So, leaving religion out of it...do you believe in anything "supernatural"?

Benthoven comments on Jan 25, 2018:

By definition, "supernatural" means anything outside of nature. If it is determined that things like "ghosts" for example are real, that means they are very much natural, not supernatural, and there will be a way of measuring and monitoring. I do not think that anything can exist outside of nature.

At least this feller understands his faith... [baptistnews.com]

Benthoven comments on Jan 25, 2018:

If you really want to put it in perspective, we could break it down to how it was in Jesus day. Wall Street is Rome, who raped and pillaged the poor around the world, receiving exorbitant payouts from local governments, all the while taxing the people to do death. Trump is Pontius Pilate, the Emissary of Rome sent to enforce the will of Rome. Evangelicals are the Jewish elite, including the High Priest, Sanhedrin, and Rulers of the law. Their job was to make sure that the populace of Israel remained subservient. Most of them bought their way into their positions, and they used the law to enrich themselves while looting the Temple. Then there's the rest of us, ruled by a heartless oligarchy taking every advantage they can to enrich themselves while we struggle for survival.

Did your parent(s) ever talk to you about 'da birds & da bees'?

Benthoven comments on Jan 25, 2018:

Actually my mom was a geologist, so she was way more interested in rocks.

Was I wrong to laugh in her face?

Benthoven comments on Jan 25, 2018:

I've said it a million times. Reasoning with these people won't work. Laughing at them (gently) does. Once they realize we're not going to be baited, they tend to stop trying.

For atheists - what makes you believe no deity exists?

Benthoven comments on Jan 25, 2018:

How do you "believe" in the non-existance of something that doesn't exist? This can't be about belief. We believe in things because we do not have proof in their existence. Belief acts as that proof. I don't think it's possible to believe in the negative. I "don't believe in ghosts," I don't "believe" that ghosts don't exist.

Do you have a ME time of day I like to get up in the early mornings and read news surf the internet...

Benthoven comments on Jan 25, 2018:

Oh, THAT kind of me time.

What if?

Benthoven comments on Jan 25, 2018:

What if you live your whole life in an effort to be compassionate and loving, to help other people, and make life better for those around you, and then come back as a boa constrictor.

What kind of laugh do you have?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Wow, that's a good question. I've never heard myself laugh, so I don't really know.

Really? You'd go back?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Having grown up fundamentalist, I've seen a lot of people leave the church only to come back. After a few conversations with them, you realize that they just can't handle the changes. They find themselves lost and frightened and don't know how to cope with the new realities without their security blanket. It's a difficult transition to make, and for some, they just don't want to do it.

What is yourt favorite book?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Dracula. The first time I read it was in high school. I still love the story.

If you could pump enormous amounts of money into scientific research, what would it be for?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

How can we build better storage units for our technology. Our batteries just aren't enough. We have enough computing power on our phones to send a man to the moon, but only two hours to get him there before the batter runs out. Oh, and batteries that don't blow up either.

When Silence is not Golden.

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Makes you wonder if they really understand what "supporting the troops" really means.

Intelligent design vs idiotic design

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

There's intelligence "IN" the design, but the design is not necessarily intelligent.

Are Immigrants Ruining America?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Looks like they're making it better. Except for the original immigrants (us).

Don’t set the bar too high ;)

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Please don't set the bar too high. When I fall off I'll have further to go.

I have a friend who doesn’t have any friends.

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

We he has to have at least one friend? You did say he was your friend?

Religious people attracted to agnostics/atheists? Why?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Like moths to light.

Am I too young for this site?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

I'm glad you're here. Everybody has something to contribute, and I look forward to seeing yours. I think @Pooska made the most cogent statement, though: "As long as you're not eating Tide Pods." By the way, do they come in diet? I always wanted to try one, but you know what they say, "once through the lips forever on the hips."

You'll never be happy when you compare yourself with others. Is that right or wrong?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

I think we use "comparisons" to understand what we like, what we don't like, what might work, what might not. As a musician, comparing myself to Beethoven, could be pretty depressing. However, recognizing his passion, his outright awe of music, I can adopt that, and use that to improve my own abilities. I can look at men like our current president and the Evangelicals that put him there and see how they treat others, their contempt of the poor, their hypocrisy, their hubris, and I can determine that those are qualities that I want to watch for in myself so that they do not take root. I can look at people I respect and consider why I respect them. I can adopt those qualities, or at least honor them when I see them in others. I can look at my extended family and thank God I moved away and I'm on the other side of the country.

BEING COMPLETELY HONEST! Do you sometimes accidentally say "Thank God" out of Habit from your ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

I say thank god all the time. God damn; oh god; god stop biting me; oh.dear.god what have you done; god squad; godda go; godda make a move to a town that's right for me; if god had a name, what would it be and would we say it to his face;

What music makes you happy right at this moment?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Abba. I love their music. It gives me oomph while I'm writing. I've got about seven version of The Visitors, six version of When all is Said and Done, several version of Super Trouper, and songs that they recorded by never release, including "On Top of Old Smokey," and an earlier version of "Why did it Have to be Me..." called "Happy Hawaii..." and several version of "Like an Angel Passing Through my Room" that they were experiment with... one even had Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to that melody.

How do you feel about internet relationship?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

I love the Internet. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me. It's the since best experience that has set me free and opened me up to the world. I will love the Internet and adore it with my precious time and gifts for as long as I am sane enough to do so...

Alaska earthquake today: Tsunami warning issued after 8.

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Many years ago I was speaking at a conference in Ocean Shores Washington, when they had that huge earthquake in Peru. We were warned that at some point in the next half hour we may be asked to leave and head for higher ground. That was half way through my talk. Needless to say, the talk went on as scheduled.

Did you ever have a job that sucked the life out of you?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Unfortunately, I currently have a life that's sucking the life out of me.

Are you able to allow others to be who they are with out judgement?

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

As I always say: "Be who you are, and be so proudly. Just don't do it near me." ;)

Some say that the earth(modern civilization as we know it) has lived and died before.

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

If that were true, we'd have some evidence of it. As it is, we don't. I'm inclined to follow the null hypothesis until there's some evidence that suggests it's worth considering.

Profile pictures, people! You have smart phones, otherwise you wouldn't be here.

Benthoven comments on Jan 23, 2018:

Are you telling me what to do with MY face/image?

Heath Ledger’s The Joker left an impression that echoes to this day | Metro News

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

I actually think it was The Joke that killed him. He was a method actor, and when he went into the character for the Joker, he lost himself. He went into a very dark place, and inadvertently ended his own life.

Would It Be A Good Thing Or A Bad Thing For Non Believers To Have A Leader(s)?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

Do you mean "leaders," or mentors? We all need mentors.

Do you think atheists are safe ?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

Of course not. As long as Conservatives, Fundamentalists, Evangelicals exist, ANYONE who disagrees with them is in great danger.

Does anyone know which Football team, the Patriots or the Eagles, that god wants to win the super ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

The Patriots of course. What god in his right mind would favor the Eagles?

What political party do you consider yourself to be?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

While I "vote" democratic, I feel like they're just as corrupt as the Conservatives. In the battle between evil and the lesser of two evils, the "lesser" is still lesser...

Death Penalty?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

In 2010 my best friend was murdered in cold blood by a guy he and his partner thought they could trust. In early 2017 he was finally convicted of murder, and in December of 2017 a Florida jury sentenced him to death. First of all, it will be decades before he has used up all of his appeals, and the rest of us (including his sister) have had to resign ourselves to that. Second, this will also cost the tax payers of Florida millions of dollars. Third, his death won't bring Kevin back, and I don't think it will bring the closure many think it will. Finally, "Killing" someone because they killed someone may not be the panacea it seems to be. Kevin will still be dead, regardless. Still, when it's someone you love, it's very hard to say one way or the other. Me, my sister, his sister, we all struggle with this. No matter what happens, we still get to live with the consequences of someone else's actions. It's very hard to explain that.

Does any one hate a sport just because it's popular?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

All I know is that sports involve balls, and guys playing with balls, and balls. I find it hard to hate that.

I never realized how much strife there is between the religious and the non-believers until I joined...

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

Oh yah. I have several friends, Christian, Evangelical, Conservative, Fundamentalist, and Jesuins (people who take Jesus seriously). But I've also noticed that there's a lot of conflict between atheists and agnostics, vegans and vegetarians, vegans and just about everyone else, team fans against other team fans, Firefox against Safari, Windows against Mac, Star Wars against Star Trek... Conflict is what we do. The trick is to realize that we're taking ourselves way too seriously.

Why complicate life?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

I feel like complicating life is what we were born to do!

What is the bible to you?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

I view the bible like I view the Iliad and the Odyssey, and other mythic books. It's fascinating how we can see politics shape their god. How battles between Moshite and Aaronid priests would constantly call into question offering sacrifices in the Temple only, versus on the "high places." And yet... it would somehow go on to take over the world and many would view it as fact.

Does all life have inherent value?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

Does it? You certainly wouldn't guess that if you watch National Geographic Wild. Our real value is to supply food for other life forms so that life can continue to "exist" toward some... um... mass extinction?

Marriage vs. long term relationship: what is everyone's preference?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

My brother-in-law was in the military. When he was killed in July, his wife was made instant executor of everything that pertained to him. A friend of Brendan's was engaged, and because she was not his wife had no voice in what happened to her fiance's things. They owned a house together, shared insurance, everything else... but his parents stepped in and completely messed her over. If you're in a high risk profession (my sister's a flight attendant) I strongly recommend marriage in case something happens. My sister's best friend was a flight attendant on Flight 11 and she had partied with every pilot and flight attendant on those airplanes, and their stories were brutal. It wasn't enough that they were killed horrifically, the families stepped in and poured salt, lemon juice, alcohol, sand and gravel into the wounds. It was after that event that Brendan came up to my sister while she was getting ready and said, "Look, I'm in the military, you're in airplanes. If anything happens we need to get to each other, so let's just go ahead and do it." To which my sister replied, "Did you just propose to me?" He was such a romantic.

Thoughts on kids? Have them? Want them? No!

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

I confess, I absolutely love children... especially with a nice Béarnaise Sauce. But they have to be prepared properly or they can get stringy and a bit sour tasting.

Long hair or short hair ?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

Long hair. I LOVE long hair. I still have dreams where my hair is down to my waist.

What is the best bible rebuttal for John 3:16?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

If God truly loved me, then why did he send Christians? Cause they sure aren't loving.

If I show you mine will you show me yours?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

I'd love to show my my inner dog, but he's in inner dogcare. He got drunk and peed on a fire hydrant, started sniffing people's crotches, and finally bit the inner mailman. So he's being retained until we can get him to behave.

What irritating song do you hear in stores- that makes you want to leave?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

You're so vain... you probably think this song is about you... don't you... don't you... It IS ABOUT HIM... Jesus!

Does ' pro-lifer' always identify a religious person?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

I am aware of a lot of groups who are not pro-abortion, but would never use the term "pro-life" since that's just a term that has nothing to do with life at all. It's all about the fetus. When I debate this issue with my conservative friends (believe it or not I have them), i use the term "Medical procedure" since that's pretty much what it is. A medical procedure between a woman and her doctor. Still, I'm not sure how I personally feel about it. I don't argue "when life begins," but I do recognize that life or not, it is the "potential" for life. Potential in science can still be pretty significant. When I'm challenged by being asked, "well what if you were aborted?" I answer, "I wouldn't know. I wouldn't be here. Period. So there's no way I could logically answer that question." It's a complicated issue, which is why pro-lifer's will never ever understand it.

Anyone else is the habit of making up silly songs for your pets?

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

Not to my pets, but I love to make up silly words to songs I like. Sometimes I go all out for a parody, but sometimes I just make up words that have no meaning at all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jDz8ObTogQ

For giggles

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

I think number 1 would finally get them thinking about the consequences of their actions.

In South Dakota, GOP Lawmaker Calls For Segregating People By Religion - The Intellectualist

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

Isn't ironic that those who call themselves "people of faith," are completely motivated by ear and hate?

74-Year-Old Man Accused of Getting His Entire Church High on Weed Cookies - MUNCHIES

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

As far as I'm concerned, he did everyone a favor. If more Christians smoked weed, we'd have fewer radicals.

So, it's tax time again.

Benthoven comments on Jan 22, 2018:

I feel like we focus way too much on the "lowest" of the welfare recipients when the greatest amount of social welfare goes to the top. We capitalize income, and socialize risk, so that the wealthy are always protected at the expense of the poor. The amount of money we pay for those who abuse the welfare system is nothing compared to the money we lose to corporations not paying taxes, hiding money, taking advantage of massive tax breaks, keeping wages low...

How does a nice Facebook post get slandered by two people?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I'm inclined to agree with you... These two people seem toxic to me, and it would probably be helpful to just get them out of your life.

Who is your favorite atheist comedian?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Bill Maher, hands down.

What are your comfort food, activities, items when you are sick? What makes you feel better?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

French Fries... They are potatoes offering themselves to us as a way to bring us both happiness.

Am I alone?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I live alone, I eat alone, I drink alone, I sleep alone. Been that way for a really long time. So we can be together in our aloneness.

Televangelist is giddy like a child over his new private jet: ‘You and Jesus bought this!’ – ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

And yet Jesus can't even send a sandwich to the starving kids in this pastor's own congregation.

Should money continued to being spent on a mission to Mars when so much money is needed for research...

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Believe it or not, we spend more money on Lip Balm, according to NdGT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V82B0YFCRbc

Do You Believe The World Will End, Or We Face Global Extinction?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

The world will end in a few billion years when it's swallowed up by our sun. We, as a species, won't be here when that happens. It's highly likely that we won't last another century. The earth is not in trouble as people say it is... Earth will do what it always does... keep evolving and balancing itself out. Some other form of life may may find the new atmosphere perfect for its evolution.

If Agnostic had a potluck, what would you bring?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Deviled Eggs, Deviled Ham, Angel Food Cake deConverted, and three small children for BBQ!

It’s amazing to me that people think that this rock we call Earth they believe is only place were ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

The operative word here is, "if"! The odds that we will ever be able to span those distances are, pardon the pun, astronomical. Plus there's the issue of how we travel. We can send robots, who don't need oxygen, food, light, and can go on for generations as long as they need to. Biologically, at least as we are right now, we cant do it. I'm hopeful that it "could" happen, but I suspect we're far more likely to cause ourselves to go extinct before that happens. Which, by the way, if we could travel the galaxies, we might come upon several other species who have eradicated themselves on their way to a technological society.

Why don’t facts change people’s minds? | Varsity

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I'm always fascinated by how hard people try to use logic and facts when dealing with some of these people.

You voted what?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I think I would have to find someone who would date me first.

I'm not as familiar with this British comedian as I am of others, but the points presented in this ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I feel like this vlogger is a little too hung up on semantics. There are plenty of differences between atheists and agnostics, and that whole idea of "knowing," is just a small part of it. For me, personally, it's the sense of mystery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos

I need a little advice, can you help me?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I'm wonder if there's an attorney you could talk to about this. It strikes me as illegal for him to do what he says he's going to do. Attorneys are expensive, but maybe someone could offer you some good legal advice pro bono.

What’s your tragic flaw?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I have a feeling that if my enemy was super sexy I'd have a hard time. I'd be like, "I can't destroy him, he's gorgeous."

What’s your tragic flaw?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Does Vodka count?

How hard is it to compliment people instead of critizing?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Once upon a time... ;)

What is you carbon footprint?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I guess that depends on what kind of a day I'm having.

If there is a god do you think he favors other people over other people? I do.

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Well, God favors my sports teams, loves me regardless of what an ass I am, and likes everyone I like and hates everyone I hate.

Ancient Aliens

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I miss the day when you could watch the History Channel and actually learn something.

The Bible Says The World Will End On June 24th 2018

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

AGAIN? I'm not getting burned by that again. The last time they said the world was ending I quit showering. I lost all my friends. Not gonna fall for that one twice.

What was your favorite television show when you were young?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

Bewitched. I loved that show as a kid. As an adult I watched it again. I like some of the story lines, but I have to admit, the writing back then was so horrible. That being said, I still love Red Dwarf from the BBC. It seem almost funnier now than when I was a kid. (Of course I get more of the humor now.)

When Is It Time For Sex?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I think that any time that ends in "o'clock" is the perfect time to have sex.

We always heard the scientists say "the universe is expanding" and since there is "nothingness" ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

We're expanding into nothing. When asked where it's going it says, "nowhere." When asked what it's doing it says, "nothing." Nothing's a lot of work. You can do nothing all day and still have tons of nothing left to do.

In regards to the Creation myth, Man was made in God's image so why would God specifically pick the ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

In Genesis 1:3—2:4, the first story of creation, God creates the Earth, and the animals and finally humankind. Very little fanfare is made over the creation of humankind. In fact, there’s really no separation between them. Genesis 1:26-27 puts it succinctly: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This brings up some questions. First of all, who is “us”? Who was God talking to and what did he mean by “image” since God apparently doesn’t have an image? The second question is, “Who is man?” The verse says that “God created man in his image,” and then goes on to say “male and female he created them.” The author doesn’t tell us if both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, or if Adam was in the image of God, and Eve was in the image of Adam. Is the author of the first creation story saying that man and women were created at the same time and both in the image of God? Or is it making the case that Adam was both male and female starting out and then somehow separated by God? How did God create the female in this story and what was the timeline? If God did create Adam and Eve (men and women) in his image, at the same time, then is God a hermaphrodite, so that both men and women looked like him in one way or another. The first author (P) is fairly nondescript. In the second creation story, Genesis 2:4—25 God (YHWH), forms Adam first, before anything else. “And no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground - the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” YHWH, goes on to create a garden (Eden) for Adam to live in. in the middle of the garden, he places two trees: the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Almost immediately after Adam is in the garden, YHWH starts to rethink creation. In the first story of creation, Elohim ended every creative session (each day) with the phrase “and God (Elohim) saw that it was good.” That is not how YHWH felt after creating Adam. In fact, the first thing out of his mouth was: “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” With Adam in the garden, and the foliage ...

I still don’t understand how religion works.

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I don't think anybody does. That's what makes it successful.

Witchcraft and Magic?

Benthoven comments on Jan 20, 2018:

I used to "dabble" in it. I even went so far as to buy a cauldron. Alas, it didn't really do much good. But I did have some fun times playing with fire.

First Date Red Flags

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

If they continue to drink too much on your dates (and if they drive) If they're asses to the waitstaff. If they don't tip. If they talk about others. If they admit that they've cheated on their recent partners. If they like Country and Western Music (Or Jazz Fusion). If they flirt with the waiter on our date.

Religion is __________(finish the line)

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Noigiler spelled backwards.

Do you think atheists are actively seeking to destroy religion, as many religious people claim?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I don't know how to answer that. Atheists, just like any group has a significant amount of diversity, so to answer this question is to make a sort of sweeping generalization. Still, there are things I see in atheist blogs, videos, and comments on this site that I do find frustrating. Very often I see the same sort of "dogma" that I see in religious people (for example: "Jesus never existed" when the preponderance of evidence suggested he did). I've seen atheist comments expressing outrage at capitalizing God even when used as a proper noun. I see atheists suggesting lists of words that should no longer be spoken. I see the same self-righteousness in many atheists that I see in religious people. Which is ironic, since religion is trying to destroy atheism, atheism seems to be doing the exact same thing. This is another reason I continue to call myself agnostic. It embraces the mystery and tries to avoid various types of dogma.

What's Sacred to You?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Be kind. Be smart and kind... to other and yourself. I say, "we learn to love others by loving ourselves, and we learn to love ourselves by loving others."

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

And by REM fans as a really good song.

How do you let your hair go grey gracefully?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Grey? Gracefully? When people ask me what my hair color is I tell them Mrs. Clairol Number 44!

Piercings? Yea or Nay?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

It's a personal choice. I personally don't find it all that appealing, but they're not doing it for me, and that's important to remember. That being said, I do think that, as an employer, I should have some say as to how much I think is appropriate based on my customer base.

What Is Your Favorite Food or Dish?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Pizza. Bacon Cheese Burgers, Pizza, Spaghetti, Pizza, Nachos, Pizza, Vodka, Pizza!

I just saw Trump supporters being interviewed.

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Reason will never work with these guys. If they could reason they wouldn't be defending Trump in the first place... let alone looking for answer in the Bible.

My roommate is a devout christian, who happens to be gay.

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I spent over fifteen years in various forms of Reparative Therapy, and I can tell you, the mind of the gay Christian is a mess. We're taught from a young age that God is loves us, so much so that he killed his son because we could never be good enough for him. He loves us so much that he wants to send us to hell and torture us forever and ever and ever... amen! So we can't leave God because he will for sure send us to hell, but we can't quit being gay because... well... it's just not possible. So we have to find ways to make "us" okay in the eyes of God, spurred on by his torturous, murderous children. Logic can't resolve that struggle. It's a deep emotional misalignment that tortures your roommate though he don't dare admit that... again, that would piss God off. Have you noticed, however, that in the Old Testament, God has no problem with woman on woman sex. Showing once and for all that God is a man. On the upside, though. We have no records of any Jewish "criminal" being stoned for being gay, so there's that. But when my friends insist that it meant something else, I tell them it didn't. That is the Bible's stance.

Is there a meaning to life? If so, what is it?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

There is a "secret" to life. And the secret to life is to keep the secret.

My kids came home from school a few weeks back and the topic of dinosaurs came up and one of the ...

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Which begs the question, am I a reptile or an amphibian? (See, cause I'm a dinosaur... ... sigh)

I know there are many other choices.

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

If life ever comes down to those two options, then I will make a decision, but for now, I'm hoping that we can come up with something that honors all people and protects our right to express ourselves without stifling the "selves" of others.

Are you on here because you are anti-religion, or confused/disbelieving about divinity?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Or it's just fun to have conversations about things I have in common with others. I love talking about concepts and ideas that don't have to end with, "Well, the Bible says..."

So true!

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I'm going to need to see your evidence there... ;)

Are Internet social networks that important to you? How

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Yes and no. It's a lot of fun to chat with people of diverse cultures and ideas... even if that means we don't always agree. But on the other hand, it's very important to have actual social networks, otherwise we don't make those connections that are so vital to human growth and happiness.

Presumed to be religious.

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I don't notice it that much. But then I use words like "evolved," "evolution," "uncertainty," "praise be to Darwin," "for the love of Science," "Bad Girls is still Donna Summer's best album."

What's your favorite pizza?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Deep dish pepperoni and Cheese. Or cheese and pepperoni. I'm okay with extra cheese and pepperoni, or extra pepperoni and cheese, or even extra cheese and extra pepperoni. Once I had a cheese and pepperoni - cheese and pepperoni - cheese and pepperoni... I thought I'd died and gone to... um... died and gone to... um... I thought I'd gotten the best pizza in the world.

What the hell happens when I follow someone here? I feel stalkerish lol

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

I have no idea. I think it goes into a special 'tube' in case the person you're following makes a wild left turn and leaves you stranded in the Bronx.

Atheistic Orgasms What's the biggest problem for an atheist?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Bleshssthed are the poor in thspirit, for theirth ith the kingdom of heaven. Bleshssthed are the meekies, for they will inferit zeee earth <hic>. Bleshssthed are thothse who hunger and thirst for righteouthsnesths, for they will be <braacckkk> filled. “Peter, why are there two of you… Pull yourself together” ~ Jesus trying to give his Beatitudes speech after the Wedding Feast at Cana where he turned water into wine.

Who, in your opinion, is the most overrated "great" actor?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Russell Crowe. I've never been able to understand what people saw in him. I liked a couple of his movies, but he had a great supporting cast. Him and Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise just played Tom Cruise all the time, and apparently people liked that.

What is the scariest thing you've ever done.

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Went back to Montana to visit my family for the first time in twenty years.

What's Sacred to You?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Life terrifies me... almost as much as death. Needless to say I can find paradox pretty frightening.

What’s the best thing that happened to you today?

Benthoven comments on Jan 18, 2018:

Does waking up sober count?