How has religion harmed our learning?

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

It has increased human reliance on superstition and magical thinking. At the same time, it has attempted to limit critical and independent thinking and attempted to deny and limit the full exercise of science.

I just saw Jane Goodall ( Not sure of spelling) sign speaking with her gorilla and some chimps and ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

All animals (and some plants) kill other organisms for food and, when necessary, to protect one's self, family, and/or group. Killing another organism of any kind for no essential reason is destructive.

How long did it take you to realise that you're an atheist / agnostic?

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

My first 20 years.

Humans are animals. Is there a code of behaviour?

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

An innate or given ode of behavior presupposes some entity creating that code for humans. Codes of behavior for humans are created by humans. Some of those codes are helpful to the functioning of human individuals, groups, cultures, etc. Others are limiting or damaging.

it took me decades to realize that I am an atheist.

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

True believers cannot do that. Due to their own decisions, those beliefs form the core of who they are now. To admit that their religious beliefs are false would destroy who they think they are and the false sense of certainty they feel about their beliefs, lives, and "after-life."

Study: Renewables save Americans billions » Yale Climate Connections

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

That is real science, not greed driven false propaganda!

My religious/gullible mother blames me for my ailments. Advice?

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

Tell her that the tendencies for the diseases you have are inherited. In other words, you got them from her. Quote to her the biblical phrase: "The sins of the fathers( and mothers) are visited on their children." In other words, your conditions are the results of her sins. That might stop that demeaning crap from her. If that does not work, ask her if she is trying to kill the relationship between you and her?

Would you/have you worked for a religious organization?

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

No! I would be a hypocrite if I did.

For the people who have children, did you raise them not to believe?

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

I raised my daughters to make their own decisions about religion. They knew that I did not believe in any religion;, but they always had the freedom to attend a church if they wanted. Both considered it, but are not atheists.

Do you owe anyone in your life an apology?

wordywalt comments on Nov 8, 2017:

Of course. We all have done things we are not proud of. Why am I not making amends? Because those involved are either dead or no longer a part of my life.

I'm an atheist, but I had to walk away from the toxic side of online atheism - The Washington Post

wordywalt comments on Nov 7, 2017:

I also find that some atheists also have very abusive, highly judgmental personalities. just as some "true believer" Christians do. At the core, it is simply a personality issue. Those people, no matter what side they are on, are simply destructive people.

I wonder… is it possible that "Consciousness" is simply a brain disease?

wordywalt comments on Nov 7, 2017:

If it helps an organization to function and cope with its environment, how could it be called a disease?

How do we legitimately get religion out of US politics?

wordywalt comments on Nov 7, 2017:

Several types of efforts can help. First, persistent legal actions through such organizations as the ACLU and other progressive organizations. Second, by persistently questioning political candidates and making it clear what they are doing and why. Third, we can organize resistance to candidates who comingle their religion and politics. It will never be easy, but it has to be done or we let the religious right impose their ideology on us.

What is your favorite color?

wordywalt comments on Nov 7, 2017:

Blue.

Atheism: Do you tell co-workers?

wordywalt comments on Nov 7, 2017:

Generallyno. I generally simply do not talk about religion.

What is your favorite holiday?

wordywalt comments on Nov 7, 2017:

Thanksgiving. Over the years it was a time when the family got together and shared good foot and connectedness.

What are we doing here on this planet ??

wordywalt comments on Nov 7, 2017:

We are here by sheer random happenstance in natural physical processes. There is no real evidence of any early civilization on earth.

The new atheists are not atheist enough - do you agree?

wordywalt comments on Nov 7, 2017:

I have no idea what that means. What the hell is atheist enough?

Why do christians have such a hang-up about sex?

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

It is particularly the evangelicals who focus on sex. Their dogma teachers that sex is original sin.

Wisdom from Mark Twain: 1.

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

I have always loved Twains wit and wisdom. He was a great man. If you have not read it, I heartedly recommend his book, THE MYSTEROUS STRANGER.

Have you ever been a Christian's pet project?

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

Yes, until I told him that his behavior was disrespectful of me and my beliefs.

Any other old people out there?

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

Yep. I;m 80.

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

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

That is because of the co-mingling of religion and right-wing political ideology that has occurred since the 1970s. Those "true believers" are gullible when it comes to the NRA, religious and political demagogues. They don't really control their lives: They let the demagogues do it for them.

Good Morning from the bible belt.

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

I am 80 years old and applaud his decision. Unless I die suddenly, if I reach the stage of being a burden on others and having little quality of life, I plan to do the same. Of course he will be missed, but his life was his, not yours.

Just last week, Pat Robertson told a woman that god had killed her son so that he wouldn't grow up ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

Pat Robetson is a despicable, dementedly demagogic, greedy charlatan whose behavior has become so bizarre that even his loyal followers will eventually leave him. The irony is that his rants are totally contrary to the tenets of his faith. In other words, they are blasphemous!

What rationale have you received from religious people on why evil exists?

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

Your experience tells you why it is senseless to discuss religious topics with "true believers" -- you cannot discuss (with rationality) irrational beliefs.

What are your views on sexual education?

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

In 1966, as a high school biology teacher, I introduced sex education into the curriculum. I told the principal that I was going to do it, and his response was that he was not going to tell me that I could not do it, but that it was my ass on the line. I told him that was fine with me. To make sure that all my students were comfortable I asked the students if they wanted to be in a coed or single sex class for the topic. A few girls felt uncomfortable, so I segregated the class by sex. For the girls, I started out by telling them that for the purposes of this topic, I wanted them to consider me a neuter teacher, not a male. The class went beautifully without a single complaint to the community.

I grew up Episcopalian.

wordywalt comments on Nov 6, 2017:

Like you, I did not impose my point of view on my daughters. They knew that I was not a believer, but I wanted them to make their own decisions. I am proud to say that both daughters are respectful and civil non-believers.

What's more important to you, brains or body?

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

The important things are intelligence and personality (warm, positive, empathetic, caring, not judgmental).

What is different about us Atheists/Agnostics?

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

We are more willing to face reality, more critical thinkers, more risk takers. Partly, yes, our experiences have simply led us there. If we grew up in deeply religious cultures, it is likely that our teens or 20s we were also exposed to a different culture which led to question our beliefs.

Something that you’ve accomplished that was hard.

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

Years ago I started a staff development and school improvement center serving 12 rural school districts -- from scratch. It started on project status from the state department of education. After 3 04 4 years, I felt that the center should move its focus in one direction, and my boss thought it should go in another. I did not believe that the superintendents in the 12 districts would support the center if it became what my boss wanted. My boss was not happy and was prepared to recommend that the center not be continued. I gambled my carrer on my opinion. I asked the state department of education to discontinue its funding at the end of the school year, so that if was going to continue solely with local district support. I also went out and talked with all 12 superintendents and asked them they would want from the center if it was to be continued, and wove together a proposed program of services in line with my own perceptions. At a meeting of all 12 superintendents, my boss recommended that the center be discontinued and that my job be done away with. The superintends voted 11 to 1 to fund the center, continue it, and that the center's focus should be the plan I formulated with them. From that point on, I build the center into a very successful program of staff development services for teachers and administrators, and school improvement services focusing on improved student learning.. A number of the programs I began won state and national recognition. I have always taken chances based on what I thought was right.

Do you think that the Evangelical Christian faction of the right was empowered by Ronald Reagan or ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

It was really enabled during the Nixon administration -- before Reagan. It was during the elections of Nixon that the Nixon cabal colluded with Jerry Falwell and the "moral majority." The comingling of religion and politics grew hugely from that development.

Are America's problems too big for government to effectively solve?

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

Yes and no. We will never create a perfect situation, as each new solution creates new, unforeseen problems Still, there is much more and better that we could do, if we have the will and the power.

Being 99% certain that any god does not exist does not make a person's belief that the existence of ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

Absolutely correct.

what is the proof that there is no god in our life?

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

You cannot prove a negative. All one can say, is that there is no proof that a god exists.

How do you react when a friend or relative dies from a disease or accident and someone says ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

It angers me. There is no god, ergo no plan from god. If there were a loving god, he she, or it would create horrible or disasterous situations for people to be in.

What if after you die, you wake up with a bong in your hand and your alien friend asks, "How was ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

What an inane question!

Does anyone else believe in reincarnation?

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

No, not me. To me, it just another form of the false wish of eternal life.

Have humans been socialized to be social animals?

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

Evolution has produced humans as social animals. Prior sub-species that were not social did not survive to pass on their genes.

Do human beings have the same 'worth' or are some groups expendable?

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

All human beings have the same innate worth. But, some negate their own worth by hurting, taking advantage of, or disparaging others.

Hi! I'm just glad to be here - hard being agnostic in the deep south!

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

I understand. I grew up in the southern Bible belt of north Florida. That understanding is why I have not lived there for many years and will never live there again.

Why do you think the USA is more religious than other developed nations?

wordywalt comments on Nov 5, 2017:

all the way back to the founding of the American colonies Most of them were founded as religious communities' and most of those religious colonies were off-shoots of evangelical Calvinism. Religion also played a major role in the America Revolution, as disclosed in Alan Heimert's book, THE AMERICAN MIND FROM THE GREAT AWAKENING TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

JUST IN: 'POLITICO' Announces Weekend Betsy DeVos Resignation/Firing Rumor

wordywalt comments on Nov 4, 2017:

Fabtastic news. This woman was simply a rich , incompetent and unintelligent ideologue.

Why do you think Atheism is becoming more attractive to millennials?

wordywalt comments on Nov 4, 2017:

The movement is not new. In 1972m Jean Jacques Revel wrote a book entitled, WITHOUT MARX OR JESUS. Revel, a French journalist, described how (particularly in Europe) people were becoming intellectually, emotionally, and culturally mature enough to realize that they did not need either political or religious total system ideologies (ideologies which purport to include, explain and control everthing0 to find meaning, purpose and identity in their lives. That realization now dominates in much of Europe. It has been slowly gaining strength here in the US for well over 50 years.

5 reasons people don't like atheists - from Psychology Today 2015 article

wordywalt comments on Nov 4, 2017:

Good article. Confirms my point that even though we reject religion, we still need to treat respectful religious people with like dignity and respect. It also means that we need to hammer (politely) at the point of separation between morality and religion. We need to be living proof that atheists are generally quite moral people and often less hypocritical than purported Christians.

I am accused of having no morals because I am an atheist.

wordywalt comments on Nov 4, 2017:

Real morality has nothing to do with religion, but solely on the consequences of decisions and actions.

My dog says, 'Men get married to have sex, and women have sex to get married'.

wordywalt comments on Nov 4, 2017:

A cliché is a cliché.

Do you think Street Epistemology is helpful?

wordywalt comments on Nov 4, 2017:

I know what epistemology is. What is Street epistemology? Never heard of it.

If you knew tomorrow was the end of the world. How would you spend your last day?

wordywalt comments on Nov 3, 2017:

Go fishing!

What do you think of the term "Born Again Skeptic"?

wordywalt comments on Nov 3, 2017:

"Born again" is a phrase created by evangelical Christians to denote a spiritual rebirth. As I do not believe that I have a spirit, I reject the phrase in any context.

Pakistan bride accidentally poisons 13 family members in failed bid to kill husband

wordywalt comments on Nov 3, 2017:

A tragedy caused by a malevotent tradition.

Pastor Greg Laurie: “There’s No Such Thing” as an Atheist Relief Organization We've ...

wordywalt comments on Nov 3, 2017:

Who cares what demagogues like him say?

Will the U.S. fall as the Roman empire did?

wordywalt comments on Nov 3, 2017:

Ass civilizations eventually collapse, for one both of two reasons" (1) their cultural institutions fail them and. (2) They are overwhelmed by and outside force. If you country falls, it will due to internal moral (but not religious) decay.

What is the non-theist replacement for "I'll pray for you?"

wordywalt comments on Nov 3, 2017:

How about a simple, "I wish you well."

Does absolute truth exist?

wordywalt comments on Nov 3, 2017:

Absolute physical facts, entities, and processes exist. But,. those differ from our perceptions, which, in turn, form the bases for our formulations of "truth." Our perception of full reality is always limited, incomplete, and often incorrect. a good philosophical definition of :truth" intense belief so strong that we are willing to act on it." There is absolute reality, but not absolute truth.

What does it mean when they talk about how we are living in a holographic universe or a SIM?

wordywalt comments on Nov 3, 2017:

It largely means that we do not really exist -- that we are figments of our own imagination. Of course it is not true. Those who say that forget Descartes conclusion, "Cogito ergo sum." (I think, therefore I am.)

Trudeau applauds Payette for standing up for science in convention speech.

wordywalt comments on Nov 2, 2017:

We should have such ethical politicians

I would love to hear your opinions on Mega Churches.

wordywalt comments on Nov 2, 2017:

Megachurches largely reflect the huge egos of the founding pastors. Their pastors tend to be engaging demagogues.

I have a question: With what is going on today and even throughout history does anyone ask why?

wordywalt comments on Nov 2, 2017:

That is your hang-up, not an inherent one. I define evil as harmful to the human being, the human species, and/or the natural environment. The sole basis is effect or consequences.

When you talk to believers about their beliefs, do you try to convert them?

wordywalt comments on Nov 2, 2017:

with "true believers" you would be wasting your time.

What Other Things Can You Think of to Prove Humans are Insane?

wordywalt comments on Nov 2, 2017:

I reject your premise. What compelling evidence do you have for it?

Is belief in a God the ultimate form of narcissism?

wordywalt comments on Nov 2, 2017:

No. It is simply a form of indoctrination offering both a carat -- life after death and heaven -- and a stick -- hell -- to enforce the dogma.

How can I debate anyone regarding god when they always fall back to you must have faith?

wordywalt comments on Nov 2, 2017:

You can't debate with them. You can argue only with a person who will agree to use reason. In falling back to blind faith, they are denouncing the use of reason, logic, and science.

How many of you find it is difficult being a non believer in a judeo christian nation?

wordywalt comments on Nov 2, 2017:

No! I am quite comfortable in my own skin believing what I believe.

What do you think about our advancing technology?

wordywalt comments on Nov 1, 2017:

Which technologies? There are millions of different technologies? Your question is too broad to respond to.

Honoring the dead & cremate or bury?

wordywalt comments on Nov 1, 2017:

When I die, I am to be cremated immediately. There will be no service, funeral or :celebration of life." I am simply asking my wife and daughters to scatter my ashes on a windswept point in a lake where I often fished. If they want anything else, I have suggested the playing of "Ashoken Farewell" -- a sadly beautiful piece of music.

I've been noticing the American Taliban now has a felon working against our country.

wordywalt comments on Nov 1, 2017:

Bakker is just a minor figure in the televangelism racket, and only the most gullible follow him. The more dangerous include Pat Robertson, Falwell, and their ilk and their institutions of indoctrination like Bob Jones U., Liberty U. etc. The irony and tragedy is that, in their hypocrisy and total moral lapse, they all support Trump.

How has atheism improved your relationships?

wordywalt comments on Nov 1, 2017:

To me, that question is irrelevant. U am an atheist solely because , to me, it is embracing reality. I simply accept the consequences of my decision, no matter what.

This is my first post here.

wordywalt comments on Nov 1, 2017:

Agreed. It is time to face reality and try to do something about it.

Racism is a misnomer, what term should replace it?

wordywalt comments on Nov 1, 2017:

More often than not, the more appropriate term is ethnocentrism.

How is your faith in humanity?

wordywalt comments on Nov 1, 2017:

Human beings are human beings. We are capable of much good, and much evil. We are also capable of rationalizing greed or destructive action. To deter inappropriate action, we must always have public scrutiny and deterrents for destructive actions.

"There are no forbidden questions in science, no matters too sensitive or delicate to be probed, no ...

wordywalt comments on Oct 31, 2017:

This superb statement is the opposite of Trump administration policy on science -- a policy of chosen ignorance and deliberate distortion.

Genetic History

wordywalt comments on Oct 31, 2017:

Yes, I've had it done and find it both interesting and informative.. The matches with haplogroups and the percentages of the match give a pretty clear picture of when and where crossing of groups occurred. Both for that information and for inherited disease tendencies, it is definitely worh it.

What do you think of heathens? How would you describe a modern-day heathen.

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

Heathen is not a descriptive term. Instead, it is a derogatory term invented by whit ethnocentric Christians to disparage people from other cultures. It falls in the same class of hate words like kyke and nigger.

Do you believe we could have a creator?

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

No. A creator is essentially the same as a god.

what is your news source , when all the major news stations have a clear agenda and spin?

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

My sources are NPR and PBS.

what can we do to stop this stigma about the word atheist?

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

So long as there are "true believer" evangelicals, they will cast aspersions on atheists and atheism. It is a equivalent of primitive punishing people who question their religion for fear that the gods will wreak havoc on them for tolerating a non-believer.

Is there a difference b/t activist atheism & militant atheism?

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

Militant, by definition, means willing to go to violent extremes. Activist means willing to take action or to stand one's ground. I applaud your attempt to clarify. It serves us well when we use language with clarity and precision.

After 'Choosing Donald Trump,' Is The Evangelical Church In Crisis? : NPR

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

It is causing reasoning Christians and truly moral Christians to distance themselves from the evangelical "trash". How much it will hurt them? A lot, I hope.

does sanders have a chance in 2020?

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

I don't know. Elizabeth Warren is my candidate!

Why the oppressed buy into the oppressive narrative?

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

Which oppressed and which narrative? Your statement is too vague to respond to.

Why are minorities in the U.S. so religious?

wordywalt comments on Oct 29, 2017:

The major reason is that for most of our history those minorities had such little opportunity for a good life that they bought into the dream of better afterlife. Once religion becomes a dominant part of a culture, it persists. I also agree with the lack of education.

why are agnostics afraid of using the word atheist?

wordywalt comments on Oct 28, 2017:

Simply because they are not emotionally "there" yet.

Is the "self" something real?

wordywalt comments on Oct 28, 2017:

As Piaget points out, we, as living biological organisms, interact with our environment will all our senses, as well as chemically. We all build schema (patterns of thought and action) which enable us to make sense of and cope with aspects of our environment. We also form thoughts and data into cognitive structures or patterns of meaning. At the core of these patterns of meaning are strongly held beliefs and values which we use to define ourselves. That is the "self."

If corporations are people, how has big pharma NOT been charged with genocide/mass negligent ...

wordywalt comments on Oct 28, 2017:

Corporations are NOT people. That is a lie manufactured and constantly repeated by Mitch McConnell. He discovered the Nazi tactic of the "big Lie": Manufacture any lie you want and keep repeating it in many contexts. Eventually more and more people with believe you and lthe lie will be accepted as fact. Big pharma is being a free pass to take advantage of us by the culture of greed.

I am sick to death of being told by family members {who are practicing Catholics} that I am ...

wordywalt comments on Oct 27, 2017:

You are being treated in the way that your family treats you for two reasons: (Your family is judgmental and fails to treat people who are different or who think differently with dignity and respecrt; and (2) the idea that their religious beliefs could be wrong scares the hell out of them. Your independence of thought frightens them.

What do you think about the idea of 'determinism?

wordywalt comments on Oct 27, 2017:

Determinism assumes some guiding force or deity behind the flow of events and history. It is therefore, religious and not to be believed.

If you have searched for the meaning of life outside of religion, who is your favorite philosopher ...

wordywalt comments on Oct 26, 2017:

I have 3 figures who help me to find and understand my reality. First is the existentialist, Jean Paul Sartre. Second is philosopher - psychologist Erich Fromm and his works on human freedom and the tendency of some to try to escape their real freedom. Third is psychologist Jean Piaget, who points out that creating meaning is a biological activity of the human mind.

A legend at his best: George Carlin on religion & god

wordywalt comments on Oct 26, 2017:

Carlin was a living and brilliant iconoclast!!

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

wordywalt comments on Oct 26, 2017:

I personally do not feel the need to congregate with other agnostics and atheists. I simply enjoy being around people with intelligence who treat me and others with dignity and respect. Religious belief or non-beliefs is only one part of who they are.

What type of animals do you prefer as a pet?

wordywalt comments on Oct 26, 2017:

I love their affectionate independence!

Can someone be religious and scientific at the same time?

wordywalt comments on Oct 26, 2017:

Only if one adopts the coping mechanism of compartmentalizing one's existence.

Hello to all I am looking to make friends in arkansas that are atheist.

wordywalt comments on Oct 26, 2017:

You are right. In the southern bible belt there is huge pressure to be a "true believer" in religion.. I grew up in that culture, but you could not pay me enough to live there again.

"By 2030, say projections, a third of Americans will have no religious preference" ...

wordywalt comments on Oct 26, 2017:

+Let's hope that the percentage is even higher. When it reaches 35 - 40 percent, the point of view can compete with equal footing on the political scene with the evangelicals.

What do you think of religious charities?

wordywalt comments on Oct 25, 2017:

Should be allowed only to the extent that they devote ALL of their resources to helping people, with no allowances fore promoting religion or trying to win converts.

Should religious organizations remain tax exempt?

wordywalt comments on Oct 25, 2017:

In addition, any religious group which devotes money to any political cause should be fined severely.

Nature is my Religion, The earth is my Temple

wordywalt comments on Oct 25, 2017:

I neither want nor need a religion of any kind, and do not need a temple.

Do you believe that Atlantis was a real place?

wordywalt comments on Oct 24, 2017:

It is likely that Atlantis did exist and was destroyed by the Santorini super volcano eruption, It was an advanced civilization for its time. It was not the place of hyper-exaggerated myth many depict.

What's your sensitivity projection while reading posts

wordywalt comments on Oct 24, 2017:

We have to rely on the writer to express himself or herself with conceptual and emotional clarity.

Do you actively represent Atheists (in person or on the web)?

wordywalt comments on Oct 24, 2017:

Just as a do not want religious people trying to push their beliefs on me, I do not feel the need to push my beliefs on others. If someone If someone issearching for answers, I will ask him or her questions which are pertinent or provide relevant information.