Do we look like apes?

BD66 comments on Apr 27, 2022:

Do the apes descend from the same dirt, or different dirt?

Fernapple replies on Apr 27, 2022:

Good question, and are some sorts of dirt better than others. I bet cats are descended from much better dirt than dogs.

I was asked once. How do I remain so happy and peaceful?

Fernapple comments on Apr 26, 2022:

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 26, 2022:

@Pralina1 I really know that you are far too brave and wise to do that.

REGARDING THE RECENT ARCANE DIALOG ABOUT NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPEAN MYTHOLOGY.

Fernapple comments on Apr 20, 2022:

"White entitlement" is not an example of Orwellian "new thought", but quite real. I know this for the very simple reason, if for no other reason than, that, being white, I have enjoyed the benefits of it though my whole life. Since I am confident that I would certainly not have enjoyed my limited ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 26, 2022:

@holdenc98 Come on, don't give up now, this could be the sart of a debate that could last us for weeks.

The larger picture...

Julie808 comments on Apr 25, 2022:

As far as religious literalism, I'm an agnostic atheist. As far as religious figuratism, I believe that is how religions are meant to be taken, but that doesn't mean the ideas in them are good, wise, fair or a pathway to happiness. The religious mythos needs to change and adapt to new our most...

Fernapple replies on Apr 25, 2022:

@Julie808, @skado If, we can not be sure of the original intent, (We can sometimes though not often.) then we are even more adrift in the realms of personal interpretation, allowing the even more freedom for the criminally anti-social to use it for their own immoral purposes if they wish. And since good people rarely need it, then it is much more likely to be the criminal who do.

The larger picture...

Julie808 comments on Apr 25, 2022:

As far as religious literalism, I'm an agnostic atheist. As far as religious figuratism, I believe that is how religions are meant to be taken, but that doesn't mean the ideas in them are good, wise, fair or a pathway to happiness. The religious mythos needs to change and adapt to new our most...

Fernapple replies on Apr 25, 2022:

@Julie808 At the bottom is the old problem, that you can not get to morality, or perhaps even truth, from first principles via philosophy alone, even less from its even more refined version natural philosophy, or science. At some point you must start with a belief, such as, “the world is real”, in answer to solipsism. Or. “I wish to live in a happy world”. Or “I wish to live in a fair world.” from which you may then begin to derive your moral principles and perhaps world view by logic and observation. Which ideas I would call, prerequisites. Though others would perhaps more often call them, beliefs. Because of course, most atheists and agnostics, do not have a complete absence of beliefs, they just do not hold religious or theist beliefs. Many hold to beliefs like the three above. Which I am certain are much better, if only because they are plainer and more direct, than most religious beliefs, and do not come with the, so often demonstrable bad, unforeseen consequence side effects which even the most seemingly moral parts of theist beliefs, like Christianity, carry. Atheism and agnosticism is not, and never could be, about abolishing belief, only about abolishing proven harmful beliefs with better, plainer and more universal ones. To which the issue of metaphor is simply an irrelevant distraction at best, or at worst a covert attempt to rescue bad inherited traditions. Take for an example from another field of ideology the idea called racism. Suppose that you had a racist parent, who repeatedly told their child that. “All those people are ugly and look nasty.” Then one day the child returns home, having met a member of the other race and says. “But they were not ugly. He/she was really hansom/beautiful.” To which the parent returns. “Yes but the ugliness is metaphorical.” Does that make it better, or does it in fact make it far worse ? And the same applies to many religious beliefs, such as. "You are chosen." or "We are chosen." Or ideas like hell as a metaphorical fear of death, which even if taken metaphorically still promotes the idea that fear of the unknown is good and healthy.

A knowledge of differential equations would be helpful

SnowyOwl comments on Apr 24, 2022:

My wife is half Scottish and half French Canadian so she tends to throw nickels around like manhole covers. I stopped going down the paper products aisle with her and it gives me an extra ten minutes to check out more interesting products that might actually be a good deal while she calculates down...

Fernapple replies on Apr 25, 2022:

Sizes change. Kitchen roll for example. I now have to buy "Jumbo" to get one big enough to fit in a holder which once held standard rolls. I have every sympathy with you though. My female best friend likes to go round the isles reading the "sell by" dates on all the products, and she wont buy anything unless it has at least four days to go, which takes forever because her sight is not that great, and she insists on taking her glasses off and putting them away at each move of the trolly. But then she gets to the "reduced to clear" isle because things are getting old, and she just grabs anything with a low price on it !!??

A while ago, I asked the following question and got an informative answer from a person who lives in...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Apr 22, 2022:

To the extent that Denmark is a secular country (how can it be, really, if it has an official State religion?), that probably has more to do with their particular religious sect (Lutheranism) being fairly moderate in its credos (as compared with American style Evangelical Christianity).

Fernapple replies on Apr 23, 2022:

@Flyingsaucesir Yes but they are not all that fond of their churches, and would you really want to go to the IRS office for a Sunday social ? LOL

Alone with depression

CuddyCruiser comments on Apr 23, 2022:

If they would lynch ya over a Sanders bumper sticker, imagine how they would react to some of these…….I’ve already worn quite a few of them visiting friends and family in North Carolina and have gotten funny looks.

Fernapple replies on Apr 23, 2022:

Wow, I love the Magellan quote, I never heard that one before. If its true in those days he could have been jailed or worse for saying that.

REGARDING THE RECENT ARCANE DIALOG ABOUT NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPEAN MYTHOLOGY.

Fernapple comments on Apr 20, 2022:

"White entitlement" is not an example of Orwellian "new thought", but quite real. I know this for the very simple reason, if for no other reason than, that, being white, I have enjoyed the benefits of it though my whole life. Since I am confident that I would certainly not have enjoyed my limited ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 23, 2022:

@holdenc98 No. I would like to hear your interpretation of it please.

A while ago, I asked the following question and got an informative answer from a person who lives in...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Apr 22, 2022:

To the extent that Denmark is a secular country (how can it be, really, if it has an official State religion?), that probably has more to do with their particular religious sect (Lutheranism) being fairly moderate in its credos (as compared with American style Evangelical Christianity).

Fernapple replies on Apr 23, 2022:

Nothing kills religion though as quickly as making it an arm of state. When you do that, you deprive it of its free alternate voice, and you make it, in part, responsible for every failing of government. Religion dies under state ownership. If you look, all the most secular countries in the developed world, (Third world may be different.) have state chuches. Whereas in the USA, where you have separation and in Russia where for many years they tried to ban religion, the churches thrive.

REGARDING THE RECENT ARCANE DIALOG ABOUT NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPEAN MYTHOLOGY.

Fernapple comments on Apr 20, 2022:

"White entitlement" is not an example of Orwellian "new thought", but quite real. I know this for the very simple reason, if for no other reason than, that, being white, I have enjoyed the benefits of it though my whole life. Since I am confident that I would certainly not have enjoyed my limited ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 23, 2022:

@holdenc98 Very well that is no problem, if you want a clear statement in childishly simple English, could you please tell me in plain English what it is that the MOYNIHAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION REPORT says that interests you, since it is not something that I am familiar with, beyond the vague hints here.

Why do some people feel a need to always be insulting some other individual or group?

Matias comments on Apr 21, 2022:

My problem with this kind of statement is that nowadays what counts as an insult is not defined by a general consensus in society, but by the "insulted" people themselves. Given that a lot of people today seem to live (and sometimes even make a living !) as bleeding wounds, an innocuous remark may...

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

@FearlessFly That is very true, but I do not think that important, since people may also choose which social norms they use and which they do not. The other samurai in the story, obviously thought that in the extreme situation, it was acceptable to ignore the norms, but Kagemasa did not. Which is kind of the point of the story.

Oddly enough, the 'talking heads' from our public health agencies never once advocated for proper ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 20, 2022:

Because they have been advocating that for so long it is a given.

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

@BDair Like I say they did not need to, that is what "a given" means.

Why do some people feel a need to always be insulting some other individual or group?

Matias comments on Apr 21, 2022:

My problem with this kind of statement is that nowadays what counts as an insult is not defined by a general consensus in society, but by the "insulted" people themselves. Given that a lot of people today seem to live (and sometimes even make a living !) as bleeding wounds, an innocuous remark may...

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

@skado What Matias is refering to, is the fact that sometimes, even the best intentions can be misinterpreted as insults. A story, from old Japan. "Kagemasa was only 16 years old when he participated in his first battle. During the battle, he was hit by an arrow that pierced his left eye. However, the samurai continued to fight, with the arrow stuck in his eye, until the battle was over. When he returned in the camp, another samurai tried to remove the stuck arrow by putting his foot on Kagemasa’s forehead. But, because being stepped on the face by foot was considered an insult, Kagemasa was angered, stopped him and accused him of rude behavior. His colleague apologized for his rudeness and the arrow was eventually pulled out in a different manner."

REGARDING THE RECENT ARCANE DIALOG ABOUT NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPEAN MYTHOLOGY.

Fernapple comments on Apr 20, 2022:

"White entitlement" is not an example of Orwellian "new thought", but quite real. I know this for the very simple reason, if for no other reason than, that, being white, I have enjoyed the benefits of it though my whole life. Since I am confident that I would certainly not have enjoyed my limited ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

@holdenc98 Which taboo facts ? If you mean that there is such a thing as black criminality and social problems, then I think that I have already addressed that.

The five laws of Stupid people.

Matias comments on Apr 19, 2022:

Does he give any definition of "stupid"? Or is "law 3" his definition? But Law 3 describes a *spiteful* person, not a stupid one. (BTW: The gain a spiteful person may derive is *schadenfreude*)

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

@Matias Good information thank you, I looked him up, I only previously knew him from second hand accounts and a short abstract or two.

A tip on writing a religious scripture

creative51 comments on Apr 21, 2022:

Good advice. I was thinking of writing and making up a god, so I could cash in on this god business and fund my retirement. Will use your advice. If you have got any other nifty ideas I could use, I might even give you a cut of the profits...hmm, I guess that would make you a prophet, eh?!?

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

Make sure that he really plugs in to everybodies mindless prejudices, then they can go to him, when they can't find a good reason. There is a big market for that, and if you go on a length and space them out a bit, and make them a bit criptic, then no one will notice if you include several contradictory ones, and everyone will happily to go on buying.

Narrow boats.

Lorajay comments on Apr 21, 2022:

I always wanted to take a trip on one of these. Viewing the countryside from a river or a canal is dreamy to me.

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

It is indeed. A slow boat on the inland waters is the ultimate in the luxury of travel. Even the ancient Egyptians used to enjoy that.

Narrow boats.

BD66 comments on Apr 21, 2022:

Reminds me of Peaky Blinders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_eZUfDLRts

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

Yes that is one of them alright.

Oddly enough, the 'talking heads' from our public health agencies never once advocated for proper ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 20, 2022:

Because they have been advocating that for so long it is a given.

Fernapple replies on Apr 21, 2022:

@BDair If there was not a long term advocacy for healthy food, and its benefits, where did you or the meme creator even get the photos from ?

REGARDING THE RECENT ARCANE DIALOG ABOUT NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPEAN MYTHOLOGY.

Fernapple comments on Apr 20, 2022:

"White entitlement" is not an example of Orwellian "new thought", but quite real. I know this for the very simple reason, if for no other reason than, that, being white, I have enjoyed the benefits of it though my whole life. Since I am confident that I would certainly not have enjoyed my limited ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 20, 2022:

@holdenc98 And, no it is not a chicken and egg, but very certainly a cart before horse argument.

REGARDING THE RECENT ARCANE DIALOG ABOUT NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPEAN MYTHOLOGY.

Fernapple comments on Apr 20, 2022:

"White entitlement" is not an example of Orwellian "new thought", but quite real. I know this for the very simple reason, if for no other reason than, that, being white, I have enjoyed the benefits of it though my whole life. Since I am confident that I would certainly not have enjoyed my limited ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 20, 2022:

@holdenc98 Hard work is easy, for those who know that they will enjoy the rewards. If you know that the benefits will not be distributed evenly, you have every right to be resentful and obstinate in your rejection of it. To refuse participation in a very unfair system, is the very least form of passive resistence that can be given, and to do so without resorting to more extreme and violent measures is borderline heroics.

Everyone has photographic memory! Difference is some do not have any film.

Garban comments on Apr 19, 2022:

Some have their lens cover glued in place.

Fernapple replies on Apr 20, 2022:

Good metaphor.

The five laws of Stupid people.

Matias comments on Apr 19, 2022:

Does he give any definition of "stupid"? Or is "law 3" his definition? But Law 3 describes a *spiteful* person, not a stupid one. (BTW: The gain a spiteful person may derive is *schadenfreude*)

Fernapple replies on Apr 20, 2022:

To be acurate, Cipolla's theory was really more about economics than general life. About things like, modeling how share dealings and the worlds money markets work. Cipolla's main point was to challenge the idea then common in economics, that people are either selfish, always acting in their own interests regardless of others, or moral, trying to act in the best interests of everyone. Cipolla's point was that, that idea leads to bad models, because in fact a lot of human behaviour harms everybody including themselves, and when modeling therefore you can not assume that everybody will always act in their own interests.

My nearby woods are beginning to look like this.

Fernapple comments on Apr 19, 2022:

Under threat from the Spanish Hyacinth, and now from the introduced deer. Not for much longer to wake the spring woods beneath the duvet of blue.

Fernapple replies on Apr 20, 2022:

@Ryo1 Well that is good news.

I know most of you hate Facebook.

Fernapple comments on Apr 18, 2022:

Yep, this is one of the reasons for hating FB.

Fernapple replies on Apr 19, 2022:

@JeffMurray It all depends on your partners tastes I suppose. If it works for them. LOL

Irrefutable Godly Contact?

Fernapple comments on Apr 16, 2022:

Hello and welcome. The other thing that you have to factor in, is that if there is a creator god, how do you know that the god, does not prefer atheists anyway. After all they do not set up false gods in its name, use its name and supposed authority to exploit others, claim to have a special ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 18, 2022:

@twill, @raymondahult Thank you, will do.

Irrefutable Godly Contact?

Fernapple comments on Apr 16, 2022:

Hello and welcome. The other thing that you have to factor in, is that if there is a creator god, how do you know that the god, does not prefer atheists anyway. After all they do not set up false gods in its name, use its name and supposed authority to exploit others, claim to have a special ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 18, 2022:

@twill No entity with even half a brain could like that.

In the bible, Jesus is put to death on Good Friday.

Fernapple comments on Apr 16, 2022:

I think the bible actually is usually translated as. "On the third day." Not. "After three days." Depends of course on the translation edition you use of course. But, on the third day, would be the Sunday if you counted Friday as day one. Perhaps therefore it is not so clear cut.

Fernapple replies on Apr 17, 2022:

@LenHazell53 Some also say 612. It gets messy.

[earth.com] Cats can learn the names of their companions and family. Who knew???

rainmanjr comments on Apr 16, 2022:

I think dogs can, too. Requires no intelligence, just repetition.

Fernapple replies on Apr 17, 2022:

Dogs can do that quite well, and it has been known some time. But many can do even more. This NDT video is real fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omaHv5sxiFI=RDLVomaHv5sxiFI=1&rv=omaHv5sxiFI&t=31

A Funeral for My Christianity

racocn8 comments on Apr 16, 2022:

Except that for many decades (long before Trump) Bible Belt Evangelicals have been denouncing everyone else with the most poisonous rhetoric imaginable. It has gotten worse, but it's been despicable for a very long time, if not always.

Fernapple replies on Apr 17, 2022:

Yes I think that he is wrong in thinking that it is a new thing, more rather that he himself only just noticed it. Indeed it is probably inherent in the nature of Christianity, and has always been there.

Kill me with one bad English. (Maybe I've killed you with this sentence.🤣)

Ryo1 comments on Apr 16, 2022:

'Should of' instead of 'should have'

Fernapple replies on Apr 16, 2022:

Don't do the first comment on your own post. Instead of. Don't make the first comment on your own post.

Since it’s Easter, I wanted to take a moment to remind y’all that Jesus loves you!!!! 🙏

Ryo1 comments on Apr 15, 2022:

Funnily enough...

Fernapple replies on Apr 15, 2022:

Riots in Jerusalem today. 150 injured muslim holy sites damaged and defiled.

I agree with this Catholic.

Fernapple comments on Apr 15, 2022:

Sounds like the Archbishop has been reading too much conspiracy theory claptrap.

Fernapple replies on Apr 15, 2022:

@Theresa_N Not at all, but they want to make the church which they plan to dominate stronger, not weaken it.

Agree or disagree and why?

TheMiddleWay comments on Apr 14, 2022:

Disagee. 1) Most of the world doesn't suffer from scientific "indoctrination" during early childhood and yet there are no signs of science dying out. 2) A 2008 Pew survey found that something like 40% of adults switch faiths. So even if you're legitimately indoctrinated into a religion in ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 14, 2022:

@TheMiddleWay Sorry, but that is just a percentages argument. By definition, if forty percent of people were not successfully indoctrinated, the remaining sixty percent, the majority, were. Plus most agnostics would argue that, remaining in any religion is, as you say. "being indoctrinated is being uncritical in your assessment of that knowledge." You still remain indoctriated with religion, even if not a specific religion.

Faith, Science, and Francis Collins [newyorker.com] .

TheMiddleWay comments on Apr 14, 2022:

How annoying must Francis Collins be to the people that keep promoting the notion that one cannot be devoutly religious and rational at the same time! 😂😂😂😂

Fernapple replies on Apr 14, 2022:

It is not difficult to be rational and religious, for the problem with religion, is not that it is incompatible with rationality, but that it is not incompatible with irrationality, either. Nor that it is not compatible with, and incapable of promoting good morals, but that it is not incompatible with or incapable of promoting bad morals either.

I hate Easter - the worst part of the bronze age, messianic, apocalyptic, dead and rising god ...

Lorajay comments on Apr 14, 2022:

But but but without Easter we couldn't have Easter egg hunts. Most importantly, little girls would not get a new Easter dress.

Fernapple replies on Apr 14, 2022:

Yes, but easter and easter egg hunts are older than, and nothing to do with, christianity. Easter simply means "spring", and hunting for eggs in spring, comes from the time when for most people, especially the poor, eggs meant wild birds eggs hunted down in the woods and fields, when the wild birds started to nest, and even for the rich who could afford chickens and geece, those early breeds of birds went "off lay" in the winter.

First, a little background you need: I hate textspeak.

Fernapple comments on Apr 14, 2022:

The other thing that people should remember, at least here on this site, is that this is an international site, used by English speakers across the world, as well as many for whom English is a second language. Neither of those groups will share the same conventions and quirks of text speak or local...

Fernapple replies on Apr 14, 2022:

@TheMiddleWay Yes, text messages are an exception historically, but that is not over the long run of centuries the main thing driving insider language.

A couple more ‘hard’ questions: 1. What is correct: 9 and 7 is 15 or 9and 7 are 15?

ChestRockfield comments on Apr 13, 2022:

I prefer the question: "What is the grammatically correct wording, the yolk of the egg *is* white, or the yolk of the egg *are* white?"

Fernapple replies on Apr 14, 2022:

The yolk 'is' yellow. But the whites, (Because there are two layers of white.) "are" white.

First, a little background you need: I hate textspeak.

Fernapple comments on Apr 14, 2022:

The other thing that people should remember, at least here on this site, is that this is an international site, used by English speakers across the world, as well as many for whom English is a second language. Neither of those groups will share the same conventions and quirks of text speak or local...

Fernapple replies on Apr 14, 2022:

@JeffMurray Sadly, I think that people want a shittier tool which does not work as well, because they want to be divisive. Because they want to create private languages that only the in group can understand, in part to defend their precious unsupported dogmas against questioning from outside.

A couple more ‘hard’ questions: 1. What is correct: 9 and 7 is 15 or 9and 7 are 15?

LenHazell53 comments on Apr 13, 2022:

@ JackPedigo 1 Both are mathematically incorrect, "is" is grammatically correct. 2 12 presuming we are still talking about the stamps 3 Bread or bread like products 4 Infant cows drink milk adult cattle tend to drink water @Fernapple 1 Dogs (Latin cannis) 2 116 year 1337 to 1453 3 Until...

Fernapple replies on Apr 14, 2022:

Those are quite correct well done. Except that lizards are not snakes.

Can you imagine a wave taller than the Empire State Bldg?

barjoe comments on Apr 12, 2022:

Back in '58 they called them tidal waves.

Fernapple replies on Apr 12, 2022:

Yes. Though that was always a bad idea, because they had nothing to do with the tides, or with true tidal waves. We borrow from Japan, because there was no word in English, just like we borrowed nearly every other word in the compost heap called the English Language. (Did you know that we had to borrow, "pork" and "beef" from the French, in case someone tried to serve the pigs and cows up alive. Just think how tricky that would be in a posh eating house ! )

“You know, the only trouble with capitalism is capitalists; they’re too damn greedy:” ...

Robecology comments on Apr 11, 2022:

I've written about "Greed" being "The Perfect addiction"....sadly if we have too many successful addicts we can kiss humanity good bye; It's the blog link, below. Basically; Most organisms are naturally greedy. Even plants. Nothing to smoke, snort, shoot, ingest. But it is an addiction. ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 12, 2022:

Sadly capitalism. Which I would say does mean, using "others money ot get rich". Too often gets compounded with free trade, but it is not by any means an inescapable component of trade.

I reckon that Putin has thrown down a challenge to philosophers.

Fernapple comments on Apr 8, 2022:

Philosophy long ago proved that there are no absolutes. And there are many types of trees, some cast a heavy shade and some tend to let the light through. The terms democracy and tyranny are measures of light and shade, not a typology of trees.

Fernapple replies on Apr 12, 2022:

@Matias No but McFlewster asked for philosophical proof, or in other words, whatever comes nearest to counting as proof within philosophy. He has therefore already defined a standard of proof which suits philosophy, even if that is not proof by any other terms.

Russia's fallen soldiers left behind as death toll mounts, families grieve - The Washington Post

Ryo1 comments on Apr 9, 2022:

I wish the media stopped saying Russian invasion of Ukraine or war between Russia and Ukraine. It is Putin's invasion of Ukraine. It's the madman's war. There are indigenous Russians who are against the invasion of Ukraine; many Ukrainians have friends and families in Russian and vice versa - they ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 10, 2022:

@Paul4747 Yes but they are not soldiers, most of them are half trained kids, and they are told, that they are not engaged in a war, but a policing action to hunt down fascists and NATO agents in the Ukraine. And when they don't find any, because there are not hardly any, and those very few that there may have been, would have gone to ground at the first sign of the Russians, and the kids would not know how to tell the difference anyway, they still have to fill their quota, to prove to those in charge that they have killed or captured the expected numbers of fascists. So to make up the numbers, they just grab anybody, shoot them and then say. "That's a fascist/NATO agent/spy."

Serious Warning! first of all this account is fake ( pics belong to a Lebanese journalist: Jad...

Robecology comments on Apr 9, 2022:

So I have to ask...why would anyone bother doing this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

@Diaco Could be semi-automated.

If we are created in the likeness of "gawd", how come I'm not invisible?

Fernapple comments on Apr 9, 2022:

You put on too many pounds.

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

@PondartIncbendog Oh, its quite easy there's a whole Atlantic between us.

Serious Warning! first of all this account is fake ( pics belong to a Lebanese journalist: Jad...

Robecology comments on Apr 9, 2022:

So I have to ask...why would anyone bother doing this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

Unless it is a robot, doing it automatically, and it is set up to do it on platforms like FB where people would not spot a duplicate like the smaller community here would. In which case it may well be something to be very wary of, certainly don't follow any links.

A couple of days ago, I ended up in the village of Harlaxton, where there are drystone walls ...

Robecology comments on Apr 9, 2022:

Had to look up "Drystone"...exceptionally beautiful. I recall seeing them in my youth in upstate N.Y. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_stone

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

Yes, it is world wide but only in certain places, usually where the native rock comes in plain strata, which lends itself to construction without mortar.

Makes you reflect

LucyLoohoo comments on Apr 9, 2022:

I wish international travel could be mandated as part of an education. Interacting with other cultures is far more ''educating'' than never leaving home.

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

@LucyLoohoo Of course. I am English, sarcastic is my second language. But then again, in every barrel of over ripe irony, there is a pearl of wisdom.

Makes you reflect

Fernapple comments on Apr 9, 2022:

No, I think the only real value of money in that sense, is that, you can buy education, other than that it affect nothing. Though it is not that easy to buy good education, or that popular.

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

@Apunzelle True, but I would include travel and experiences as, "education". Perhaps the best sort. In fact, in many ways, thinking of education as being only, 'schooling' is part of the limited vision which it is highly desirable to avoid, and schooling in many ways exists only to supress education.

Makes you reflect

LucyLoohoo comments on Apr 9, 2022:

I wish international travel could be mandated as part of an education. Interacting with other cultures is far more ''educating'' than never leaving home.

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

Especially for the USA, but that is not likely to happen. Because, of course, all good Americans know that everywhere abroard, is peopled by America hating, communist, devil worshipers, who want to teach their children how to be gay prostitutes, and get them reading books. (Especially the reading books bit.) Well they get some things right over there. ( That is called irony, incidentally. Which of course is another foreign thing, that you simply must not let your children, wives or servants, come into contact with. ) (Not including, 'husbands' in that list, is more irony. )

Serious Warning! first of all this account is fake ( pics belong to a Lebanese journalist: Jad...

Fernapple comments on Apr 9, 2022:

Yes that happened to me too, one of my posts was immediately reposted, as if it was someone else's. I don't see the point of that, unless it is a robot, doing it automatically, and it is set up to do it on platforms like FB where people would not spot a duplicate like the smaller community here ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

@Marionville He may be innocent, but I have just seen another duplicate post.

Just a very short one about something which almost defies all cataloging.

racocn8 comments on Apr 8, 2022:

(So, what is the third partner?)

Fernapple replies on Apr 9, 2022:

There are two fungi. It was easy to miss that in the short video its true.

Hey Everyone, I am now fewer than 1,000 points away from Level 8! Please forgive my shameless ...

bebe12 comments on Apr 8, 2022:

The closer one gets to lev 8 means the closer they are getting to wasting to much of one’s life on this site .My self included .

Fernapple replies on Apr 8, 2022:

Yes, but some ways of wasting time are more fun than others. I would say this is not as good as eating chocolate, but slightly better than sex.

I reckon that Putin has thrown down a challenge to philosophers.

Fernapple comments on Apr 8, 2022:

Philosophy long ago proved that there are no absolutes. And there are many types of trees, some cast a heavy shade and some tend to let the light through. The terms democracy and tyranny are measures of light and shade, not a typology of trees.

Fernapple replies on Apr 8, 2022:

@Matias Technically no, but it depends on what you mean by proof.

It was statements like this, by Joseph Campbell, that inspired me to begin a project, years ago, ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2022:

The new Mythos is growing and hopefully will continue to do so, as long as the old ones do not crush it, which sadly they yet could, since they still have a lot of vital power left. But I always feel that whenever the tide began to turn it was inexorable, history does not ever go backwards. Every ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 8, 2022:

@Julie808The Sacred Deapths Of Nature, is probably the seminal work on the subject of Religious Naturalism. I read it with great pleasure many years ago, and it is a very light and easy read.

It was statements like this, by Joseph Campbell, that inspired me to begin a project, years ago, ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2022:

The new Mythos is growing and hopefully will continue to do so, as long as the old ones do not crush it, which sadly they yet could, since they still have a lot of vital power left. But I always feel that whenever the tide began to turn it was inexorable, history does not ever go backwards. Every ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 8, 2022:

@Julie808 It just occured to me. Have you ever read Ursula Goodenough ?

I'm presently driving around France and England.

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2022:

Only if you can get the fuel. LOL

Fernapple replies on Apr 6, 2022:

@Petter They say that if the distance is more than two hundred and fifty miles, you actualy use less fuel flying.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

Mb_Man comments on Apr 5, 2022:

This is a big reason why I decided to start answering the god question with "I don't know", and moved on. It was a combination of boredom with the topic, and a/the continued realization that atheism meant simultaneously "an answer to a single question, and nothing more!" AND the only possible ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 5, 2022:

Yes that is very true and very close to my attitudes. Although mainly, the apologist at the start was only there as a hypothetical starting point, and not really intended as a serious protagonist, I too am little interested in debating with them.

Christopher Hitchens was asked, "If you don't believe there's a god, why do you do spend your entire...

skado comments on Apr 4, 2022:

I don’t know why the “new atheists” thought that those religious fanatics were who defined religion. They are a loud and dangerous tiny minority, who need to be fought as urgently as Hitch fought 80% of his own species. But they do not represent the 80%.

Fernapple replies on Apr 5, 2022:

The new atheists did not always think that the religious fanatics defined religion. R. Dawkins, for one example, regularly praised the moderate majority. ( I think too much.) It is doing the same thing, defining the new atheists by one statement from their most immoderate member.

“A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then stand on the stump ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2022:

There is another kind of politician ?

Fernapple replies on Apr 5, 2022:

@FrayedBear Quite.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

Heraclitus comments on Apr 5, 2022:

I don't think it is simply a matter of replacing old broken and corrupt beliefs with better ones. Agnostics/atheists are saying that don't believe in religious belief systems, which the other things you mention are not. It is a rejection of theistic-based belief systems.

Fernapple replies on Apr 5, 2022:

Yes that is what I meant, I am equating, "old broken and corrupt", with "theistic" because given that this is and atheist /agnostic site, I am assuming that everyone else will do the same.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

AnneWimsey comments on Apr 3, 2022:

Mmmmmmmm, lots of thinking material above, but can you define "happy world" for Me?

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

@AnneWimsey Quite.

“The excessive use of force creates legitimacy problems, and force without legitimacy leads to ...

EricJones comments on Apr 4, 2022:

Just ask George Floyd as the most recent example.

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

@Marionville The two are not that different. If you think that people who don't want to be like you, or are not like you by nature, may be mistreated however you wish, then that is the same.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

Julie808 comments on Apr 4, 2022:

I believe in things that matter. It does not matter to me whether there is or isn't a god. Nothing to prove either way for my purposes in living a good life. I do believe in goodness, kindness, fairness, natural consequences, courtesy, respect, compassion, empathy and a whole lot of things ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

Very good, I could quote every word, my possition exactly. Though I do think that, while I agree with, "I don't fault people for turning to the ready made religion", I do think that there is perhaps, a moral obligation to always, whenever possible, point out that there are perhaps better ways. You may like Rossy92's reply at the bottom of this post too.

Atheist quotes…lovely!

Robecology comments on Apr 3, 2022:

Copied the Ricky G. one. He's on my page....or I'm on his....

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

My favourite too.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

barjoe comments on Apr 3, 2022:

I plead guilty to believing in nothing.

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

@Alienbeing It is good to hear it, and I hope things will turn arround and they will grow less loud. Though my reply to Barjoe was a bit of a joke, since I alway assume that a lot of what you hear about the dire things happening in the world, are overstated.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

Aaron70 comments on Apr 3, 2022:

That’s a mouthful…..🤨

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

@Buck Thank you. I am always fishing for compliments.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

AnneWimsey comments on Apr 3, 2022:

Mmmmmmmm, lots of thinking material above, but can you define "happy world" for Me?

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

You may define "happy world" however you wish, my own definition is not in any way special. Rossy92 down at the bottom here, gives a really good one. My only point is that you need only create the smallest prerequisite, as a starting point for the rest to follow, in order to address the agument that without god you can have no morallity because god is the only prerequisite for morallity available.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

David1955 comments on Apr 3, 2022:

Strictly speaking atheism is a non belief in gods and that is that. Atheists come in all shapes and sizes in terms of their social, political and other values. But in my opinion atheism should, and often does, encompass a bigger secular value system, like science and reason, so for me the hope for ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

Yes perfect.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

Reignmond comments on Apr 3, 2022:

We Atheists believe all kinds of things, but more often our beliefs are couched in some sort of proof even if that proof is not entirely "scientific". For example, I have a belief that my kitties love me. Now I have not tortured them with tests to prove their affections. Instead, I observe the way ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 4, 2022:

Very true.

Well this was fun

barjoe comments on Apr 3, 2022:

I hope you're okay. Did you go to the hospital?

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

@Dyl1983 Sadly it is almost impossible to remove all sharp, hard, and sticking out objects from the environment we live in.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

Rossy92 comments on Apr 3, 2022:

In reply to the accusation of believing in "nothing", I'd respond that I try to believe in as many true things and as little false things as possible. And in response to both what I actually DO believe in, and where I derive my morality/ethics, I would respond that I'm concerned with that which ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

That is another very good prerequisite for morals too. Probably better than my examples, so I shall note it down , although I deliberately picked short ones like, “I would prefer to live in a happy world.” because I knew the post would be long winded, and I was trying to keep it as short as possible. Though of course, as always, I failed.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

mischl comments on Apr 3, 2022:

I took the decision about 60 years ago in a Philosophy class that Belief is a dirty word. I set about removing it from my vocabulary, replacing it with other "more appropriate" words in my opinion. For example, I ACCEPT the notion of gravity, even though I cannot explain it. And I THINK electric ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

Yes you could swap "belief" in my post for, accept, and it would still work just as well. But I was being critical of religious apologetics, and that is the word they like to use.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

FvckY0u comments on Apr 3, 2022:

Great post. I prefer to use the word "faith" as it applies to religion. I used to think belief was a dirty word but as you point out it can be used in several different ways outside of religion.

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

Yes you can swap words arround, the main thing is to be honest about what you mean.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

barjoe comments on Apr 3, 2022:

I plead guilty to believing in nothing.

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

And you are more than welcome, its a free world, well bits of it are, even the USA was until the theists took over . OH no! Not yet of course, that is the bit I wrote and saved for next year.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

Aaron70 comments on Apr 3, 2022:

That’s a mouthful…..🤨

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

Yes I can be long winded, I did think of making two posts out of it, but then I thought. Nah, the people either have good concentration spans, or they wont understand it anyway. Of course, if I was smart, then I could probably shorten it to just a couple of lines, but its just dull old me, sorry.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

Betty comments on Apr 3, 2022:

Belief is truth as you know it. You believe in the stability of your relationships, family, friends, co-workers, community etc. What does religion, god, or any make believe entity have to do with truth? To believe is to accept that there is evidence of truth. Morals, values, and code of conduct ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

Brilliant.

I have often heard atheists and agnostics accused of believing in nothing, especially by apologists.

xenoview comments on Apr 3, 2022:

Atheism is a lack of belief in any gods. Agnosticism is not having the knowledge any gods exist. Either one is not a belief system. Theism is based on faith, because it lacks objective evidence that any god exist.

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

Yes that was my point exactly, though I simply wanted to add that, just because we do not believe in gods, it does not mean we ( always) believe in nothing. And I deliberately included some contradictory ideals like capitalisnm and socialism in the list, to make that point.

Nothing except just the sound. [youtube.com]

Julie808 comments on Apr 3, 2022:

A motorcycle in a cage... seems to like the attention though.

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

Yes sad about the cage in many ways, but at least there is social interaction.

Looking for friends

Fernapple comments on Feb 11, 2022:

Hello and welcome. Enjoy the site. You will certain find pen-friends here at the very least, and if you like that idea, then the site will be a great source of joy. Unfortunately though we are a bit spread out, and so actual physical contact is rare, though quite a few have managed to get withing ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

@robertvc Very well thank you, if you engage with it, it can be great. (And is probably one of the best time wasters on the web. LOL)

How self aware is your best friend, as aware as an elephant perhaps, maybe not, but certainly more ...

Reignmond comments on Apr 3, 2022:

Dogs seem to run the gamet. I have had some (when I was married, my wife rescued and fostered a lot of dogs) that were dumb, and others that were sharp as a tack. My own Jessie, a Terrier / Chihuahua mix, knew names of people, all of her toys, rooms in the house, places we would go, and I am ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 3, 2022:

Yes dogs do vary a lot, and sadly I think that a lot of breeders only value appearance when sellecting dogs to breed from and sell to would be owners.

My sentiments exactly... 5 Reasons to Avoid Ad Hominem Arguments [fee.org] .

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2022:

Yep, I can live with those five. Seven reasons to always keep ad hominen in mind. 1. While you should not attack facts by ad hom, it can sometimes be useful in judging opinions. 2. If you know someone is dishonest and untruthful, it is best to leave and ignore on the grounds of ad hom, but ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@JeffMurray I just up dated it and added another.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Toonman comments on Mar 31, 2022:

FINALLY you post something that isn't completely and utterly useless.

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@racocn8 I love it, you hit nearly every nail perfectly. Though you perhaps would be amused to know when quoting Skado's "..psychological traits that formed in the context of pre-human and human hunter/gatherer societies over more than two million years on the African savannas are not likely to be radically altered in a span of only a few thousand years." That Skado has claimed elsewhere, to be a big fan of co-evolution, in other words that cultural evolution has an impact on genetic evolution. Another example of his having it both ways.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@Betty You are welcome.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@Betty I quite agree. I tend to use as my personal definition of religion, that religion is the same thing as the fallacy of, proof by authority. In other words it is, any institution which gives justification to ideas without any presenting evidence, but only by unsupported authority, whether that authority comes from the supernatural, tradition, respect for an old book, just because its old, or group think, (We think that, not the others.) To understand therefore why it has such a deep natural connection to the anti social and criminal. You only have to ask yourself. Who would want authority without any wanting to offer justification ?

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@skado 1. Yes 2. Yes 3. No, the development of complex culture was itself the greatest mismatch. 4. No there are many traits which generate a capacity for complex culture. 6. Shortly only in evolutionary time scales, not in cultural and historic. 7. Only religion in the broardest sense, religions are so diverse that there is hardly a single common component to them all, beyond saying that some sort of religion would happen, that justifies almost nothing within them any of them. 8. Complete rubbish. Religion is probably the least successful of all human institutions at addressing the mismatch and has probably always been a burden and a drag on those other institutions which did attempt to address it. And even if it did once serve to address the mismatch to some degree in the past, that is no reason to suppose, that it is a good tool for that now, let alone the best. And your final. No, all opinion is not equal, and although the 'ad hom' is a fallacy when addressing fact, it is very relevant when evaluating opinion.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@Betty The point is that he could not, no one could, he is asking for the impossible as a bullying method.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@Betty See also my above, I know its a long read.

Drinking tea and coffee will help staving off dementia.

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2022:

Good news. Since I like tea and fruit and veg, more than anything, that is not a hard ask.

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@Jolanta That too.

"Cognitive-dissonance is just one of many biases that work in our everyday lives.

Matias comments on Apr 2, 2022:

But "cognitive dissonance" and "confirmation bias" are not the same ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

Skado long ago stopped caring what words actually mean, even if he ever did.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@skado No religion is NOT the "only institution that has tried to offer a counterbalance to that mismatch." in saying that you are doing exactly what you are blaming Betty for, which is making statements about the past based on nothing more than unsupported value judgments. And in this case even worse, an absolutist value judgment. All human institutions have to offer control of anti-social behaviour, simply because institutions are social constructs, and can only exist by doing that, and for the most part, mainly only exist to do that. In fact institutions like politics, from a clan level through tribal and on to the nation state and eventually internationalism, have a much greater interest in forwarding good social instincts, ( As did trade networks to a lesser extent in early times. ) because without supernatural claims, the only justification they can offer for their existence, is the demonstration of their abilities to succeed in doing so. While religion was always probably from the beginning, been to a degree on the negative side, as a promoter of personal narcissism, since it profited by that, and by countering the social order, with appeals to individualism, and individual claims to the favour of divine authority. Which it could do, because it alone could gain authority without demonstrating any benefits to larger society. (Royalty may sit on the border between religion and politics, and has elements of both.) And yes science does have, "a better track record at discovering the facts than does the sincerest empathy. " Which is why it deals only in hard facts and not the speculative value judgements, more within the realm of history, which you claim to base on it. And that is why doing such things are truly horrible, exactly, because they throw out the truly valuable and wonderful gift that science can offer. If not because of the sickening double values, expossed by blaming value judgments for some things, while using them to support others. And yes, crime is "innate in human nature", but it does not have to happen. Over balancing and falling on the floor is also innate in human nature, though it does not have to happen, because our balancing mechanisms are of limited capacity. Which means that I am much more likely to fall down, if I go skiing, than if I go for a walk. Because there is a mismatch between my balance mechanisms, designed for running on the flat plains, and sliding down mountains on culturally and technically developed skids. So if I want to avoid falling over at all cost, it is best not to go skiing or join a ski club. Just as if I want to avoid being anti-social or criminal, it is best to avoid human institutions which favour and enable criminality and anti-social activities. Human cultural institutions can modify human ...

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@skado It may be that Betty made an unsubstantiated statement, with which as it happens I do not agree either. But that does not excuse, firstly, asking for something that can never be. Because as Betty rightly pointed out, her comments related to things which fall only within the sphere of history, and are not or ever likely to be within the realms of science, and asking for things which are impossibilities is simply morally reprehensible bullying of the worst sort. And secondly it is also morally disgusting to tell someone that their opinion is valueless.

So who uses a computer at home, and only makes calls on their phone.

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I do all my internet on my laptop. I do almost all my phone calls on my landline. Away from home, I have my tracphone, which costs only a $100 a year, for emergencies or if my car breaks down. My landline and internet at home cost me about $85 a month. I am content with my arrangements, and have no ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

That's about my place too, and it now seems that a lot of younger people are cottoning on to the same idea.

"When I was younger, I used to run up and down mountains for fun.

Robecology comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I know the feeling. I still focus on fitness...but damn...it's just much easier to hurt oneself as we get older!.

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

Yes, and you often don't notice the pain until its too late. You lok down, and there is a big wound, and you thinbk. "How did I do that." While you know that the young and sensitive you would have jumped up at the first prickle.

How offensive is the word "cunt"?

Charles1971 comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I don't know the answer to this question but I don't use either of those slurs so I don't really have to worry about their individual weight.

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@JeffMurray Clever hypothesis.

How offensive is the word "cunt"?

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I will vote for the last one. Because I am convinced by one well known, sadly now gone, feminists arguments. (Sorry about the quality of the video, but it is very old.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDJutaFuVD0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN0oGWNzNxo

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@p-nullifidian Yes I did not know that, it is not a very feminist word, perhaps a lot of females would not like the word half so much if they knew.

"When I was younger, I used to run up and down mountains for fun.

KateOahu comments on Apr 1, 2022:

So, it has come to that…

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

Not yet, but will get there one day certainly.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@skado, @Betty Dear Betty, please note (even if you don't want to read my above) that such measurements that you are asked for by Skado, are of course quite impossible and far from being within the remit of science. Also remember that asking for the impossible is a playgound bullying trick.