Watching the academy awards tonight and amy noticing the distinct change in color it gives me hope ...

BD66 comments on Mar 5, 2018:

I couldn't stand all the grandstanding on political and social issues. If I want that, I will watch Fox News or MSNBC.

My house cleaner comes tomorrow morning, he cleans every 2 weeks, and here I am cleaning up so he ...

BD66 comments on Mar 5, 2018:

My mother does the same thing. She feels like she has to clean the house up for the housecleaners.

What dating sites have you tried and did you make any relationships or friendships from it?

BD66 comments on Mar 3, 2018:

match.com. It worked. I'm at my new Catholic girlfriend's house right now!

Do you eat meat?

BD66 comments on Mar 2, 2018:

I sure do. I grew up on a farm where we raised Angus cattle that were destined for 4 adn 5 star restaurants. That's the quality of beef I was accustomed to. Once I got to college and was subjected to the low quality stuff they serve there, I couldn't stand beef any more. I eat mostly chicken and fish.

Have you ever known anyone to fall victim to a scam? Or, are most people wary enough to avoid them?

BD66 comments on Feb 26, 2018:

2,000,000,000 Christians fall victim to the Jesus scam. 1,800,000,000 Muslims fall victim to the Muhammad scam.

Are the Russians on Agnostic.com?

BD66 comments on Feb 22, 2018:

After the Communists dominated Russia from 1917 through 1989, there should be a lot of Russian atheists and agonstics. We should welcome them.

How would you respond to someone who is arguing against global warming, giving “last winter was ...

BD66 comments on Feb 15, 2018:

There are a range of opinions on the subject: 1. Global Warming is a hoax thought up by the Leftist Totalitarians who want to control everything. 2. Global Warming is going on, but to quote Marco Rubio "The United States is not a planet", so there is very little we can do about it. 3. Global Warming is going on, and the primary causes are deforestation, overpopulation, and fossil fuel consumption. If and when all the fossil fuels are gone, the earth will be 2 to 4 C warmer than it is today, but the warmer earth problem will be nothing compared to the problem that we don't have any more fossil fuels. Try flying across the Pacific in a solar-powered airplane. No solution yet proposed by the lefties will solve the problem, and the costs associated with each proposed solution are enormous. The best solutions right now can be achieved on a personal level: Limit yourself to 2 children. Drive a fuel-efficient car. Don't go cruising. Don't fly across the Atlantic or Pacific all the time. Don't spend your weekends driving up and down the nearest lake in a speedboat with a 300 hp motor. Don't buy a 6000 sq. ft. house and cool it to 70 deg in the summer and heat it to 70 deg in the winter. Don't patronize vehicle racing events. Plant trees, etc. 4. Global Warming is a serious problem, and governments need to force their citizens into using public transportation, penalize them from using fossil fuels, subsidize alternative energies, build bullet trains etc. 5. "Climate change" is the #1 problem facing humanity. If we don't take drastic action today: The sea levels will rise by 10m this century. All the polar bears will die. We will have horrific hurricanes, forest fires, and floods. All the earth's major coastal cities will be underwater. Once the arctic tundra thaws, billions/trillions of tons of methane will enter the atmosphere, causing the Earth to become like the the next Venus. We spent 50% of our GDP defeating Facism in WWII, so we should spend 50% of our GDP defeating "climate change" I'm at about 3.1 on the global warming seriousness scale. I think the people at #1 and #5 are almost equally irrational. Many people close to 3 might be convinced that some government action might make sense, but they are turned off by the hysteria of people at #5. Many people who are close to 4 could likely be convinced that most government proposed solutions have much higher costs than the benefits that they offer, but they are focused on calling the people with global warming hoax theories at 1 crazy.

Why conservatives are more susceptible to believing in lies.

BD66 comments on Feb 12, 2018:

I think both liberals and conservatives are highly susceptible to believing lies: https://i.pinimg.com/474x/7a/f8/7c/7af87cdcb301b9157861da6f5def52ee--economics-humor-taxes-humor.jpg

Can a moderate have a place in this agnostic site?

BD66 comments on Feb 10, 2018:

I'm a Libertarian. Glad you have joined the group.

To those who were raised in a religious household, what made you abandon your family's beliefs?

BD66 comments on Jan 27, 2018:

1. The science and mathematics I learned in school. 2. The fact that the minister at our church was a liar.

What book should replace the bible...

BD66 comments on Jan 26, 2018:

The local alternative newspaper.

If you graduated college, did you feel lost and nervous, unsure of what your future would hold and ...

BD66 comments on Jan 25, 2018:

I finished my PhD in electrical engineering just after the Cold War ended, and the demand for people in my area of expertise was way down. I continued to work at the company that I had been working for part-time, developed more skills, then moved into the hot fields of telecommunications and wireless communication. Hang in there and work hard. You will do fine.

What is the most romantic spot to which you have ever been?

BD66 comments on Jan 25, 2018:

Trevi Fountain in Rome at night.

Inside Flat Earth International Conference, where everyone believes Earth isn't round

BD66 comments on Jan 25, 2018:

The earth is not round. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earth-is-not-round/

Doomsday clock has been moved to two minutes to mignight.

BD66 comments on Jan 25, 2018:

I think it's nonsense. The reason they cited was conflict between the US and North Korea. North Korea doesn't even have the means to wipe out South Korea.

What caused the migrant crisis from Africa?

BD66 comments on Jan 25, 2018:

There is a huge wealth disparity between most African nations and the Western world. You would fully expect a large percentage of people who have the means to get out of the African nations to do so. That's the same thing you see with people attempting to emigrate out of Central American nations.

Where do you draw the line between run-of-the-mill Bible Thumpers and Cults?

BD66 comments on Jan 12, 2018:

You don't. Christianity is a cult of human sacrifice.

How do you let people know you're interested in meeting them if you're a level one?

BD66 comments on Jan 12, 2018:

Keep posting and commenting. It doesn't take long to get to level 2.

Useless Products

BD66 comments on Jan 12, 2018:

STP oil treatment is a famous one.

Which accent do you like the most/ find the most sexy, and which one grinds on your nerves?

BD66 comments on Jan 12, 2018:

I once interviewed a young woman who grew up in Vietnam, then went to Georgia Tech for undergrad and grad school. The combination Vietnamese/Southern accent was the sexiest thing I had ever heard, but she was 100% unqualified for the job. Another guy in my company hired her into a different department. I don't believe he was thinking with the right head when he made that decision.

The worst time of the year for us godless creatures! Who else wants to hide from the well wishers ...

BD66 comments on Dec 24, 2017:

I feel sorry for the Walgreens checkout people. They have to work at a cash register by the door so they are hit with one cold draft after another, but then they have to listen to the Salvation Army bell-ringers all-day every day from Thanksgiving until Christmas.

Who else is having a white Christmas?

BD66 comments on Dec 24, 2017:

We are here in Bloomington, IL.

To what extent does religion contribute to continuing human population growth?

BD66 comments on Dec 23, 2017:

You bet it does. You can almost guarantee that the religions with the most aggressive "Be fruitful and multiply" policies will be the ones with the most followers.

I hate wrapping presents

BD66 comments on Dec 22, 2017:

Last weekend, my 7 year old daughter said "I'll wrap your presents for you Daddy" It was a triple win: 1. I found someone else to wrap my presents (something I hate doing). 2. She got to wrap the presents (something she loves doing) 3. I kept her busy and occupied for a few hours learning a new skill.

takeAmericaBack is done - take it back to what?

BD66 comments on Dec 22, 2017:

Speaking as a parent with 15, 11, and 7 year old children. I don't want participation trophies. My kids don't want them either. It alien to me why people would give out participation trophies at all.

Winter Solstice & Yuletide Greetings to All! :) keep the faith lol

BD66 comments on Dec 21, 2017:

Happy Solstice to you too!

God is a ____________?

BD66 comments on Dec 21, 2017:

scam used to exploit gullible and desperate people.

President's Job Approval Rating

BD66 comments on Dec 19, 2017:

This is one of the best polls. It has Trump at 43% http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration/trump_approval_index_history

Evolution.

BD66 comments on Dec 19, 2017:

But the human has a soul and some humans speak regularly to the being that created 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars 15,000,000,000 years ago! :-)

Are IDC s welcome here?

BD66 comments on Dec 19, 2017:

I think it's a subtle distinction. If you believed the whole Christian "Infinite Reward" vs. "Infinite Punishment" nonsense, you would care. If you don't care it means you don't believe, so you are certainly welcome here.

Is constructive dialogue possible anymore?

BD66 comments on Dec 18, 2017:

It's possible for a small portion of the population.

Occam's Razor. What are you thoughts on this?

BD66 comments on Dec 18, 2017:

Business related emails are another perfect example. You need to know exactly what you want to say and get to the point as soon as possible, otherwise you lose the attention of the recipients.

A Doctor Built a Machine That Helps People Die - Tonic

BD66 comments on Dec 18, 2017:

I think it might make sense if you were afflicted with a painful terminal illness like bone cancer. I'm hoping to go out like my late wife's grandfather. He was perfectly healthy and had a clear mind until age 97, then he had a massive stroke and he was dead before he hit the floor.

How do you deal with people who don't respect facts in a discussion?

BD66 comments on Dec 17, 2017:

Avoid them.

Any reaction when you see the religious "fish" symbol on the back of a car or in an ad for a ...

BD66 comments on Dec 17, 2017:

I love to see the fish with legs: http://www.understandthetimes.org/images/c122b.gif

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 male friend who watches over me, looks out for me and loves me, is a little bit creepy.

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

BD66 comments on Dec 17, 2017:

I can think of one possible difference. Men tend to socialize more over sports while women tend to socialize more over religion. You can be an Atheist man in a largely Christian community and still go to Buffalo Wild Wings with the guys to watch football. For a lot of women I know the majority of their socializing comes from attending church on Sundays and their "small group" bible study groups during the week. An Atheist woman would not have those opportunities to socialize with other women.

Do you have to be religious to believe in the soul?

BD66 comments on Dec 17, 2017:

There are millions of stories of ghosts, people being "visited" by dear friends or family members just after they passed away, etc. Those stories all share enough similarity to make the probability nonzero that they are true. You can believe those stories might be true and still not believe: The universe was created in 6 days. A talking snake tricked a rib-woman into eating a magic apple. An omnipotent being that created a universe of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars 15,000,000,000 years ago decided to knock up a teenage Jewish girl 2000 years ago.

Are the 10 commandments a bucket list for Atheist?

BD66 comments on Dec 15, 2017:

I'll have to admit I've coveted a lot of neighbor's wives.

My wife is Christian and speaks mostly Spanish.

BD66 comments on Dec 15, 2017:

I think it could work. If you sent me your email address, and we could do a net meeting with Google Translate on the screen.

My wife is Christian and speaks mostly Spanish.

BD66 comments on Dec 15, 2017:

I've only had 2 years of high school Spanish, but I'd be willing to give it my best shot using Google Translate: https://translate.google.com/?tl=it

Freaky Friday: If you had to body swap with someone else, who would it be?

BD66 comments on Dec 15, 2017:

Myself at age 17 again. I would have a lot more fun at college than I did the last time around.

Should U.S. candidates be required to release tax returns as public knowledge?

BD66 comments on Dec 15, 2017:

They should have to release their tax returns and all of their college transcripts. We have too many politicians who are clueless when it comes to Economics, History, and Science.

90 percent of the points are owned by the top 1%. This is a yuge problem.

BD66 comments on Dec 13, 2017:

Silvereyes is selfishly hoarding all the points for herself! We can't let this greed stand! Her points should be taken from her and distributed to the needy!

90 percent of the points are owned by the top 1%. This is a yuge problem.

BD66 comments on Dec 13, 2017:

Time to tax the top 1% and distribute those points to the middle class.

Recently my atheist/Jewish wife was about to have an operation.

BD66 comments on Dec 13, 2017:

That's a very good question, but you're asking the wrong crowd. :-)

If you are going to date a Christian, are you normally better of with a nondenominational date, ...

BD66 comments on Dec 13, 2017:

I'm about to date someone who grew up Catholic, was raised in a Catholic school, and still attends a Catholic church. I'm hoping that she is just doing this out of habit, and it doesn't mean anything to her, but we'll see. I think someone who makes a conscious decision to attend a nondenominational mega-church where they chant a mantra like "God is good" over an over to electric guitar music will likely be much worse.

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 people who have tasks that are worth less than $15/hour hire people whose labor is worth less than $15/hour, but nobody reports the transaction. If you are trying to solve the problem of "What do we do to help all of these people whose labor is worth less than $15/hour" probably the best answer is the earned income tax credit. People should be allowed to hire and work at rates driven by supply and demand, but for work less than $X per hour, the US Government should provide some form of tax credit of $Y per hour so the people working for very low wages receive more pay for their work. As far as tipping goes, I don't mind paying a tip after I have received my meal and my service at a restaurant. What drives me nuts is when you stand in line to order at a counter, you order your food, and then they put an IPAD app in front of you that defaults to a 20% or 30% tip. Let me sample your service first, let me eat your food first, then I'll decide whether I will provide a tip.

As you know, the secular community is a marginalized one.

BD66 comments on Dec 10, 2017:

Work out. Get plenty of sleep. Eat Right. Get massages. Spend time with people you enjoy being around.

Have you noticed how people are bringing their pets into religion?

BD66 comments on Dec 9, 2017:

If you believe you will see your family again in heaven, it's not much of a stretch to believe you will see your pets as well.

Religion is nothing but a security blanket for people who can't cope with the fact that they're not ...

BD66 comments on Dec 9, 2017:

It's also Santa Claus for adults.

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.

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

BD66 comments on Dec 5, 2017:

I always wanted to be a massage therapist for female Olympic track athletes.

Christmas movies that aren't shithouse! Office Christmas Party Bad Moms 2 Daddy's Home 2...

BD66 comments on Dec 5, 2017:

Christmas Story Christmas Vacation Home Alone 1 Home Alone 2

What is the worst X-mas song ever? I'll go first.

BD66 comments on Dec 4, 2017:

Santa Baby is my favorite.

Ignosticism, anyone?

BD66 comments on Dec 3, 2017:

Almost every religion clearly defines their god(s), and it's easy to rule out the existence of each one because there are usually mountains of evidence showing the stories associated with the god(s) are false and no evidence showing the stories associated with the god(s) are true.

Why do I find people who believe in the bible so unattractive?

BD66 comments on Dec 2, 2017:

There are all kinds of pretty girls/women who are religious. The problems don't occur until you get into a relationship with a grown adult who believes in ridiculous fairy tales.

What religion were you originally steeped in? I was raised Mormon.

BD66 comments on Dec 2, 2017:

Methodist.

For those that qualify.... What's your favourite thing about being single?

BD66 comments on Dec 1, 2017:

No longer getting calls from my credit card provider asking whether my card has been stolen every time my wife goes shopping in Chicago.

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.

How best can Socialism come about in my life time?

BD66 comments on Nov 28, 2017:

It already has. You have everything from Canadian socialist medicine to a full-on Communist dictatorship in North Korea. You can take your pick how much socialism (and misery) you want to live under.

Should the US stop its Imperialistic meddling in the Middle East?

BD66 comments on Nov 28, 2017:

Sounds more like Missionary meddling that Imperialistic meddling. If it were good old-fashioned Ipearialistic meddling, we would put the natives on reservations and take all of their oil.

Dating through this site

BD66 comments on Nov 26, 2017:

I'm having a hard time finding any atheist or agnostic women that live anywhere near me. Evidently all the women nearby go to one of the many megachurches in this area. I am enjoying the discussions though.

How many regular church goers do you reckon are closet agnostics?

BD66 comments on Nov 25, 2017:

For a majority of churchgoers, trying to get a definite answer out of them is a little bit like trying to hit Muhammad Ali when he was at his peak in the mid 60's. They will duck and dodge every attempt to get a straight answer out of them. If you ask them "Do you think the Universe was created in 6 days?", they will say "I'm really more focused on the New Testament" If you ask them "Do you think a being that created 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars made a teenage Jewish girl pregnant", they will say "I'm really more focused on Jesus's message" You can then point out that "Jesus's message is just a hodgepodge of other similar messages that were around before him", and they will fall back to "My faith is important to me" At that point they will usually try to cut off the conversation, because they don't like where it is going.

I try to teach my daughter critical thinking.

BD66 comments on Nov 25, 2017:

I had my 10 year old son read a kids version of the bible, and asked him to identify the parts he believed and the parts he did not believe. He immediately picked up on the "Universe was created in 6 days" nonsense, and "The Star of Bethlehem" nonsense. As he gets older, and learns more about science, he will likely identify more and more ridiculous things in the Bible.

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 Mormon nonsense was true. When he retired he sent a bunch of letters to the leadership of the Mormon church. They replied to the first few, then they realized he was a lost cause, and they stopped replying to him. He spent the last 15 or so years of his life hosting get togethers for non believers in his home.

Anyone ever wonder why they have to exist.

BD66 comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Pure random chance. We were just one of 100,000,000 sperm who happened to fertilize the egg at just the right time, so we have already beat the odds of 99,999,999 to 1 in order to be alive. We might as well appreciate it and make the best of the life we have.

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, the CO2 levels and the temperatures will be the least of our problems. Our #1 problem will be "We don't have any more fossil fuels"

What's your take on this evil bloody money grubbing c Joel Olsteen?

BD66 comments on Nov 20, 2017:

I'm with you 100%. I do wish I know how that scumbag can stay looking so young. Probably plastic surgery.

Does anybody as an atheist ever feel that we have to fight for our sanity?

BD66 comments on Nov 20, 2017:

Get out of Oklahoma and move to California. The Christian/Non-Christian ratio is much better there (and the weather is better too).

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 deliver the child and give it up for adoption.

What about Thanksgiving?

BD66 comments on Nov 18, 2017:

Any time you can get together with your family and have a good meal, it's a good thing. I'm more than willing to sit through a minute of nonsense (saying grace).

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

BD66 comments on Nov 18, 2017:

My great, great, grandfather walked off his farm at age 50 with his 2 sons to fight with Sherman's army because he thought slavery was so wrong. One of his sons died in battle, another died later of wounds he suffered in battle, so I have nothing to be ashamed of with respect to my ancestors. I'm certainly not ashamed, nor do I feel any guilt for what the ancestors of other white people did during that time just because they were white and I am white. That's every bit as crazy as being ashamed of what the Nazi's did in Germany because they were white and I am white.

Street preaching

BD66 comments on Nov 18, 2017:

That's all part of free speech, and free speech is a very good thing.

Why do we have the arrogance to call ourselves intelligent, when most of our species is at one time ...

BD66 comments on Nov 18, 2017:

We are the only species we know of that builds intelligent robots, then builds a transportation system to get them safely to other planets to explore and send back information of what they have discovered on other planets. I'd say that's enough to call ourselves "intelligent".

How do you answer theists who say "science can't explain the complexity and order of life.”

BD66 comments on Nov 16, 2017:

Science does a better job explaining the complexity and order of life every year. Be patient.

How much longer do you think the human race as a whole will exist?

BD66 comments on Nov 16, 2017:

Most likely millions of years. We were down to a couple thousand 80,000 years ago. If we have a nuclear apocalypse that kills 99.9999% of all humans, that will still leave about 7200, and we'll come storming back to dominate the planet within 100 years.

What's an example of UnIntelligent Design?

BD66 comments on Nov 16, 2017:

An Octopus's alimentary canal goes right through the middle of its brain.

Anyone else watch atheist channels on YouTube? I like Tj Kirk (aka The Amazing Atheist)

BD66 comments on Nov 16, 2017:

"The Atheist Experience" is pretty entertaining.

Fk Phelps

BD66 comments on Nov 10, 2017:

When I read the headline, I thought you had something against Michael Phelps.

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.

Have you had a 'near death' (or 'like death') experience?

BD66 comments on Nov 7, 2017:

Twice: I almost drowned when I was 4 years old. I was almost blown off the top of a 12 story building when I was 33 years old.

OK you religious believers.

BD66 comments on Nov 7, 2017:

"The Lord works in mysterious ways." That's their catch-all answer for everything.

Happy to have discovered this group.

BD66 comments on Nov 6, 2017:

Same here in Central IL.

It would be good if atheists were instantly recognisable, both by fellow-atheists and by.

BD66 comments on Nov 5, 2017:

How about big capital "A" tattoos on our foreheads?

When will the anti-theist community have our "Stonewall?"

BD66 comments on Nov 5, 2017:

Nobody is carting us off to jail for being nonbelievers.

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

BD66 comments on Nov 5, 2017:

I saw a great documentary by Niall Ferguson. His thesis is that it's all about the competition. Most countries have state religions, so you have a choice to either practice the state religion or practice nothing. The United States allowed religious freedom from day 1, so churches were allowed to innovate and morph their bullshit stories to gather in the most people to their church.

How Many Writers In This Group?

BD66 comments on Nov 5, 2017:

I write a quarterly newsletter for my clients.

Fun Fact: The prayer position actually originated as a submissive slave stance, offering one's hands...

BD66 comments on Nov 4, 2017:

I never knew that. It makes sense.

What do you like to do to relieve stress?

BD66 comments on Nov 3, 2017:

Walk, Swim, Lift Weights, Get a massage.

Can we just eliminate the phrase " our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their ...

BD66 comments on Nov 3, 2017:

I agree with you, but what's a better replacement phrase?

Why is it when there is a disaster such as a plane crash or earthquake and there are a few survivors...

BD66 comments on Nov 2, 2017:

What I don't get is every time someone wins a football game, tennis match, golf match, boxing match, they say "First I want to thank God". I'm still waiting for the loser to say "It was all God's fault! I would have won but God intervened for the other guy!"

With the USA's soaring debt, is it possible for the country to go bankrupt?

BD66 comments on Nov 2, 2017:

Of course. It happens all the time. Here is a list of several hundred sovereign debt crises: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_debt_crises

Is there such a thing as a stereotypical atheist?

BD66 comments on Nov 2, 2017:

I think this web site proves atheists and agnostics are a pretty diverse group.

What religion scares you the most, and why?

BD66 comments on Nov 2, 2017:

Islam has more violent extremists than any other religion.

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

BD66 comments on Nov 2, 2017:

The Judeo/Christian/Islamic Old Testament examples are hard to beat. With the Universe being created in 7 days, Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, etc. The New Testament which starts with a being that created 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars impregnating a teenage Jewish girl, then putting The Star of Bethlehem above Jesus's house to guide people to it. However there are many other things that just don't make any sense. For me, one of my favorite examples is fundraising. Let's look at how that evolved: When I was a kid, our little league team would have bake sales. We would actually create something of value (cookies, brownies, dinner rolls, etc.) then sit outside and sell the thing of value to people and give the proceeds to our little league. There are plenty of similar things that go on today like massage therapists giving free massages at fundraising events and asking people to donate funds to charity. That all makes sense. You take one step further, and you get things like the St. Jude Cancer run, and walks to raise funds for cancer and other diseases. The person making the donation is not getting anything of value, but the person asking for the donation is putting out considerable effort in an activity that is good for them. What makes no sense at all are things like the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, where people strip down to a speedo in January and jump into ice cold water in order to get people to donate to charity. What started as "I'm going to make something of value, sell it to you, and donate the proceeds to charity" has evolved to "I'm going to do something insane and bad for me, so therefore you should donate money to charity" But (in my opinion) the pinnacle of ridiculousness was the "Ice Bucket Challenge" Someone is challenged to do something ridiculous (dump a bucket of ice water on their head) and film it. And if they do that, they DON'T have to donate anything to an ALS charity. However if they refuse to do the ridiculous thing, they feel compelled to donate funds to the ALS charity. If they are really concerned about ALS, why don't they just write a check to the ALS charity? Anyway, that's my take on it, any better examples out there?

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 advanced beings on Planet earth, but we're only about 50,000,000 years more advanced than mice. It would be easy to design a scenario where one of could control a mouse for his entire life, and keep him completely in the dark about whether we exist or not. The Universe is 14,000,000,000+ years old, so there is a nonzero probability that other beings out there are 50,000,000 years farther along than we are in intellectual evolution. Those beings could be controlling us without our knowledge.

Got Podcast?

BD66 comments on Oct 30, 2017:

I stopped watching network news when the Election came down to The Donald vs. Hillary. I'll have to say I've been much happier since I stopped.

does sanders have a chance in 2020?

BD66 comments on Oct 29, 2017:

No. He will be way too old, and he's way too far left to get elected President.

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

BD66 comments on Oct 29, 2017:

If you can believe that a talking snake tricked a rib-woman into eating a magic apple, you can believe that Donald Trump is doing a good job representing Christians.