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.

Hey everyone thx for answering my first question.

BD66 comments on Oct 29, 2017:

It's ironic that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all subject to the same Old Testament nonsense. They spend their time hating each other when they should all be seeking psychiatric help together.

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.

I was raised a fundamentalist from a young age.

BD66 comments on Oct 29, 2017:

Must feel good to be so powerful.

Should Jesusween replace Halloween?

BD66 comments on Oct 29, 2017:

Makes sense. It's a religion based on a zombie.

Why do so many Atheist believe in Ghosts?

BD66 comments on Oct 23, 2017:

I worked with a guy who told me what I thought was a crazy story. His uncle died in a car crash, and at that exact same moment his grandmother woke up and started screaming "My baby is dead." I went home and told my family about the crazy story I had just heard, and there was a long silence while my father, my brother, and my mother all looked at each other, then they told me my father and my brother had had similar experiences. On the night two of my father's fishing buddies died, they "visited" him in the middle of the night. On a night an old family friend had died, my brother had a conversation with him in his dreams (and my brother had probably not seen the guy for 3 years). My father and brother are two of the most sane people I have ever met, so I give their stories a great deal of credibility.

What are your thoughts on holey jeans, jeans with holes in them as fashionable.

BD66 comments on Oct 23, 2017:

It looks like a lot of people just lost a fight with a bobcat.

What do you think about tattoos and body piercings?

BD66 comments on Oct 20, 2017:

I wouldn't get one, and I don't find them attractive on women.

In your opinion, why did Christianity not 'stick' with you?

BD66 comments on Oct 19, 2017:

What's interesting is to look at the scientific knowledge we have today vs. what they had in the year 1 A.D. If you thought the Earth was the center of the Universe, and the stars were just points of light rotating around in the sky, the idea that God created Earth and focused all that attention on it could potentially make sense. Now that we know we are just one tiny planet rotating around one of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in a Universe that was created ~14,000,000,000 years ago, you would literally have to be insane to believe the Old Testament stories.

Would you call yourself a sci-fi/fantasy fan?

BD66 comments on Oct 19, 2017:

Game of Thrones is the big exception to the rule.

"In America we worship God, not Government."-Trump. Scary?

BD66 comments on Oct 18, 2017:

At least Trump is half correct.

How do you deal with Door-knockers?

BD66 comments on Oct 17, 2017:

Take their pamphlet. Tell them you are very busy and need to get back to work, then politely shut to door on them.

Anyone got any tips on how to meet other non-believers in the Bible Belt?

BD66 comments on Oct 17, 2017:

Do things in public on Sunday mornings. The people you meet are not at church for a reason. Sunday morning is a fantastic time to visit the health club. It's almost empty here in this bible-thumping town.

I'm a musician and this lady asks me in a Bar, have you taken Jesus Christ as your personal lord and...

BD66 comments on Oct 17, 2017:

That nice thing about Christian women like that is they advertise they are crazy from the get go. You have to worry about the ones that hide it until they are married.

I was 11 or 12 and was re-reading the Genesis story of creation when I suddenly had a flash insight ...

BD66 comments on Oct 17, 2017:

Same as me. 12 years old. I think at that point you have had enough science education that you can recognize that the majority of what's in Genesis is crazy.

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. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. God creates a universe with 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars, creates a man and then brings 3,000,000 species to the man to see what the man he created would name them. I thought this was 100% bullshit when I was a 12 year old boy.

Is there room on this site for Apatheist?

BD66 comments on Oct 17, 2017:

I used to call myself an Apatheist in college. Welcome to the group!

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

Assuming you're an apostate, how often does someone attempt to "reconvert" you?

BD66 comments on Oct 16, 2017:

My mother attempts to get me to go to church about every other week.

The best approach I've seen yet regarding sex education for kids was simply saying, "if you're not ...

BD66 comments on Oct 15, 2017:

This conveys the whole message in 41 seconds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNDuzdanepw

How do you respond?

BD66 comments on Oct 15, 2017:

Smile and say "Thank you"

How many agnostics, atheists are out there who actually want to date another agnostic/atheist?

BD66 comments on Oct 14, 2017:

I think right now it is a community, but if the number of people grows above a certain number, it can function as a dating site. Right now I can't find a single woman close my age within 100 miles, but I'm enjoying the discussions.

Who is your favorite atheist comic?

BD66 comments on Oct 14, 2017:

George Carlin.

How many and which languages do you speak?

BD66 comments on Oct 12, 2017:

English, Spanish, and a very very tiny bit of Mandarin.

New Bus Campaign?

BD66 comments on Oct 12, 2017:

How about this simple test that will easily fit on the side of a bus: "Did a talking snake trick a rib-woman into eating a magic apple?" Yes: National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) No: www.agnostic.com

Hello everyone, I'm new here.

BD66 comments on Oct 12, 2017:

That doesn't even make sense. If there isn't a God or Heaven this life is all you have, so why would you want to end it? If there is a God and Heaven and Heaven is so much better than Earth, it makes perfect sense to kill yourself and start enjoying life in Heaven. Give them that argument and let us know what reaction you get.

I have a neighbour who just moved in next door, and he asked me what denomination I was.

BD66 comments on Oct 11, 2017:

Paul, It sounds like you are far too nice to let someone like that impose on you. How about next time he comes over, tell him you would like for him to watch some youtube videos by George Carlin, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and Neal de Grasse Tyson, then you want to discuss the content of that material. You can have the videos all queued up on your computer. If he refuses to watch them, politely ask him to leave your home and never discuss religion again.

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

BD66 comments on Oct 11, 2017:

How many Indiana Trump supporters are like this guy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkCifM0kDd0 Hopefully not too many or it might be time for a move.

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. The cheapest t-shirts I could find were 28 US Dollars. https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/post/2016/05/giving-and-global-inequality/

I thought this was suppose to be a community of like-minded people.

BD66 comments on Oct 9, 2017:

Human nature described perfectly by the Monty Python group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WboggjN_G-4

My dads entire life he was an Atheist.

BD66 comments on Oct 9, 2017:

It didn't do any harm.

What's your best atheist joke?

BD66 comments on Oct 9, 2017:

Here's a good one: Q: What does a dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac do? A: Stays awake all night wondering if there really is a Dog.

I've been puzzling for years over how to create more, and better communities for atheists.

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

That's a problem for us non believers. Steve Martin summed it up with this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wogta8alHiU

How do you feel about the $700 billion dollar military budget?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

We should follow the Swiss model for self defense. Every able bodied male must own a sniper rifle, and spend a couple weekends per year honing his marksmanship skills. With 120 million trained snipers, we could cut our "defense" spending from $700B to $70B

Is hate/offensive speech free speech?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Anything short of shouting "fire" in a crowded theater or making bomb threats is free speech.

What book or author has been helpful in your transition from religion to non-religion?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

The Bible.

Lines and scenes from drama and suspense movies that you find funny?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

"Liberty Valence is the toughest meanest man in the whole territory, next to me"

Who is your favorite author?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Kurt Vonnegut and James Michner.

as an atheist i tend to know the bible better than the believers trying to indoctrinate me.

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Reading the Bible is the best cure for religion. Watch "Letting Go of God" on youtube.

When and how to talk about religion on a date?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Ask your date "Do you believe a talking snake tricked a rib-woman into eating a magic apple?"

How far would you be willing to go for love?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Chicago.

My 7 year old son has said on occasion that he doesn't care if he dies because he will go to heaven,...

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

When he gets a little older (11 or 12) show him this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r-e2NDSTuE

How to let your children find their own way?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Have her read the book of Genesis. If she can think rationally, she will conclude it's all a bunch of Jewish fairy tales.

I often am frustrated by the lack of events in my town WITHOUT some kind of religious affiliation.

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Yes.

When at a family dinner, and somebody wants to say grace, what do you do?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Do not close your eyes. Do not bow your head. Wait patiently until the nonsense is over.

Why are there more male than female atheists?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

I think with respect to Christianity, many women find the idea of a male figure that loves them and will look out for them to be comforting. I think that idea gives many men the creeps.

Has anyone else helped a person leave religion or god belief?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

The best thing to do to convert them is to ask them to read to book of Genesis and ask them if they believe: 1. Humans came into being a few days after the universe was created. 2. A talking snake tricked a rib-woman into eating a magic apple. 3. Humans once lived for 1000 years, but god changed the number of telomere pairs in every cell of their bodies to reduce their life spans to 100 years. 4. There was a global flood that left absolutely no evidence behind.

Lack of STEM and the downfall of American dominance...

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

As long as we maintain our freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and the government doesn't spend us into a sovereign debt default, the USA will still be an attractive place for immigrants trained in STEM.

Are we alone in the universe?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Most likely not. There are almost 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars out there. If one in a trillion of them supported life, that means there would be life on a trillion other planets. The spacing of planets around the sun is almost in proportion to a fibonacci sequence. It's likely that that is the case in other solar systems too. That means a significant fraction of solar systems will have a planet at the "sweet spot" between freezing and boiling which would support life as we know it. Plus the fossil data shows that life sprung up pretty quickly on earth. We should expect the same on many other solar systems.

Yo, who else loves mexican food?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

I do. I lived in Santa Barbara, CA for 6 years. That's when I was first exposed to high-quality authentic Mexican food.

Have you boycotted certain businesses based on your (non) religious principles?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Chick Fil A makes an incredible spicy chicken deluxe sandwich. I usually get a craving for one on Sunday, then I'm disappointed that they are not open.

What's the last good book you've read? Why?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams. Ted Williams was a childhood hero of my father. My father passed away, and reading the book reminded me of a lot of the stories my father had told me about him. Also, Ted's mother was a hardcore bible thumper, and Ted was an atheist. That's right, the best hitter who ever lived didn't believe in God.

What is the best way to get rid of someone preaching to you?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Did you hear the following joke? One day two people rang my doorbell and when I answered they gave me a blank pamphlet. I said "This doesn't have anything on it" One of them responded "I know, we're atheists"

What nerdy activities do you enjoy? (gaming, cosplay, sci-fi)

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Playing video games with my 11 year old son.

Are atheist as racist as religious people?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Most of my closest friends are either atheist or agnostic, and well over half of them are involved in interracial marriage where one spouse is Asian and one spouse is of European descent.

Should I baptize my kids to appease my mom?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

No! Do everything you can to support them in rational evidence-based thinking.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle.

Anyone else slightly obsessed with documentaries?

BD66 comments on Oct 8, 2017:

Well made documentaries are so much better than most of the garbage on TV today. I'm a big fan of Ken Burns documentaries, and there are a lot of good documentaries on public TV. I'm also a big fan of documentary movies. Two of my all-time favorites are Hoop Dreams, about two high-school basketball stars in Chicago, and Racing the Rez. about two different high schools on Indian reservations in Arizona, that dominate cross-country running in the state of Arizona.