What gave you joy in 2019?

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Friends, best friend, garden, nature, this site, the village, coffee shops, travel, and getting a few jobs done.

70 Percent of the World’s Macadamia Nuts Came From One Tree in Australia [atlasobscura.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Interesting, and I read a bit since that there is an even worse problem with the worlds bananas, which are all one clone.

Happy New Year to everyone on Agnostics.

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

HAPPY NEW YEAR. PS. do know how to work the shit key, no accident.

“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Perhaps little too much work ethic for my taste.

"DNA neither cares nor knows. DNA just is. And we dance to its music." - Richard Dawkins

Fernapple comments on Jan 1, 2020:

Yet sometimes the great indifference of nature, seems far preferable, to the active and pointless cruelty of human culture.

Who has noticed in the last day or so there has been a resurgence of Islam bashing.

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

There is a little yes, but Islam is, or should be, as open to bashing as all the rest of the Abrahamic rubbish, for those who like bashing, though I am not fond of it myself. There are however two questions which have to be addressed, which are, is Islam a more threatening and intolerant religion than the others and therefore more in need of addressing in a sensible fashion. And is the bashing of Islam we see on this site motivated by closet racism or nationalism. The first being probably justified, the second being quite unacceptable. I think that judging by the tone of it, some of it is badly motivated. But as it is usually said, without proof you have to give the benefit of the doubt, or in other words assume innocent until proved guilty. Because if you do not do that, then you abandon the moral high ground for just the sort of position that you set out to counter in the first place. No one ever said that being moral was easy, and sometimes you can only use persuasion, reason and setting a good example as your weapons, slow and weak as they are.

Choose fun

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Life is a death sentence.

Advice for the new year wishing you all the best

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Best be leaving this site then.

Are you truely agnostic or an athiest in hiding?

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

The difference is unimportant, I recognize that nothing about the supernatural can ever be proved or disproved, because proof is entirely concerned with natural things, if that even exists at all. That is an Agnostic position, but if some people want to go a step further and say that they are sure there is no supernatural, then so be it. Because it makes no practical difference, since the existence or none existence of god or the supernatural is meaningless if that god/supernatural has nothing to communicate. Since an invisible silent god makes no dogma, and so has the same effect on the world as a none existent god, exactly none. The important thing is to have rejected dogma. So I always call myself a, board church sceptic.

Stephen Hawking's take on "Is there a God?

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Interesting but I don't think that any theist would be convinced by it, any proof about space and time are simply addressed by them by saying that god exists outside of space and time. As the saying goes, you can not reason someone out of something they never reasoned themselves into in the first place.

Here we are at the end of another year and another about to begin.

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Not really true anymore since BC was replaced by BCE. But I agree the equinox would be better, and new year does not fit the solstice either, it was just a date in the Roman calender fitted to the ancient South European agricultural cycles, Roman tradition and the whims of the Emperor Augustus, a practical compromise because they admitted they could not make the cycles of the moon fit, and a few later fixes by the Catholic Church. But it could be worse, the Islamic world is still fiddling around with the moon.

Your guiding principles matter. Mine?

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Try your best to make a positive contribution. If only because there is nothing else to do that is remotely interesting, regardless of whether is serves any higher purpose.

I listened to a lecture by Alan Watts on love just a little while ago.

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

I never thought that I would be in the position of defending the bible. But while it is true that you can not create love, it is still possible to uncreate the artificial barriers, which you put up to limit the range of your natural propensity for love. Having said that, it may also be true that we only have a limited capacity for love, and when it is used up that is it. Which explains perhaps why religious people who claim highly altruistic ideals, often seem to be the meanest of people. Because they are encouraged to give the maximum of themselves when within the congregation, and there is little left of the rest of the world outside.

Why does everyone want to argue today?

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

No I never want to argue though I understand that makes me a sample of one only. Three ideas. As the world gets smaller and the information flow increases, ideas which were once far apart increasingly rub up against one another. Sometimes wanting to help others can be misunderstood as an attack on their beliefs, especially when you want to help them towards understanding. Some people want their beliefs attacked, because if they can defend them, then their self doubt is lessened.

If life were fair Elvis would still be alive today and all the impersonators would be dead.

Fernapple comments on Dec 31, 2019:

Oh, you have to give everyone a chance.

How open-source software took over the world [cnbc.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Page would not download due to many very large adverts. Sorry.

This shows the change in Arctic sea ice. Especially for those of you still in denial. [twitter.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Link seems to lead to a lot of comments, but no actual content.

A neuroscientist explains why Christian evangelicals are hardwired to believe Donald Trump’s lies...

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Yes. It has also been described in the past as. False positives have a lower price in evolutionary terms than false negatives. Metaphorically. If I think I see an eye looking at me out of the woods and I run and hide, should it prove to be false, all I loose is the time and energy taken to hide behind a tree. If on the other I do not hide and it really is a tiger, I loose my life. Therefore since situation like that are common, it is thought evolution conditions us to favour false positives, in other words not to be sceptical.

Scientists establish link between religious fundamentalism and brain damage A study published ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Could very well be true. Though I doubt it is as simple as that, most people involved in research tend to over estimate the scope of their work, which is natural and human, but it may well turn out to be a major part of the picture.

Just had a thought.

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Maybe it is not the young who need it, and how about a class explaining Responsible Use of Schooling. and how to be critical of what you are taught in school. Especially for the home schooled.

[yahoo.

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

If you know everything, for what do you need research ?

I find it fascinating that when I put up content of substance, content that calls for a modicum of ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Dog created man in its own image. And if you want deep thought. Questions: 1. Is that quite literally true ? 2. Does the dominant partner in a symbiotic relationship have the greatest effect on its partners genetics, is it mutual or the opposite ? 3. Does symbiosis always lead to degeneration in one or both partners ? 4. Am I being sarcastic too, or geeky or both ?

vintagenews.com/2019/07/03/drought-reveals-palace/

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

Link does not work. Sorry.

This site is awesome except for the “viewed me” feature.

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

A lot of times when I click or hover it is an accident, other than that it can be very useful. If for example someone writes something about news, weather, or environment, it is often good to check where they live, at least the continent, since that deeply affects how you understand what they are saying.

How do you feel now that the holidays are over?

Fernapple comments on Dec 30, 2019:

The holiday in the UK does not really end until new year, Jan 2 usually, so the main effect on me is that I start to get bored.

Well, it IS Sunday: 😈

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

And the devil says. "I don't know, the Christians who run this place wont tell me."

Got out of the shower this morning to find this in my bedroom..... it's not my cat!

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

According to the stats the average cat has one and a half homes.

[mavenroundtable.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Hard to predict the future. The butterfly flaps its wings and everything changes, perhaps, but there are lots more things out there which could be fatal. Hawking was not a biologist, so what about infectious disease, genetic decay and drift. Greed and stupidity may be the reasons why we fail to rise to the challenges, but they may not be the only challenges.

Seriously, What are they celebrating?...

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

The winter solstice perhaps ? Nice to know I am not the only geek on here who takes these things seriously. Note. we must keep a count of how many times people tell us to, get a life, bet I get more than you.

[ugchristiannews.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

I think they may find that seventy million deaf people are not all waiting with bated breath. PS. There is a donation to the ministry button at the bottom of the page, may pay to warn people, it gave me quite a shock, and at my time of life that can be dangerous.

Study Shows That Homophobic People Tend To Have A Low IQ

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Well a higher IQ is probably a defense against most prejudices and phobias. Which is just looking at it the other way round, but it does not provide the same chance to be judgmental about people, who may be trapped in phobic subcultures with little chance of escape.

This was posted on FB by Grandmother’s for Nature: [grandmothersfornature.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Beautiful birds, not usually thought of as such but still very beautiful. And Grandmothers for nature is wonderful.

A toast to Americans! For their innovations. [vice.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Sorry, cheap shot as it is, but I just have to comment on the lady who hid her telephone in her vagina. And wonder if she was really trying to hide it, or does it have something to do with a vibrating ring tone ?!

I love visual aides.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

I think there should be more tags than that, perhaps they applied a very severe criterion, or they just thought a small sample would do.

It says there are 178 people on here but not many are making new posts. What are y'all doing?

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Yep, I have noticed as well, that comments and likes seem to be down, even on the posts that are there. Are members becoming less active, has the sites mechanics changed so that we are seeing less, or is it just a seasonal dip ?

It says there are 178 people on here but not many are making new posts. What are y'all doing?

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Commenting.

Why are we buried in a box.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

My mother at her request was buried in a biodegradable basket. Everyone who came to the funeral said it looked beautiful, and it was cheaper than a wooden coffin.

Teleportation Reported in a Qutrit For The First Time [sciencealert.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Interesting but. It may be a good idea to put an introduction or title on your posts, so that people know what they are being asked to view.

How Many Here are COMPLETE ATHEISTS (as I am)?

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

No. Bad defining of words, to make a point perhaps, but still bad defining. Atheism means none belief in a supernatural god, nothing more, the state may be that exact equivalent of a god, state-ism may be a religion,, but the state is perfectly natural. It is like saying that an animal is a plant, because they are both alive, and there are intermediate things.

A toast to Americans! For their innovations. [vice.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Love the, "patient unsure how it got there." caption.

I am puzzled about who pays for the web space this site uses.

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

I often wondered that, either Admin or some other person is very generous with sponsorship, or there is some sort of data sales.

Australian landscapes — 1: Churchill/Lysterfield Park in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 29, 2019:

Is that a lizard sat on the rock in the Japanese garden, or a garden ornament ? The rock just in front of the lantern.

At least she has good taste in Whiskey.. 😋 [sun-sentinel.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

It says website not available in Europe. Sorry.

Non UK members may not appreciate this

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

This UK member never heard of her. Should I be sorry.

Has anyone made any New Years resolutions?

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Well done. A few years ago I made a resolution to stop making resolutions, and I have kept to it.

Assuming you don't attend any religous services on Sunday's, what do you do for fun?

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

All being well, I am going to trim back all last years dead growth in the garden.

For ex believers there is always this question of a religion replacement.

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Hello and welcome to the site. That sounds good to me. Enjoy.

I dislike any organized religion

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Deism is somewhere between religion and agnosticism, and very far from my take on the supernatural. But I usually call myself a board church sceptic, and so I am happy to say welcome to the site and please enjoy, the more differences of opinion the more interesting we are. Do check out the groups if you have time, there is something for everyone.

Evolution and Religion

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Because if you get in the habit of ignoring evidence, then you can believe anything you want. And the more practice you get at ignoring evidence the better you get at it. It is not just the evidence for evolution, but the very idea of evidence itself which is being rejected, so that it becomes possible to live in a world, where the truth is anything which tells me what I want to hear, and my truth never tells me anything that makes any demands on me.

Even though I am an atheist, I recognize that we have had great theologians, whose thoughts are ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

The established churches don't have to make ground. Evangelicals have to sell themselves, and dogma sells, because it appeals to our base instincts like, laziness, I don't want the bother of thinking, and hate, I want to blame someone else.

Do you think we'll ever reach a point when atheists are the majority and when?

Fernapple comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Here in the UK perhaps soon, in the US who knows. But we could also be on the brink of a new dark age, the future is unpredictable. A butterfly flaps its wings and everything changes.

Science Says You Shouldn't Drink Your Whiskey "Neat" [youtube.com]

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

At last after months on this site, some useful advice about something important. ( Even if I don't agree. Blackcurrant jam 10% in warm water, let it cool add about half.)

The 5 Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Do crosswords and soduku in fact whatever is in the papers, but not jigsaws no. I also let the computer beat me at chess sometimes, don't want to hurt its feelings, by seeming too smart. And I mess about on a social media site when I have nothing better to do, which is a lot of the time as you can perhaps tell.

The Saint-Bernard Catholic Church was constructed between 1910 and 1942.

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

That is always a difficult one. In the UK we have many old historic churches, which can be a joy to visit, or some times just shelter from the rain when out walking. You feel that having benefited from and enjoyed the architecture, you should give something for is upkeep, especially as many of them have expensive upkeep costs. Yet you know that any money put in the collecting box can not be ring fenced, all being used to maintain the building, some of it will certainly go to propagate Christianity. I toyed with giving only half what I though a Christian would give, but that does not seem to work either. Because, even half can not be ring fenced and how do I know what a christian would give, ( they are usually very mean ) .

Today's Factoids: Phobias Somniphobia: Fear of sleep Caligynephobia: Fear of beautiful ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Is there a word for, can't get enough of any of those ?

He speaks truth

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Was it ever else?

I have a loquat tree, and with the need for pollination I feed the bees to keep them coming back.

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Great. But it is generally thought better to feed bees with white sugar, there is some evidence that brown can give them bowel disorders.

"Love, Friendship, Respect and Admiration, are the emotional response of one man, to the virtues of ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Seems a little obvious and banal really, it has to be said.

mysteries explained [youtu.be]

Fernapple comments on Dec 27, 2019:

Sci show is always a good ten mins. Thank you.

And the world was never the same:

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Newton belonged to a heretical Christian sect which did not believe in the holy trinity. And his college at Cambridge where he did most of his important work, was of course 'Trinity.'

Did anyone get any presents they really like? 😆

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Not known for doing a good job, keep an eye on him.

Did anyone get any presents they really like? 😆

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

I got a good night out and a great meal with my best friend. What more could you want.

I would like to know more about how we view ourselves.

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Curious. Friendly, Good humoured. But you have to have the negative as well. Hyperactive, and can't concentrate. Thoughtless. Pedantic. That's why you have to have these as well.

I was listening to a Atheist Experience video on YouTube and a concept that that I never considered ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Our understanding of Satan and his history comes mainly from the middle ages, and especially later writers such as Milton and Dante, he hardly appears in the bible at all. The association with the snake in Eden is made much later; it was just a common snake to start with. In the later books of Moses God sends 'A' Satan, presumably meaning there are more of them, to deliver the plagues of Egypt, so he/they are clearly still doing as he/they are told at that stage. ( A satan, is just a lower case noun, meaning roughly, 'opponent'. Later King David is said to be one.) In the book of Job, Satan is still Gods drinking buddy who helps him torture Job for a bet. It is only in the new Testament that he starts to show signs of rebellion, but even there, it is not suggested that he lives in, or is the ruler of hell. The changing face of Satan is one of the best proofs of how inconsistent and extensively rewritten the bible really is.

Why Didn’t Jesus Do Something?

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Also remember that he, if he existed and was the son of god, and/or the people who invented him, and were supposed to be inspired by god, made no mention of bacteria or viruses as the sources of disease. You would think that god who made them would have known about them.

China Wants to Rewrite the Bible to Conform to Communist Standards | David Gee | Friendly Atheist | ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Why not everyone else has.

Merry Wednesday everyone, and a Happy Thursday.

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Nice pagan names.

The Inevitable Death of Evangelical Christianity | Keith Giles

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Things like religions rarely die, they just morph into something else. So it is certainly possible that the modern type of evangelical christianity will fade away, as fifty other forms of christianity have already. ( It is after all, now coming up against the greatest force in human life, that which brings down every empire and great movement in the end. Namely boredom, and humans complete inability to concentrate on anything for long. ) Hopefully to be replaced with something better.

Be Christ-like...

Fernapple comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Should that not be? "Beat a group of capitalists with a whip." Not a politician, though OK they are almost invariably the same thing.

Reason to be proud.

Fernapple comments on Dec 25, 2019:

And certainly not Ruth. LOL

Are you a "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" person?

Fernapple comments on Dec 25, 2019:

Thank you, been a great year.

Why are some people barred from the Senate? It doesn't sound very democratic.

Fernapple comments on Dec 24, 2019:

I thought that the senate was the only place where you could not get barred ?

Midnight in Australia now so I can now wish you a very very very merry day! Celebrate the best way ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 24, 2019:

Looks like he's on his way to forgetting it.

I need to tap into the Agnostic Hive Mind for some assistance.

Fernapple comments on Dec 24, 2019:

Look up snow dome makers and see if you can get the dome and fluid replaced on the original.

What do you think of the concept "guns don't kill people, people kill people?"

Fernapple comments on Dec 24, 2019:

Yes, but guns make it a lot easier for people to kill people. Thats like saying, its not cars, trains and planes that make people go on journeys. They don't, but we would make a lot less journeys if we had to walk everywhere.

How do you feel about ritual gift-giving?

Fernapple comments on Dec 24, 2019:

A gift in February is worth twenty at Christmas, and should be valued twenty times as much.

Space for solitude

Fernapple comments on Dec 24, 2019:

I live alone, but strangely that does not seem to provide solitude as such. So my garden and walking in the country do it for me.

I really despise Christmas, the music, the militant adherence (my "family) to stupid rituals and ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 24, 2019:

Yep. That about hits the nail on the head. If it was not so cold in the Northern Hemisphere, it would be the best time of the year, for an off grid camping holiday.

What's a funny saying your parents said?

Fernapple comments on Dec 24, 2019:

My grandmother always used to say, to something outlandish. "Shocking Mrs Bocking." Never knew where that came from, have to google it. I always used to be amused when people say, to something questionable. "I am not over duly concerned." I always wondered, who Julie was, and why she had to be consulted on everything.

Strongest argument made by atheists

Fernapple comments on Dec 23, 2019:

Just. Which God? When there are ten thousand or more known gods, and even more sects claiming to be the only true version, the chances that any one person has hit just by luck on the only perfect choice, makes the national lottery look good. So that if they raise the question. "What if you are wrong ?" Then you can say, with perfect logic. "Well if I am wrong and there is a god, then we are almost certainly both wrong."

“Scientists say human extinction is likely.

Fernapple comments on Dec 23, 2019:

Probably no bad thing if we do go, give the next species a chance. I see though, that the one thing they don't mention is infectious disease, which seems likely given that we are now one of the panets best possible food sources, and that we use almost no quarantine, as we jet round the globe. While it is said that it is perfectly possible to model an infectious disease which could wipe out an entire species. It is perhaps only a matter of time.

Horsetail Falls in Yosemite - in February, there is a specific angular solar effect that makes the ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 23, 2019:

Wow. Wonderful, and all the more exciting, because so many things have to come together to make it work.

A little beauty to brighten your (my) day - it is gray & rainy here in the mountains of NC

Fernapple comments on Dec 23, 2019:

Alstromaria ? Is it potted and indoors ?

I love experimenting with Cranberries.

Fernapple comments on Dec 23, 2019:

Wow. How come your not married ?

I am currently watching the Hollywood epic "The greatest story ever told".

Fernapple comments on Dec 23, 2019:

I don't think that the film is an accurate account of any of the four biblical stories, and many people before have said that the bible stories themselves do not make any sense anyway. One common theory is, that Paul was responsible for putting a pro Roman twist on to the story, but that it was not done very well and the gaps show. Remember though that the Romans were very busy executing dozens of Jewish saviors, and that in times of trouble, resistance movements can be very fractional, so it is possible that at least one of the many would be Jewish leaders fell foul of his/her own authorities, who may of course have been quizlings trying to make a compromise with the Romans. Remember things get complicated, Josephus for example, started as a Jewish rebel, became an informant, and ended as the Emperors scribe, secretary and biographer. With some people saying, that he was bribed by the Emperor with the original copies of the Jewish Old Testament looted from the temple in Jerusalem. (Some then go on to say that he was the forger of the Gospels, but that is pure conspiricy theory.)

Maybe adding appeal to secularism, rather than talking stink on religion, is a more productive ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 23, 2019:

The more 'nones' there are out there setting examples of being good human beings, and living good lives, the more secularism will grow. Setting a good example is perhaps the most powerful thing you can do.

I've now had 911 visitors to my profile. Does that make it an emergency?

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

There you go 912, panic over.

Is the entire universe God?[mindmatters.ai]

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

Possibly.

I think we've had very similar quizzes before - it's very quick, 15 Q's, and at the end an ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

Only 14 though I did guess which one I got wrong.

Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong. - E.O. Wilson

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

And sometimes it is dressed in baffling language so that you can't see where it is wrong.

Can we avoid insulting believers ?[churchandstate.org.uk]

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

Better yet don't assert your sceptical views at all. Instead just set a good example of living life as a good human being, and if asked why, explain why you do it. Second. Do not forget that the religions, churches and temples, 'WANT', their faithful to be insulted. That is especially why they send them out to evangelize. Because when they are insulted, that reinforces the indoctrination they are trying to plant, that the rest of the world is hostile, and that the only moral human people are those inside the church, mosque or temple, who follow the doctrine. If you insult them you are playing the churches game for them.

No one teaches a newborn human to breath.

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

Yet if we are made by evolution, then since evolution by natural selection has no foresight, it can not equip us therefore, for the consequences of any technology or arts we may create for ourselves. So that when the genetic ground work for language was laid down, and we then went on to create languages and cultures, there could be no genetic tools in place for dealing with the consequences. ( For example, the fact that with agriculture, we can eat far more than is good for us. ) But the most important of these, is, that we could not be pre-equipped to deal with the vastly increased capacity we have gained, for creating fictions and lies, that language and culture have given us. So that if people start to propagate stories about flying unicorns, Loch Ness monsters or sky daddies, we could have no genetic defenses built in. Or maybe it is good that nature created us very gullible, and we should believe everything we are told.

Therapy dog caught stealing donated toys at police station

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

The story is no longer there.

Afterlife thoughts... Do you believe in an afterlife?

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

The existence or none existence of an afterlife is of no real importance in itself. To be of any importance it would have to either be proved to affect this life in some way, or to be affected itself, by this life, in some way that could be demonstrated. An invisible or nearly invisible afterlife, with no evidence about its nature, like the invisible deist god, affects nothing. While hearing voices is a very common failing of the human brain, which is programed to seek patterns and to favour false positives over false negatives, plus being well able to generate perfectly life like hallucinations. For interests sake, you may find it interesting to research Joshua Slocum, the round the world sailor. Who famously recorded, not only hearing voices but seeing and having a true conversation with a hallucinatory pilot who he found aboard, and actually at the wheel steering his boat, in the middle of the Atlantic. Though he never concluded that it was anything but a hallucination made by his brain.

Climate change anyone... My peach trees seem to think it is spring 😢

Fernapple comments on Dec 22, 2019:

It was like that here in the UK last year, but so far it seems to be a more normal winter with us this year.

Christmas day is almost here and I do not feel it at all.

Fernapple comments on Dec 21, 2019:

No, you are not alone.

“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

Fernapple comments on Dec 21, 2019:

Wish you all light dry snow to shovel and a little winter sun, few cold winds and the early signs of spring coming soon.

I am a syntheist who accepts both theism and atheism.

Fernapple comments on Dec 21, 2019:

You may think what you wish, from an Atheist/Agnostic view point, but religion by its very nature is divisive, since the only product it has to sell is exclusivity, there being no profit, power or any other value in religion, to a god/spirit/understanding/knowledge which is freely available to everyone. That is why words like deist and spiritual were invented. So I think that it is with the other side you need to make your peace, though I do not think that you will have much luck.

Just joined.

Fernapple comments on Dec 21, 2019:

Hello and welcome. Enjoy the site. And if you have time do check out the groups, there is something for everyone.

so I was on a site for the city I grew up in and someone posted something angry about trump and God ...

Fernapple comments on Dec 21, 2019:

Don't worry, they stop being annoying after 50 years or so.