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God doesn't suck because IT doesn't exist. So that just leaves HIS followers.
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
My friends and family are always quick to tell me that the reason I don't believe in God is that I'm somehow angry with him. I simply respond by saying, "Being angry with God is like being angry with Santa, or the Easter Bunny. It's a wicked waste of good hate."
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
My friends and family are always quick to tell me that the reason I don't believe in God is that I'm somehow angry with him. I simply respond by saying, "Being angry with God is like being angry with Santa, or the Easter Bunny. It's a wicked waste of good hate."
Do you like dirty jokes?
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
My favorite dirty joke is one I learned in grade school: "A pig fell in the mud."
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
My favorite dirty joke is one I learned in grade school: "A pig fell in the mud."
Texas Mall Owner To Install Ten Commandments Monument
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
Just once I wish they'd actually READ those commandments. Then they'd get why it's so absurd.
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
Just once I wish they'd actually READ those commandments. Then they'd get why it's so absurd.
Meghan and Harry are engaged.
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
And here I was singing to myself, "Some day my Prince will come..." Stupid Disney. They tricked me again.
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
And here I was singing to myself, "Some day my Prince will come..." Stupid Disney. They tricked me again.
This made me giggle this morning :)
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
An old roommate had a black cat for a pet. His name was Pixie. He was wonderful... but just a little devious.
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
An old roommate had a black cat for a pet. His name was Pixie. He was wonderful... but just a little devious.
Does it almost make you cringe to think about the idea of worshiping a God?
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
Not if that God was Brad Pitt.
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
Not if that God was Brad Pitt.
Do you consider Atheism to be a religion or a belief system?
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
I use the metaphor of an app, or a piece of software on the computer. Beliefs are merely apps that we either install, or get installed for us. To say that I "don't believe in God," simply means I have either uninstalled that app, or never had it installed in the first place.
Beliefs are created in the absence of facts and data. I don't believe in the sun, the earth is round, or that it orbits the sun. I don't believe those because I don't need to. Those things that require beliefs do so in the absence of enough evidence. It's baked into the cake and therefore necessary, but when we are aware of what they are, we're more willing to challenge them when actual information comes along.
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
I use the metaphor of an app, or a piece of software on the computer. Beliefs are merely apps that we either install, or get installed for us. To say that I "don't believe in God," simply means I have either uninstalled that app, or never had it installed in the first place.
Beliefs are created in the absence of facts and data. I don't believe in the sun, the earth is round, or that it orbits the sun. I don't believe those because I don't need to. Those things that require beliefs do so in the absence of enough evidence. It's baked into the cake and therefore necessary, but when we are aware of what they are, we're more willing to challenge them when actual information comes along.
"I'd rather leave this world today thinking God exists and finding out that he doesn't, than not ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
I suspect that the second option is false. If there's no life after death, then there's no way you're going to "find out" he doesn't exist. I think it's one of those propositions where you can leave the world thinking God exists, and never know that the premise was false.
Benthoven comments on Nov 28, 2017:
I suspect that the second option is false. If there's no life after death, then there's no way you're going to "find out" he doesn't exist. I think it's one of those propositions where you can leave the world thinking God exists, and never know that the premise was false.
What are your views on marriage and its association to Religion?
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
I think marriage goes deeper than that. As we evolved, we started to understand the consequences of our actions. While men loved to spread their seed everywhere, it was women who would be tied down with the product of that seed. So psychologically, we made a trade off. Men would help to take care of their families. In return, the men wanted virgins to assure that the offspring was theirs. All of this would work toward protecting the offspring until they too could come to the age of viability.
Of course marriage as we view it today is the product of tens of thousands of years of humankind working out ways in which to help one generation survive the next. Religion, of course, had to go and turn it into something "moral" and then put all kinds of parameters on top of it so that they could call anything that didn't fit their mold sin.
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
I think marriage goes deeper than that. As we evolved, we started to understand the consequences of our actions. While men loved to spread their seed everywhere, it was women who would be tied down with the product of that seed. So psychologically, we made a trade off. Men would help to take care of their families. In return, the men wanted virgins to assure that the offspring was theirs. All of this would work toward protecting the offspring until they too could come to the age of viability.
Of course marriage as we view it today is the product of tens of thousands of years of humankind working out ways in which to help one generation survive the next. Religion, of course, had to go and turn it into something "moral" and then put all kinds of parameters on top of it so that they could call anything that didn't fit their mold sin.
Do you think there needs to be a creator to explain the universe ?
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
But then who (or what) created the creator? It's one of those questions that simply leads us into a paradox. If we're a simulation, then technically, we have a creator (or several of them). One thing is for certain, though. If there is a creator, it's completely apathetic when it comes to this little planet.
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
But then who (or what) created the creator? It's one of those questions that simply leads us into a paradox. If we're a simulation, then technically, we have a creator (or several of them). One thing is for certain, though. If there is a creator, it's completely apathetic when it comes to this little planet.
Are there any atheist's or agnostics out there like me who enjoy gospel music.
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
I grew up on Christian music, and there are still artists that I enjoy, even to this day. Not gospel though. That was never one of my choices. But bands like Second Chapter, Petra, Steve Taylor, I still listen to from time to time.
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
I grew up on Christian music, and there are still artists that I enjoy, even to this day. Not gospel though. That was never one of my choices. But bands like Second Chapter, Petra, Steve Taylor, I still listen to from time to time.
Ever feel like you’re just in a boat drifting off somewhere without a destination in mind?
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
Yes, and my boat is barely holding out. My sails are sagging, my motor is running out of gas, I can no longer see my bow, and my stern can be seen from space. When I look port or starboard all I see is stern. When I look aft, all I see is stern. And my gunwale is just "whale." I used to have propellers, but they gave up in exhaustion.
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
Yes, and my boat is barely holding out. My sails are sagging, my motor is running out of gas, I can no longer see my bow, and my stern can be seen from space. When I look port or starboard all I see is stern. When I look aft, all I see is stern. And my gunwale is just "whale." I used to have propellers, but they gave up in exhaustion.
Hello Mayor! You can change any 3 things about the city you live in. What are they?
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
The RENT! OMG, the rents are insane. That would take up my top three...
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
The RENT! OMG, the rents are insane. That would take up my top three...
Why does evil exist?
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
I'm not sure that it does, but only that we don't understand life. For example, it's death that drives evolution. Without death, there would be no need to evolve. From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense that animals would draw their energy from other life forms already here. Yet even there, we don't see "evil." Most animals kill what they need to eat or for their own safety. I know that there are certain behaviors, especially among primate families. I think that has something to do with intelligence. When you can think for yourself, you can make a lot of wrong decisions that bring harm. And when you don't think about "why" you act, that is the very definition of "evil..." doing unto others without any conception of what that means to them.
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
I'm not sure that it does, but only that we don't understand life. For example, it's death that drives evolution. Without death, there would be no need to evolve. From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense that animals would draw their energy from other life forms already here. Yet even there, we don't see "evil." Most animals kill what they need to eat or for their own safety. I know that there are certain behaviors, especially among primate families. I think that has something to do with intelligence. When you can think for yourself, you can make a lot of wrong decisions that bring harm. And when you don't think about "why" you act, that is the very definition of "evil..." doing unto others without any conception of what that means to them.
People who get offended over everything needs to learn that life is not always about them.
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
Dammit! Now I'm offended. ;)
I have a saying that I use often: "I may have PUSHED your buttons, but I didn't install them."
Benthoven comments on Nov 26, 2017:
Dammit! Now I'm offended. ;)
I have a saying that I use often: "I may have PUSHED your buttons, but I didn't install them."
Just some Thanksgiving fun from wkrp.
[youtu.be]
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
That show brings back memories.
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
That show brings back memories.
Does anyone else have mixed feelings this Thanksgiving what we celebrate with our friends and ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
I've never been all that big on Thanksgiving. Most of my family are extreme Evangelicals, and the thought of spending any time with them at all is just painful. As soon as I was old enough to make my own decisions, I chose to avoid Thanksgiving dinners at all cost. My mom and my sister and I get along really well, but that's it. We choose Christmas to get together because it's less stressful for all us.
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
I've never been all that big on Thanksgiving. Most of my family are extreme Evangelicals, and the thought of spending any time with them at all is just painful. As soon as I was old enough to make my own decisions, I chose to avoid Thanksgiving dinners at all cost. My mom and my sister and I get along really well, but that's it. We choose Christmas to get together because it's less stressful for all us.
I saw a post regarding parody religions.
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
While you're religion sounds great, I'm actually ordained in the "Church of the Latter Day Dude!" The Dude abides.
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
While you're religion sounds great, I'm actually ordained in the "Church of the Latter Day Dude!" The Dude abides.
Does anyone think witches are religious?
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
Bart Simpson: Lisa made me do it! She used a witch's spell!
Lisa Simpson: It's called Wicca and it's empowering!
Bart Simpson: Wicca's just a Hollywood fad!
Lisa Simpson: You're thinking of Kabbalah, you jerk!
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
Bart Simpson: Lisa made me do it! She used a witch's spell!
Lisa Simpson: It's called Wicca and it's empowering!
Bart Simpson: Wicca's just a Hollywood fad!
Lisa Simpson: You're thinking of Kabbalah, you jerk!
So let's talk Nihilism.
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
So are you saying, "Go ahead and have that second piece of pie"?
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
So are you saying, "Go ahead and have that second piece of pie"?
There could be a higher power maybe we would refer to it as god.
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
All Christians walk the walk... regardless. That's the beauty of religion. They get to pick which scriptures are important to them and which ones aren't. The KKK, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, all use the exact same bible that Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King, and C.S. Lewis used. The only thing that separates any of these people is/are the scriptures they chose to embrace.
They all use the same holy book and that book has scriptures that will support whatever they desire, whether compassionate or heinous.
Benthoven comments on Nov 23, 2017:
All Christians walk the walk... regardless. That's the beauty of religion. They get to pick which scriptures are important to them and which ones aren't. The KKK, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, all use the exact same bible that Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King, and C.S. Lewis used. The only thing that separates any of these people is/are the scriptures they chose to embrace.
They all use the same holy book and that book has scriptures that will support whatever they desire, whether compassionate or heinous.
Just because I am an atheist does not mean I subscribe to all of the hardcore Liberal policies ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
Atheists and Agnostics can just as easily be Conservative. Hopefully not to the point of throwing science out the window.
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
Atheists and Agnostics can just as easily be Conservative. Hopefully not to the point of throwing science out the window.
What do fellow members do for a living?
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
I've been trying to figure that out for quite a while. But essential I write: ads, copy, Web content... comments on Web sites and blogs, and books and novels.
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
I've been trying to figure that out for quite a while. But essential I write: ads, copy, Web content... comments on Web sites and blogs, and books and novels.
I'm tired of religious wars.
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
Without religion people would probably be less inclined to fight. Without the promise of an afterlife, I suspect people would be less likely to send their families into battle... or go themselves. They'd start demanding that all political options had been exhausted first. And then we might not have a military complex that uses war to make itself insanely wealthy.
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
Without religion people would probably be less inclined to fight. Without the promise of an afterlife, I suspect people would be less likely to send their families into battle... or go themselves. They'd start demanding that all political options had been exhausted first. And then we might not have a military complex that uses war to make itself insanely wealthy.
Does your fur crawl when someone says they'll "give it their 110%"?
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
If you have to use the term, "think outside the box," then you're NOT thinking outside the box.
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
If you have to use the term, "think outside the box," then you're NOT thinking outside the box.
I posted the question," Should we educate or exterminate religious people?
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
So what makes you different than the religious fanatic who kills those who don't follow their ideology. Why... even in a hypothetical question, would extermination even be an option?
This is a pretty disturbing question and not one that I would expect from a reasonable person.
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
So what makes you different than the religious fanatic who kills those who don't follow their ideology. Why... even in a hypothetical question, would extermination even be an option?
This is a pretty disturbing question and not one that I would expect from a reasonable person.
Do you believe in mind over matter?
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
Not sure if I believe in "mind over matter," but I'm pretty sure I believe in "life after love."
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
Not sure if I believe in "mind over matter," but I'm pretty sure I believe in "life after love."
Do you ever get goosebumps when you listen to a good song?
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
The final movement to Beethoven's 5th Symphony...
Benthoven comments on Nov 21, 2017:
The final movement to Beethoven's 5th Symphony...
Is it me or does it seem some religious people are obsessed with death?
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
Death is just Nature's way of saying you've got to slow down.
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
Death is just Nature's way of saying you've got to slow down.
Why do people keep asking about God ?
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
"God" has been with us presumably since we became conscious, which makes it our go-to position. I suspect it's going to be a while before we are able to overturn the concept in favor of something better and more empowering.
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
"God" has been with us presumably since we became conscious, which makes it our go-to position. I suspect it's going to be a while before we are able to overturn the concept in favor of something better and more empowering.
How do I help “deprogram” my husband’s “guilt” from Catholic upbringing.
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
I feel that there are a lot of ex-theists in our nation who are suffering from various forms of PTSD (and I'm not being hyperbolic). The effect that religion has had on us throughout our lifetimes has been traumatic, and dealing with it will probably take some help... even the help of a professional. In fact, I would love to see a branch of psychology dedicated to those who've been subjected to religion in their childhood.
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
I feel that there are a lot of ex-theists in our nation who are suffering from various forms of PTSD (and I'm not being hyperbolic). The effect that religion has had on us throughout our lifetimes has been traumatic, and dealing with it will probably take some help... even the help of a professional. In fact, I would love to see a branch of psychology dedicated to those who've been subjected to religion in their childhood.
Is anyone else fed up with people using their religion as an excuse to discriminate?
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
I think that's why religion was created in the first place... to justify the ugliness of certain behaviors. Wanna marry lots of women? Boom, create a religion. Wanna go into a country and kill men women child and beast? Boom, create a religion. Wanna force women to be your total slave with no power of her own? Boom, create a religion. All things evil are justified in scripture because that's why scriptures exist.
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
I think that's why religion was created in the first place... to justify the ugliness of certain behaviors. Wanna marry lots of women? Boom, create a religion. Wanna go into a country and kill men women child and beast? Boom, create a religion. Wanna force women to be your total slave with no power of her own? Boom, create a religion. All things evil are justified in scripture because that's why scriptures exist.
How can Christians have one father in heaven and one on Earth and say that gay parents are ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
That's just the tip of the iceberg. Ezekiel 16 compares Israel to an abandoned baby (girl) whom God took in, and when she was of age, he dressed her up, poured perfumes on her and then... well... you know. (That's a sort of transgender/gay/bi/poly... weird sex).
In Hosea we get more disturbing imagery. "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” (Again, talking about Israel.)
The song of songs is called by theologians a love story between God and the Church. This passage: "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love-making is sweeter than wine..."
Jesus refers to himself the Bridegroom, and his followers the Bride. Paul comes right and says they're the "Bride of Christ." John the Revelator even goes so far as to say that God demands they be virgins: “These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes:"
Which is probably why Christians hate gay relationships so much. They don't want to admit that they're in one.
Benthoven comments on Nov 20, 2017:
That's just the tip of the iceberg. Ezekiel 16 compares Israel to an abandoned baby (girl) whom God took in, and when she was of age, he dressed her up, poured perfumes on her and then... well... you know. (That's a sort of transgender/gay/bi/poly... weird sex).
In Hosea we get more disturbing imagery. "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” (Again, talking about Israel.)
The song of songs is called by theologians a love story between God and the Church. This passage: "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love-making is sweeter than wine..."
Jesus refers to himself the Bridegroom, and his followers the Bride. Paul comes right and says they're the "Bride of Christ." John the Revelator even goes so far as to say that God demands they be virgins: “These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes:"
Which is probably why Christians hate gay relationships so much. They don't want to admit that they're in one.
In love, how much does money matter?
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
Money is a concept... it has absolutely no meaning, and yet we've made it EVERYTHING. We measure natural disasters in cost, even before life lost. Health care... if you want to live... you need to be able to afford it. Homes, food, heat, air conditioning... all come with a cost. Even art depends upon benefactors. Beethoven, Mozart, Bach... all relied on the patronage system. One of the greatest movies ever made (in my "humble" opinion): Monty Python's Life of Brian, wouldn't have happened if George Harrison didn't dump a lot of cash into the production. My brother-in-law, a Marine who was killed in the C-130 crash over Mississippi... insured by Cigna was denied his life insurance because he was active duty... in other words, Cigan was looking for a way NOT to pay out what they owed. Money is life and death. As Benjamin Franklin said, we have two sureties in life... death and taxes (money).
The number one reason sports hunters defend Trump's reversal of the Trophy Hunter's Ban is... you guessed it ... money. The reason Rhinoceros' and elephants are near extinction... money. The reason we refuse to address Climate Change... you guessed it... money.
I'm sorry, I know I'm beating this to death, but there's a reason... Money is at the heart of everything we do: art, medicine, survival. So while we like to think we're "above" it, we're not. Money means survival, and when there's not enough, we live in the shadow of extinction. That causes stress... stress causes all kinds of other problems. Love cannot overcome those deep and embedded problems. But WE can. However, it's not likely to happen soon.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
Money is a concept... it has absolutely no meaning, and yet we've made it EVERYTHING. We measure natural disasters in cost, even before life lost. Health care... if you want to live... you need to be able to afford it. Homes, food, heat, air conditioning... all come with a cost. Even art depends upon benefactors. Beethoven, Mozart, Bach... all relied on the patronage system. One of the greatest movies ever made (in my "humble" opinion): Monty Python's Life of Brian, wouldn't have happened if George Harrison didn't dump a lot of cash into the production. My brother-in-law, a Marine who was killed in the C-130 crash over Mississippi... insured by Cigna was denied his life insurance because he was active duty... in other words, Cigan was looking for a way NOT to pay out what they owed. Money is life and death. As Benjamin Franklin said, we have two sureties in life... death and taxes (money).
The number one reason sports hunters defend Trump's reversal of the Trophy Hunter's Ban is... you guessed it ... money. The reason Rhinoceros' and elephants are near extinction... money. The reason we refuse to address Climate Change... you guessed it... money.
I'm sorry, I know I'm beating this to death, but there's a reason... Money is at the heart of everything we do: art, medicine, survival. So while we like to think we're "above" it, we're not. Money means survival, and when there's not enough, we live in the shadow of extinction. That causes stress... stress causes all kinds of other problems. Love cannot overcome those deep and embedded problems. But WE can. However, it's not likely to happen soon.
The older I get the more I realize how much religion has been used As a means of control.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
I think that religion is created by humans to justify their behaviors. Want to have lots of wives... boom, create a religion that allows that. Want to harm and abuse women... boom, create a religion that justifies that. Want to go into a country and kill men women child and beast... boom, create a religion that justifies that.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
I think that religion is created by humans to justify their behaviors. Want to have lots of wives... boom, create a religion that allows that. Want to harm and abuse women... boom, create a religion that justifies that. Want to go into a country and kill men women child and beast... boom, create a religion that justifies that.
I am more convinced than ever, some believers prefer to look stupid than admit the contradictions ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
We invest a lot in our beliefs, sometimes our entire lives. I think the last thing we want to do is admit that we've wasted our lives holding onto that ideology.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
We invest a lot in our beliefs, sometimes our entire lives. I think the last thing we want to do is admit that we've wasted our lives holding onto that ideology.
Weapons
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
Wit... If you can talk yourself out of a conflict in the first place, then self-defense is much easier.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
Wit... If you can talk yourself out of a conflict in the first place, then self-defense is much easier.
I got proselytized at work by 2 of my managers.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
I see elephants in tutus vacuuming the house with their nose in my dreams. I would never claim that those are real.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
I see elephants in tutus vacuuming the house with their nose in my dreams. I would never claim that those are real.
If you're were a needle that could thread your tapestry of life? What you you look like?
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
Like a pile of thread attacked by a blind man.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
Like a pile of thread attacked by a blind man.
I don't celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas at all.
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
I don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but I love Christmas. I love the lights, the decorations, and all the bright colors. I even like the music. In fact, I'll be singing "the weather outside is frightful" in the middle of July. I am also drawn to the mythology of Santa, and the idea that people can come through for each other and do good (which they can even when it isn't Christmas).
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
I don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but I love Christmas. I love the lights, the decorations, and all the bright colors. I even like the music. In fact, I'll be singing "the weather outside is frightful" in the middle of July. I am also drawn to the mythology of Santa, and the idea that people can come through for each other and do good (which they can even when it isn't Christmas).
Why do we have the arrogance to call ourselves intelligent, when most of our species is at one time ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
There's "intelligence," or IQ, and then there's emotional intelligence.
https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-Matter-More-Than/dp/055338371X/
Although I think it's a safe assumption to say that "intelligence" isn't universal. As one of the smartest men who ever lived once observed, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Einstein
Benthoven comments on Nov 18, 2017:
There's "intelligence," or IQ, and then there's emotional intelligence.
https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-Matter-More-Than/dp/055338371X/
Although I think it's a safe assumption to say that "intelligence" isn't universal. As one of the smartest men who ever lived once observed, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Einstein
Does any one else notice that praying and most things religions claim to do only comfort the ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
But if the prayer needs comfort? Prayer is an appeal to something bigger than we are. We know ourselves consciously, but underneath all that is something much bigger. Our brains are making decisions and working out scenarios and scanning our surroundings in ways that we never know. If we "pray," or ask for admission to some of those resources, it's possible that we could make some significant inroads into our challenges.
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
But if the prayer needs comfort? Prayer is an appeal to something bigger than we are. We know ourselves consciously, but underneath all that is something much bigger. Our brains are making decisions and working out scenarios and scanning our surroundings in ways that we never know. If we "pray," or ask for admission to some of those resources, it's possible that we could make some significant inroads into our challenges.
Anyone else watch atheist channels on YouTube?
I like Tj Kirk (aka The Amazing Atheist)
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
Not really. They're all pretty much saying the same thing... and they're not even creative about how they approach their invectives.
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
Not really. They're all pretty much saying the same thing... and they're not even creative about how they approach their invectives.
Are religious people afraid of science because god lives in the gaps?
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
Whenever I have a discussion with a theist, these five questions come up in one form or another pretty much every time:
1.) Why are we here?
2.) What’s our purpose in life?
3.) Why is there pain and suffering in the world?
4.) When and how will it all end?
5.) What happens after we die?
The "bible" answers those questions in such a way that gives them comfort. There's an answer to each one of those. If they accept science, particularly evolution, then those answer go away. I think that ultimately, those questions/answers lie at the heart of their resistance.
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
Whenever I have a discussion with a theist, these five questions come up in one form or another pretty much every time:
1.) Why are we here?
2.) What’s our purpose in life?
3.) Why is there pain and suffering in the world?
4.) When and how will it all end?
5.) What happens after we die?
The "bible" answers those questions in such a way that gives them comfort. There's an answer to each one of those. If they accept science, particularly evolution, then those answer go away. I think that ultimately, those questions/answers lie at the heart of their resistance.
Do you ever look at someone and just know they're a Christian?
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
There are tells: The giant-assed flag in the back of their truck. Trump bumper stickers. Gun racks. Racist stickers. Naked girl mud flaps.
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
There are tells: The giant-assed flag in the back of their truck. Trump bumper stickers. Gun racks. Racist stickers. Naked girl mud flaps.
Favourite Relgion, Atheism Quotes ?
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in him would believe in anything.
—Unknown
Prayer has no place in the public schools, just like facts have no place in organized religion.
—School Superintendent Chalmers on The Simpsons
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in him would believe in anything.
—Unknown
Prayer has no place in the public schools, just like facts have no place in organized religion.
—School Superintendent Chalmers on The Simpsons
Favourite Relgion, Atheism Quotes ?
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
Don't you know there ain't no devil, it's just god when he's drunk.
—Tom Waits
Benthoven comments on Nov 16, 2017:
Don't you know there ain't no devil, it's just god when he's drunk.
—Tom Waits
Commitment.
Benthoven comments on Nov 15, 2017:
First of all, why are they in jail?
Benthoven comments on Nov 15, 2017:
First of all, why are they in jail?
Some important food for thought on tone in discourse about our non-religiousness.
Benthoven comments on Nov 15, 2017:
I actively avoid Reddit. That is one of the worst places to try and have a civilized discussion about anything. You could post about how beautiful puppies are, only to end up fighting for your life from cat trolls.
That being said, there is a tendency to be dismissive and cavalier toward others. Not just toward theists, but other non-theists as well. As an agnostic, I take a lot of flack from atheists for my "inability to make a commitment." Some can't even bring themselves to capitalize God when used as a proper noun.
Benthoven comments on Nov 15, 2017:
I actively avoid Reddit. That is one of the worst places to try and have a civilized discussion about anything. You could post about how beautiful puppies are, only to end up fighting for your life from cat trolls.
That being said, there is a tendency to be dismissive and cavalier toward others. Not just toward theists, but other non-theists as well. As an agnostic, I take a lot of flack from atheists for my "inability to make a commitment." Some can't even bring themselves to capitalize God when used as a proper noun.
What does it mean to be open/closed minded?
Benthoven comments on Nov 13, 2017:
For me, I think it's about beliefs. Beliefs are basically giant generalizations we make about the world around us. It's baked into the cake. it's the way the mind works. And from an evolutionary standpoint, it seems to makes sense. I've read that we have thousands of thoughts ever day: between fifty and seventy-thousand thoughts per day. It makes sense that the mind is going to try and find a way to simplify things.
Where we become "narrow," is where we refuse to challenge our beliefs, even in the presence of data. So, to me, holding onto an ideology even in the presence of data and facts... that's narrow mindedness.
Benthoven comments on Nov 13, 2017:
For me, I think it's about beliefs. Beliefs are basically giant generalizations we make about the world around us. It's baked into the cake. it's the way the mind works. And from an evolutionary standpoint, it seems to makes sense. I've read that we have thousands of thoughts ever day: between fifty and seventy-thousand thoughts per day. It makes sense that the mind is going to try and find a way to simplify things.
Where we become "narrow," is where we refuse to challenge our beliefs, even in the presence of data. So, to me, holding onto an ideology even in the presence of data and facts... that's narrow mindedness.
I see faces in trees, rocks, moss, and other naturally occurring things.
Benthoven comments on Nov 12, 2017:
I'm a writer. I like to write occult-themed stories: ghosts, vampires, demons... So the things I see in the clouds and trees might have faces, but these faces make the world around me seem alive. I kind of get why the ancients, without scientific knowledge, might think that there were creatures in the forests and the world around them. I like it.
Benthoven comments on Nov 12, 2017:
I'm a writer. I like to write occult-themed stories: ghosts, vampires, demons... So the things I see in the clouds and trees might have faces, but these faces make the world around me seem alive. I kind of get why the ancients, without scientific knowledge, might think that there were creatures in the forests and the world around them. I like it.
"Has Evangelical Christianity Become Sociopathic?"
Benthoven comments on Nov 12, 2017:
I wanted to say "Duh" (tongue-in-cheek, not to be obnoxious). I don't think it's possible to run from reality as they try so hard to do, and not suffer some sort of psychological damage it. It's dangerous, and it affects all of us. As American citizens, we become unwitting visitors to their mental asylum.
Benthoven comments on Nov 12, 2017:
I wanted to say "Duh" (tongue-in-cheek, not to be obnoxious). I don't think it's possible to run from reality as they try so hard to do, and not suffer some sort of psychological damage it. It's dangerous, and it affects all of us. As American citizens, we become unwitting visitors to their mental asylum.
So my family knows some people connected to the church in San Antonio that just had the mass ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 12, 2017:
My brother-in-law was a marine, one of the sixteen killed in the C-130 accident over Mississippi. Out of the blue my sister started getting mail from people she didn't even know telling her about Jesus and how she needed to pray and giver her life over to him so that she could live forever. It was disgusting and gut-wrenching, and it pissed me off to now end.
And when we let our friends know, mostly through social media, many of our Christian friends responded by saying, without any sense of irony at all, "We're praying for your protection..." My sister and I both talked about it wondering how they didn't get that the reason all this happened was that we "weren't" protected in the first place. How could they no know that?
Benthoven comments on Nov 12, 2017:
My brother-in-law was a marine, one of the sixteen killed in the C-130 accident over Mississippi. Out of the blue my sister started getting mail from people she didn't even know telling her about Jesus and how she needed to pray and giver her life over to him so that she could live forever. It was disgusting and gut-wrenching, and it pissed me off to now end.
And when we let our friends know, mostly through social media, many of our Christian friends responded by saying, without any sense of irony at all, "We're praying for your protection..." My sister and I both talked about it wondering how they didn't get that the reason all this happened was that we "weren't" protected in the first place. How could they no know that?
Didn't you hear about the dyslexic devil worshiper? He abandoned his dog and sold his soul to santa
Benthoven comments on Nov 12, 2017:
I tried to sell my soul to Satan, but he sent me a rejection letter informing me that they were no longer looking for souls... But that he would keep my resume on file in case something opened up.
I wonder if I'm qualified for the job of anti-Christ.
Benthoven comments on Nov 12, 2017:
I tried to sell my soul to Satan, but he sent me a rejection letter informing me that they were no longer looking for souls... But that he would keep my resume on file in case something opened up.
I wonder if I'm qualified for the job of anti-Christ.
What would you tell your teen self if you could go back?
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
I'm not sure I could say anything that would be of much value. But he really needed someone to hear him, to deeply listen to him. I would try to do that.
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
I'm not sure I could say anything that would be of much value. But he really needed someone to hear him, to deeply listen to him. I would try to do that.
It's amazing how much control the fear of death holds over us.
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
I both fear it, and yet am intrigued by it. Though I think I'm more afraid of "dying" than I am death. I've had a lot of people close to me die, including my little brother when I was young, so I've seen it and been exposed to it from an early age. I've outlived many younger people who I was sure would be around after I had gone.
A few years ago I had a close call when they found a growth on one of my kidneys, and for a few days I didn't know if my expiration date was coming up or not. I remember strongly those feelings... most of which involved "not being around" to see my nephews grow up, or not being around to see the final Harry Potter movie.
I remember when I was younger I would lay on my back and hold my hands over my chest and try to be "dead," but I was always here. I've had dreams where I was facing death and was terrified. So for me, it's complicated. Part of me would love to come back and try to get things right this time, but part of me is comforted in the fact that once it's over, it's over. And part of me hopes that there's something on the other side that will help make this place make a little more sense.
Still, I love the Atticus quote: I hope to arrive to my death, late, in love, and a little drunk.
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
I both fear it, and yet am intrigued by it. Though I think I'm more afraid of "dying" than I am death. I've had a lot of people close to me die, including my little brother when I was young, so I've seen it and been exposed to it from an early age. I've outlived many younger people who I was sure would be around after I had gone.
A few years ago I had a close call when they found a growth on one of my kidneys, and for a few days I didn't know if my expiration date was coming up or not. I remember strongly those feelings... most of which involved "not being around" to see my nephews grow up, or not being around to see the final Harry Potter movie.
I remember when I was younger I would lay on my back and hold my hands over my chest and try to be "dead," but I was always here. I've had dreams where I was facing death and was terrified. So for me, it's complicated. Part of me would love to come back and try to get things right this time, but part of me is comforted in the fact that once it's over, it's over. And part of me hopes that there's something on the other side that will help make this place make a little more sense.
Still, I love the Atticus quote: I hope to arrive to my death, late, in love, and a little drunk.
Anyone a fan of multiverse theory?
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
The multi-verse theory indicates that in several possible universes I am a clown made out of candy. But in none of them do I dance.
~ Sheldon Cooper
Leonard: At least I didn't have to invent 26 dimensions just to make the math come out.
Sheldon: I didn't invent them. They're there.
Leonard: In what universe?
Sheldon: In all of them, that is the point!
Other than that, I really haven't given it much thought.
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
The multi-verse theory indicates that in several possible universes I am a clown made out of candy. But in none of them do I dance.
~ Sheldon Cooper
Leonard: At least I didn't have to invent 26 dimensions just to make the math come out.
Sheldon: I didn't invent them. They're there.
Leonard: In what universe?
Sheldon: In all of them, that is the point!
Other than that, I really haven't given it much thought.
why do some nonbelievers keep trying to reuse the word god?
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
God is a big word. It's been around for tens of thousands of years and has been ingrained in our psyche. It's pervasive... not just in our culture, but in our species. It's emotional. It evokes millions of thoughts in just those three letters. When talking about a gorgeous man, we call him a "Greek God." If it's a beautiful woman, a "Goddess." We use it as to curse. We use it as an interjection: Oh god!
But this bit of silliness also makes my point. God is so pervasive. Even people who don't believe in God, still use the word because of the many other connotations associated to it. I'm not sure it will ever be eradicated... but if we do re-purpose the word, then maybe we can take some of the actual sting out of it.
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
God is a big word. It's been around for tens of thousands of years and has been ingrained in our psyche. It's pervasive... not just in our culture, but in our species. It's emotional. It evokes millions of thoughts in just those three letters. When talking about a gorgeous man, we call him a "Greek God." If it's a beautiful woman, a "Goddess." We use it as to curse. We use it as an interjection: Oh god!
But this bit of silliness also makes my point. God is so pervasive. Even people who don't believe in God, still use the word because of the many other connotations associated to it. I'm not sure it will ever be eradicated... but if we do re-purpose the word, then maybe we can take some of the actual sting out of it.
Do you ever think about how cruel evolution is?
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
I have said often that the "universe" is an ironic b!tch.
But I am fascinated at evolution's decision on human beings to put the theme park in the middle of its sewage drainage system. Or its fascination with weird bodily sounds/emissions.
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
I have said often that the "universe" is an ironic b!tch.
But I am fascinated at evolution's decision on human beings to put the theme park in the middle of its sewage drainage system. Or its fascination with weird bodily sounds/emissions.
The struggle to find a partner...
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
As a gay man, growing up in a fundamentalist family, I spent most of my life in various forms of reparative therapy, so I couldn't really date in high school, college, and into my thirties... Which frustrates me as I look back because I was cute when I was younger, and guys liked me and came on to me... Now, I couldn't get laid in a bathhouse (joke, in case it didn't read that way).
There are so many people out there looking, you'd think we'd find something at some point.
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
As a gay man, growing up in a fundamentalist family, I spent most of my life in various forms of reparative therapy, so I couldn't really date in high school, college, and into my thirties... Which frustrates me as I look back because I was cute when I was younger, and guys liked me and came on to me... Now, I couldn't get laid in a bathhouse (joke, in case it didn't read that way).
There are so many people out there looking, you'd think we'd find something at some point.
Ever been attacked or thretened for refusing to convert, usually they're manipulative to the point ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
When I was in high school, I got up and walked out of a church because the preacher was getting weird and crazy. As I was walking out, he told the congregants to grab me before I could leave. That scared me so bad that I ran out as fast as I could.
Benthoven comments on Nov 11, 2017:
When I was in high school, I got up and walked out of a church because the preacher was getting weird and crazy. As I was walking out, he told the congregants to grab me before I could leave. That scared me so bad that I ran out as fast as I could.
If I was a fly on the wall, what would I learn about you?
Benthoven comments on Nov 9, 2017:
Probably nothing... unless you were capable of thought.
Benthoven comments on Nov 9, 2017:
Probably nothing... unless you were capable of thought.
White folks, there are no ghosts. If there were then slaves would come back and haunt all of you!
Benthoven comments on Nov 9, 2017:
No kidding. I've also noticed that all the ghosts in those ghost "documentaries" are white...
Benthoven comments on Nov 9, 2017:
No kidding. I've also noticed that all the ghosts in those ghost "documentaries" are white...
Tell people there is an invisible man in the sky, who created the Universe and the vast majority ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 9, 2017:
I guess it all boils down to what we "want to be true" rather than what is true.
Benthoven comments on Nov 9, 2017:
I guess it all boils down to what we "want to be true" rather than what is true.
OK you religious believers.
Benthoven comments on Nov 7, 2017:
I suspect that deep down... WAYYYYYY down, believers are asking that question. "WHY?" However, if they allow themselves to entertain that question, it will challenge their core beliefs, which would leave them without "answers." So they're going to do everything in their power to suppress that question before it becomes too prominent.
Benthoven comments on Nov 7, 2017:
I suspect that deep down... WAYYYYYY down, believers are asking that question. "WHY?" However, if they allow themselves to entertain that question, it will challenge their core beliefs, which would leave them without "answers." So they're going to do everything in their power to suppress that question before it becomes too prominent.
My fellow atheists and agnostics, some of you seem to want to demean mock, condemn and disparage ...
Benthoven comments on Nov 4, 2017:
Basically, this sounds like asking NASA engineers to respect Moon Landing Hoaxers. Or asking architects and building engineers to respect 9-1-1 Truthers. Or asking biologists to respect Creationists... Why? There is nothing we can say, no piece of evidence that can brought forward, no reasonable argument that can be made that will change their mind. They believe these things because they WANT to believe these things, and the very act of challenging their belief makes us "evil" in their eyes.
These are people who cannot be influenced, and rather than try to reason with them, we have to figure out a way to work around them.
Benthoven comments on Nov 4, 2017:
Basically, this sounds like asking NASA engineers to respect Moon Landing Hoaxers. Or asking architects and building engineers to respect 9-1-1 Truthers. Or asking biologists to respect Creationists... Why? There is nothing we can say, no piece of evidence that can brought forward, no reasonable argument that can be made that will change their mind. They believe these things because they WANT to believe these things, and the very act of challenging their belief makes us "evil" in their eyes.
These are people who cannot be influenced, and rather than try to reason with them, we have to figure out a way to work around them.
How has atheism improved your relationships?
Benthoven comments on Nov 1, 2017:
Only that I'm allowed to HAVE relationships. As an ex-gay man I was not allowed to have relationships until I could "successfully" change my orientation. Well, that's not an issue anymore. But most of the same problems I had in other relationships I have now. We still fight over which way to put the toilet paper on the roll, where we're going to eat, why Neil DeGrasse Tyson is so awseome, and why I'm not truly "reasonable" if I don't like Christopher Hitchens... Topics changed, but people stayed the same.
Benthoven comments on Nov 1, 2017:
Only that I'm allowed to HAVE relationships. As an ex-gay man I was not allowed to have relationships until I could "successfully" change my orientation. Well, that's not an issue anymore. But most of the same problems I had in other relationships I have now. We still fight over which way to put the toilet paper on the roll, where we're going to eat, why Neil DeGrasse Tyson is so awseome, and why I'm not truly "reasonable" if I don't like Christopher Hitchens... Topics changed, but people stayed the same.
What's the most surprising fact you learned about the religion you were born into, that wasn't ...
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
That most of the writings of the "great prophet" Ellen G. White were plagiarized--outright stolen.
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
That most of the writings of the "great prophet" Ellen G. White were plagiarized--outright stolen.
Do you believe we could have a creator?
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
At this point, I leave it up to the physicists to work out.
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
At this point, I leave it up to the physicists to work out.
Do you believe the Oath and the Law of the Boy Scouts of America still relevant today?
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
At this point I'm not even sure the Boy Scouts are relevant.
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
At this point I'm not even sure the Boy Scouts are relevant.
Why do so many atheist/agnostics feel it is necessary to have/go to a 'church'?
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
I think it's mostly looking for company. It's hard to meet real people, and one of the best places is an "open" church where real physical connections can be made.
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
I think it's mostly looking for company. It's hard to meet real people, and one of the best places is an "open" church where real physical connections can be made.
What to do about a friend's obnoxious significant other?
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
Maybe you could just agree to visit when he's not around. My mom married a man that neither me nor my sister can stand, and so we agree to meet when he's not around or where he's not around. It's the only way we can do it.
Benthoven comments on Oct 30, 2017:
Maybe you could just agree to visit when he's not around. My mom married a man that neither me nor my sister can stand, and so we agree to meet when he's not around or where he's not around. It's the only way we can do it.
How many of you have thoughts on occasion of suicide?
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
I have a few friends who committed suicide. I was angry with them because they had kids and let themselves be found by their kids, but other than that, I totally understand. I get the struggle that we as humans have in our attempt to understand life. Freud talked about a concept called Thanatos. He mused that along with our desire to stay alive, human beings also had this urge for death, or Thanatos. This urge, Thanatos, causes us to seek the annihilation first of others, and then ourselves.
I think those forces are at work in us most of the time. As a "Nihilist," I have to admit that I have often wondered why I put pup up with all this 'junk" when I could just walk away.
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
I have a few friends who committed suicide. I was angry with them because they had kids and let themselves be found by their kids, but other than that, I totally understand. I get the struggle that we as humans have in our attempt to understand life. Freud talked about a concept called Thanatos. He mused that along with our desire to stay alive, human beings also had this urge for death, or Thanatos. This urge, Thanatos, causes us to seek the annihilation first of others, and then ourselves.
I think those forces are at work in us most of the time. As a "Nihilist," I have to admit that I have often wondered why I put pup up with all this 'junk" when I could just walk away.
Should Jesusween replace Halloween?
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
Brilliant. I say, why not. Then we can have a war over Halloween as well.
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
Brilliant. I say, why not. Then we can have a war over Halloween as well.
Abandonment
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
To be honest, I felt abandoned by God even before I realized there was no god. When I was ten, and my seven-year-old brother passed away... I felt abandoned. When my best friend in high school was killed, again, I felt abandoned. In my struggle to be "straight" because I thought that's what God wanted, I felt abandoned. I think it was that sense of abandonment that eventually forced me to challenge my "relationship" with God in the first place and move on.
Even so, once I did, it was still traumatic. Beliefs that live that close to the core of who we are can leave quite a deficit when they're finally set aside.
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
To be honest, I felt abandoned by God even before I realized there was no god. When I was ten, and my seven-year-old brother passed away... I felt abandoned. When my best friend in high school was killed, again, I felt abandoned. In my struggle to be "straight" because I thought that's what God wanted, I felt abandoned. I think it was that sense of abandonment that eventually forced me to challenge my "relationship" with God in the first place and move on.
Even so, once I did, it was still traumatic. Beliefs that live that close to the core of who we are can leave quite a deficit when they're finally set aside.
why are agnostics afraid of using the word atheist?
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
I'm very much agnostic, and I take a loft of flack from my atheist friends for not just admitting that I'm "for all intents and purposes," atheist. But I'm not, and there's a reason.
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Atheist or Agnostic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
I'm very much agnostic, and I take a loft of flack from my atheist friends for not just admitting that I'm "for all intents and purposes," atheist. But I'm not, and there's a reason.
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Atheist or Agnostic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos
So what do you people think about this divide in the atheist "community" between PC atheists and ...
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
Most of us can't even agree on what to eat for dinner... that's just who we are.
Benthoven comments on Oct 28, 2017:
Most of us can't even agree on what to eat for dinner... that's just who we are.
Engage or Ignore Trump Supporters?
Benthoven comments on Oct 26, 2017:
I'm really not sure that there's anything that anyone can say that is going to change their minds. They like him because he says what they want to say and he brings their feelings to life. Data and facts don't matter. I think our only hope is to figure out a way to work around them.
Benthoven comments on Oct 26, 2017:
I'm really not sure that there's anything that anyone can say that is going to change their minds. They like him because he says what they want to say and he brings their feelings to life. Data and facts don't matter. I think our only hope is to figure out a way to work around them.
If you have searched for the meaning of life outside of religion, who is your favorite philosopher ...
Benthoven comments on Oct 26, 2017:
I think for me, the book The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make us Human by Jonathan Gottschall kind of sums up where I am right now. The power of the story and how it transforms us. That the mind creates stories and those stories give us meaning. This is probably why myth is so powerful. When you think about, most of our consciousness is us simply telling stories to each other.
I especially started to notice this when I would hang out at my favorite coffee shop and write. Very often I would be invited into someone private conversation (not on purpose, but they spoke so loud is was difficult to miss them). I started to notice that they were just telling stories to each other. "And she said... " "and then I told her..." Our memories are stories (though fictionalized for the most part). When we listen to our internal dialog, we're telling stories to ourselves.
"From the book: At year one, a baby can pretend. At two, a toddler can cooperate in simple dramas. Two-year-olds also begin learning how to develop a character. At three or four, children enter into the golden age of pretend play." Which we never leave as we take on various characters based on the group we're trying to fit into.
But I also love the article: The Universe Doesn't Give a Flying About You by J. Truant. It's brilliant.
Benthoven comments on Oct 26, 2017:
I think for me, the book The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make us Human by Jonathan Gottschall kind of sums up where I am right now. The power of the story and how it transforms us. That the mind creates stories and those stories give us meaning. This is probably why myth is so powerful. When you think about, most of our consciousness is us simply telling stories to each other.
I especially started to notice this when I would hang out at my favorite coffee shop and write. Very often I would be invited into someone private conversation (not on purpose, but they spoke so loud is was difficult to miss them). I started to notice that they were just telling stories to each other. "And she said... " "and then I told her..." Our memories are stories (though fictionalized for the most part). When we listen to our internal dialog, we're telling stories to ourselves.
"From the book: At year one, a baby can pretend. At two, a toddler can cooperate in simple dramas. Two-year-olds also begin learning how to develop a character. At three or four, children enter into the golden age of pretend play." Which we never leave as we take on various characters based on the group we're trying to fit into.
But I also love the article: The Universe Doesn't Give a Flying About You by J. Truant. It's brilliant.
Do you actively represent Atheists (in person or on the web)?
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
No! I do think that something in the Universe has intelligence. What that is I do not know. For example, I do not think that the Universe even knows who I am... the Solar System might, but not the Universe... it's just too big. The Universe may not even be aware of our little solar system. It may just consider us mice in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. It's a big place. So is there intelligence? That's a tough question. It's true, that it may not speak English, or speak in the language of humans, but that doesn't change what it is, and who we are. Think about this.... We live on the same planet with apes, we ARE apes, and yet we barely understand them. I think this is significant.
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
No! I do think that something in the Universe has intelligence. What that is I do not know. For example, I do not think that the Universe even knows who I am... the Solar System might, but not the Universe... it's just too big. The Universe may not even be aware of our little solar system. It may just consider us mice in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. It's a big place. So is there intelligence? That's a tough question. It's true, that it may not speak English, or speak in the language of humans, but that doesn't change what it is, and who we are. Think about this.... We live on the same planet with apes, we ARE apes, and yet we barely understand them. I think this is significant.
Are humans that weak minded that they had to invent things to explain our existence.
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
You realize that "god" or "gods" are part of our heritage going back to when we first became conscious? I truly think that "god" is our default program. We've believed in gods since we became conscious. That's just life. To that end, I do not think we will ever eradicate "god." However, I think we may understand those concepts better as we evolve.
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
You realize that "god" or "gods" are part of our heritage going back to when we first became conscious? I truly think that "god" is our default program. We've believed in gods since we became conscious. That's just life. To that end, I do not think we will ever eradicate "god." However, I think we may understand those concepts better as we evolve.
Have any of you read the atheist comic Transmetropolitan??
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
I have not, but I have read "Sinfest" by Tatsuya Ishida. Brilliant!
http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2000-01-17
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
I have not, but I have read "Sinfest" by Tatsuya Ishida. Brilliant!
http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2000-01-17
Blaming God.
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
To be fair, in the story if Job, it WAS God's fault. He made a wager with Satan, and Job was the anti. In fact, it was GOD who pointed out Job to Satan, as if he wanted to start something in the first place.
When it comes to the Bible, it really is all God. God is responsible for killing: 2,821,364 Based on actual numbers, but when you look at estimations, like when God said, "Go in and kill man, woman and child..." then the numbers go up based on estimation. Bottom line, Satan is hardly worth our focus. It is, and always has been, God that has been our trouble. Why do you think Christians are so terrified of God. They're traumatized, though they don't want to admit that. Which is typical of abused children.
I have always said, "Satan is the mask God wears when he misbehaves."
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
To be fair, in the story if Job, it WAS God's fault. He made a wager with Satan, and Job was the anti. In fact, it was GOD who pointed out Job to Satan, as if he wanted to start something in the first place.
When it comes to the Bible, it really is all God. God is responsible for killing: 2,821,364 Based on actual numbers, but when you look at estimations, like when God said, "Go in and kill man, woman and child..." then the numbers go up based on estimation. Bottom line, Satan is hardly worth our focus. It is, and always has been, God that has been our trouble. Why do you think Christians are so terrified of God. They're traumatized, though they don't want to admit that. Which is typical of abused children.
I have always said, "Satan is the mask God wears when he misbehaves."
What's your sensitivity projection while reading posts
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
I think it's a "human" thing. We assign tone regardless of what we want to do. However, if we're aware that we are doing so, it enables us to deal with our feelings of confusion. For example, if we know that we slather our own "stuff" atop others, instead of getting offended, we simply ask, "I'm not sure what you meant by... <enter statement here>.
Sometimes I feel as if jumping to conclusions is the only exercise I get. Well that and pushing my weight around... which seems to be growing by the day.
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
I think it's a "human" thing. We assign tone regardless of what we want to do. However, if we're aware that we are doing so, it enables us to deal with our feelings of confusion. For example, if we know that we slather our own "stuff" atop others, instead of getting offended, we simply ask, "I'm not sure what you meant by... <enter statement here>.
Sometimes I feel as if jumping to conclusions is the only exercise I get. Well that and pushing my weight around... which seems to be growing by the day.
How can one sin if they genuinely believe in the afterlife
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
I’m not a sinner saved by grace. I have done nothing wrong. I am a human (of the family of great apes), evolving, trying to understand my consciousness, trying to learn what it means to be alive. The Universe holds nothing against me nor anything for me. From the moment I was born the universe said very little. I lived under my family's rule until I was old enough to think for myself. I have been given the "right" (from a universal perspective) to pursue life, to pursue happiness, and to make myself at home on this planet. While the universe may throw up resistance at every turn, it does not prohibit me from trying. Those limitations come from other humans aka Great Apes.
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
I’m not a sinner saved by grace. I have done nothing wrong. I am a human (of the family of great apes), evolving, trying to understand my consciousness, trying to learn what it means to be alive. The Universe holds nothing against me nor anything for me. From the moment I was born the universe said very little. I lived under my family's rule until I was old enough to think for myself. I have been given the "right" (from a universal perspective) to pursue life, to pursue happiness, and to make myself at home on this planet. While the universe may throw up resistance at every turn, it does not prohibit me from trying. Those limitations come from other humans aka Great Apes.
Will atheists only get respect when we come up with our own silly little hats?? (joke!)
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
I say we have a contest to see who can come up with the coolest/silliest hat.
http://scrubs.wikia.com/wiki/Filx16_Turk_with_hat.jpg
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
I say we have a contest to see who can come up with the coolest/silliest hat.
http://scrubs.wikia.com/wiki/Filx16_Turk_with_hat.jpg
I think atheists should avoid certain words which still retain a religious meaning.
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
This is one of those concepts that makes absolutely no sense to me. As a writer, words are VERY important, and the last thing I would dare to do is limit them, or create some *list* of unaccepted words. Particularly when used in isolation like this.
Words are the smallest element of structured language, but are built from generations of ideals and concepts and mental constructs that go back further than language itself. Words are built from other words, based on other languages, with other constructs mostly unknown to us. To that end, we should be careful how we approach language—particularly in our decisions to censure ourselves and each other.
It’s true, there are certain words I would never use, but that’s because these words bring harm to others—they indicate hatred or disgust or even apathy. But that’s not just “the bad words.” When someone asks me to look at a poem they wrote or wants to tell me about a project they’re interested in, even if that poem is horrible, or they have no chance finishing that project, I seek words that encourage them, and help them to do their best. When someone is hurting, I look for words that comfort and bring hope. When in conversation, I look for words that best convey the thoughts and ideas I’m trying to get across. I will, sometimes in the middle of a paragraph, spend vast amounts of time finding a word that somehow “fits better” than the one I’m using.
Context is also a big deal. I used to call my mom Toots. For us it was a term of endearment. But you’d better believe that if anybody else called her that they’d be dodging frying pans. Many of my friends and her friends were “offended” by this, but it wasn’t any of their business. In rap music we hear the dreaded N-word by people who believe that they are allowed to use it. Gay people like using the “F” word when teasing each other. I have girlfriends that use the “B” word.
We also have connotation and denotation. The literal definition of a word, and the emotional image that the word summons. When I use the word hand, I think about my grandmother’s arthritic hand in my hand as I held it while she took her last breath. To this day, that’s the image that “hand” cultivates when I hear, and even use it.
And that’s only the bare minimum. There’s also intonation, subtext, inside-jokes…
Creating a list of words we’re no longer allowed to use not going to solve our problems. In fact, it just makes us angry and gives us the impression that we’re being controlled by someone else.
I noted that you don’t like the term “passed on.” On 10 July, my brother-in-law was one of the 16 Marines killed when their C-130 split apart over Mississippi. I was hanging out with him a couple days before. ...
Benthoven comments on Oct 24, 2017:
This is one of those concepts that makes absolutely no sense to me. As a writer, words are VERY important, and the last thing I would dare to do is limit them, or create some *list* of unaccepted words. Particularly when used in isolation like this.
Words are the smallest element of structured language, but are built from generations of ideals and concepts and mental constructs that go back further than language itself. Words are built from other words, based on other languages, with other constructs mostly unknown to us. To that end, we should be careful how we approach language—particularly in our decisions to censure ourselves and each other.
It’s true, there are certain words I would never use, but that’s because these words bring harm to others—they indicate hatred or disgust or even apathy. But that’s not just “the bad words.” When someone asks me to look at a poem they wrote or wants to tell me about a project they’re interested in, even if that poem is horrible, or they have no chance finishing that project, I seek words that encourage them, and help them to do their best. When someone is hurting, I look for words that comfort and bring hope. When in conversation, I look for words that best convey the thoughts and ideas I’m trying to get across. I will, sometimes in the middle of a paragraph, spend vast amounts of time finding a word that somehow “fits better” than the one I’m using.
Context is also a big deal. I used to call my mom Toots. For us it was a term of endearment. But you’d better believe that if anybody else called her that they’d be dodging frying pans. Many of my friends and her friends were “offended” by this, but it wasn’t any of their business. In rap music we hear the dreaded N-word by people who believe that they are allowed to use it. Gay people like using the “F” word when teasing each other. I have girlfriends that use the “B” word.
We also have connotation and denotation. The literal definition of a word, and the emotional image that the word summons. When I use the word hand, I think about my grandmother’s arthritic hand in my hand as I held it while she took her last breath. To this day, that’s the image that “hand” cultivates when I hear, and even use it.
And that’s only the bare minimum. There’s also intonation, subtext, inside-jokes…
Creating a list of words we’re no longer allowed to use not going to solve our problems. In fact, it just makes us angry and gives us the impression that we’re being controlled by someone else.
I noted that you don’t like the term “passed on.” On 10 July, my brother-in-law was one of the 16 Marines killed when their C-130 split apart over Mississippi. I was hanging out with him a couple days before. ...
Do you believe in Bigfoot?
Benthoven comments on Oct 22, 2017:
Does Bigfoot believe in ME?
Benthoven comments on Oct 22, 2017:
Does Bigfoot believe in ME?
Has the Earth ever been visited by extraterrestrials?
Benthoven comments on Oct 21, 2017:
I miss the days when the History Channel was actually about History.
Benthoven comments on Oct 21, 2017:
I miss the days when the History Channel was actually about History.
I change my metaphysical perspectives to fit my moods.
Benthoven comments on Oct 21, 2017:
I'm a writer. I write every day, and that's kind of my work. But there are times... usually when I think I'm done for the day when something shows up... Something amazing just seems to take over and I'm filled with "inspiration." To be clear, we're constantly inspired, and even when the work is hard and difficult, we are still working under inspiration. But this is different.
At some point, it's as if the story is telling me, not the other way around. I'm suddenly just a copyist while the story opens up to me. Are these the muses? Is it the Universe's story breaking in? Is it my mind opening up? I don't know, but I refuse to bastardize that experience by forcing it into an explanation.
I have a friend who, very carefully and respectfully, tussles with his "muse" over timing. His muse likes to show up when he's in traffic and cant act on his ideas. I don't know where these ideas come from, but I'm not going to insult them by claiming it's "just my mind."
I also pray. To who? I don't know. It could be me, it could be that part of my mind that's already at work making decisions beyond my awareness and possess the power to make those changes. I do it because life is mysterious, and I love that mystery. To me, to live, is to play with the mystery. If I try to explain it away or make it "human," I close the book and never get to see how it ends.
My mom, a Christian, uses a phrase, "God spoke to my heart..." I don't, even for a minute, think it was "God," but something touched her. So let her call it God.
And to be honest, I think "God," is our default position. We've been worshiping gods since we became conscious. We're still at the very early stages of transitioning to "reason," providing we, as a species, survive this next century.
Benthoven comments on Oct 21, 2017:
I'm a writer. I write every day, and that's kind of my work. But there are times... usually when I think I'm done for the day when something shows up... Something amazing just seems to take over and I'm filled with "inspiration." To be clear, we're constantly inspired, and even when the work is hard and difficult, we are still working under inspiration. But this is different.
At some point, it's as if the story is telling me, not the other way around. I'm suddenly just a copyist while the story opens up to me. Are these the muses? Is it the Universe's story breaking in? Is it my mind opening up? I don't know, but I refuse to bastardize that experience by forcing it into an explanation.
I have a friend who, very carefully and respectfully, tussles with his "muse" over timing. His muse likes to show up when he's in traffic and cant act on his ideas. I don't know where these ideas come from, but I'm not going to insult them by claiming it's "just my mind."
I also pray. To who? I don't know. It could be me, it could be that part of my mind that's already at work making decisions beyond my awareness and possess the power to make those changes. I do it because life is mysterious, and I love that mystery. To me, to live, is to play with the mystery. If I try to explain it away or make it "human," I close the book and never get to see how it ends.
My mom, a Christian, uses a phrase, "God spoke to my heart..." I don't, even for a minute, think it was "God," but something touched her. So let her call it God.
And to be honest, I think "God," is our default position. We've been worshiping gods since we became conscious. We're still at the very early stages of transitioning to "reason," providing we, as a species, survive this next century.
Was Budda a god?
Benthoven comments on Oct 21, 2017:
Buddhists don't even believe in God.
Benthoven comments on Oct 21, 2017:
Buddhists don't even believe in God.
Sunday is usually church day.
Benthoven comments on Oct 21, 2017:
For the gay community, we call that "Brunch," and it's as sacred as church. We sip mimosas, gossip about those who didn't show up, and catch up on the latest about Lady GaGa!
Benthoven comments on Oct 21, 2017:
For the gay community, we call that "Brunch," and it's as sacred as church. We sip mimosas, gossip about those who didn't show up, and catch up on the latest about Lady GaGa!
At what point in an ‘opposites attract’ relationship, do things become problematic?
Benthoven comments on Oct 19, 2017:
I don't think opposites attract. I think we're more like jigsaw puzzles... we look for "pieces" that fit, that maybe offer something we like or need but don't have ourselves. Something that will will elaborate on the image we have of ourselves.
Benthoven comments on Oct 19, 2017:
I don't think opposites attract. I think we're more like jigsaw puzzles... we look for "pieces" that fit, that maybe offer something we like or need but don't have ourselves. Something that will will elaborate on the image we have of ourselves.
I'm a musician and this lady asks me in a Bar, have you taken Jesus Christ as your personal lord and...
Benthoven comments on Oct 19, 2017:
That's when you ask her, "Do you pray to Jesus with that mouth?"
Benthoven comments on Oct 19, 2017:
That's when you ask her, "Do you pray to Jesus with that mouth?"
If you could end all wars, or end all religions, which one would you choose?
Benthoven comments on Oct 17, 2017:
Religion teaches that there’s a better life beyond this one, and that those who suffer and die for the cause in this life will be greatly rewarded. This is why Islamic extremists fly airplanes into buildings, or Christians get orgasmic when presented with the possibility of war against black and brown people. This is what has made the war machine in the U.S. so popular.
Non-religious people, on the other hand, don’t have that delusion, and so when conflict arises, they have to take a completely different approach to resolution. For them, there are real consequences, and they’re permanent—meaning that those who sacrifice, truly sacrifice.
So when it comes time to decide how to hand hostile neighbors, leaders have to think seriously about what they’re asking their armies to do. Firsts of all, can this be resolved politically so that men and women don’t have to put their lives at risk? If not, is war absolutely necessary—for the good of the country and the protection of its citizens. Does it need to be an all-out war, or can they find other, creative ways to handle the situation.
Without religion, there are no lures: no afterlife, no crown, no virgins, no eternal bliss, and your families know that if you do sacrifice, they will never see you again. So IF it is decided that war is necessary, then the only line non-religious leaders have is to say: “you may die in this battle, but it’s for the protection of your families. If we succeed, they will have a better life because of that sacrifice, and we will have diminished the powers of those who would seek to bring harm to those we love.”
Take away the “God is on our side” ideology, and nobody feels recklessly compelled send men and women to die for unnecessary causes, like oil or a profiteering war machine.
Benthoven comments on Oct 17, 2017:
Religion teaches that there’s a better life beyond this one, and that those who suffer and die for the cause in this life will be greatly rewarded. This is why Islamic extremists fly airplanes into buildings, or Christians get orgasmic when presented with the possibility of war against black and brown people. This is what has made the war machine in the U.S. so popular.
Non-religious people, on the other hand, don’t have that delusion, and so when conflict arises, they have to take a completely different approach to resolution. For them, there are real consequences, and they’re permanent—meaning that those who sacrifice, truly sacrifice.
So when it comes time to decide how to hand hostile neighbors, leaders have to think seriously about what they’re asking their armies to do. Firsts of all, can this be resolved politically so that men and women don’t have to put their lives at risk? If not, is war absolutely necessary—for the good of the country and the protection of its citizens. Does it need to be an all-out war, or can they find other, creative ways to handle the situation.
Without religion, there are no lures: no afterlife, no crown, no virgins, no eternal bliss, and your families know that if you do sacrifice, they will never see you again. So IF it is decided that war is necessary, then the only line non-religious leaders have is to say: “you may die in this battle, but it’s for the protection of your families. If we succeed, they will have a better life because of that sacrifice, and we will have diminished the powers of those who would seek to bring harm to those we love.”
Take away the “God is on our side” ideology, and nobody feels recklessly compelled send men and women to die for unnecessary causes, like oil or a profiteering war machine.
My dog says that humans are crazy! Is she right or just barking up the wrong tree?
Benthoven comments on Oct 17, 2017:
Since it's a dog I'd like to say, "Bitches be crazy," but as a human... we all be crazy.
Benthoven comments on Oct 17, 2017:
Since it's a dog I'd like to say, "Bitches be crazy," but as a human... we all be crazy.
At what age did you know you were going to die?
Benthoven comments on Oct 14, 2017:
I was nine years old when my little brother died during heart surgery. Until then, I had thought about death, but I never really understood what it meant. We had talked about it, mostly because of my brother's illness, but it's a tough concept for a young mind to grasp.
It was when I was at his funeral, looking down at his body, that I really got a taste of what death was, and that we all died. But I also realized that age didn't matter. It wasn't just old people who died, anyone could die at any time.
Since that day death has occupied a huge part of my philosophical thinking.
Benthoven comments on Oct 14, 2017:
I was nine years old when my little brother died during heart surgery. Until then, I had thought about death, but I never really understood what it meant. We had talked about it, mostly because of my brother's illness, but it's a tough concept for a young mind to grasp.
It was when I was at his funeral, looking down at his body, that I really got a taste of what death was, and that we all died. But I also realized that age didn't matter. It wasn't just old people who died, anyone could die at any time.
Since that day death has occupied a huge part of my philosophical thinking.
Who is your favorite atheist comic?
Benthoven comments on Oct 14, 2017:
Jim Jefferies
Benthoven comments on Oct 14, 2017:
Jim Jefferies
Why do nuns walk in pairs?
Benthoven comments on Oct 12, 2017:
Because apples accentuate their curves?
Benthoven comments on Oct 12, 2017:
Because apples accentuate their curves?
Hello everyone, I'm new here.
Benthoven comments on Oct 12, 2017:
I get that. I always tell them that there's no reason they shouldn't. If they're banking their whole life on the possibility of another life that may or may not exist, they're pretty much just wasting this one anyway.
Or I turn it around. If you're so obsessed with heaven, then what are you wasting your life here for? Why are you so scared of dying?
Benthoven comments on Oct 12, 2017:
I get that. I always tell them that there's no reason they shouldn't. If they're banking their whole life on the possibility of another life that may or may not exist, they're pretty much just wasting this one anyway.
Or I turn it around. If you're so obsessed with heaven, then what are you wasting your life here for? Why are you so scared of dying?
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