I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"Most Zionists don’t believe that God exists, but they do believe he promised them Palestine." - Ilan Pappe

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

@273kelvin - We actually had a deal with the Saudis from around WWII but it started to sour as we propped up (The future state of) Israel. Not odd to quote a Jesuit in the least. Wisdom comes from people of all stripes. http://articles.latimes.com/1990-08-09/news/mn-388_1_king-saud

Superbowl Sunday question

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

I feel the national fixation on professional sports is somewhat embarrassing, but I'll meet with some friends for the food. I generally leave early if the game gets boring.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Think this is hilarious.

Favorite instrumentals?

Mooolah comments on Feb 4, 2018:

"Cliffs of Dover" Eric Johnson

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

@Countrywoman - You just cut and paste the link from the address bar. I learned that if I upload a photo here, I still need to put something in the comment as well.

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

"Hello. I love you. Won't you tell me you name?" xD

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

@EllenDale - Just comment when I think of something that fits the post, is all.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"Most Zionists don’t believe that God exists, but they do believe he promised them Palestine." - Ilan Pappe

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

@273kelvin

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kOy6M_X2MO8 Does this qualify as an instrumental as it has vocalizations but no sung lyrics?

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

And these sound more like musical vocalizations than lyrics. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf42IP__ipw

Favorite instrumentals?

bassbringer9000 comments on Feb 4, 2018:

I love Passacaglia written by Handel-Halvorsen. The best version on the net is by Wells Cunningham, on Youtube. Do yourselves a favor and look it up.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NseBdxfHk5k

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Mooolah comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. That should be enough for any one's support. So one Prime Minister agreed to 98% of what the Palastinian demanded, way back in the '80s, & received rocket launches from Gaza. Israel will lose in the end as the Arabics have multitudes of spawn. The...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

https://www.counterpunch.org/2004/02/03/the-only-democracy-in-the-middle-east/ Many good points about that claim here.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"Most Zionists don’t believe that God exists, but they do believe he promised them Palestine." - Ilan Pappe

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

@273kelvin - Those crimes do not excuse Israel's. As an American, I would at least ask Israelis to learn to murder on their own dime (might even make them stop).

Favorite instrumentals?

resserts comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Beethoven’s Für Elise: https://youtu.be/Lkcvrxj0eLY

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VX80zwkdEjo

Favorite instrumentals?

resserts comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Beethoven’s Für Elise: https://youtu.be/Lkcvrxj0eLY

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

There's this until I can pull out individual favorites. Love Strauss waltzes. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1kCVSVKl8u8

Favorite instrumentals?

Zster comments on Feb 4, 2018:

I have dozens of favorite instrumentals, from the 50s through today. I especially love instrumental surf music. Here's one that had stood the test of time: https://youtu.be/Uyl7GP_VMJY

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Was trying to find the instrumental version of "Blue of Your Backdrop" from Honk. Who remembers "5 Summer Stories?" Great soundtrack. https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLgn7Ny7j1N0BxzTjq5C73rHLT_WT87eIk=OAFIAVgE&v=rXXRGvPlYE4=NORMAL

Favorite instrumentals?

Rugglesby comments on Feb 4, 2018:

OK, I know there are lyrics, but you hardly ever hear them, Ride of the Valkyrie.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Oh Warfather on high, I am calling you from the battlefield And as I take my last breath I call for the mightiest of miracles For none but the brave, be he king or a slave With a pounding heart in his chest Will be worthy to rise and with the Valkyries fly And ride to the ancient Valhalla Oh Warfather on high Listen to my prayer I lived my life by your rules Oh let death cover me now For none but the brave, be he king or a slave With a pounding heart in his chest Will be worthy to rise and with the Valkyries fly And ride to Valhalla of old [Chorus:] With the Valkyries, ride over the battlefield Ride your horses and come to me I'm waiting for you to take my soul, high in the sky to Valhalla of old Valkyries, ride over the battlefield I'm dying and glad to bleed Because I know today I will take my place with the heroes In Valhalla of old For none but the brave, be he king or a slave With a pounding heart in his chest Will be worthy to rise and with the Valkyries fly And ride to Valhalla of old [Chorus:] With the Valkyries, ride over the battlefield Ride your horses and come to me I'm waiting for you to take my soul, high in the sky to Valhalla of old Valkyries, ride over the battlefield I'm dying and glad to bleed Because I know today I will take my place with the heroes In Valhalla of old In The Halls of Valhalla I finally take my place With my sword and my shield I enter Odin's realm I'm an immortal spirit now with a heart made of steel With the gods on high forever I will live and laugh at the Fears of man

Favorite instrumentals?

Mooolah comments on Feb 4, 2018:

"Cliffs of Dover" Eric Johnson

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aiRn3Zlw3Rw

Favorite instrumentals?

carlyhorton comments on Feb 4, 2018:

I don't think the vocalization here counts as lyrics... https://youtu.be/RFDW9b_ejfI

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Totally agree. Great tune from my youth.

Favorite instrumentals?

Uncorrugated comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Do instrumental versions count? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Damn right, they do! xD

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"Most Zionists don’t believe that God exists, but they do believe he promised them Palestine." - Ilan Pappe

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

@273kelvin - "The Auschwitz Logic So this is the Auschwitz logic in a nutshell. Ramallah is not Auschwitz. Israel is not the Third Reich. We have no death-camps and we haven't massacred one third of the Palestinian population in gas chambers. Therefore, everything we do is quite all right. We may fill the occupied territories with tear gas and blood, we may kill and injure and torture and blackmail and dispossess, we may surround millions by electric fences and tanks in tiny enclaves, we may hold them under siege and daily bombing, we may make pregnant women walk to hospitals, and we shoot ambulances too, don't we. But as long as we fall even an inch short of the atrocities of Nazi Germany, it's all fine and good, and don't you dare make the comparison. People sometimes say that the Better is the greatest foe of the Good. Israel is now demonstrating how the Greater Evil is Evil's best friend. And many thanks to Adolf Hitler, for setting such insurmountable standards." ~ Ran HaCohen From: https://antiwar.com/hacohen/pf/p-h040102.html

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

SageDave comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I left the temple originally because I thought that Israel practices a form of apartheid that rivals South Africa apartheid. More violent and more corrupt. I refused to travel to the country because of the political situation. I have friends who belong to Peace Now in Israel and they agree with ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

@273kelvin - True. The US government have been lackeys of the Zionists for some time, I'm afraid.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

273kelvin comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Apartheid?? Over 20% of Israel's population in Arab. The 3rd largest party in the Kinesit is Arab. The chief justice of Israels supreme court is Arab. Does not sound like apartheid to me.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-makdisi-israel-apartheid-20140518-story.html Desmond Tutu thought so, and he should know.

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

Anonbene comments on Feb 3, 2018:

https://youtu.be/-eCh3y5VROM This song reminds me to be kind. It dates me but I sing it a lot and the ladies still seem to like it. Go ahead, ask me to sing it for you. ,????

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

@EllenDale - Wonder why it's acting klugy. I see two of the same images. Tried to delete but couldn't.

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kOy6M_X2MO8 Does this qualify as an instrumental as it has vocalizations but no sung lyrics?

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gryCFevszRQ

Favorite instrumentals?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kOy6M_X2MO8 Does this qualify as an instrumental as it has vocalizations but no sung lyrics?

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

I'd have to say no, but it's almost in a category all it's own. Like Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky."

Did others find that politically, regardless of others factors, that conservative religious ...

astardrifter comments on Feb 2, 2018:

Absolutely. Separation of church and state was written into our constitution. Ignoring that, and trying to change it, are part of the reason we're in the state we're in. I don't care what anyone believes as long as they don't try to insinuate it into our government. I remember when there was a ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

It spoke of an eventual Mormon theocracy prophesied. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Horse_Prophecy

Did others find that politically, regardless of others factors, that conservative religious ...

astardrifter comments on Feb 2, 2018:

Absolutely. Separation of church and state was written into our constitution. Ignoring that, and trying to change it, are part of the reason we're in the state we're in. I don't care what anyone believes as long as they don't try to insinuate it into our government. I remember when there was a ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

I believe it was an issue with Mitt Romney. IIRC, there's some LDS doctrine about getting into power by downplaying the fact that the Mormon "prophet" still calls the shots.

Favorite instrumentals?

Rugglesby comments on Feb 4, 2018:

OK, I know there are lyrics, but you hardly ever hear them, Ride of the Valkyrie.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Bit of Nam trivia. My friend's older brother said they flew into the LZ with "Time Has Come Again" blaring. Chambers Bros.

Favorite instrumentals?

Rugglesby comments on Feb 4, 2018:

OK, I know there are lyrics, but you hardly ever hear them, Ride of the Valkyrie.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Lyrics? Like "Kill the wabbit?" xD https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxiv3CBMS4M

Favorite instrumentals?

Shellbell comments on Feb 4, 2018:

Google 'what's this song?' works on instrumentals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6f_uj6qCFM

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Do I use the voice app and hum It? That was beautiful, btw. Thx.

Favorite instrumentals?

Sacha comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXJifYl_byU Does this one count? :)

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

It's certainly a unique acoustic instrumental arrangement.

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

Sarahroo29 comments on Feb 2, 2018:

This one is funny and true.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

"PRAYER - It's the *least* you can do."

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

clim995 comments on Feb 2, 2018:

My all time favorite lol.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

I created this quote. "God sent God to die for God so that God could forgive God's creations according to God's unending rules." Too Rube Goldberg.

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

birdingnut comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Coincidence?

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Coincidence? xD

What are some of your favorite god/secular/spiritual memes?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 4, 2018:

For Superb Owl Sunday (I'm not big on spectator sports, generally).

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

I find this hilarious.

Favorite instrumentals?

Sacha comments on Feb 4, 2018:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXJifYl_byU Does this one count? :)

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 4, 2018:

Technically no, because of the vocals...but I'll allow it. Thank you for posting it. That was fun. xD

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Trouble comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I don't side with either. The fact that Israel was plopped down in the middle of a bunch of countries that didn't want it there.. well, that sucks. At the same time, it has been that way for a while, it is time for everyone to learn to get along. Both sides have committed atrocities, both sides are ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

@GipsyOfNewSpain - Thank you. I consider it a sign of respect to openly and honestly share my views. This sort of discourse helps me fine-tune my own.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

SageDave comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I left the temple originally because I thought that Israel practices a form of apartheid that rivals South Africa apartheid. More violent and more corrupt. I refused to travel to the country because of the political situation. I have friends who belong to Peace Now in Israel and they agree with ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Thank you for your first-hand account.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

dahermit comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Most Americans are ignorant of the abuses heaped upon the Palestinians by the Jews. Re: the documentaries "Five Cameras" and "Censored Voices" are two good videos to watch, available from NetFlix. "Five Cameras" refers to the five cameras that a Palestinian had shot from his shoulder by Jewish ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Read the part about Evan Toni. https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/06/02/infamy-at-sea-israels-attack-on-the-uss-liberty-50-years-later/

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Reignmond comments on Feb 3, 2018:

As a long time Atheist I have found that with the acceptance of Atheists has come a new type of Atheist.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

I'm just happy if they lose the air of certainty most theists have. I've always said if there's something more, I'll find out soon enough.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I don't consider this too harsh. The actions of the Israelis fits the UN definition of genocide.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

"The trick of declaring war against the armed resistance and then attacking the resisters’ unarmed kin as well as the sur­rounding population with the most gruesome products of Death-Science; this trick is not new. American Pioneers were pioneers in this too; they made it standard practice to declare war on indigenous warriors and then to murder and burn villages with only women and children in them. This is already modern war, what we know as war against civilian populations; it has also been called, more candidly, mass murder or genocide. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that the perpetrators of a Pogrom portray themselves as the victims, in the present case as victims of the Holocaust. Herman Melville noticed over a century ago, in his analysis of the metaphysics of Indian-hating, that those who made a full-time profession of hunting and murdering indigenous people of this continent always made themselves appear, even in their own eyes, as the victims of manhunts. The use the Nazis made of the International Jewish Conspiracy is better known: during all the years of atrocities defying belief, the Nazis considered themselves the victimized. It’s as if the experience of being a victim gave exemption from human solidarity, as if it gave special powers, as if it gave a license to kill." Fredy Perlman from his essay, “Anti-Semitism and the Beirut Pogrom”

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Trouble comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I don't side with either. The fact that Israel was plopped down in the middle of a bunch of countries that didn't want it there.. well, that sucks. At the same time, it has been that way for a while, it is time for everyone to learn to get along. Both sides have committed atrocities, both sides are ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

“We are the only people on Earth asked to guarantee the security of our occupier...while Israel is the only country that calls for defense from its victims.” ? Hanan Ashrawi

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

GipsyOfNewSpain comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Well, they were brought up with the "holocaust" indoctrination front and center. Israel is the only country were I did a port visit and was told "Do not visit the Arab ghetto, because if something happens in any part of the world that prompt the arrest of the usual suspects you will not or may not ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Wow! That's incredible.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

phxbillcee comments on Feb 3, 2018:

& how do you come to this conclusion? I don't know if I'm a "New Atheist", but I consider myself an activist atheist, & I surely am very disappointed (to put it mildly) in many of Israel's actions, & in Drumpf's decision to move the U.S.'s embassy. There was even a thread on this site that discussed...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

This is my viewpoint on people in general under my *nom de plume*. "People are =/= to their religion. I am most definitely an infidel in that I have no belief in any god or gods. A person’s individual godview is the most basic right possible that a human being can have. I personally reject Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (among others)…but do not reject Muslims, Jews, and Christians. A person’s religion and religious culture are most predictably based on their family of origin, where they were born (geography), and when they were born (I.e. no Xians pre-Christ). I stand with all people on the planet willing to work together as a species to live peacefully with each other and our environment. That does not change regardless of the actions of some who think their ‘godview’ justifies any number of horrible acts. I reject those who use such acts to demonize people who are damned for nothing more than ‘guilt by association.’" ~ LanceThruster

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

phxbillcee comments on Feb 3, 2018:

& how do you come to this conclusion? I don't know if I'm a "New Atheist", but I consider myself an activist atheist, & I surely am very disappointed (to put it mildly) in many of Israel's actions, & in Drumpf's decision to move the U.S.'s embassy. There was even a thread on this site that discussed...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

It's not so much a conclusion as a personal observation. I qualified it by saying "a lot" (that *I've* noticed) and "tend to side." I'm new to this site so I make no statement re: agnostics -dot- com. The sites I'm talking about generally treat Islam as the greatest danger facing humanity (Sam Harris often paints such a picture), while seeming to disregard the acts currently being committed by other tribal groups. The death toll by warfare waged by predominantly Christian nations is pretty high, whether directly or by their proxies. Israel definitely gets a pass from Christian Zionists, and I would hazard a guess that atheists think of Israel as more familiar with regards to being secular and "Western." This, in my opinion, causes them to generally turn a blind eye to much of their barbarity (use of white phosphorus on civilians for example - a war crime), and treat the Arab population as irrational terrorist fanatics. It should be noted that international law allows for a population to resist invaders by force. So, no trolling at all.

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"Rust never sleeps."

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

"Rust never sleeps" is a line in "Hey Hey, My My." "It is better to burn out than fade away."

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Donna_I comments on Feb 3, 2018:

@williamcharles what is justice for the Palestinians?

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Do you feel the prolonged detention (and torture - they're freezing her in her cell) of the minor Ahed Tamini for the slapping of an Israeli soldier raiding her home, is "justice?"

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

dahermit comments on Feb 3, 2018:

Most Americans are ignorant of the abuses heaped upon the Palestinians by the Jews. Re: the documentaries "Five Cameras" and "Censored Voices" are two good videos to watch, available from NetFlix. "Five Cameras" refers to the five cameras that a Palestinian had shot from his shoulder by Jewish ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

I made the acquaintance of a USS Liberty survivor. He wrote the book, "Assault on the Liberty." Israel is rarely discussed in anything other than a one-sided manner, favoring the Israelis.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Reignmond comments on Feb 3, 2018:

As a long time Atheist I have found that with the acceptance of Atheists has come a new type of Atheist.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Could you expand on that? I'd like to understand. It seems to be the general description of the New Atheist is a militant antitheism. I don't have a problem with that as all ideas need to be able to stand up to scrutiny.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

josh_karpf comments on Feb 3, 2018:

The affinity (or sympathy) for Jewishness as a religious minority, as credibly oppressed in the American imagination as Native Americans, has long taken the Palestinian issue off the human-rights table for many identity groups, not just atheists. After 9/11, add Islamophobia to the mix. ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

9/11 Truth also happens to be a sticking point with me as far as atheist/freethought/skeptic groups go. I feel strongly that the physics doesn't support the official 9/11 narrative, yet secular groups seem to engage in a lot of handwaving to dismiss those who point out problems with it.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

josh_karpf comments on Feb 3, 2018:

The affinity (or sympathy) for Jewishness as a religious minority, as credibly oppressed in the American imagination as Native Americans, has long taken the Palestinian issue off the human-rights table for many identity groups, not just atheists. After 9/11, add Islamophobia to the mix. ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

It's also ironic that on 9/11 sites, I would be lumped in with the atheistic cabal which is supposed to be a plot by Jewish intellectuals.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Donna_I comments on Feb 3, 2018:

@williamcharles what is justice for the Palestinians?

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

The right of return for starters. Palestinians who were run off their land cannot go back, but a Jew from anywhere in the world has a right, according to Israel, to emigrate there. I consider the one state solution justice (however feasable). One person, one vote tends to be the model for democracy elsewhere, but not in Israel. Israel claims to not be an occupational force, but controls their borders, coastline, and airspace.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Buddha comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I didn't notice that ???

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Again, it's just my perception. Thank you for weighing in.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

David1955 comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I identify with New Atheism, but I do not side in the way you suggest. A great many religionist Christians certainly side with the Irsaeli side on this, so I don't think your generalisation about atheism is very valid, actually. I think it is a tragedy that this issue cannot be resolved.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

I'm going by what I perceive on FB in both the Atheist Republic page (started by ex-Muslims) and the Four Horsemen site. I put in my $.02. Sometimes it's addressed, but usually ignored.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

josh_karpf comments on Feb 3, 2018:

The affinity (or sympathy) for Jewishness as a religious minority, as credibly oppressed in the American imagination as Native Americans, has long taken the Palestinian issue off the human-rights table for many identity groups, not just atheists. After 9/11, add Islamophobia to the mix. ...

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Well reasoned take. I am a 9/11 Truther myself, yet wince at some of the otherwise seemingly credible sites spouting Satanic or other supernatural sources of the deception. While I feel it is ultimately up to the Palestinians what concessions, if any, they make, the world has their thumb on the scale in favor of the Zionists. Zionism seems less about living in peace and safety, and more about being in charge regardless of the demographics.

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

I like to think of it as the maxim, "Love is the one thing that grows the more you give it away."

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

KKGator comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I'm not going to take sides. They need to figure it out for themselves.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

For the record, the US is already taking sides as we fund a great deal of the Israeli abuse of Palestinians. We are in no way neutral mediators on the issue.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

Teslacoilsmith comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I agree. Israel stole the land from the Arabs with the help of Britain and America. They completely mistreated the Palestinian people since day 1. Zionist propaganda is so pervasive in the West, unfortunately.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Agreed. The penalty for speaking out agaist Israeli oppression is generally swift and severe for those daring it.

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

KKGator comments on Feb 3, 2018:

I'm not going to take sides. They need to figure it out for themselves.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Regarding neutrality -

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

wordywalt comments on Feb 3, 2018:

That I do not understand.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

That many atheists take Israel's side over the Palestinians?

I notice a lot of atheist groups, particularly "New Atheists" tend to side with apartheid Israel ...

engineer_in_nj comments on Feb 3, 2018:

why are you asking for thoughts when you clearly made up your mind? That was my only thought about what you wrote.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

"Thoughts" as in your view. I'm curious as to whether others think the essentially pro-Israel view is warranted. Stating my own view was just that.

Do you have a favorite lyric you quote?

Anonbene comments on Feb 3, 2018:

https://youtu.be/-eCh3y5VROM This song reminds me to be kind. It dates me but I sing it a lot and the ladies still seem to like it. Go ahead, ask me to sing it for you. ,????

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Seen this? (double photo load for some reason)

There is no agnostic vs. atheist! The peeve I have...

WilliamCharles comments on Feb 3, 2018:

An agnostic is essentially a "weak" atheist by definition. I consider myself an atheist/agnostic in that I, 1) have no belief in any god(s) and, 2) I see no evidence either way.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 3, 2018:

Silvereyes - my understanding is that a "strong" atheist asserts there is no God, implying omnipotent knowledge of such, but this link has a slightly more nuanced explanation of it. It also mentions weak atheism is also called "soft" atheism. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_and_positive_atheism

Politics Can Be As Bad As Religion.

Dwight comments on Feb 2, 2018:

Politics and religion, two sides of the same coin.

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 2, 2018:

Except that the secular political interaction should never include the assertion that something is right because, "My God says so!"

I was quite honored to be quoted in my online friend's book (under my web pen name).

WilliamCharles comments on Jan 27, 2018:

First post. Figuring out the formatting. My "I.e." does not show as written (still doesn't I might add).

WilliamCharles replies on Feb 1, 2018:

Billy Chuck is almost as awesome as Billy Jack.

I was quite honored to be quoted in my online friend's book (under my web pen name).

Julieanne08 comments on Jan 28, 2018:

Wow cool name Lance.

WilliamCharles replies on Jan 28, 2018:

I used to have it as my FB name because there's a continuity of what I've written online, but they made me change it. It was meant to be evocative of "Flash Gordon" or "Buck Rogers," but there's also the double entendre.