It is interesting. There are a number of members of this community that see an Islamic take over of...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Well put. As much time as various Islamists spend fighting adherents of other religions (or no religion), they spend a greater amount of time and effort fighting one another over factional disputes. Islam is currently in the same historical state that Christianity was in the high Middle Ages, split between contending kingdoms. It was that which brought about the Pope's call for a Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem and reunite the religion. The same can be said for those Muslims who urge their followers to spread their faith to the rest of the world through violence; they are in a medieval mindset, unfortunately possessing 21st century weapons. Their existence also calls forth a medieval response from certain Western minds, who want to meet them with sword and fire. And waterboarding.

What did the buddhist say to the hot dog vendor? "Make me one with everything"

Paul4747 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

He pays the hot dog vendor with a $20. The vendor pockets it. The Buddhist asks, "What about my change?" The hot dog guy replies, "Change comes only from within."

My messages function is not working. Anyone else having this problem?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 16, 2019:

That's okay, nobody wants to talk to me anyway. :D

We Are Closer Than Ever to Merging Human Brains With The Cloud

Paul4747 comments on Apr 15, 2019:

I like my brain just the way it is, I don't want it merged with anything. Thanks all the same.

Spring is here! No matter what happens with the weather, there are robins taking a bath in the big ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 15, 2019:

The other day, I sucked the first robin of spring through the air intake on my Pontiac... Natural selection. Now the rest of the robins will fly faster, and avoid Pontiacs.

Don't you think it is wondering and disappointing that more than 50 % of the world population ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 15, 2019:

It's frightening to a lot of people to live in a universe where humans (and for that matter, life in general) are nothing special, and just came about as the result of chemical and genetic processes. Religion tells them that they have a place in the universe, that our world and they in particular are central to everything; that we're a special creation, made and watched over by a father figure who cares what happens to us and who planned it all out; that no matter how horrible things might be right now, it will all be okay in the end. This is comforting to people who can't face the truth without fear. I don't mean this to sound like boasting, but it takes courage to be an atheist. It's tough to face the Universe with no buffer between you and it. I dare say most of us don't think about it a lot, but when we do, it can be a tad unnerving. It would be nice to believe in something religious, but dishonest.

What is the proper wait time etiquette when hooking up with someone who your friend likes?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 15, 2019:

I couldn't say, I've never been in this situation.

Why exactly should we exalt people's feelings above the memory of 3000 people that died on September...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Or, why should we exalt people's sensitivities about 9/11 over the feelings of people who had nothing to do with the attacks, but have suffered guilt by association for over 15 years now? One of the responses on Twitter called it "the day Muslims declared war on America." *No it wasn't.* It was a terrorist attack by *19 Muslims*. That's akin to saying the Christchurch shooting was "the day New Zealand declared war on Muslims." Fanatics act independently of the larger group, they aren't representative of it. I'll never forget 9/11 and watching the second plane strike the Tower live on CNN, seeing the towers fall, that horrible day. But I don't blame anyone except those responsible for it, and I don't expect Muslims to go around apologizing for it, for fuck sake.

Trump vows that The New York Times ‘will be gone’ in six years

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Why rhetorical? It is pretty much what they do.

Christian pundit calls ‘sodomite’ Pete Buttigieg the ‘King of Cocks’ / LGBTQ Nation

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

I'd be honored to be called King of Cocks. Sounds like the greatest of them all, or something like that. Like the King of Beers.

Alabama Senate OKs Fundamentalist Christian Church Police Force | Michael Stone

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

This would be a terrifying precedent, if it becomes law. For a start, any church that feels they need added security can hire security guards. Alabama law allows anyone with a permit to carry a firearm on church grounds. Security guards would have added training (hopefully) and know how to use them as well as or better than the average permit holder. They can make a citizen's arrest in the event of any trouble arising, and call law enforcement. For that matter, any citizen can make a citizen's arrest. They can even use reasonable force to restrain someone reasonably suspected of committing a felony. Also, it's *Alabama.* I guarantee that 75% of the men and at least 25% of the women in the pews are armed and waiting for ISIS, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and the Rainbow-Push Coalition to stage a joint attack during the morning offering. What a security guard *can't* do is conduct an investigation or collect evidence. That would be the only reason to have a private police force: to keep criminal investigations internal and out of the public eye. Add to this the fact that *real* law enforcement officers go through hundreds of hours of training along with yearly update training. What training would The Church Police have? If they're not answerable to the civil authority, then who reviews the incidents when they shoot a "violent attacker" on church grounds? Who independently reviews their findings when they clear a pastor of child abuse charges or embezzlement? They might be useful in a Monty Python sketch, though. "I'll call the police." "Shouldn't you call the church?" "Call the Church Police!"

Living the illuminated life

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

I try not to be self-satisfied in my opinions and beliefs, I fact-check myself. But I generally find that objective facts back up my opinions. (Rather; my opinions have been formed by looking at objective facts.)

If there is one thing I envy the religious, (besides their smugness at all the existential, climate,...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Once in a while I'm tempted to walk across the street to the Episcopalian church and cadge a free breakfast on Sunday morning. I bet they have pancakes...

Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you notice something you hadn't noticed before you notice ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Consider yourself on notice.

Why Holocaust Denial is Bad . I think that the Holocaust did happen. However, I do think that ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Any and all who base their policies on a "race", ethnicity, or religion being dominant over another is bound to go down a similar road. Don't delude yourself into imagining that the Israelis would suffer any different fate if the Palestinians had military supremacy in the region. There would be no Israel in that case. In the words of Hitchens, "Religion poisons everything."

How to run for president: 1. Find out everything you can about what the sheep want. 2. Pretend to ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

You're a very cynical person, aren't you.

Mike Pence says Pete Buttigieg is attacking his ‘Christian faith’ by bringing up his homophobia ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

"...if he says he is following his religious beliefs then he cannot be criticized" By this logic, if my religious beliefs include Aztec human sacrifice, I can't be charged with murder, correct? After all, it's a religious belief.

As we all know if you go against the grain on Facebook and speak out against the establishment you ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Well... there's "speaking out against the establishment" and then there's violating the terms of service. I'm not on FB but I'm pretty sure a lot of people these days are upset that they can't bash Jewish people for running the media and government, can't trash people of a color different from their own, and can't boast about how people who look just like themselves should be ruling the world but those filthy (insert group here) fucked it all up for them. I'm sure you're not talking about that, though, because nobody here has views like that *at all.*

I see a new level of irony in the behavior of American conservatives, Trump supporters and ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

Anti-vaxxers, surprisingly, are not only conservatives, nor are they uneducated. A recent study which I heard discussed on NPR this morning revealed that many are liberal and highly educated parents who put their trust in alternative medicine and believe (I won't dignify it with the word "think") they're smarter than traditional doctors. They distrust traditional medicine and turn to New Age remedies, evidently in the belief that not just an excess of medicines but *any* medicines are harmful to our ecology and biology. They seem to think they can keep their kids away from other parents' sick kids and thereby avoid diseases spreading; somehow they must be able to see the kids' germs?

Russia: World No Longer Trusts U.S. to Lead, It's Time Others Step in to Stop 'Blackmail and ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 13, 2019:

And Putin is better, how, exactly? America is currently in a leadership void, which is most likely going to be corrected at the next election. Russia is functionally a dictatorship longing for the good old days of the USSR and her domination over 1/4 of the globe. There's a lot less to trust there.

Clarence Thomas: Atheists Can’t Be Trusted Since Oaths Mean Nothing to Them | Hemant Mehta | ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

He's just the worst.

My latest question to any potential date is "On a scale of 0-10, how religious do you think you are?...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

I feel like Michelle Obama, for example, is probably around a 3 and yet I would spend time with someone like her. That kind of person may believe in some kind of God, but also understands science. Politics is more important than religion to me; someone who acts and thinks the way I do and yet goes to church once a week will probably get a pass on that.

i have just received an annoying email from the universal life church, congratulating me on my ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Maybe someone had you ordained as a joke and never told you. They'll ordain anybody for $65 (unless the price went up). I hate to break it to you, but you're also a Pope of the Discordian movement. They decided to one-up Kirby Hensley back in the '60s and just declare *everybody* Pope. Every man, woman & child on the planet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discordianism

Lets have a little competition, who can best explain how a 13.7 billion year old universe can be 156...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 12, 2019:

The Universe itself has expanded since the beginning. Everything in the Universe has moved apart from everything else. In the balloon example mentioned below, picture the Universe as a balloon being blown up. Things inside the balloon expand along with it. There's no more Universe being formed, but what is there is getting bigger.

No, no it wouldn’t. And what politician wants to be responsible for putting wives, mothers and ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

And, of course, this keeps the politicians from having to deal with their economy: https://www.texasobserver.org/the-poor-in-texas-have-been-vastly-undercounted-new-report-finds/ News that 42% of Texas households are making less than the cost of living.

No, no it wouldn’t. And what politician wants to be responsible for putting wives, mothers and ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

So, about these alleged death threats you're getting... are pro-choice advocates really that angry? Sounds like a publicity stunt. The only death threats I've ever heard about are the ones providers get from the "pro-life" people. Then there's this gem... “'I’m not saying, I’ve never said, and the bill doesn’t say that abortion will be abolished and illegal,” he said. “We call it that bill, but the bottom line is this: we’re just changing criminal penal code and statutes.'” (But the bill is titled the "Abolition of Abortion in Texas Act". So it does in fact say it will be abolished.) Right... it's not going to be illegal, you'll just be charged with murder if you have one. Say WHAT?

Scholar Jonathan Metzl: White supremacy is literally killing white people | Salon.com

Paul4747 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

See, this is one reason I don't go into Wal Mart. I also don't open carry almost anywhere. But I assume anyone who does, is legally entitled to- because it's legal in my state. "Democrats have made the mistake of trying to speak intelligently to stupid people", is what this doctor (is he a doctor?) seems to be saying. In some ways it's hard to disagree, considering how many people don't see right through the Republican party's obvious crap. In other ways, though, he's right along on the bandwagon of Democrats insulting people for being so stupid that they keep owning guns when it's so obviously stupid of them! This is the cultural elitism that alienates a lot of working and middle-class people. There needs to be a higher percentage of liberals who also do lowbrow things like bowling, hunting, and beer drinking in the high ranks of the Democratic party. And, yes, gun ownership is part of that. He also misquotes some commonly-misquoted statistics, like the rate of gun violence. Gun deaths have gone down dramatically over the last 20 years. Despite recent spikes, on average our cities are much safer. The perception is what's changed, because of the instant-news, everything-reported-as-it-happens, everything-on-twitter culture. And the fact that a "mass shooting" is defined as 4 deaths. I've always taken issue with that. Four deaths is a tragedy, but it's also an automobile accident. You don't see auto accidents reported as "mass freeway deaths"; why are they "mass shootings"?

I think they can win In court. Claims self defense. [breakingburgh.com]

Paul4747 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

In other news, prosecutors in the latest shooting case announced, "We would have believed his version that it was an accidental discharge, if he hadn't reloaded, twice."

Breaking News: Julian Assange Arrested in London, the World Bears Witness [ghionjournal.com] ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

So who's killing who now? And you've promoted this Russian puppet to a prophet? You're on the wrong website to believe in prophets.

Caption this. Superhero costume audition! Squareman.

Paul4747 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

The latest victim of the Fashion Ninjas.

This is a fun competition to reveal how reasonable you are. Not a serious one. No prizes not even ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 11, 2019:

It's usually politics, actually... but the reason is, this discussion isn't worth the chance of my getting an ulcer.

Today marks one year without cigs

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

10 and 1/2 years for me. I still want one.

you have to take sides, can't be Switzerland on issues

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Assuming you actually know something about the issue, that is. Half the problem in this country is the knee-jerk reaction to every phone video posted with zero context; it isn't until a week later that the full story comes out and we find out what really happened.

Workplace religion. At work we have something akin to a workplace facebook. One of the groups ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Can't you opt out of this "group"? It seems bizarre that you have to see posts for something you're not a part of. Tell your management you're feeling harassed by the involuntary proselytizing you're being forced to read.

The Rapture and the Real World: Mike Pompeo Blends Beliefs and Policy

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

I sure wish he'd keep a copy of the Constitution on his desk, to remind himself about the separation of church and state.

Rory Feek Accepts His Lesbian Daughter; Now Christian Stores Won’t Sell His Book – Friendly ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

" They’d rather Feek treat his daughter horribly, or at least lie about his own life story, than sell a book in which he honestly describes the struggle he had reconciling his love for his daughter with his theology." Well, that says it all, doesn't it?

Australian take away food delivered by drone. Fewer pizza delivery men on noisy scooters and ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

I think we should use delivery rockets, like the Jetsons. Fire them to your door on a ballistic trajectory. Just fish your pizza out of the impact crater.

Alabama bill would require schools to start day with Pledge of Allegiance

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Anything to avoid working on their sixth-worst-in-the-nation poverty level. But wait- maybe kids not reciting the Pledge is what's causing poverty! How much money does that generate? Someone look it up, quick!

Texas Senate kicks off fight over religious exemptions - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Fucking Texicans.

No Trumpers, bigots, religious people, idiots, psychos or prudes.

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

This is itself a bigoted statement. You don't realize the irony, right?

About those beads. That would not have been the end of it. They'd have been in her driveway or ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

You lost me.

Just so everyone knows Charles Dugal airport Paris is the most ass backwards airport in the world.

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

PS Pretty sure it's "Charles De Gaulle" ;)

Just so everyone knows Charles Dugal airport Paris is the most ass backwards airport in the world.

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Ever been to Atlanta? How about Gatwick? (I still remember my shocked discovery there that only America is the land of the free coffee refill...) The world hates us because of our freedoms... and our bottomless coffee cups... :D

Julian assanage should not be handovered to US

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

He's not some selfless whistleblower, he's a jerkass with an axe to grind. Let him face trial and make his case, if he's innocent.

Why do people think eating babies is so wrong?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

If you call your lover "baby", nothing wrong with a little bite now and then. Otherwise... because. Just "because". In this case, "because" is sufficient.

Nudist couple offering to pay someone up to €580 weekly to tutor their son after last teacher felt...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Do they pay airfare? One question: Would I have to be nude too? That might create an uncomfortable situation for the couple.

Would you do this to your spouse to stop an argument or to have some quiet time for yourself?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Wilhelm Reich, the inventor, was never given a fair hearing by the FDA due to his political and social views. He was hounded to suicide and his books were actually banned and incinerated. Several researchers have duplicated and validated his work. It's open to question how "phony" his invention was, or whether it was the orthodoxy of the FDA that called it so.

Paul McCartney Reveals He 'Saw God' on a Drug Trip: 'I Was Humbled'

Paul4747 comments on Apr 9, 2019:

I saw Goddess at the bar... then I saw her sister... and her friend... and her other friend... man was I drunk that night.

Iran president says US 'leader of world terrorism'

Paul4747 comments on Apr 9, 2019:

Pot vs kettle? It depends on your point of view, I suppose. But Saudi Arabia is definitely in the running, too.

Wrong!? In 1973 the Trilateralists — CEOs from Europe, North America and Japan — met under ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 9, 2019:

You're stating exactly the opposite conspiracy theory from Noam Chomsky, who thought the Trilaterals wanted to inculcate an excessive trust in politicians and the nation-state, then. The Commission's founding declaration states: "Growing interdependence is a fact of life of the contemporary world. It transcends and influences national systems... While it is important to develop greater cooperation among all the countries of the world, Japan, Western Europe, and North America, in view of their great weight in the world economy and their massive relations with one another, bear a special responsibility for developing effective cooperation, both in their own interests and in those of the rest of the world." "To be effective in meeting common problems, Japan, Western Europe, and North America will have to consult and cooperate more closely, on the basis of equality, to develop and carry out coordinated policies on matters affecting their common interests... refrain from unilateral actions incompatible with their interdependence and from actions detrimental to other regions... [and] take advantage of existing international and regional organizations and further enhance their role." "The Commission hopes to play a creative role as a channel of free exchange of opinions with other countries and regions. Further progress of the developing countries and greater improvement of East-West relations will be a major concern." Pretty sinister stuff. And yes, I'm starting to think there's such a thing as "an excess of democracy". The founders envisioned an educated electorate who would vote intelligently and wisely for representatives who would then govern justly and fairly. What we've got is... a reality show broadcast from the lawn of the White House. I'm starting to wonder if some type of IQ test before being issued a voting card mightn't be so bad after all.

White House to Democrats seeking Trump tax returns: 'Never'

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

No, because then we would see how much he benefits from his own tax program. Not to mention the shady deals and write-offs that he's taken over the years. He keeps claiming he has nothing to hide, yet he hides everything.

Pompeo says it's "possible" Trump was sent to save the Jewish people from Iran

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Who's going to save Iran from the Jewish people? We *know* Israel has nukes, Iran doesn't.

Saudi nuclear program accelerates, raising tensions in a volatile region

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

All those who expect the Rapture are no doubt very happy. Sane people, on the other hand, just wish America would do something to calm shit down instead of fanning the flames.

For those who think racism and sexism is not a problem.

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

So what do you want me to do about it? Let me rephrase that: I don't discriminate against anybody, I'm not racist or sexist. So what do you want me to do about *other people*?

What's the difference between a practicing christian and a schizophrenic?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Schizophrenics don't have to go to a special building once a week.

Netanyahu Vows to Start Annexing West Bank

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

With an American president (who doesn't deserve a capital letter) overturning decades of patient foreign policy work like a toddler kicking down a Lego house, this was bound to happen. Trump hasn't a clue what foreign policy is about, he sees anyone who flatters him as a "friend" and will support them even though it's detrimental to our interests and to world peace. Just waiting for the nukes to start flying...

Year after Trump's family separations announced, scars remain and migration hasn't slowed

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

In fact it will increase, once they stop aid to the countries these people come from, making their situation even more desperate and giving them more incentive to head for the comparative safety of the USA, where they might be granted asylum. And then, the increased rate of immigration will be evidence to support the need for a border wall. Hmmm. If I didn't know better, I'd think it was some sort of long-term scheme. Luckily, I know Trump is more like Heath Ledger's Joker. He just... *does* things.

"If God has a plan, then why the fuck is everyone praying all the time?"

Paul4747 comments on Apr 7, 2019:

Cognitive dissonance. I actually like the way Stephen King handles his fictional God (he takes part in certain novels). The characters who pray to him to change things are always in the wrong, it's those who accept their fate as part of the plan who turn out to be the heroes. The theme of *Desperation* is, "God is cruel". God sets up the main characters to arrive in the right place to confront something evil, but it's up to them to actually carry through and do it.

Anti-Gay Christian Can’t Handle Pete Buttigieg: “We’ve Got To Expose Him” | Hemant Mehta | ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

The sex life of consenting adults is the last thing we need to care about. When adults start violating consent, that's when it becomes an issue. (Cf. the current resident.)

RICHARD DAWKINS ERROR CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF LIFE Pursuing the concept that anything is ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

Logical errors abound in your post. A 1 in 1,000,000 chance (or, let's say 1 billion, why not?) is almost a sure thing if there are 100 trillion chances. You assume that there was a single roll of the dice, one chance for life to arise by natural processes, and if it didn't succeed the first time, then some other cause must have been the explanation. The dice were rolled trillions of times, and life may have arisen multiple times before it took hold. But when it did, it was by a natural process.

Christian Conspiracy Website WorldNetDaily is on the Verge of Financial Collapse | Hemant Mehta | ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

Yeah..... Anyone silly enough to do business with him deserves what they get. Authors don't pay to publish their books, they *get paid* by the publisher. Those who don't understand this simple business principle shouldn't be in business.

Only 4000?

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

Something religions don't consider; supposing their "intelligent designer" didn't design things for the benefit of humans? Maybe there's a god of bacteria? Most ancient religions had competing gods sponsoring different animals, human pursuits, aspects of the weather... makes more sense to me, if there were in fact going to be gods, they would be in charge of different bits of the apparent chaos that is our world.

The United States' 'War on Drugs' Really Did Make Things Worse, New Research Finds

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

I can't remember, when did we go to war on caffeine, tranquilizers, and alcohol? Why did most of the money go to fighting marijuana (relatively harmless) when the dangers of crack were the most publicized? It should have been called "The War On Some Drugs".

Has anyone here delt with the Westboro Baptist church people recently? They will be swinging ...

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

If you ignore them long enough, I think they'll go away.

An evening of cancer with the kids

Paul4747 comments on Apr 6, 2019:

How many megawatts does that windmill produce?

I'm turning 35 this month. Is this "middle aged?"

Paul4747 comments on Apr 4, 2019:

35 is the new 20. Rock on, fella.

Trump Says Wind Turbine Noise Causes Cancer. (It Does Not.)

Paul4747 comments on Apr 4, 2019:

**Paul4747 Says Trump's Mouth Noise Causes Cancer. (It Just Might)**

Trump Says Wind Turbine Noise Causes Cancer. (It Does Not.)

Paul4747 comments on Apr 3, 2019:

what...

The Incredible Shrinking Trump Boom

Paul4747 comments on Apr 1, 2019:

Trump's tax cuts. What a colossal, corrupt waste. Of course, the same can be said of Trump himself....

New relationship possibly

Paul4747 comments on Apr 1, 2019:

It sounds like a communications problem. I think you need to sort this out soon.

Someone offered you 5 million dollars to walk down Broadway, Naked, in New York City for 24 hours, ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 31, 2019:

Can I get the check in advance? I'm going to "maybe" get arrested afterwards? But I would be on the internet for a long long time... People do stranger things on Broadway all the time. What the hell. I could become a famous advocate for body freedom.

For the GOP to accept amorality as the new norm, tells us a whole lot about the GOP. - tax ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

To be fair (strictly for the principle of the thing, not out of any love for Republicans), all power tends to corrupt, and scandal is no stranger to the Democrats either. Clinton perjured himself and committed obstruction of justice. Many higher-up Democrats at all levels of government have given in to the temptations of power. The difference is that generally a Democrat's scandals are less harmful to the nation or state or what have you, they're just about concealing a hum job in the Oval Office or something.

I'm not sure what to do with a guy I'm dating. I don't want to break things off with him but I need ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

When you say you need space, do you mean you're seeing too much of him? Then just be as nice as possible and tell him you need to slow down a little and keep seeing each other, but cut back how many times you get together during the week. Just be honest and tell him you need a breather but still want to be a couple. As a guy, I know I appreciate honesty as long as it's in a nice way, compared to long silences and having to ask (or guess) what's wrong, then watching things fall apart, when it could have been solved early on.

Scammers are online EVERYWHERE! Even on THIS website! READ THIS! 6 red flags for online dating ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

And here I thought I was just incredibly attractive to women 25 years younger than me, who advertise their cell phone number in their dating profile for convenience (and all share the same phone, for some reason). And it's just computer error when their profiles disappear about 20 minutes after they "like" me on the dating site, if I don't get around to reporting them first.

Just came across this tidbit again: Shrimp is called an abomination 4 times more than homosexuality ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

Christians should also be protesting against working on the Sabbath (whichever day that is), so, no pro sports on the weekend; eliminating anti-incest laws (how else would daughters continue the family line for their fathers, as the example of Lot and his daughters (Gen 19:30-36) shows?); and they should be introducing laws to force farmers to let their fields lie fallow every 7th year in accordance with the Bible. These are just 3 examples that spring to mind.

Daily Schedule For Atheists

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

I don't believe in "gluten free". I think it's just a superstition of the health food cultists. I ask for extra gluten in all my food. I think the glue in the gluten is what holds my bones together.

Agnosticism is not the same as atheism. But everyone here seems to be atheist. Is anyone ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 29, 2019:

I'm always prepared to discuss any evidence. My adult life has been a search for such evidence. It took me decades to officially accept that I'm an agnostic atheist and not just agnostic, simply because I found there was no evidence. But let's not go down the "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" road. We would need to talk about affirmative evidence of a supernatural being, that can't be explained by confirmation bias, natural processes, special pleading, random chance, or mythology. Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.

The only thing dumber than a Christian Republican is an atheist one....

Paul4747 comments on Mar 28, 2019:

And keep shrinking the middle class with tax cuts for the rich, while blaming the Democrats.

For Easter...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 25, 2019:

Suddenly I hear Blue Oyster Cult playing.

Britain is dying a painful death....I'm 100% convinced that British government officials themselves ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 25, 2019:

Pretty sure Britain has been dying a painful death since 1947, it's about economics and the loss of their Empire after WW2. Now then, what exactly are you on about? (And please realize, I doubt I'll care about your answer.)

If it were legal, do you think it would be possible to love and be married to 1 0r 2 women or 1 0r 2...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 25, 2019:

Bigamy is defined as having one wife too many. Monogamy: same thing :D

If it were legal, do you think it would be possible to love and be married to 1 0r 2 women or 1 0r 2...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 25, 2019:

One of my friends is in a very long-term poly marriage, even though it's not recognized as such, and she's very very happy, in fact all three of them are (her 2 men and she). Knowing her, if I lived closer, hell, I might volunteer to be number 4 ;) but I don't know if I could handle the competition. It seems like maybe the division of time and chores might be easier with 3 people in a relationship, just so long as you had people who aren't burdened with jealousy.

White House official caught using AOL email to discuss sensitive sale of nuclear technology to the ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 25, 2019:

Hypocrisy is a wonderful thing.

So, at 5pm yesterday the Mueller report was filed. Since that time Trump has nto tweeted even once ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 23, 2019:

Because "The Truth Is Out There" now, and anything he says will be viciously fact-checked to within an inch of its life?

French Priest Claims Child Rape Is Not Violence But ‘Tenderness’ | Michael Stone

Paul4747 comments on Mar 23, 2019:

Sometimes I wish religion were actually true for people who believe in it, so this particular clown can go **right the fuck to hell.** If the Catholics don't expel him IMMEDIATELY, they have no business even existing as an organization.

Can you be atheist and agnostic?

Paul4747 comments on Mar 23, 2019:

Yes. I'm an agnostic atheist. Lacking the evidence to know if any gods exist, I don't believe in any.

LOL... Pompeo is saying that is possible that god raised Trump to protect Israel.

Paul4747 comments on Mar 23, 2019:

Oh for fuck sake. Could we get a warning to all the sane people in DC to get out of town, covertly, and then just let North Korea bomb the shit out of it? Then the North Koreans would be happy, and we'd be happy too. Win-win.

For 2nd amendment avid supporters: you need to learn to argue with better and reasonable points....

Paul4747 comments on Mar 23, 2019:

"School shooters ain't no dummies"? Well, it's true that one of the dumbest signs I've ever seen in the one I've attached: "For everyone's safety, no handguns permitted". I'd like to be the judge of what's best for my safety, thank you. I can just picture someone intent on killing the doctor with whom they're disgruntled reading that sign: "Wait, no handguns allowed? Oh, never mind then. I'll go back home." I don't imagine I'll ever be involved in any kind of violent incident anywhere, ever, but that's the point; nobody ever does, and when they find themselves in one, it's too late to wish they'd ignored that sign on the door and brought the handgun which they're legally entitled to carry (in my state, anyway). Every time I walk into a hospital, I find myself wondering if today will be that day.

What would you say to Trump?

Paul4747 comments on Mar 23, 2019:

For my first choice: see the attached My second choice: "Bitch, please"

Calling Women "the Office Bunny"

Paul4747 comments on Mar 22, 2019:

It is a pejorative term. It is also, very sadly, still a fact of life. There is, in my workplace (a state prison), an employee who, with zero custody experience, zero experience outside the records office, and a total of three years experience in the Department of Corrections, was put in charge of half a cell block housing 120 prisoners and supervising 6 officers, who had to teach her her job. She had no qualifications whatsoever, except that she needed supervisory experience on her resume and the Warden was willing to oblige her by installing her over a dozen staff who were in line ahead of her. And, how can I put this without offending... she has the looks. Dresses like she's going to the bar even though it's a prison. We were willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, but everything since then backed up the initial perception that she was given the spot as a gift, not because she had any skills or talent. She even helped a corrupt supervisor at a higher level destroy the evidence of his misconduct. (Not that his fellow higher-ups investigated what everyone knew was going on.) Another friend of mine, who is by no means unattractive, has been the "assistant to the warden's assistant" for almost 20 years now, and seen a string of women promoted past her and hired in above her, whom she has had to train to do the job, do the job for them, and get blamed because she didn't do their jobs for them. The current incumbent basically forwards emails from various supervisors to everyone else because she maintains the group email lists, and that's all she does. But she's very good at wearing tight clothes, as was the one before her. And she's great at sitting at a desk while other people do her work. I had never heard that exact phrase you used, but it is still a thing. As long as horny male executives do their thinking with their gonads, and a few unscrupulous women realize they can use this to get what they want, it will probably be a thing. I'm against both behaviors. I'm for people being rewarded for their talents, not their genes.

Secular Club Fundraising Ideas: Go!

Paul4747 comments on Mar 22, 2019:

Try selling Girl Scouts? Cookies, I mean, Girl Scout Cookies. I've had a couple of drinks with my dinner...

A survey was recently conducted to study the effects of alcohol on walking.The results were ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 22, 2019:

Further studies are indicated. Make mine a gin & tonic.

I want to see what other people think about the phrase 'callout culture'. I saw it used in an ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Question: Does this apply to everyone equally? For instance, if members of (there's no politically correct term here so I'll just say) non-white groups are explaining how it's all the fault of white people that there's crime and poverty and violence, and all white men are racists, while at the same time every third thing out of their mouth is "N-word" this and "N-word" that, is that also racism and bigotry? I'm honestly confused.

Money is power? True or false?

Paul4747 comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Not necessarily, but "no money" is usually "no power".

Will plastic money in the USA eradicate theism, at least monotheism?

Paul4747 comments on Mar 21, 2019:

You won't get rid of paper money until the day strippers figure out how to install a card swipe in their cleavage.

Do you think congresspeople are underpaid?

Paul4747 comments on Mar 21, 2019:

This post made me blow coffee out of my nostrils all over my computer screen. On the plus side, my sinuses have never felt more cleansed.

A closer look at New Zealand's new weapons ban

Paul4747 comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Another word: Culture. 4.79 million New Zealanders compared with 328 million Americans. New Zealand has never had the frontier culture that Americans mythologize. New Zealand is a far more collectivist culture (as is the case with the Commonwealth nations as a whole) and they tend to prioritize "What's best for the nation?" over "How does this affect me?" Another factor: there have never been that many guns in the British Commonwealth nations to begin with. Firearms are seen as a sporting tradition, not as self-defense and not as the means of resisting a potentially hostile or overbearing government (however unrealistic the second case might be in this day and age). Also, there's this thing called "The Second Amendment". Change the Constitution and then the confiscation can begin. Good luck there. You won't believe it from this post, but I'm a lifelong liberal and Democrat. But don't mess with the right of law-abiding gun owners. Instead, enforce the laws and keep guns out of criminal hands. Tighten up background checks and close the loopholes. Don't make gun owners who have obeyed the law all their lives into criminals overnight.

The Emptiness of Atomic Space. Given that all atoms (hence all matter) are roughly 99.999% empty...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 21, 2019:

I was with you right up to the "Supreme Programmer". Wasn't that the villain in the Tron movies?

I am not only an atheist (a person who disbelieves in the existence of any god), I am also an ...

Paul4747 comments on Mar 21, 2019:

Suppose objective evidence emerged today that provided proof for the existence of a god? Would you change your mind? That's why I can't say I'm "antitheist". I'm just an agnostic atheist. I don't know everything about everything, and never will. But nothing I've seen so far makes me think there is a god anywhere in the universe. The so-called evidence is not persuasive.

GUN CONTROL: Other countries are giving us the answer by example: [bbc.com]

Paul4747 comments on Mar 21, 2019:

"Other countries" are different from this country. It would be extremely difficult to implement any kind of ban here, given the number of illegal guns that are on the streets. The likely result would be that law-abiding owners would be criminalized for not wanting to part with their property, and criminals would still be armed, to more effectively victimize everyone else. Regardless of the impression you get from the instant news and the fact that everything that happens anywhere is now known to everyone, not just the local populace who it affects directly, gun violence (and all violent crimes) is *down*. It has gone down steadily since a high in the 1980s, went up somewhat in the Bush II years (but never to the record levels we saw), and went down again under Obama. It's not gun violence that's increased, it's media attention. As much as I hate to use an NRA talking point, there are already laws on the books making it illegal for ex-felons, etc. to own a gun. These have to be enforced. And we have to do something the NRA hates: institute background checks for *all* sales, including gun shows and online sales. There's no way to prevent all gun violence. But the approach "other countries" use is not going to fit America.