Drinking tea and coffee will help staving off dementia.

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2022:

Good news. Since I like tea and fruit and veg, more than anything, that is not a hard ask.

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@Jolanta That too.

"Cognitive-dissonance is just one of many biases that work in our everyday lives.

Matias comments on Apr 2, 2022:

But "cognitive dissonance" and "confirmation bias" are not the same ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

Skado long ago stopped caring what words actually mean, even if he ever did.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 2, 2022:

@skado No religion is NOT the "only institution that has tried to offer a counterbalance to that mismatch." in saying that you are doing exactly what you are blaming Betty for, which is making statements about the past based on nothing more than unsupported value judgments. And in this case even worse, an absolutist value judgment. All human institutions have to offer control of anti-social behaviour, simply because institutions are social constructs, and can only exist by doing that, and for the most part, mainly only exist to do that. In fact institutions like politics, from a clan level through tribal and on to the nation state and eventually internationalism, have a much greater interest in forwarding good social instincts, ( As did trade networks to a lesser extent in early times. ) because without supernatural claims, the only justification they can offer for their existence, is the demonstration of their abilities to succeed in doing so. While religion was always probably from the beginning, been to a degree on the negative side, as a promoter of personal narcissism, since it profited by that, and by countering the social order, with appeals to individualism, and individual claims to the favour of divine authority. Which it could do, because it alone could gain authority without demonstrating any benefits to larger society. (Royalty may sit on the border between religion and politics, and has elements of both.) And yes science does have, "a better track record at discovering the facts than does the sincerest empathy. " Which is why it deals only in hard facts and not the speculative value judgements, more within the realm of history, which you claim to base on it. And that is why doing such things are truly horrible, exactly, because they throw out the truly valuable and wonderful gift that science can offer. If not because of the sickening double values, expossed by blaming value judgments for some things, while using them to support others. And yes, crime is "innate in human nature", but it does not have to happen. Over balancing and falling on the floor is also innate in human nature, though it does not have to happen, because our balancing mechanisms are of limited capacity. Which means that I am much more likely to fall down, if I go skiing, than if I go for a walk. Because there is a mismatch between my balance mechanisms, designed for running on the flat plains, and sliding down mountains on culturally and technically developed skids. So if I want to avoid falling over at all cost, it is best not to go skiing or join a ski club. Just as if I want to avoid being anti-social or criminal, it is best to avoid human institutions which favour and enable criminality and anti-social activities. Human cultural institutions can modify human ...

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@skado It may be that Betty made an unsubstantiated statement, with which as it happens I do not agree either. But that does not excuse, firstly, asking for something that can never be. Because as Betty rightly pointed out, her comments related to things which fall only within the sphere of history, and are not or ever likely to be within the realms of science, and asking for things which are impossibilities is simply morally reprehensible bullying of the worst sort. And secondly it is also morally disgusting to tell someone that their opinion is valueless.

So who uses a computer at home, and only makes calls on their phone.

TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I do all my internet on my laptop. I do almost all my phone calls on my landline. Away from home, I have my tracphone, which costs only a $100 a year, for emergencies or if my car breaks down. My landline and internet at home cost me about $85 a month. I am content with my arrangements, and have no ...

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

That's about my place too, and it now seems that a lot of younger people are cottoning on to the same idea.

"When I was younger, I used to run up and down mountains for fun.

Robecology comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I know the feeling. I still focus on fitness...but damn...it's just much easier to hurt oneself as we get older!.

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

Yes, and you often don't notice the pain until its too late. You lok down, and there is a big wound, and you thinbk. "How did I do that." While you know that the young and sensitive you would have jumped up at the first prickle.

How offensive is the word "cunt"?

Charles1971 comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I don't know the answer to this question but I don't use either of those slurs so I don't really have to worry about their individual weight.

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@JeffMurray Clever hypothesis.

How offensive is the word "cunt"?

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I will vote for the last one. Because I am convinced by one well known, sadly now gone, feminists arguments. (Sorry about the quality of the video, but it is very old.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDJutaFuVD0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN0oGWNzNxo

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@p-nullifidian Yes I did not know that, it is not a very feminist word, perhaps a lot of females would not like the word half so much if they knew.

"When I was younger, I used to run up and down mountains for fun.

KateOahu comments on Apr 1, 2022:

So, it has come to that…

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

Not yet, but will get there one day certainly.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@skado, @Betty Dear Betty, please note (even if you don't want to read my above) that such measurements that you are asked for by Skado, are of course quite impossible and far from being within the remit of science. Also remember that asking for the impossible is a playgound bullying trick.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@skado As for the claims that you need science not history. Firstly, you know full well that such things are not and never could be within the remit of science, and that those sort of quantity measurements are quite impossible, so that is just a cheap bullying tactic of demanding the impossible you are directing at Betty. And secondly, almost all your quotes and attempted justifications, come from anthropoligy, which is a branch of history, albeit with slight scientific pretentions. And you may treat this as an 'ad hom' if you wish and igrore it.

I'd be willing to lay carpet, it's been such a long time...

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2022:

You have to earn the carpets respect first. You can't lay it properly if you have already walked all over it, shown it no care, and made a disrespectful mess of it. And if you are not on the same level, you have got no chance.

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@Dyl1983 That's OK, you can always fake it.

The Evolution of Belief [agnostic.com] .

Earthling50 comments on Mar 31, 2022:

How do you interpret this?

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

@skado Your religion did not, in your youth perhaps, "prescribe doing any of those horrible things." But that was a rare exception, it has prescribed a lot of them for much of the past, and what is more important, it will increasingly do so into the future, indeed it is plainly becoming just that prescription and little more. As for how you blame bad behaviour, on a philosophy that advises treating people with love and tolerance. Well that is not at all hard. Firstly, because Christianity hardly does give that advice, and I am not talking about just Old ver. New Testament, even in the New, the kind philosophies, are only quite a small part of the whole. And secondly, any belief systems potential to create kindness or cruelty, are not mainly based in its few statements of humanity, which you can find in almost all philosophies, but in its whole structure and all its ideals, in part because that is where you find its potential for unintended consequences. Marxism is mainly about humanity, but as we all know, that has done untold harm, and you may find humane ideals even in Mein Kampf. But the main idea in Christianity anyway, both its source and its traditions, is not humane kindness, but the idea of a personal god, with which you can have a personal selfish narcissistic relationship, (NT and the Catholic/Protestant tradition.) and extreme racist nationalism ( OT, and the Jewish tradition.) And while those remain in the back ground and base layers, the potential for the most extreme inhumane behaviour still remains. While even if you did succeed in creating a sanitized sub-cult based on the few humane statements in the sources and a metaphorical interpretation of the rest. Like leaving a machine gun and belts of ammunition out on the side-walk, but saying. "I only keep it in case an dog or cat injured in a road accident needs a humane death." the terrible potential would still be there. The potential for cruelty and inhumanity, always remains if built into the system. While the chances of getting a sanitized Christianity promoted anyway, are frankly, just a childish fantasy. Since religion, like any belief system or marketable product, needs to have something to offer if people are to take it up. And religion as a belief system has always thrived most by providing an alternative to the beliefs of the mainstreams and the state. In its greatest hours, like the Middle Ages, it thrived by asking for humanity when the state and secular thought was only organized thuggery. But now that situation is reversed, most states now (And this is why the USA centric view fails. ) accept welfare as their main duty, and human rights are a growing belief system. To oppose that, and gain popular support, religion can only move into the darkness and appeal to those ...

So who uses a computer at home, and only makes calls on their phone.

BitFlipper comments on Apr 1, 2022:

I use computers AND a smartphone. Each has its benefits.

Fernapple replies on Apr 1, 2022:

Yes, I use a desk top for most internet things, a smart phone for mobile phones calls, and a tablet when on holiday. But I hardly use the phone for anything except phone calls, just occassionally but not often.

I've opened a restaurant called: "Peace And Quiet..." Kids meals: Only $150.

mischl comments on Mar 31, 2022:

Children shouldn't be allowed out of the house until they are 18yo. Except for boarding school.

Fernapple replies on Mar 31, 2022:

Make that forty years old.

Well the weather is a funny thing, is it not ?

MizJ comments on Mar 31, 2022:

Beautiful. Your garden must be lovely in the summer.

Fernapple replies on Mar 31, 2022:

@MizJ I just want a seven month summer and a three month winter, instead we get it the other way round. But having said that, wishful thinking is no route to happiness.

Well the weather is a funny thing, is it not ?

MizJ comments on Mar 31, 2022:

Beautiful. Your garden must be lovely in the summer.

Fernapple replies on Mar 31, 2022:

It is, but after more than sixty years on this planet, I still have not learned to love winter.

Well the weather is a funny thing, is it not ?

Robecology comments on Mar 31, 2022:

And weird to even see snow in G.B. I've heard?

Fernapple replies on Mar 31, 2022:

No that is not quite true, especially here in the east. but following such a mild spell this late in spring yes. I am just about on the south most edge of the north of England, so it is not as cold as the North, but I don't get the temperate climate that, say, London does.

"You know that little voice in your head, which tells you.

Killtheskyfairy comments on Mar 31, 2022:

I think that’s a definition of a psychopath.

Fernapple replies on Mar 31, 2022:

Or a hedonist.

Had you forgotten about the hole in the ozone layer ?

waitingforgodo comments on Mar 31, 2022:

No, I look into it from time to time.

Fernapple replies on Mar 31, 2022:

Well done, it is nice to know that someone cares.

"You know that little voice in your head, which tells you.

KateOahu comments on Mar 30, 2022:

I need that shirt. But it has nothing to do with food.

Fernapple replies on Mar 30, 2022:

Oh, now don't get an old man all excited. LOL

So who uses a computer at home, and only makes calls on their phone.

Julie808 comments on Mar 30, 2022:

Hmm... That makes sense. I use my computer for nearly everything and dislike even texting on my phone. I only use my phone if away from my computer for long periods of time and for photos or to play music or use the calculator function. I don't really use apps much at all - so it might behoove ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 30, 2022:

A nice big screen, and a proper keyboard, all human sized, why would anybody want a tiny gaget you can hardly see.

So who uses a computer at home, and only makes calls on their phone.

yvilletom comments on Mar 30, 2022:

I recently connected my cellphone to the wifi I use, cancelled my too-costly cell phone service, and use my landline phone. It’s doing what I want.

Fernapple replies on Mar 30, 2022:

That is what its all about.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Fernapple comments on Mar 9, 2022:

The question does not seem to be very clearly put, since you list at least five Jesus persons: the biblical, the Roman, the Gnostic, the one who is identical to Yahweh and the possible original one behind the myth. Does the question in the first line refer to all of them, or only one ? As to ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 29, 2022:

@Greatest I was thinking more of his effects on the morality of others, but thank you for reminding me that the original post was about his personal morality, which was without a doubt appalling. Though it has to be said of course that Armageddon etc. is not part of the Jesus of the Gospels, but that only comes later in the theology of later Christians and the Apocryphal books.

Does the Cognitive Science of Religion legitimize the validity of religious behavior as a positive ...

Mb_Man comments on Mar 29, 2022:

**Does the Cognitive Science of Religion legitimize the validity of religious behavior as a positive contribution toward human reproductive fitness?** I feel like this is a rather loaded question to be asking of the area of study. Assuming the goal is exploring the various aspects of religiosity ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 29, 2022:

The reactionary opinions get most of the votes, perhaps because, the poll is off putting to those who would like to engage in legitimate debate on how genetic evolution affects our religions. And also perhaps because, many sense a hidden agenda behind the poll which induces negative responces.

Does the Cognitive Science of Religion legitimize the validity of religious behavior as a positive ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 29, 2022:

That seems like a very shambolic poll. Firstly. If you wish to ask questions about religion, you should start by defining "religion". since the answer will depend very much on the definition. As the answers below show, people have used several definitions. Secondly. Science does not deal in ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 29, 2022:

@AnneWimsey Thank you.

Pascal's Wager rebooted.

ASTRALMAX comments on Mar 29, 2022:

The comic genius of the late Dave Allen sums it up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVk8nttVb2I Voltaire: " God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."

Fernapple replies on Mar 29, 2022:

Wonderful, just magical. I love they way he can get perhaps the biggest laugh of all, just with a long silent pause.

Pascal's Wager rebooted.

AnonySchmoose comments on Mar 29, 2022:

Aside from ***whether: *** 1) one can choose between many gods; 2) doing good or evil even matter to ‘god’ re: reward; 3) humans can have a personal relationship to ‘god’; 4) humans are more special to 'god' than other life forms ... shouldn't one be concerned about whether ‘god’ will ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 29, 2022:

Yes it always has been more full of holes than a strainer.

Irony of Ironies [agnostic.com]

racocn8 comments on Mar 28, 2022:

Except that the species does not have a consistent record of believing in a god. Polytheism, Eastern religions, and rank superstition have played large roles. The Abrahamic religions benefited from increased mobility and ruthless proselytizing.

Fernapple replies on Mar 29, 2022:

Also animism and ancestor worship, as well as several others, certainly gods, come very late into religion, certainly not on an evolutionary time scale.

A Bouncy Castle in the Clouds but you don't get to play or even jump up and down, on your knees for ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 28, 2022:

Pascal's Wager rebooted. If there is a god, how do you know that it does not prefer atheists anyway ? After all: we do not waste the short lives it gave us in useless ritual, we do not set up the, at least, ten thousand other fake gods in its name, we do not tell it what we believe it should ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 29, 2022:

Like this, may post it.

The Great Irony ….

Fernapple comments on Mar 28, 2022:

Not at all true, I for one atheist, have no problem at all with CSR. And like, I suspect, most atheists, I accept that there is obviously an evolutionary basis for everything. Stop the strawmaning.

Fernapple replies on Mar 29, 2022:

@Triphid Religion and religious apologetic​s almost certainly have a destructive effect on the personalit​y. The constant requiremen​t that those two have for cognitive dissonance​, eventually​ trains the mind to dishonesty​ so well, that it becomes impossible​ to even understand​ the idea of honesty in any meaningful​ way, and any distortion​ of fact becomes acceptable​.

How self aware is your best friend, as aware as an elephant perhaps, maybe not, but certainly more ...

Julie808 comments on Mar 28, 2022:

Sounds about right, until you see a puppy chasing its own tail! Maybe it's after that silliness that they become self aware of their tails, anyway, haha.

Fernapple replies on Mar 28, 2022:

Well that is a puppy, not a dog, and don't you think that it is interesting that we instinctively recognize infancy even in other species ? And they in ours. And that we are deeply engaged as a species in breeding dogs which are increacingly infantile even as adults.

With Eye to China Investment, Taliban Now Preserve Buddhas

Garban comments on Mar 27, 2022:

How open minded and progressive. Soon they may stop honor killings.😡

Fernapple replies on Mar 28, 2022:

Depends how much spare cash you have got ?

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 24, 2022:

Also a bad choice is better than no choice. The roads are carpeted with flat squirrels who could not make their minds up.

Fernapple replies on Mar 28, 2022:

@MsKathleen Thank you, that is very gracious.

Marriage, Relationships and Religion

Fernapple comments on Mar 27, 2022:

The main question you have to answer, is. Will the differences lessen or get deeper when once you are married ? Because if, as I suspect, reading what you write, they will grow, then however hard it may be, you have to make the break and walk away now. It is not a good idea to marry at all if you ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

@MizJ Thank you. That is what I thought, but I also know that humans (Both sexes. LOL ) have an almost infinite capacity for misunderstanding. So you have to be careful.

There you have it - Facts about Christians in the UK Q: What are the most shocking facts about ...

skado comments on Mar 26, 2022:

This is not any kind of scandal. Plenty of priests understand that the point of religion is not belief, but practice. It doesn’t make them fake priests - it makes them authentic priests. (I’m sure the fakes exist too, but they probably lied on the survey.)

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

@Betty Yes, plus perhaps, that people expect more of their governments, if there is not the religious community to fall back on, and also probably, because religion promotes toxic narcissism.

There you have it - Facts about Christians in the UK Q: What are the most shocking facts about ...

skado comments on Mar 26, 2022:

This is not any kind of scandal. Plenty of priests understand that the point of religion is not belief, but practice. It doesn’t make them fake priests - it makes them authentic priests. (I’m sure the fakes exist too, but they probably lied on the survey.)

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

@Betty It is notable that the happiest countries, with the lowest levels of crime, and the best social welfare are also those with the lowest levels of religion.

The burden of proof is on the person making the assertion.

Fernapple comments on Mar 27, 2022:

Good to remember the basics sometimes though.

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

@anglophone No sorry, I was refering to the god of the bible being internally illogical, did not make myself plain.

There you have it - Facts about Christians in the UK Q: What are the most shocking facts about ...

Jolanta comments on Mar 27, 2022:

Don’t say all that too loudly or the UK will be swarming with people from the US trying to save you all.

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

We already get missionaries, but not so many now. The Mormons especially, found that they were losing too many who were going native.

The burden of proof is on the person making the assertion.

Fernapple comments on Mar 27, 2022:

Good to remember the basics sometimes though.

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

@anglophone The principle of the need for internal logic. Which is perhaps the one exception to the rule of, not being able to prove a negative.

E. O. Wilson says science should embrace the humanities… [agnostic.com] .

Scott321 comments on Mar 26, 2022:

Wilson was known for such bombastic quotes as: “the time has come for ethics to be removed temporarily from the hands of the philosophers and biologicized” (*Sociobiology*). Similarly the “embrace” of the humanities can be seen more as a scientistic colonization of the humanities (a ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

Plus science would also lose as well, since its greatest gift, is that of organized rigorous scepticism, which would need to be eroded away first. While the humanities greatest gift is unfettered imagination. It is good to have both in your cultural mix, but while you can have, and benefit from having both, you can not do both at the same time. Believing and attempting to do both at the same time, just leads back to a world of dogma, which is the name we generally give to ideas produced by not differentiating between those ideas assumed into existence by unbridled culture, and those passed through the filters used by science and philosophy. While the dream of one universal culture, is in reality a vision of horrifying dystopian repression. Which would probably, if you believe his theory of tribalism, break into two factions anyway, so he is logically inconsistent about that. And that single tribal split with no dilution of any other views would probably be the most vicious and nasty the human race has ever seen.

The burden of proof is on the person making the assertion.

Fernapple comments on Mar 27, 2022:

Good to remember the basics sometimes though.

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

@LovinLarge The basics of logic and epistomology. Even if you did learn it at school, going back as a reminder is always good.

Atheism is inconsistent with science....

nogod4me comments on Mar 26, 2022:

Atheism is not inconsistent with science because atheism is not a belief system, atheism is the absence of belief/faith. "If I declare that my god is real and that it's scriptures are infallible." Atheists do not make the assertion that a god does not exist because then they would have ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 27, 2022:

@nogod4me I know that, that Is why I started with. "That is all very true well, said. " Because I was just trying to make a small marginal ammendment.

Atheism is inconsistent with science....

nogod4me comments on Mar 26, 2022:

Atheism is not inconsistent with science because atheism is not a belief system, atheism is the absence of belief/faith. "If I declare that my god is real and that it's scriptures are infallible." Atheists do not make the assertion that a god does not exist because then they would have ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 26, 2022:

@nogod4me Yes but the actions indicate the underlying beliefs. There is all the difference in the world between beliefs based on the idea of, knowing or believing that, you do not know. And not knowing that you do not know and believing that you do.

Atheism is inconsistent with science....

nogod4me comments on Mar 26, 2022:

Atheism is not inconsistent with science because atheism is not a belief system, atheism is the absence of belief/faith. "If I declare that my god is real and that it's scriptures are infallible." Atheists do not make the assertion that a god does not exist because then they would have ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 26, 2022:

@nogod4me The belief affects the actions, since if they both hear a voice from god in their head telling them to pull the pin, then the admitted agnostic thinks. "Maybe I have a menntal condition, perhaps I should see a doctor. " Because he knows he is agnostic. Where the theist agnostic, thinks. "A voice from god." And pulls the pin. Both act on their beliefs, and the beliefs are quite different, resulting in different actions. There is all the difference in the world between admitting you don't know, and not admitting it.

Atheism is inconsistent with science....

nogod4me comments on Mar 26, 2022:

Atheism is not inconsistent with science because atheism is not a belief system, atheism is the absence of belief/faith. "If I declare that my god is real and that it's scriptures are infallible." Atheists do not make the assertion that a god does not exist because then they would have ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 26, 2022:

@nogod4me No it is not irrelivant. If he is holding a hand genade, then you had better hope that he does not believe the non existent god told him to pull the real pin out.

Atheism is inconsistent with science....

nogod4me comments on Mar 26, 2022:

Atheism is not inconsistent with science because atheism is not a belief system, atheism is the absence of belief/faith. "If I declare that my god is real and that it's scriptures are infallible." Atheists do not make the assertion that a god does not exist because then they would have ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 26, 2022:

That is all very true well, said. Although I would say that agnosticism is not quite irrelevant, because the agnosticism of someone who calls themselves agnostic, is admitted and honest. While the agnosticism of the theist is not admitted, and therefore still permits them to behave as if they did have evidence.

Mandatory voting! My understanding is that in Australia voting in federal elections is mandatory and...

David1955 comments on Mar 25, 2022:

Yes we have mandatory voting at Federal and State elections, but not local level. All eligible people must register to vote in the state/federal seats in which they live. Elections are held on a Saturday, with voting from the opening to the closing hours of that day. Electors can also ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 26, 2022:

Good and informative answer thank you.

Ah, that feels SO much better, have permanently BLOCKED @Twill now, peace and quiet shall once again...

Fernapple comments on Mar 22, 2022:

Interesting, it is funny how this site distributes the postings, I hardly know or have ever seen him, yet he is level seven.

Fernapple replies on Mar 26, 2022:

@Triphid Perhaps that explains it. If he wears one of those, my brain would go into auto-delete mode.

If God exists then why so many religions have bitten dust since organised praying took roots?

Matias comments on Mar 25, 2022:

Thousands of languages have disappeared, but about 6000 are still spoken. So why should it be strange that there are plus/minus 4000 religions/sects around? Neither biological nor cultural evolution are misers.

Fernapple replies on Mar 25, 2022:

@Matias No it does not, especially on an international site, where each person may be reading with a slightly different nuance, conditioned by their culture. But it ran as irony to me, though I may not be a perfect judge.

If God exists then why so many religions have bitten dust since organised praying took roots?

skado comments on Mar 25, 2022:

Hmmm, it’s almost as if religious behavior is evolutionarily adaptive or something. Weird!

Fernapple replies on Mar 25, 2022:

@skado If you prefer the scientific view, I would show more respect for it by not abussing and misquoting it. Oh, and yes, that is an ad hom, because I am not affraid of those.

If God exists then why so many religions have bitten dust since organised praying took roots?

Matias comments on Mar 25, 2022:

Thousands of languages have disappeared, but about 6000 are still spoken. So why should it be strange that there are plus/minus 4000 religions/sects around? Neither biological nor cultural evolution are misers.

Fernapple replies on Mar 25, 2022:

I think that he was being ironic.

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 24, 2022:

Also a bad choice is better than no choice. The roads are carpeted with flat squirrels who could not make their minds up.

Fernapple replies on Mar 25, 2022:

@Diogenes OK I confess, I was very bored, so thinks. Drag out, dust off and reuse an old one just for the hell of it. Then thinks. No, some old one who never gets dusted off and/or reused any more could get jealous. But then. Nah ! Go for it ! (PS. How you been, don't seem to have seen you about for a bit. ?)

Yesterday morning I submitted a post, and when I saw later that people had reacted and commented, I ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 23, 2022:

The site works best with a desktop, people who use mobile devices, (I don't know if that includes you. ) often encounter problems. You can also sometimes get problems if you make the things first and then open them with the app, it is best to copy into a text editor, and then copy to here, or type ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 24, 2022:

@waitingforgodo Well you know full well that, it was set up by Christian fundamentalists, to collect information on sceptics. And that they are making a hit list, ready for when the evangelicals are poised to take over and make the USA a theocracy.

Putin's evolution: weird kid -> spook -> kleptocrat -> war criminal ->

Garban comments on Mar 22, 2022:

My fairytale version: Botched suicide attempt leaving him competent but physically pathetic condition. Humiliating conviction to life in prison for war crimes. Multiple botched painful suicide attempts finally resulting in a humiliating death at the age of 99.

Fernapple replies on Mar 22, 2022:

You really don't like him, do you ?

You WON'T Believe This Cruel New Law - YouTube

misstuffy comments on Mar 22, 2022:

Glad I dont live in a state like this, If I were a woman of child bearing age, in a state with a law like this, I would move.

Fernapple replies on Mar 22, 2022:

The next law will say that you can't move across a state border, without a visa and permit.

"Going to church does not make you a good person, says Pope Francis" [christiantoday.

Beowulfsfriend comments on Mar 21, 2022:

And yet, the catholic church has holy days of obligation and insists people attend or they've committed a minor sin. Just out of HS, one of the fellows with whom I partied would often set times to get together on Saturdays - any time after 6:30 pm. He needed to do mass to keep mom happy. And ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 22, 2022:

Why not Saturday night while drunk ? After all the priest performing the rite, usually is.

"Going to church does not make you a good person, says Pope Francis" [christiantoday.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2022:

The church supports and fosters narcissism, My god, My prayers, My spirituality, My church, My congregation, My demons, My faith, and even My charity, it all starts with the big MY. Because narcissists are needy and will buy any fix to keep the delusion of their specialness alive, and the more ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 22, 2022:

@Triphid Well they would certainly be burning, that evil book. "The gosples according to Satan and Lucifer." LOL

Minimally CounterIntuitive Concepts Counter to popular folklore, the evidence, so far, does not ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2022:

Actually the article you are citing, states exactly the opposite of your claim. "Counter to popular folklore, the evidence, so far, does not support the claim that the persistence of religion is due to the indoctrination of children. Rather, it is purely biological. That is to say, it is a ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 21, 2022:

@Garban The actual science quoted, is little more than an experimental confirmation of R. Dawkins, old speculative idea that children are credulous by nature, because learning counter-intuitive information from parents gives protection against dangers, obvious statements hardly need absorbing because they are self evident most of the time, but it is important to believe when adults tell you there are lions on the hill, especially so when you can not see any. And perhaps his other speculation that that is the main reason why, it is in fact very needful to protect children against indoctrination, is exactly because they are so subject to easy manipulation by it.

THis arsehole makes me ashamed to be British Boris Johnson has been uninvited to an important ...

Petter comments on Mar 21, 2022:

Johnson is amazingly supple for his age. How many of you can still open your mouth and, without straining, put your foot into it?

Fernapple replies on Mar 21, 2022:

Does it time after time.

If there's no evidence a god exists and there's no evidence that a true miracle has ever happened ...

TheMiddleWay comments on Mar 21, 2022:

> If they can accept that fire-breathing dragons aren't real, why do they refuse to accept that god isn't as well? Two reasons come to mind: 1) Lack of evidence for something is not the same as claiming something doesn't exist. (the evidentiary reason) Almost everyone one of us lacks any ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 21, 2022:

Yes that is all very true. Although it has to be said that you and the poster, are perhaps taking past one another. Since you are clearly refering to a deist god, while the poster is clearly refering to the specific gods of religions. All of which certainly can not exist, for at least the reason, that, since many make the claim that the others don't, so logically only at least one can be correct and exist, while the others don't. Since if a god makes a claim that the others do not exist as part of its own existence, then either they or it do not exist.

"Going to church does not make you a good person, says Pope Francis" [christiantoday.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2022:

The church supports and fosters narcissism, My god, My prayers, My spirituality, My church, My congregation, My demons, My faith, and even My charity, it all starts with the big MY. Because narcissists are needy and will buy any fix to keep the delusion of their specialness alive, and the more ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 21, 2022:

@TheMiddleWay Yes it is a stretch, but it is also based on long years, over sixty, of observing the effects that religion has on the human personality. The use of the pronoun was metaphorical and ironically light hearted of course, but it is not without grounding, even if only in personal experience. And there are plainly two different usages, "MY" belief that, we will sell more oats if we put some in the shop window. Is clearly free from narcissism. While "MY" belief that I need more spiritual experience, to assuage my fear of death, is not.

Why Would A God Need to be Worshipped? (or is God a Karen?) - YouTube

skado comments on Mar 20, 2022:

This is a problem only for literalists. The more troubling question would be… why on earth would an atheist ever be a literalist?

Fernapple replies on Mar 21, 2022:

@skado Because the none literal view is often as deviant and dangerous as the literal, and contains many of the same errors, so there is little point in separating the two. All of the evils of religion come from the culture it generates the. The existence of a purely deist god, or not, would have, and does have, no effect on the world at all and is of little interest to anyone. V. Putin who probably is not a literal Christian, according to many who know him, is still using the uniting of the Orthodox church as one of his major excuses, to shell buildings with children in them, among lots of other things. The literal or none literal view of god, is largely beside the point, since addopting religion for most, even if they do not have a literal belief in god, effectively makes a god out of tradition, and tradition is just as cruel, mindless and unjustified in its assumptions as a literal god. There is no reason therefore, except on very rare occasions for atheists/agnostics to make any distinction between the two, and most of the time it is better not to.

I'm feeling beyond frustrated and feel a strong need to vent.

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2022:

The bottom line is, happy people are content, so they don't buy anything. The whole point of sales is make them believe they are unhappy, so that then you can sell them the solution. Which is why religion, which is pure sales, without even a product, at least not one you get to collect until ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 20, 2022:

@TomMcGiverin Never really been Buddhist, but people get to the same place by different routes, I would think. Now that sounds Buddhist too. LOL

Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is not just a war of politics – it's a holy war ...

racocn8 comments on Mar 19, 2022:

I can't believe Putin is a believer, but who knows? It might explain the absurd explanations he keeps touting. I gather an orthodox prelate has blessed the "special operation". I still don't understand the "Nazis" invocation. It makes no more sense than the Nato bullshit. Are Russians really that ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 20, 2022:

He may not be a literal believer in Christianity, but of course it is perfectly possible to believe in Chritianity a culture, and as a pseudo-race, or pseudo-nation, and that loyalty to the tradition is the same as loyalty to the state.

Women should not be enlightened or educated in any way.

thinkwithme comments on Mar 20, 2022:

I was taught he said, "Love and do whatever you want." I choose to love and not believe that other bullshit

Fernapple replies on Mar 20, 2022:

St. Augustine changed his oppinions greatly over the years, and was proud of that, so that you may find a whole range of contradictory things in him. Which of course means that, just like the bible, you can find support for almost anything you want in him. Which probably helps make him a popular theologian, for the same reason the bible became popular in the first place.

It seems the war in Ukraine is being seen by many Xian leaders as the sign we are in the last ...

CuddyCruiser comments on Mar 19, 2022:

..

Fernapple replies on Mar 19, 2022:

@MizJ The four are not mutually exclusive, fortunately.

It seems the war in Ukraine is being seen by many Xian leaders as the sign we are in the last ...

CuddyCruiser comments on Mar 19, 2022:

..

Fernapple replies on Mar 19, 2022:

@MizJ Yes he may like them too. Though the two are not mutually exclusive. Generally I call myself an agnostic atheist in fine company. But just atheist most of the time, because most people would not understand that anyway.

Business this week took me to Nottingham, where with an hour to spare, I visited the Attenbough ...

KateOahu comments on Mar 19, 2022:

Nice shots.

Fernapple replies on Mar 19, 2022:

Thank you.

It seems the war in Ukraine is being seen by many Xian leaders as the sign we are in the last ...

CuddyCruiser comments on Mar 19, 2022:

..

Fernapple replies on Mar 19, 2022:

@Toonman God is like aliens on a planet around a distant star, their existence or not, makes no difference to us at all as long as they stay quiet. But if we detect a message then that could be very important to us. But then you have to face the fact that there are a hundred thousand claims of god's message, many of them contradictory and most of them not worthy of the author. Yet if aliens were advanced enough to send us a message, you can bet your bottom dollar, that with that level of technology, they could manage to make it clear and plain.

It seems the war in Ukraine is being seen by many Xian leaders as the sign we are in the last ...

CuddyCruiser comments on Mar 19, 2022:

..

Fernapple replies on Mar 19, 2022:

And even if he did exist, how do you know he does not like atheists the best ?

Lee Smolin - What's Fundamental in the Cosmos?

Reignmond comments on Mar 18, 2022:

While I have a few Smolin books on Physics, and I "understand" where he is coming from, the practical fact is that this experience we call reality is as real as real can be for us. Any other view is simply going down a rabbit hole of illusion itself

Fernapple replies on Mar 19, 2022:

@Reignmond A very good anology. Especially as you could add, that. They sometimes hear a clang and know they hit something, but not if it was what they were aiming for.

“The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or to push an agenda.

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 19, 2022:

A great quote from a great Russian chess player! Modern propaganda remains true to its Roman Catholic origin, from whence the term originates. And whether in religious or political form, propaganda is the dissemination of lies and the subjugation of reason with faith.

Fernapple replies on Mar 19, 2022:

@Marionville It seems that for many people, even the self evident truth that, failed governments who can't solve the problems at home, resort to blaming foreigners instead of owning their problems, is too clever for them to grasp.

Lee Smolin - What's Fundamental in the Cosmos?

Reignmond comments on Mar 18, 2022:

While I have a few Smolin books on Physics, and I "understand" where he is coming from, the practical fact is that this experience we call reality is as real as real can be for us. Any other view is simply going down a rabbit hole of illusion itself

Fernapple replies on Mar 19, 2022:

If the illusion is the only expereince you can have, then the illusion is reality for you. End of story, anything else is just dreamtime.

Thinking about getting a (my first) tattoo. I'm digging the spaghetti monster thing. Any thoughts?

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2022:

Nah, Go for a slogan like. "Jesus was gay." "Fairy-tales make Bibles." or "Satan was the good guy."

Fernapple replies on Mar 18, 2022:

@Captain_Feelgood You could always keep it covered, until after you have had sex with a nice Christian girl.

“Sometimes the bible in the hand of one man is worse than the whisky bottle in the hand of ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2022:

Oh, I think that is Atticuss in To Kill A Mockingbird.

Fernapple replies on Mar 18, 2022:

@Marionville Thank you. I remember it was someone talking to Scout.

Oops. Sorry for the mix up.

Arg1929 comments on Mar 17, 2022:

Mistaken idea of what a shamrock looks like. Both the oxalis and shamrock have 3 leaves, not 4. It is a clover, genus trifolium.

Fernapple replies on Mar 18, 2022:

Yes, especially St Patrick's, the whole point of which was the it was suppossed to be a metaphor for the holy trinity. To show stupid pagans, what a really clever idea it was, and how much smarter Christianity could be. (Irony)

[news.yahoo.com] Telescope Webb is a big success!

yvilletom comments on Mar 17, 2022:

Hm-mm, most interesting. And Hubble revealed some of what the Bang is allegedly unable to explain.

Fernapple replies on Mar 17, 2022:

@yvilletom No I don't think that is quite fair, given time science can and will move on, indeed it tries to. The Vat-In-can, only moves when forced from the outside.

[news.yahoo.com] Telescope Webb is a big success!

yvilletom comments on Mar 17, 2022:

Hm-mm, most interesting. And Hubble revealed some of what the Bang is allegedly unable to explain.

Fernapple replies on Mar 17, 2022:

There has been little doubt for a long time, that the so called "standard model" will need a lot of reviewing.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 16, 2022:

@skado " I don't set myself up as the moral corrector. " From the site bully who does not even draw the line at bullying new members before they have even found a footing. LOL

Why is racism is wrong?

skado comments on Feb 8, 2022:

If we are to be consistent, just like there is no literal god, there is no innate right or wrong. There are actions, and there are consequences. In our ancestral environment a hundred thousand years ago, racism wasn’t wrong. It was adaptive. It conferred survivability for our species. ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 16, 2022:

That is ridiculous. Racism is not and could never be adaptive. "In our ancestral environment a hundred thousand years ago." Or confer, "survivability for our species." Because for something to be adaptive there needs to be a survival or reproductive pressure to drive it. And that was impossible a hundred thousand years ago. Since until the invention and wide spread use of the ocean going sailing ship about three thousand years ago, and especially, its widespread use, about five hundred years ago, ninty nine point nine, ( add as many nines as you like, ) of the human species, passed their whole lives without ever encountering a person from another so called race. Nor does evolution, the genetic sort, deal in such fine judgements, things must be at best be culturally emerged properties from much more generalized instincts. What may have existed as an evolved trait a hundred thousand years ago, was perhaps neophobia, the fear of strange things, as a generalized instinct. Whether that be strange foods, places, animals, weather, etc.. And that could have led, in modern times, to a distrust of strange looking and culturally different people, which could have been formalized into cultural traditions of racism. PS. " Species survivability " has nothing to do with evolution on the micro scale either, and even whether it is a valid idea at all as a significant driver of evolution, is debatable.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 16, 2022:

@skado No like I say I have no intention of being snowballed, I would not respond to such a cheap sleazy trick which is itself more than enough to prove my case. And as you, should know the site does not store responses to comments only the first comments on the members list. And I have more than a good enough memory to remember at least two occasions, maybe a third but I am not sure of that. I could perhaps even believe that excuse, if it was not for the hundreds of other examples of disingenuous behaviour I have had the displeasure to observe.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 15, 2022:

@skado No I am not very busy, such meetings are very rare, such people are very rare, only three so far, and of course it never works, but there is no alternative. As for how I verified it. That is is very simple. You said you did not remember denying being an appologist, so I stirred up a little ire, and lo, you did remember it. That made a second untruth, in one day. ( The ad hominem did its work, you must use the right bait in your trap ).

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 15, 2022:

@skado I normally try to lead them to the mirror, because I think that that is the best humanity.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 15, 2022:

@skado That I am dealing with a person who does not understand or appreciate, the idea of personal or intellectual integrity.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 15, 2022:

@skado By your position, am I to take that you mean your core ideas ?

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 15, 2022:

@skado But I have just verified them. You asked for the evidence, and I thank you for then supplying it yourself, which saved me the trouble.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

@skado Then I will take it that since you refer to someone accusing you of being a "closeted apologist" , and since I presume that you denied it, I will present your last statement as evidence, that you have denied being an apologist. ( The qualifier "closeted" being of no relevance in this instance.) And if you did not deny it then, my first point that it as logically inconsistent with one of your stated definitions of 'religion' still stands.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

@skado The supply the link to the "closeted apologist", and I will take a look at it, and decide if I am mistaken.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

@skado Ad homs are sometimes the ideas which really matter, especially when you wish to offer help. You no full well that you were attempting to make a snowball on me, if you resort to that, do you really expect any better.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

@skado Memory loss can be a truly terrible affliction. If that is the case then perhaps you should see a doctor. If lying, then I have no intention of doing your homework.

“A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then stand on the stump ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2022:

There is another kind of politician ?

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

@FrayedBear You could try the transfer vote. Instead of first past the post for each candidate, each constituency is made, say five times larger, and the first five go through, but instead of each successful candidate getting one equal vote in the legislature, each one gets the same number of votes as those cast for them. In the modern world with computers, the maths is no problem. And the bonus is you can't gerymander the voting by changing the geographical boundaries of the constituencies, since that would make no difference. You could also add a second chamber where experts could speak, but voting was in the hands of randomly selected jurors, quite a lot say two hundred at least, who would be changed every few weeks. They would be given some powers to regulate the elected first chamber.

“A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then stand on the stump ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2022:

There is another kind of politician ?

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

@FrayedBear We always have to be subjected to the "best of bad options". Since there is no such thing a perfection. I can go into my garden and pick the very best flower to put in a vase, but even though it is the very best it will still be the best of the bad option, because it is bound to have some blemish. There are no absolutes, just as there is no absolute line between democracy and tyranny, all states are to some degree democratic and to some degree tyrannical, it is just that some states are more democratic and less tyrannical than others.

“A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then stand on the stump ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2022:

There is another kind of politician ?

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

@FrayedBear Yes I have often thought that a none, would be a good idea, and if the nones were the largest vote, then it would force a rerun with different candidates. But that could be an improvemnt to democracy, and the lack of it does not disprove democracy.

Unbelievers. Are there any moral flaws in Jesus?

Rossy92 comments on Mar 9, 2022:

I'm so glad you asked. He promoted the concept of infinite punishment for finite crime, encouraged followers to abandon their families in pursuit of reward in an imaginary world which never came to be as he promised (Second Coming), upheld inhumane the laws of the Old Testament such as slavery, ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

@skado We have been here before, and if you remember, you described religion, at that time, as for you a synonym, for the greater part of human culture. I describe it for me, as a synonym for the fallacy called, the argument from authority, especially when that authority is not supported by evidence, but only by things such as tradition or supernatural belief, which is probably close enough to the popular definition of religion, to not usually require a qualifying statement when I use it. However I do think that yours should, since it deviates so far from the popular definition that it would seem disingenuous to use it without explaining it each time. The other problem I have with your choice is that it does not match with your claim that you are not an apologist. Since if you define religion as a synonym for human culture, and you certainly, like most people, support some parts of human culture , including apologetically, as I have often witnessed, then that would make you a religious apologist. While if you claim that you are not an apologist because you oppose only, literal fundamentalism, which is though a subset of culture. Then you are flip flopping between two definitions. Sorry but that is trying to have it both ways. And honesty would at least require that you state clearly, with a qualifying statement, each time you use the word which one you are using. I know that that is a big burden, but that is what you get if you deviate from the widely understood definitions.

I'd be happier living in a society not dominated by religion, but I also believe that freedom of ...

p-nullifidian comments on Mar 13, 2022:

As a nullifidian and anti-religionist, I long for the day when organized religions, as we see them in action today, are a thing of the past. It’s not that I want to limit Freethought, or attempt to control people’s minds. That’s what religion is there to do. No, I would just be happy to have ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

Good point, but in the long term of course political kowtowing and political involvement, will probably do more harm than good to religion. Because religions become seen as just an arm of the state, and tainted with the sins of politics, and holding a cruel, unjust or distasteful view, does not make you half as unpopular as being able and willing to enforce it does. I think that one of the reasons that religion is so much more popular in the US than over here in Europe is because you have the sepparation of church and state, which works in religions favour, where we often have state churches which chokes it.

Survival even when you are not supposed to. [youtube.com]

waitingforgodo comments on Mar 13, 2022:

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep From Endymion by John Keats https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44469/endymion-56d2239287ca5

Fernapple replies on Mar 14, 2022:

Thank you, it is a long time since I last heard/read that.

Hello.

skado comments on Mar 12, 2022:

I recommend not drumming up hate.

Fernapple replies on Mar 13, 2022:

@skado No just forest fire control officers.

Alien intelligence: the extraordinary minds of octopuses and other cephalopods: [theguardian.

dalefvictor comments on Mar 12, 2022:

Alien intelligence is going to be so different from what we do that it will be hard to study as we will jot have the language to discuss the topic. The fact that an octopus has its brain in the parts of its body is kind of like what we have when we get really good at doing certain tasks. We call it ...

Fernapple replies on Mar 13, 2022:

There is a lot of evidence that we too have intelligence not based in the brain, but in our case in the alimentary canal. Because our gut probably evolved even before we had things like a head and eyes, and the neural networks there, had to perform certain logic functions, long before we thought of understanding the outside world. So our gut does things like deciding how long different foods will need to be digested, when to demand extra blood flow from the heart to process it, what chemicals to use and when and when to push the waste out, etc. without our brian even being involved.

Hello.

skado comments on Mar 12, 2022:

I recommend not drumming up hate.

Fernapple replies on Mar 13, 2022:

@skado While I agree with where you are coming from , I dont think that the anology really works , and there is some justification in KKGator's comment. You can. "Fight fire with fire." and a "controlled burn" is a successful tactic used by those who do. Also the "hate the idea, love its victim" comes into it. However see my above.