So, tonight my husband got called an apostate whose after-death destination will be hell.

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 20, 2020:

What’s wrong with being an Apostate? Didn’t Jesus have twelve of them? 🤔

Moral Compass

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 20, 2020:

“Enlightened self-interest,” as Jefferson called it. What works? What can I get away with? What will come back to haunt me?

Happy Friday! It's payday and time to pay the bills! What bills do you resent having to pay?

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 17, 2020:

My bodyguard has added a new $50 monthly surcharge for "virus protection." When I asked him about it, he showed me what looks like a really tiny flyswatter Scotch-taped to his shoulder holster. I pay, but grudgingly.

Happy Thursday! What movie can you watch over and over without ever getting tired of?

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 16, 2020:

Seven Samurai!

Does anyone else have a memory of when they fully became what a Christian would call a "hard hearted...

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 15, 2020:

It was a process for me, and one that was driven - ironically - by well-meaning but aggressive christian theists trying to “save” me. It began when I was around nine or so, when my college-age sister mentioned how a culture’s ideas about the gods seemed to reflect their social and political structures — an idea that stuck with me and that has a lot of evidence behind it. Around the same time, I started exploring philosophy and politics, especially thinking outside of the Western christian worldview. By the time I was a high-schooler, I was a confirmed sceptic and agnostic. This was in the 1970s, when a conservative reaction to the cultural experimentation of the ‘60s set in: the populist, so-called “Jesus movement” with its army of “Jesus freaks” earnestly evangelizing in public and private spaces. I soon had several very nice, very insistent friends and acquaintances trying to convert me. I had no problem engaging with them in dialogues, especially the smart ones, and actually began to enjoy questioning their assumptions and refuting their arguments. The better their arguments, the better I got at it, and the sharper my focus and stronger my positions became. In college, two things happened: I developed a love for anthropology, and began to see religious/spiritual ideas as mythology, serving mythological functions for a society, and; I realized that the old ideas about gods simply didn’t make any real-world sense to me, and that there was no evidence for them intellectually or intuitively. I had no more room for a belief in them in the world I inhabited: their “services were no longer required!” I had become an full-fledged atheist, because the claim that gods literally exist has no credibility with me because it makes no sense to me.

Today's hike after three weeks: An "Oops!" Coyote and Joy

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 14, 2020:

Well done! You’re inspiring me to “get on up” there to my nearby mountains after too many excuses made for too long!

Searching for a soulmate is futile. Your thoughts?

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 12, 2020:

Ticks need love, too!

Flowers are cheerful and uplifting

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 11, 2020:

Wonderful sunny day after a week of rain here in Southern Cal, and blooms everywhere! Some too fragile to be picked, but others make their way into the house, joining some paintings by my great uncle Stan Poray, a popular artist in the ‘30s and ‘40s.

Takeaway from drump's latest: "Happy Good Friday" everyone, where we party hearty as Jesus is ...

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 10, 2020:

I don’t refer to today as “Good Friday.” I celebrate it as “Roman Justice Day.” Sadly, due to the need for social distancing, I won’t be hosting my usual orgy this year.

The Thin Red Line - Melanesian Choirs - Compilation - YouTube

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 10, 2020:

Ahh, haven’t heard this in a while: Thanks! I liked this version of the story, and the music really added to the mood of the film. An unusual “war movie,” with striking cinematography and some good performances.

Happy Friday! How would you describe your sense of smell?

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 10, 2020:

Fairly good, I think. Outdoors, “olfactory information” can be valuable, and the nose picks up on some things before the eyes and ears do! Comforting morning smells help start my day, including my coffee as it brews, plus any flowers I have brought in (yes: indoors or out, I usually DO stop to smell the roses!). My nose helps me detect bad food, good weed, and hasty burials ...

I'm going stir crazy stuck at home for 3 weeks albeit I go outside safely almost everyday.

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 9, 2020:

I visited her house in Amsterdam a few years back. My most haunting memory of the place is of some pencil marks with dates on the wall that measured the heights of the children as they grew. Such a typically normal, loving thing ...

Humans are NOT the end result of the evolutionary process. [youtube.com]

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 9, 2020:

OF COURSE humans aren’t! That would be raccoons.

Bill O’Reilly: Dead Coronavirus Victims ‘Were On Their Last Legs Anyway’ | HuffPost

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 9, 2020:

Well, Bill: Considering that health care professionals are now among the hardest hit group of working people, I hope one of them is on hand to remind you of what you said if your health fails.

Happy Thursday Everyone! I'm sitting here at work (home) with my door and windows open.

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 9, 2020:

Increasingly longer days and earlier mornings (I like to get up while it’s still dark, and enjoy a cup of fresh-brewed coffee as the birds begin to sing their morning songs and the light slowly brings color back into the world.) Flowers and buds everywhere, especially on my fruit trees, promising a good season ahead. Some birds building nests; others heading north. And, oh yeah: the rattlesnakes waking up from their winter slumbers ...

Who avoids discussing religion and spirituality?

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 8, 2020:

Not me! How people organize and use symbolic ideas and collective power interests me.

Scenario: You're in the hospital with a terminal illness.

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 2, 2020:

When my time comes, I sure hope I’m not in a hospital or any other building. Wherever I might be, however, I don’t want the moment spoiled by someone else’s spiritual claptrap.

Good morning Everyone, and Happy Thursday! What's your favorite blessing to bestow?

The-Krzyz comments on Apr 2, 2020:

Salud, amor y pesetas, y el tiempo para gastarlos! (“May you have health, love and riches, and the time in which to enjoy them!” )

Happy Tuesday everyone. I'm feeling subdued today; I'm not sure why. Ever get that way - just Blah?

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 31, 2020:

As someone who manages “depression” as part of who I am, I’ve learned to “go with it” when it comes, and not to fight it. Just one of nature’s ways to say “slow down,” or “take a break and recharge your batteries!” Oddly enough, knowing how to be quiet and off on my own for a bit has given me certain skills useful during a period of, say: self-quarantine ...

Happy Monday Everyone. What is your favorite way to soak up sun?

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 30, 2020:

Hiking, sailing, camping, picnicking, tending my fruit trees ...

Quark Science on Amazon I am watching Series 1, Episode 1, Everything and Nothing right now, sort...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 30, 2020:

Thanks for the recommendation! My best friend of many years was a physicist. I’m fascinated by the theoretical implications, but was put off by the calculus. I may not be a scientist, but the scientific method continues to be a valuable tool for me as I tackle life.

Happy Saturday Everyone! Do you think that you can ever have enough pillows? I do not!

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 28, 2020:

Too many! Enough sleeping pillows for when I have company over (ah, those were the days!), and tons of decorative pillows, many made by my late mother, an artist. Really cool fabrics. I’ve started to rotate them seasonally ... Now that I’ve a little time on my hands, maybe I’ll build a pillow fort!

Happy Friday Everyone! We've made it through another week! I have a friend who is a paramedic and ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 27, 2020:

I have a writing project to finish up, but will squeeze in a 3-mile walk/run around the lake at my nearby regional park!

Happy Thursday Everyone! Today's question is from Robecology: What's the thing in your home that ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 26, 2020:

Although I could take the easy way out and vacuum/sweep out my house, the big challenge is my garage, which hasn’t seen a car for years, and contains two generation’s worth of really interesting and useful stuff, all of which has been tastefully rearranged by my raccoon friends ...

this...........

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 24, 2020:

Race is a political concept, with social & economic implications, and without any biological or scientific validity. None!

Are these the only references of "germs" Judges 13:4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 23, 2020:

There is NO reference to germs, viruses or bacteria in the Hebrew Scriptures or the Christian bible. Although there were some good guesses that some tiny “seeds” or “spores” might play a part in spreading infectious diseases in Late Classical and Medieval times, microorganisms were not discovered until the 17th Century. The idea of ritual “pollution” and “cleansing” in the quote is ancient and common in many religious traditions, but has nothing to do with biology.

While everything is taken place in the world right now, how many of you have starting talking to ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 21, 2020:

Is this a trick question? If I answer in the affirmative, will they send the AED (Agnostic Enforcement Division) to hunt me down? 🤔

Does God Have A Grudge Against Online Streaming?

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 20, 2020:

If we’re talking about the god of the “Abrahamic” religions, he seems to have a grudge against everyone and everything! Dude has serious anger-management issues.

Tyranny & Russian Orthodoxy - Providence

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 20, 2020:

Though Russian culture and politics are, well ... unique, manipulation using religion/ideology is to be found worldwide, especially by authoritarian governments. It WAS a Russian, however, who nailed this relationship in a little book written about 100 years ago: “God and the State,” by Mikhail Bakunin, a leader in both the atheist and anarchist movements of his day.

Supermarkets here are getting stripped by panic buying.

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 20, 2020:

I’ve always noted that shoppers at the “big box” stores, like Walmart and Costco, are more prone to herd behaviors and, true to form, that’s where I see the most crowding and hoarding. Regarding the “regular” stores and markets in my neighborhood, I’ve noticed something interesting with cultural implications: I live in a very large, majority East Asian community (mostly Chinese emigres and Chinese-American), and many of my neighbors started self-quarantining/social distancing/sheltering-in-place way before folks in other communities, and before any civic/state orders to do so. Hoarding, on the other hand, has been extremely rare: certainly rarer than in the other neighborhoods around us. So far, I’ve been able to find everything I want/need while shopping without problems. I’ve even been picking up items for friends that are hard to find in their parts of the city, including TP and bottled water. 🙂

Blind Faith In Religion Destroys Our Ability To Critically Think For Ourselves

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 19, 2020:

I think blind faith in anything undermines good thinking.

Happy Thursday Everyone.

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 19, 2020:

Hard to predict which of our adaptations to Covid-19 will last, and which will become the subject of future humorous memes. I note that there are still many European customs that can be traced back to the Plagues of the Medieval and Early Modern periods. Covid isn’t as horrific as those were, thankfully. Working from home? Some types of work can be done well that way while many others not. Personally, I strike a balance between work that I do on a computer that can be done almost anywhere (editing/writing), and work preferably done in the company of others (teaching/training, facilitating large meetings, political advocacy). Besides, I like the freedom of working either way, and find it supports my continued good mental health!

The philosophy of Atheism represents a concept of life without any metaphysical Beyond or Divine ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 19, 2020:

I was about to jump on the “it’s not really a philosophy” bandwagon until I saw that this in an Emma quote! I can appreciate it in context of her time and amazing body of work and thought. My family was actively involved (on both sides ...) of the titanic revolutionary struggles of a century ago, and I think Emma stands out as a beacon of integrity in times of rapid and unpredictable change, accepting and dealing with the consequences of her beliefs.

My favorite hiking photo from 2019. Golden Week.

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 19, 2020:

I’m sorry: Larch were forever tainted for me by a certain BBC programme in the 1970s.

When I was a teenager and in a bad place, I believed that there was a God.

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 18, 2020:

The gods only seem credible to me when I’m in a dangerous situation — a typhoon at sea or lightning storm in the mountains. When I’m feeling safer, they are nowhere to be found!

Has anyone else noticed that religion is portrayed as truth and real history on most TV ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 18, 2020:

The self-styled “History Channel” has been worthless for decades in terms of any real historical info. Even when they occasionally try to tackle some real history, they do a crummy job. As to religion in media, I think that, at a time when many traditional ideas and assumptions are being challenged, there seems to be some sort of awful consensus that religion and “spirituality” are not to be questioned. I hear a lot of educated people claiming that, even if based on genuinely crackpot ideas, believing in religion is still somehow “good” for us and for society. Yuk.

After Invocation Snub, Satanists Hold “Infernal Ritual” Outside WA Capitol | Hemant Mehta | ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 13, 2020:

Well done, Washington Satanic Temple. Good political theatre, and I love those black hoodie robes!

Okay, so there is always the Atheist vs.

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 12, 2020:

For as long as you can keep an open mind and can be comfortable with — or at least tolerate — acknowledging that all your “questions” may not be valid and that you may never find satisfying “answers.” A lot of people find uncertainty disquieting. Oh yeah: And pay your dues to keep your membership current.

Using the Fear - With a global pandemic sweeping across the globe, now is the time to look hard at ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 12, 2020:

This post is so full of questionable assumptions, I hardly know where to begin! I question the value of any revelations/“enlightenment” based in fear; I question the propriety of fear as the reaction to the prospect of death. I do not equate death with “leaving this earth.” Unless you are a billionaire willing to pay Elon Musk to rocket your remains into space, they pretty much stay here, and your successors — mostly bacteria — will carry on your good work. “Making amends,” finding “peace,” thinking death is a “gate” rather than a wall (or compost heap), all these ideas smack of a religious world view tainted by christianity and its metaphors. If one is frightened by death now, then I wonder if one has been paying attention previously. I think everyone who lives, lives “fully” according to the time and means available, whether we judge it to be for good or ill. I DO applaud your focus on others - “friends and family” - and being aware of and addressing one’s emotions, but would hope those are bases to be touched throughout one’s life. Finally a big “no you don’t” to the preposterous claim to love, care and value people like myself, who you do not know! I think this is an assumed abstraction and find it presumptuous and insulting. I also think you mean well, and so urge you to re-examine some of these assumptions and dump the claptrap.The good stuff that is in there can stand on its own.

The Bethel charismatic mega-church in Redding, California is telling its faith healers to stay away ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 12, 2020:

Bethel is trying to protect its organization, over and above its congregants, even though they are a source of income and muscle. Yes, muscle: Bethel is very powerful politically in the Redding area, and use their power to bully and intimidate the community. Many people are afraid to oppose or criticize this “church,” because the blowback is often much more than “supernatural,” using tactics more akin to those used by gangsters. Or corporations ...

Mochi: The traditional Japanese dessert requires pounding, molding and shouting

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 11, 2020:

I’m fond of mochi and mochi ice cream. I like to visit LA’s Little Tokyo district on New Years Day and during our annual Nisei Festival to help pound and taste the delicious results!. Oh yeah: And to help break open that barrel of sake’ ...

Christian Film “20 Minutes” Falsely Suggests Atheists Find God When Facing Death | Hemant ...

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 8, 2020:

Not even a temptation. I’ve seen my share of deaths, and faced the possibility of my own extinction several times, and don’t see any role for a god there. Like most folks, I wouldn’t care to die in a messy or painful way, but find the idea of death as final finis to be comforting.

Robert Reich taking on the top six complaints about Bernie’s electability. [filmsforaction.org]

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 4, 2020:

I really respect Reich’s work: A solid thinker and good communicator. I used to run into him when I lived in Oakland. We were both fans of a local Italian restaurant, and sometimes made small talk about politics and pasta.

Some Atheists can be just as self righteous and judgmental as Christians/religious people.

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 4, 2020:

Sure! You find people like that in most any group.

If Jesus died for my sins, why am I not allowed to sin?

The-Krzyz comments on Mar 4, 2020:

He didn’t die for anyone’s “sins.” He was executed because he was a convicted criminal.

Hey Everyone, Happy Saturday! I'm making myself some new knickers this weekend, fabrics below.

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 29, 2020:

1) As an editor/writer, I am delighted to see the word "knickers" still in use! 2) The fabrics you show remind me that I have a task to perform: going through the yards of interesting fabrics left by my late mother, who was an accomplished seamstress (as well as silversmith, jeweler, leather crafter and more). A few I'll keep, but most will go to a local sewing class to use. I like to make the effort to find people who would use and appreciate things like that, and have been donating items to a variety of clubs, classes and programs. It's a good day to start sorting!

Would 60% of Americans actually vote for an Atheist?

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 19, 2020:

Too many states and local entities have laws disqualifying nonbelievers from holding office, so atheists/agnostics can’t even make it onto the ballot for voters to consider the choice.

Today's hike: dangerous icy trails and snowy mountains

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 19, 2020:

Glad you are an experienced hiker who no-doubt knows that a little snow covering a patch of ice can do you in! I love my nearby San Gabriel Mountains and have known them intimately since childhood, but this love includes an appreciation of how dangerous they can be to the unwary and/or the unlucky! I’ve seen many a chopper ferrying out injured or deceased hikers ...

Anyone else hear the phrase, "I'm better than I deserve"?

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 19, 2020:

I live on the Left Coast, but travel around the country a lot, and have never heard this. It wouldn’t even make sense to me if I hadn’t read your post and some of the comments. My first reaction to it is: “deserve” according to whom? The gods? Society? Mom? Strikes me less as self-deprecating and more as “self-disempowering,” which is something too many religions encourage.

Borrowed from Facebook: By Donald Phagan When I worked in the funeral business as a counselor to ...

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 11, 2020:

Depending on the religion, remember that there is a judgement that one has to pass before you can claim any of those eternal goodies, and you only get one shot - no “do overs” or “make up exams!“ That sounds a bit intimidating, and people might wonder if they have really been forgiven for all the squirrelly sins and guilt they carry.

America Isn’t Growing Hostile Towards Christians, It’s Growing Hostile Towards Religious ...

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 11, 2020:

1) I’m not sure those of us pushing back against aggressive religiousity add up to “America” as a whole pushing back. Many more open-minded or “progressive” christians seem to tolerate the behavior of their more pushy co-religionists. 2) WTF is a “public theologian?” An unemployed theologian who blogs?

What happened when you came out of the closet as an atheist?

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 11, 2020:

I had more room in my closet.

Could I be considered an atheist or a deist?

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 5, 2020:

I kinda like deism as a fun idea to throw around, because I’ve found that many theists, specifically those who believe in a “personal relationship” with a god, find it especially distressing. Classical deism came from the period around the Enlightenment, used by folks who didn’t believe in god in a time when declaring yourself an outright atheist was still too dangerous. So, yeah: a creator god may exist, but he moved on to do other stuff long ago and doesn’t give a sh*t about creation or you. Most believers don’t know how to react to that, and I enjoy the discombobulation! 😈

Wondering if anyone else accepts the Absurd (pursuing meaning in a meaningless world)?

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 5, 2020:

Not sure one can “pursue” meaning in a meaningless world. That would be a fool’s errand, no? One can, however, create meaning through what one does and how one does it, I think. So, I agree the universe is meaningless, but strive to make some of my actions provisionally meaningful.

I would like to know how many of you would vote against someone soley due to their open religious ...

The-Krzyz comments on Feb 5, 2020:

I distinguish between being open about their religion and having a religious “agenda.” If that agenda coincides with my interests, as has been the case with several christians who espouse a “social gospel,” then I’m typically OK with it. These days, I’ve found that building coalitions is the only way to get big things done. If their agenda, however, is to use political power to advance their religion in the public sphere, I will work against that.

I grew up in the Bible Belt in a non-religious home.

The-Krzyz comments on Jan 28, 2020:

Not a huge issue here in LA: a huge, diverse and international city. So many traditions and beliefs. YET, there is still an assumption that you belong, or believe, in some kind of faith or “spirituality.” Hence, many well-intentioned “interfaith” events at which I feel unwelcome, even for causes I generally endorse. Frustrating!

What are some things that you constantly catch yourself saying to theist arguing for their god?

The-Krzyz comments on Jan 28, 2020:

“Prove it.”

What do you do when expected to participate in public religious ceremonies such as prayer?

The-Krzyz comments on Jan 28, 2020:

I tend to be respectful of other people’s cultures, especially when on their turf. If I used someone else’s customs and/or ceremonies as a staging ground to make some pissy point, how is that different from them showing up in my doorstep with their little pamphlets? (On occasion, however, I have been known to offer an enthusiastic “booya!” during services where an “amen” is expected ...)

What is the worst experience you had with religion and how did it affect you or what was your ...

The-Krzyz comments on Jan 28, 2020:

Exorcisms. Once I choose and get comfy in a nice body, I just hate having to leave. Now I tend to choose atheists for their broad mindedness.

There are many things that we can debate and argue over with religion.

The-Krzyz comments on Jan 28, 2020:

The idea of a “personal” relationship with a god who gives a hoot about what happens to you. I think it prevents people from seeking real solutions to real challenges.

Ron Reagan Freedom From Religion Foundation ad.

The-Krzyz comments on Jan 5, 2020:

A recent article in “The Blaze” began with a reference to the “infamous” FFRF! I let my membership lapse a while ago, but maybe it’s time to renew.

Am I wrong?

The-Krzyz comments on Jan 4, 2020:

There are lots of ways to make the point, and I use different ones depending on context and audience. That being said, I really like your ghostly approach, and look forward to taking it out for a spin ...

Even though I am an atheist, I recognize that we have had great theologians, whose thoughts are ...

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 28, 2019:

Though we may call them “theologians,” it’s their thinking about ethics that has some value. The theological overlay is still “angels dancing on the head of a pin” stuff, with little relevance to the real world in my book.

Satan and I in Florida .

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 28, 2019:

I always thought Satan was FROM Florida ...

[washingtonpost.com] thoughts?

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 28, 2019:

More proof that, as Hitchens wrote, “religion is poison.”

How do you answer "How are you today?"

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 28, 2019:

As I have held public office in the United States, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and always answer “fine” if asked.

Happy Friday! Today's question is: Would you like to be famous?

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 27, 2019:

It has its advantages, especially if enhanced by credibility. You can weigh in on timely issues and your ideas reach a lot of people and possibly influence important public conversations.

I was having a conversation with a Christian friend about free will.

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 27, 2019:

A standard theistic dodge concerning anything that appears to be beyond the control of their gods is to insist that it’s a “gift” from them and/or “part of their plan.” This is a red flag that should set off the alarms on our B.S. detectors! Meanwhile, in the real world, determinists have some good arguments and even evidence that “free will” ain’t exactly free, and that most of us operate on auto-pilot most of the time ...

The Inevitable Death of Evangelical Christianity | Keith Giles

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 26, 2019:

I'm skeptical about this being "inevitable," but maybe we'll luck out. So far, christianity has been like the flu: a persistent little cuss of a virus that mutates every time we think we have a good vaccine ...

Brain Sees Men As Whole, Women In Parts.

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 26, 2019:

Hmm. Will have to check the study out. Did they conclude if this reflects neurology, culture, or that weird combined “nature/nurture” zone influenced by both? Also wonder if this would hold up cross-culturally, beyond the Western European-North American culture zones. It’s still worrisome, as I think objectification leads to otherization/dehumanization, which is a fast track to exploitation ... and some folks may seize on this kind of study to claim that sexism somehow reflects “human nature.” Ugh!

Are you a "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" person?

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 26, 2019:

I live on the edge of a very big and very diverse city, and hear all sorts of holiday greetings, and often in several languages. “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” are the most common. I will respond to them all, however, unless they are delivered in an aggressively religious tone, but will usually lead with “Happy Holidays” because I don’t want to assume what people believe or celebrate, if anything. I enjoy the season, and have no problem with the “spirit” of Christmas in a Dickensian sense.

Are there any Atheist writers on here?

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 22, 2019:

I hope you connect with some good, supportive fellow writers! I’ve been a professional writer/editor for many years, but more on the journalistic/technical side, though I can’t help writing satire now and then. One bit of Holiday Advice I’d like to share: Try to learn from writers who are different from you, and maybe use their words differently. When I occasionally write poetry, I can see how my training as a journalist taught me some discipline and to weigh the contribution of every word I choose. Also, it’s useful to edit the works of someone else from time to time.You might find bits of yourself in their words. I wish you the best of luck!

Happy Friday-Eve! I've been so damned busy lately, I barely have time to breathe! And today was ...

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 19, 2019:

Definitely keeping my land line! There have been several times when cell signals were out of action -- after a couple of fairly large earthquakes and also during some wind or lightening storms that trashed the microwave towers in the mountains. Land line still worked ... Especially important as I had, until very recently, been providing care to a 90+ year old mother who was not mobile. Oh, yeah: I like my iPhone. I'm just used to it and like some of the apps.

"You shouldn't judge people!" I have often heard this from my Christian friends.

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 18, 2019:

Perhaps this explains why so many christians and ex-christians have such poor judgement. Another example of the deep anti-intellectualism inherent in much religion and “spirituality” both.

I’ve listened patiently for a few months trying to understand the dichotomy between Agnostics & ...

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 18, 2019:

I may be a fellow atheist, but don’t feel like I “flushed” anything from my “belief system.” I just don’t buy into the idea of gods as anything other than metaphors, the same way I don’t believe what I hear in advertisements.

“I hope you find the kind of love that makes you a softer person.

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 18, 2019:

“What am I, a dog, to be loved?” — Arthur Miller, Incident at Vichy

Happy Wednesday! I have a bunch of laundry to do today.

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 18, 2019:

Working on my land: trimming trees, picking fruit, chopping wood.🌲🌳🍌🧅🥑🍋🍊

How does one get their ex-pastor to leave them alone?

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 18, 2019:

“Fine.” “No.”

How many here think of themselves as skeptical thinkers?

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 17, 2019:

More like a lack of evidence, really. I don’t “question” the existence of any gods, because the people promoting such ideas have never been very convincing in the first place, and I see nothing to support the idea in my experience of the world in which I live.

Why do some men think women should be attracted because they are?

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 15, 2019:

Self-centered, if not narcissistic (though not necessarily in a clinical way). Some people confuse confidence with arrogance.

I pray that my first post on this website is a success and that it helps me level up to eventually ...

The-Krzyz comments on Dec 15, 2019:

It wouldn’t make any difference. First, what about all the competing prayers representing competing interests? Two warring sides both praying for victory can’t both win. Also, the gods being prayed to aren’t obliged to act on any of the whiny pleas sent their way, are they? So, maybe the gods exist but enjoy keeping us guessing, and maybe they hear our pathetic begging for shortcuts in life because they just like watching us squirm. My kind of gods!

Good morning! We have been getting up before the crack of dawn due to the time change, and I was ...

The-Krzyz comments on Nov 5, 2019:

Over the last couple of years I’ve grown to enjoy waking up when still dark and then making coffee, washing up and maybe doing some stretching and Tai chi as it gets light. So now I do it an hour earlier by the clock, but it’s the same time, sun-wise! It catches up with me at the other end of the day, and I miss having those late afternoon hours with enough light to do things outside.

Happy Friday! What's something you're looking forward to?

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 11, 2019:

I’ll have a quiet weekend getting ready for a jaunt to - of all places - Las Vegas next week to attend the Center for Inquiry’s annual CSICON! I had a blast last year, my first time, and look forward to hanging out with fellow skeptics of all stripes.

Not the tan suit!

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 11, 2019:

I think I may ask some of my Ukrainian friends to investigate this. (China: Are you listening? No? Russia? Anyone ...?)

I’d say this is pretty on target when it comes to God and his character: [youtu.be]

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 11, 2019:

Yep: Time to renew my membership in the Satanic Temple ...

Today I heard from a very religious family member that you are very miserable and have no reason to ...

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 10, 2019:

I think I have many more possibilities, and possible “reasons to live,” without any god getting in the way.

$3G 'Jesus Shoes' filled with holy water sell out within minutes.

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 9, 2019:

So, what Jesus supposedly did back in the day was no big deal, because now we can all walk on water.

"I would say you have exactly the right things in mind here" - Stanley Johnson, father of British ...

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 9, 2019:

As they say, smarts tend to skip a generation!

Poll: Safety first, or monopoly gone bad? Map: PG&E outages, and when the power shutdown will end

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 9, 2019:

Run the cables underground, for Pete’s sake! We do it with water for the most part (how many aqueducts do we see these days?). Plus, if wind is the problem, why aren’t they investing in more windmill-generators? Oh, I forgot: they cause cancer.

What is your favorite "meaning of life quote"?

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 9, 2019:

“None of the above ...”

Meter man from utility company had something to say about my shirt.

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 9, 2019:

Was he looking to buy a ticket?

Does anyone know what happened with the guys that were going to storm Area 51?

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 7, 2019:

Nobody knows. All traces of their existence has disappeared.

Just wondering to myself.

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 7, 2019:

Personally, I look back at the gods they taught me about as a kid as just another aspect of my childhood that I easily outgrew (at about age 11). Not long thereafter, I became interested in anthropology and structural mythology, which allowed me to see those ideas in a different light.

We've never had a more willing ally in a conflict with the exception of the Montagnards whom we also...

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 7, 2019:

They have been brave and loyal allies, in spite of which we have used and then abandoned them time and again. If anyone deserves their own country, in my humble opinion, it is the Kurds.

‘Knock it off!’ Devil screams at priest who uses bells for exorcisms | Barry Duke

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 7, 2019:

Just occurred to me that the theme music for the movie “Exorcist” was “Tubular Bells ...”

[deadstate.org] Fuck Pat Robertson and the 7 horses of the Apocalypse that he rode in on.

The-Krzyz comments on Oct 7, 2019:

“Mandate from Heaven,” notwithstanding, I agree with Pat that this is another bonehead move by Trump. Plus, I’m also impressed that Robertson managed to wrangle himself three additional apocalyptic horses ...

How would you reply to a theist who says, "You send yourself to hell"?

The-Krzyz comments on Sep 13, 2019:

Somewhere in between a smirk and a sneer.

Here at a monthly Ask An Atheist Event.

The-Krzyz comments on Sep 6, 2019:

I’ve been really intrigued by the idea of doing this, and have often informally been in a position of being the only open atheist in situations involving friends or coworkers. So, I field their questions, which have always been respectful and genuinely curious. But, doing it in public ...? Would love to hear from anyone who’s done it as to what the experience was like! Please include some context (at a mall, or county fair, etc.), and also where (small town, big city; bible belt, West Coast, etc.) Any practical guidelines or advice also would be appreciated!

A vegan woman sued her neighbors for barbecuing in their backyard: 'It's deliberate' [yahoo.

The-Krzyz comments on Sep 3, 2019:

Glad its deliberate. Accidental barbecues can be dangerous.

Searchers look for 9 missing in California boat fire, 25 die

The-Krzyz comments on Sep 3, 2019:

A sailor’s worst fear. When I was a Merchant Mariner, a lot of our training had to do with fire safety. To this day, if I catch a whiff of electrical wiring heating up, I obsessively seek out the source.