Church warning

Fernapple comments on Apr 7, 2020:

Your dedication to public service is noticed and commended. If we had a couple of million more like you, we would be getting somewhere.

Anyone interested in having a philosophical conversation

Fernapple comments on Apr 7, 2020:

Hello and welcome to the site. Do enjoy and if you have time check out the groups, there is something for everyone including , I think, a couple on philosophy.

Why are we condoning our members wishing infection and death upon people for flaunting gathering ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 7, 2020:

Yes some of the comments and posts have been horrible, including two or three I saw wishing death on individuals such as our prime minster B. Johnson, which I think are both evil and silly. However I suspect that they are only a tiny minority of members, and that a lot of them are being tongue in cheek with their comments, which is only bad taste, not real immorality. We also have to accept that this is a sceptics site and by its nature therefore its only common ground is a rejection of a belief in a god. Which means that it is open to nearly the full range of humanity, some of whom may see it as good to be morally better than the religious, many of whom may not think it relevant, some of whom will be moral relativists who do not think there are grades of morality, and a few of whom believe they are free to be less moral than the religious. What being a sceptic does not have, however, is a universal ideology, such as the total altruism supposedly held to by the Abrahamic faiths, therefore at least the accusation of being false to your pretended beliefs does not hold.

Big Gods Came After the Rise of Civilizations, Not Before, Finds Study Using Huge Historical ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 7, 2020:

OK . Nice to have it confirmed but did anyone ever doubt that, authoritarian political gods were imposed by authoritarian political powers.

What is a Troll?

Fernapple comments on Apr 7, 2020:

A troll is a mythical nature spirit, often compounded with giants, commonly found in pre-christian Scandinavia. They are often depicted as very hairy and with comically ugly faces. Judging by appearances therefore there are quite a few of them on this site.

The latest iris to bloom.

Fernapple comments on Apr 7, 2020:

I have that little blue plant in the garden, and had forgotten the name. Thank you, you learn something every day on here.

This may be a false memory but I think I recall, just wondering if anyone can confirm.

Fernapple comments on Apr 7, 2020:

Yes it was, I think that I remember they stopped it in the eighties.

Why is this app called “Agnostic”?

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

Yep, everybody is welcome. I think that is the idea.

Schrodinger's virus?

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

Best Schrodinger's cat joke this year so far.

Teens charged with hate crimes for attacking a woman on a bus and saying she caused coronavirus, ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

And you thought the days of witch hunting were long gone in the past.

Calling all cars! Calling all cars!

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

It may be better if they keep away.

Ever play "Geography?

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

Maryland. d. Depression. n. New York. k. Knowledge. e. Estonia. a. And. d. Denmark. k. Kindness. s. Sierra Leone. e. Equal. l. Laos. s. Sympathy. ( Knowledge and kindness equal sympathy. ) Playing games is not just a way of passing the time, it is the best thing in life.

I had a lawyer posting on Facebook about the shutdown infringing on his 'god given' rights.

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

One persons view of well educated, is another's view of, highly indoctrinated and damaged by brain washing.

[msn.

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

She was an 'officer' of state, in other words, civil servant, and therefore the virus event was her first foray on to the political stage and into public life as such. She therefore needed to understand that her behaviour as a public figure, needed to be different from that of a civil servant, because the behaviour of public figures is subject to public scrutiny, and leadership by example is the most important role of a political figure. It is a mistake that many people new to politics/public life make, ( and some who have always been in politics, ). But sadly in her case that is no excuse, she was not a football player, or pop star, but a technical expert charged with the management of a large public institution, and therefore she should have been expected to show a higher level of intelligence, understanding and morality suited to that position. That she did not, calls into question not only her own qualities but the, effectiveness of the system which placed someone of her abilities in that position.

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

Depends how you define the word 'sound'. Does it mean pressure waves in the air, or brain activity triggered when ears detect pressure waves in the air ? The questions that that point in turn raises therefore are. Is it possible to express truth using human language ? Is all philosophy merely about defining words ? Is all philosophy bogus since it is impossible to reach truth using human language ? Is it a mistake to believe that human language can be a source of truth ? And. Is all knowledge merely linguistic sophistry ?

This Coronavirus is a walk in the park compared to epidemics faced by our ancestors.

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

Yes it is not quite as bad as some other diseases. But you have to compare like with like, which you can not do, because the figures for corona virus, (so far) are for a disease where modern quarantine understanding and disease control measures have been applied. Most of that did not exist in many of the past events. To get a good comparison you would have to find an infected county where they do nothing, and then wait until it is over.

If the world never knew death before Cain slew Able was it really murder for Cain to kill him?

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

You could say that god had explained about death to Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit, or that the knowledge came with the fruit. But it is perhaps best not to take the story so literally, the killing is only representative of the entry of sin into the world, and makes the metaphorical point that after leaving the garden of Eden people would have to compete for resources. Still twaddle though.

Most interesting scientific works

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

Try also, An Ocean Of Air by Gabrielle Walker. Although only supposedly about the atmosphere, she delves into a lot of subjects, especially interesting odd corners, and again it is a great lesson in how to tell the story.

The Caribbean version of snow - the pods of the Kapok (Silk-Cotton tree) are just bursting open - ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

Beautiful photos. ( Just load them one at a time, they come out in the order you load them. )

They say you can justify most any kind of behavior with some excerpt from The Bible.

Fernapple comments on Apr 6, 2020:

Joshua 8:2 " But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. "

Most interesting scientific works

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Why not try Bill Bryson, A Short History Of Nearly Everything. It does not go into anything in great depth, and it makes a few school boy errors, but it is a great lesson in how to do the big overview, and organize it in an interesting and understandable way with a good narrative, especially for a none specialist addressing a none specialist audience.

Awakened with a fix to a problem. Any suggestions?

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

You can cut thin strips from tin cans using strong scissors, rub them on sand paper to smooth the sharp edges, ( very important ) and use those as soft bendable metal strips for sowing in seams.

More of This, Please: Insurance Company Cancels Policy of Corona-Defiant Church | Terry Firma | ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Yes I always wondered why they had insurance policies at all. LOL

I see that today the UK has had more new cases and more new deaths than either Italy or Spain.

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Yet Sweden is aiming for a higher death toll.

I am quite the introvert.

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

People adjust, but it takes time.

For a long time , I've been doing my shopping on Sunday morning , because , living in the Bible belt...

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Good. Its the same here in the UK in most stores.

They say you can justify most any kind of behavior with some excerpt from The Bible.

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

" God helps those who help themselves." ? LOL

This landed on me today.

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Well said. Given the fatality rate among health care workers world wide. I propose that deliberate quarantine breakers should not be called, church goers, freedom thinkers, alternative medicine practitioners, or what 'they' like, but just plain, bloody 'nurse killers', maybe that will wake them up.

Bogies all over

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Great photo, I just love Bogies, they are so richly associated in my mind with travel in warmer climes. This one grows in an old castle.

So here's a reasonable discussion from YouTube.

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Hello and welcome, I hope you enjoy this community. I can promise you that, while you can be a "cocksure asshole" on this site, and a few are, this is one place where we will certainly like you better if you are not. Well done for escaping.

[youtu.be] .......

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

The health care workers, especially doctors and nurses, are not only in the front line of infection, but also it seems there is some evidence, that they are at greater risk of death, perhaps because they often get bigger doses of the virus at the outset before their immune systems have time to respond. At least two young nurses have so far died in the UK. How about we stop being nice, stop calling these people 'church goers', and start calling them 'nurse killers'. Do you think that will wake them up ?

Scrolling through Facebook, I've noticed hundreds of prayers to a god to help protect against ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Why not start a, Corona virus and how to cope with it group, on here instead for the members ?

Just shedded tears for the health care workers across the globe.

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

More than 9/11, this time there is a big threat to them, the death rate is among the highest among health care workers. Possibly because they often get higher doses of the infection when they are first infected, which does not give their immune systems as long to act.

For all those going a bit stir crazy self isolating, I have two words for you. Julian Assange

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

No certainly not ! There is no way he is coming to live with me. You give him a home. LOL

We are literally social distancing in a physical manner hopefully temporarily.

Fernapple comments on Apr 5, 2020:

Indirect approaches work best anyway, trolls rarely think deeply and so they never notice when someone comes up behind them, displaying a placard which tells the world the truth. Metaphorically speaking.

Spring break aftermath in florida

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

And how do you know that it was kids ?

What happens afterwards? [patternsofmeaning.com]

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Probably not a lot, I hate to pour cold water on nice theories. But. People have a great capacity for forgetting things quickly and reverting to their old ruts. It is like all the people who come out of hospital after serious illness, swearing that it was life changing, and that from now on they are going to live everyday as if it were their last. Only they don't, its just too hard, before very long 999% of them are back in their old ways just as they always were. And people also have short memories within two weeks of the end of the pandemic, it will be all but forgotten.

Despite warnings, churchgoers explain why they're still going to services - CNN Video

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Usually I am always careful to observe the rule that you disparage the belief not the believer, because believers are the victims, and belief does not (always) mean that you are stupid. But really when I see dumb ass f+++++s, explaining why they want to be dumb ass f+++++s, and being smug and arrogant about it at the same time, while parroting what they have obviously been programed to say, I give up. #ACTIVATE A BRAIN CELL YOU TWERPS!# (With apologies to the voiceless, donkeys, and fornicators everywhere. )

Why do you trust science ?

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

You got something better ?

"USA deaths rise by 1,000 in one day" according to WHO.

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Just a bit. Bet you would like to pour paint stripper on his desk, preferably the caustic kind that fetches your skin off.

For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'.

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Perhaps because it is the most universal truth.

So Sir Keir Starmer is the new labour leader.

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Post office ?

Brain off now please.

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Been there done that, does it come as a teeshirt ?

When I die I want a green burial - I want my body to be used to feed the earth.

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

To die alone in the woods, so that the animals can eat.

Possibly the greatest piece of science fiction in the world about a species who conquers the world ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

It was novel to them, they had no immunity.

Don't mind me--it might not be you.

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Stay away from that Agnostic.com site, I have noticed it seems to have that effect on people. Best wishes, and spoil yourself.

So.

Fernapple comments on Apr 4, 2020:

Nice boxes well done. I do hope that more people find as good a use for their extra spare time. What a difference that would make. I see that in the US you use dowel perches on them, in the UK they are not generally used. Because people say that they do not help the birds much, but do help predators. I think that it may just be a cultural difference though, that has no scientific support.

Hi everyone.

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

No, I joined and its been going downhill ever since.

In this very international group, and globalized world of ours, what are the comfort foods you go to...

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

In my area there are food banks for the poor, but at the end of the day they are sometimes left with things they had too much of even so. So the surpluses are put in boxes and distributed to the older people in the area. I count it seems, though only sixty three. Must be my sad face. The trouble is that you usually get a lot of only a few things. This week it was onions dozens, just one carrot, sweet potatoes vast amount, chilly peppers and mushrooms. So day one was onion frittatas, day two vegetable curry, and today, chicken mushroom and sweet potato pie. I make up the recipes as I go, but they all turned out well. But what is really great, is that with the lock down there is time for experimental cooking, (thinks don't always turn out well ), and for making sure nothing goes to waste.

WHO latest figues, well over a million cases and climbing as of April 4.

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

I always have difficulty saying "exponential", it seems to do things to my tongue about half way through. But what is more of a worry, is how many people seem to have difficulty understanding "exponential", as in. " There ain't many cases yet , why should we worry, lets have a party."

The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues.

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

I will take all the vice that's going, but I don't pay much for it, because one of my main vises is meanness.

Woo alert!!! [agnostic.

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

I think that it was meant to be, a humourus tongue in cheek, metaphorical view of the stoic position, not woo to be taken literally.

Does anyone else notice the cabin fever that's revealing itself in some of these posts?

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

A lot more posts certainly.

There are people in my community who are using Covid-19 as an excuse to abuse people of Asian ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

" Could face hate crime charges." Where does the 'could' come from, why not, is going to.

Coronavirus and churches. [sacbee.com]

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

Well of course a lot of evangelical ministers, will have an eye on the many legacies that will be coming into the church if the older members of the congregation die off. You put your money in the collection plate, they get it, you leave some in your will, they get it sooner, its, win win. LOL

There are people in my community who are using Covid-19 as an excuse to abuse people of Asian ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

No its not reasonable. You have to add in the total failing of the states responsibility to educate everyone to the level of, basic responsible adult understanding.

It's funny but people wonder what it's like after death when they already know what it's like ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

Good short summing of the Stoic position.

“Dead yesterdays and unborn tomorrows, why fret about them, if today be sweet”.

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

Oh, my beloved, fill the Cup that clears, To-day of past Regets and future Fears- To-morrow ?- Why, Tomorrow I may be, Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n Thousand Years.

I’m glad in these days of StayHome that I have my pot garden with flowers blooming as one of my ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

Why when I click onward after the last photo, does a picture of what looks like two large hemp plants appear. LOL

The stimulus packages are going to create monumental additions to our deficit.

Fernapple comments on Apr 3, 2020:

Yes but you have to remember that most countries in the world are doing similar things at the same time, so everyones deficit will go up and the currencies will balance out.

Spring allergies, a cold or COVID-19?

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

If you have asthma do be especially careful, try your very best to be one of the few that has not had it, when it reaches herd immunity stage. Time , money, work and effort are nothing, if they buy you life.

Birdhouses & Grackles.

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

Make them different types and give them different hights and orientations, you can put as many up as you like just don't expect every one to be used, they will pick their own favourites and space themselves out.

Israel's health minister has virus, top officials to isolate

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

Our health minster and several top health officials have caught it here in the UK too, it is very hard not to catch it when working in health even at a top hands off level. Which makes you wonder just how infectious it is, and how far it would have spread by now if everyone had not taken the measures we did. People, deniers, who like to compare it to seasonal flu are forgeting that they are not comparing like with like, in that sense

I really wish people would stop saying others are "toxic".

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

See number 3.

Translated in precís form from a Spanish newspaper, printed this morning.

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

Do they know how long this may last.

A short poem written in 1869 during the time of the Great Famine in Ireland.

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

Nice thought, but whether it is going to come true or not ? I do not have a crystal ball.

Our repentance is not so much regret for the ill we have done as fear of the ill that may happen to...

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

No. That may be true for him conditioned by the religious mind set and age, but not for most secular people. For secular people who are not involved in a cult of repentance, repentance when it comes, brings no rewards and can only be done for its own sake and because we feel that that is the way to move forward. It is perhaps not as common as the religious form was, but it is still there and it is genuine.

“The tyranny of a prince in a oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of...

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

Or the uneducated citizens prejudices.

They created war so Americans would learn geography!!!

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

Failed.

I am concerned about shoes and people tracking the virus all over their house after a trip to ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 2, 2020:

Gloves are more likely, and more important.

Trump’s quotes on covid-19 show how his response has changed over time - Washington Post

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

Sorry it may be informative, but I just can't look. Its got to the state now where when he comes on the TV, I hide behind the sofa and cover my ears. And I don't even live in the US.

Hi.

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

Hello and welcome. Enjoy the site and since you may have plenty of time now that you are locked down, take a look at the groups, there is something for everyone. You will a least find that it is fairly free of religious babble, and if you do have a problem then you will find that there is a good community here, who support without laying guilt or debt on.

I look like a bandit. Will people trust me with my face covered?

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

Ok, so this guy is going to the bank tomorrow.

States tell Pacific Crest Trail hikers to cancel their trips.

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

Yes it is irresponsible to do any dangerous sports at this time. Sadly it seems that here in the UK there are reports from the police, that since the roads are nearly empty of traffic, some, mainly young, people have taken the chance to start using them a car racing tracks. Maybe not quite as dumb as licking shelves in the supermarket, but not far off.

My dear extended family.

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

Can't disagree with that. Though I must say, one small point, that the rich and poor are not in it alike. The rich in their rolling acres are not in the same place when shut down, as the poor without even a balcony on their flats.

This study shows that overall mortality rates for the EU countries as a whole are no higher than ...

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

Old joke warning. A man fell off the roof of a sixty story building. People on each floor said they heard him calling out as he went down. "So far so good."

Hello All.

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

Hello and welcome to the site. Enjoy it, and if you are on shut down do look through the groups, there is something for everyone.

Monday, death projections @100,000.

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

I think its called a Pyrrhic victory. I will be if the Trump manages to persuade a good number of voters that he is the hero of the day, who defeated the virus, and gets himself elected again. ( PS There are some good real estate deals to be had in Europe now. )

“Solitude produces originality, bold & astonishing beauty, poetry.

Fernapple comments on Apr 1, 2020:

So its all good then. Perverse, disproportional, absurd and forbidden, yes please , bring it on.

Had to travel across the mountains yesterday (medical necessity so calm the fuck down) and decided ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

Strange days, and to get stranger.

Honesty in reporting Corona Virus numbers Countries where health agencies are not independent of ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

There may be many reasons why countries wish to falsify their numbers, and countries that do so. You could for example almost certainly add Russia to that list.

Fox News reportedly fears its early downplaying of COVID-19 leaves it open to lawsuits

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

Oh dear, I am so worried, at this time especially, about the threats that those terribly wealthy people who own fox news could be suffering under. ( That sentence may not be a verifiable fact. )

30 Of The Best Photos From Our Wild2020 Contest To Brighten Your Day | Bored Panda

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

Like the orangutan and otters story too.

Megachurch pastor arrested after holding crowded service in defiance of rules - AOL News

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

Lets hope they put him in a jail which is infected.

India's coronavirus response must address caste and class divide

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." Anatole France.

I just need to know one last thing. When do the Zombies and the giant spiders come for us?

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

You don't need to worry, you know they always go for the teenagers first, and that apart from the hero and his family, the miserable old bloke is the only surviver at the end.

I thought everyone already knew this.

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

That is not all. They also added huge chunks of pure fiction which they made up themselves. But you have to remember, that they believed that they were inspired by god and that therefore they could write no wrong.

What natural phenomena could be considered all-powerful?

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

All of them, take any one away and the universe falls apart.

“What is better than wisdom?

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

I certainly know quite a few women who tell me that, woman and wisdom is the same thing. And I think that I am wise enough not to argue.

It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well. - René Descartes

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

Also true of, life, liberty, friendship, time and health.

Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual.

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

And when that does not work, you can always follow his example and hit the booze.

Would it be possible please to fix or improve the Bold and Italic features so they are easier to use...

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

It is perhaps a good thing they are not easy to use. One of the things which makes Facebook so horrible is people SHOUTING all the time. Please not here, I would have to leave.

This would make a birder's eye twitch.

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

It could be intended as a squirrel feeder. Why not have one for them and another for the birds. Reminds me of the garden in Scotland called Little Sparta, where the bird table was made in the form of an aircraft carrier.

"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." - H.L. Mencken

Fernapple comments on Mar 31, 2020:

Certainly applies to the political sphere, but not I think in science, charity and technology. So overall perhaps not.

What's the difference between religion and spirituality?

Fernapple comments on Mar 30, 2020:

It perhaps depends on how you define the word spirituality. Spirituality is an almost meaningless word with no clear definition, therefore people are able to use it to mean almost anything they want, ( Like, 'thingy'. ) Which means it is used for everything from. "I can talk to dead people." to. " I sometimes have emotions which do not fit with any of the words usually used to describe emotions." And many other things between and around those. For myself I find it hard to think there is any truth in the first, but I think it is quite likely that the range of words we usually use for emotions has large gaps in it, through which some emotions fall.

New Evidence Indicates Intelligence Not Contagious | The New Yorker

Fernapple comments on Mar 30, 2020:

Its the herd immunity that is really frightening.

[youtu.

Fernapple comments on Mar 30, 2020:

No. I know its funny, but I just can not watch. It makes my toes curl under in a painful way.

What price on Trump still being around by Easter?

Fernapple comments on Mar 30, 2020:

I thought he always sounded like that.

Why do we think there is a correlation between post-death existence and deities?

Fernapple comments on Mar 30, 2020:

Because there is no evidence for either, they are both invisible. And since humans are animals with pattern seeking brains, who like to classify, if two things share a quality, then they both belong in the same box. Or. Since there is no profit to be made from post-death existence for anyone, especially priests etc. , unless you can make the claim to be able to exercise some control over it. Then you need an employee, ( God ) who can manage the technical details for you.

god didn't create people. People created god

Fernapple comments on Mar 30, 2020:

In their own image.