Non-Male Atheists (female / trans / NB / etc.

BD66 comments on Dec 17, 2017:

One other interesting possibility for a difference between straight men and straight women is that women might find the idea of an imaginary male friend (God/Jesus) who watches over them and looks out for them and loves them to be comforting. Speaking as a straight man, the idea of an imaginary ...

BD66 replies on Dec 22, 2017:

At least they can be sure the priest isn't a married man and is hiding that fact from them.

Wouldn’t it make far more Capitalistic sense for tipped personnel to, instead, receive a living ...

BD66 comments on Dec 12, 2017:

From a Capitalistic sense, if you set a minimum wage at $15/hour, you are denying the right to work for people whose labor is worth less than $15/hour. You are also denying people the right to hire help for tasks that are worth less than $15/hour. You are also creating an underground economy where...

BD66 replies on Dec 13, 2017:

It's amazing that people who can be so rational when it comes to religion can be so oblivious when it comes to economics. Here are the AVERAGE annual wages of 35 developed countries. The AVERAGE wage of someone working in Mexico is about $4.80 per hour. The AVERAGE wage of someone in Hungary is $6 per hour. You are contending that everyone with special needs, who has dropped out of high school, who is suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. is worth at least $15 per hour. Country PPP Nominal Luxembourg 62,636 66,770 United States 60,154 60,154 Switzerland 60,124 85,718 Iceland 55,984 73,609 Norway 53,643 63,122 Netherlands 52,833 51,669 Denmark 52,580 64,310 Australia 52,063 59,538 Ireland 51,681 56,787 Belgium 49,587 47,674 Canada 48,403 48,688 Austria 48,295 45,819 Germany 46,389 42,369 France 42,992 40,718 United Kingdom 42,835 46,252 Sweden 42,816 46,804 Finland 42,127 45,584 New Zealand 39,397 44,636 Japan 39,113 39,089 Spain 37,333 30,613 Italy 35,397 32,205 Slovenia 34,965 25,171 Israel 34,023 38,942 South Korea 32,399 29,125 Chile 28,434 18,157 Poland 24,921 12,154 Greece 27,124 19,189 Portugal 24,529 18,333 Czech Republic 26,722 13,587 Estonia 28,621 15,726 Slovak Republic 23,508 13,934 Lithuania 22,949 12,538 Latvia 22,389 14,017 Hungary 22,911 12,157 Mexico 19,311 9,812

A short lesson in economics.

BD66 comments on Dec 7, 2017:

That's not true. Look at Japan, and look at Russia. Japan has far fewer resources per person than Russia does, but the average Japanese person has a much higher standard of living than the average Russian. Technology lets us use those resources more efficiently than we have in the past.

BD66 replies on Dec 8, 2017:

If you list the top countries of the world in terms of GDP per capita, most of them are tax & regulation havens where it is impossible to calculate the GINI index. 1 LIECHTENSTEIN $139,100 2009 EST. (Tax Haven) 2 QATAR $127,700 2016 EST. (Extreme Income Inequality) 3 MONACO $115,700 2015 EST. (Tax Haven) 4 LUXEMBOURG $104,000 2016 EST. (Tax Haven) Gini Index 30.4 5 FALKLAND ISLANDS (ISLAS MALVINAS) $96,200 Gini Index 36.0 6 MACAU $95,100 2016 EST. 35.0 (Tax Haven) 7 SINGAPORE $87,900 2016 EST. GINI Index 45.8 8 BERMUDA $85,700 2013 EST. (Tax Haven) 9 ISLE OF MAN $84,600 2014 EST. (Tax Haven) 10 BRUNEI $76,900 2016 EST. (Extreme Income Inequality) 11 KUWAIT $71,900 2016 EST. (Extreme Income Inequality) Most of these countries near the very top didn't have much going for them until they decided it would be extremely profitable to become a haven from taxation and regulation.

A short lesson in economics.

BD66 comments on Dec 7, 2017:

That's not true. Look at Japan, and look at Russia. Japan has far fewer resources per person than Russia does, but the average Japanese person has a much higher standard of living than the average Russian. Technology lets us use those resources more efficiently than we have in the past.

BD66 replies on Dec 8, 2017:

When Russia distributed its wealth equally, they were even poorer on average than they are today, and they were much, much, much poorer than Japan.

What one thing have you not done ,that you really want to do

AppStateKate comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I really want to see Scotland, put my feet on the soil, and spend time where my family's roots began.

BD66 replies on Dec 5, 2017:

Me too! My last name is Douglas. What is yours?

If you could be a bird for a day, what kind of bird would you be? Why?

BD66 comments on Nov 28, 2017:

A peregrine falcon. I'd love to dive at 240mph.

BD66 replies on Nov 29, 2017:

No, Not me. I suppose you could get a similar feeling to what a falcon gets multiple times per day.

Ex Mormons?

BD66 comments on Nov 25, 2017:

My PhD Advisor's PHD Advisor was a man named Glen Wade. He was a great guy. His father was a Utah Supreme Court Justice. He became a tenured professor at Stanford, Cornell, and UCSB. He was very active in the LDS church, and he never ever believed any of the Old Testament, New Testament, or ...

BD66 replies on Nov 27, 2017:

No, he had no financial incentive to do that. I think the Mormon church was a good way for him to keep in contact with the people and families he grew up with in Utah. He was a good friend of Mac Van Valkenburg, the Dean of Engineering at the University of Illinois. Van Valkenburg never believed a word of it either.

What do you guys think can be done about the global environmental issues of climate change and ...

BD66 comments on Nov 22, 2017:

What is your estimate of global CO2 levels and change in global mean surface temperature when all the fossil fuels have been burned? I believe global CO2 levels will be between 600 and 700ppm I believe the global mean surface temperature will be 2 to 3 C hotter than it is today. At that time,...

BD66 replies on Nov 23, 2017:

Please do. I'm going to sleep right now. I look forward to reading your response tomorrow morning. You can also google "Global mean surface temperature during Cambrian period" or "Global mean surface temperature during Eocene period" and you will find the following text: "Early Eocene Period – 54 to 48 Million Years Ago. ... Temperatures during the Eocene can be reconstructed from geochemical measurements of ocean sediments and from vegetation types preserved on land. The reconstructed global mean surface temperature for the Early Eocene is 9 to 14°C higher than today."

What do you guys think can be done about the global environmental issues of climate change and ...

BD66 comments on Nov 22, 2017:

What is your estimate of global CO2 levels and change in global mean surface temperature when all the fossil fuels have been burned? I believe global CO2 levels will be between 600 and 700ppm I believe the global mean surface temperature will be 2 to 3 C hotter than it is today. At that time,...

BD66 replies on Nov 23, 2017:

Here are the references they used for the wikipedia article. Do you have something against Nature, Paleoceanography, Science, NOAA, Chemical Geology, Earth-Science Reviews, RealClimate, Journal of the American Chemical Society? Sigman, D.M.; E.A. Boyle (October 2000). "Glacial/interglacial variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide" (PDF). Nature. 407 (6806): 859–869. doi:10.1038/35038000. PMID 11057657. Jump up ^ Lisiecki, Lorraine E.; Raymo, Maureen E. (January 2005). "A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic d18O records" (PDF). Paleoceanography. 20: PA1003. BibcodPalOc..20.1003L. doi:10.1029/2004PA001071. Supplement: Lisiecki, L. E.; Raymo, M. E. (2005). "Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of globally distributed benthic stable oxygen isotope records". Pangaea. doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.704257. Lisiecki, L. E.; Raymo, M. E. (May 2005). "Correction to "A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic ?18O records"". Paleoceanography. 20 (2): PA2007. BibcodPalOc..20.2007L. doi:10.1029/2005PA001164. data: doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.704257. Jump up ^ Petit, J. R.; Jouzel, J.; Raynaud, D.; Barkov, N. I.; Barnola, J. M.; Basile, I.; Bender, M.; Chappellaz, J.; Davis, J.; Delaygue, G.; Delmotte, M.; Kotlyakov, V. M.; Legrand, M.; Lipenkov, V.; Lorius, C.; Pépin, L.; Ritz, C.; Saltzman, E.; Stievenard, M. (1999). "Climate and Atmospheric History of the Past 420,000 years from the Vostok Ice Core, Antarctica". Nature. 399: 429–436. doi:10.1038/20859. Jump up ^ Zachos, J.; Pagani, M.; Sloan, L.; Thomas, E.; Billups, K. (2001). "Trends, rhythms, and aberrations in global climate 65 Ma to present". Science. 292 (5517): 686–693. BibcodSci...292..686Z. doi:10.1126/science.1059412. PMID 11326091. Jump up ^ NOAA. "What's the hottest Earth's ever been?". climate.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 19 February 2015. Jump up ^ Veizer, J. (1999). "87Sr/86Sr, ?13C and ?18O evolution of Phanerozoic seawater". Chemical Geology. 161: 59–88. doi:10.1016/S0009-2541(99)00081-9. Jump up ^ Eyles, N.; Januszczak, N. (2004). "'Zipper-rift': A tectonic model for Neoproterozoic glaciations during the breakup of Rodinia after 750 Ma". Earth-Science Reviews. 65 (1–2): 1–73. BibcodESRv...65....1E. doi:10.1016/S0012-8252(03)00080-1. Jump up ^ Royer, Dana (23 March 2014). "Dana Royer comment at RealClimate". RealClimate. Retrieved 26 March 2014. Jump up ^ Knauth, L. Paul (2005). "Temperature and salinity history of the Precambrian ocean: implications for the course of microbial evolution". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 219: 53–69. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2004.10.014. Jump up ^ Shields, Graham A.; Kasting, James F. (2006). "A palaeotemperature curve for the Precambrian oceans based on silicon ...

What do you guys think can be done about the global environmental issues of climate change and ...

BD66 comments on Nov 22, 2017:

What is your estimate of global CO2 levels and change in global mean surface temperature when all the fossil fuels have been burned? I believe global CO2 levels will be between 600 and 700ppm I believe the global mean surface temperature will be 2 to 3 C hotter than it is today. At that time,...

BD66 replies on Nov 23, 2017:

Are you aware that CO2 levels were 7000ppm during the Cambrian period? That's ten times higher than they will be when we have burned all the fossil fuels. In 1880, CO2 levels were at 280ppm, They are now 400ppm. If the entire increase in global mean surface temperature (1.1C) is due to that change in CO2, we get an increase of approximately 0.9C every time CO2 goes up by another 100ppm. So when we go from 400ppm to 600 or 700ppm, we are looking at another 1.8C to 2.7C increase in global mean surface temperature. All the crazy models that predicted that the polar ice caps would be gone by 2013, rely on a non-linear model. There is absolutely no evidence to support a non-linear model that "increases" the delta C/delta CO2 as CO2 levels go up. All the evidence supports a non-linear modal that "decreases" the Delta C/Delta ppm as CO2 levels go up. Even with a linear model, taking CO2 from 400ppm to Cambrian period levels of 7000ppm would give us 6600ppm * 0.9C/100ppm or an increase of 60C. That would have the earth's oceans sitting at a temperature right below the boiling point of water. If you believe the scientists who say a 5.5C increase in global temperature will cause the end of the human race, you should start going to church. You are a good candidate to believe that a talking snake convinced a rib-woman to eat a magic apple. Plots on this page show that global mean surface temperature has been more than 5.5C higher than it is today for hundreds of millions of years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geologic_temperature_record During those times, life on planet earth exploded. There was more vegetation, there were dragonflies with 2 to 3 foot wingspans. There was so much carbon life on this planet that when it died, and was compressed over time, and it became the majority of the fossil fuels we are burning today..

WHAT'S YOUR POSITION ON ABORTION ?

BD66 comments on Nov 19, 2017:

I base my decision on science. Prior to 5 months, the baby could not survive on its own, so it's up to the mother whether or not to have the abortion. After 5 months, the baby could survive on its own, so at that point it becomes murder. Mothers who decide after 5 months have the option to ...

BD66 replies on Nov 19, 2017:

Jodyfine, There are many opportunities to determine whether a baby has SERIOUS abnormalities prior to 5 months.

The western liberals feel ashamed of their ancestors who enslaved the Africans and killed the native...

Hope4Zoe comments on Nov 17, 2017:

I thought this forum would be more about we and less about us versus them. Let me throw this back at you, "How do we create social justice and equality for all?"

BD66 replies on Nov 18, 2017:

They tried that in Russia in 1917 and China in 1949. It didn't work out very well.

What's an example of UnIntelligent Design?

rainmanjr comments on Nov 16, 2017:

Kurt Vonnegut Jr wrote a book called Galapagos in which he argues that intelligence was an evolutionary mistake. It's my favorite book.

BD66 replies on Nov 16, 2017:

It's tough to even pick a favorite among Vonnegut's books. I like Slapstick and Cat's Cradle the best. God Bless You Mr. Rosewater is a pretty good one too.

Since we are in favor of equality should we not have an equal number of women in our government as ...

BD66 comments on Nov 9, 2017:

Men are bigger, stronger, and and faster than women. That's why you see so few women in the NFL. The fact that you see more men than women in politics probably reflects positively on women and negatively on men.

BD66 replies on Nov 10, 2017:

I don't believe people in Congress are mentally superior. If they were we wouldn't have $20,000,000,000,000 in national debt.

What are some must reads you would suggest as an atheist, former believer, secularist etc?

rainmanjr comments on Nov 4, 2017:

Thomas Paine, The Age Of Reason Kurt Vonnegut Jr, Cat's Cradle (or anything, really). Orwell's 1984 Huxley's Brave New World

BD66 replies on Nov 4, 2017:

Forgot about Cat's Cradle. How about Dianetics?

What religion scares you the most, and why?

BD66 comments on Nov 2, 2017:

Islam has more violent extremists than any other religion.

BD66 replies on Nov 3, 2017:

I know because the USA has spent trillions of dollars fighting Islamic extremists, so they have a great deal vested in finding accurate data on the nature and extent of Islamic extremists. There are many reliable sources that estimate the number. The Pew Research Organization did one of most comprehensive studies on the subject. Here are their results: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/

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

pfreddie62 comments on Nov 3, 2017:

China, who owns 85% of the U.S.A''s debt, could bankrupt you. That would make things really 'interesting'.

BD66 replies on Nov 3, 2017:

China doesn't own 85% of our debt. Here's the breakdown: The U.S. Treasury manages the U.S. debt through its Bureau of the Public Debt. The debt falls into two broad categories: Intragovernmental Holdings and Debt Held by the Public. Intragovernmental Holdings. This is the portion of the federal debt owed to 230 other federal agencies. It totals $5.6 trillion, almost 30 percent of the debt. Why would the government owe money to itself? Some agencies, like the Social Security Trust Fund, take in more revenue from taxes than they need. Rather than stick this cash under a giant mattress, these agencies buy U.S. Treasurys with it. By owning Treasurys, they transfer their excess cash to the general fund, where it is spent. Of course, one day they will redeem their Treasury notes for cash. The federal government will either need to raise taxes or issue more debt to give the agencies the money they will need. Which agencies own the most Treasurys? Social Security, by a long shot. Here's the detailed breakdown as of December 31, 2016. Social Security (Social Security Trust Fund and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund) - $2.801 trillion Office of Personnel Management Retirement - $888 billion Military Retirement Fund - $670 billion Medicare (Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund) - $294 billion All other retirement funds - $304 billion Cash on hand to fund federal government operations - $580 billion. Debt Held by the Public. The public holds the rest of the national debt ($14.7 trillion). Foreign governments and investors hold nearly half of it. One-fourth is held by other governmental entities. These include the Federal Reserve, as well as state and local governments. Fifteen percent is held by mutual funds, private pension funds and holders of savings bonds and Treasury notes. The remaining 10 percent is owned by businesses, like banks and insurance companies. It's also held by an assortment of trusts, companies, and investors. Here's the breakdown of holders of the public debt as of December 2016: Foreign - $6.004 trillion Federal Reserve - $2.465 trillion Mutual funds - $1.671 trillion State and local government, including their pension funds - $905 billion Private pension funds - $553 billion Banks - $663 billion Insurance companies - $347 billion U.S. savings bonds - $166 billion Other (individuals, government-sponsored enterprises, brokers and dealers, bank personal trusts and estates, corporate and non-corporate businesses, and other investors) - $1.662 trillion.

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

VictoriaNotes comments on Nov 2, 2017:

Nature tends to want us to be crazy. It doesn't care about sanity, it cares about genes and reproduction. https://www.livescience.com/5082-insane.html

BD66 replies on Nov 2, 2017:

That's probably a better example. Women willingly try to conceive a child when they know that if the succeed, the process of childbirth will begin in 9 months. Men willingly try to conceive a child when they know if they succeed, the probability of ending up in a family law courtroom is 50% or higher.

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

snytiger6 comments on Nov 2, 2017:

I assume you mean other than widespread belief in religion.... Well, Trump did sort of win (with Russian help) an election. The number of people who genuinely erroneously thought that Trump would make life better for them as if Trump were benevolent when there ws no indication in has past ...

BD66 replies on Nov 2, 2017:

If you expand on that a bit, Politics is probably the second best example of mass insanity after religion. Trump definitely has his issues, but taking it a bit further, billions of people have allowed themselves to be ruled by people like Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot, and the Kim's of North Korea.

Did anyone worship pagan gods tonight?

daddy4pugs comments on Nov 1, 2017:

Is there a god of chocolate? Now that is worth worshiping. Other than that, the whole god thing is silly.

BD66 replies on Nov 1, 2017:

The chocolate god tastes a whole lot better than Jesus.

Did anyone worship pagan gods tonight?

daddy4pugs comments on Nov 1, 2017:

Is there a god of chocolate? Now that is worth worshiping. Other than that, the whole god thing is silly.

BD66 replies on Nov 1, 2017:

Communion every week. Drink the Chocolate God's blood (hot chocolate), eat his flesh (dark chocolate), and you can wear sweat pants and t-shirts to church.

Did anyone worship pagan gods tonight?

daddy4pugs comments on Nov 1, 2017:

Is there a god of chocolate? Now that is worth worshiping. Other than that, the whole god thing is silly.

BD66 replies on Nov 1, 2017:

A Chocolate God? That may be a religion with some potential.

Why do you say that you're only 99.9% sure that god doesn't exist?

BD66 comments on Oct 30, 2017:

I said something like 99.9999999%. But here's another take on it. I'm 100% certain the Judeo Christian god described in the Bible does not exist, but there is a non-zero probability that some beings who are much more advanced than we are are exerting control on our lives. We are the most ...

BD66 replies on Oct 30, 2017:

If I had evidence that a god existed, my estimated probability that no god existed would not be 99.999999999%, it would be much lower than that. It's easy to conceive a scenario where there are beings as much more advanced than we are as we are to mice. The probability that exists is nonzero. The probability those beings have influenced humans is also nonzero.

Got Podcast?

MustardSeed comments on Oct 30, 2017:

Also add Freakonomics. If you haven't read their 2 books or listened to their podcasts, you should. They take economic theory and apply it to everyday circumstances and nontraditional topics with surprising results.

BD66 replies on Oct 30, 2017:

The books were fantastic.

Conventions for Atheists and Agnostics

ZenBear comments on Oct 29, 2017:

Yeah, Skepticon is the main atheist convention in the US. Lots of big names have attended over the years. I would love to go, but haven’t had the chance yet.

BD66 replies on Oct 30, 2017:

You wouldn't get a reply like that on many chatgroups.

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

BD66 comments on Oct 29, 2017:

I've noticed quite a few African Americans in this group. That was a welcome surprise.

BD66 replies on Oct 29, 2017:

Look at the original post: I just learned that in the United States 87% of black Americans are religious (demographically the largest group in the U.S.A.).

Recently I heard a minister expound about creation.

BD66 comments on Oct 17, 2017:

This is one of the craziest verses I ever read in the Bible: 19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof....

BD66 replies on Oct 18, 2017:

spiderwolfmoon, Another excellent point.

Any conspiracy theorists here?

BD66 comments on Oct 17, 2017:

What about the Clinton Body count? https://www.thoughtco.com/the-clinton-body-count-4056792

BD66 replies on Oct 17, 2017:

I didn't say I believed it, I just meant it belonged on the list.

Recently I heard a minister expound about creation.

BD66 comments on Oct 17, 2017:

This is one of the craziest verses I ever read in the Bible: 19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof....

BD66 replies on Oct 17, 2017:

GareBear, That's a whole lot of nonsense

New Bus Campaign?

Penultimate comments on Oct 12, 2017:

A religious person posted a sign by the road which I travel going to town with the following words, "Don't think - PRAY!" I think this is a great way for the atheists/agnostics/skeptics to get a laugh.

BD66 replies on Oct 12, 2017:

That lead to an even simpler side of the bus slogan "Don't pray - THINK!"

I'm not a psychologist but I sure wish I knew what's inside the mind of the average trump supporter!...

Redlegdex comments on Oct 11, 2017:

I’m a Trump supporter so feel free to pick my brain.

BD66 replies on Oct 12, 2017:

Did you believe Trump would make a better President than the other 16 Republican candidates?

Most terrifying experience?

Egyptian comments on Oct 11, 2017:

I'm afraid of getting older :(

BD66 replies on Oct 12, 2017:

It beats the alternative.

Why are citizens of the US so against socialism when countries like the Netherlands are so ...

BD66 comments on Oct 9, 2017:

The mean GDP per capita is higher in the USA than it is in the Netherlands, and the median GDP per capita is also higher in the USA than it is in the Netherlands, and those numbers are understated. I've been to the Netherlands, and I was instructed to bring back T-shirts for everyone in the family....

BD66 replies on Oct 10, 2017:

Atheist, you are using a bible verse to justify and promote Socialism??? Really?? Why don't we focus on what works and what doesn't work in the real world: http://thefederalistpapers.integratedmarket.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Venezuela-750.jpg

Why are citizens of the US so against socialism when countries like the Netherlands are so ...

BD66 comments on Oct 9, 2017:

The mean GDP per capita is higher in the USA than it is in the Netherlands, and the median GDP per capita is also higher in the USA than it is in the Netherlands, and those numbers are understated. I've been to the Netherlands, and I was instructed to bring back T-shirts for everyone in the family....

BD66 replies on Oct 10, 2017:

When the Median GDP per capita and the Mean GDP per capita are higher that means the average man on the street is better off on one country vs. another country. In general, capitalist countries have much higher Median and Mean GDPs per capita because people in those countries have more incentive to work hard because they get to keep a larger portion of the fruits of their labor. That holds true for the USA vs. The Netherlands.

Having seperate bedrooms: Would you be open to this?

Bikersurfer comments on Oct 9, 2017:

I have super-sensitive hearing, and have worn earplugs for sleeping for over 20 years. I cannot sleep in a room with heavy snoring, which was the case in my last relationship. I moved into another room to sleep, and I believe that accelerated the breakup of the relationship. That, and she was ...

BD66 replies on Oct 9, 2017:

Sounds like a carbon copy of my marriage.

What are your favorite religious songs?

ApostasyS comments on Oct 9, 2017:

"God'll Fuck You Up."

BD66 replies on Oct 9, 2017:

I was going to post that one, but you beat me to it!

Do you date outside of your race?

MaryRomineAnema comments on Oct 7, 2017:

no , i stick to the human race

BD66 replies on Oct 8, 2017:

Wise choice. Dating outside the human race was once cause for capital punishment.