Antiabortion groups don't mind Trump used drug tested on fetal tissue - Business Insider

Paul4747 comments on Oct 11, 2020:

Yes, and they don't mind benefiting from centuries of Black slavery because they personally didn't enslave anyone... you see how their line of thinking goes.

“There’s a transition integrity project, high-level people from the Republicans and the ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 11, 2020:

What you don't mention is that this is Noam Chomsky *talking about* the work of the transition project, not the words of the actual project members themselves. The actual conclusions of the Transition Integrity Project, if you're interested, were: Game One: Ambiguous. The first game investigated a scenario in which the outcome of the election remained unclear from election night and throughout gameplay. The results from three states are in contention and ballots are destroyed in one of the states, making it unclear who should have won that state. Neither campaign is willing to concede. Game Two: Clear Biden Victory. Biden wins both the Electoral College and the popular vote. Trump alleges fraud and takes steps to benefit himself and his family but ultimately hands the White House over to Biden. Game Three: Clear Trump Win. The third scenario started with an Electoral College victory for President Trump (286 to 252), but a popular vote win (52% to 47%) for former Vice President Biden. In this scenario Biden refused to concede, convinced the Democratic governors of two states that Trump won to send separate slates of electors to the Electoral College, encouraged three states to threaten secession and convinced the House of Representatives to refuse to certify the election and declare Biden the victor. Game Four: Narrow Biden Win. The final scenario explored a narrow Biden win where he leads with less than 1% of the popular vote and has a slim lead at 278 electoral votes. The Trump campaign sows chaos but Senate Republicans and the Joint Chiefs of Staff eventually signal that they accept Biden's win. Trump refuses to leave and is removed by the Secret Service. *NONE* of these scenarios lead to a civil war. On the other hand, Trumpists claim that the Project is a secret conspiracy to encourage a civil war on behalf of *Biden* if Trump wins. Beware of quoting from alarmists like Chomsky (who, just in my opinion, has never been quite all there to begin with). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transition_Integrity_Project#Analysis

Anyone else making Christmas gifts?

Paul4747 comments on Oct 11, 2020:

Wait- you're thinking about Xmas and it's not even Halloween yet? I have to file a report with the Holiday Police. I'm sorry, but that's a violation of code XT9-77R, "Separation of Holidays Act". It is *wayyyy* too early for that stuff. :D

Don't let the door hit you in the butt, Trumpsters!

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

This has been a recurring threat with conservatives since '92. Some threatened to secede or move out if Bill Clinton won. He won. They didn't go. Then they threatened to leave if Obama won. He won. They didn't go. To be fair, a number of celebrities said they would move to Canada, or wherever, if Trump won. They're still here. This kind of "threat" has always rung very hollow. How is it meant to influence anyone? It didn't even work in 1860, and the South really *did* secede. Politics is not a game of poker. Bluffing doesn't get you anywhere. It's more like euchre; just play the hand and either win or lose.

Hello PEople I speak here from Brazil, and I'm quite an atheist, I started to become an atheist,...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

Welcome

One-third of Americans believe the coronavirus was sent by God, poll finds | TheHill

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

And once more we see the need for a facepalm emoji on these posts.

Republican Religion [youtube.com]

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

I watched this on mute and with subtitles instead, since my kid's sitting next to me playing GTA. It was utterly surreal. For a start, it's subtitled in Dutch for some reason, so I had to get it to translate. Then it read like a stream of consciousness; like an insane Hunter Thompson. if I could copy-paste it I would.

Democrats need to believe Joe Biden will win. 2020 is not 2016.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

Moreover, at this point 4 years ago, Clinton's national lead was 5.9%. Biden is currently almost 9% in the average of national polls. That translates to a huge difference in the electoral college. I saw (but can't find the link) a weighted scale for what a lead in the popular vote translates to as your odds of winning the Electoral College. A 3% lead (Hilary Clinton's margin of victory) came out to only a 22% chance, because of the way population is distributed and the weighting of electoral votes toward states with smaller populations. But as more and more people vote for you, the distribution matters less, since you take more states. If Biden can manage a 7% win by popular vote, this chart predicted a 90% probability of winning the Electoral College. If he can maintain his current 9% lead, that's almost a sweep. Biden's even leading Arizona, which was unheard of for a Democrat in the last 40 years.

Judge: NY Can Restrict Worship to Limit COVID, Despite Orthodox Jews’ Complaints | Hemant Mehta | ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

Another power-mad Democrat governor. Better be on the lookout for militia. (Please note- this was a sarcastic comment. I think he's being utterly reasonable myself. But then, I'm apparently a nanny-state Democrat who's too afraid of COVID to go around without a mask on in public. Biggest mask you've ever seen.)

Rick Wiles Blames Gov.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

Of course he does. What burns my cookies (and may lead to another post) is the way Trump says "I don't endorse violence" and in the next breath adds, "But she's a *horrible* governor!" Which is in fact endorsing the right-wing violence. But imagine if it had been an "antifa" plot to kidnap Trump, and Gov. Whitmer had implied it was in any way connected to *his* policies. Fucks News would be all over her. Hannity would be calling for her impeachment. *Trump* would be calling for her impeachment. They'd probably call her remarks treason, one of the right wing's new favorite words. (And again, the definition of treason is "levying war against one's own nation," not "making remarks or taking official actions the other party does not approve of.") EDIT: Wow. I actually channeled Hermant Mehta, who made almost the exact same argument. Also, Rick.... It's not so much Gov. Whitmer who said there was a right-wing militia plot to kidnap her, but *the FBI and the State Police* who said there was a right-wing militia plot to kidnap her. These were not "middle class, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens". Their doctrine is pretty much based around tax *avoidance* and the idea that the government has no power over them, because they're "sovereign citizens" and entitled to rebel against any laws they don't like. You know- like lockdowns to prevent COVID outbreaks, which is where this all started.

Christian Activist: Let’s Show Love By Putting a “Noose around Hillary’s Neck” | Hemant ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

This is the same kind of "love" that makes people plot to, just for example, foment rebellion at a State House, kidnap the Governor, and try her for treason. (And by the way, these bozos need to get a dictionary. "Treason" is defined as "levying war against one's own nation", as the people flying the Confederate flag in the 1860s did. The flag that they love to fly as a symbol of... something or another. I can't even bother to get into it today. I'm sick of it all right now.)

At least 6.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 10, 2020:

Trump's lies about the "dangers" of voting by mail (which is somehow different from the absentee ballots he himself, his wife, and his Republican friends cast- this will remain a mystery for the ages) are coming back to bite him on his oversize ass. (Not that I'm one to criticize in that department, but I don't say things that will come back to bite me on the nethers.) He's managed to convince so many people that ballots cast by mail are going to get thrown into a ditch, or sold, or lost- or, more realistically, that they'll be challenged in court and not counted at all if they don't arrive by election day- that voters are coming in early to make sure that doesn't happen to them. And I have nothing but intuition behind this, but it's my feeling that it's mainly Democrats voting early, since Trumpites tend not to be worried about risking Covid-19 and aren't bothered by the idea of showing up at crowded polling places. And as motivated as the Republican base may be, this year Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans are equally motivated to throw the rascal out. So, ironically for Trump, his tirades against absentee voting seems to be leading to a surge in early voting and in-person absentee ballots, which should cut down the number of outstanding votes on election day for him to try and contest. He's making it easier for Biden to achieve a clearcut victory.

Another reason why fanatical religious zealots are dangerous to society and just so there is no ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 8, 2020:

Bigots would still call you antisemitic anyway. Joe Biden, lifelong Catholic, is being called godless right now.

New Tinnitus Treatment Alleviates Annoying Ringing in the Ears A noninvasive device designed to ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 8, 2020:

Speak up!!!

I would like to submit the idea that religion IS politics.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 7, 2020:

It struck me also that politics is part of our genetic heritage. All primates, and for that matter almost all animals, practice politics. For instance, I've read about bird species in which the dominant males show off their prowess by watching for predators from the most conspicuous and exposed location, or feed the lower ranked birds while refusing gifts in return. Most species have dominant males and females in their hierarchies. It seems reasonable to speculate that part of the origin of religion was the notion that, just as humans have alpha males and females running society, thus the universe must have alpha males and females running things. As above, so below. Societies with somewhat more egalitarian mores, like the Greeks, imagined gods and goddesses. Strict patriarchies like the Hebrews imagined a single alpha male as their patron deity. (The command "Thou shalt have no other gods *before me*" implies very clearly that the Hebrews recognized the existence of other tribal gods competing with YHWH.) In this view, religion grew out of the programmed behavioral politics of our species as much as from our inquisitive nature and our desire to explain natural processes.

I would like to submit the idea that religion IS politics.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 7, 2020:

Well.... politics is frequently religion. Witness the number of people who adhere to the Cult of Donald, and can't articulate why, even though they admit that he lies, fornicates, cheats, has been an adulterer, and contradicts all the values they say they hold, they still claim he's more moral than a Sunday-school teacher who is running on the other ticket.

So now Trump is trying to hold the economy hostage

Paul4747 comments on Oct 6, 2020:

I failed to mention the other clearly implied point in Trump's tweet- "If I **don't** win, there's *no way in hell *you people are getting a stimulus package this year. If you don't believe I'm petty enough to hold up trillions of dollars in relief for Americans as revenge for losing the election; **just try me**."

US election: Do you need Jesus to win the White House? [bbc.com]

Paul4747 comments on Oct 6, 2020:

Is He running?

The latest nonsense from Q (also known as Qanon) is that Trump does not have COVID-19 and this is ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 6, 2020:

And Parkland Hospital is where the government doctors faked JFK's autopsy to cover up the assassination! The plot thickens! *DUN DUN DUNNNHH!!!!!* For fuck sake. These bozos will believe absolutely anything.

Update: Contagious President Has Succeeded at Escaping His Captors Like a Zoo Animal

Paul4747 comments on Oct 6, 2020:

> Trump is concerned the sight of him being hospitalized “makes him look weak” Yes, smart people who follow medical advice and listen to doctors are weak. This is well known. That's why the "weak" people are going to have a much better chance of living through the pandemic than the strong ones. It's evolution, except that people like Trump (social Darwinists) don't understand how it works. "Survival of the fittest" does not mean "survival of the strongest". It means "survival of those who successfully adapt to changing conditions". Right now, that means anyone who's smart enough to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines. Trump & the Trumpites are not that smart. They're actively selecting against their own survival.

Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court nominee, spoke at program founded to inspire a ‘distinctly ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 6, 2020:

“'...your legal career is but a means to an end, and . . . that end is building the kingdom of God,' a phrase that critics have focused on and that her supporters say has been taken out of context.” How do you take that phrase out of context? In what context does the phrase, "your legal career is but a means to an end, and . . . that end is building the kingdom of God" mean anything other than, "You, as a lawyer or judge, are here on this planet to promote Christianity and not secular values"? How does anyone who disagrees with Christian dogma get a fair hearing in front of a Justice with this point of view? I don't care how impartial someone *thinks* they are, if this is their internal conviction, backed by the kind of opinions they've handed down, they're not. They are promoting a Christian agenda.

Pastor Who Said “Atheism Has Never Healed a Disease” Tests Positive for COVID | Hemant Mehta | ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 6, 2020:

I would say atheism (if you equate that with rational thought) has cured almost every disease that actually *has* a cure; whereas prayer is just begging the disease to go away and leave you alone.

G Man's Dark Confession | DP 768 CLIP - YouTube

Paul4747 comments on Oct 4, 2020:

Thanks for the warning, I think I'll pass. I can get all of that I want at work. That's why I avoid the whole subject there, and certain people to boot.

Well... kinda hard to argue with that logic.. 😁 [youtube.com]

Paul4747 comments on Oct 4, 2020:

Oh holy crap. Well, I found the strength to push on. The poor benighted girl. White people are the injured party here; "everyone is dumping on them" for being white. Yes, middle class white folks are the real victims!! There's really no racism any more. It's the ideology that racism exists that's the real problem! If black people would just accept their place and stop bitching about racism, everything would be hunky-dory again! In fact, if you're against racism, you're a reverse racist!!! You don't really want the problem solved, you just want to keep wallowing in your identity as a racial activist!!! There's 33 more minutes of this horseshit? I just can't..... At this point, I can only assume that the OP was being sarcastic when he chose his caption. "It's hard to argue with that logic" because there's no logic here at all, just a lot of white resentment and injured privilege. How dare the world make her question her assumptions? That's granting that this is an actual person and not a paid speaker, what with the incredible number of cuts and the weird wire hanging from her ear. What the hell is with that? And they accused Joe of wearing an earpiece.....

Well... kinda hard to argue with that logic.. 😁 [youtube.com]

Paul4747 comments on Oct 3, 2020:

Okay, let's discuss what she thinks is the the "Democrat mythology", just 1:38 in, and see if she explodes it in any way. "Republicans are for the rich"; Which party, in the last 20 years, has passed 4 major tax cuts, heavily slanted toward the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans? A) Democrats B) Republicans If you answered "B) Republicans", congratulations; you've been paying attention. "In the case of women it's like they want to control your body"; Which party has made a pledge to install judges and Supreme Court justices who will overturn Roe v Wade? Which party has consistently made it harder to not only get an abortion, but also to get basic access to family planning- some members even wanting to deny a prescription for unmarried women to get birth control? Which party has linked foreign health aid to whether an organization provides family planning information? A) Democrats B) Republicans Once again, the answer is B. At 3:50 we start discussing low-income schools. Which party favors redirecting funds from public schools into charter schools and private schools, which will lead to low-income schools becoming even more low-income? Yes, the answer is B) Republicans. And now, at 4:05, we're about to deny there's such a thing as systemic racism. I'm outta here.

Has the state of Nebraska gotten it right?

Paul4747 comments on Oct 3, 2020:

The candidates don't list party affiliation on the ballot, and yet I assume they do *have* a party affiliation? That's a recipe for confusion. Michigan has an elected Supreme Court whose candidates appear on the "non-partisan" section of the ballot, yet they are nominated at the party conventions. This is misleading, to say the least. I'm currently considering trying to start a petition drive for a ballot initiative which would put these candidates on the partisan section of the ballot, or at least list the party that nominated them.

Let's Discuss What Islam Offers...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 3, 2020:

So, Christianity or Judaism but with a different logo? As @Mitch07102 says, there's no qualitative difference between Islam now, and any Middle Eastern monotheist religion other than the passage of time. Given the power, fundamentalist Xians in the United States would be carrying out crusades, beheadings, burning people at the stake, allowing marital rape (forbidding divorce), enslaving peoples of other religions, and more- because it's "the word of God". If you don't believe me, just look at their propaganda. Or listen to Ann Coulter calling for us to "invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." As for honor killings, these also happen in India among Hindus. It's not just Middle Eastern religions. *ALL* religions are toxic in the hands of extremists. And yes, singling out one in particular is narrow-minded and bigoted.

Now they’ve No Platformed Richard Dawkins

Paul4747 comments on Oct 3, 2020:

They already knew what he said and wrote when they invited him. Retracting the invitation simply shows a lack of intestinal fortitude. It's a debating society, the point isn't to have speakers with whom everyone already agrees. In that case, why not just talk amongst themselves and save the trouble?

Not ready yet...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 3, 2020:

Not done putting them on, or not done taking them off?

The President wore a mask. Give him credit.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 2, 2020:

Ouch

Karmic justice is a bitch We'll see how this plays out.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 2, 2020:

My neighbor just speculated aloud something that was in the back of my own mind- Supposing it's all a hoax to avoid the next debate, where Trump would have to face questions from and interact with members of the general public? It's established that he's the absolute worst at the town hall setting. This way he gets out of the debate and doesn't have to admit what a huge coward he truly is when he knows he's going to lose. Ordinarily, I'm the last one to peddle any kind of conspiracy theory. But really, there's absolutely no way to know. And given the track record, why would we believe anything out of this White House?

I haven’t received my Agnostic.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 2, 2020:

Nothing

Donny Dumb-Dumb and Melania tested positive for COVID-19.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 2, 2020:

So, I guess that gets him out of the next debate?

Donny Dumb-Dumb and Melania tested positive for COVID-19.

Paul4747 comments on Oct 2, 2020:

Please, a little respect. That's *President* Dum-Dum.

President Donald Trump tweets he and first lady Melania Trump test positive for Covid-19 ...

Paul4747 comments on Oct 2, 2020:

I guess he should have worn a mask to all those campaign events.....

How are you distracting yourself from the news and election worries?

Paul4747 comments on Oct 2, 2020:

Streaming *The Mandalorian* and playing *Call Of Duty*; plus, there's always mandatory overtime. (*Mandatory* overtime, not "Mandalorian" overtime. That would be way cooler.)

The Most Important Thing Biden Did During Tuesday’s Debate

Paul4747 comments on Oct 1, 2020:

"Will you just shut up, man" was nice too. I've been wishing I could say it in person for over four years now.

Thousands of Christians Rallied in D.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 30, 2020:

I'm telling you, admins, we need a "facepalm" button to respond to posts like this one....

But he's covered with cartoons!!! Kids love cartoons!!! Teacher says his tattoos and surgically ...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 30, 2020:

I can't imagine a whole lot of jobs where this *wouldn't* be considered an unprofessional appearance. I mean, *yes*, the right to look how you want, but people may choose not to employ you if you don't look the part.

Amy Coney Barrett: GOP sells 'Notorious ACB' T-shirts after nomination

Paul4747 comments on Sep 27, 2020:

Another new low. Just when I think they've plumbed the depths of tasteless.

Fit as a fiddle.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 27, 2020:

🤔 Why a fiddle particularly? What makes a fiddle an icon of physical fitness? I mean, you never see one at the gym.

If you find yourself beset with IMMORAL THOUGHTS, blame it on the devil.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 27, 2020:

I made me do the devil

I see panty lines.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 27, 2020:

Obviously they're 2 sizes too small, the poor girl. I would hate to see her squeezed into those. No, wait..... 🤔 I'll take my chances

Classy with sexy Brazilian legs!

Paul4747 comments on Sep 27, 2020:

How can you tell if she's got a Brazilian or not? 🤔

Now I see what all the fuss is about.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 27, 2020:

Nice muscle definition ;)

The role of death anxiety in police culture.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 27, 2020:

I agree with the chief findings of the article. Personally, I'm determined that when I clock in, I and all my coworkers are going to clock out in the same shape 8 hours later. It doesn't always happen, sadly. We can suffer hypervigilance even away from the job. I hate going shopping in the day because of the swarms of people in the grocery store. (In one way, I guess the pandemic was a boon to me. No more crowds.) We have a higher suicide and divorce rate even than the State Police, or so I've heard. And we're not even armed inside the prison gates. I handle my fears by assessing what's likely to happen, and trying to mitigate as many risks as I can in advance. But I have an advantage over a street cop- I already know I'm dealing with convicted felons. The officer on patrol doesn't know who's in the car he's stopping, he just knows the license plate. They don't know who's looking at them or what they're thinking, or what they're carrying, at any given moment. Police may seem to have power, but they also have a bullseye on them. I know how that feels. It's as if every eye is watching, judging what you're doing, seeing if you're going to slip up today. I try to weight the odds in my favor by knowing my "neighborhood", the prison block, and knowing who lives there well. It's easy for me, I have 240 to deal with. The police have entire cities. This is not to excuse police violence, for it's inexcusable. But I understand the fear that has to be pushed down and dealt with every day, and how it can become anger. I was angry for a long time. I sought help. I was afraid, finally, that I would lose control of myself and do something inexcusable. I know what it's like to feel you're surrounded by enemies. When you feel you're in a combat zone every day. I just don't know how to solve it for anyone but myself.

It seems that religion evolved to justify hatred and disbelief of human differences.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 26, 2020:

There's an evolutionary explanation for religion. Human beings tend to see "agency", an intention behind everything that happens. It's an evolutionary winning strategy. The rustle in the grass could be the wind, or it could be a leopard. If you think "Leopard!" and it turned out to be the wind, you didn't lose anything, whereas the opposite approach could cost you your life (and genetic future). Natural selection favored those brains that were wired to look for a leopard behind every rustle in the grass. This eventually grew to seeing agency behind the wind itself, behind the weather, behind the growing of the crops, behind the movements of the herds they hunted. This was the rise of animistic religions. Many, many volumes have been written about how early religions transformed from nature worship into deist forms, much more thoroughly and intelligently than I could touch on here. But my own impression is that when our tribes grew large enough and started impinging on one another's territory, religions began to shift from concern with the natural world to concern for one's own people, and the feeling that a native god was watching over one's people exclusively. Competing tribes meant competing deities. Again, this made evolutionary sense; one is more concerned with near relatives and close neighbors (who are likely also distant relatives) than with distant strangers, indeed, anyone outside your tribal group was a potential threat. Religion reinforced and codified this. This behavior is seen in most primates, it's not a human invention. We merely invented writing and put the rules down on paper. I'm also not justifying religion. The rules may have made sense 6,000 years ago, in a much harsher world where survival could be a day-to-day affair. But today, religion itself is what puts our survival in jeopardy so often. We *know* where the lightning comes from, and we *know* that we're all far more closely related to one another than to any other thing in the Universe. We *know* that we're all one family. We *know* that the only "race" we can speak of is the human race. We need to start living that way.

Jinkies and zoinks!

Paul4747 comments on Sep 26, 2020:

The hell with the Scooby snacks, I want to nibble on her ;)

I have a huge crush, and I don't even know her name.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 25, 2020:

Yes you do, it's https://agnostic.com/group/AppUsers/post/536949/ariana-marie-in-white-lace Ariana Marie, you posted her other picture yourself ;)

Ukrainian beauty...Should I mail-order her as bride? 😄

Paul4747 comments on Sep 25, 2020:

Could you send her back for a different one if she didn't fit?

I had to post this because of the effect it had on Facebook.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 25, 2020:

I had to read halfway through your post before I was sure it was Ewan Macgregor.

This pandemic is killing me, now I get selfies and a call from my delicious (literally) friend ...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 25, 2020:

Ophelia, nymph, in thine orisons be all my sins remembered...

In this case, I would say the answer is 'very'.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 25, 2020:

[self-edits what he though was a witty comment, but which might be taken entirely the wrong way...]

Found Jesus.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 24, 2020:

And with that I say goodnight.

I am just mesmerized by those two humongous and beautiful green eyes!

Paul4747 comments on Sep 24, 2020:

Velma? But where's Daphne and the rest of the Scooby gang?

More sweetness.. Last sweetness for today..

Paul4747 comments on Sep 24, 2020:

Is this the same model from the "self-love" post above?

Ooo.. Ahh.. Self love...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 24, 2020:

Self-screening exams are so important. (This was the other post that popped into my head, I couldn't resist using both)

Ooo.. Ahh.. Self love...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 24, 2020:

Holy smokes, is that Gina Carano? Oh... no... just a near lookalike

Write a caption.. And make it good:)

Paul4747 comments on Sep 24, 2020:

"Coming up tonight, on 'Peter Griffin's Side boob Hour'.... You're watching PTV" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9Gj1r-498

Recovering perfectionist. Weaving in imperfection.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 24, 2020:

I'm trying to help my coworker overcome her OCD (she says that's what she has, anyway, but I suspect it's perfectionism) by convincing her that it's okay to have items sitting out on the desk that everyone uses, because, Hey, I was the one using that! Constantly cleaning up and rearranging things in a common area is bound to upset others because it disrupts their own tasks. I can see her grit her teeth when she makes herself leave the clipboard where I put it, as I go over to do something else and then come back to it. Or suppress the urge to discard my coffee cup.

Cult leader who claims to be reincarnation of Jesus arrested in Russia | Russia | The Guardian

Paul4747 comments on Sep 23, 2020:

The most surprising discovery to me is that there were apparently boy bands in the USSR. I just can't picture a Russian version of "NSYNC".

Preacher: Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Did Not Know Christ” So She’s Probably in Hell | Hemant Mehta |...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 23, 2020:

Wait a darn minute.... > When God asks if Ginsburg killed black children because of their race, she will admit yes, she openly said she did. I don't remember this ruling. Citation?

George Soros is financing the annihilation of law and order in the U.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 22, 2020:

I was hoping this was just a link, and not an opinion... George Soros is financing the annihilation of law & order in America far less than the Koch brothers and Fox News are financing the annihilation of democracy.

Potential SCOTUS Pick Amy Coney Barrett Has a Church/State Separation Problem | Hemant Mehta | ...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 19, 2020:

Trump may well try and nominate a Justice in the last 6 weeks prior to the election, but it would be the height of hypocrisy for the Republicans in the Senate, particularly Mitch McConnell, who spent years blocking President Obama's nominees, to hold hearings and seat a Trump nominee now. After the election, should Trump lose, which current polls give every indication will be the case, it would be an even more hypocritical move. Then again, McConnell is no stranger to hypocrisy. That leaves it for a solid Democrat minority to block the nomination, which I have no doubt they can do, by filibuster if necessary. But a filibuster might not be needed if only 3 decent Republicans step up to the plate and say, "It's morally wrong to seat the nominee of a lame-duck President whose only duty now is handing over the reins of government to his successor. It's morally repugnant to allow an outgoing President to put his stamp on the next umpteen years of the Court, when the American people have clearly expressed their will at the polls and rejected his vision for our nation." This is an idealist view, but I do believe that there are a few idealists left, even in Washington DC. Mitt Romney's vote at the impeachment trial confirmed it for me. There are Republicans who will stand for principal.

Write your own caption, guys and gals...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 19, 2020:

When the West was wild

What make one decide whether there is s God or not?

Paul4747 comments on Sep 19, 2020:

"Experience", from what I've read and heard, is usually what makes people believe there *is* a god. I came to my current conclusions based on rational thought, research, reading, and analysis- essentially the realization that all religion is a human construct and natural processes explain the universe. There's no evidence for god.

I posted a picture of her a couple of weeks ago. Here's more from the same photo shoot:

Paul4747 comments on Sep 18, 2020:

Nice feet :)

Michigan Pastor Faces Backlash After Racist Email Tirade Against Journalist | Hemant Mehta | ...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 18, 2020:

Once more I find myself feeling I should apologize because I live in my own state. (Goddammit.)

Why Can't We See God - A scientific explanation Frank Lee Easter, 2005 Physicists have ...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 16, 2020:

This falls at the first fence. "At that time, I did not know that most great physicists were God's believers, such as Newton, Kepler, Planck, Heisenberg and Einstein...." Einstein, although a secular Jew, did not believe in any personal God. Instead, he wrote, “I believe in Spinoza’s god, who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a god who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.” In other words, "God" was a personification of the laws of the universe, not some Daddy in the sky. If you don't understand this, you're just another one of the theists who are constantly trying to add atheists posthumously to the ranks of believers. Sorry; you can't have Albert.

If you could only choose one, know when you will die or manner of death?

Paul4747 comments on Sep 13, 2020:

I've always thought that if I died during intercourse, my epitaph could be, "He came and went at the same time"....

QAnon is a Nazi Cult, Rebranded

Paul4747 comments on Sep 13, 2020:

Amazing how the secret cabals can be so easily detected by lone internet researchers in their basements. It's no less amazing than the way the government can be simultaneously completely incompetent at accomplishing its basic functions, and yet fiendishly brilliant and efficient at hatching conspiracies involving hundreds if not thousands of participants, and keeping them secret for decades (at least until the aforementioned lone researcher comes along).

Anyone else get their whole bio/description deleted?

Paul4747 comments on Sep 13, 2020:

Not I, said he.

Here's an unresolved argument. Did Jesus really exist?

Paul4747 comments on Sep 12, 2020:

"Maybe" is as definitive an answer as will ever be given. Generations of Israeli archaeologists have been scouring that country looking for evidence of... anything, and although they've been looking mainly for evidence regarding the Mosaic stories, they also haven't found anything regarding Jesus. And these are true professionals, so they aren't the type to sweep it under the rug if they found some contemporary engraving of his name and genealogy or something of that sort. The most charitable thing we can say is, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Atheists, agnostics sleep better than Catholics, Baptists

Paul4747 comments on Sep 12, 2020:

Clearly an average; I'm a horrible insomniac. A sleep study would probably show that I'm best adapted to a 30 hour cycle, awake for 20, sleep for 10. Too bad I haven't found any way to do that and still make money.

Weirdest Passages You've Read?

Paul4747 comments on Sep 7, 2020:

Deuteronomy 25:11-12 If two men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity. (Whose genitals exactly is she seizing?) Samuel 18:25-27 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired, David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife.

Dave Daubenmire: Refusing to Serve Me Because I Won’t Wear a Mask is Like Racism | Beth ...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 7, 2020:

Hahahahahahahahahaaaa...... no.

These are my grandfather's medals from WWI; they are 100 years old.

Paul4747 comments on Sep 7, 2020:

Chump and his defenders disparage the Atlantic report because it's based on anonymous sources. Well, what do they expect when a lieutenant colonel is forced into retirement because he testified under subpoena to Congress (along with his twin brother for good measure!), when generals who serve with honor, dignity and integrity are dismissed with a disparaging tweet, when anyone who puts their sworn duty ahead of the party line is hung out to dry? Our service members deserve better from a Commander In Chief, and Trump not only does not, but has never deserved the office.

Anyone else watching Raised By Wolves? (spoilers ahead)

Paul4747 comments on Sep 7, 2020:

Son of Dances With Wolves

When should you decide to engage in civil discourse?

Paul4747 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

Astrology was invented prior to the discovery of several planets. So what if my sign was Uranus rising and nobody knew it? On the other hand, a mother's diet might conceivably be affected by seasonal variations in available foods, which could have an effect on fetal brain development and eventual personality traits, so there might be some grain of truth to the various star signs, although obviously not everyone born in the same month has the same personality. Those who are looking for "proof" that astrology works are relying on selective examples and confirmation bias.

Improvised Bikini

Paul4747 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

Bet that tickles :)

Michigan Christian School Rejects Science, Warns Mask Mandate Means ‘Satan Wins’ | Michael Stone

Paul4747 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

On behalf of Michigan, I'm sorry.

The first rule of fight club is no damned fight club. Who's with me?

Paul4747 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

I'm not sure, but I don't want to fight about it. (I found the movie so boring I couldn't get more than 40 minutes into it anyway... :))

At least 42 cases pertaining to blasphemy were registered across Pakistan in a single month, ...

Paul4747 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

Why the hell is everyone holding up their shoes? Are they doing a scene from *The Life of Brian*? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka9mfZbTFbk I swear, when you can't satirize things anymore because real life is more bizarre than the satire....

AI Jesus writes Bible-inspired verse

Paul4747 comments on Sep 3, 2020:

Al (short for Albert) Jesus? I'm confused...

Steep hike today. Descending was a bitch, a technical term.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 30, 2020:

Oh, a technical term. I see. In that case, my work week was a *cast-iron* bitch. I really needed the extra day off.

Why do Atheist like to talk about God so much?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 28, 2020:

Why do Democrats talk about Trump so much? Sometimes it's hard to resist the urge to try and explain how so many people can believe the unbelievable.

A man changed member's replies to support his post. I objected.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2020:

That's the exact technique used by many political campaigns (cough*Trump*cough) to try and alter their opponents' words out of context, making them seem to say something they didn't. Witness the Republican convention Monday night, where a stream of quotes from Democrats was edited to make them seem to agree with Trump, leaving out vital parts of what they said or omitting that their words came early on in the pandemic.

No offense to my male friends, but SOME men tend to have a savior complex and some still see women ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 26, 2020:

I don't get men like that. Personally, I hope to find a lady who will support me in the manner to which I wish to become accustomed, in return for nothing more than my undying affection. And ideally I will never do yard work again in my life.

We need, as basic philosophies, rationalist, democratic Pantheisms (all Cosmians, all evolving ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 25, 2020:

We *really* need a good 25 cent cigar again. Not gonna happen.

Ever just feel like Fannie Lou Hamer said, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 25, 2020:

"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired!! I'm certainly not! And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am!!!"

Why I don't do casual sex.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 24, 2020:

As the comedian in a movie I saw this weekend said; "Women look at sex the way they look at buying a car. 'Is it safe? Can I see myself in this long-term?' Men look at sex the way they look at finding a parking place. 'There's one over there, that looks good...'" Not all are like this, but stereotypes are there for a reason. It is genetic programming to some extent, not saying people aren't more than our genetic inheritance. I know I am.

There's an ampersand in there somewhere, but basically this guy choose a shirt that says he runs on ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 22, 2020:

I think it's one sentence, followed by two exclamations. "I'm a dad that runs on." "Jesus!" "Cornhole!!"

I'm working on a case for demonstrating that all morality is ultimately subjective.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 21, 2020:

Morality (or ethics, if you want to phrase it that way) does not seem to be that subjective. For example, the vast majority of people solve the Trolley Problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem and similar dilemmas the same way. People seem to instinctively feel that it's "right" to save the most people possible, if it's not possible to save everyone; that it's an obligation to take action to save innocent lives; and that it's wrong to put innocents in harm's way, to name a few such scenarios. It's only when politics and religion enter the debate that people start changing their answers. Politics and religion tend to dehumanize persons, so that the answers suddenly depend on what nationality or faith or sect or even what political party the innocent lives belong to. Sometimes even following the wrong football team is enough to do it. Jewish schoolchildren questioned deplored a massacre conducted by a fictional Chinese warlord, but approved the same massacre under the same conditions when conducted by an Old Testament figure. Why? Because their religion entered into the equation. So one could argue that we have a biological, evolutionary sense of right and wrong, evolved due to the socialized nature of our species. The Golden Rule is something we understand inherently, because our brains are programmed for give and take, cooperation, barter, and helping one another, since this helps our gene pool. But religion and politics (which often motivates the same emotional responses as religion) corrupt this programming and influence us to see others as "outside" the tribe, not worthy of our help, not worthy of living; not fully human, in fact. Witness the nicknames given to enemies in wars throughout history. It's easy to hate "gooks, huns," etc... but if you see them as individuals like yourself, it becomes harder to kill them. That's why armies spend so much time training soldiers to kill on command and not think those exact thoughts.

In fairness, if a society accepts religion, it should accept any organization that warps a child's ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 21, 2020:

So, the Disney channel?

Don't forget if you don't sin Jesus died for nothing.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 21, 2020:

Well, I didn't ask anybody to die for me. If (and that's a big if) Xianity turns out to be right after all, I'll step up to the plate and take responsibility for all I've done, for good and ill.

Survey: Pastors Say Adultery is a Forgivable Sin When Pastors Do It | Beth Stoneburner | Friendly ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 17, 2020:

Also for Donald Trump, for some reason.

"Leave No Trace" when hiking and camping is ignored by many

Paul4747 comments on Aug 17, 2020:

Just to make sure, I don't go camping and my hiking is limited to about 20 yards from the parking lot.

What about NDE's (Near Death Experiences)?

Paul4747 comments on Aug 17, 2020:

I have them constantly. It's called "living". The accounts of seeing dead relatives, seeing what's happening in the world while one is "dead", and so on, are all retrospective (naturally) and thus highly colored by the imagination. Enthusiastic exchanges with fellow believers no doubt feed the confabulated "memories" (as in, "We were all praying at your bedside." "Yes! I saw you!!" turns into "something the person could not have known except through the NDE"). What I'm suggesting is that these are basically "false memories", initiated by the brain's chemical imbalance in the near-death state (especially lack of oxygen, possibly also a state of nitrogen narcosis which leads to hallucinations in some cases) and the interpretation of the resulting hallucinatory phenomena into the storylines that the victim subconsciously feels pressured to produce; or in some cases, is explicitly pressured to produce. For example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_Who_Came_Back_from_Heaven Alex Malarkey publicly retracted his alleged NDE; in fact, he confessed, he never really died.

Someone on Twitter said something snarky about Dolly Parton's recent admission that she thinks black...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 16, 2020:

Yes, this is one of the many reasons people like Martin Luther preached against education (for anybody but priests, I guess). Too much knowledge is bad for faith. Probably why I never really developed any, not for lack of trying at one time. Then again, if you have to try to have faith, you can see where that's going from the start, right?

If anyone is the slightest bit interested in why I feel the Admin has created a moral crisis for ...

Paul4747 comments on Aug 16, 2020:

I read as much as I could of the Admin's article, but I had to stop when I realized that the language they're using to describe "woke culture" (which, for the record, I still have no more idea of what that means than I do of what the lyrics are in most pop music post-2005 or so) can, with a few words changed, apply equally well if not better to the conservative mainstream. For example; the original: > WOKEIST MEDIA FRAMES POLITICS AS GOOD VS EVIL: Wokeism explains why Woke media and entertainment companies frame issues as good vs evil, use simple explanations to answer tough or nuanced questions, and have minimal factual requirements to be declared “Evil” (Racist, Sexist, Homophobe, etc). Stories serve the purpose to confirm their viewers’ belief that an evil force is pervasive and threatening them. Try reading the Washington Post, NYT, or even the Atlantic with the woke approach and the results are frightening. It’s indoctrination and propaganda. See Appendix C for an example of the New York Times covering up the truth about police being more likely to shoot a White suspect than one who is Black. Non-Woke Liberals need to be recruited to call-out “Fake News” in their own subscriptions. And my equal and opposite version: > CONSERVATIVE MEDIA FRAMES POLITICS AS GOOD VS EVIL: Far-right media and entertainment companies frame issues as good vs evil, use simple explanations to answer tough or nuanced questions, and have minimal factual requirements to be declared “Evil” (Liberal, Socialist, Homosexual, etc). Stories serve the purpose to confirm their viewers’ belief that an evil force is pervasive and threatening them. Try reading the Washington Times, Weekly Spectator, or even the Wall Street Journal with the conservative approach and the results are frightening. It’s indoctrination and propaganda. See for example Fox News juxtaposing commentary about protests with footage of violence that actually happened in other cities. Non-establishment conservatives need to be recruited to call-out “Fake News” in their own media. You see? I have a feeling, in regards to the complaint about liberal members blocking conservatives, that I was blocked far more often than I ever used the feature. All I ever ask is that whoever is debating me bring some facts to the table, not assertions. I realize people on both ends of the spectrum seem to think that repeating an assertion enough times makes it true, but that's not how it works. And yet, it still seemed to me that the conservatives are more inclined to repeat dogma, like "tax cuts pay for themselves" and "cutting marginal rates boosts the economy 2 percent", and suchlike. Those aren't facts, when you can look at history and see the actual trends. I'm sorry, I've gotten...