The Number of Americans with No Religious Affiliation Is Rising - Scientific American

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Let's hope that the trend continues -- and accelerates.

Tell me something about your town/village/area.

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

I live in Carrollwood, a suburb of Tampa, Flrodia. Tampa is a city of around a million people with ehavy auto traffic. Fall and winter are the best times of year here -- cool and dry, with highs in the the teens to twenties Celsius, and lows typically in the low teens. Summers are hot and humid with lots of rain. Our neighborhood is a quiet one, with little traffic, green lawns and lots of big trees. And, we have almost everything we need for living within 2 to 3 miles.

For all my health conscious folks do you prefer to juice or blend your fruits and vegetables?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Juicing concentrates the sugars in fruit. That is unhealthy for anyone with diabetic tendencies.

Is gingerism a thing?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

I have no idea what you are talking about.

It is true, being overly clean can actually be bad for your health and your kids health.

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

To a degree that is true.; It is the exposure to pathogens that builds up natural resistance to them.

What are your thoughts on existentialism?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

I have been an existentialist for over 50 years. It makes sense.

Has anyone else noticed a pervasive sense of social and moral collapse in modern society?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Yes, in the culture of greed infesting too much of our society, the racism and ethnocentrism, the religious hypocrisy among evangelicals, the failure of Republicans to stand up for principles of morality and eecency and against corruption and treason. The rest of your statement is pure BS. The only media that are unreliable are Fox, Sinclair, other right wing extremist groups, and Russian planted meddling..

Who else has found it difficult to adjust to some aspects of life after leaving a fundamentalist ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

I am glad that my amovement away from religion seemed much easier, more natural, and fluid than your experience.

Very seldom to use the word hate but I am going to say I hate religions because my x-wife the mother...

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Your ex was the prolem in and of herself.

Hello everyone, In my quieter moments, sometimes a philosophical thought will simply appear in...

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Occasionally we who relectcome upon a phenomenal phrase which truly grabs us.

The evidence suggests we just cease to exist when we die. Does this bother anyone?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

The only reason that it shoud bother you would be that if you are facing death as a young peoson being deprived of most of the experiences of life. You are not facing hell. It is simply reality. think of it as peaceful oblivion.

Some of you may recall that I had a date last night with someone I "met" on here.

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Sounds like a delightful evening.

It’s a Sunday. What’s your favorite way to spend the day?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

The same as any other day.

How long does a good thing last? Can you ever say I've had enough?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Sounds like you have it pretty good!

How many others reached a point like myself, where they cannot or will not date a god believer?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

I am a total atheist, and my wife of 23 years is a devot Catholic. We knew that about each other when we married, and we respect each other's right to believe as we chooise. Other than religion, we tend to share very similar liberal values and philosophiesa. We care deeply about each othr, and religion is nEVER a source of conflict between us. You may rule out some truly lovable women with your current view.

My neighbor is a man in his mid thirties.

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Sounds a bit mentally unbalanced.

If you're looking for a job, the CIA is hiring [cia.gov]

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Back in the mid 1960s I got a letter from the CIA saying that I had been recommended for a position. The recommendation had to have come from someone I knew in West Berlin who was an undercover CIA agent and I did not know it.I have often wondered who it was.

Has Radical Islam increased the spread of Athiesm ?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

No. If anything, it has increased the tendency of Christians to proscelatize.

How did everyone find this site?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

On facebook.

I have been playing golf for 43 years.

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

I am glad that you enjoy golf. I gave it up 56 years ago as my sentiments about the game are the same as Mark Twain's: "A good walk spoiled!"

Does anyone on here have really religous friends?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Yes, I have religious friends. with most of them, however, we simply do not discuss religion. One old friend, though, I have to remind occasionally that his deliberate insertions of religious matters into the dialogue and/or attempts to onvert are disrespectful and will not be responded to in any way except to ignore.

"Properly read, the bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived".

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Aptly stated!

What do you look forward to getting out of bed for every morning?

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Most mornings, yes.

I like this political cartoon picture. 45 has a head big enough to think he is Caesar.

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

His ego is so horrendously exaggerated that he thinks Caesar was a piker and loser.

A poem about our demented insane fearless sewer hog 45.

wordywalt comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Hear! Hear!

A question of perception

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Treat the Christians with respect. Whenver you can, quote scripture to uphold your points and to make them realize that they are not following their faith. And, point out to them that they are being both unchristian and disrespectful in their words about athiests -- but in a respectful manner.

A little help on writing the best profile.

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Make it short and sweet, with just enough info on you and your beliefs to make it tantalizing.

Trump tower on fire. [cbsnews.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Too bad it did not burn down (without any human casualties).

Originally from Alabama, but have spent the past 3 decades in Canada.

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

I would be equally appalled and offended.

Spreading The Word!

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

I don't wear my beliefs on my sleeve nor do I throw my beliefs in the face of religious people or the gneeral public. I find such actions uncivil wyhen someone accosts me by throwing their beliefs in my face -- and I don't care if it is christian or atheist who does it.

Does anyone else sit in with a book on Saturday night or am I dull as fuck?

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

I envy you. I used to be a voracious reader, but poor vision has stopped that. When I got wrapped up with a book that I really liked, I would read through half the night.

How has this site affected either your beliefs, or your relationship to your beliefs?

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

It has had no effect on my beliefs. I was firm in my beliefs and disbeliefs before I found the site. I have enjoyed the conversations.

Seems like Hypocrisy among believers is growing by the day.

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

You make it clear that you consider them hypocrites and charlatans.

Do you think anything can be accomplished by hard work?

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Most people never find their professional or occupational passion. Most people simply work. Those who truly love their work and throw themselves into it because they loive it were very fortunate people. I was one of thos fortunate people for almost 20 years, and I loved it.

You give an inch .

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

As youknow, my first wife bears a lot of similarities in behavior to your mother. That is why I have not spoken with her -- or communicated with her in any form -- for well over 20 years. She had the ability to turn any communication into a painful disaster. I'm sorry that you have to experience that.

What do you like to do that brings the most happiness and joy to your life?

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Listening to some classical music, fishing, get-togethers with my wife's family, vegetable gardening.

Do you trust the Mainstream Media?

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

So long as we exclude Fox and all extreme right wing media from the term "mainstream", I generally trust all of the others.

We are now more than ever in a censored society, is that a good thing or bad?

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

The word is censored. I do not believe that your assertion is true. Censorship was much more prevalent in the 1940s and 1960s. I see almost no censorship today. Who is censoring what?

Hello all.

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

That is true of much of the American south. When my first wife arrived in a central Florida town from Berlin, Germany, one of her first observations was, "There are more churches here than pubs" (Kneippem in German),

Russian submarines are lurking near the communications cables that link the US to the rest of the ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Russia is clearly the most dangerous and untrustworthy adversay of the U.S.A. -- and has been for most of the time since 1945.And, with Putin at its head, it is at its most dangeous in modern times.

Ever had a magical close encounter with wild animals, with no bait food involved?

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

As a young man, I was working on a woods crew, getting rid of scrub oaks in an area where St. Regis Paper Company was planting pines. As I was swinging my axe, I caught the flicker of movement at my feet in the corner of my eye. I looked down and saw a 2 to 2 and 1/2 foot pigmy rattler coming from behind me. I am not sure the it was even aware that I was there, but was simply crawling along and I happened to be in its path. I froze, and when the snake was just in front of me, then simply dropped the axe head on it, I did not want to take the chance of mywelf or any of our crew getting bitten.

What do you say on facebook to friends or family that have lost a loved one?

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

It depends greatly on how close you are to the person you are expressing your sympathy, and how conest you feel you can be with thyem. If I am not really close, I simply say, (I am sorry for your loss.)

Has anyone here started to lead a simpler life and decided to purge many of the things you have ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Yes. and it is sometimes not easy. I have sent my daughter most of my really personal files and items-- digpoma, awards, recognitions,trophies, and papers and over half of the volumes in my personal library (at one time well over 2,000 volumes). I have also purged 3 4-drawer file cabients of academic and professional materials I developed and/or used. I have also thrown away or given away clothes I no longer use, sliiping bags, and at least 500 - 600 books. Many of those books, materials, and papers reflected the core of my professional life. It was hard partingwith them.

Do any of you get frustrated having a debate with Christians ?

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

I don't debate with christians. One cannot reason on a subject of irrationa belief.

How do Americans view Canadians?

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

I can;t speak for all Americvans, but I view Canadians as more civil than many Americans, well educated, and politely independent.

America first

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

Trump is just as vile as the KKK.

Lets talk about nature, our diminishing resources, and the inevitable role politics plays! So the ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

I like the intent, but you ask too many questions in one post.

Is atheism linked to depression/anxiety?

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

No. Not in the least. Why do you askthat question?

I mentioned on a comment string on Facebook - started by an actual Jewish friend of mine who ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

They have no point. They ae simply filled with anger, hatred, bigotry, and emotional violence.

How would you handle this?

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

Let it be. Some people find comfort in those words.

My first post here.

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

Don't worry about artificial categories. Just know what you do and do not believe.

Were you one of those people who had a lot of friends growing up?

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

Yes, I had lots of friends when I was growing up. Only a few were close friends, but I think thatis the case for most peoplr. No, Iam not in regular contact with any iof them' although I have recently searched out phone numbers from several and talked with several briefly.

Anybody else no longer able to stomach fantasy movies or ghost movies that involve all kinds of ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

Such moviesw have not inerested me since I was a kid.

Is your reality anyone else's?

wordywalt comments on Apr 6, 2018:

Of course. As a live and grow, each of us builds our own cognitive schema to interpret inpouts from our environoment, and we each build our own cognitive strucrtures or patterns of meaning. No two people's are the same.

You want to see my what?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

The last time I got carded I was 27 years old.

Religion among Scientists in International Context: A New Study of Scientists in Eight Regions

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

About what I would have thought.

What kind of hat should we wear?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

No. Most caps with logos are simply tacky.

Admitting when you’re wrong..

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Admitting a mistake takes strengh of character -- and makes one a better person.

Hi friends.

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

We always have choices. Your would probably be better off working elsewhere.

What is the most memorable live concert you have seen?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Ella Fitzgerald in West Berlin in 1961.

Shoes On or Off

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

An acquired habit at the insistence of my wife.

Does anyone else ever miss going to church sometimes?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

No. I have set foot in a church only 4 times in the last 67 years -- once for a funeral, and 3 times at the request of a chose relative.

If you had to pick 3 of your most favorite authors who would you pick and in what order?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Hermann Hesse, Mark Twain, and John Le Carre.

Finding it hard too connect

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Always willing to engage in friendly conversation and exchanges of thought, but that's all.

What is your weirdest irrational fear?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

I have little, if any irrational fear.

So recently my girlfriend passed away.

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

All mediums ae frauds.

Did you play sports in highschool, and do you still play?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

I played football and basketball in high school, football and fastl pitch softball in the Army, organized volleyball in my 30s, and racquetball in my 50s. At the age of 81, I am way past sports, but still work out with weights.

So.

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Be careful. If she is a "true believer" her belief in religious dogma forms the core of her whole personality and mindset. If that is the case, she will never be onvinced about evolution. If she is a true believer, are you really sure that you an deal with this for the rest of your life?

You need to love yourself first to be able to create a good relationship. Do you agree?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Totally agree!

Soon; mueller tIme

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

I danned surely hope so!!

Boundaries

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

I once met an attractive lady for dinner. She obiviously had money and lived well. Afterward, she sent me a letter inviting me to spend the weekend with her at her house. There were things about her that caused me concern. So, in spite of the probability of a sexy weekend, I declined and simply told her that I felt we were headed in different directions. I know what I want and don't want.

Can You Pass an 11th Grade US History Quiz? - Zoo

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Having studied American intelledtual and cultural history in graduate school, i am sure that I could.

Did you ever get the feeling your being watched?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Seldom, if ever.

Does something someone has done in one area of their life, negate something they've done in another?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

It depends. If what the person has done is so damaging or hurtful to others, the answer is definitely "yes." If the action causes the loss of trust in the person's integrity and character, the answer is again "yes."

Got a better one?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Religion is the grand deluder and user of people.

Has the fear of emotional pain prevented anyone from cultivating relationships?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Oh, ys. People who have experienced deeply hurtful relatuionships do make one leery. And some people simply feel so insecure that they do not want to take risks. They are so afraid of the possibility of emotional pain that they cheat the heart out of their own lives.

True or False: How we think is determined by the mind, not how things really are.

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

That depends on the effectiveness of the cognitive schema we develop and on the accuracy of our cognitive structures.

A short conversation with a friend earlier had me thinking about forgiving and forgetting.

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Yes, holding grudges is harmful to all involved. I do not hold grudges. Still experience has taught me that for my own mental health, it is best to avoid contact with some people, and that it is not safe to trust some people. I do not wish to punish, but simply to avoid unneeded and senseless pain.

I am curious what others think: If life were discovered on another world (planet, moon, comet, ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Religious "true believers" will always find a way of explaining the situation within the context of their dogma.

Is emotional intimacy related to honesty in relationships?

wordywalt comments on Apr 5, 2018:

I dare to say that almost all of us in close relationships still have secrets we do not wish to reveal. But, I do not see that having secrets is being dishonest. It is simply deep privacy. In a persisting close relationships, more and more secrets are revealed over time, as one becomes more and more trusting of the other, and as one feels the need and desire to share more and more of himself or herself.

Agnostics / humanists / atheists, I often wonder if third world countries with little medical care ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Germany has a natioanal retirement system that everyone pays into. There are virtually no old people in Germany without full retirement pay. It works. We could do the same here if it were not for the Republican Party and extreme libertarians.

What do you like to observe in nature?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Far more things than I care to specify.

In your relationships over your lifetime, has the lack of religion been a positive, or negative ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

It has not made any difference in my relationships.

How many have long term goals?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

At the age of 81, I no longer have long term goals.Rather my goals today are much more immedidate and attainable.

Scientists now have evidence Africa is physically splitting into two continents — Quartz

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

That is not news. It has been doing that for a long, long time.

How to respond to a proselytizing sibling?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

If my sister would do that to me, I would say" Irespect your right to believe as you choose. I demand that you do the same for me. Otherwise, you are treating me with great disrespect. I will not tolerate that. If you do not stop your proscelatizing I will be forced to minimize my contact with you. Whaich do your want -- a relationship with me or to continue the proscelatizing? You cannot have or do both."

Evangelical Pastor Claims Traditional Gender Roles Can Prevent Sexual Abuse | HuffPost

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Piper is just another evangelicalcharlatan and demagogue.

I’m guiding my office on a hike this Friday as parod a “morale” day, and the trail that won ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Never feel araid to tell the truth.

We are an eclectic group on this site: gay, straight, American, Brit, Aussie, Kiwi, agnostic, ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Hear! Hear!

Where do you normally get your news from.

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

NPR, PNS, and MSNBC

Have you ever felt suicidal?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Yes, when in the depths of despair of a horrible marriagel. The only thing that kep me from committing suicide was that I did not want my daughters to be ashamed of me.

Do you have some book recommendations on cognitive biases and how to improve rationality?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Read Erich Fromm;s ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM, and the writings of Leon Festinger.

Do you grow food

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Oh, yes. I have gardened for over 40 years. In Florida, I grow 3 gardens a year. I love gorwing the vegetables, eating them, and sharing them. There is a picture of me and my tomato plants this year on this site.

Is that why?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Well put!

Do you ever feel alone in a room full of people?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Oh, yes. When in a gathering of people I did not identify with in any sense.

I have raised my children to choose their own path.

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

I did the same. They are both agnostics by choice.

Why can't the U.S. have a strong third political Party?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

It could exist, given the right leaders, strategizers, and funders. But don;t call Democrats far left -- nothing could be father from the truth.

So, are you the vehicle or are you the light?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Huh?

What Is The Most Astounding Fact About The Universe? - Neil deGrasse Tyson... [youtube.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Delightful!

What do you say about dialectical materialism?

wordywalt comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Ithink that you are talking about a phrase central to Marxism and communism. Marxism or communism is by its very nature a totalitarian total system ideology that is fatally flawed. Read THE NEW CLASS by Milovan Djilas. Djilas was the communist vice president of Yiugoslavia and came to understand communism in its entirely. He became totally disillusioned with the ideology and wrote the book to expose the real flaws in it. As a result he was sentenced to 20 years inprison. He knew that would be the result, but felt that the discrediting of the ideology was that important!