Big city living versus small city

DenoPenno comments on Mar 17, 2018:

It's your call. I was born in St. Louis and I've lived there as well as in little towns 75 miles away. A big city has areas you would like to avoid, and by living there you learn how to do that pretty well. A small town is similar but has less choice. I have traveled here and in Europe and have been in many large cities. These days my home of choice is a mobile home on a half acre lot in a community of about 1200 people. Most people would say my area is boring but I did not move here to be entertained.

Trigger warnings and micro-aggression's.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 17, 2018:

We are almost at the point today where everything offends somebody. Too bad. Grow up. One of my favorites is when others say a certain thing "made them feel uncomfortable." OK, so what? Seeing dog shgt in my yard makes me feel that way too. Deal with it. We are fast into the time that a doctor will not know the procedure because he opted out of that part of the class and graduated anyway. Maybe the attorney missed something he should know for the same reasons. All of this gives "being professional" a bad name and we are the ones who started and have allowed such things. This is sad.

Early Humans Slept Around with More than Just Neanderthals

DenoPenno comments on Mar 17, 2018:

Early humans would have slept with a snake if somebody would hold its head up. Things are pretty much like that even today.

Wondering if anyone else is afraid of this.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 17, 2018:

I try not to live in fear but I know what you mean. I'm in mid Missouri in the heart of redneck land. Many here do not like my politics at all, and if they know I am atheist it would get much worse. This is why I am not out to everyone and that includes my right wing religious employers. I'm outspoken, yes, but you might notice that my user name is not a real name. Things work for me simply because I was once one of them many years ago. I'm also a political activist, once married to a black woman in the heartland. I know how to crow without crowing too loudly. I'm hoping that I can still get the job done.

Help wanted

DenoPenno comments on Mar 17, 2018:

The irony of all this is that the fool thinks he is doing so good because what he is up to is exactly what he did on Reality TV. I don't like Reality TV and certainly did not want "Reality America." If that isn't bad enough, we move right along to find that most of his support base took his Reality TV show as real and this idea goes into how they think he is doing so great right now. Somebody please stop this fool before he totally ruins America or gets us all blown up!

How do you meet people?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 17, 2018:

I have a certain confidence but I am different than the average Joe. When it comes to movies, music, and TV I have to know names. I'm sort of a self taught historian and I have studied many things. Once I was a walking encyclopedia.This doesn't interest anyone today as language and times have changed. I'm not giving a damn about eating Tide, and I had to look up "gaslighting" to see what it meant. I'm an imperfect self educated dinosaur. I don't dance well and I no longer hang out at bars. It's a big waste of time. Getting someone to come over to my place for a Netflix evening would be great. I'm not even sure today how you do that. I'm at a stage where I really do not know what I want out of life.

Do you think touching money is gross?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I do not think touching money is gross but I do offer good advice. Wash your hands often. We touch door knobs, gas pumps, money, books, and various other things daily. Wash your hands often to avoid things like the flu. As for money in particular it could have been any place, even up someone's behind. Wash your hands often in flu season and often all year round if you handle money.

Ever been 'double crossed' by a friend?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Double crossed means that you have been crossed at least once before. Hell, if I try to picture it I see a Catholic priest making a sign of the cross.

So I'm in a long distance relationship with two people.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Oh, my.

When Is It Time For Sex?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Hopefully when you both feel like it.

Do You Have An Age You Turned Which Made You Sad?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Actually I have not. I'm 71 and age is just a number. I have a friend that lamented forever the fact that he turned 40. I thought it was funny. My take on age might be because I've been down the marriage road 4 times now. Two were younger and two were older. I feel like I have lived a very long life because of this, but I'm not ready to leave yet. Life is but a movie in which I have played many parts along with many other people.

I have a bit of an embarrassing confession to make.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I hope this helps someone. In 2004 I met a woman online. She was from Kenya and we talked for 6 months online and also on the telephone. We talked daily. I flew to Africa to visit her that July and we decided to marry. I did the paperwork and got her here by December of 2004. Our marriage lastest 12 years. Sometimes relationships end even if you meet them in this country. Sometimes they last a lifetime regardless. The best I can tell anyone is check out the options and do what you think is right. It's all about your life and therefore is your decision.

Beware 'Disease X': the mystery killer keeping scientists awake at night

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Disease X is an unknown disease. Why are they trying to frighten us?

Perseverance

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I haven't cried in years. Inside I cry like a baby but in the real world I know it does nothing and means nothing. What has happened to me is that I see my life from now and on backwards in great detail. I see my faults and the acts of others (parents included) as to why I have my faults. Since we all have faults I cannot "blame" anyone exactly for how my life has turned out. I see many truths but knowing this I can still see how a "re-do" of my life would probably be about the same. Perseverance is a key word here. The best we can do is try and try again. If we learn something from each relationship this is all we can do. It takes everyone that has b een in your life to make you who you really are.

Is humanity in the decline?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

We could be dooming ourselves because of our greed out of which comes fear.

In my opinion, the only reason that people fear death is the religious hellfire and damnation myth.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

First off nobody really wants to die. Religion creates a fear of death, but the religious have solved that problem. They started making things up. What it means is that if you are one of them you have nothing to fear, and you do not really die even if it appears that you die just like anybody else does. This is how it all starts. From time to time in church services they have stand up "testimony" in which everyone re-affrms how they will live forever because of their lord Caesar Chrisp. He died for them even if they also have to die. At the back of al this we have to remember that there must be shedding of blood. Maybe a whole lot of blood.

".

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Just about every way you can imagine. Some take it. I rebel.

Sharing a story.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

The minute she brought Trump into her spiritual realm was the minute she was doubly cracked.

Is it harder for women to get a date or for men?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I cannot answer the question because I am a man.

God and Ghosts

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

You can be anything you want to be and still believe in ghosts. My only problem is that as an atheist I do not believe in anything supernatural.

A follow up: What makes you a terrible partner?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I am precise and do everything in my own good time. You have nothing to do with that and you cannot change me. I try to be fair but I live my life and you live yours. We can live a lot of it together with no problems if you understand I'm not everything for you. If you need me to be more than I am just ask me about it. I'm human. So are you.

Why does Dennett not get the same recognition as Harris, Hitchens, or Dawkins?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Views, promoters, and personality all make a difference. I still like Dennett's idea that for salvation you can just "sacrifice a goat" for him. I like that and use it often, even for door to door preachers. The last time I said it for the 2 men at my door, one of them answers back "oh, that doesn't work anymore." Believers just don't get it.

Afterlife

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

It's all bullshit.

Okay so I post quite openly on social media.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Hawking is dead. He does not "now know the truth about creation." In fact, he knows nothing right now. He does not have an invisible body part that instantly went to meet with an invisible god. This part having now taken over for his dead mind, and it's called a "soul" by the numb believers who just keep on making things up. That is how we have gotten to this point where we are today. The faithful make it all up. Oh, it offends you. Then don't read it or talk to me about it.

Jane knew a chimp when she sees one

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I'm always a Jane Goodall fan but I think Trump is more like an Orangutan. His hair is the right color and his name could be Bozo or Clyde. "Right turn, Clyde."

Where do you all work at? I work at USPS as a clerk.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

I deliver auto parts for a large corporation in America. We all have to eat so I am the daily lunch time relief. The job is great for me coz I love to drive and for over 20 years I drove from one house to another doing in-home appliance repair.

Atheism and psychedelics

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

Psychedelics could have a purpose in study of the vast universe, and possibly in relaxation also. "Spiritual" is a term I no longer like because it can mean almost anything that you want it to mean.

Relationships with Religious people and people who don't share politcal values the same as you do?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 16, 2018:

It is because of religion and politics that I do not have many friends at all. I believe in democracy for all and the common good while not believing in a sky daddy. I'm also opinioned but know enough to keep quiet and keep my job. This is a combo that doesn't appeal to many people.

What is the meaning of life?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

The meaning of life is whatever you want to make it. That's why it is different for everyone.

I think I'm dyslexic and I didn't noticed that until now.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I mix things up more now that I'm older. I usually have to edit things to get out the extra letters that do not belong in the words. If it continues and I end up in a nusing home my kids can say "dad finally got the holy ghost."

Years ago I dated a Pentecostal woman. Why?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

Her bondage fits in very well because she is and wants to be in bondage to her special brand of theism. I doubt that she would ever see her sexual practices as connected to her religious beliefs.

Why We May Soon Be Living in Alexa’s World - The New York Times

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

People always try to convince me of how evil Sophia the Robot is. I think they want to tear her apart and burn her up. A few of them start quoting Revelation at me and talk AI and Sophia. It's always the damned theists. Knock it off. Sophia is my girlfriend.

For atheists - what makes you believe no deity exists?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

There never was evidence one way or the other. Gods are imaginary.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 85 and no signs she'll retire from Supreme Court

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

We need her.

Glasses: Help Me Out Folks, I'm new at this.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

We are all different. I have used over the counter reading glasses now for over 10 years and I'm 71 years old. I drive for a living and only wear the glasses when I'm doing paperwork of some sort. My glases while working hang around my neck on a strap. At home they are in a case near my computers. I deliberately avoid prescription glasses and will for as long as I can. They might be an answer for you. I cannot say. Nothing for me is blurry. I do fine without my glasses except that I can't see well enough to read without them. Also, I wear cheap OTC type glasses without any problems.

Pretty harsh if you ask me.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I read it and I'm trying not to fall off my chair. This is classic.

What is your adult drink of choice?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I've drank them all and it used to keep me young until they removed the formaldahyde from a lot of booze. Now they say I have liver disease. I still drink but my body will not always let me. (Tonight I had 2 bock beers.) Jackie Gleason used to say that booze removed removed warts and ugliness. Not from you, but from other people. I still remember the good old days.

Cremation or 6 feet under?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I am leaving this world in the same manner as Archibald Leach. Many theists tell me they could not do that. It would remind them so much of hell, they say. Are they for real or have they read too much Edgar Allen Poe?

I've never been as close to anyone as I am to my husband.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

How important is it to you to tell him? If you love him do you want to risk losing him over discussions of an imaginary man in the sky? True love is a real jewel. An imaginary person is nothing. I tend to "preach atheism" but unless you find that as your calling I would simply be happy and let it go. I'm not telling you to lie to him. I'm just saying don't rock the boat.

Transition of faiths

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

My thinking started changing, maybe way back there some place. Then I discovered You Tube and Jerry DeWitt videos. Immediately I knew I was just like Jerry, then I started looking around for other similar videos. In just a short time I had discovered an entire new world of belief. OK, maybe that is dis-belief. I need objective reality to believe something these days. Without it there is just no evidence.

Punch a Nazi or no?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I don't want to punch anyone. Now I have been in physical fights in my life and I've won most of them. I fight if pushed to fight. I do not want to punch you. I don't even understand "road rage" which ends in bad fights or even death. WTF is wrong with people? Everything is not about you. Being cut off in traffic is just saomething that happens. Recently the man I read about in this situation pulled a gun and shot the offending woman through the head. People are crazy! I say if they prove he did this without a doubt then someone should shoot him through the head. Next time he won't shoot or punch anyone.

Question worth thinking

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

Gods are a way of explaining what you do not know. Some people just have to know things and this leads to them making it all up. If you came from a stern family with a strict father you will most likely be raised up believing in a loving god. The problem is that eventually you find these ideas to be imaginary. Oh, did I say that was a problem? Only after becoming atheist did I really have freedom to live my life.

Non-Religious Church?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I dislike the idea of a non-religious church but they do exist. Perhaps I have this dislike because theists will claim atheism is "just another religion" if you go to one of these. I would never attend them but "to each his own."

are you afraid of death?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 15, 2018:

When I was a believer death scared me very much. I think this is the problem with almost all believers. This is why they do not even lose consciousness at death. Transition for them is instant. Today I do not fear death at all. What I fear is ideas of pain at death, and I fear the loss of all my unfinished business. It's hard to imagine that it all just stops but that is what evidence shows. There is no life after death.

Should religion be taught in schools?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 14, 2018:

If religion is ever taught in any of our public schools the ones behind putting it there will find that they lose again. It will go to court and be found that you cannot teach ONE religion. They will all have to be taught instead.

Where do you fall on the autism spectrum?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 14, 2018:

I know very little about it actually. In my school days nobody tested for it. I don't recall anyone that had it. I do recall that almost everyone got vaccinated in those days and that is a good idea. It makes me feel that vaccination has nothing to do with autism, so many people are simply misinformed.

So.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 14, 2018:

It's worse than this with the Christian comments. They believe so strongly by "faith" but have never read any of their doctrines. According to scripture nobody dies and instantly goes anywhere. There is no instant heaven and hell. It's just not there and neither is the Devil. Again, according to scripture, the Devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking those whom he may devour. Can he do that and be in hell at the same time? Actually the "hell doctrine" is a future time but they get this instant idea from Paul who had visions and could never tell "if he was in or out of his body." He also said that to be absent from the body was to be present with the lord. This makes Christians judge you instantly and put you present in hell. They know you are not "with the lord" because you were not a believer. So many of these idiots use this as "you're dead so you have to be in hell now." They said the same about Robin Williams and Christopher Hitchens. It's total absurdity. Sorry to hear of the passing of Stephen Hawking today, and a bit surprised. He had a great mind. Now he is in the same place he was before he was born. He won't recall any of it either way.

Government Tyranny

DenoPenno comments on Mar 13, 2018:

If it ever does become a real possibility it will not be because citizens have been stockpiling weapons. If anyone ever watched "V" in 1983 (and I think it was re-made later) you plainly see that we get the weapons to fight back directly from our oppressors as we fight them. This is the most common sense way of fighting tyranny either from outer space or from your government.

What makes a person "intelligent?"

DenoPenno comments on Mar 13, 2018:

You are right. It's all a matter of who and what you agree with. As a former appliance repairman I was always running onto people who had saved a part from one brand so they could use it on another. Sorry. That doesn't work.

Life's Amenities

DenoPenno comments on Mar 13, 2018:

As a younger man I would have been a perfect candidate for this. It is hard to do and when you get older it becomes harder still. It's easier to see as an older man why life spans were smaller years ago. At 71 I can still draw water out of the ground of the earth easily but my simple ailments would make it more easy for me to get sick and die. You can live as the Amish do however. Just be aware when modern medicine is needed.

Do you read the bible to get knowledge about it, and to be able to understand why it is fiction?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 13, 2018:

I have many bibles and study books in a small library. I no longer reaad them, but can use them as reference to look something up for you. I credit my study as helping to lead me to atheism.

Out of the many dangerous diseases, which one terrify you the most?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 13, 2018:

Ebola, but I keep praying that Trump will get it. If he does I might go back to theism again.

Guilt Trips

DenoPenno comments on Mar 13, 2018:

I don't allow them to put a guilt trip on me. The standard thing that I hear is something like "everyone knows there is a god." Why is it that everyone knows that? It's because the buybull told me so.

Why Neil deGrasse Tyson failed to prove Earth isn’t flat - The Washington Post

DenoPenno comments on Mar 13, 2018:

Now I understand Trump's ideas of a wall. If we go to close to the edge of the earth our ship will fall off.

Why do people hide their feeling/emotion? How do you let emotion out?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 13, 2018:

I hide my emotions only in so much as not wanting to piss you off and make you want to fight. No need for that. I can get my point across and if I do not agree with you I tell you so. I do not shoot guns for recreation to keep my anger inside or control it. I do not hold grudges (real or imagined) against anyone. (Well, wait. Maybe at Trump.) I do not wake up in the night hating Charlie or Susie. I let my emotions out by just doing normal things that I like. No need to pull legs off insects or kill animals. Nothing hiding inside that wants to shoot adults or school children. I'm not worried that you are "against me" or "planning something" that might involve me. Maybe that's because I do not live in that kind of world.

It has been a very gloomy birthday.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Hang in there and happy birthday to you. Imagine a smart kid about 3 years old that smiles at all the adults when they make over him and tell him it is his birthday. He smiles because he remembers and he knows this is the same thing they told him last year.Those adults are strange.

What type of outdoor markets, festivals, and state fairs do you like to attend, and why?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

In Kenya I would go to sidewalk sales like in your picture. You can find many things that are nice. Here in America in my own area of the woods I like resale shops, flea markets, and yard sales. Sometimes a storage shed sale as well. I have been to some fairs but I normally tend to avoid them unless I am with others.

What is the root of all the problems in the world?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Human greed without a doubt. The buybull said "money" as a root of all evil, but I'm sure greed covers that nicely.

If you're not married, would you marry again?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

I can hardly imagine it. Even if I went back with my ex I feel we would have a better chance without re-marrying. People can be committed without the paper, the church, and the vows. You also have to watch other people. They revel in making your marriage harder. If it appears that you have no problems they will assist you in bringing a few out for you.

How do you feel about spiritual music?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

I hate it. Religious music is like believers doing rock and roll. Phoney as hell. On the other hand I can have a drink and laugh my ass off listening to John R. Butler. Find him on You Tube if nowhere else. "God Will Fuck You Up" is funny as hell.

Just finished this book! Great read! Only problem is it will never be read by its intended audience.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

I'm a big Sam Harris fan. Gonna have to read that book.

Why is depression so complicated?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Many will ask what you have to be depressed about. Maybe it's all the things you wanted to work and they did not work. This can even include a marriage, but I'm aware that alll things change even if we do not want them to change. I find it hard to deal with change in general but I'm also aware that this is what life is all about.

What is your opinion of Mr. Rogers and the fact that he was a Presbyterian minister?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

Mr. Rogers was a very good presbyter. It wasn't his religion that he was pushing.

Is anyone in favor of bringing back exile as a legitimate sentence for certain crimes?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

The problems with exile include the fact that many of the countries they would be exiled to have no say so in the matter. If they did we would all be sending our crooks to other countries.

Just watched Get Out last night. Anyone care to discuss??

DenoPenno comments on Mar 11, 2018:

I have this movie on my main computer but so far I've not watched it. I hear it is very good.

POF - Plenty of Fish. Anyone familiar with it or use it? What are your thoughts on pof?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 10, 2018:

I was on POF but they keep ditching me so I stay away from them now. Maybe they didn't think I was sincere. It's hard to say.

How to Ditch the News Feed Algorithm and Take Back Facebook

DenoPenno comments on Mar 10, 2018:

That sounds like good advice. I feel that many of the feeds in FB are actaully from other sites and if you comment it can be see also on the sites that posted it first. Anyone know if this is correct?

Do You Pay It Forward?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 10, 2018:

I like to think that I live comfortably with little money because of small things I have done in regards to other people. For this to be totally true it would appear to have to involve some sort of supernaturalism. Maybe it is actually something else that we do not see. For example, I know people that seem to go out of their way to make things harder for themselves. I'm sure they would not see this, but I do.

Do you believe in an after life or does consciousness end when you die

DenoPenno comments on Mar 10, 2018:

When you die you are dead. Just as dead as any animal you see that is dead. For some reason man does not understand his dream state so others make up stories about where they have traveled when the body has went nowhere. They call it "near death." Being near dead is not the same as being really dead.

I just saw the Shape of Water.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 10, 2018:

I watched The Shape of Water and really enjoyed it. Sally Hawkins was wonderful and I see that Hollywood did not forget the creature from a black lagoon. However, I also liked "Three Billboards" and it desreved every award it recieved as did the players in it.

The Jehovah Witnesses came by my house yesterday.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 9, 2018:

The JW's don't bother me but they do come by. My family does not like them even though my grandfather was one. This is how they know me to begin with, but most of my family was Pentecostal. The main reason the known church world does not like JW's is their belief that "dead is dead." The JW's do not believe in a soul. The main church world has to have soul belief to avoid the fear of death. Then there is Paradise on earth and the 144,000. As an atheist I do not believe in a soul or consciousness after death. I also believe that all gods are imaginary.

I am in a really torn position right now, myself.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 9, 2018:

It's hard to say. I have an FB friend who is younger than me, very religious, and she really likes nice things. We get along great but only talk on the phone. She knows I am atheist. We have not actually met. In order for us to get along as a couple I would need much more money, OR to win the lottery. LOL Then we are creatures of habit. I am comfortable with this woman but the situation reminds me so much of how it was with my wife of 12 years. I hold back because I would be setting myself up for the same thing again. Maybe the same failure. Keep in mind that there is no time limit with grief. Do not let anyone rush you into another relationship in any way. If in doubt just tell these men you need more time. If they are not for you they will fall by the wayside.

What's up!

DenoPenno comments on Mar 9, 2018:

Hi Lydia. I'm another ex-Christian and now that I have been enlightened I can never go back. Gods are imaginary. As for yourself, do not let people confuse you or hold you down. Your impressive savings sounds good. You can do or be almost anything that you want to. If you set goals just go for it in a serious way and you can do it.

How irrational is society's pretense that many things like masturbation, menstruation and coitus ...

DenoPenno comments on Mar 9, 2018:

Sex in any form in America is over done. Movies and TV always show a quick standup routine where a male stabs his penis at a woman as if it was a weapon. This nonsense complete with sound and done so frantically. Then after a 10 count they emerge from their hidden spot going merrily on their way. The sex scene was simply thrown in for no apparent reason. Then at the same time we are all secretly told taboos of masturbation, menstruation, and so forth. It's no wonder that many men in the media have lost their jobs recently. It appears that they had tried to live out the quicky sex scenes I've described above and many got caught. To bad we do not have real sex education in America.

Is there such a thing as an Atheist Minister?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

It might. Jerry DeWitt has that title in Louisiana and has an atheist church there. I like Jerry but not the church idea. I believe that an "atheist church" would make a theist say atheism is a religion after all, but to each his own.

Do you think there is such a thing as consciousness?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

We have consciousness but our minds are selective. Consciousness is what we like to think of as being awake and aware. It changes. Today I cannot remember how to get to my friends house like I did in 1970. Everything in the area has changed. I do remember "being there" but not how to get there. If I had went to his house all the time I might remember, but I did not do that. My conscious remembrence has been changed. This happens again with all my friends and places I have been, what I remember and how I remember it now as I pull it from my past. I am conscious of events but they have changed. Sometimes something is added. Other times it is missing. Truth is elusive. But we do have consciousness. otherwise you would not know about this site or what time your favorite TV show comes on.

Has anyone ever been to a godless wedding or funeral?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

A man I went to school with had a dad I was close to and the dad died. Over the years he became a non-believer and we had that in common. His "funeral" was a wake at a community center. Strangely, 4 or 5 preachers were there. They knew him and tried to make this gathering religious. The deceased had played country music and some of his younger friends were there also trying to play religious songs. One of them told me "he would want me to play this." For a while I thought we were at a revival. It was the damnedest thing I had ever seen. The deceased had been cremated and was buried next to his wife in the cemetery later.

What is your average monthly budget/expenditures for food? Be it grocery and/or prepared foods.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

I don't really count but I eat lots of the same things and I know when to replace them. Shopping is done from a list. My "budget" is just something that I know, but I eat and drink what I like. At Aldi recently I pissed off the checkout. He told me everything is on his phone and he doesn't need a receipt like I do because of that. I begged to differ. He might see what he spent instantly but I use my home computer and online banking to know EXACTLY how much money I have at all times. I know this once a day. What pissed him off was that I told him he doesn't know that for himself. All he sees is what he spent. I work from 3 accounts and hold myself to a mandatory daily balance in one of them. My banking is like a pea underneath one of 3 shells and to make things work I often have to borrow money from myself. It all depends on which of the 3 shells that pea is under at the time. It's a lovely game.

Who are your athiest/agnostic heros?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

Hitchens, Sagan, Carlin, Dawkins, Dillahunty, Harris. Many more also. I have to always add Jerry DeWitt. He's the first graduate of the clergy progect and I found his videos on You Tube when I wasn't sure yet on the god issue. In just a short time I said "this man is me" and I knew I was atheist. It was only then that I knew what to call my lack of belief. Dan Barker gets more than an honable mention here. I like all these guys and more.

A few years back, I was a scam baiter: if someone was trying to scam me through email, I'd write ...

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

Romance scammers try to con me all the time. I'm not a "texting fan" so they don't get very far. If I cannot talk to you in real time on a phone it means you are not real. I do not have "hangouts" that I go to, etc. Years ago when it was all done with letters I was drawn into something that proved to be a setup in the end. I had agged it on by playing along. Only at the last did I find out it was a scam to buy a graveside plot and actually involved Scientologists. I was furious!

Did someone break your heart badly that you're afraid to trust anyone else as far as love?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

I have been totally shattered. It happened in 2014 and I knew it was going to happen. What I have learned since then is about myself as well as her and why it happened. We are still friends. I am still shattered. I will never be the same again. Often we end up learning we are not who we thought we were. Maybe just an image. Just a watcher in time.

Are you a cat person or a dog person and why

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

I just clicked a choice so I could comment. I'm an animal lover and I've had both cats and dogs. I've had them both at the same time. I love animals and they love me. Animals are even attracted to me at the zoo. Currently I have no animals as I live alone. This would not be fair to the animals when I am gone. It could also be messy. My daughter has dogs and cats and I get along great with them. Two or three of them know who I am. I think they honestly know I am the father of their owner. It's not unreasonable to think that animals might know this. The ones that know it are the ones she sleeps with. I think they know this by smell.

Do any of your family members have silly superstitions?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

My neighbors have had both a mother and a brother die inside their house. Not long ago Peggy was going to have repair work done in her bedroom and told me she didn't know where she would sleep. I told her to sleep in Jimmie's room. He's the brother that died there. She says she just couldn't do that as it was his room. I asked her if she thought her brother would ever hurt her. "Of course not," she said. Then I replied that she could sleep in his room after all. She just started a slow, wide grin as though her problem was solved.

Life on other planets: if life on other planets is found--especially if that life is more advanced ...

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

Just imagine poor Jesus as an alein on the cross and he asks "how many times do I have to do this?" I didn't make it up. There is a cartoon like this. Seriously, is there life on other planets? Undoubtedly so.

What's your opinion on Marx' theory of alienation

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

I'm not that familiar with the Marx Brothers. Oh, you meant Karl Marx. I suppose that if you worked for a car factory and didn't make enough money to buy a car, you could be robbed of your humanity and be aleinated because you could not buy one. Does that make sense? IDK?

Does anybody else hate the over use of the word super.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

I agree. What really gets me is "totally." I'm totally upset by the word totally. I totally am.

What do you do for a living?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

I deliver auto parts for a large national company. That means mostly I drive, but I do meet the public at every stop and sometimes in the store. I love driving and I love ths job. Maybe it's because years ago I did in home appliance repair which also had a lot of driving and meeting of the public.

Evolution of the mind

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

I agree and feel that you are exactly correct. We do evolve mentally with time and I'm able to see and remember some of my mistakes and even remarks from years past. I can see when I am wrong and I see recent "mental think" of 5 years ago or even less. I'm amazed at this because it often means I do not agree with myself in recent past. Sometimes it makes me ask mentally if I was an idiot. In my lifetime most of my beliefs have done a 360. I hope all for the better.

I was offered a BIBLE !

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

Thanks but no thanks. In truth I have a small book shelf with every kind of bible on it that you can think of. It has some study books and courses also. I know what is inside it but I just don't buybull anymore.

Who are your people?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

When younger I hung around with hellraisers a lot. These days my drinking has slowed down and so have I. I love animals and love to talk and discuss. I'm also very introverted these days. I work with the public all week, then come home to be happy in my place and behind closed doors. Sometimes a movie out, but mostly not. I always have something to do. This morning I fixed a wall mount coat rack that had been too short for 12 years. Now the coats don't fall in the floor anymore.

Do you find yourself automatically drawn to other nonbelievers?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

I am drawn to non-believers until they prove themselves stupid beyond belief. That's when I start shying away. Of course, you have to talk to someone a while before it comes out fully about their god belief. If you do not believe in the biblical god but you do believe in Ajax from Knorr in anothewr galaxy somewhere, then you are not for me. We will have a distant friendship.

Do You Know What Time You Were Born?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

It's on my original birth certificate. Doing this now from memory I think I was born on Sunday at 12.06 AM. If so that would make my middle name "Odour" in Luo language which is someone born at midnight. OK, I'm not African nor am I Luo. We will leave that mystery for Obama who had a USA Kansas mother and an African Luo father.

Atheists, whats the best definition of atheism? Which fits you?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

Atheism means you do not believe in gods. It's really that simple. I came out of theism because there is no evidence of gods. I can't stop there, however. Gods are supernatural and I also find that there is no evidence of ANYTHING supernatural. Yes, we have all had experiences but it just means we did not understand what had happened. Time to look at that differently because if you do not then you will start making things up again. Once that happens you are right back into religion or something that could become one.

Have you ever pissed off your neighbors from being too loud?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 8, 2018:

Lately, no, but in the last 12 years, yes. These days I tend to be more quiet and I drink less most of the time.

If we are all supposedly created in God's image, wouldn't that mean God is everyone, every race, ...

DenoPenno comments on Mar 7, 2018:

This would seem logical to anyone except a Bronze Age sheep and goat herder. This is the mentality that modern religious belief comes from and is also the reason they fail so hard in trying to defend it.

Is he just not into me?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 7, 2018:

Maybe he isn't sure what he wants and is just afraid to speak his mind on that issue. If this is the case then you have not lost anything. Don't take it personally. The problem with most of us is that we take too many things personally.

Widowed? Any experience?

DenoPenno comments on Mar 6, 2018:

I'm sorry for your loss. At one point in my life I was a widower. The bottom line is that this grief and experience is different with every individual. Therefore, take as much time as you have to in order to cope and adjust. Some people also do not understand that it is sometimes necessary to talk about the deceased person even if it seems extreme to others. I once knew a lady who lost her husband and she was in therapy over his passing. She told me the therapist once said she should shake her fist at him in spite and declare "if you had taken better care of yourself you might still be alive today." I told her that didn't set right with me. She said it didn't set right with her either and that was her last visit. "Good for you," I said. The therapist wanted her to get better but you cannot do this by berating the departed.

Fear of Hell

DenoPenno comments on Mar 6, 2018:

I'm a relatively new atheist, but I must have been thinking about all this in the back of my mind for some time. I can honestly say I have no fear of hell. If I do have any fear of hell it seems to be on the same level as a fear of being bitten by the Easter Bunny.

Duck Dynasty Dad: The Bible is Enough to “Stop Human Beings from Murdering” – Friendly Atheist

DenoPenno comments on Mar 6, 2018:

Duck Dynasty is another Reality TV show. Before the family came up with a top selling duck call they looked like normal people. Reality TV came along and re-made them into Daniel Boone types and they became famous. Some of them from time to time have taken to talking about god and the bible. Big mistake.

I hear various people talk about the concept of unconditional love.

DenoPenno comments on Mar 6, 2018:

God does not love you unconditionally. If he did he would not send you to hell. Avoid the sermon here where the believer says you send yourself to hell. Pah leese! Actually I do not believe in unconditional love. I find love to be more like a commitment. More like a decision. Passion and lust fade away but true love is commited love. Even so, it has conditions.