Life and Taxes

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Like all Americans, I receive services, and I should pay for them. I am not and do not want to be a freeloader.

I need a little advice, can you help me?

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I would also contact the police and tell them the story. Even if they don't find any reason for charges, they can still make it clear that his conduct must stop.

Has anyone else ever see the movie Birth of a Nation 1915 by DW Griffith?

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Yes. It was a very racist movie. It should have never been released,

I think it's ironic that religious voters actually back policies that are a mix of Social Darwinism ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Nothing. Evangelical true believers simply refuse to acknowledge any inconsistencies or contradictions.

After life

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

No. No proof exists.

I'd like to see an assortment of groups added to this site. How about you?

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Not sure what you mean.

What could have we accomplished?

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Agreed! If the human species had spent the amount of time focused on productive thought and action that it has wasted on religion, we would be a much more advanced, just, and caring society today!

Am I alone?

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I have been single, depressed, and under great stress before, but never felt alone.

Isn't it time we set age or term limits on our Congress and Supreme Court

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Yes, I believe that senators should serve no more than 3 terms, representatives no more than 6 terms, and supreme court justices no more than 15 - 20 years. As Thomas Jefferson said, The earth belongs to the living." He called for a complete change in government every 19 years.

Why isn't our voting day a National holiday? Why can't we mail our votes in like absentee voters?

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Absolutely!

Should money continued to being spent on a mission to Mars when so much money is needed for research...

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I do not think the Mars mission is worth the cost.

To every single member of this site that ever served in the military.

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Thank you.

Do You Believe The World Will End, Or We Face Global Extinction?

wordywalt comments on Jan 20, 2018:

There is virtually a 100 % probability that the world will eventually be destroyed in in some cosmic event -- strike by a giant asteroid, burning out or explosion of our sun, being sucked into a black hole, etc. There is also a 100% probability that the human species will go extinct in some manner. The question is whether the destructiveness of our species, environmental changes, or the combination thereof is/are the cause'(s) or if the cosmic event comes first. Eventually, there will be no tace of the fact that we ever existed.

While reading Dale McGowan's Atheism for Dummies, one statistic said that only 7% of people over 70 ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

I am proud to be in that minority.

Atheism - Pew Survey

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

An informative poll, trending in the right direction.

Warning -- Math Puns Ahead When I was a high school mathematics instructor, I was known for my ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

Really witty puns!

Televangelist is giddy like a child over his new private jet: ‘You and Jesus bought this!’ – ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

All televangelists are greedy frauds and charlatans.

I've felt for a long time that those who cling to religious beliefs, or seek to have them, tend to ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

There is much research on this topic. But your use of the word "trait" is inappropriate. A trait is an inherited characteristic. What you are talking about is a pattern of behavior. You are correct in your observation. Read Erich Fromm's ESCAPOE FROM FREEDOM.

The Bible Says The World Will End On June 24th 2018

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

These nuts keep coming out of the woodwork.

Is the church system a business?

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

Yes. And, now evangelicals are using their untaxed income and wealth to influence politics to give them even more power.

Do you still have nightmares?

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

I have been divorced from my first wife for 24 years, but still have nightmares about her -- though not as frequently as before. Some people inflict so much emotional trauma that one cannever forget them or the trauma.

I remember when MADTv made this parody when I was in high school ... sigh [youtube.com]

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

Now Trump is trying to make this parody a reality. How our culture has regressed.

I would defend the liberty of consenting adult creationists to practice whatever intellectual ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

The whole creationist position is nothing more than blindly ignorant devotion to false mythology.

If ghosts are real, do they have mass?

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

Ghosts are not real, period. The whole question is moot.

I have significant Xian background, and I have been agnostic for over 20years.

wordywalt comments on Jan 19, 2018:

Mo. I lost all doubt many years ago. At the age of 80. I am certain that all religions are false myths.

My husband Jock was brought up without religion, never christened into any church.

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I will be cremated. There will be no funeral or celebration of any kind. My wife and daughters will scatter my ashes at a site of my choosing .

Who are your favourite authors /poet's and why?

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Hermann Hesse and John Le Carre.

What is happiness?

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

The question has no firm or fixed answer.

Can anybody give their views on mediums and faith healers? I think they are despicable.

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I agree. They are all frauds and charlatans.

Most ppl don’t want to hear this, but real relationship that’s last involve a lot of ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

All lasting relationships involve mutual adaptation, give and take, and trying to treat each other with full dignity and respect at all times. We will fall short, but we have to try if the relationship is to last.

What are your thoughts on companion planting of crops?

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

It is a great technique for gardening and for growing things for direct consumption.

What's your favorite pizza?

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

thin crust, vegetarian topping.

Anyone get calls on their phone that say "Scam Likely?"

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

No, our carrier does not give such notifications. Does any carrier do that?

Are you on here because you are anti-religion, or confused/disbelieving about divinity?

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I am here because I reject all religious belief for myself.

HHS Announces New Conscience and Religious Freedom Division | HHS.gov

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

The new HHS division should be challenged in court.

Presumed to be religious.

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Yes, deeply religious people tend to assume that others they meet are religious. That is because being religious is so central as to how they define themselves that they find it hard to imagine that others do not see things in the same way.

Interesting article I read a while back that talks about how human evolution was due in part to our ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Intelligent design? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Over hundreds of thousands of years that relationship has evolved. It is a matter of sheer coincidental mutual adaptation through natural selection.

I know there are many other choices.

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Both theocracy and Marxist socialism are to be avoided at all costs. The European model of non-Marxist socialism, however, is a productive model that benefits a much greater percentage of the population and bestows and protects civil rights.

What are the most reliable media outlets out there.

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

The most unbiased and well-informed media outlet is PBS television and NPR radio -- head and shoulders above all others.

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

But, in spite of that statement Einstein was still a believer in God, just a bit more selective in his mental image of God.

White supremacists responsible for most extremist killings in 2017, ADL says - CNN

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

It does not surprise me at all. It has been true for over 140 years.

Do you think atheists are actively seeking to destroy religion, as many religious people claim?

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Some are. Some are simply seeking freedom from religion.

Am I the only one who thinks drug money shouldn't be seized?

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I will never condone the legalizing of cocaine, opiates, meth or any similar substance.

Southern Vocabulary When I first got to the South, I had what was called a Yankee accent and ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Having grown up in south Georgia and north Florida,. I grew up with all of the southern expressions. I particularly liked the colorful -- and often profane -- but very expressive sayings like "as useless as the tits on a boar hog or "it come a toad-strangler" (heavy rain)."

Had a thought: If we are wrong, we - this community- will all end up in hell together.

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

But, we are NOT wrong! I figure that my chances of ending up in hell are a million times less than my winning the lottery.

Advice.

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Would need more detail to respond.

Pat Robertson: Non-Religious Children Should Be Beaten Until They Respect Christian Beliefs

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

If God, heaven, and hell existed (which they don't),Pat Robetson would burn in hell when he dies. He is simply a greedy, demagogic charlatan who substitutes his own biases and contorted beliefs for what real Christianity is all about. In other words, in the minds of the truly religious, he is guilty of blasphemy because he substitutes the purported word of God with his own contorted beliefs and words.

Do you fear death?

wordywalt comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Put your mind at ease. The issue of death is more simple than you make it. First, when we die, we cease to exist as an entity, except in the memories of others. There is nothing left of us to sense or feel anything. Second there is no such thing as a soul. That is a myth created by religion. When you are gone, you are simply gone. Third, these "near death experiences" are nothing more than manifestations of the central nervous system shutting down and struggling to maintain itself. They are not real. Take comfort in the real finality of death.

There are no problems.

wordywalt comments on Jan 17, 2018:

Not accurate. A problem exists when there are conflicts or obstacles to what we intend to do if It is reasoned action that solves problems -- with an emphasis on both reasoned and action. If our need or intent is vital enough, not solving the problem and simply forgetting about it is not an option.

Are you born with common sense or is it a learned trait?

wordywalt comments on Jan 17, 2018:

Common sense is learned. We all develop strategies for dealing with the outside world. Some people develop more effective strategies for pattern recognition and problem solving. Common sense is really little more than quickly diagnosing the situation and acting appropriately.

Was there a school teacher who made the most impact in your education?

wordywalt comments on Jan 17, 2018:

Yes, but not in the way you might expect. As a high school senior I was among the top students in my class. But, as my family had no money, college was a distant dream. Ms. Bruner, whom I never had for a class, approached me in study hall one day, and asked me to fill out an application for a scholarship. I declined, saying that I probably didn't have a chance. But, Ms. Bruner persisted -- a number of times -- until I said yes (just to get her to stop pestering me). So I filled out that application. At that time, there was also a state program offering a state teacher's scholarship for the top scorer on a state test in each county. I took that test simply to get out of a day's school. Then in May of my senior year, I was notified on the same day that I had won both scholarships. Without them, I do not know if I would ever have gone to college. So, I thank Mrs. Bruner.

Deep History of America’s Deep State – Consortiumnews

wordywalt comments on Jan 17, 2018:

The "deep state" is pure p9litical paranoid conspiracy fiction.

It’s not my right nor desire to judge the value of others.

wordywalt comments on Jan 17, 2018:

When the actions of a person are clearly egocentric and clearly hurtful to others, we have the right -- even the obligation -- to judge and to act to oppose that person.

Being atheist is patriotic.

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

Agreed!

If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be?

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

I would find it difficult to choose between four: Abraham Lincoln, Barbara Jordan, Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

I don't mean to be critical but the level of poor writing, punctuation, and grammar (more-so than ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

Definitely! We should all strive to write with precision, clarity , and accuracy (bptj grammatical amd informational).

As an atheist or agnostic, how do you deal with grief?

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

By grieving, accepting reality, and moving on. After the grief, many fond memories remain.

And how cold is it where you are?

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

High in the mid-60s today in Tampa.

Correct me if I'm wrong here.

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

With the idiot Trump in the White House and the bizarre and morally bankrupt crap the Republicans are pulling, every American should be concerned about the future of our democracy!

Where were you first employed?

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

As a teenager, I worked summers as a farm laborer, harvesting tobacco -- hot, dirty, dawn to dark work for low pay.

New Evidence That Man-Made Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Does Not Cause Global Warming ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

The sitd listed does not exist. Could be just another misinformation attempts.

If you could live anywhere in the world except your homeland, where would that be?

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

Either Canada or New Zealand.

Is belief a choice?

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

Of course, believing anything is a choice. The person weights facts, opinions, and emotional commitments in deciding that something has a sufficient basis to accept it as a premise on which to act. If it is not a choice, the alternative is that it is something that is imposed on us. If that were the case, imposed on us by whom? For what purpose?

Dealing with evangelcal family members.

wordywalt comments on Jan 16, 2018:

Level with them. Tell them that you love them and wish to maintain contact with them. But, you also demand that they treat you and your right to believe as you do with dignity and respect. So the onus ion them: Abode by the ground rules, or they will; be responsible for the loss o pf contact.

I am of the opinion that our universe is part of a cyclic universe,ei one universe starts off with a...

wordywalt comments on Jan 15, 2018:

I agree. I believe that the universe is undergoing an unending cycle of collapse, then expansion.

Is the bible the basis of morality?

wordywalt comments on Jan 15, 2018:

No. the bible is NOT the basis for morality for any thinking person! If are are to become the kind of person each of can and should be, each of seriously pursues the question of what constitutes a rational and effective basis for morality, and formulates his or her own serious answer to the question.

Hello all you thinkers out there.

wordywalt comments on Jan 15, 2018:

Welcome to the real world!

Why are some people habitual liars in life?

wordywalt comments on Jan 15, 2018:

Being an inveterate liar is a pathological condition. Most liars are egomaniacs and sociopaths.

How do I help my religious friend.

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

She needs treatment, medication, and the will to fight the condition. She also needs people who will stand with her and allow her to lean on them, if needed.

National concealed carry reciprocity

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

The bill is a damnable one which , if passed, will cost many, many innocent lives!

Have you ever walked out of an emergency room due to lack of care, slowness of care or other ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

I have been in an emergency room twice in my life, once each in two different cities. No problem.

Is there a church for anthiest groups I need to know please

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

Why would anyone who escaped religion want a church to espouse some other dogma?

Why do so many Americans not believe in vaccines, climate changes or evolution?

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

Because those people are gullible people, prone to conspiracy therories and other such junk.

The truth is out there lol

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

What is just as bad is the fact that the only proven Jewish exodus in recorded history was not even from Egypt, but from Babylon (now Iraq). The whole story does not make sense.

Book preview. The world in our hands.

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

Good luck. In my political beliefs, I am also a democratic socialist.

How do you spread the good word of being an anti theist or atheist?

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

When I believed in religion, I believed that my religious beliefs were my business -- and no one else's. To a large extent, I feel thae same way about my sbsence of belief -- unless or until some religious person or group infringes on my rights.

If you stick "rev." in front of your name then you can get away with murder

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

Too many ministers are simple immoral charlatans.

It hit me this morning that since recognizing my atheism (many moons ago), I've actually become a ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

I think that when many people move away from religion, they -- if character is of any value -- feel almost an obligation to PROVE just how good and ethical a person he or she is without the control of religious dogma. I know that was the case with me.

Am I the only who is proud of my early ancestors from millions of years ago?

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

You have reason to feel proud of well-grounded beliefs, and of your independence.

Is being left handed like me a disadvantage ?

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

No. I'm left-handed and have never felt at a dissdvantage.

Capitalism is the creator of wars.

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

Wars have existed ever since the beginning of the human species and will continue to exist until we are gone. The statement is trite and false.

When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross.

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

That is why we must expose the damnable charlatans for what they are -- and why we must fight them at every corner!

There has been a lot of comments about Trump and his fitness for the office of President.

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

I am hoping that if Trump is impeached, Pence will be, also.

The World in Our Hands.pdf

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

This sountry would be so much better off if a democratic socialist perspective would become entrenched here.

Gerrymandering! How fucked-up is that shit?

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

Gerrymandering is not at all new. Groups in power have always tried to stack the deck to maintain their grip. The problem is that today's Republicans have become both more adept and more brazen about it!

A MATURE UNDERSTANDING OF LOVE ISN'T THAT HARD!!! Couple will have disagreements, actually, a ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 14, 2018:

You are SO right!

It's Time to Start Calling Evangelicals What They Are: The American Taliban

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

Evangelicals are not there yet, But, let them gain political power and they will be.

The Narcissistic Injury of Middle Age - The Atlantic

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

As an 80 year old, I can say clearly aging is a process learning to give up things that one considered important and adjusting one's sense of self to deal with that. In my 40s, I gave up organized sports -- football, fast-pitch softball, volleyball, and racquetball. Then, as my vision worsened, I gave up hunting. For years, I walked 3 -5 miles a day, but had to give that up in my late 70s. With macular degeneration, I can no longer drive a car or read lengthy tracts -- like a book. That really hurt: I used to read an average of a book a week and my independent mobility was gone. You adjust and move on.

What things in life are rights and which are privileges to be earned?

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

A well functioning government (unlike our current Republican led laughing stock)could handle these and other needed services without difficulty. As an example, Germany has provided universal medical services for the entire population at a 7.0 percent tax rate on income. It also provides universal full retirement for ALL for an additional 7.0) and has done so ever since the 1950s . It works -- damned well.

Is it more important to be liked or respected?

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

That should not even be a question. To be respected is the only rational and honorable choice.

What is your profession and why aren't there more people from your profession transitioning to ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

There is no question that we need more politicians with nltelligence, concern for our people and democracy, and real honesty and integrity!

Sometimes the morning headlines make me wanna move way off grid, or possibly Norway.

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

We must smash the Trump cabal and crush the Republican party in 2017 - 2018. That is our last, best hope for recovering our democracy and our honor as a nation!

This mass is more than 3 miles off the coast of California because it is beyond the 3 mile barrier ...

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

First, get rid of the idiot Trump and vote the Republicans out of office.

What special event in you life do you remember?

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

There are too many to pick just one. Try the building of the Berlin wall while I was still stationed in Berlin, the assassination of JFK, MLK and Bobbie Kennedy' the Cuban Missile crsis (I was still in the reserves and was put on alert to be ready to move out within hours); Watergate, the resignation of Nixon, and on, and on -- with the worst being the election of Trump!

United One World Government What do you think about this concept?

wordywalt comments on Jan 13, 2018:

It is a virtually impossible concept. There are simply too many different cultures with too many different belief systems and operating assumptions. It would result in world disorder worse than it is today. We can see how bad things are in failed states today and how they remain mired in chaos. Can you imagine the whole world as a failed state?

Is evolution a fact or still just a theory.

wordywalt comments on Jan 12, 2018:

Evolution is a proven scientific principle, not a theory. there things in our current conceptions about evolution which will be proven wrong later. Of course -- that is the nature of the scientific process. But, it still does not negate the principle.

I tend to be overly honest; that often makes people uncomfortable.

wordywalt comments on Jan 12, 2018:

Reaching out requires one to make himself or herself vulnerable -- taking a risk in exposing things about ourselves to others. Some -- no, many people lack the self-confidence and inner strength to do that. And, there are sociopaths out there who will ake advantage of anything you reveal.

so....soul, no soul?

wordywalt comments on Jan 12, 2018:

No. Of course, self-consciousness does not proceed without a body. That is the stance that religious believers take -- and they are dead wrong.

The Donald said he did not say that certain countries are shtholes.

wordywalt comments on Jan 12, 2018:

I doubt it. Trump lies so often that he dare niot make a recording of anything he says.

Colorado is using profits from its marijuana industry to help the poor and needy........

wordywalt comments on Jan 12, 2018:

Good use of the funds.