You are God for the day. What commandments would you make?

AnnaBA47 comments on May 9, 2018:

My first move would be to outlaw mirrors! I'd be happy that folks could be less concerned about how they look and can by pass a whole load of negativity associated with appearance/societal norms etc!

Coffeo replies on May 9, 2018:

Make driving dangerous.

What do you believe Shakespeare's (or De Vere's, take your pick!) religious beliefs were?

atheist comments on May 8, 2018:

Agnostic would be anachronistic, atheist would have been burnt at the stake, humanist not invented yet, so either Catholic or Protestant!

Coffeo replies on May 9, 2018:

There must have been people living in Shakespeare's time, and possibly the Bard himself, who would have been called agnostic had the word been in use back then. And there would have been plenty of atheists too, generally securely in their closets.

Weird wish

MsAl comments on May 8, 2018:

I am jealous of the community that churches offer and would love to believe that I could see my mom again or not just be gone when I die. I know they are wrong though, and morally inferior. I guess I'd rather be right than happy and oblivious.

Coffeo replies on May 9, 2018:

I think this sense of community that people find in churches must vary from place to place and denomination to denomination. I sang in an Anglican church choir for several years because I like traditional Anglican church music. Although everyone there was very polite, I don't think I could ever think of them as _friends_. Although they never asked me, they may perhaps have sensed my lack of religious faith. And my mother-in-law, who was a choir member and Sunday school teacher at her local church for most of her married life, and continued to attend regularly after her husband died, never struck me as being a close member of that community. After she was no longer able to safely walk the block or so to the church, I used to go in the car to pick her up. I nearly always found her in a room full of people, standing by herself, sipping a cup of tea. (Admittedly, she was quite introverted.)

Weird wish

birdingnut comments on May 8, 2018:

I don't know why Christians even say they're praying for sick people, since they also claim that God "controls everything," so everything that happens is "God's will." If anyone does get a miracle or is healed, it's from the calm belief of the people themselves, not a "god," since anyone can do ...

Coffeo replies on May 9, 2018:

@NoMagicCookie But don't Catholics say suicide is a mortal sin?

Ulvikpollen, Norway.

paul1967 comments on May 9, 2018:

Wow beautiful! Very nice picture.

Coffeo replies on May 9, 2018:

Thank you! Got lucky with the light!

I'm a bookseller, so this is probably the best way for me to get involved in the community.

Condor5 comments on May 6, 2018:

This is probably the 3rd time this topic has come up...? Not complaining, just noting. Anyway, as stated previously, my all-time top-o'-the-list fave tome is TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST, by Richard Henry Dana. Number 2, ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE. Both involve journeys of ...

Coffeo replies on May 8, 2018:

I read Persig's _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ long ago (in fact I have it, with the intention of one day reading it again some 40 years on). I tried recommending it to someone, only to find that I didn't understand it very well at all. The guy went crazy trying to understand the meaning of _quality_, if I remember correctly.

I'm a bookseller, so this is probably the best way for me to get involved in the community.

PickledRick comments on May 6, 2018:

The Bible, great slapstick comedy, porn sequences, war, genocide, earth shattering parts. Hard to get all that wrapped up in one book.

Coffeo replies on May 8, 2018:

In want of a good editor, though.

The problem with evolution and Christianity.

Coffeo comments on May 5, 2018:

I was brought up Christian, and it was never once suggested to me that there was anything wrong with the idea of evolution.

Coffeo replies on May 5, 2018:

@RobWard There are heaps of Christians who don't take the bible literally. Possibly not many in the USA, though.

What is your favorite textbook?

Lukian comments on May 5, 2018:

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics Also the chart: Biochemical Pathways (that you see online now http://biochemical-pathways.com/#/map/1)

Coffeo replies on May 5, 2018:

me too

Parnell Village, Auckland, New Zealand.

gigihein comments on Apr 30, 2018:

Wow Beautiful loks like boganvilla...or what we call the plant or one that looks like it

Coffeo replies on Apr 30, 2018:

I'm not sure what it is. I don't think the leaves are right for bougainvillea, but the nearer leaves might be part of something else.

Do you believe in the butterfly effect?

TheAstroChuck comments on Apr 30, 2018:

Sorry to rain on your parade. The butterfly effect is a gross overstatement, especially as it relates to weather. We live in a stable universe. If you push on it, it pushes back. Most processes in our universe are dissipative - such as friction or air drag. If this weren't the case, then any ...

Coffeo replies on Apr 30, 2018:

@TheAstroChuck We'll just have to disagree on this one.

Do you believe in the butterfly effect?

TheAstroChuck comments on Apr 30, 2018:

Sorry to rain on your parade. The butterfly effect is a gross overstatement, especially as it relates to weather. We live in a stable universe. If you push on it, it pushes back. Most processes in our universe are dissipative - such as friction or air drag. If this weren't the case, then any ...

Coffeo replies on Apr 30, 2018:

Sure it's an exaggeration, but the gist of it is true.

Most of the photos I've posted here were taken years ago.

Frh1gh52 comments on Apr 28, 2018:

Nice shots

Coffeo replies on Apr 28, 2018:

Thank you.

Most of the photos I've posted here were taken years ago.

BeeHappy comments on Apr 28, 2018:

Very nice shots. Love the peaceful feeling they reflect.

Coffeo replies on Apr 28, 2018:

Thank you.

Most of the photos I've posted here were taken years ago.

Nickbeee comments on Apr 28, 2018:

Great light !!! Looks very peaceful there.. Love seeing cockatoo's in the wild rather than caged as you see them over here.

Coffeo replies on Apr 28, 2018:

Thank you! Yes, they're nice birds to look at but bloody noisy at times. We have lots around our place.

From the London Eye.

LucifersPen comments on Apr 26, 2018:

How long did you have to hold onto that big wheel to get that picture? ;-)

Coffeo replies on Apr 26, 2018:

8)

Can One be religious and Skeptically agnostic?

atheist comments on Apr 21, 2018:

In order to define what religious means you would first have to define what a religion is! A skeptic is a person who needs sufficient proof in order to accept something as valid! An agnostic is a person who believes in an unknown god! See my posts below! :)

Coffeo replies on Apr 26, 2018:

That is a quaint definition of agnostic.

Mykonos, Greece.

MrLizard comments on Apr 25, 2018:

With me being semi OCD - I just see things I'd want to fix. Flip that rug corner over so we don't see the underside. Fix the hole in the door. Clean the stains off the stoop. (But I do like the image)

Coffeo replies on Apr 25, 2018:

Well I thought of doing all that, but I thought the animals probably wouldn't stick around. :)

Arrowtown, New Zealand.

AnneD comments on Apr 25, 2018:

Love the composition!

Coffeo replies on Apr 25, 2018:

Thank you, but no credit to me — that's just the way it was.

A question for you mathematicians.

klepricaun comments on Mar 31, 2018:

If you take into account Jesus was a normal weight of 65 kilos and a cracker weighs 5 grams it would take 115000 services or 2211.5 years of crackers to consume Jesus but if you take into account Jesus had 3 litres of blood then that would drop to 110300 services or 2121.15 years to consume the body...

Coffeo replies on Apr 24, 2018:

@IndySent Men weren't that tall back then. Recalculate!

Hating hate is still hate...

Gilgamesh155326 comments on Apr 23, 2018:

There has to be some hate: For mankind to ascend to its higher form there must always be some sense of danger, inequality and self-love. Without the aforementioned danger and striving for life, we can never ascend and will only be fit to belong to the 'herd' We need danger, we need to strive ...

Coffeo replies on Apr 23, 2018:

Your assertions may well be true, but they do not require the existence of hate.

I shed a tear for John Keats.

Coffeo comments on Apr 22, 2018:

Ok I'll bite. Why?

Coffeo replies on Apr 23, 2018:

@Etre Thank you for your insight. There are many writers, composers, artists who have led troubled lives and in many cases died tragically young. One that I have been reading about recently is Robert Schumann.

Sailing under the Forth Bridge, Scotland.

DotLewis comments on Apr 23, 2018:

That makes me a little queasy. I don't do heights well unless I'm firmly planted. This picture makes me feel like I'm hanging by a girder. I would say mission accomplished if putting the viewer in the picture was your goal.

Coffeo replies on Apr 23, 2018:

I would be exactly the same if there hadn't been a strong handrail (which there was). I was definitely 'firmly planted'.

Melbourne, Australia, on an autumn afternoon.

gigihein comments on Apr 22, 2018:

Love nature with muted cityscape in the background. Great art

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

Thank you!

All washed up. Poindimié, New Caledonia.

BeeHappy comments on Apr 22, 2018:

Tell us please, what is it?

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

Only guessing, but I think it's mangrove roots.

All washed up. Poindimié, New Caledonia.

gloriadeb comments on Apr 22, 2018:

What's in this pile of organic matter? I think I see roots of some sort.

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

I think it's mangrove roots. Can't think what else it might be.

When it comes to nationalism, I say fuck all flags and anthems, we should be free and united as ...

Coffeo comments on Apr 22, 2018:

I've often wondered why people put their country before all else.

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

@DUCHESSA Yes, I suppose so. Sure causes a lot of trouble.

Portmeirion, North Wales.

Nickbeee comments on Apr 22, 2018:

Great place !!

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

I've been there only once, on a most glorious day towards the end of summer 2009. I'll trickle in a few more shots of it over coming weeks.

Melbourne, Australia, on an autumn afternoon.

Nickbeee comments on Apr 22, 2018:

What a shot. Beautiful!!

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

Thank you!

Melbourne, Australia, on an autumn afternoon.

Leutrelle comments on Apr 22, 2018:

Good eye! Great nature and city scape.

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

Thank you!

The Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland.

Leutrelle comments on Apr 22, 2018:

You did a very good job on this land scape photo.

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

Thank you!

Melbourne, Australia, on an autumn afternoon.

BeeHappy comments on Apr 22, 2018:

Great shot capturing the skyline!

Coffeo replies on Apr 22, 2018:

Thank you!

I've been pondering for a few years on what we mean by the word "soul.

Coffeo comments on Apr 21, 2018:

I never use the word 'soul', because I've bever understood it.

Coffeo replies on Apr 21, 2018:

@Keyboard-Mama A fine example you'd like me to emulate? I don't think so! :)

Let’s see pics of your pets!

Coffeo comments on Apr 21, 2018:

Here's Darcy spending some time being a rabbit.

Coffeo replies on Apr 21, 2018:

@AMGT Darcy's a he. (Well, sort of.) Yes, he's a nice looking cat.

City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane, Australia (although it could be almost anywhere).

BeeHappy comments on Apr 20, 2018:

I want this on my wall at home! LOL Nice!!

Coffeo replies on Apr 20, 2018:

Thank you!

City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane, Australia (although it could be almost anywhere).

LucifersPen comments on Apr 20, 2018:

Very nice! Well composed.

Coffeo replies on Apr 20, 2018:

Thank you!

This morning I am grateful that the sun, moon, stars alligned to allow evolution.

azzow2 comments on Apr 9, 2018:

Are they in a Goldie Lox zone? Are they in this galaxy? How far away are they? Have they detected radio wave transmission?

Coffeo replies on Apr 17, 2018:

All the planets detected so far are in this galaxy. There is some indirect evidence, though, supporting the existence of planets in other galaxies. And, of course, it would be very surprising if there weren't. Heaps of them. Heaps and heaps.

This morning I am grateful that the sun, moon, stars alligned to allow evolution.

JimG comments on Apr 9, 2018:

What's more impressive than the number of exoplanets discovered is the rate at which new ones are being discovered. None have been verified to have earth like conditions, but planets the size of Jupiter and larger are a lot easier to detect. The detection system used measures fluctuations in ...

Coffeo replies on Apr 17, 2018:

Furthermore, there must be a huge number of planets that never pass in front of their primary star as viewed from Earth. Only the most massive of these can be detected by the 'wobble' they produce in their primary. There must be lots of smaller ones still not detectable with present technology.

Terrorizing Children in the Name of God is Legal in the U.S.

Coffeo comments on Apr 14, 2018:

Is that the scariest picture of a bear they could find?

Coffeo replies on Apr 15, 2018:

@VictoriaNotes Got it!

Terrorizing Children in the Name of God is Legal in the U.S.

Coffeo comments on Apr 14, 2018:

Is that the scariest picture of a bear they could find?

Coffeo replies on Apr 15, 2018:

@VictoriaNotes It depends. What age group is expected to see this poster? Who produced it? I may be missing something.

I'm new here, but I've posted a few times to see what it was like and I am so floored by how amazing...

Coffeo comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Yes, we exist! (Unlike someone else I could mention.)

Coffeo replies on Apr 15, 2018:

@Holysocks Bob exists. People tell me he's my uncle.

Terrorizing Children in the Name of God is Legal in the U.S.

Coffeo comments on Apr 14, 2018:

Is that the scariest picture of a bear they could find?

Coffeo replies on Apr 15, 2018:

@VictoriaNotes Yes, I recognized Smoky. He looks nice.

It's so hard to find Canadians here??

Coffeo comments on Apr 14, 2018:

I thought you'd have been surrounded by them where you live. :)

Coffeo replies on Apr 14, 2018:

@TournelHenry I know. I was only kidding.

Faith is a measurable property.

AnneWimsey comments on Apr 13, 2018:

Ohferpetessake

Coffeo replies on Apr 13, 2018:

Would that be Saint Peter?

Across the wide gulf: how to get life out of quantum physics | Aeon Essays

magicwatch comments on Apr 13, 2018:

wtf is this crap ?

Coffeo replies on Apr 13, 2018:

Is a comment like that _really_ worth double points?

Does it annoy you when you realise you posted something with misspellings or the wrong word?

NothinnXpreVails comments on Apr 13, 2018:

*realize

Coffeo replies on Apr 13, 2018:

@Fulishsage We welcome Idaho to the rest of the world! :)

The lessons of the Bible

WizardBill comments on Apr 12, 2018:

I agree with your interpretations. I will go a step further. I am yet to meet a Xtian who understands that god condones owning people as property and that this is NEVER rebuked anywhere in the bible. The bible even tells you for how much you can sell your slaves.

Coffeo replies on Apr 13, 2018:

@paul1967 Might depend on your tone of voice! :)

Do you "count" the childhood indoctrination you've experienced but later became an atheist?

KDzo comments on Apr 12, 2018:

As a child I didn't know any better. Eventually unanswered prayers and asking simple questions lead me to atheism. It stopped making sense and just started to really seem foolish. I don't see the need to shy away from that fact. It's because of my religious upbringing that I have the knowledge of...

Coffeo replies on Apr 13, 2018:

That is my response too.

What are your thoughts on Faith?

normd47 comments on Apr 12, 2018:

There is a very fine line between faith and delusion...

Coffeo replies on Apr 13, 2018:

So fine I can't see it.

What are your thoughts on Faith?

LisaRL26 comments on Apr 12, 2018:

Coming out of faith recently, and I mean very recently, I'd have to say it's like peer pressure. If you ask a lot of questions and they say, "God doesn't allow us to know everything," or "you just have to have faith in God," then that is your cue to stop asking questions. If you were to continue ...

Coffeo replies on Apr 13, 2018:

Question everything! Always!

The lessons of the Bible

WizardBill comments on Apr 12, 2018:

I agree with your interpretations. I will go a step further. I am yet to meet a Xtian who understands that god condones owning people as property and that this is NEVER rebuked anywhere in the bible. The bible even tells you for how much you can sell your slaves.

Coffeo replies on Apr 13, 2018:

@paul1967 I can't see anything in your comment that sounds rude.

A cosmology question.

WilliamCharles comments on Apr 10, 2018:

More perspective. Earth from the Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars. We *are* a spacefaring people

Coffeo replies on Apr 10, 2018:

About half the human species is in that photo.

A cosmology question.

davyjones comments on Apr 10, 2018:

No idea. I'd like to think we'd be able to see quite a few galaxies in the Local Group, since we wouldn't be dealing with the light pollution from nearby stars, but I don't think I'd be willing to make the trip necessary to know for sure.

Coffeo replies on Apr 10, 2018:

@davyjones Kinda my point.

A cosmology question.

Tompain1 comments on Apr 10, 2018:

If all the stars we can see are in the Milky Way, how can we see Andromada?

Coffeo replies on Apr 10, 2018:

I think @WilliamCharles is talking about seeing individual stars. Without a telescope, Andromeda does not show individual stars.

A cosmology question.

davyjones comments on Apr 10, 2018:

No idea. I'd like to think we'd be able to see quite a few galaxies in the Local Group, since we wouldn't be dealing with the light pollution from nearby stars, but I don't think I'd be willing to make the trip necessary to know for sure.

Coffeo replies on Apr 10, 2018:

Well, you would see any galaxies that you can see with the naked eye from here under good seeing conditions, plus the Milky Way of course. No more.

Two asteroid missions will help shape the economy of the 21st century

BucketlistBob comments on Apr 9, 2018:

I can't believe people fall for this. No disrespect... to me its a waist of money.

Coffeo replies on Apr 9, 2018:

@BucketlistBob Ask Goldman Sachs, not me.

Two asteroid missions will help shape the economy of the 21st century

BucketlistBob comments on Apr 9, 2018:

I can't believe people fall for this. No disrespect... to me its a waist of money.

Coffeo replies on Apr 9, 2018:

Goldman Sachs thinks it's a money-maker.

How do Believers become Non-Believers

racocn8 comments on Apr 2, 2018:

While I was in college, I read the New Testament twice and fraternized with Christians in the hope that I might receive the Born Again experience. I could not get past the hatred directed toward scientists in general and evolutionists (like myself) in particular. As much as I wanted to have a ...

Coffeo replies on Apr 4, 2018:

They are both dangerous, but Christians do not have all those virgins waiting for them. The Irish Republican Army, therefore, tried (to the extent that they could) not to blow themselves up. Islam fanatics have no such limitations.

Rare Cosmic Alignment Reveals Most Distant Star Ever Seen... [space.com]

phxbillcee comments on Apr 3, 2018:

At 9 billion light-years, I wonder if this star is "now" still in existence?

Coffeo replies on Apr 3, 2018:

I think it's unlikely: the sun's lifetime is about 10 billion years, but brighter stars don't last nearly as long. And to be seen at that distance, this star must surely be much more luminous than Sol.

Can you provide a label for my belief system?

Coffeo comments on Apr 2, 2018:

Seems to me that __atheist__ is as good as any, if you really need a label.

Coffeo replies on Apr 2, 2018:

@GlyndonD Meaning '_Nope_ its isn't as good as any' or '_Nope_ I don't need a label'?

Trolls ......or no trolls

TaraMarshall comments on Apr 2, 2018:

My mother is a Tea Party Republican and tRumpeteer.

Coffeo replies on Apr 2, 2018:

Sad! (Oh dear, that sounds like tRump. Sorry.)

Are there any on this site that are anti-vaxxers?

Simon1 comments on Apr 2, 2018:

I prefer kids with autism better than dead ones

Coffeo replies on Apr 2, 2018:

In any case, there is no link between vaccinations and autism. Wakefield's 1998 paper was fraudulent, It was partly retracted in 2004 and fully retracted in 2010.

Jesus rethinks

DenoPenno comments on Apr 1, 2018:

I can easily believe that Jesus would be reconsidering his return. He can't come to America or he will be deported. In the bible it said he was recieved up into the clouds untill he was out of sight. Imagine that for a moment as if he was a helium balloon. If this is how he went away then he hasn't ...

Coffeo replies on Apr 1, 2018:

He would probably engage hyperdrive once clear of the atmosphere.

Art & Culture in a truly agnostic or atheist society?

jacpod comments on Mar 31, 2018:

i was just wondering if those people who produced those works of art were actually doing it for the greater glory of god or if it werw always a very human endeavour to create something beautiful and different - They might very well have been killed for blasphemy if it had been known that they were ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 31, 2018:

Many of the great artists and composers were non-believers. They did the jobs they were commissioned to do. Often they did them very well.

What is the plural of Jesus?

Etre comments on Mar 29, 2018:

Jesus' is the correct way I believe. So I will just dive in...... first of all the christ figure' name was not jesus. That is a translation. The letter J did not exist till the 1600 during the great vowel shift. Y is or was the phonetic spelling. Yeshua I believe is correct for an arabic to english ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 30, 2018:

@Etre I try not to be too prescriptive also, but it is kind of what this post is about. :)

What is the plural of Jesus?

Etre comments on Mar 29, 2018:

Jesus' is the correct way I believe. So I will just dive in...... first of all the christ figure' name was not jesus. That is a translation. The letter J did not exist till the 1600 during the great vowel shift. Y is or was the phonetic spelling. Yeshua I believe is correct for an arabic to english ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 30, 2018:

@Etre Not for plurals. That's possessive.

Jesus rethinks

Howcome comments on Mar 28, 2018:

If you like him, check out the Marginal Menonites

Coffeo replies on Mar 29, 2018:

Interesting. Will check further.

What is the plural of Jesus?

Skyfacer comments on Mar 29, 2018:

Well. What would you call a group of Mexican boys all called Jesus ? Jesuins perhaps ?

Coffeo replies on Mar 29, 2018:

Spanish plurals are pretty much like English, so I think it would be Jesuses.

What is the plural of Jesus?

Etre comments on Mar 29, 2018:

Jesus' is the correct way I believe. So I will just dive in...... first of all the christ figure' name was not jesus. That is a translation. The letter J did not exist till the 1600 during the great vowel shift. Y is or was the phonetic spelling. Yeshua I believe is correct for an arabic to english ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 29, 2018:

My understanding is that the __ONLY__ time an apostrophe is involved in forming a plural is in the plural of individual letters. Five a's, three b's etc. So is Jesus something special? Some would say yes, I guess. :)

Jesus rethinks

bodhi1 comments on Mar 28, 2018:

Although I find the link humorous and definitely worlds better than so much Christian content, I don't actually buy into the idea that there really was a historical hippy Jesus who was all about spreading love and peace. I think that IF a historical Jesus existed, he was more likely a delusional ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 29, 2018:

I think you may be taking the article too seriously :)

Why are we hated for hating xmas?

BlueWave comments on Mar 26, 2018:

I don’t hate Christmas. I don’t hate Easter. I don’t celebrate the religious aspects at all. But I love family and friends and food and lights decorating and Easter egg hunts with little kids, and for years I enjoyed spoiling my niece and my daughter with things that they wanted and more ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 26, 2018:

My feelings exactly. For me (even back when I considered myself a Christian), neither Christmas nor Easter were primarily about religion. Christmas especially was a fun time for all sorts of reasons, and still is to some degree.

I am curious as to how all of you with children, or thinking about having kids, feel about teaching ...

Nomad comments on Mar 25, 2018:

Due to children's minds being so malleable and easily influenced they should be raised ideologically neutral, since it can be difficult to un-learn as an adult what they were taught as a child. Raising a child to believe a certain set of dogmatic ideals has the same effect as brainwashing an adult. ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 26, 2018:

@Byrd I suppose it might be true, but I suspect it would be only in some isolated groups.

To believe or not to believe. That is the Question...,...,.. ugh.... think I have that wrong.

Coffeo comments on Mar 25, 2018:

Well it is _a_ question. Isn't it what you wanted to ask?

Coffeo replies on Mar 26, 2018:

@Etre Welcome! I wasn't taking it seriously, either. I should have used a smiley :-)

I am curious as to how all of you with children, or thinking about having kids, feel about teaching ...

Nomad comments on Mar 25, 2018:

Due to children's minds being so malleable and easily influenced they should be raised ideologically neutral, since it can be difficult to un-learn as an adult what they were taught as a child. Raising a child to believe a certain set of dogmatic ideals has the same effect as brainwashing an adult. ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 25, 2018:

@Byrd I find that a very surprising question, because, if it's true, it's something I've never heard of in the 45 years I've lived here. But then, I have little contact with indigenous folk.

Scandinavian Nonbelievers, Which Is Not to Say Atheists - The New York Times

RobAnybody comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Australia used to be like that, to the point where I described our national religion as Apathism, don't know don't care. But since our politicians have started importing ideas (and direct quotes) from the Tea Party and similar loons our evangelicals have felt emboldened to infect our political ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 25, 2018:

@TXLarry You should have. I came here in 1973 and it was very good in almost every respect. Not so much now.

I am curious as to how all of you with children, or thinking about having kids, feel about teaching ...

Nomad comments on Mar 25, 2018:

Due to children's minds being so malleable and easily influenced they should be raised ideologically neutral, since it can be difficult to un-learn as an adult what they were taught as a child. Raising a child to believe a certain set of dogmatic ideals has the same effect as brainwashing an adult. ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 25, 2018:

@Byrd Yes, Australia's not bad. But I have to say, it used to be better (e.g. when I came from the UK in 1973). But there's plenty to see and do.

I am curious as to how all of you with children, or thinking about having kids, feel about teaching ...

Stevil comments on Mar 25, 2018:

The most annoying thing about religious people IMHO Is their insistence on everyone preying in clockwise circles. My daughter is 38 and quasi religious. My grand Brat is 16 and a closet atheist I'm pretty sure. I do not try and influence her in any way orher than to heap scorn on religion whenever ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 25, 2018:

@Stevil Does the Bible say that individuality is sinful? Actually, you could probably find something in there that could be interpreted that way. The notion horrifies me.

I am curious as to how all of you with children, or thinking about having kids, feel about teaching ...

Nomad comments on Mar 25, 2018:

Due to children's minds being so malleable and easily influenced they should be raised ideologically neutral, since it can be difficult to un-learn as an adult what they were taught as a child. Raising a child to believe a certain set of dogmatic ideals has the same effect as brainwashing an adult. ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 25, 2018:

Surprised to hear of this happening in the 'secular' UK. But i guess it probably happens here too, in 'secular' Australia.

I am curious as to how all of you with children, or thinking about having kids, feel about teaching ...

Stevil comments on Mar 25, 2018:

The most annoying thing about religious people IMHO Is their insistence on everyone preying in clockwise circles. My daughter is 38 and quasi religious. My grand Brat is 16 and a closet atheist I'm pretty sure. I do not try and influence her in any way orher than to heap scorn on religion whenever ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 25, 2018:

Clockwise circles?

Living as I do in the UK, I don't tend to be surrounded by obsessive Christian types.

jacpod comments on Mar 24, 2018:

Don't come to Northern Ireland its even worse than what you describe over tehre where I was born and raised - and relationships are paramount and knowing everyones name to the nth generation. I have so many conversations that start off sane and end up in that - talking about people to the n'th ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 24, 2018:

I love that windy northern coast.

Anyone find it ironic that this year Easter and April Fools Day is the same day?

Rugglesby comments on Mar 23, 2018:

We have our community market on that day, I suggested we run some April Fools themes, and all was good until I suggested we have a "Jesus" running around yelling "April Fool".

Coffeo replies on Mar 24, 2018:

Please make it happen!

NZ Police recruitment Video... [facebook.com]

Coffeo comments on Mar 23, 2018:

I want to join up! Is 74 too old?

Coffeo replies on Mar 23, 2018:

@phxbillcee Well I am __fairly__ fit, but...

What?

fauxname11 comments on Mar 23, 2018:

What’s a tiger’s eye stone? Is that like a gall stone?

Coffeo replies on Mar 23, 2018:

I don't know but I bet it costs plenty.

Religion and Psychology

The_Antichrist comments on Mar 22, 2018:

Psychology isn't real. Reverse psychology is real.

Coffeo replies on Mar 22, 2018:

"Ygolohcysp"? Maybe, but hard to pronounce. :)

Tea

Coffeo comments on Mar 22, 2018:

With milk and no sweetener. How would I vote if I took both? (But I prefer coffee anyway.)

Coffeo replies on Mar 22, 2018:

@Crimson67 What a good idea!

Is time a real concept?

Joyful1 comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Interesting that you would bring up this topic at this time. (ha ha ha) I have been pondering this alot lately. Specifically I've been considering how Einstein's theory of relativity figures into the whole concept of time. Some of the things I've read talk about how time probably isn't linear. ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 22, 2018:

If time is non-linear, what is it non-linear with respect to?

Is time a real concept?

azzow2 comments on Mar 11, 2018:

I always think if nothing was around to precieve time would time play a role.

Coffeo replies on Mar 22, 2018:

Long before there were sentient creatures, time had to exist, to allow the supernovae to create the atoms that would eventually form sentient creatures.

Is time a real concept?

Rugglesby comments on Mar 12, 2018:

Time is an illusion and lunchtime doubly so. Personaly, I don't believe in time, I use it to co-ordinate with people. but to me it is just another measure of space, a more encompassing one. To me a place in time is where every piece of the universe is in a certain place. I will meet you at x spot...

Coffeo replies on Mar 22, 2018:

@ChrisJones I agree. I miss weekends.

Is time a real concept?

GodlessVoice comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Time is a real concept until space dies. Then time becomes an impossibility and an absolute. When you remove time, all possibilities occur simultaneously. When you remove Space, Time is both infinite and non-existent. When it all comes to an end all of it immediately exists. So carries the ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 22, 2018:

When you remove time, it becomes meaningless to speak of anything (let alone everything) _occurring_. Time is needed for that! :)

What is your definition of The Universe?

Coffeo comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Believing something in science is inadvisable — one's beliefs are liable to be altered. I recommend not believing anything. To say of something that it is 'basic and true' sounds to me just the same as a statement of religious faith. Open minds are essential in science. Hawking's final paper ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 20, 2018:

@gater You keep making statements like this. They are statements of belief, which may or may not be true.

What is your definition of The Universe?

Coffeo comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Believing something in science is inadvisable — one's beliefs are liable to be altered. I recommend not believing anything. To say of something that it is 'basic and true' sounds to me just the same as a statement of religious faith. Open minds are essential in science. Hawking's final paper ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 19, 2018:

@gater Holding a belief for a long time doesn't make it true.

What is your definition of The Universe?

Mooolah comments on Mar 19, 2018:

The big bang theory put & end to the eternal universe. Stephen Hawkings was instrumental in upending the eternal theory. Who the hell knows?

Coffeo replies on Mar 19, 2018:

Hawking. Only one (indeed).

I truly believe the idea of an afterlife was invented by those in power as a way to convince the ...

Coffeo comments on Mar 14, 2018:

Yes, I've often thought the same thing.

Coffeo replies on Mar 15, 2018:

@dc65 The world would be a different place if it weren't.

What If Dark Matter Doesn't Exist?... [youtube.com]

EdEarl comments on Mar 10, 2018:

"Dark Matter" is an arbitrary name for an astronomical observation, with unknown causes. The original observation found that stars in galaxies obit their galaxy center faster than the galaxy mass can hold in orbit. The scientist who made this discovery, assumed that some mass existed that could not ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 12, 2018:

@Jnei Understood. Dyson spheres are interesting to think about, though, quite aside from whether or not they account for dark matter. The land area! The material strength needed to support the polar caps! Do you read SF? Do you know of any hard SF that uses the idea? (I know about Larry Niven's _Ringworld_ series but that is a bit different.)

What If Dark Matter Doesn't Exist?... [youtube.com]

EdEarl comments on Mar 10, 2018:

"Dark Matter" is an arbitrary name for an astronomical observation, with unknown causes. The original observation found that stars in galaxies obit their galaxy center faster than the galaxy mass can hold in orbit. The scientist who made this discovery, assumed that some mass existed that could not ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 11, 2018:

@Jnei Ah. Gosh.

What If Dark Matter Doesn't Exist?... [youtube.com]

EdEarl comments on Mar 10, 2018:

"Dark Matter" is an arbitrary name for an astronomical observation, with unknown causes. The original observation found that stars in galaxies obit their galaxy center faster than the galaxy mass can hold in orbit. The scientist who made this discovery, assumed that some mass existed that could not ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 11, 2018:

@Jnei Yes but if the matter was there already, how would Dyson spheres help to explain dark matter?

What If Dark Matter Doesn't Exist?... [youtube.com]

EdEarl comments on Mar 10, 2018:

"Dark Matter" is an arbitrary name for an astronomical observation, with unknown causes. The original observation found that stars in galaxies obit their galaxy center faster than the galaxy mass can hold in orbit. The scientist who made this discovery, assumed that some mass existed that could not ...

Coffeo replies on Mar 11, 2018:

@Jnei They'd not only have to build the spheres (a non-trivial task), they'd have to __create__ the extra matter to build them with. :-O

How scientists change their minds.

evidentialist comments on Feb 4, 2018:

The speed of light in a vacuum is still being scrutinized, tested, and pondered. If something as basic as that is not thought of as an absolute after all this time, what can be?

Coffeo replies on Mar 8, 2018:

@NDEer Sorry, but word definitions are important. Also, a demonstration that photons cannot travel faster than light is not sufficient to demonstrate that the velocity of light is constant at all times and in all places. Of course, it might be: I'm not claiming that it isn't.

How scientists change their minds.

evidentialist comments on Feb 4, 2018:

The speed of light in a vacuum is still being scrutinized, tested, and pondered. If something as basic as that is not thought of as an absolute after all this time, what can be?

Coffeo replies on Mar 7, 2018:

@NDEer Science is not about proof. Proof is a mathematical thing.

How scientists change their minds.

evidentialist comments on Feb 4, 2018:

The speed of light in a vacuum is still being scrutinized, tested, and pondered. If something as basic as that is not thought of as an absolute after all this time, what can be?

Coffeo replies on Mar 7, 2018:

@NDEer Sure. My point is simply that we can't, at present, be sure one way or the other.