Not trying to generalize, but to you agree, do you think religion is a mental illness?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

No. I believe that it originated from a necessary institution that explained that which could not be explained logically. The fact that it has survived into modern times is not an indication of mental illness, but an indication of how badly people need to be able to "understand" everything, even if their explanation is illogical in the extreme.

One of the most frustrating things I find is that many who claim to be Christian, or Muslim are not ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

There's nothing wrong with being gay. Religions condemn it because at the time, the Pagans, who Christians were trying to destroy, celebrated homosexual relationships. And if the Pagans thought it was alright, at least in the Christians' eyes, it had to be evil since Pagans were not Christian. It was a very dualistic "us vs. them" way of looking at things. But it was how it was back then, and such erroneous beliefs have survived into modern times.

Over the past few years I've had the opportunity to become friends with a wide range of individuals.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

I've got a number of friends who are both male and female. It simply isn't true that boys and girls can't be friends.

Compassion is an act of imagination – it is the defining moment when dreaming passes over the ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Ooh, that's deep.

Join my church! It is the Church of Non-Arseholiness.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Sounds a bit like Pastafarianism, an entire religion built around a giant pasta monster in the sky. Clearly a joke religion. But compelling, nonetheless. Maybe you could also join the Elder Party. Cthulhu for President The Dark Lord, Cthulhu promises to usher in 10,000 years of darkness, which is great for naps. He promises to end all human governments of the world, and to bring in a new government that is ruled by Him. One look at his dread visage, and America's enemies will be reduced to incoherent, babbling wrecks. Of course, so will America's allies… And all Americans… You know what… Everyone will be babbling wrecks. Babbling wrecks for days. ISIS and all terrorist groups will be destroyed by His supreme might. This, unfortunately will mean the destruction of all humans, as destroying ISIS will be accomplished by destroying all of reality. But hey, sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good, right? Unlike most politicians, Cthulhu will tell you no lies. He does not need to lie to get elected, since whether He wins the election or not, he will become president of these United States, and consumer of Mexico… Of course, He will also become supreme overlord of the Universe. What reason has He to lie, then? Your vote is always your own, and He will never force you to vote for Him. However, those who vote for him, their souls will be promised an eternal place in His underwater home of R'lyeh. Their bodies will be eaten, but will no longer matter because their souls will have found eternal paradise. Those who do not vote for the Dark Lord, Cthulhu will be devoured body and soul, and their soul will reside forever in the Dark Lord, Cthulhu's bowels. Their body will not be so lucky. It will be processed like any other food and disposed of in the same manner. The Dark Lord, Cthulhu doesn't need to eat. However, He likes to dine on human flesh on occasion… Tasty, tender human flesh. Now, you may say that this is coercive advertising, and you would be right, my friend. However, the Dark Lord Cthulhu doesn't care. He is the ultimate evil, after all, and whether you like Him or not, He is going to kill you either way. Vote Cthulhu/Dagon. Why choose the lesser of two evils?

It is my belief that the USA should bring back the WPA for welfare and those who lack any real ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Is the WPA like Roosevelt's New Deal?

How would you go about making our government more representative of the majority of the middle class...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Well, first, I would eliminate the Electoral College. There have only been four instances where a president won the Electoral Vote but lost the Popular Vote. But to me, even once is too many. Once a system begins to say that the most popular candidate does not necessarily win the election is when we start to slide into a dictatorship rather than a democracy.

Hello.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Yes. The United States is supposedly a secular nation with a Christian majority. However, our modern criminal in chief and his advisors and those he is selecting for the most powerful positions in our nation seem to be determined to turn us into a theocracy.

Hello.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

That is also the official position of the Constitution. However, that position seems to have been perverted by our modern politicians.

What Do You Think About Spinoza?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

I don't fully follow your explanation.

If god is all knowing than how can he have free will if he already knows what's going to happen?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

That is one of the major plotholes of the Bible.

would you get slightly annoyed by this kind of stupidity?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

It seems like you took the right steps. To me, 930 isn't that late, but it's definitely a bit late to be calling or texting, especially with such an asinine message.

So what's everyone's passionate cause (s) and why? Mine is STEM education.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

I want to be here to see human enhancement become mainstream. The use of technology to overcome human diseases and weaknesses. I want to see humans find a habitable planet that's near enough to colonize (and hopefully we won't ruin it like we ruined earth). I want to see Trump get arrested and hopefully executed as a traitor. I know it sounds vindictive, but I just hate Trump so much. I want to see North Korea fall, either by its own lack of communication with the outside world or by outside forces. I want to see technology that can clean the air become mainstream (already, there's a tower that can filter approximately 1 million cubic feet of air per hour. China really needs several thousand of those.)

What does coincidence in your life mean to you and how do you deal with it?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Coincidence doesn't mean anything to me. There is no coincidence. Only the illusion of coincidence. Everything happens for a reason. Just because we don't know what that reason is, doesn't necessarily mean it's random.

Sustainability: What does it mean for you?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Sustainability is the ability to maintain what we have. Currently, humans are not living a sustainable lifestyle. Americans eat five times what we need, Europeans eat approximately 2.5 times while Africans and other Third World nations only have about half to a third of what they need. We're pouring pollutants into the air, destroying our forests and oceans and rivers, melting our ice caps and killing off species after species. Eventually, humans will be the last species standing, and what will we have then?

Hello logical thinkers, thoughts on veganism? Yes/No. Heck yeah/why not?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

I like meat too much to be a vegan, but I respect those who can follow such a strict dietary restriction.

Church of Sweden to stop clergy calling God 'he' or 'the Lord' in bid to crack down on gendered ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Well I'm all for gender equality, but that's going a little bit overboard. Personally, I feel that if God does exist, it's either a combination of male and female traits or nether male or female (since both man and woman were supposedly made in its image). Still, you can't control what clergy calls God in the sanctity of their own church.

Q. Why did the creationist cross the road?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

That's a little bit mean. Creationists are misguided, but they're not necessarily stupid.

Who else feels.......

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Personally, I agree. Religion can be a good thing. It's when people take it too far that it becomes bad.

If you really think about it, anthropology kind of proves Christianity wrong.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 25, 2017:

Yeah, anthropology and almost every other branch of science has disproven religion. But here's the big question. If you set this evidence before religious people, will they believe it? They're not interested in "really thinking about it". But you're right. If you take away the origin of Christianity, the rest sort of is moot.

Feeling a little poetic.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Plague… Doesn’t it have a frightful ring to it? Something that is larger than a continent, yet smaller than an amoeba. It’s carried by insects, yet is stronger than an army. Nobody is immune to its depredations. Not the virtuous, the wealthy or the powerful. Kings and priests cower in fear of it. Only the dead may escape its wrath. Not God, not the Devil, not Man can stop it, only hinder its process. We think we have beaten it, but it will be back. It will be back, sure as the sky is blue It could be right around the corner, waiting for the right time to strike, to wipe this sorry race off the planet like so much dust in the wind. The rats brought it the first time. Who… or what will bring it next?

Feeling a little poetic.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Why bother Why bother complaining when nobody listens? Why bother speaking when nobody cares? Who's there to help you when we're all too busy? Why bother speaking when nobody hears? Why bother trying when no one can help you? Why bother advising when nothing will change? We live in a world of lethargy and apathy. We live in a world where the quiet are the key The key to keeping the status quo

A Zen Master saw one of his students sitting under a tree and asked him what he was doing.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

I like it. Funny.

Thanksgiving was horrible for me.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Couldn't you just not talk about religion?

@Admin. I’m starting to get a message on my notifications that says. “Sorry, Content Deleted”

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Same for me. I don't know what's going on.

Now I'm really worried for your people America !! Erin Brockovich says there are lead pipes ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

America is doomed. It was doomed before Trump ever entered the picture. It's partially our lack of an environmental conscience, and partially the fact that we can't grow an environmental conscience with the way our government is right now. China may be more polluted, but we're more hostile to the environment. China is at least working to clean up. We're just intent on making things worse and denying that it's bad in the first place.

Got into a heated argument more than once about Hitler, Stalin and Mao Zedong killing millions of ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

They were amoral, immoral monsters. The fact that they were atheist was and is incidental. They were evil independent of their religious beliefs.

If you want a celestial lawgiver, you only need to learn that our universe is that lawgiver, and if ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

How exactly do you mean? Yes, the Universe has laws, but they don't adjudicate morality or ethics. Physical laws can't protect your rights. As flawed as religion is, religious morals are the foundation of our modern laws.

From liberal Christian to devout Mormon (yes it is a cult) to guilt and near insanity, I finally ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Mormons aren't a cult. Jehovah's Witnesses are closer to cult status than Mormons. But in a way, all religions are insane.

Is anyone else experiencing new site growing pains that are amusing?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

I've had a situation where I have almost 100 alerts, and it was impossible to clear them fast enough that there would be 0 alerts. More alerts just kept coming.

Greetings, everyone, I just signed up a few days ago, and I'm glad that such a community as this ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

It's true. I live in a part of New York that is not only heavily Conservative, but also has many fundamentalist Christians. It's sometimes hard to know when to hold my tongue and when I can speak freely.

I just saw this and again am confounded by all the coincidences in my life.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

There is no such thing as coincidence. Only the illusion of coincidence.

What does this community think of the role of the military in our country?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

If the amount of money that was funneled into the military was put into education and other institutions for the next generation, our country would be far better off. The military is important, but when we assign more money as we do to education than we do to killing, our country will be a much better place.

If there are any Scientists or Engineers who really know thermodynamics, please suggest an approach ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

You could take a course on physics. That would include Thermodynamics.

Why does America have so many child brides ?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Well, America is one big mess, and it's not going to change so long as the people in charge are more interested in pursuing their own political interests instead of working for the good of the People.

Florida is one of 17 states where child marriage is allowed with parental consent!! How can America ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

We don't have any right to lecture the Middle East, but we do because we, erroneously I might add, consider ourselves superior.

I'm no linguist, but often I find myself fascinated by etymology.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Yes. Words evolve just like society evolves. And with it, new languages form.

Atheists such as us must come out to be a political force.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

We could be a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, in the US, not many straight up Atheists are known to exist. In 2014, approximately 10% identified on the Census as Atheists. The US is the odd man out, so to speak, though. The rest of the world seems to be moving away from religion, especially in Europe. Places like China, probably around 90% don't believe in God. Same is true of Japan. Atheists could be an important minority group in the US, but Atheists don't seem to congregate in person much, so it's hard to say whether we could actually pull it off.

You know I personally feel that the Bible-Old Testament is probably the greatest piece of fiction ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

I see the Bible, both Old and New Testaments are more like moral and ethical allegories. Outdated and downright amoral by today's standards, but important for the time it referenced.

The first supper.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Well said.

I'm trying to figure out how to play a violin. Any advice would be appreciated.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 24, 2017:

Playing the violin really requires a teacher, even if only to start.

Do you agree with the Castle Doctrine?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

I believe that reasonable force can be a fairly subjective term, but yes, if someone's home is broken into, they have every right to respond with a gun.

CHRISTIANS' IGNORANCE ANNOYS ME TO NO END.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Well, God doesn't intervene anymore. He stopped doing that, according to the Bible, anyway, after Jesus ascended. The Holy Spirit is non-interventionist. Perhaps He guided scientists to come up with these cures on humans' behalf. Assuming God exists, why would he give two shits about a race of savages that turn on each other at the slightest provocation. He would probably just be like "Eh, I'll wipe them out tomorrow... Or maybe a week from now... Or maybe I'll just let them all kill each other themselves... Yeah, that seems like a good idea."

Tired of our government being run by radical Evangelicals.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

I'm tired of a lot of things. Evangelicals in our government is one of them

There have been people in my life who, to present memory, can seem obscure, and yet, upon ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

There are those people in everyone's life.

So let's talk Nihilism.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Life has no inherent meaning. People have to make their own meaning in life. It's hard, but if you have a goal, it might be possible.

What is your standard of evidence, regarding religious claims?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

The amount of evidence that must be presented depends on the incredibility of the claim. To believe that an all-powerful being in the sky created everything and will eventually end everything, I would require a great deal of evidence.

One of our community stated that he envisioned that at some point all the universes would compact ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

That's one of the three possibilities. One is the Great Freeze, where the Universe will keep expanding until all the stars die, and everything simply remains in total blackness The Great Rip is where Dark Matter will cause the Universe to expand on the molecular level until everything is torn apart and remains as subatomic particles. The Great Crunch is where the Universe has a limited amount of elasticity, and will eventually reach as far as it can go, and then compress back inward and form a new singularity where, with luck, another Big Bang will happen and a new Universe will be created. The Great Rip is currently the favored theory amongst scientists, although since we are currently unable to measure the amount of Dark Matter in the Universe, we can't say for sure which one is right. It all depends on whether the amount of Dark Matter is equivalent to -0.1, greater than -0.1 or less than -0.1.

This question cropped up on Quora today and I thought it would be appropriate to post it and my ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving certainly aren't what they used to be. Easter used to be a Pagan celebration of the Spring Equinox, which Christians appropriated in order to convert the Pagans to Christianity. Thanksgiving used to be a celebration of the harvest and community. Initially the Natives weren't even invited. They showed up on their own to investigate the source of all the noise, and the Pilgrims simply never turned them away, so it appeared as though the Natives were invited and enjoyed Thanksgiving together. Now, officially, Thanksgiving is a celebration of family, but let's face it. It's the night where we all get to bed early to rush out on Black Friday and punch and kick our way through the stores to get ours before the other guy gets theirs. Christmas was a celebration of Yule, the Winter Solstice. Again, the Christians appropriated it and forced the Pagans to convert.

How could you prevent your child from becoming brainwashed by religion?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Introduce the child to multiple religions in an academic manner when they're 12 or 13 so they're old enough to think critically and can learn about multiple religions and how they're similar and different from each other. If you don't know about other religions, either learn about them, or have the child learn about them on their own. Expose them from an academic standpoint so that when and if they want to learn about them from a spiritual standpoint, they're at least informed and are less likely to ignorantly and randomly hate other religions.

There could be a higher power maybe we would refer to it as god.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

It's mainly that the hypocrites are the most visible. Most Christians that I know are good people. Misguided? Probably. Wasting their time? Definitely. But they're good people.

Oh my gosh This is funny as anything!! The Mormon religion explained in cartoon.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

You should see how South Park explains Mormonism.

Deform To Form A Star.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

I've never heard the song. It sounds interesting.

Can anyone share proper links where one can find the literal translation/interpretation of the ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Most religious texts no longer have a literal translation. They've been translated, and retranslated into so many languages. Kings and queens have picked and chosen the parts that they liked and gotten rid of the rest, been retranslated from a dead language that has no accurate translation into a modern language, meaning has been lost and thereafter reinterpreted that no reliable translation from the original text exists.

Most of us grew up in families in which religion was simply part of our lives.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

You make a good point. But as an adult, it's fully their choice. It may be the last real choice they make, but they made the choice to join the religion, and in a free country, they have every right to later leave if they don't like it. Why begrudge people their choices?

I see no value in any religious activities other than to improve the power and finances of those who...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Well, those involved in the religious activities find comfort in believing in a higher power. So there's that. The preachers may be slightly amoral. But the congregants just want to believe in something bigger than them.

When a person or human organization makes a statement of fact or claims that something exists, it is...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Why bother? Religion makes them happy. Not believing is what makes us happy. If they prefer to believe in a god, then let them. In demanding that they provide empirical evidence to support their claims, we essentially become like those who try to force their religion on others.

I saw a post regarding parody religions.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

There was an episode of Spongebob that sort of parodied religion. They're in a secret club that follows the orders of a "talking magic conch shell".

Does anyone think witches are religious?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Not necessarily. Wiccans and Pagans are religious. Witches can be Atheist, just like anyone else. They simply practice magic.

Sick to death about ALL religions, but especially Islam, they are are attempting to turn the Western...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

For the most part, that's not true. Most Muslims are pretty cool, just like most Christians are pretty cool. It's just the uncool ones that we notice. And those "extremist Muslims" don't qualify to call themselves Muslims. Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all Abrahamic Religion. They have more similarities than differences, and they all teach peace, kindness toward one another and acceptance. Certain individuals of all three religions have perverted that message for their own gain. That does not make the whole religion inherently evil.

How do you want to have your funeral ? What should be done with your corpse, after you die ?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

I want to have my ashes put in one of those tree buckets and have a tree planted over my burial place.

Does Donald Trump's behavior suggest that behind it all he is an agnostic, doubting the existence of...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

It more suggests that he's severely narcissistic.

The fact that we can judge the morality of a religion clearly indicates that morals are grounded in ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Morals are grounded in society, and they differ in different societies. Certain tribes in Paupa/New Guinea practice endocannibalism (The consumption of the dead of their tribe). Western societies would consider such a practice repugnant. But it's part of their social and religious practices.

I hope Everyone has a wonderful Day with Family and Friends.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving as well

The recent events in this country and the decades of rank political self-interest that lead to them ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

It is often they who are oppressed who put their oppressors on a pedestal and erroneously worship them. This was seen in the Soviet Union, is seen in North Korea.

Nothing I have learned of history, nothing I have learned of myself (and thus of what it means to be...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Well, to call them Christian would be very generous. The Christian conservatives that you hear about today barely qualify to be called Christian. They don't follow the teachings of Jesus. They don't love their neighbors, they don't sacrifice of themselves. These people either have to pretend that Jesus was as self serving and greedy as they are, or say that they know that this was not what Jesus taught and admit that they don't care.

The English ship called The Mayflower ".

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

They came to the New World for religious freedom and when they got here, they persecuted those of different religions.

Happy Thanksgiving fellow heathens!

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Happy Thanksgiving.

Damn! I come on here and find out that, according to the bible and other holy books, there is no ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 23, 2017:

Well, if you believe in God, you can talk to Him about Satan and Lucifer and all that.

Adding insult to injury...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

A lot about this nation is appalling. One such thing is the fact that Trumpster Rash somehow became president (probably by colluding with Russia), he's turned our nation into a Kakistocracy/Cleptocracy (Kakistocracy: Rule by the least competent/most corrupt. Cleptocracy: Rule by criminals) by choosing sexual predators, incompetents, religious nutjobs and just plain regular nutjobs to some of the highest positions in our country's hierarchy, is trying to deny healthcare to millions of Americans, is alienating our international allies and antagonizing one of the most dangerous and mentally unstable men in the world (Kim Jong Un). Well, I've just listed a few of the crazy things that our Criminal in Chief has done, but I've gone off topic. Yes, it's a travesty that Vietnam vets have been denied the healthcare they deserve. And it was more than just parasites that caused cancer in Vietnam vets. It was Agent Orange as well, which they sprayed in the jungles to stunt the Vietnamese' guerilla warfare tactics.

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but to be a atheist is to deny the possibility of there ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Agnosticism is the one logical conclusion. Because there's no evidence for or against religion, nobody can say for sure. I tend towards disbelief. But I won't say for certain either way.

When you find a bilion and a half humans believing in the myth of the flying donkey and other couple...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Bronze Age? Perhaps not. The different ages are named based on the technology that emerged in them, not necessarily the level of civilization that existed during them. Well, that's true for most. Ages like the Dark Ages happened when civilization collapsed as a result of the fall of the Roman Empire. But the Bronze Age was the age where humans were able to work metal as a result of growing understanding of technology. I'm rambling. It's true that religion has set man back for almost 1,000 years now. We really do need to move past it.

New to the group and just want to say hello.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Merry meet and blessed be. Welcome to our group. I promise I'm not trying to bless you. They're just Pagan greetings.

Why is religion obsessed with sex?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Most religions aren't. Abrahamic Religions have a strange fascination with sex. But many, in fact most celebrate sex as a beautiful thing or simply leave it alone as a personal choice.

With life's accumulation of relationships one begins to build points of view in how to deal with new...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

It depends on the individual, really.

What countries have you traveled to?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Only the United States and Jamaica.

As I have said in previous posts, I am new to atheism and to this forum.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Religious belief is a spectrum. It goes from the left, absolute belief a God to the right, absolute belief that no God exists. Smack dab in the middle is Agnosticism. Moderate right is Agnostic-Atheism. Moderate left is acceptance that there's probably a god, but knowledge that there's no proof. Basically, a person can fall anywhere on the spectrum based on personal conviction. For me, as I looked at the situation scientifically, I became less and less religious. Now, I'm an Agnostic Atheist. I know there's no proof that a God doesn't exist, but I'm fairly sure that one doesn't.

Its so amazing how i ive had to analyze things to understand things and i trusted people to lead me ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

The lesson of course is that nobody is beyond doubt. Accept nothing at face value unless you can ascertain the truth of it.

[doublecrossed.co] this has some alright clothes in it.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

I like them. Fashionable

In the battle between tradition and progress, beliefs and science, where do you stand and why?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

There's a time and a place for everything. Tradition is comprised of time tested values and is important to recognize even while you're innovating. While tradition forms our past, progress brings us into the future. So in a way, one cannot have one without the other. Both are therefore important.

If Given the choice, Would you want to live forever?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Forever? Probably not. But I would want to live a long and healthy life.

Does it really matters to know how the Universe came to existence?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

A lot of things in science have no practical application, but are still important to know if only for the sake of science itself. Take theoretical physics, especially the idea of Schrodinger's Cat. What use does that have in the real world? None. But theoretical physics experiments were done for the sake of science, and they are still important. Besides, knowledge of the creation of the Universe could potentially have some practical application, and we won't know until we find it.

Fear and Friendship Recent maybe a month and a half ago I made a new friend.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Ooh, boy. It's hard to say what you should do. You could tell her to look into her own heart. I don't know how old the two of you are, but independent thinking shouldn't be limited to an age group. Tell her that just because her parents are Jehovah's Witnesses doesn't mean she has to be.

What is your definition of a life worth lived?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

A life where you don't have any major regrets. No life is perfect, and you're always going to look back and say "I should have done that differently." But if you've lived a good life, you left people looking at your memory fondly and you are satisfied for the most part with how you did.

Non-material Gift Ideas?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

Tickets to a show that they would like?

What brings you peace?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

For me, I guess it's being alone, reading or writing a story or a poem. It's very difficult for me to be in crowds. I have social anxiety, and I can't stand being surrounded by people on every side. It's sort of a claustrophobic feeling for me.

Men, Women, and Equality

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 22, 2017:

I'm fairly shy myself. I've never had a girlfriend because it's so hard for me to talk to girls. Girls seem to pick up on my anxiety.

I feel Atheists, Agnostists, Deists, Pantheists, Humanists and other like minded need to unite ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

It would be great, but Christianity alone represents 2.2 billion people. Judaism represents 6.5 million and Muslims have 1.8 billion. This is just the three main religions, and that's 4,006,500,000 or 53% of the world's population. Still, Atheists do need to become more organized, if only for our own well being.

I love Adam Ruins Everything! This one is about funerals and how the funeral/casket industry are ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Personally, I'll be happy with being cremated.

Don't you think the Roy Moore campaign is getting desperate trying to save their flawed holier than ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Well, I'm personally against anyone that Trump endorses. Some of them, including Roy Moore, are outright criminals. And some of them, like Mike Pence are just completely unfit for political office based on their extreme religious views and inability to put them aside in the name of working for the betterment of our nation.

Empathy Vs Sympathy

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Empathy is sorely lacking in today's society of political correctness. Part of it is that parents are so busy working that they don't have time to come home to their children. Part of it might be television and other violent media, but there was violent media in our parents' time as well, so that's not the whole problem. Socially, our world is collapsing and a lack of empathy is a large part of it.

I'm really hitting a brick wall.

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Well, just because you don't believe in God doesn't have to mean you don't believe in any higher power. Take Wiccans for instance. They believe in a cross between reincarnation and an afterlife called the Summerlands. Each person when they die goes to a Summerlands that suits their taste. They'll see loved ones again, and be happy. If they had serious unfinished business or something they were dissatisfied with in life, they might be reincarnated. Whether you're good or bad in life, you have the same fate in Wicca. Personally, I think that there being nothing after we die makes this life all the more important. Life has the meaning that we give it, not the meaning that our invisible friend in the sky says it has.

Does the context of a verse in a religious text really justify it?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Well... If you take it in a historical context, it doesn't perhaps justify it, but it might at least explain how it was justifiable back then. Much of what the Bible says is unjustifiable today, especially in the Old Testament. But if you take the times into account, then you can at least understand the anthropological reasoning behind it.

Hello from Menifee, CA! Found this link messing around in FB, so refreshing to see ungodly ...

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Well, with the increase in Atheists and non-religious people in the world, and especially in America, it was just the next logical step.

Hi All, just joined, hope to interact with some reasonable people

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

Atheists are just as likely to be unreasonable as religious folks.

How did Trump do it?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

The first problem is, only about 25-35% of the population usually votes. Second problem, there's every chance that Russia intervened in the election. Third, people were unhappy with the direction our nation was going. Trump promised change.

Hard to be Atheist

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

There are some judgmental people who say stupid things like "So you don't believe in anything?" or "Isn't it lonely not believing in a higher power?" Honestly, that's the worst that happens in my part of America. I hear that in the Bible Belt, there can be backlash, losing your job, etcetera for either not being Christian or being an Atheist.

What is your raison d'être?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

I haven't discovered mine yet.

What party do you typically vote for?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 21, 2017:

I usually vote Democrat, but there are situations where I prefer the Republican candidate. I usually just go with who I think is the better choice. It happens that's usually the Democrat.

10 fallacies about atheists - have I missed any?

ErichZannIII comments on Nov 20, 2017:

You've gotten pretty much everything. I can't think of any that you missed.