What do you do when religious people knock?

Fernapple comments on Mar 22, 2019:

Ask them to put money in the tin.

"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 22, 2019:

And was there ever any other way.

Fun facts about the human body.

Fernapple comments on Mar 22, 2019:

Re. 14 Some people do take pollen as a health food, and there is a little in honey too. Which means that if you eat honey you are eating bee vomit with plant sperm and a little bee saliva for good measure; plus there is bound to be a little bees wax in there which is basically like a cheese which forms in the wrinkles on the bees abdomen. How cool is that ?

2500 year old ship found, 70% complete! [atlasobscura.com]

Fernapple comments on Mar 22, 2019:

Really interesting but a bit short, left me wanting more. Quoted dating seems a bit off, fith century BCE would only be two and a half thousand years old.

Spent the first full day of spring searching for wild palms in this vast desert. Found some!

Fernapple comments on Mar 22, 2019:

Wow great photos. Those palms are wonderful I really, like the thick trunk thatch, which I think must be the old fronds kept on to insulate the stem against the heat and cold.

I went out on the Apache Trail this afternoon looking for flowers.

Fernapple comments on Mar 22, 2019:

That's lovely. Do you know what number two is, it looks a lot like the plant we have in the UK called Ladies Smock ?

I wish I was a better person.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Try joining or helping with a charity or two, helping others is often the best way to boost your own self worth. Many of them offer a real community, and you may well meet some real friends.

About Philosophy

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Philosophy is a big broad subject, some of it is hard but a lot is easy. And the good thing is that the easy bits are in many ways the most important bits. One of the best ways to get into it is to follow the route of history, starting at with the earliest philosophers, that gives a narrative structure which is easy to follow if nothing else. I would therefore say that before reading a single philosopher you read a book on the history of philosophy, of which there are many good ones. Then you will know where to go next, if nothing else.

Is it possible that the belief in an afterlife is just an extreme gamble?

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Pascals wager basically. One answer to which is. If there is a god who decides your fate after death, then is it more likely to favor one who places faith in the ten thousand to one shot of picking the right god out of the multitude. Or is it more likely that even god prefers the honesty of an atheist. Silly but there you are.

People are desperate for the Messiah alright! [thevintagenews.com]

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

There is a fun myth, which perhaps has more truth in it than most. That the original model for the classic Christ figure was Cesare Borgia, the bastard son of the pope. Certainly there was no standard model before his life and if the portraits are true he certainly looks like the standard Christ.

Frozen Lake Michigan thaws into otherworldly blue ice shards

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Beautiful, cold and creepy but beautiful.

Atheism is just another religion.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

3. Last time I went to the Atheist church, we had to sit in the pews for hours. Then the cooked baby turned out to be a very dry cracker and some fake wine. There was no orgy, or naked dancing round the bonfire or anything like that, so I did not put the recommended ten pounds in the box.

Howdy Folks, I am new and desperately in need of kindred spirits for discussing mutual beliefs.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Welcome. Viewed coolly you have to accept that the bible is not a book by an author, but a scrap book of Bronze/ Iron Age press cuttings made by many people over a long time. What sort of press it was, can be judged from the stories it tells of sexual predation, rape, murder, genocide, child and animal abuse etc. So it is a bit like quoting the Red Tops as your authority.

Many with religious viewpoints say that religion makes them better as people,so it must be true.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

I just posed this on the main page but it goes here quite well too. I do not think it is true anyway, some of the most truly nasty people I ever met, and fortunately there were not many, espoused extreme altruistic doctrines like Christianity. Such subcultures become easy feeding grounds for hypocrites and criminals because they rarely call people to account for themselves or their motives. There are at least two reasons for that, one being tribalism, nobody wants to look for ill doing, because that would mean questioning their basic beliefs and their faith that they are in the good group, and secondly because everyone fails to some degree to be unselfish, which in turn leads to guilt, and guilt leads to the acceptance of low moral values, which are easy to live up to, and little questioning of others lest you be questioned.

Happiness is the new Rich.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Take out the "new" word, and I agree.

Just recently was pretty much forced out of a relationship.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

If you differ on something as basic as that, then with time you would have found out that you had a lot more differences, because the religious mindset is so completely different at a fundamental level. And by that time, you could have committed to things together that would be painful and expensive to pull back from. It may not seem like it now but when you look back in future years, you will know that you have been lucky.

March 23rd is International Atheist Day. [atheistrepublic.com]

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Strange , I did not know you can only do it on one day, most people here seem to be atheists 365 days of the year . So what are you the other 364 ?

I used to be a passive atheist but now I am a very militant one.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

The most important and lasting way to be a good atheist/agnostic is to set an example of being a good human being, without the need for a gods instructions. That undermines the theist mind set more than anything else you can do. But congrats. on being militant, atheism needs militants and passives both.

Hi, new member, first post.

Fernapple comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Hello and welcome, you should enjoy it here this is one of the most active groups on the site with content from all over the world.

I don't know about you but when I was quite young, I thought I had failed if I were to change an ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 20, 2019:

Can't argue with that, except to say that in real life when you go down the alternate route, you often find a new alternate appointment which is better than the one you were headed for.

Just For Fun Which Would you Rather?

Fernapple comments on Mar 20, 2019:

C. since the 15000 alone exceeds what I would spend on the other three, even without the paid vacation.

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

Fernapple comments on Mar 20, 2019:

Best philosophy I ever heard.

My first tulip bloom around my water well!! About a hundred more to go!!

Fernapple comments on Mar 20, 2019:

How nice to be that early still a month to go here.

10 easy ways you can tell for yourself that the Earth is not flat | Popular Science

Fernapple comments on Mar 20, 2019:

Really neat to see a near complete list, and a lot of it is interesting even if you don't believe in flat earth.

What is your idea of a good death?

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2019:

Quickly and painlessly of course, but also alone, because I do not want to be a cause of grief. I would also like to have given away or spent every last penny I have on the day before. And to die either in the wilderness so that the animals can have a good feed, or at a table outside a cafe beside the sea in the warm sun with and empty glass on the table.

Is the "afterlife" possible without a god or gods?

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2019:

I don't think that either exist. But many early religions had an idea of afterlife even when they did not have gods, some also believe in reincarnation and gods and some in it without gods, so the two never were co-dependent.

Looks like Spring has arrived here at the Clear Creek:

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2019:

The perfect bunch of Crocus, what could be more lovely.

What's your favorite atheist show/podcast?

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2019:

Atheist Experience for me too as well as Aron Ra. I like A.E. because of the range of topics and presenters but I do not watch every one just cherry pick.

Which of the following persons really existed?

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2019:

I could not agree more a figures existence or none existence is unimportant compared to their effects on the ongoing culture, which stand on their own merits. Excepting one small point with some figures and some belief systems, like Jesus, a literal belief in their reality has to be assumed before a literal belief in some things like miracles can be assumed. Sometimes therefore it is not the figure whose credibility is the main issue when asking questions about existence are made, but the credibility of the accounts, which are questioned indirectly. Though I suspect that a lot of the speculation which people do into the reality of figures from the past is done, simply because it is fun, and as long as they are up front and honest about that, there is no harm in it.

I’m choosing something lively to get me going this morning.

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2019:

That's a good wake up first thing in the morning.

Men are nearly always willing to believe what they wish.

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2019:

Yep. all of religion and nine tenths of politics, personal relations and philosophy.

I need some help.

Fernapple comments on Mar 19, 2019:

Most of what has been said covers it, the one thing I would add is , use a moderately long telephoto lens or take the photo from a distance and crop/enlarge the center section later. Photos taken close up are not flattering. You will need a friend/tripod of course, selfy stick wont do.

Hi all! I tried to share this in the "Gun Control" group".

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

Nothing showing here either.

Does the Phrase "Sunday best" (usually applied to clothing and widely used in the UK at least by ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

Shiny shoes event suit.

"God is in control" was said to me this week-end.

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

Not sorry to hear your rant, we all need one now and again and they are better if heard by people who understand where you are coming from. None existent god gave my wife, who was a far better person than me, and early and horrible death, but has so far spared me. End of story, enough said.

Wedding vows. Are atheists vows stronger than religious vows?

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

None believers are both free and more thoughtful, and therefore less likely to make or be forced into an inappropriate marriage in the first place.

Arrived in Budapest on the 16th of March.

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

Not likely to be in that area sorry to say. Filled with envy. LOL

Ok, time to talk about hipocrisy, but this time in our own site.

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

Admin. does the work, and those who do the work have a right to say what they want to work with. Plus it would serve no useful purpose that I can see, while if it drove away just one member who I like to read and correspond with, (even if they are a prude ) then I should be sorry.

Beads Found in 3,400-year-old Nordic Graves Were Made by King Tut's Glassmaker [haaretz.com]

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

The one shown is such a beautiful bead, and how amazing to think that it can be placed to a single workshop. Real solid evidence of trade routes, though by definition the Bronze Age had to have widespread trade networks, since it was vital to bring the two parts of bronze, copper and tin, together, as they are rarely found together naturally. Some people think that it was the breakdown of the trade networks which kick-started the iron age.

What do you say to the law of conservation of energy argument?

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

Maybe, maybe not, but even if creationists etc. overturn every scientific theory ever made, that does not provide any proof of god, it only says that we need a new theory of which god will only be one of thousands.

A different type of Border Security from the Scientific Community [purdue.edu]

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

What about a wildlife corridor too. The old iron curtain in Eastern Europe is now a famous nature reserve which connects half of Europe with one wildlife friendly zone.

Just a reminder with spring approaching. Plant bee friendly ???????⚘❤

Fernapple comments on Mar 18, 2019:

I always liked wild gardens with plenty of diversity and flowers, including insect plants and if insects eat some I am happy to let them in a mixed garden it is never too bad ad something always replaces the. Lawns are not only low on diversity but also high on labour and have a huge carbon and resource consumption footprints. Yet I believe that lawns as front gardens are enforced by bylaws in some places, how mad is that ?

Let go of what's gone. Be grateful for what remains. Look forward to what's coming.

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

At my age not much. LOL

A good summary of bad science that has driven death and ill health.

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

I am still sceptical about the benefits of fats in the diet, but it is often said, and I have no reason to doubt it, that a lot of the research into the effects of fat in the human diet, was, and continues to be funded by the sugar industry.

"how-to-make-friends-build-a-community-and-create-the-life-you-want" On the importance of being ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

A persons worth is equal to the size of the hole they will leave in the lives of others, if they are not there any longer.

Dictators have reemerged as the greatest threat to the liberal democratic world - The Washington ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

They never went away, dictators are bred by complacency, as soon as you think you are safely democratic, that is when the danger starts.

If a writer falls in love with you...❤

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

That's why my friends are my favorite subject.

I was taking a shortcut through a disused shale quarry when I took this detail, I have no idea why I...

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

Think it looks wonderful, I don't have any problem understanding why you took it.

“I can resist everything except temptation!” Happy St Patrick’s Day to all of you.

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." O . Wilde.

I was listening to an interview today that Terry Gross conducted on NPR with a lady theologian -- a ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

The system of thought is called Humanism, that is putting the human beings first, ( plus feeling animals to my mind ). As soon as you start to set up other things, like gods, immortal ancestors or spiritual nature, which are seen as having their own motives and intentions, then you are no longer putting human wellbeing first. And since those things do not communicate, because they are not real, their supposed intentions can be manipulated by those of bad intent to serve any evil they wish.

Those fucking dragons . . .

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

Nice one, and you never know if the thought is planted the seed can grow.

Some aerial shots from last season (2018)

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

Beautiful shots. What river is that ?

When the debate is lost, slander is the tool of the loser - Socrates

Fernapple comments on Mar 17, 2019:

Sometimes they also reach for their guns as well.

Medieval wardrobes and their evolution. [youtu.be]

Fernapple comments on Mar 16, 2019:

Really interesting so practical, I want one, in fact both especially for walking in.

Somehow stumbled on this site on the web, it sounds really interesting.

Fernapple comments on Mar 16, 2019:

Welcome, do check out the groups that's where a lot of the life here is.

One of my last efforts before I gave up on it, so much compensation to bring out the rainbow that I ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 16, 2019:

Looks better with a strong dark foreground.

Ever read a book so good, you kind of don't want to pick it up, just so you can keep reading it ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 16, 2019:

A good book alway should be read twice, once fast and the second time slowly.

Orangutans face complete extinction within 10 years, animal rescue charity warns | The Independent

Fernapple comments on Mar 16, 2019:

Here you go you want a sad video watch this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4zzbwM07bw

Orangutans face complete extinction within 10 years, animal rescue charity warns | The Independent

Fernapple comments on Mar 16, 2019:

Sadly, even if they do live on, it could well be that they will end in the same state as tigers, where it is said there are more in zoos and private collections than there are in the wild. And they are the most wonderful creatures, I do not believe in animal rights on the whole, but I do think that some human rights should be extended to the great apes.

Does beleif in god justify how much should people be allowed to spend on end of life care?

Fernapple comments on Mar 16, 2019:

The only way that religion can affect this is by its ban on managed death, but that tends to be expensive anyway. If the care centers run by religions overcharge then that is a simple matter of stealing.

Kissing Professional Women Rant.

Fernapple comments on Mar 16, 2019:

It works both ways though. I don't like kissing strangers and people I don't know well. Yet so often I meet women for the first time, go forward to shake hands and get offered a cheek. Not one of life's big worries but annoying sometimes, since you then feel you have already made a commitment to a level of friendship before you really know them.

Humanist marriages least likely to end in divorce, official statistics reveal » Humanists UK

Fernapple comments on Mar 15, 2019:

Yes but is it because of Humanists marriages are better marriages, or is it because Humanists are more thoughtful people.

If you say you are 100 percent certain there is no god, doesn’t this saddle you with a burden of ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 15, 2019:

99.9999.....% certain, but bear in mind that even with that tiny margin it is only a deist god, in other words maybe the universe has an intelligence hidden in its structure. When it comes to the god/gods of religion 100%, if only because they are self contradictory by nature and therefore can not exist.

As a parental father figure,Old Testament God does not appear to like children very much (or uses ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 15, 2019:

"Dash their brains out against the rocks." Not great child care I think.

"Humans are often said to be intensely tribal.

Fernapple comments on Mar 15, 2019:

Interesting, you may find this a good read too. https://www.pnas.org/content/115/2/245 The only thing that the two do not address, which I think comes into the picture, though I have nothing more than hunch, is the effects that weapon technology has on aggression. Making inter group aggression both more dangerous to the aggressor and more likely to result in the deaths of near relatives with common genes.

Why Do We Go Bald? / What Causes Hair Loss? DEBUNKED - [youtube.com]

Fernapple comments on Mar 15, 2019:

Whats wrong with being bald anyway.

Saw this awesome demo video on the unique properties of water.

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2019:

Yep the ice insulates the water underneath. Neat video thanks.

Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.....Asian Proverb.

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2019:

Must get traveling again, before my time runs out..

Do we know if Socrates was a historical character or a literary device used by Plato?

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2019:

Several other people of the time like Xenophon also mention him, that's not proof but it does give you confidence.

Unintentionally Valuable - BionicDance [youtube.com]

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2019:

Why do they never understand that the bottom line is, no mater what the value, even if our survival and the survival of the whole universe depended on god, that would not magic him into existence.

A few more pictures from my walk in the desert.

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2019:

Breath taking, what wonderful country to live by.

@Admin - when did we lose the Nauseous emoji?

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2019:

Perhaps they are cutting the list so that there is space for some new ones. I won't miss , Shrug, and I hardly ever used Nausea, but on the couple of times I did it was perfect. Who would want to be on this site anyway if you can't troll the odd woo merchant.

I went out in the desert looking for flowers today.

Fernapple comments on Mar 14, 2019:

Beautiful, that is the first time I have seen California Poppy in the wild, we grow them here a a half hardy annual. And is that the Lupine called Blue Bonnet or is it another one ?

People always talk about going into outer space… yet our earth is just a giant space ship, ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

I have heard that the earths speed though space is such. that we have not yet made a rocket fast enough to come to a stop.

Ancient people travelled hundreds of miles from all corners of Britain to take part in feasts at or ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

It seems to have been an age of peace and stability, which ended in the iron age.

Don't know if this qualifies for Woo! or not.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Love it very good.

"Einstein and Hawking: Unlocking The Universe" produced by the BBC for the Science Channel.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Yep, and guess what. The world is flat and only six thousand years old, and he sun goes across the sky in a small boat each day and spends the night in a cave. It may well be that the ideas of Einstein and Hawkins will need to be corrected in the future, that is the way both science and human progress work, but it is unlikely now that they will be turned over completely and they will never be valueless. And to answer one of your questions with one piece of evidence. (Only one because I do not have the time to waste on all of them , not because they can't be answered. ) The reason we know that space bends is because. When objects like planets pass behind other large objects with big gravity, the apparent speed of them can be observed to slow down and speed up as they go in and out of transit. If you wish to obtain your own instruments and make the measurements again, you are welcome. Until then it is best to remember that. "I can't understand it." Is not the same as. Its not true.

I have spent my entire life living in the moment.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Went the other way, spent my life chasing goals, now know that was a waste of time and learning to live in the moment.

Which one is the best? I like the black and white.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

BW has more punch, so I go for that, but if the intention is to make the baby look lonely and vunerable, then all the cold blues in the color do that better.

Really wish people would quit using their "cultures" as justification for ANYTHING.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

It is as bad a mistake to believe that culture is a source of truth just as much as with religion, both are just as good at promoting lies. We should all recognize that we are all victims of our cultures, and should do our best to reason our way out of them.

Excuse me, is spring coming soon?

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Bring him in and let him warm them by a radiator.

There's a story behind this, but I'm not sure I want to hear it.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

I suppose they don't want you to wash it in the sink either.

You can always tell when a politician is lying, or doesn't really believe in their defense of the ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Think its called the Gish Dash or something like that. But I love it as well, when theists try to get none believers to concede that they can not disprove the existence of god, by defining god in really vague deistic terms that are practically meaningless. And then suddenly they are talking fast about their own Bible/Koran etc. based god, hoping that no one will spot or else pick up on, the big leap they just made.

Tots and Pears people, tots and pears...

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Only usually fatal to near relatives.

The Anniversary Waltz also known as Waves Of The Danube.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Warm and jolly ideal for a cold and very windy day.

More antivaxx logic, for your dining pleasure!

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Very good. And of course that assumes that the dangers of vax are as real as those of food.

“To me - old age is always fifteen years older than I am”.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Many happy returns. Don't worry too much about getting older, based on experience I am happy to be old, and enjoying it, and I am sure you will be when you get there too.

Unpleasant Design - When Bad Design is Used Hide Problems - Extra Credits [youtube.com]

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

Its not as bad as targeting the homeless, but many car parks also have maximum hight frames on the entrances, despite the fact that there are no overhangs on the inside. They are of course there to stop trucks and caravans using them, especially overnight. But it also of course means that only car owners, ( no manual workers please ) can use them. Does not matter if the truck driver has an elderly or sick passenger, who needs the rest room, a baby needs changing, if the driver, especially a female, feels safer in a car park than on the road side, or the extra miles and fuel needed for someone with a high vehicle to go shopping, etc.

A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can put on shoes.

Fernapple comments on Mar 13, 2019:

The only good thing is that the truth can be refound again and again, but every lie has to be a new invention. Maybe though that is why they sell so well, because with no concentration span we love novelty.

Safety first and other face palm moments - part 2

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

I really do hope that he is wearing goggles under that box but given what you showed in your other posts.......

Did I make a difference?

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

Best meme for weeks, that is all you need to know in life that really matters.

I had some one put it to me very interesting about what a ghost and such could be.

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

There is a stat that people are more likely to see ghosts when they are very relaxed. So when you are half sleeping you are half dreaming perhaps ?

I do, however, have a "No Solicitation" sign...

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

Someone posted the other day that they had a charge per min listening fee posted on the door, with, "you must pay up front before we start".

Safety first - part 1

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

You find some good ones.

Safety first and ?‍♀️ moments - part 3

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

Gardening too, Madeira.

I'm just having a rant because I can! I've just agreed to do a difficult 12 and a half hour shift...

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

Rants are OK.

Saved this a few years ago from the Internet, as a gardener it raises a big chuckle ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

Great joke but not for everyone. Only a gardener would know that it is best to let your plants be a little dryer in the winter.

Sorted a big box of old pictures. Scanned a few...

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

Sounds like a wonderful youth.

This Octopus's Dreams (Maybe) Were Written All Over Its Body [livescience.]

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

So let me see. An octopus can never be alone because it has several brains in one body, and it sees both in black and white with its eyes and in color with its skin at the same time. And they say it is hard to see the world through the other humans eyes !

High School Pic Challenge! For some of us it's been many many years so this might be fun to post ...

Fernapple comments on Mar 12, 2019:

Use mine as my icon. Went bald at eighteen, certainly don't look like that now. Actually I am glad I don't look like that now, he looks too much like D. Trump, at least I grew out of it.