The moon

Benthoven comments on Mar 3, 2018:

We've seen the moon. We're moving on. We're headed to Mars, Saturn, the Sun. There's not a lot we can do there... at least for now.

"Oh my god!", "go to hell!", "Jesus Christ!", "soulmate" and other phrases featuring religious ...

Benthoven comments on Mar 3, 2018:

People that get all freaked out over these terms are no different than Christian Fundamentalists. The idea of being a "free thinker" is that we have honor the right of others to their own process. If you're going to censure me when I speak, then I have no desire to hang around. I did my time with fundemantalists, I'm done with that.

What is the one thing you don't like about yourself?

Benthoven comments on Mar 3, 2018:

Hmmm... My body.

Professionals near me advertise their religious beliefs.

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

Just just about any extent.

Gravestones and Epitaphs

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

My favorite: I told you I was sick.

The 8 Books Neil deGrasse Tyson Thinks Every Person Should Read | IFLScience

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

Awesome list. I've read all but eight of them.

Life... how many feel this way sometimes?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

It's probably doing both.

I cried because I had no shoes.

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Either way, nobody's thinking about the poor fish.

Do you guys ever check news from other coutries?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

I like to check out what's happening in Canada, the UK, and Germany. I'm watching with some interest what’s going on in Italy and Spain right now. I look at the bigger stories in Russia, and occasionally a story from south or central America makes its way, but I’m careful with news. Fear sells. If it bleeds it leads. So while I want to know what’s going on in the world around me, I also don’t want to assume that those are the only things taking place, or that there aren’t good people doing good things also in the mix.

Addicts/Alcoholics

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

I have a couple of friends who go to AA, and they use this Website as their main guide. Because AA is so "god-heavy" more and more non-deists are turning to other concepts while still using the connections of AA. https://aaagnostica.org/

Good words to live by...

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

I didn't see anything in there about Vokda?

Does anyone think religion will go away some day?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

Maybe. There's some evidence that it's part of our evolution, probably as a way to help the mind cope with questions that it was suddenly able to ask about issues in life that had no answers. But if it happens, it won't happen quickly, and it won't happen peacefully. Beliefs don't give up without a fight, and the stronger the beliefs, the bigger the fight.

What are some interesting/unique things you like to do for fun?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

I like to get in my car and drive around the areas around my house, just to see what's out there. I don't necessarily go anyplace, but I just drive. And then when I get too lost, I just turn on the GPS and head home.

As of now I'm Agnostic. Wondering if I should fully convert to Atheism. Thoughts?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

Convert? How does one go about converting to atheism? Are there rituals? Does it involve eating a baby bbq or danicng naked in a science lab? ;) Actually, I'm agnostic for a lot of reasons, and very happy to be so. I have atheist friends and get along great with them, but I'm me, and they're them... I would say, "Go where your heart leads you," but instead I'll say, go where you're most comfortable.

Kindle worth getting?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

You technically don't need the Kidnle. Kindle has an app that you can run on your PC, your tablet, or your phone. Just get the Kindle app, set up an account, and you can still get the free books.

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone you were no longer in love with?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

Ironically, I'm not sure we were ever in love, but at first it was physical, and then we were just too afraid to be alone. When it finally ended, I was more glad than sad, because I felt free for the first time in seven years (that's how long we were together).

I wish I had someone I could share... (finish the line)

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

A good movie with.

Does the myth of being in a "better place" that is told to grieving humans help them?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

When my brother-in-law was killed, a friend of mine gave me a book called, "It's Okay that You're not Okay." It was a book on grieving and the realities of loss. It talked to those facing grief and explained in great detail that it was okay to grieve as they needed too, and gave advice to others who wanted to help. First of all, the idea that we CAN comfort someone is a myth. We can be there, love them, be a safe space for them to grieve, give them the freedom to speak as they need to, but we're not going to "comfort" them. They're hurting, and it's not for us to take that pain away. We're like a cast on a broken leg. We offer support, the bone must heal itself. But the most important part is that "being in a better place" doesn't help anyone. When tragedy strikes, most people will say to us, “I can’t imagine what you must be going through.” In truth, though, they can, and that terrifies them. This is why it’s so important for them to “comfort us.” Otherwise they have to live with the realities that this could just as easily have been them... and that it could still happen. Life is not permanent. One of the emotions most grieving friends and relatives struggle with is anger... toward that very entity that could have stopped it in the first place. The problem is, they’re too afraid to voice that anger out of fear they will... again... have to face the idea that their God is capricious and doesn’t seem to care who you are or how good you are. When I was a young boy, my brother died, and to this day my mom still cries when she thinks about it. And she’s a Christian who believes she’ll see him again someday. But she still misses him, and the sense of loss is still present. The one overarching reality is that they are gone from us, and we miss them, and we weren’t ready to say goodbye. But that’s not going to change, and our mind have the ability to cope with grief and loss while at the same time learning to find joy in new ways that don’t involved our loved ones. And it happens together. Not every corner needs the bright light of encouragement and we don’t need to encourage others to have gratitude for things that still exist. Good things and horrible things occupy the same space: they don’t cancel each other out. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XXYKLP

Do you have any bumper stickers on your car?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

I've never had a bumper sticker. When I lived in Seattle, WA, I drove a stick. Seattle has a lot of hills, and for quite a while I was temtped to get a bumpersticker that read: "I drive a stick, give me some room." I never did get it though.

Does anyone enjoy a hot cup of tea? What is your favorite kind?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

I love to have a hot cup of tea, which makes me pee, giving me a nice TeaPee!

Working on my sanity

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

I was working on my sanity for a while. I built a floorplan, hired a contractor, and got all the permits... but once it was done I realized I didn't need it anymore, so I decided to just go ahead and save it for later... in case I need it then.

Are there humans in here?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

In where?

Do you think non-believers are less trusting?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

More "skeptical," I think.. They tend to think things through and ask a few more questions before taking someone's word for something.

I Am Beginning To Fall Out Of Love With Humanity!

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

Whoever said "people are basically good inside" has never spent much time in public.

Has anyone read the, "Left Behind" books?

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

I've never read the books. I saw the first movie. Not much to say about it. The logistcis of the whole story are so ill-conecieved that I had to wonder if anyone on the cast or crew ever gave a thought to the actual physics of it... my bad... of course they didn't.

Question

Benthoven comments on Mar 1, 2018:

Obedience to what?

Anything people would like to know about me? Looking to be a more active member????

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Is there a particular reason I SHOULD know more about you?

Should religion be taught in schools?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Yes. ALL religious should be taught so that students are aware of the various beliefs. Seeing these beliefs back to back with each other teaches students that there are some profound variations in the way people relate to their religion, the student learns to understand that religion isn't really science, but just ideologies that people adhere to.

Do you ever pity brainwashed victims?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Depends. One of my favorite quotes is from a book called The Rebuttal to Pilgrim's Progress. The main character in there asks, "Who’s the more egregious, the man who leads another man astray, or the man who willingly follows?"

How has the influence of your immediate family and that of your extended family influenced the ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

We're very much shaped by the people around us, from infancy to death.

Psychology

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I think you'd have to ask a biologist or psychologist (or both). It's nice to have sex once in a while though... (or so I'm told).

I took a major step today.

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I still have a lot of my books and music. I still like much of the music, and if it's not too pushy, the message can be inspirational. I have long studied the bible, so I keep all my reference books, and I have a picture of Jesus without a shirt, and those abs are just amazing.

Sexual Metaphysics

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Nay. It just uses the most nerve endings and creates the greatest release of pleasure chemicals in the brain. That being said, I think it's pretty base to bring it down to just a biological function. It's a powerful emotion that has great potential to motivate us to all kinds of things. And we can choose to experiment and try all sorts of things that make it even better.

Oldies but Goodies..

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

My dad wasn't in my life all that much, but my mom liked to dance. So she listened to the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad... By the time I was in junior high I had already taken over her record collection and started adding to it. Some of it she liked, some she didn't, but we did share a lot of musical tastes.

What's your favorite junk food? (if you eat junk food)

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Pizza; french fries; bacon cheese burgers; Doritos; ice cream; pepperoni... I think that might explain my recent weight gain.

What's your favorite video game?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Pong!

If you could change something about 2017, what would it be?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I would have made sure my brother-in-law never boarded his last flight, and stayed home sick instead.

Should you give in to your temptations or resist them

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Depends. Are these the original Temptations, or the revamped members.

Do you think abused people should expose their abusers on social media?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I really think that @IndySent was the best answer here. It's about being safe FIRST! That, and making sure your daughters are protected. One of the ways I council young gay people (preteens or teens) who are living in toxic religious environments is to come out carefully. Come out to someone they trust. A friend or relative. Come out to someone who can take them in if their family erupts and they find themselves ostracized, or worse, in physical danger. Sometimes confrontation seems cathartic, but I've rarely seen it work out, and it usually leads to some significant flareups before things settle down... or worse, it backfires.

Was God necessary for creation?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Although, if it's true, as some propose, that we're living in a computer simulation, we would have to assume that there was a programmer, or group of programmers, and that their lab exists at some point and existed before the universe got here.

Are these questions mostly rhetorical?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I used to have a really nice collection of rhetoricals, but I traded them in for exaggerations.

Can a "normal" upper middle class blue/white collar person truly love a mentally ill disabled ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I don't think it's a question of whether or not they can love that person. I think the question is, can they tolerate, or endure the many challenges that go with that. I don't think "love" means that you can necessarily handle everything that comes your way. I can certainly love someone, and want what's best for them, but it's safe to assume that "I" may not be what's best for them, simply because I'm not able to deal with certain challenges they present. If you try doing a thought experiment, thinking ahead to all of the many challenges that are ahead, how do you think you react to them? Do they seem workable?

What’s the one thing I can learn from you today?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Death is the number one driver of evolution, and birth is the number one cause of death.

Is the brain hardwired for religion? | HowStuffWorks

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I've always suspect that religion was kind of our "default" wiring.

What books are you all reading right now?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

At the Back of the North Wind by George McDonald; Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray by Helen Fisher; It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Divine

Need help defending my lack of faith in Christianity

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I don't think you need to defend your lack of belief. I have said often, the fact that you have to "believe" something means you don't have the evidence to back it up." once there is evidence, belief is no longer necessary. Beliefs are like apps. I've simply chosen not to install this particular app since it doesn't seem to help much with the rest of the system.

Nicknames: Do you have one? What is it? Who gave it to you and why?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Benthoven... I love mixing my name with Beethoven to get Benthoven.

Toilet seat etiquette.

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I say, "whoever puts the roll on, gets to choose the direction." And I keep hearing about how independent women are, so surely they can check to see that the seat is down. Of if worse comes to worse, put everything down, that way everybody has to do some work before they go.

Does unconditional love exist?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I think the moment we start putting conditions on it, that's when it stops being "love" and becomes something else... like a transaction. I do this for you and you do this for me.

What goes through your head when you see someone wearing a cross necklace?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

For the most part, nothing.

Im drunk and I lost my job Friday. Good thing I have 3 interviews this week.

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I used to show up for work so loaded they made me take the freight elevator. When the last company tried to fire me, I sent a letter explaining that I wasn't looking for work termination at this point, but would be happy to consider them for a later date.

People Are Sending Checks Worth “Thoughts and Prayers” to NRA-Backed Republicans – Friendly ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

It's brilliant. I hope it helps.

What's your hidden talent?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

I can rhyme with peanut... I mean it!

What do you think?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Not sure I agree. I think there are many reasons people are single. But if someone has become independent and at home with themselves, it makes them easier to love, not harder.

If you had to sum up the whole human species in 3 words, what would those words be?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Jesus Fuckin' Christ!

What's your biggest regret?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Mine was not focusing on my music lessons like I should have. I was pretty lazy when it came to practicing, and I wonder what kind of musician I could have been had I worked harder at it.

Hey Disney, if Cinderella's shoe fit so perfectly, why did it fall off?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

It was in the script... That's how it works. ;)

So, if you're Agnostic what causes you to "sit on the fence?". Why are you not an Atheist?

Benthoven comments on Feb 27, 2018:

Nobody's sitting on the fence. There's still a significant difference between atheists and agnostics. In fact, I'm not on the fence at all. I'm very much agnostic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos

A woman and a chimpanzee walk into the lady’s room… Three woman walk out… God, I love ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Ben: <Drinking and then spitting it out> Uggh! This Vodka tastes terrible. Friend: It's water.

What have you always wanted to do or try, that you just haven't gotten around to?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

I've always wanted to try being a standup comic. But it's a little bit intimidating.

To dispute or not to dispute?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

I think the only time we really need to challenge someone's beliefs is if they are causing pain... to others, or themselves. Or, if we're invited, through discussion, to do so. Even then, beliefs come with some pretty impenetrable defenses. Getting through those defenses, even for those who understand beliefs, is hard. I think it would be okay to focus on being closer. Talk about what inspires you, what you have in common, and debate other issues if they come up so long as it doesn't get divisive. He might even enjoy hearing how you cope with the issues that he finds important, but because they happened through a genuine conversation, the beliefs didn't need to throw up a defense. If he dies believing in God, but ends up just being dead... I don't think it's going to matter to him (or you).

"How can you be a moral person and be an atheist?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Whenever Christians start asking me how I can be "moral" without "God," I ask them, "Why do you have to outsource your morality to someone else? What prevents you, as a human being from being moral?" I will never sell my soul, and I will never outsource my morality. This way I get to be the man I really want to be (or closer to it than if I sold my soul), and I can maintain my integrity.

Sometimes as a thought experiment I ask myself: What if everyone is wrong about God, including the ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

I just assume that we already ARE wrong about God. There's still 90 percent of the universe that we have to discover, and we have no idea what the next big shift is physics is going to be. And generations ahead of us will look back on us the way we look back on past generations. For now we go with what we can reasonably know, and leave it at that. I suspect that when the game is finally over, it won't have been that big of a deal.

What's your opinion on psychology and therapy in that feild?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Like so many other fields, it's been infiltrated by the alternative medicine group, but I think the science behind it is pretty solid. I like to read a lot of books on the brain and how it works, and a good psychologist can help us figure out how much of our problems are biological, and how much are psychological. They can help us see into our blind spots and find our hidden resources (as well as the many traps). The brain is amazing, and having someone who knows the way around the attic can help significantly.

I am guilty of being an 'Atheist Troll'.

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Not wrong, and it might change some things... or not. It's hard to say with this type of thinking. If these people could be reasoned with, they wouldn't believe that silliness in the first place. Still, we do have to start calling lies out when we see them. For far too long we've allowed people to hold their beliefs "sacred" just because they have them. But it really is at a point where we've got to let them know that we know they're lying. I've always like the Jon Stewart approach. He was funny, gently mocked them, and ultimately brought them to the place where they ended up making his point... even while trying to defend their own. But his brilliance also comes from an insane amount of practice.

What would make you believe in a God?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Well, a conversation would certainly help. But it's got to be at least a half hour...

Honesty.

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

I have to be honest with you, I have NO idea what you're talking about. To me, integrity is more important than honesty, because integrity motivates us to be who we "are," and to live up to our values. Honesty is just an excuse for saying horrible things to people you don't like. The most difficult people to have a conversation with are those who say, "I speak the truth." Or those who say, "I tell it like it is." Both are dangerous... not to mention completely impossible. If someone asks me any question about any subject, they're going to get a series of responses that have been filtered through my upbringing, my societal views, and my values. So it's not going to be "truth." If I happen to be a man of integrity, I'll avoid answering most questions since I'm hardly qualified on how to live another person's life. As to "revealing the truth about your beliefs..." beliefs are giant generalizations we make in the absence of evidence. If I have to believe something, it's because I don't have enough evidence to support it as actual fact. Water boils at 212 degrees whether I believe in it or not. So my goal is to "CHALLENGE" my beliefs. Find ways to keep them from taking over. You wrote: "From the rhetoric I have gleaned on this site I think there are a lot of people who are dishonest about politics." Something I've observed over time has been that it's usually those making these general accusations that are the guilty. Someone who says "people can't be trusted," just so happens to be someone that nobody can trust, and those around him tend to take care around him. And then, ironically, as a dishonest person, that's the type of people you just happen to connect with because you have so much in common... even though the relationship is destroying you. Someone who says that everybody else is dishonest tends to be the dishonest one, and everybody else is simply responding to him. I'm guessing you think you know what everybody should be saying and thinking, which, ironically, is exactly how Germany worked during WWII. I'm saying, get yourself some integrity, and the "honesty" will follow. But that's on you. The rest of us aren't responsible to embrace your beliefs as if they had been handed down from Mount Sinai. Sorry, but "freethinker" means "THINKING" first and foremost, and doing so independently of an ideology and their ideologues.

What's your favorite pizza?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Deep dish pepperoni and cheese, with extra cheese and pepperoni.

VERY FIRST ALBUM/45 Don't think I've scene this post before but what was the very first album/45 ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

My first album was Blondie, Parallel Lines. I played the crap out of that. I also used to have a stack of 45s as tall as I was.

Not every Christian I've met has been an asshole, but the vast majority of assholes I've met have ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Funny how that works.

Do you have porn saved on your computer?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

There are two types of men on the planet. Those who watch porn... and those who deny they watch porn. But I like to hang onto the work of some of my favorite actors and directors. I even have the direcotr's cut...

What’s the one thing I can learn from you today?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

The potato chips go in the cupboard, and the cheese goes in the refrigerator... not the other way around. Just speaking for a friend.

Living on a sphere thats spinning in space, I don't think so

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Is this a joke?

How many times have you moved in your life so far?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Well, there are the big moves: Kalispel, Montana to Riverton, Wyoming, then back to Billings, Montana. Then to Seattle, Washington and from Seattle To New York. Those are the big moves. Inside each of those areas I've moved at least five or six times. I'm going to guess I've probably moved over thirty times in my life so far.

What's the best way to get into a woman's heart (if ya know what I mean).

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Isn't this a question best posed to a cardiologist? ;)

Not that it's an issue to me now, but how long should someone wait to have sex when dating someone?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

I would say at least a half-hour after eating. Otherwise, you'll get cramps.

Do we live in a culture of unrealistic & therefore unwarranted fear?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

We live in a culture of fear: period. Fear of others, fear of brown people, fear of black people, fear of terrorism, fear of being gunned down in school, fear of nuclear war, fear of abandonment, fear of commitment, fear of the future, fear of dying, fear of natural disasters, fear of the relatives, fear of disease, fear of being looked down on, fear of sweating under our armpits, fear we won't get the latest iPhone before everyone else, fear of farting in public elevators... We're consumed with it. Of course fear sells ad time, and has taken over our media. All those things are definitely within the realm of possibility, but we've opted to respond to our lives from fear instead of looking for, as Steven Pinker called it, "our higher angels." Fear is meant to show us that something could be threatening us, but it's only supposed to be there when the threat is present. We've kind of turned everything in life into a new threat.

Do you agree with Aristotle?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

I don't think there is a reason for human existence, but since we're here, searching for happiness seems like the best way to fill the time we have.

Is it right to only stay with your partner for the sake of the kids?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

For me it's a little more complicated than just "yes" or "no." If a relationship is toxic, then it's best to get those kids out of there ASAP. If there are serious unresolved issues in the relationship, even though they're not talked about, they could still be a problem. There's an old saying in acting classes: "It reads." That means that a lot of the preparation actors do isn't necessary going to "be visible" in the show, but "it reads." It's there, and the audience recognizes it whether they realize that or not. So if those issues are present, it's best to address them. But depending on the age of the kids, and if you're able to get along, it might help. Parents breaking up can have a significant impact on a child's psyche. But there are all those other factors that should be considered.

How are you all spending your Saturday?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Binging Supernatural.

What's the best job you ever had?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

Babysitting my little nephews.

When someone invites you to a wedding, how do you feel?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

It depends on who it is. If it's someone close, then of course I go. But for the most part I don't bother. I don't own a suit and some of these ceremonies are a little bit cheesy for me.

Feminist?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

To be honest, I don't even know what that means. I have always fought this idea that women are somehow "not equal" with men, but the word has been used against me by just about everybody. Conservatives, Liberals, women, men... So I don't know how to use that word anymore.

What is your, "don't get me started on . . ." topic?

Benthoven comments on Feb 24, 2018:

For me it's the old "Jesus didn't exist" argument. I know that so many non-theists want this to be true, but it's still an ideology, and not exactly true.

Am I wrong in assuming that most people here have seen the movie Idiocracy?

Benthoven comments on Feb 23, 2018:

Alas, I never dreamed it would turn out to be a documentary.

Do you think my position is too extreme? (Warning: graphic descriptions inside)

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

The challenge with the bible | the New Testament | the Gospels | and in particular, John, is their connection to reality, and to what "Jesus" the rabbi from Nazareth actually said. Matthew and Luke both borrowed from Mark, all three presumably followed another source known as Q (Quelle, meaning "source"). That would make the synoptic gospels more on the line of HuffPo or various other aggregate stories that weren't covered by an actual reporter. John, on the other hand, is the Fox "news" of the Gospels: anti-Semitic, paranoid, complete disregard for the truth, and only interested in ideology. John is, in fact, the most anti-Semitic of the four gospels, so bad that new translations such as the New International Version have had to re-translate some of the more biased terms. Much of the animosity toward the Jewish people by Christians has been sparked by the translations of John. "The Jews (a term John used a lot) killed Jesus." A point which Nazis promoted to fulfill their own genocidal deeds. The other challenge is the Disciples' own response to the "new gospel." When Paul "converted," he started teaching a version of Jesus that Jesus' brother James and his disciples never knew. James sent emissaries out (Peter the most dogged) to every church Paul started to tell the people that Paul was lying. Paul ended up making three trips back to Jerusalem trying to convince the disciples that he was legit. Only he ended up creating an uneasy truce. Paul eventually won the battle when Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans in 66. He and Peter were in Rome, but Paul was actively building his church. Yet the most remarkable "doctrine" is what I call Jesus' Manifesto... aka the Sermon on the Mount. Most people have only scanned this or read it superficially, but when you look into it, it's one of the most profound documents on how to treat each other, our friends, our enemies, and our "God"! That Jesus is abhorrent to most religious people because he demands that they "love their enemies, do good to those that persecute them..." So like any document, it's cherry-picking. While I do not think cherry-picking is wrong since there's no way we're ever going to be able to take it all in at once, the parts we cherry-pick say an awful lot about us. John, for example, is the most perfect refuge for the bigot because John's writers were so bigoted, and they wrote that bigotry into their gospel. A compassionate person is going to look at the Jesus of Matthew 5 to 7. I think the even without the Bible, we would have blood inquisitions, because as a species that's who we are. What we've done, through the "scriptures," is giving ourselves shelter in our bigotry. There's no greater name than god, and no greater force than hate/fear, and no greater advocate than ...

Free Speech and the Necessity of Discomfort - The New York Times

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

Free speech not only protects me so that I can say what I want, it protects others so that I can't shut them down if I don't like what they say. It prevents me from becoming to others what I would hate someone to be to me.

How was your process of leaving religion?

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

Profoundly painful. I belonged to a large megachurch with thousands of members. I was visible. I sang background vocals. I wrote sketches for the services. I directed the plays. And all this time I was in reparative therapy to "pray the gay away." (It doesn't work, by the way.) So when it went south for me (I was outed by the police... a guy at a bar OD'd and they thought he was my partner... I had never met him), a lot of people saw it. Not to mention the emotional trauma of desperately seeking God for help to get your life in order and being ignored as things get worse and descend into chaos.

When you were young, what type of fort did you build?

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

My dad was a skydiver, and when parachutes were too old to use, he gave them to me. I used them as forts in trees. I created weird little alien hatches where I could "incubate" away from earth's deadly atmosphere and then return to pretend I was human.

Do you try not to think about religion at all?

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

That would be really hard since I write about ghosts and vampires and witches and demons. My favorite TV show is Supernatural, and I love mythology. They're pretty much steeped in religion. That being said, there's a huge difference between what Sam and Dean Winchester do and the rantings of Pat Robertson. When it get's taken seriously, then it's dangerous. But as a story, it has a deep connection to our deepest fears and desires.

What's the point of being in a relationship?

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

I think that's the wrong way to approach a relationship. We were built to connect, at least briefly. But our psychology has developed so that we need those connections in order to produce and raise offspring and get them to their age of viability. I think first of all it's an evolutionary thing. But so were families and tribes. That's how most species survive: herds, packs, flocks, colonies, clutches, and my personal favorite... murders. How we express ourselves in relationships is an ongoing preposition, though, as we have the ability to think for ourselves, and awareness of our own emotional needs. But we learn through relationships. We discover who we are by seeing ourselves through other's eyes. No matter how awesome we think we are, it's in a relationship that we're going to see into our blind spots. Relationships help strengthen us when we are vulnerable. They help makeup for the areas that we lack and vice versa. Done right, they are powerful vessels to survival and happiness.

Why

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

Are they?

Is it hard to find your place when you aren't into the heavy drinking party scene anymore and ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

Pretty much. But even going out to bars got exhausting. So much drama. The one nice thing about "church" was that it was a lot easier to meet people. Even on MeetUp these days it's hard to find ways to connect.

For decades scientists thought that galaxies were randomly scattered across the cosmos but now ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

So size "doesn't" matter? Or is SIZE matter? ;)

What's "contagious?"

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

This study goes back over a decade, but it was quite the buzz back in the early two-thousandzies when they were first discovered. But the idea of neurons that simply mirror back what they "see." That is some freaky shiz! http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct05/mirror.aspx

Did god play a big role in your life growing up?

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

For most of my young adult life, I gave God the starring role. But he turned into a diva, and started demanding more lines, wanted to override the writers, and wouldn't listen to direction. So I had to recast.

What is your favorite genre of music?

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

I grew up on Metal, AC/DC, Van Halen, Nazareth... But I like most styles of music... except for Country. I love a good dance song, a nice remix and a song that makes it hard to stay in your chair.

How about a GPS safety device placed on all new guns that engages in proximity to any public ...

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

The bottom line is that guns and gun violence are part of American culture. American's have been in love with guns for generations, and unless there's a change of heart at some level in our relationship to guns, we're pretty much locked into our gun and gun-violence routine.

How open are you with others about your lack of religious beliefs?

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

Unless it come up, I don't worry about it. But I'm pretty sure that most of the people around me know that I don't have any religious beliefs. Mostly through discourse over time.

Have you read the Bible?

Benthoven comments on Feb 22, 2018:

Read it, studied it, read it some more.