Religion is not the source of morality, as we all here know, everything is natural and does come ...

Nardi comments on Feb 7, 2020:

I don't feel that main stream religions will knowingly entertain evil ideas of morality as a way to remain relevant and/or popular. They may be naive but they sure as hell are not dumb they will know that promoting evil will lead to their demise. The world is becoming a smaller place and once the ...

Fernapple replies on Feb 7, 2020:

True but the English churches are dying despite embracing good ideas. Because they are in a market place where many others are selling good ideas at far less a price. Yet the hard line evangelicals and the racist churches grow and prosper.

Hi there.

Cast1es comments on Feb 7, 2020:

I can't see you in it . Are you tiny ?

Fernapple replies on Feb 7, 2020:

Right hand side of the photo, on the triangle of grass just in front of the cars.

Religion is not the source of morality, as we all here know, everything is natural and does come ...

DavidLaDeau comments on Feb 7, 2020:

If god is the source of morality then it is subjective. If god is not the source of morality god is not necessary. I disagree with the authors statement that "which left religion with the ONLY role of promoting bad ideas". The idea of Christianity is doing good in the modern theology. The ideas ...

Fernapple replies on Feb 7, 2020:

The point is not that religion does not do a lot of good, or that good people do not belong to religions, the point is that the direction that it has now got to take is that of promoting bad ideas, simply because it has nowhere else to go. So that while there are now many good ideas in religion, and it may in the past have done much good, it will increasingly attract bad people, because they have nowhere else to go as secular morality improves, and it will find that the only thing it can sell are bad ideas because others are selling the good ones better.

A couple months ago, a local skeptic organization screened the documentary, "Hail Satan?

Allamanda comments on Dec 21, 2019:

One could compare with the UUs - this is from Wikipedia. There's less of a jokey or defiant posture of course if you enjoy that. Unitarian Universalist Association Adopted in 1960... The Principles are expressed, We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant ...

Fernapple replies on Feb 7, 2020:

@Allamanda No it does not appeal to me either, I always thought that a movement based only on negative views can not last, and has no appeel to me,especially if its opponent fades away. If that happens then it will either have to die or reinvent itself as religions always seem to. But I do not live in a theocracy like the US, so that perhaps an organization which gives hurt people a chance to vent, is no bad thing, where it is needed.

A couple months ago, a local skeptic organization screened the documentary, "Hail Satan?

Allamanda comments on Dec 21, 2019:

One could compare with the UUs - this is from Wikipedia. There's less of a jokey or defiant posture of course if you enjoy that. Unitarian Universalist Association Adopted in 1960... The Principles are expressed, We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant ...

Fernapple replies on Feb 7, 2020:

@Allamanda Sorry, I was not intending to be cynical, it is very good. I failed to make the point perhaps that I wrote it by comparison with the Satanist's crede which is much more defined I feel. And while I like both, the satanist's seems the better thought out.

A couple months ago, a local skeptic organization screened the documentary, "Hail Satan?

Allamanda comments on Dec 21, 2019:

One could compare with the UUs - this is from Wikipedia. There's less of a jokey or defiant posture of course if you enjoy that. Unitarian Universalist Association Adopted in 1960... The Principles are expressed, We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant ...

Fernapple replies on Feb 7, 2020:

No sorry they are too vague, so vague they are almost meaningless. Even the most hard line fundamentalist would claim to subscribe to those, while in the act of stonning someone to death. As in:- The inherent worth and dignity of every person; (It is because I respect their worth and dignity, that I take the trouble to deal out their just punishment, which they need.) Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; ( It is because I respect justice and equality, that I take the trouble to deal out their just punishment, which they need, as would I in their place.) Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; ( For every true believer who joins, we give equality as the infidel does not.) A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; ( You will find all that in our holy book, and it is the greatest and only true sourse of that.) The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; (That is why we must destroy all who do not join our congregation, for it is the only true democracy.) The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; ( When everyone accepts our law, this will be a reality.) Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. (Of couse we must respect gods creation.)

A convoluted argument hard to grasp for agnostics, but if it were to succeed...? [sojo.net]

gsiamne comments on Feb 6, 2020:

I think one part of it is because they ignore parts of the OT like where 'god' says to plant for 6 years and then in year 7 let the soil regenerate from nature, also that 'god' says all of the land is his (yet they are destroying it), also the book of Numbers says you shouldn't pollute. So, I think ...

Fernapple replies on Feb 7, 2020:

Sadly its called cherry picking, and most of them have no idea what is in their holy book, only what other cherry pickers tell them in the echo chamber.

My friend and user-interface designer who helped with this site has emerged from his hibernation and...

yogafan108 comments on Feb 6, 2020:

A more equal distribution of points in each level would make more sense. I have been on level 7 almost as long as it took me to get through levels 1-6 and I'm not even at the half way point. It's fracking frustrating!

Fernapple replies on Feb 6, 2020:

The idea is that it gets harder as you go up, both to encourage the newbies, and to give the experienced a challenge.

My oldest (12) grandson mentioned that my potatoes had little things on them.

Redheadedgammy comments on Feb 4, 2020:

Isn’t it great being a grandparent? You have a lot more time and patience with your grandkids then you did with your own children. At least it was that way for me. LOL Great science experiment you taught them. Bravo!

Fernapple replies on Feb 5, 2020:

Old joke. " If I had known grandchildren were this much fun, I would have had them first."

"To stop well going, is more trouble then to keep going, yet at least both are more valued then to ...

Allamanda comments on Feb 3, 2020:

Please read and edit if you are using speech to phone, before posting. This quote is attributed to whom?

Fernapple replies on Feb 3, 2020:

@Allamanda Don't know if that's the one, there is a big gulf between the two, it just popped into my head that's all.

"To stop well going, is more trouble then to keep going, yet at least both are more valued then to ...

Allamanda comments on Feb 3, 2020:

Please read and edit if you are using speech to phone, before posting. This quote is attributed to whom?

Fernapple replies on Feb 3, 2020:

Could not even get google to find it, even tweaking some of the words, though it does remind me of. "It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." A. Tennyson.

In this world we are hearing of the evil of terrorism.

MsDemeanour comments on Feb 3, 2020:

We are pack animals so we are meant to part of a tribe. We do not prosper on our own. When I found agnostic.com I found my tribe. :D

Fernapple replies on Feb 3, 2020:

@Moravian Tribalism is the pack instinct distorted by culture into something it was never meant to be, because we have no control over our cultures but are controled by them.

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. - Frank Lloyd Wright

brentan comments on Feb 2, 2020:

He forgot 'don't turn your back on it'.

Fernapple replies on Feb 2, 2020:

Yes it teaches some important lessons too.

About humans, not just the science but a lot about thinking two. [youtube.com]

EyesThatSmile comments on Feb 2, 2020:

After watching that, I feel humility. That is a good thing. I wish more politically minded people (on any side) would watch this...perhaps they would be kinder and more understanding to each other

Fernapple replies on Feb 2, 2020:

It is also a case of. If knowledge and thought are collective enerprises, then it is a good thing to pick your friends carefully.

Why do some people like to change their icons often, (the little profile pictures) and some people ...

Lorajay comments on Feb 1, 2020:

Sorry, I'm a changer and I really dont know why. I see a picture that I like and i upload it. Current one is a happy memory because the roadrunner used to bring me a present everyday and I miss it. We named him Leonard. He was really bringing the present to his reflection in my glass. Evidently...

Fernapple replies on Feb 1, 2020:

Yep, I can remember you old one.

Its a mild winter so far, but it is still winter and I still dream of summer. [youtube.com]

dede18 comments on Feb 1, 2020:

@Fernapple, it wasn't mentioned and I wondered where in the U.K. one can find a frostfree zone? because there are a multitude of plants in her tropical garden which absolutely cannot take frost ...

Fernapple replies on Feb 1, 2020:

It says in the west country, which is a bit vague and some of which ca be mild. But there is a tradition of using potted plants which are put out in the garden for summer only, in this country. And looking at the mixture, I would think that it is acheived by mixing, tender annuals, a few hardy plants and quite a few which are overwintered indoors

A wonderful photo found online! See first comment.

Fernapple comments on Jan 31, 2020:

Is it your photo ?

Fernapple replies on Feb 1, 2020:

@Allamanda Its very good, I just think that they over saturated the colours a little, it would have been even more convincing had the greens been softer and the outer wooodwork a natural grey. They oviously tweeked them up a bit and that was actually over doing it.

"Sunday school is a prison in which children do penance for the evil conscience of their parents.

Diogenes comments on Jan 31, 2020:

Sunday school is the place where a child is fed the bad tasting medicine- that cures nothing.

Fernapple replies on Feb 1, 2020:

Or makes them even more ill.

Are there really that many gullible "health" freaks around that Netflix runs a series for them?

LiterateHiker comments on Jan 30, 2020:

Gwyeneth Paltrow is a quack. I don't believe anything she suggests.

Fernapple replies on Jan 31, 2020:

@Petter Don't they all. Biggest mistake I ever made, was thinking that it was worthwhile trying to produce and market products that were genuine and useful. Still too old to change now.

As an Aussie living in a mainly secular country I'm amazed and disheartened by the stories from ...

Fernapple comments on Jan 30, 2020:

What I have learned while on this site is, just how failed and broken the US education system must be. Sometimes seeing levels of ignorance expressed, (Not by members generally but in the postings.) that it should be a shame for any government in the 21st century to admit to allowing. Everyone ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 30, 2020:

@birdingnut I found the school system a scam in my day, and I don't thiit has improved any, the only real education I ever got was because I was an avid reader myself. And don't get me started on the time wasted on religion at a C of E school.

Every team sport is marked by cooperation.

Fernapple comments on Jan 29, 2020:

As sports prove, the two are not mutually exclusive, you can have all the benefits of both. But to get that you need good planning/design, and that means honesty and a lack of greed. Meh. No chance outside of sport, and even in sports and arts, you see lots of greed and dishonesty.

Fernapple replies on Jan 29, 2020:

@ToolGuy Yes that is how I know that it is greed and dishonesty that are the problem, because those businesses and departments which do run well on the team spirit, are exactly the ones that don't show the greed and dishonesty ethos. But no business/department lasts forever exactly because the greed and dishonesty always find a way in in the end. People like progress, and to think that they are moving forward, and because of that, when something gets to be nearly as good as it can, the only way is down. Especially because progress when seen from the outside, is always the opposite of what it is when seen from the inside. From the outside progress is doing a little bit more with more economy. While from the inside progress is getting a little more for doing a little less, 'greed'. And when once that starts then the next year/generation wants even more for even less, but cognitive dissonance, 'dishonesty' can be used to make believe that it is justified or even a real improvement and progress, and so all social constructs degenerate and die in time.

Having had a mild spell this January, and with a cold snap on the way.

MikeInBatonRouge comments on Jan 29, 2020:

Nice! What can you tell us about Hellebore? I just planted a hundred seed last spring, because individual plants here are so expensive. About 50 or so sprouts have survived so far but are still quite small. I would not be surprised if it takes another 2 years to get blooms. No wonder they are ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 29, 2020:

@MikeInBatonRouge Sounds good to me.

Having had a mild spell this January, and with a cold snap on the way.

MikeInBatonRouge comments on Jan 29, 2020:

Nice! What can you tell us about Hellebore? I just planted a hundred seed last spring, because individual plants here are so expensive. About 50 or so sprouts have survived so far but are still quite small. I would not be surprised if it takes another 2 years to get blooms. No wonder they are ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 29, 2020:

They are very easy to grow, and do not even need the regular division that a lot of books recommend. They do self sow in the garden a little, but they cross very easily so that the seedlings hardly ever come true, which is perhaps the other reason that they are expensive from seed. I do not tidy up the old leaves until late spring at least, to help keep the plants vigour, but sometimes you have to snip a few away to stop them spoiling the flowers. Where you are I think that they will need summer shade to do best. Don't be impatient with the flowers , they last for months and gradually lift their heads, (which hang to start with,) as the spring moves on. Sometimes you can get some really interesting things among the seedlings.

Having had a mild spell this January, and with a cold snap on the way.

Cast1es comments on Jan 28, 2020:

And they make a lovely bouquet .

Fernapple replies on Jan 28, 2020:

Mainly just done, because it was warmer than trying to photograph them outside.

Can u be agnostic and still be spiritual ??

Bierbasstard comments on Jan 27, 2020:

U left religion behind long ago only to be followed by x, y and z.

Fernapple replies on Jan 27, 2020:

What happen to V and W ?

Stupidest Spellcheck thing that has made you look idiotic recently.

Sticks48 comments on Jan 25, 2020:

I hate that thing. I don't mind it telling me l misspelled a word, but l do hate it when it changes the word.

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2020:

That's the trouble with digital, it is far too easy to offer too much.

Why is it called the "mouth" of a river? Surely it ought to be the "anus"?

Fernapple comments on Jan 25, 2020:

Not if you are sail into it from the sea. Especially not if you are sailing 'up' it from the sea.

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2020:

@Petter In most rivers a lot of the fluid is ####, so perhaps we should go with your first idea.

Why energy drinks are worse for you than coffee of soda pop

LiterateHiker comments on Jan 25, 2020:

I never drank soda pop. Raised my daughter the same way. "Soda pop is a non-food," I explained. "It's just a load of sugar and chemicals."

Fernapple replies on Jan 25, 2020:

@PondartIncbendog Sugar is a chemical, just like everything else.

“We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality.

Lorajay comments on Jan 24, 2020:

Not everyone but many

Fernapple replies on Jan 24, 2020:

I would go between and say. Nearly all.

Some things still work just as well as they always did, try a bed recipe, for example.

Cast1es comments on Jan 22, 2020:

A bed recipe ? That brings a whole different activity to mind .

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2020:

I know I just spotted that, I typed in haste, but anyway some people may get a laugh out of it, so I will let it stand.

Some things still work just as well as they always did, try a bed recipe, for example.

Robecology comments on Jan 22, 2020:

Wow! I didn't know the difference between "sourdough" and "yeast" leavened bread until they explained it! Interesting! And you even made me look up "leavening" The list of chemical leavens contained baking soda, baking powder, horn salt (a.k.a. baker’s ammonia), potash, etc. The list of ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2020:

I try to find things that are different and interesting, hope I sometimes succeed. Thanks.

I also posted this in the science group, but it seemed a shame to mis it of here too.

JackPedigo comments on Jan 21, 2020:

Very interesting. I see this is a PBS production. Another series along this line and local to my region is titled "Nick on the Rocks." https://www.pbs.org/show/nick-rocks/ One (of many) episode that is similar but opposite of this is about an area here called "Dry Falls" ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 22, 2020:

Great, thanks for the links, I enjoyed those.

Well this was humiliating! QUIZ: 99% Of Adults Fail This Elementary School Test, Will You?

Fernapple comments on Jan 20, 2020:

35 out of forty. The American history questions were a bit tough for a European, and I do think that an eagle must be faster, especially in a dive, which the question did not rule out.

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2020:

@Marionville Yep I got most of them right, just dropped one, made one stupid mistake clicked on the wrong box, don't agree about the eagle, and a couple I really did not know.

Despite the frost and snow the spring bulbs just keep pushing through.

Mark013 comments on Jan 20, 2020:

Your winter climate must be a little warmer. It will be a high of 17 F here today and there is a foot of snow on the ground. Not going to see any plants here until late March or early April.

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2020:

No, we are just two/three degrees below freezing at night and two/three above during the day, but there may be a harder snap on the way. We don't often get down to seventeeen though.

The Winter Aconites, Eranthus hyemalis, are out with us now, they are no relative of the true ...

Cast1es comments on Jan 20, 2020:

So beautiful , especially when most other flowers aren't blooming .

Fernapple replies on Jan 20, 2020:

@AnneWimsey Where you can grow snowdrops you can probably grow Erathus too. They like much the same conditions and are happy growing together.

A really fascinating piece about languages, their 'voids' - and how they can be filled. [bbc.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 19, 2020:

Interesting but a little loose. For example Dinosaur is refered to as English several times, in fact of course, it is Latin/Greek, and I can not see that alternative 'Ancient Animal' is any better or more accurate than 'Terrible Lizard' While DNA is short for 'deoxyribonucleic acid' not ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 19, 2020:

@Allamanda Which just raises the question. If we can use several root languages, why can't anybody else.

Interesting food for thought on limits of human logic and why we are vulnerable to religious ...

mordant comments on Jan 16, 2020:

Agency inference and confirmation bias are things we are all equipped with.

Fernapple replies on Jan 17, 2020:

Yes, there is always more than one reason, it is always more complex than any one thing.

Hey, could be, still looking for the evidence though.

Fernapple comments on Jan 15, 2020:

Heck, there is not much life here.

Fernapple replies on Jan 17, 2020:

@Captain_Feelgood Yes I was being cynical. But having said that our planet is not only tiny, but while it is eight thousand miles across, life only inhabits about a half mile up into the air, and two miles down. Vertebrate life less than that, and life with technological culture less than half the quarter which is dry, we really are just a thin scum on a tiny bit of the surface. LOL

It seems that there are too definitions of religious naturalism, that which I first encountered many...

Davesnothere comments on Jan 16, 2020:

Why assume facts not in evidence to begin with? 1. "Let us assume hypothetically for the sake of argument, that there is such a thing as a supernatural" What is that, things beyond our understanding or things beyond nature itself? How would we ever determine what, if anything, is beyond nature ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 17, 2020:

@Davesnothere I know that is the problem with what I would call anti-education, religion is an enemy of education not merely because it contradicts science and true philosophy. But even more so, because it fills up our time, lives, institutions and taxes our energies, leaving little of any remaining for education of the kind which leads to understanding, and it thereby creates culture victims of millions. If we have escaped, and escaped with time for life and learning still remaining, then we are the lucky ones.

Better smarten up boys. You don't want an intelligent woman. [patheos.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 16, 2020:

So he says effectively that you can not serve god if intelligent and educated. Is that not the same thing as saying that god, and or belief in god requires, stupidity and a lack of education. I know that some hard line Atheist/ Agnostics think that, but I never thought to hear a cleric say it. LOL

Fernapple replies on Jan 17, 2020:

@Geoffrey51 No I have a very high view of education. And what I am saying is that the greatest enemy of education is not anti-intellectualism, though that is bad, but anti-education, that which is false but pretends to be education. The truly great crime of religion is anti-education. Religion is an enemy of education not mainly because it contradicts science and true philosophy. But even more so, because it fills up our time, lives, institutions and taxes our energies, leaving little of any remaining for education of the kind which leads to understanding, and it thereby creates culture victims of millions. If we have escaped, and escaped with time for life and learning still remaining, then we are the lucky ones.

Better smarten up boys. You don't want an intelligent woman. [patheos.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 16, 2020:

So he says effectively that you can not serve god if intelligent and educated. Is that not the same thing as saying that god, and or belief in god requires, stupidity and a lack of education. I know that some hard line Atheist/ Agnostics think that, but I never thought to hear a cleric say it. LOL

Fernapple replies on Jan 16, 2020:

@Geoffrey51 Yes that may be true. But they say that when you go to prison, you come out with a much better understanding of crime, and rise more rapidly though the ranks when you leave. That does not however make prisons respectable academic institutions.

Better smarten up boys. You don't want an intelligent woman. [patheos.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 16, 2020:

So he says effectively that you can not serve god if intelligent and educated. Is that not the same thing as saying that god, and or belief in god requires, stupidity and a lack of education. I know that some hard line Atheist/ Agnostics think that, but I never thought to hear a cleric say it. LOL

Fernapple replies on Jan 16, 2020:

@Geoffrey51 The problem with that is that to study academically, you must have an academy to study in. And since all theological academies were created by churches, who take their authority from a none existent or none communicating god, therefore there can never be such a thing as a real theological academy.

What do you say when someone knocks on your door and wants to tell you about their religion?

skado comments on Jan 16, 2020:

Talking with people about worldviews is one of my favorite things to do. Whether waiting in line at the bank or sitting in my livingroom with door-knockers, if someone wants to tell me about their worldview, I listen, and share mine in return. I'm having my third meeting tonight with the local ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 16, 2020:

I only wish I had the time to spare. Still I retire soon.

Better smarten up boys. You don't want an intelligent woman. [patheos.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 16, 2020:

So he says effectively that you can not serve god if intelligent and educated. Is that not the same thing as saying that god, and or belief in god requires, stupidity and a lack of education. I know that some hard line Atheist/ Agnostics think that, but I never thought to hear a cleric say it. LOL

Fernapple replies on Jan 16, 2020:

@Geoffrey51 I am sure they would move it on if they are in the least bit humane or thoughtful. But I do not hold with the idea that there could exist such things as 'real' theologians. That is the same as saying there are real fakes.

It seems that there are too definitions of religious naturalism, that which I first encountered many...

Davesnothere comments on Jan 16, 2020:

Why assume facts not in evidence to begin with? 1. "Let us assume hypothetically for the sake of argument, that there is such a thing as a supernatural" What is that, things beyond our understanding or things beyond nature itself? How would we ever determine what, if anything, is beyond nature ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 16, 2020:

I agree with you completely. I do not make the assumptions, except for the sake of the argument which follows, it is called a devils advocate assumption. The whole point of the post is to turn the assumptions on their heads, and shoot them down, it needs more carefull reading. I am sorry if you found it not clear, but I was trying to keep the length of the post within moderate limits by cutting corners. The crux of the post, is the that the assumption of a supernatural intelligence, (And a lot of people do assume that.) while it can not be disproved because it is outside nature, and proof can only ever be concerned with nature, is only relevant if there is the addition of comunication, which can be disproved. And since this is on the edge of being an reductio ad absurdum argument, I may make as many assumptions as wished to disprove.

“If religious instruction were not allowed until the child had attained the age of reason, we ...

Killtheskyfairy comments on Jan 15, 2020:

You trust the adults around you to tell the truth.

Fernapple replies on Jan 16, 2020:

And that is usually your first big mistake in life, but how can you help it.

Strange particles found in Antarctica cannot be explained by physics | New Scientist

Surchin comments on Jan 15, 2020:

Earlier article about same phenomenon. Paywalls suck!

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2020:

Thank you, that was interesting.

The Proof: That God Exists There is a hierarchy in Animalia, not only as quantified by the DNA ...

KKGator comments on Jan 15, 2020:

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. --Macbeth William Shakespeare

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2020:

Even in the midst of the direst of posts, come the greatest of quotes, which makes me glad I bothered, when I nearly did not.

“If Shakespeare had never existed, he asked, would the world have differed much from what it is ...

brentan comments on Jan 15, 2020:

I think this guy answers the question for me: We are tied down, all our days and for the greater part of our days, to the commonplace. That is where contact with great thinkers, great literature helps. In their company we are still in the ordinary world, but it is the ordinary world transfigured ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2020:

That's the great thing about reading, not only do you get to hear the best of thinkers, but you can listen to the best thinkers of any age not just your own, and hear their best and most carefully chosen thoughts. I can never sit by the fire or at the table with, Shakespeare, Aristotle or Darwin, but I can stand by their desks and look over their shoulders.

Why are people so afraid of using their real name? Why do so many hide behind nom-de-plumes?

Fernapple comments on Jan 15, 2020:

I am in business and a lot of my customers and suppliers are theist, but I retire soon, and had thought of using my real name, But the trouble with that is, I would then have to start all over again. You also have to remember that unlike the UK and BC not every part of the world is as tolerant of ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2020:

@rogerbenham Yep, we make a hobby out of being miserable and arrogant. You are a lot better of in Canada. I live almost exactly on your Bristol to Newcastle line, but in a quite corner, so it is not too bad.

GENNY, the Israeli home appliance that makes water out of thin air, was named the Energy Efficiency ...

Joanne comments on Jan 12, 2020:

Dehumidifiers also draw moisture from thin air. It just isn't drinkable and they aren't energy efficient. I have wondered for years why they didn't have a similar machine for capturing drinkable water. Perhaps the technology was more complicated than I realized--or the desire/need was not strong ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2020:

@Joanne I think that you would also have to add minerals and airate it.

“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest”...

callmedubious comments on Jan 14, 2020:

That might be a good start but the majority will always be ruled by a tiny percentage of intelligent sociopaths and never be free.

Fernapple replies on Jan 15, 2020:

I think perhaps the sociopaths don't always have to be intelligent. Not thinking of any individuals in particular. LOL

Religion was not created to control anyone or groups of people.

Fernapple comments on Jan 13, 2020:

Very true and I agree with you completely about the origins of religion. But I think that you are constructing a strawman argument about the people who use the 'control' argument. Most of them do well understand the other roles of religion, especially at its origin and in early times, they are just ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 13, 2020:

@DavidLaDeau I see. Yes there certainly could be problems with that, especially when talking to ill informed groups. But I think it does not matter so much here in conversations on this site, since most of the members, as with most organized sceptics, are well informed about religion's history, as the comments below mostly show, and are not therefore going make that mistake. It is a bad habit to get into though as you may forget and use it in the wrong context.

Who is solving the biggest problems in the world? Are you part of that? If not... why?

resserts comments on Jan 12, 2020:

I have a rather small-diameter circle of influence. Can I end world hunger? Can I bring peace to the Middle East? Will I be the one to disarm North Korea? Nope. What I can do, though, is help someone I know who has fallen on hard times. I can mediate conflicts between recently separated parents ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 12, 2020:

That would be more than enough if everyone did it.

GENNY, the Israeli home appliance that makes water out of thin air, was named the Energy Efficiency ...

Joanne comments on Jan 12, 2020:

Dehumidifiers also draw moisture from thin air. It just isn't drinkable and they aren't energy efficient. I have wondered for years why they didn't have a similar machine for capturing drinkable water. Perhaps the technology was more complicated than I realized--or the desire/need was not strong ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 12, 2020:

Actually there is realy no good reason why the water from an ordinary dehumidifier could not be made drinkable. It is basically the same thing. The only down side to this is that it is using a lot of energy.

[youtu.

rogerbenham comments on Jan 11, 2020:

Beautiful! Thanks. What a massive choir!

Fernapple replies on Jan 12, 2020:

@rogerbenham The Mormons extract very heavy tithes yes, and they have just been caught in a financial scandel, where they had been found sitting on vast sums donated for charity, no doubt earnig interest. They may not be the worst but they are certainly on the short list.

"SOS" message in snow helped save man stranded over 20 days in Alaska

Fernapple comments on Jan 12, 2020:

If he came to his senses, why in he moving to Salt Lake City ?

Fernapple replies on Jan 12, 2020:

@LiterateHiker I know it said he had relatives there, even stranger.

[youtu.

rogerbenham comments on Jan 11, 2020:

Beautiful! Thanks. What a massive choir!

Fernapple replies on Jan 12, 2020:

@rogerbenham May not be the Mormons, its just that it said the Tabernacle Choir, and usually Tabernacle Choir with 'The' in front of it, refers to the Mormon singers by default.

I enjoy the interchanges of thoughts and feelings with many others on this site.

NoPlanetB comments on Jan 11, 2020:

Never heard of them. :P

Fernapple replies on Jan 12, 2020:

Yep, you would think that he would choose some prominant people who everyone knows as his stand out four.

Wolf Moon at first light this morning.

mischl comments on Jan 11, 2020:

What's all that white stuff?

Fernapple replies on Jan 12, 2020:

@mischl So is rain.

[youtu.

rogerbenham comments on Jan 11, 2020:

Beautiful! Thanks. What a massive choir!

Fernapple replies on Jan 12, 2020:

The Mormons have a lot of money to throw at it.

I hurt my back sweeping the yard yesterday, so I a forced to spend today sitting and catching up ...

twill comments on Jan 11, 2020:

I hope you have healed !

Fernapple replies on Jan 11, 2020:

Yep, did not take long thanks.

Anyone who claims to know what god wants you to do is clearly lying.

Shawno1972 comments on Jan 10, 2020:

They could be lying, sure, but you're leaving out other more common possibilities. For instance, they could be self-deceived - either as a result of mental illness or hallucination or some other delusion. Or, most often, it is because they themselves have been indoctrinated by some 3rd party and ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 10, 2020:

@Shawno1972 Well it is fun and I do love pedantry. May be me just miss reading him, but the first line did seem to be banal on its own.

Anyone who claims to know what god wants you to do is clearly lying.

Shawno1972 comments on Jan 10, 2020:

They could be lying, sure, but you're leaving out other more common possibilities. For instance, they could be self-deceived - either as a result of mental illness or hallucination or some other delusion. Or, most often, it is because they themselves have been indoctrinated by some 3rd party and ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 10, 2020:

@Shawno1972 Quite. I am all for nuance, most conflict is about being more willing to argue than take the time to consider nuance. But I think that the nuance here, is that it was Jimben's second line which was the important one, containing his original insight, not the first which he probably wrote glibbly.

Anyone who claims to know what god wants you to do is clearly lying.

Shawno1972 comments on Jan 10, 2020:

They could be lying, sure, but you're leaving out other more common possibilities. For instance, they could be self-deceived - either as a result of mental illness or hallucination or some other delusion. Or, most often, it is because they themselves have been indoctrinated by some 3rd party and ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 10, 2020:

Nice nuance, but I think that the logical argument 'jimben' makes is still good whatever term you use for falsehood.

Something to perk you up. Seems like we need it reading the posts. [youtube.com]

whiskywoman comments on Jan 9, 2020:

I munch random leaves

Fernapple replies on Jan 9, 2020:

Can be dangerous, be careful.

They say that too much salt is not good for you, well it certainly seems to have its dangers for ...

yvilletom comments on Jan 8, 2020:

I’m glad Brian Cox has an income source other than Big Bang cosmology.

Fernapple replies on Jan 9, 2020:

I think that he has quite a range of income sources, here in the UK his face pops up everywhere.

It seems that there are too definitions of religious naturalism, that which I first encountered many...

Allamanda comments on Jan 8, 2020:

I like this! But having trouble with "that which remains revealed in plain sight, is that which is truly is vital." should it have read "unrevealed in plain sight"?

Fernapple replies on Jan 8, 2020:

@Allamanda Sorry was perhaps trying to be a little poetic, and of course that often means not plain.

It seems that there are too definitions of religious naturalism, that which I first encountered many...

Allamanda comments on Jan 8, 2020:

I like this! But having trouble with "that which remains revealed in plain sight, is that which is truly is vital." should it have read "unrevealed in plain sight"?

Fernapple replies on Jan 8, 2020:

Thank you, I did not think anyone would even get through it. No, revealed in plain sight, meaning the natural material world.

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

resserts comments on Jan 6, 2020:

I might be missing your meaning, and if so I apologize, but doesn't calling the things we value "God" muddy the waters somewhat? No, of course I don't believe in a bearded man in the sky. And of course I have things I value. But my relationship to my values is far different from how people typically...

Fernapple replies on Jan 8, 2020:

@skado Brace yourself, one of my long boring ones coming up in the next day or two.

Trump properties could become targets for Iran - AOL Finance

Fernapple comments on Jan 7, 2020:

He has no doubt doubled his insurance, and is rubbing his greedy little hands together with glee at the news.

Fernapple replies on Jan 8, 2020:

@Bobby9 Its called irony.

“Think about it: what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellow men.

MsHoliday comments on Jan 7, 2020:

This just does not even make sense to me.

Fernapple replies on Jan 8, 2020:

I think it means the same basically as the common vernacular. "Get over yourself." Nothing personal intended.

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

resserts comments on Jan 6, 2020:

I might be missing your meaning, and if so I apologize, but doesn't calling the things we value "God" muddy the waters somewhat? No, of course I don't believe in a bearded man in the sky. And of course I have things I value. But my relationship to my values is far different from how people typically...

Fernapple replies on Jan 8, 2020:

@skado I see it more as emptying my basket of seeds to see what will grow, than soldiering, I care not what people do with what grows even if they kill it as a weed, as long as my basket is empty at days end and something grows. But I do try to sow good seed and would never resort to deliberately sowing weeds.

Trump properties could become targets for Iran - AOL Finance

Fernapple comments on Jan 7, 2020:

He has no doubt doubled his insurance, and is rubbing his greedy little hands together with glee at the news.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@Bobby9 Quite, plus publicity, and of course we do not know what sort of fiddles his accountants can arrange for him. ( I assume he is not bright enough to do it for himself given his previous business record.)

Trump properties could become targets for Iran - AOL Finance

Fernapple comments on Jan 7, 2020:

He has no doubt doubled his insurance, and is rubbing his greedy little hands together with glee at the news.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@Bobby9 Unless it is overvalued or he gets new for old. Plus publicity.

Trump properties could become targets for Iran - AOL Finance

Lorajay comments on Jan 7, 2020:

Does he actually own anything?

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

That's a good question. I have heard that a couple of bankers in China own him certainly.

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

resserts comments on Jan 6, 2020:

I might be missing your meaning, and if so I apologize, but doesn't calling the things we value "God" muddy the waters somewhat? No, of course I don't believe in a bearded man in the sky. And of course I have things I value. But my relationship to my values is far different from how people typically...

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@skado For fun, but mainly in the hope that it may be of some use to someone else in their journey. If they disagree with me or think me foolish, it does not matter, I am far enough down my path not to care about that, as long as it gives them some food for thought or a helping hand on their journey, it is enough even if they tread me down, because now I am on the level fields it will not push me back even if I am trampled on, as long as they gain a step forward by doing so.

The jump from level 7 to level 8 is daunting. 8 to 9 smacks of far too much time on this site

Fernapple comments on Jan 7, 2020:

Its a place to waste time, for those who don't want to put up with all the drama and banalities of proper social media.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@rogerbenham Facebook is a complete junk pile, I am forced to do a few things on it for business reasons, but next year I retire and good bye Zucker Booker.

The jump from level 7 to level 8 is daunting. 8 to 9 smacks of far too much time on this site

bobwjr comments on Jan 7, 2020:

Just remember they are kidding about the dancing girls/ strippers relax you'll get there

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

I heard that if you reach ten, they sell your address and picture to a fundamentalist hit squad.

Can you describe a situation in which you felt very alone?

Fernapple comments on Jan 7, 2020:

Yes, out on a hike last year, it should have been an easy soft hike on a well used path, so no real danger going alone, and of course I did not bother to tell anyone where I was going, which was really stupid. But three quarters the way along the gorge I was walking though, I found it was blocked by...

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@Omnedon Yes still here. Made me aware though, of the dangers of living alone, which I do. Even a minor accident, if it will not let you reach the phone, becomes a serious thing, that people who have family do not have to worry about.

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

Fernapple comments on Jan 7, 2020:

You see you are writing this on the wrong site, most people on this site do not use the word god just because they don't believe in one, but mainly because they are also too honest to believe in one. God is a word used by dishonest people, (religious) in exactly the way you describe, to give ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@skado Only to negate it.

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

Fernapple comments on Jan 6, 2020:

This contradicts your last post. The notion of heathen culture is etymologically oxymoronic. [agnostic.com] You can not have etymology as important in one post, and then mess with it to the most extreme degree in the next.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@skado Then if it means nothing and has no power why use it at all, especially if it muddies the etymology of others words which are clear and much better defined to start with. And also when the use of any word in any circumstance, always lends support to those who do regard it as powerful, by making their sphere larger.

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.

Fernapple comments on Jan 7, 2020:

With hindsight of course we have to say that if the Curies had been a little more fearful, they may have lived a lot longer. Striving to understand can be costly.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@Marionville No I think that they just did not understand the risks in those days. Marie in her later years before the radiation caught up with her, earned extra money, by lending her name to the promotion of health products like toothpaste, with radioactive substances in them.

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

resserts comments on Jan 6, 2020:

I might be missing your meaning, and if so I apologize, but doesn't calling the things we value "God" muddy the waters somewhat? No, of course I don't believe in a bearded man in the sky. And of course I have things I value. But my relationship to my values is far different from how people typically...

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@skado I have watched him, quite a lot, and the more I see the more I am nauseated, his creepy demeanor is too much, and his obvious self satisfaction at having conned Toronto Uni. into giving him what is no doubt a very good income, riding on the back of their need to appear inclusive, regardless of the quality of their output is truely sickening. Yes science is certainly moving forward, but fortunately not in Vervaeke's direction. His seventies-ish woo long since looked as dated, as the super engineering science of the sixties, and soon he and his like will hopefully be sidelined. People who are unable to move on, and are still trying to keep alive the long discredited fringe cultures of my adolescent years, (Which most outgrew years ago discussing the marriage of religion and science, with youthful naivety and bloshiness in the common room while the sensible kids played 'pong' in the background.) because they have no real moral compass, and it helps them to delude an good living and a degree of prestige, where they can find people and institutions who are vunerable to exploitation. Life is too short to waste on that sort of shit.

"Great and good are seldom the same man" (Sir Winston Churchill)

IamNobody comments on Jan 6, 2020:

Why do you think he said that?.... Because he was.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

Yes, he was more than a little pleased with himself, I suspect that he said that because he viewed himself as an exception. He also said in the same vane. "It seems to be a providence of nature that a great conversationalist and a great public speaker are never found in one and the same person." You may judge that as you please. LOL

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." H. L. Mencken

brentan comments on Jan 6, 2020:

I couldn't claim to be a globetrotter but I've seen a few places and I'm convinced the IQ level of people is similar everywhere. I think the thing that makes American stupidity more noticeable is that their education system makes many of them arrogant and that seems to make it come across worse.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

I think that, as here in Britain, you have an education system which fails due to political apathy, some of which is no doubt deliberate, and that the US custom of almost never traveling abroard in any meaningful way, adds to poor depth of thinking.

The cutting edge of Human Evolution is the integration of science and religion.

Donotbelieve comments on Dec 5, 2019:

Pass

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@JosettePerez In the deep instinctive sense of it being part of human nature to prefer false positives over false negatives, and things like that, no. But in the sense of specific mythology, it tends to disappear already among the educated, and we may still hope that good education will grow and spread, though of course it may not; education could fail and disappear. Times do change, much more slowly than progressives hope and think, but they do change. Five hundred years ago people would have said. "Witches will always be with us." Five thousand years ago people would have said. "We will always be hunter gatherers, agriculture is just a short lived whim for a few speciallists."

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

Fernapple comments on Jan 6, 2020:

This contradicts your last post. The notion of heathen culture is etymologically oxymoronic. [agnostic.com] You can not have etymology as important in one post, and then mess with it to the most extreme degree in the next.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@skado I did not say there was a change in tone, I said contradicts. I posted this at the top but will put it here too, for Ann's benefit, in the hopes she does not already think I am boring enough. You see you are writing this on the wrong site, most people on this site do not use the word god just because they don't believe in one, but mainly because they are also too honest to believe in one. God is a word used by dishonest people, (religious) in exactly the way you describe, to give added authority, to things which do not deserve to have any authority. Most people on this site have already seen that problem and moved on past it.

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

Fernapple comments on Jan 6, 2020:

This contradicts your last post. The notion of heathen culture is etymologically oxymoronic. [agnostic.com] You can not have etymology as important in one post, and then mess with it to the most extreme degree in the next.

Fernapple replies on Jan 7, 2020:

@AnneWimsey Oh. He knows what I am. LOL

Plastic Pollution: What are the Sustainable Alternatives [youtube.com]

Cast1es comments on Jan 6, 2020:

When I was small , I didn't have a hair brush , not that it was a big deal . I recall , as plastic became available , that we could actually afford to get one for each of us , where as we couldn't each have a wooden one with boar's bristles . While we have become accustomed to cheap and readily ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 6, 2020:

In my youth even drinking straws were made of paper.

The old invasive species problem, may not always be be doom forever.

JackPedigo comments on Jan 6, 2020:

But how do we deal with the most pervasive invasive species of all, humans???

Fernapple replies on Jan 6, 2020:

I don't know, though it is quite likely something will do for us, we are now one of the biggest and most obvious food sources on the planet, after all. It only needs one small bug to figure out a way past our defences, and antibiotics are failing already.

Had no idea about this use for computers. Very interesting. [curious.com]

Fernapple comments on Jan 6, 2020:

Link is very interesting but, does not match your post.

Fernapple replies on Jan 6, 2020:

@Captain_Feelgood Sorry yes but that is the only line which relates to commputers.

the longer you look

Fernapple comments on Jan 5, 2020:

How did you get a photo of my workshop ? And who said you could tidy up ?

Fernapple replies on Jan 6, 2020:

@whiskywoman It is.

When someone says "There is no god" they're idiots! At that point it's up to then to prove that ...

1of5 comments on Jan 5, 2020:

Define god

Fernapple replies on Jan 6, 2020:

@1of5 That is sad, I am dyslexic, and I love that joke.

God is that "thing" that, to the best of your knowledge, is at the top of your hierarchy of values.

resserts comments on Jan 6, 2020:

I might be missing your meaning, and if so I apologize, but doesn't calling the things we value "God" muddy the waters somewhat? No, of course I don't believe in a bearded man in the sky. And of course I have things I value. But my relationship to my values is far different from how people typically...

Fernapple replies on Jan 6, 2020:

@skado It does not mater what your highest value is. If it is scientific truth, money or kindness, you should call it scientific truth, money and kindness, if only for the sake of accuracy. Giving it the name of a brearded man in the sky, is just an unneeded and sometimes dangerous complication which gets in the way of that accuracy. And metaphorically it is such an old worn out symbolic metaphor, most kids get past that sort of play with words by the time they reach fourteen. It is Orwellian double speak, which does not really work, since words just change their meanings when misused to aline once again with popular prejudice. All that happens is that it makes it harder for people to understand history, if you force the language to change, and with that you loose the most important of all sourses of wisdom, understanding the past.

They say that too much salt is not good for you, well it certainly seems to have its dangers for ...

whiskywoman comments on Jan 5, 2020:

no place else to get these nutrients how bout a salt lick and mineral lick at the bottom

Fernapple replies on Jan 5, 2020:

Yes that is what Killtheskyfairy below said, and it would semm like a good idea, though salt licks are expensive, but there could be another reason. See below.

[thehill.

Fernapple comments on Jan 5, 2020:

No not really that is the usual sad example of gross over simplification. Mexico is a nation state with its own borders and the diplomatic power to use for it people at home and aboard if it wants. And sadly, Hitler though mad and prejudiced, did seem to have some real abilities, such as being able ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 5, 2020:

@AnneWimsey No it bothers me a lot, my remarks were about the future direction things are likely to go. Nuance is everything, the ultimate lose of nuance is, them and us, which is exactly where the far rigth comes from. It is vitally important therefore if you wish to hold on to moral understanding, not to fall into that same trap, no mater how tempting it is to become polar.

Not everyones cup of tea but obviously a passion, and a what a display. [youtube.com]

BitFlipper comments on Jan 4, 2020:

I'm a docent at our local botanical garden. The desert room is one of my favorites.

Fernapple replies on Jan 5, 2020:

Well done, that is just the sort of thing that is on my bucket list for retirement.

Name one good thing that comes from the Christian beliefs.

twill comments on Jan 4, 2020:

Original Christian beliefs only? or does this also lnclude beliefs copped from other religions, civilizations, philosophies? Besides the belief in one god, there ain't much original there

Fernapple replies on Jan 4, 2020:

None of it is original.

Name one good thing that comes from the Christian beliefs.

Sgt_Spanky comments on Jan 4, 2020:

RobGraham below is right. You have to admit the history of religious themed art, architecture, music etc... is spectacular, especially from the Catholics. Beyond that, there's that whole living forever after you die thing too. That part's not real but it sure makes them feel good while they're ...

Fernapple replies on Jan 4, 2020:

Yes but that whole living forever thing justifies a lot of neglect and contempt for this life, from the environment, to vast amounts of time and materials wasted. ( Metaphorically. Picture a Christian sitting in the great guilded cage which is a cathedral, for hours on end, with an iron clap on his leg causing him pain for penance. While outside his horse goes neglected and badly shod, for want of the blacksmiths bill and a small bit of that iron.)