now much more overt with te idiot Trump in power.

What is your favorite nickname for our POTUS 45?

wordywalt comments on Aug 11, 2018:

The anus.

What is the greatest challenge that civilization faces?

wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:

Long term, you are correct. In the short term, our greatest threat is the culture of greed, corruption, and ethnocentrism exemplified by Trump and his supporters.

Family and Religion

wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:

Tell them that you respect their rights to believe as they choose and that you will not treat them with disrespect by bombarding them with conversion attempts -- and that you DEMAND that they treat you with equal respect if they want to continue their relationship with you. I had to say that to a friend of 50 years who has turned ultra religious. It worked.

Their last hope?

wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:

If he is their last, best hope, Christianity is doomed.

Are you Opimistic about the future of the Human Race?

wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:

Two things" Human beings are a species, not a race. Second, human beings will eventually become extinct -- if some catastrophic event does not destry the entire earth before then.

Are you a card player? If so, please name your favorite one.

wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:

Bridge and double deck pinochle.

Why are the right-wingers indistinguishable from trolls?

wordywalt comments on Aug 9, 2018:

Our country and democracy have withstood severe crises before -- as in the case of the Civil War. If we, as patriots and defenders of democracy, do our jobs, we will withstand this one. And, I reiterate, IF WE DO OUR JOBS . . .

What is your explanation?

wordywalt comments on Aug 8, 2018:

All these things are nothing more than manifestations the brain and nervous system shutting down. Period. NOthing more, nothing else.

Who is your all time favorite comedy actor?

wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:

Robin Williams, followed by Johnathan Winters.

Remember those two gray hair fat boys with a t-shirt saying: I rather be a Russian than a Democrat ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:

That would make a fantastic tee shirt.

Evolution, religion, and why it’s not just about lack of scientific reasoning ability - On Biology

wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:

That kind of behavior is moere than adequately explained by Erich Fromm in his book, ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM.

What do you call your mother-in-law?

wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:

Deceased.

What right does the atty general have to take on a job of increasing christian values within our ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:

He has no such right. In principle, his action is unconstitutional. The man is a moral hypocrite.

How much of the allure of religion, for men , is just for the illegitimate entitlements of male ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:

Male religiousity is based more on fear of lack of knowledge and control and on the need for acceptance in the dominant social group than on the the need for patriarchy.

What is everyone's thought on this?

wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:

Education level does play some role, but the key determining factors are related more to personality. Atheists and agnostics have more questioning, analytical, and independent personalities.

I still sometimes think this reality is some nightmare that I'll wake up from...

wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:

This nightmare is not going away by itself. WE must act to make it go away.

I'm curious to understand: Do you hold grudges?

wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:

I do not hold grudges. But if I have lost my trust in a person, or if my experience is that the person will only cause me pain, I simply cut off all contact. It is not an effort to punish the person, but simply an avoidance of pain on my part.

Something I just heard and I think it's good advice: Worrying is paying for a debt you may never ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:

That is true if you are fretting over some remote possibility. If it is over something that is very likely, it is a way of covering all the bases to make the best of a bad situation.

OK - Advice needed.

wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:

From experience, I can tell you that you are taking a real risk. It could work out, or it could be a real disaster.

Do you like to dominate your partner or to be dominated?

wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:

Neither. I seek a relationship of caring and charing.

If you could be alone with tRump in a locked room for 5 minutes what would you do?

wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:

I would eliminate the two sources of the vile crap he produces -- his tongue and his twitter fingers.

Brene' Brown, Ph.

wordywalt comments on Aug 5, 2018:

She is a truly beautiful person -- so, so right in her message.Making real human connections by having the courage to make yourself vulnerable adds such depth and joy to life. On the other hand, from painful experience, let me advise others : Stay away from people who are not willing or able to make themselves vulnerable, and/or those who would use your willingness to make yourself vulnerable against you. In the long run, they can only hurt you.

Do you feel like you have a greater penchant for insomnia because not believing in religion means it...

wordywalt comments on Aug 5, 2018:

I definitely sleep more soundly not worrying if I have offended a deity.

For the men here, have you been able to share your feelings/tears with your partner?

wordywalt comments on Aug 5, 2018:

I have been doingit so long with my wife (second) that it just feels normal and part of our mutual trust.

Trump has gone off the deep end, even by his standards.

wordywalt comments on Aug 5, 2018:

I love the one about the rat in the corner! So appropriate.

What Does Your Saturday’s Usually Consist Of?

wordywalt comments on Aug 4, 2018:

In this summer heat, my first real activity of the day is working out with weights at thre gym in late morning, a lazy afternoon,l then taking care of yard and garden tasks in the late afternoon. Evenings on the computer, and watching PBS.

'Insidious': Emails Show Trump White House Lied About US Poverty Levels to Discredit Critical UN ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 4, 2018:

This is all we can expect from the Trump administration -- a web of lies. That is why it MUST go away.

Trump Resigns - Could It Happen?

wordywalt comments on Aug 4, 2018:

That would be a great day for us and our country.

Ayn Rand has come up in conversations with conservatives lately.

wordywalt comments on Aug 3, 2018:

I read all of Ayn Rand's major works back in the mid 1960s and found her interesting, but , in a way I could not identify at the time, somehow off-key. Over time, like you, I came to see that her main messages were (1)greed is good, (20 I have the freedom do what I want and no one has anything to say about it, and (4) all government is bad.

Is it difficult to be a good person?

wordywalt comments on Aug 3, 2018:

No. It is not difficult to be a good person. We all have done things we wish we had not done, but rare lapses do not characterize us.

Terrifying... [esquire.com]

wordywalt comments on Aug 3, 2018:

Breathtaking willful stupidity!

We got excited to see that our wild Muscadine grape vine had fruit on it!! Unfortunately when we ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 2, 2018:

Many wild, dark full sized grades grapes are Bullis, not Muscadine. Another wild variety which has smaller, dark grapes in clusters are called fox grapes. If you can find them, they make the best grape jelly or jam of all. I have fond memories of wild grapes. I grew up in a tiny town of 250 people in north Florida. In August, a small gang of us would get some older guy to buy us some rum-soaked Cuban cigars and we would do down to the creek and scout out a vine of wild Bullis grades, and we would laze around all afternoon, eating grapes and smoking cigars.

What do you think? How accurate?

wordywalt comments on Aug 1, 2018:

I would change the first one: easily distracted from things in which they view as unimportant and/or uninteresting.

GOP Congressional Candidate: God Says Women Are ‘Helpers’ Only

wordywalt comments on Aug 1, 2018:

Far too many evangelicals see women only in subservient roles. That is one HUGE reason why we should NEVER allow religion to co-mingle with politics.

Most Unpleasant Character

wordywalt comments on Aug 1, 2018:

Every word Tue!

Q Anon because yes it can get even weirder in Trump's Freak Show. [rollingstone.com]

wordywalt comments on Aug 1, 2018:

All too true.

New Atheism, Worse Than You Think

wordywalt comments on Jul 31, 2018:

Atheism is the absence of religious belief, the absence of dogma. Ne-atheist is a bastard stepchild -- an attempt to create a new dogma around atheist. It is to be denounced.

Your mortgage is half way through and you have enough in the bank to pay it off.

wordywalt comments on Jul 31, 2018:

It depends. If you are earning more from your investments than you would pay in home loan interest, maintain the home loan. If you are earning less from your investments, pay the loan off.

Location envy.

wordywalt comments on Jul 31, 2018:

The Pacific northwest, near (but not in) a city.

When others question their faith...

wordywalt comments on Jul 31, 2018:

It is never inappropriate to express an honest opinion.

They're at it again, folks.

wordywalt comments on Jul 30, 2018:

Exactly what one should expect from the greedy moral idiot, Trump. He will use and abuse us all, if we let him!

"The modern age has witnessed the rise of a number of new natural-law religions, such as liberalism,...

wordywalt comments on Jul 30, 2018:

Religion and communism are both examples of total system ideologies -- ideological systems which purport (falsely) to explain and include everything. Fascism and nazism were evil political ideologies, but not total system ideologies. Nationalism arises when a society moves from a tribal one to the formation of a modern nation-state. It results from the transfer of totally to the larger social unit as that unit provides more meaning and quality of life. Limited nationalsim is a good thing -- a source of pride and purpose if the nation is framed as a true democracy. Extreme nationalism always results in bigotry and ethnocentirm, aggression and imperialism. Capitalism is an economic ideology which many conservatives have elevated to almost the status of a religion. Well regulated capitalism (to control the destructive greed) works well in a mixed economy. Look at most of Western Europe and Japan. Liberalism is not a religion, unless you include the extreme libertarian views of Ayn Rand. So, Harari is only right in one comparison. All of the others are contrived.

I HAVE STOPPED POSTING IN THIS GROUP.

wordywalt comments on Jul 30, 2018:

Agreed. I already post of my Trump comments on in the general postings.

Know who these people are, how they are connected, and how their interests overlap.

wordywalt comments on Jul 30, 2018:

They are malevolent forces on the political scene today, given power by their massive wealth.

Although I think FOX is the worse for it, I think people should check facts of any mainstream media...

wordywalt comments on Jul 30, 2018:

What the person making this post is expressing is simply a bias to the right. I trust the facts reported on all of the normal media -- NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN. CNN's presentation of the talking heads does show the opinions of spokespersons on the right, but those right wing apologists are often simply absurd in their opinions. That performance, by itself, makes the right look intellectually , factually, and morally weak. For absolute certainty, I go to PBS and NPR.

First Date Question: "How aware are you of your traumas and suppressed emotions and how are you ...

wordywalt comments on Jul 29, 2018:

Damned good and relevant question, but you would drive a lot of potential suitors away with that one. Perhaps that is just as well.

Has your family reacted in an extreme way to your intellectual choices and did that leave you ...

wordywalt comments on Jul 29, 2018:

I have always stood strong in the face of opposition and/or conflict if I thought I was right and if I thought the issue really mattered. On the other hand, I havel seldom gotten hung up on petty things, and I have never rubbed differences in the faces of those with whom I disagree.

Make your anger an ally by learning what makes you angry, then by realizing why you get angry.

wordywalt comments on Jul 29, 2018:

Any person certainly needs to know what makes them angry. Otherwise, the person is open to manipulation. I learned that painfully from my first wife. She knew what my hot buttons were and how to push them -- and did it daily. Also in any conflict situation, if you can make the other person angry, you can lead them into behavior which can be used against them.

Finally!!! The Funeral Industry is starting to take a major hit, and so is organized religion.

wordywalt comments on Jul 29, 2018:

And, that is a highly positive development. . I have already acted to ensure that my body will be cremated, that there will be no burial, and that there will be no service of any kind.

I would like to propose a new rule.

wordywalt comments on Jul 29, 2018:

Agreed. Let's eliminate the extraneous agendas.

Have you ever seen a movie that you wished you never seen?

wordywalt comments on Jul 28, 2018:

Yes. "Glen Cary, Glen Ross: with Jack Lemon. It was the most depressing movie I have ever seen.

I don't know why I am always dumbfounded by their ignorance.

wordywalt comments on Jul 28, 2018:

This is not surprising to me. I grew up in rural south Georgia and north Florida. Most rural southern areas and their white populations are just as racist as they were 150 years ago -- and their evangelical religion plays a strange key role in that racism. The travesty is these purported white "Christians" refuse to see the hypocrisy in how their racism violates the original Christian tents.

We athiests and agnostics need a flag, any thoughts on what it should look like?

wordywalt comments on Jul 28, 2018:

Any such flag should contain elements that convey intellectual honesty and moral responsibility.

Why do you think theists follow their religion of choice: A) Indoctrination of fear at an early ...

wordywalt comments on Jul 28, 2018:

All religious people fear being powerless and ignorant and are drawn toward people and ideologies which offer them the promise of power, belonging, control, and understanding. Read Erich Fromm's ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM.

Random Acts of Kindness

wordywalt comments on Jul 28, 2018:

If you are a caring, outgoing person, you do random acts of kindness a number of times daily. It is simply part of who you are. You don't tout the fact, and you don't keep tack of those things.

Christian activist: ‘God will curse the children and grandchildren of those who opposed Trump’ ...

wordywalt comments on Jul 28, 2018:

What vicious, damnable, cruel demagogic liars!

This made me smile

wordywalt comments on Jul 27, 2018:

What a great idea!!

It is amazing how many folks on agnostic.

wordywalt comments on Jul 27, 2018:

I do not believe that there is such a thing as a :soul,: We simply cease to exist as a living organism, and our consciousness -- itself an abstraction -- also ceases to exist. There is nothing afterward.,

Does anyone recycle?

wordywalt comments on Jul 27, 2018:

The city of Tampa has a recyclable pick-up once a week. It takes all forms of pater, metals, glass, and plastic bottles

It does seem so

wordywalt comments on Jul 27, 2018:

Republican ideology is just a broader version of the old southern red-necks' attitude toward women:" Keep 'em barefoot and pregnant." In other word, keep them under-educated, subservient, and without resources. That way, people unhappy with the situation cannot challenge you.

Do you have religious friends?

wordywalt comments on Jul 27, 2018:

I make it clear that I respect their right to believe as they choose, and demand that they treat me with similar respect. I also make it clear that I simply do not discuss anything religious.

It does seem so

wordywalt comments on Jul 27, 2018:

A clear statement of Republican policy. It makes it easier to manipulate and use people.

A woman changing her surname 2 her husband's after marriage; is it constitutional, religious, ...

wordywalt comments on Jul 27, 2018:

In thoise cultures in which this occurs, it is simply a cultural norm -- nothing more, nothing less.

Do you think you are selfish or selfless? And why?

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

I am a human being. That means that I have tendencies on both sides. I try to limit the selfish, but do not always succeed.

Oh yesssss ... indeed. Sad?

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

Trump is almost a reincarnation of Mussolini.

Global Warming Linked to Higher Suicide Rates across North America - A new study suggests.

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

Climate change is slowly, but inexorably altering some many aspects of our lives which used to be predictable certainties. That is creating unpredictability and stress in all aspects of our lives. . That fact,alone, will increase suicide rates.

As an agnostic/athiest how do you go about getting married or having a wedding?

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

I do think that formalizing a loving relationship you plan to maintain over time is a worthy act.

Is balance worthwhile?

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

Excuse me, but , to me, what you are saying is nice sounding gibberish. What is the point or aim of your post?

How do you build up your self confidence?

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

Don't worry about what someone else may say, and try to do things of such value that they are worth noticing. At the same time listen to feedback you are getting and screen it for ideas you can and should use to improve yourself. The rest is junk not worthy of your attention.

We just put up a new wood fence around our yard.

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

One of the very many negative things Trump is doing to the American people.

If you choose to leave the United States, what country would you prefer to live in next?

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

Canada, then New Zealand.

National Geographic The religiously unaffiliated, called "nones," are growing significantly.

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

My only concern is too many of the "nones" may be opting out of political life as well as religious. They need to exercise their civic responsibilities to prevent the religious and political demagogues from taking over.

How convinced are you?

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

I am 100 % convince that no gids exist. That frees me and leads me to an existential point of view.

Hello I am new so please be gentle.

wordywalt comments on Jul 26, 2018:

Your post is a disconnected collection of poorly written bits and pieces that makes not sense.

Did anyone else go through the stages of Atheism?

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

It appears that your purported stages do not describe what happens with most atheists.

Hey Irish Troll, come at me!!!

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

A true warning by Orwell which we Americans would do damned well to heed!

How do you say you love some one without them thinking you want to marry them?

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

Explain to him that you do do feel a deep emotional connection to him and that you do greatly enjoy spending time with him -- but that this does not mean that you are driven to have sex with him. Or, if that is the case, that you have chosen not to act on any sexual thoughts.

Terran/world government

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

I find the thought interesting, but likely unworkable, due to human tribal instincts.

Did anyone else go through the stages of Atheism?

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

No, not at all. I felt same and self doubt while being a believer over being a "sinner" just by being normal. I have never hated all religious people, but just detest people who try to impose their religious beliefs on me, and duplicitous demagogic charlatan preachers and leaders.

Broken foot bone. Can't hike. How to cope?

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

If you can get to the gym, try working out with upper body, arm, and shoulder machines.

".

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

Totally Agree. Trump is more devious, more vicious, more corrupt, and simply more evil than any politician EVER on the American political stage.

Next time someone says this, I am goen use this line.

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

Superb!!

You work in healthcare, you are about to be fully responsible for the life of a patient in surgery ...

wordywalt comments on Jul 25, 2018:

I would state, "Sir, am not religious, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that Mr. (or Mrs.) X has the best of outcomes." Then I would step out.

Artificial Intelligence Shows Why Atheism Is Unpopular - The Atlantic

wordywalt comments on Jul 24, 2018:

An astute observation.People formed religion initially out of insecurity When a religion has become dominant in culture, religious leaders and true believers deliberately use cognitive dissonce to try to force conformity to group demands on beliefs. They also try to prevent pluralism from becoming an option. They will also always choose indoctrination over true education.

Do you feel weird when asked to approve someone's comment on a post?

wordywalt comments on Jul 24, 2018:

I will nto approve or disapprove of a comment just because I am asked to do so. That choice rest solely on my own judgment.

Are you so confident that you can stay for your opinion even if no one agrees?

wordywalt comments on Jul 24, 2018:

On, yes, if I am sure I am on solid ground.

Is it wrong to like drum and bass???

wordywalt comments on Jul 24, 2018:

In the hand of a master, both instruments have great quality and beauty. If you ever heard Ray Brown play the bass, you will know what I mean.

I think it's so brave of people in the last years of their lives to remain atheistic.

wordywalt comments on Jul 23, 2018:

It is not brave, but the recognition of reality. If nothing follows death, here is nothing to fear.

Is the universe amoral?

wordywalt comments on Jul 23, 2018:

The unverse does not have a conscious mind. Therefore, it has no concept such as morality.

What’s the worst injury you’ve ever gotten from the gym?

wordywalt comments on Jul 23, 2018:

I have had more than a few sore joints (ankle, knee, hip, writs, elbow, shoulder) and a pulled muscle in the groin, but nothing major.

It's like the plague, a pandemic across the globe, right wing nationalism.

wordywalt comments on Jul 22, 2018:

Hans Morgenthau said, some 80 years ago, "The degree of aggressive nationalism and imperialism expressed in a nation's foreign policy is inversely proportional to the country's domestic political and economic stability." Much of the instability is due to the actions of Putin and Trump -- and it is affecting much of the entire world.

Which is more accurate, birds of a feather flock together or opposites attract?

wordywalt comments on Jul 22, 2018:

Birds of a feather.

Where do Conservatives go fact check, since they say all the fact check websites are owned,or run ...

wordywalt comments on Jul 22, 2018:

They don't fact check.

Five Foundations of Morality in America (Jonathan Haidt) When you decide whether something is ...

wordywalt comments on Jul 21, 2018:

The basis for my moral code -- and decision-making -- is the principle of minimum violation of human dignity and respect, and minim damage of human and environmental well=being. I think that more than covers your questions.

Trump, as stupid as he is, is not (your) American problem.

wordywalt comments on Jul 21, 2018:

Was Sie sagen stimmt nicht. It is not the two party system that is bad. It is the extent to which we have allowed big money and special interest groups to penetrate and manipulate our political process, along with a consequent corrupt and self serving political culture. Today's Republican party has "sold its soul" to evangelical Christianity and to any other source -- foreign or domestic -- which will enable them to hold and abuse their power.

How many of you live in the moment as much as possible?

wordywalt comments on Jul 20, 2018:

At my age, I live for today, for I have few tomorrows. But, in living in the moment, one must strive not to cram in a multitude of desires, but to learn to take that which comes joyfully and naturally and enjoy it -- as a connoisseur of fine brandy snifts the aroma and savors the bouquet. That I learned almost 60 years ago when spending in a situation in which, if the situation deteriorated, I was told that a had a maximum of 48 hours to live.

Remember...

wordywalt comments on Jul 20, 2018:

Hear! Hear! Hear! ACT! Act, as though your life depends on it!! IT DOES!!

GOP Candidate Normalizes Pedophilia Because The Bible

wordywalt comments on Jul 20, 2018:

And, this pervert is running for office???

Trump Only Has One Scandal - The Atlantic

wordywalt comments on Jul 20, 2018:

He is a traitor to everything that I believe the USA stand for.