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I liked the General Forum. Not thrilled about it's removal.
UrsiMajor comments on Apr 24, 2019:
It got to be too much work for unpaid admin to deal with the whining. You are not helping the forum by complaining to Admin that you are an Applebee's person and Billy Bob is a TGI Friday's person, etc. Agnostic.com didn't have the resources to handle that. Growing pains suck. If they don't have ...
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
Here's the solution: 1. Is the comment allowable under free speech? It's legit. 2. Did it hurt your feelings? Grow a pair.
Yes, we removed the general forum.
Xuande comments on Apr 24, 2019:
Thanks for the memories guys. We're supposed to be the people that promote free thinking, open conversations. Thanks for making us all hypocrites and rendering the entire idea useless. Sorry for the trauma.
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
We need to find our own sheep pen and bleat appropriately.
Yes, we removed the general forum.
David1955 comments on Apr 24, 2019:
So, this is no longer a Community, but a collection of groups. That is sad. Will someone please set up a *Group* called *"Community"*, we'll all join, and we go back to where we were. Thanks Also, I remember the Good Ole Days when we were asked what we thought about possible changes. ...
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
@Jacar I wonder if the host of the new General Forum really supported free speech, would that work, at least while it was understood that this is the point of this particular forum? I suppose people who got offended would still want admin to go to bat for them but if admin kept to the decision to allow hosts have the final decision...
Yes, we removed the general forum.
UrsiMajor comments on Apr 24, 2019:
Removing the General Forum is a bad idea. Instead, you should update your policy to "No Whining." Unless someone is committing a crime punishable by law, shut the hell up and deal with it.
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
Gosh, that gets to the heart of it.
Yes, we removed the general forum.
JacarC comments on Apr 24, 2019:
""acceptable posts"" ???
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
You're screwed, Jacar.
Yes, we removed the general forum.
TomMcGiverin comments on Apr 24, 2019:
Unless it's a typo or I'm misreading your post, admin., what you seem to by saying with this decision is that now all the moderating will be done at the group level rather than the site level. What this change does is give almighty power to the group moderators to act like petty tyrants, which some ...
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
Let the ass-kissing begin!
Yes, we removed the general forum.
Sticks48 comments on Apr 24, 2019:
No trauma, just a real high school idea. It turns it from a real grownup site to something teenagers would think up. I will have to think about leaving. This is not an enjoyable format.
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
Yes indeed! I was thinking of Jonathan Haidt and The Coddling of the American Mind.
If anyone finds the frog ? -your a special kind of person
altschmerz comments on Apr 24, 2019:
I'm really trying to find the frog here ...
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
@SiouxcitySue Well, I guess he'll live. We could only hope in prison for a long time. What's up with that carry-on?
If anyone finds the frog ? -your a special kind of person
altschmerz comments on Apr 24, 2019:
I'm really trying to find the frog here ...
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
He must think the frog is in her throat and he's trying to kill it. It cannot end well.
Do scientific and religious explanations necessarily contradict each other?
gearl comments on Apr 24, 2019:
In early Mesopotamian mythology, the world was portrayed as a flat disk floating in the ocean with a hemispherical sky-dome above, and this forms the premise for early world maps like those of Anaximander and Hecataeus of Miletus. During the 3rd century BC, Hellenistic astronomy established the ...
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
I think it was incorrect to translate the word as 'sphere'. To the best of knowledge, the correct translation is 'circle' and should be understood as a flat circle with two side pillars where the firmament was locked into place over it.
Do scientific and religious explanations necessarily contradict each other?
DonaldHRoberts comments on Apr 24, 2019:
The real problem with science and religion is they both, all to often, contradict themselves and each other which lends to the statement, The truth is always the truth. If something is true there are no variations. All other adaptations are suspect and most likely fabricated. There are no ...
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
@William @Donald I wonder is there objective truth either in our world or out in the great beyond. I had come to the conclusion that truth of any matter was the total aggregation of opinions on the topic - a Hegelian way of thinking that may not be correct but it sure keeps me calmer about opposing ideas. I'm suspicious of Hegel's thinking because so many stupid ideas would also end up in the mix. But what about objective truth on the cosmic level? If the cosmos is conscious, would it recognise certain things to be self-evident? Maybe, or maybe its only interest is in Being.
Do scientific and religious explanations necessarily contradict each other?
skado comments on Apr 24, 2019:
Depends entirely on how you interpret them. When science can get over its squeamishness about studying human psychology and symbolic imagery, it will find religion to be completely in line with a scientific understanding of human nature.
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
I see the two sides of the coin happening these days and I'm really happy about it. From the scientific side, I enjoy Jordan Peterson explain religious ideas in terms of psychology and on the other side, I watch a lot of videos by a Greek Orthodox Christian named Jonathan Pageau who is an icon carver and explains psychological symbols in Christian terms. He also explains the symbolism of modern movies like Logan, Spirited Away and Star Wars.
ISIS bombed two christian churches in Shri-Lanka killing 300 because a white supremacist bombed two ...
Axlefoley comments on Apr 24, 2019:
End religion and you will end this sort of violance.
brentan replies on Apr 24, 2019:
I wonder. I think hatred is the root of the problem and religion, race etc are just toools used to express the hatred. It must come across very pessimistic but I think if one tool is removed, another will be put in its place.
Show me signs..
snytiger6 comments on Apr 23, 2019:
If god was all knowing... why would he need them to mark their doorways with lambs blood? It seems to be a carry over from an older "blood magic" religion.
brentan replies on Apr 23, 2019:
I think it's about involving the people, getting them to be aware of what's going on and their complicity in it.
What is the difference between "makers" and "takers" in the economy?
Novelty comments on Apr 23, 2019:
I refuse to use the word "earned" to describe business owners that keep telling hard working people that they're poor because they're lazy and don't work enough, those are the very people that do all the work. Entitled rich don't get to brag about how hard they work when their money comes from the ...
brentan replies on Apr 23, 2019:
One of the most depressing things for me was to see the new lords of technology treat their employees far worse than the traditional bosses.
Today is Shakespeare's birthday, may his works be long remembered as doing so has given him the ...
cava comments on Apr 23, 2019:
If someone is remember 1000 yrs from now Shakespeare is a likely candidate, it is however uncertain that he wrote all the plays & poems attributed to him, some say Marlowe and others Amelia Bassano Lanier.
brentan replies on Apr 23, 2019:
Shame on them all - Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance included!
Don't be a slave to religion..
brentan comments on Apr 22, 2019:
I try, Charlene......God knows I try.
brentan replies on Apr 22, 2019:
Forgive me, Charlene for I have sinned.
"In our obscurity - in all this vastness - there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to ...
WilliamCharles comments on Apr 22, 2019:
And sometimes it's hard not to be overwhelmed with "compassion fatigue." There's so many things to fret over, it is almost paralysing.
brentan replies on Apr 22, 2019:
Yes indeed. There's something very likeable about succinctness.
"In our obscurity - in all this vastness - there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to ...
WilliamCharles comments on Apr 22, 2019:
And sometimes it's hard not to be overwhelmed with "compassion fatigue." There's so many things to fret over, it is almost paralysing.
brentan replies on Apr 22, 2019:
The goodness in your heart will probably motivate you to do the right thing despite the odds. Nobody could be criticised for being overwhelmed by the odds at times but we recover.
Just a "somewhat" humorous quip.
JimG comments on Apr 21, 2019:
Irony, right? I can see the resurrection day as being Happy, but how the hell do you call the day someone was allegedly tortured and executed in a gruesome manner "GOOD FRIDAY?"
brentan replies on Apr 22, 2019:
I guess it's looking at 'the bright side of life' in the sense that the sacrifice was to give back the prospect of eternal life to human beings.
Catholic Church assures billionaires that none of their Notre Dame donations will go to poor - The ...
David1955 comments on Apr 21, 2019:
Well, we wouldn't want to set a bad precedent now, would we? As Jesus said, the one percenters will inherit the earth, and blessed are the oligarchs. :-)
brentan replies on Apr 22, 2019:
Yes he did. He said more would be given to those who have and those who haven't would have what they had taken away from them
Personally, I have no use for Christianity, and I saw through it and rejected it about 30 years ago,...
brentan comments on Apr 13, 2019:
This would be fine if Buttigieg could not be accused of Christian hypocrisy too. His lifestyle is anathema to the Christian lifestyle.
brentan replies on Apr 21, 2019:
@rainmanjr I expect genuine Christians to be conservative about morals and I expect liberals to be inclusive. I have a problem with liberal Christians because I think they want their bread buttered on both sides.
In your view, what is the single most significant/important US/Western cultural development in the ...
IamNobody comments on Apr 21, 2019:
The internet and how ubiquitous it has become in our daily life...... just pull the plug as a thought experiment and see how your life would work without any of the services Internet provides now a days.
brentan replies on Apr 21, 2019:
Stop that - a chill ran down my spine.
What despicable people these are.
Freedompath comments on Apr 21, 2019:
Isn’t that interesting indeed! I sometimes, think about the Civil War, here in the US and how the South had so many religions people and little else, because there was no public education. Families were against families...and they died by the thousands. I only know about the South’s religious ...
brentan replies on Apr 21, 2019:
Apu tries to explain the Civil War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q--iGgtRn8
"The narrative that government is inefficient and its optimum role should be ‘limited’ to avoid ...
brentan comments on Apr 21, 2019:
I'm a big fan of Maynard Keynes. They say his policy is no use anymore because the way markets work is different today. I thought it was a very well-proportioned mix of market and government. The image I have from reading about his ideas is that of the economy as a boiler system needing impetus at ...
brentan replies on Apr 21, 2019:
I did watch it. It's well worth the time. I'm a big fan of Peterson so I enjoyed listening to him as always. I'm not familiar with Zizek, and struggled to understand him because he has some kind of speech problem, but I concentrated and found him a delight. The fanboys are a waste of space and miss the whole point of what's going on - the meeting of minds. They didn't understand that the two men actually agree on just about everything.
There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding quantum mechanics.
Heraclitus comments on Apr 19, 2019:
Yes, there has been a lot of woo propagated about this. It is not the witnessing itself, per se, but the interaction that alters the quantum state. (BTW, it is consciousness, not "conscience". Guilt has nothing to do with it, either) :)
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
@Heraclitus Maybe it would be enough if I could convince people that I am not 'Jesus-smuggling' when I bring my religious past to bear on a topic. Sorry for being testy!
Are positive illusions a necessary condition for being happy?
dahermit comments on Apr 20, 2019:
I agree with your assessment. However, there is another "type of people" who view the world as it is (realistically), those people are we High Functioning Asperger's Syndrome persons. I find that "normal" people's view of life is distorted by their emotions.
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
So true. I didn't think of that and I'm one of them.
There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding quantum mechanics.
Heraclitus comments on Apr 19, 2019:
Yes, there has been a lot of woo propagated about this. It is not the witnessing itself, per se, but the interaction that alters the quantum state. (BTW, it is consciousness, not "conscience". Guilt has nothing to do with it, either) :)
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
@Heraclitus I did explain it. You didn't get it. No big deal in that but telling me how to speak, that's not on!
I really like a sentiment of Lawrence Krauss.
brentan comments on Apr 20, 2019:
You must admit that inanimate objects don't have the concept of self-sacrifice. The idea about Jesus was that somebody sentient cared enough to give his life for the sake of humankind. I don't believe it's true and I doubt the logic of the sacrifice but Krauss is being very disingenuous claiming ...
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
He probably should have made a scientic statement in a scientific, professional way and not try to anthropomorphise stars just to get a dig in at religion.
"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no ...
brentan comments on Apr 20, 2019:
I think he was the one who had a slave for his lover.
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
@Logicforme I think if everybody saw things the same way, we could back off on the criticism but lots of people at the time were critical. They were judgemental too because they saw it as a sin as much as a crime.
There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding quantum mechanics.
Heraclitus comments on Apr 19, 2019:
Yes, there has been a lot of woo propagated about this. It is not the witnessing itself, per se, but the interaction that alters the quantum state. (BTW, it is consciousness, not "conscience". Guilt has nothing to do with it, either) :)
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
The notion of thoughts a god might have comes from my years as a Christian studying scripture to try to understand the way God might think and copy him. In this context, I wanted to get across the old idea of the divine nature that I think comes closest to describe the ability to experience the' past, present, future, here, there and everywhere' aspect of quantum mechanics. I get the feeling that you don't want me to express myself in terms of my own life experience because it isn't secular enough to suit your way of thinking. We have to live and let live and allow people to express themselves on their own terms and not our own.
Weekend plans.
Novelty comments on Apr 20, 2019:
I'll work Sunday, just because my project could use the attention, the fact that it's on Easter is just bonus irreverence that keep my nipples erect.
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
I see....I think!
There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding quantum mechanics.
Heraclitus comments on Apr 19, 2019:
Yes, there has been a lot of woo propagated about this. It is not the witnessing itself, per se, but the interaction that alters the quantum state. (BTW, it is consciousness, not "conscience". Guilt has nothing to do with it, either) :)
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
@Heraclitus No, I'm not making a religious argument. I'm just using words that I think best express the idea I want to convey.
There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding quantum mechanics.
Heraclitus comments on Apr 19, 2019:
Yes, there has been a lot of woo propagated about this. It is not the witnessing itself, per se, but the interaction that alters the quantum state. (BTW, it is consciousness, not "conscience". Guilt has nothing to do with it, either) :)
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
@Heraclitus There is good reason to speak that way because for centuries God was the only being thought to exist outside of creation.
Oops! It's a spoiler, but not Game of Thrones!
brentan comments on Apr 20, 2019:
But he comes back and kicks ass and rules forever and ever amen! You can't beat a good script.
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
You must admit that's a different story..
Weekend plans.
Novelty comments on Apr 20, 2019:
I'll work Sunday, just because my project could use the attention, the fact that it's on Easter is just bonus irreverence that keep my nipples erect.
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
A sexy project? Do tell!
There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding quantum mechanics.
Heraclitus comments on Apr 19, 2019:
Yes, there has been a lot of woo propagated about this. It is not the witnessing itself, per se, but the interaction that alters the quantum state. (BTW, it is consciousness, not "conscience". Guilt has nothing to do with it, either) :)
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
I think witnessing is considered to be the same as interaction in quantum mechanics – at least in terms of perceiving an overview of the situation. But how can seeing something affect the nature of a thing? I think the answer might lie in a concept that will be explored in Iain McGilchrist's new book which will deal with the idea of matter being no more than a manifestation of process. If matter is a manifestation of process, why would seeing it change its nature? Perhaps because it would place us outside ‘real’ life, having thoughts we would usually only think a god might have. We know the idea of Schrodinger’s cat that was alive and also dead depending on whether we viewed the reality of the cat’s situation as snap-shot or video. Snap-shot would place the cat in specific circumstances at specific times but the video would tell the whole story.
"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no ...
brentan comments on Apr 20, 2019:
I think he was the one who had a slave for his lover.
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
It just sounds to me like that thinking 'but we treated our niggers right'.
It has been said by fururists that within less than 30 to 50 years.
Novelty comments on Apr 20, 2019:
I'd love to have the option to live a thousand or more lifetimes, but maintain the right to only go two should I find it boring and wish it to end. Such people shouldn't be able to reproduce either unless we all want to spend eternity standing on top of one another. Immortals don't need to ...
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
Perhaps you're right. Maybe immortality and reproduction just don't belong together. We might even say (but it is debatable) that immortality simply precludes reproduction.
"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no ...
brentan comments on Apr 20, 2019:
I think he was the one who had a slave for his lover.
brentan replies on Apr 20, 2019:
@TCorCM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Hemings
sisters of mercy visiion thing [youtube.com]
273kelvin comments on Apr 19, 2019:
https://youtu.be/0QxtA186MD4
brentan replies on Apr 19, 2019:
Thanks a lot. I needed the antidote.
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu: Leave No Palestinian or Arab Alive | Veterans Today | Military Foreign Affairs...
Krish55 comments on Apr 19, 2019:
If the Arabs were to put down their arms, there would be no more Palestine or Lebanon etc. Greater Israel would become even larger, as the original zionists intended.
brentan replies on Apr 19, 2019:
I learned a new word today: hasbara. Thanks!
A BOLD SATAEMENT I think we can fix the world, if we enforced logic.
Neenz comments on Apr 19, 2019:
Wow...I didn't expect any reply to this I'm really surprised!! However, I might be wrong but I believe logic can take over the law and the politics. We take away the power from the elements of corruption and the interference of poor judgements that is controlled by the few elites over the mass of ...
brentan replies on Apr 19, 2019:
I'm a bit nervous of logic. For Christians, logic is logos. For Muslims, logic is Sharia Law. Logic tends to be self-referential. I don't quite trust it.
What is Nothingness, does nothingness exists?
TheMiddleWay comments on Apr 18, 2019:
Nothing is nothing. (A=A) Something is something. (B=B) Nothing is the opposite of something. (A=-B) Something is the opposite of nothing. (B=-A) Here we have a classic dichotomy insofar as depending on what you want to define first defines the other. For example, we can define nothingness ...
brentan replies on Apr 19, 2019:
If Polyphemus had told his friends he was speaking epistemologically and not ontologically, Ulysses' goose would have been cooked.
1,000 Years Ago, the Catholic Church Didn’t Care If You Were Gay - [gayety.co]
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
It got complicated with the apostle Paul. He used words that we can't really translate into modern English. All I know is he talked of lots of types of activities that would make you ineligible for salvation. And homosexuals have been scapegoated by Christians so that other lifestyles would not come...
brentan replies on Apr 19, 2019:
@AnneWimsey I never said it was.
Is there any way that religion can be proved to be man made?
St-Sinner comments on Apr 18, 2019:
The faithfools don't accept science, they don't accept reason, they don't accept modern times, they do not accept the reality...... how would they accept the proof the God is man-made? A woman in the U.S. just saw Jesus standing in the burning spire of Notre Dame on TV. This is in 2019? The ...
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
I worry about the type of people we'll be left with if all the religious die out. I don't think the world has a substitute for them in place yet.
Billions already pledged to reconstruct Notre Dame.
Matias comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The two events are not related.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@Marionville I say the Guardian article dexcfribes the connection between the two things very well. As for not being to be taught anything in this case, I'm pretty sure it applies in every case.
Love is wise; hatred is foolish.
brentan comments on Apr 18, 2019:
I was just thinking earlier today how insightful the people were in the past who perceived that spirit was so much more effective than law. We mostly only know this idea from religion so I think the baby got thrown out with the bathwater. Our society has never been so busy making laws to equalise ...
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@Marionville But it isn't all about you! And I will quote it any time I feel it helps explain what I'm thinking.
Billions already pledged to reconstruct Notre Dame.
Matias comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The two events are not related.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@Marionville I don't know how you can say it isn't a choice. And apologies for thinking you could be taught anything!
Billions already pledged to reconstruct Notre Dame.
Matias comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The two events are not related.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@Matias I'm not forgetting them, Matias. I was just commenting on the situation with the rich.
Protesters dressed as Jesus and Satan appear at Buttigieg campaign event in Iowa | TheHill
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The protesters are nuts but Buttigieg deserves it.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@1of5 And I thought Buttigieg deserved to be mocked for his lame Christinity.
Protesters dressed as Jesus and Satan appear at Buttigieg campaign event in Iowa | TheHill
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The protesters are nuts but Buttigieg deserves it.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@1of5 I have the feeling you think we should go by your persepective. I tried to be circumspect but to no avail.
Protesters dressed as Jesus and Satan appear at Buttigieg campaign event in Iowa | TheHill
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The protesters are nuts but Buttigieg deserves it.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@1of5 I think you're saying that instead of distinguishing between right and wrong, we should distinguish between wrong and more wrong.
Protesters dressed as Jesus and Satan appear at Buttigieg campaign event in Iowa | TheHill
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The protesters are nuts but Buttigieg deserves it.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@1of5 Well, let's not pick out just one performance then.
Bain Dramage.
brentan comments on Apr 18, 2019:
I don't believe that for a moment.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@Heathenman I don't believe "that religious fundamentalism is, in part, the result of a functional impairment in a brain region known as the prefrontal cortex." I believe the impulse to worship and the brain apparatus to rationalise it are a tribute to the imaginative powers of the brain and suggest an ability rather than a malfunction.
Protesters dressed as Jesus and Satan appear at Buttigieg campaign event in Iowa | TheHill
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The protesters are nuts but Buttigieg deserves it.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@1of5 I would suggest the whole political arena has become theatre.
Billions already pledged to reconstruct Notre Dame.
Matias comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The two events are not related.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@Matias I hope you'll read the Guardian article I've posted to see the connection between this one-off disaster and systemic public issues.
Billions already pledged to reconstruct Notre Dame.
Matias comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The two events are not related.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
@Marionville Here's an article that says it all better than I can: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/18/billionaires-donations-notre-dame-france-inequality
I really do hate small talk...this made me laugh
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
Maybe all that talk will make it get bigger.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
It goes down better with a glass of wine. I'm going to stop now. I feel like I'm just digging a deeper hole.
Nothing More- Fade In/Fade Out [youtube.com]
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
He must increase, but I must decrease - John 3:30. Nowadays, 'when the grip leaves the hand', it's time for the care home.
brentan replies on Apr 18, 2019:
My bad. I was being cynical. I really like The Living Years by Mike & The Mechanics.
Has anyone experienced a big family secret after family members have died?
Buttercup comments on Apr 17, 2019:
My maternal grandfather was a suicide and a Catholic so it was hushed up. I outed him to almost all of my generation and the one after. It was really more force of habit to our elders than much of a scandal to them. That side of the family was far from devout and considered being in a church a ...
brentan replies on Apr 17, 2019:
My experience of Catholicism had more to do with outward respectability than anything else.
Protesters dressed as Jesus and Satan appear at Buttigieg campaign event in Iowa | TheHill
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The protesters are nuts but Buttigieg deserves it.
brentan replies on Apr 17, 2019:
No, the abuse.
My mom told me a story of when she was younger and worked at the nursing home how there was this ...
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
Could you possibly be justifying your asexuality by saying the man you love is somehow unattainable?
brentan replies on Apr 17, 2019:
True. I never suggested that there was a need for justification, just that the person might feel a need to justify their feelings.
Science, bitches!
JGal comments on Apr 17, 2019:
If god sends hurricanes and earthquakes as punishment, why did god send fire to Notre Dame? This not a riddle. I'm wondering who is to blame this time.
brentan replies on Apr 17, 2019:
I'm sure the fire is a test of faith. French people have become quite secular and the new people are mostly Muslim so God wants to see where He stands,
Billions already pledged to reconstruct Notre Dame.
Matias comments on Apr 17, 2019:
The two events are not related.
brentan replies on Apr 17, 2019:
@ Matias I think both forms of charitable investment come under philanthropy. What made you say they were different issues?
And send those positive vibes......
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
What's going on?
brentan replies on Apr 17, 2019:
More quizzical, jasen...
The evidence that Jesus ever existed is weaker than you might think
brentan comments on Apr 17, 2019:
There is evidence in Tacitus' Annals that looks very credible I'm still not convinced though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacitus_on_Christ
brentan replies on Apr 17, 2019:
@David1955 Are you sure that's true? Tacitus is a much-respected historian.
Hi You are right about the umbrella term.
brentan comments on Apr 16, 2019:
I don't think you're right. I understand socialism and communism as urban and agrarian expressions of the same thing: the state ownership of assets., What you call socialism, I call social democracy.
brentan replies on Apr 16, 2019:
@Allamanda Maybe I've expressed my thoughts badly....
Those who post sensation seeking "news" on social media need to be made accountable.
brentan comments on Apr 15, 2019:
Autism for your child? Measles for other people's children? It's not easy to choose.
brentan replies on Apr 16, 2019:
Don't be a bastard, Bierbasstard.
Hi You are right about the umbrella term.
brentan comments on Apr 16, 2019:
I don't think you're right. I understand socialism and communism as urban and agrarian expressions of the same thing: the state ownership of assets., What you call socialism, I call social democracy.
brentan replies on Apr 16, 2019:
@Allamanda I forgot to add 'respectively' I call socialism urban.
Those who post sensation seeking "news" on social media need to be made accountable.
brentan comments on Apr 15, 2019:
Autism for your child? Measles for other people's children? It's not easy to choose.
brentan replies on Apr 16, 2019:
@Bierbasstard I don't believe it.
Why is there public crowd funding and pledges of public funds by governments to rebuild a private ...
brentan comments on Apr 16, 2019:
I think people understand deep-down what this building means to our civilisation. It's an icon of our Judeo-Christian heritage, which for all its faults, has contributed to the advanced society we enjoy today.
brentan replies on Apr 16, 2019:
And a couple of billionaires, from what I'm reading.
In the second creation myth in Genesis, god created Adam and Eve and put them in a garden that had ...
brentan comments on Apr 16, 2019:
The Bible says the tree of the knowledge of good and evil made Adam and Eve like God in knowing good and bad. They were denied continued access to the tree of life because it would allow them to live forever. What would have been so bad about this? Maybe you couldn't really know about good and bad ...
brentan replies on Apr 16, 2019:
It's like "You want to know about bad? I'll show you bad!"
Those who post sensation seeking "news" on social media need to be made accountable.
brentan comments on Apr 15, 2019:
Autism for your child? Measles for other people's children? It's not easy to choose.
brentan replies on Apr 16, 2019:
I think the worry lies in the fact that nobody wants to deal with the outrageous increase in autism. Wakefield is discredited but there is still a lot of suspicion that the two things are connected. It won't be laid to rest until there is a full investigation into the rise in autism.
"Faith is pretending to know, what you don't know"... Aaron Ra . I heard this quote on YouTube.
brentan comments on Apr 10, 2019:
That's not my understanding of faith. Or the apostle Paul's. This is his definition: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proving of things not seen.  (KJV) or And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction, (RV) -Hebrews 11:1.
brentan replies on Apr 15, 2019:
I'm not saying the apostle Paul's definition of faith holds water in the real world. I'm saying, as an ex-Christian, Aaron Ra is wrong about the experience of Christian faith.
Maybe not so funny as it is true.
brentan comments on Apr 15, 2019:
I doubt if there's much truth in that.
brentan replies on Apr 15, 2019:
@Cast1es but what women, how many etc. The truth can only be seen in statistics that break down all the details.We could start with the assertion that women naturally go for engineer and CEO positions.go for
[instagram.com] Man of the year Mark Zuckerfatone.
brentan comments on Apr 14, 2019:
I've left FB - again, second time. I'm halfway through the 30 days before they delete the account, if they ever really do. I don't think I'll go back to it again this time because there's nothing to go back too. All that's left on my account is Muslims and Christians trash-talking at each other.
brentan replies on Apr 15, 2019:
Yes, they are so focussed on who they see as the victimised that they pay no heed to their Muslim sisters who are the real victims within that that allegedly victimised group.
Conservatives Are Trying To Claim Pete Buttigieg Isn't Actually A Christian | HuffPost
brentan comments on Apr 14, 2019:
To be truthful, he isn't really a Christian because of his homosexual lifestyle. The others can also be judged on a 'by their fruits shall you know them' basis.
brentan replies on Apr 14, 2019:
In all fairness David, it doesn't contradict itself on homosexuality. So if you were to say to me the Bible is so contradictory in general, you simply don't credit it so screw the lot, I would say I have the same idea too. All I'm saying is if you say you're a Christian and a ruling is clear and you decide to do your own thing anyway, other Christians will have an issue with that.
[youtube.
brentan comments on Apr 14, 2019:
That's a very, very pleasant piece of music!
brentan replies on Apr 14, 2019:
It is very interesting. I'm guessing that it was added in good faith otherwise it would spoil the whole idea of atonement. I read it again and it seems the idea was to take back vows made for the upcoming year before the poor sinner had a chance to fail. I suppose a cynic can have a heyday making fun of it.
Conservatives Are Trying To Claim Pete Buttigieg Isn't Actually A Christian | HuffPost
brentan comments on Apr 14, 2019:
To be truthful, he isn't really a Christian because of his homosexual lifestyle. The others can also be judged on a 'by their fruits shall you know them' basis.
brentan replies on Apr 14, 2019:
@david75090 I think you are right about us all being created by God if there is a god. The Pharisees would say they were children of God because they were Abraham's descendents but Christ told them they were very wrong. To be like Abraham, you had to obey God like Abraham did. To be a Christian, which is a child of God, means you live obedient to God's commands and homosexuality is forbidden to Christians.
[youtube.
brentan comments on Apr 14, 2019:
That's a very, very pleasant piece of music!
brentan replies on Apr 14, 2019:
Thanks for that. It is very interesting. I always thought Yom Kippur was a celebration of some historical event. So it's a day of atonement. And the Kol Nidrei is a kind of an announcement that you are renouncing any vows you might have made in the previous year. How do the two ideas fit together?
Personally, I have no use for Christianity, and I saw through it and rejected it about 30 years ago,...
brentan comments on Apr 13, 2019:
This would be fine if Buttigieg could not be accused of Christian hypocrisy too. His lifestyle is anathema to the Christian lifestyle.
brentan replies on Apr 13, 2019:
I didn't really want to get into the details of interpretation. I think it's fair to say that despite difficulties translating some of the words Paul used, the common thrust of legitimate sex in scriptures is within heterosexual marriage. You're right that Christians obsess about homosexuality. Maybe it's done in the hope that their God will accept the scapegoating of homosexuals and turn a blind eye to all the things they do that are described in scriptures as sins worthy of everlasting death.
"Faith is pretending to know, what you don't know"... Aaron Ra . I heard this quote on YouTube.
brentan comments on Apr 10, 2019:
That's not my understanding of faith. Or the apostle Paul's. This is his definition: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proving of things not seen.  (KJV) or And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction, (RV) -Hebrews 11:1.
brentan replies on Apr 13, 2019:
My point is that Aaron Ra is wrong.
The closed mind of Richard Dawkins
Moravian comments on Apr 11, 2019:
Nonsense. without the original sin of Adam and Eve in the garden, Jesus would be redundant. Of course the story is taken literally.
brentan replies on Apr 11, 2019:
@TheAstroChuck It's from scripture.
The closed mind of Richard Dawkins
Moravian comments on Apr 11, 2019:
Nonsense. without the original sin of Adam and Eve in the garden, Jesus would be redundant. Of course the story is taken literally.
brentan replies on Apr 11, 2019:
You're absolutely right. He was never beleived to have come on earth to be a propitiatory sacrifice for an allegory.
"Faith is pretending to know, what you don't know"... Aaron Ra . I heard this quote on YouTube.
brentan comments on Apr 10, 2019:
That's not my understanding of faith. Or the apostle Paul's. This is his definition: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proving of things not seen.  (KJV) or And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction, (RV) -Hebrews 11:1.
brentan replies on Apr 11, 2019:
@DragonFZ That's not the point at all! Neither is the point that were most likely three 'Paul's.This guy is the father of Christianity as we know it. If he gives the definition of faith, chances are that's what Christians believe.
"Faith is pretending to know, what you don't know"... Aaron Ra . I heard this quote on YouTube.
brentan comments on Apr 10, 2019:
That's not my understanding of faith. Or the apostle Paul's. This is his definition: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proving of things not seen.  (KJV) or And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction, (RV) -Hebrews 11:1.
brentan replies on Apr 11, 2019:
@DragonFZ Again, though, the mistake is being made that faith is about what you know but according to Paul, it's how you live according to how you see God's truth manifested in your lives. Perhaps faith and belief are different, although related, things.
"Faith is pretending to know, what you don't know"... Aaron Ra . I heard this quote on YouTube.
brentan comments on Apr 10, 2019:
That's not my understanding of faith. Or the apostle Paul's. This is his definition: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proving of things not seen.  (KJV) or And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction, (RV) -Hebrews 11:1.
brentan replies on Apr 10, 2019:
No, the man said exactly what it was to him. And that's how I understood it too.
So a trans friend of mine got kicked out of bar just because she's differant wtf
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
Surely that's illegal! Maybe there's more to the story?
brentan replies on Apr 10, 2019:
I guess the days of discussing these issues are over.
Some will understand this, others may not.
altschmerz comments on Apr 9, 2019:
I do not. ?
brentan replies on Apr 10, 2019:
@scurry And I thought it was about looking at life with rose-tinted glasses.
If only those heartless Xstians had bothered to read their own damned book then they would know ...
BufftonBeotch comments on Apr 10, 2019:
Christians misinterpret their own tales though. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah wasn't sex. It was the abuse of the weary refugee.
brentan replies on Apr 10, 2019:
Ezekiel 16 explains all that was wrong in those cities.
Nudist couple offering to pay someone up to €580 weekly to tutor their son after last teacher felt...
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
They must have more money than sense.
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
@ToolGuy Jesus H, ToolGuy.
Nudist couple offering to pay someone up to €580 weekly to tutor their son after last teacher felt...
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
They must have more money than sense.
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
@ToolGuy The hours were mentioned!
Nudist couple offering to pay someone up to €580 weekly to tutor their son after last teacher felt...
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
They must have more money than sense.
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
@ToolGuy I live in Europe. They're not that different!
So a trans friend of mine got kicked out of bar just because she's differant wtf
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
Surely that's illegal! Maybe there's more to the story?
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
@sassygirl3869 Or maybe I've an open mind on things. You are starting to come across like the old Inquisition.
[yahoo.
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
Buttigieg has invented his own version of Christianity which is fake so I think it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
@tkcoy Yes, it was lazy word choice.
[yahoo.
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
Buttigieg has invented his own version of Christianity which is fake so I think it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
@tkcoy Buttigieg thinks the life of an active homosexual is acceptable to the Christian god. It isn't, never was and has been condemned throughout the Bible.
[yahoo.
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
Buttigieg has invented his own version of Christianity which is fake so I think it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
Maybe 'authentic' might suit you better! No? I thought not!
[yahoo.
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
Buttigieg has invented his own version of Christianity which is fake so I think it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
@sassygirl3869 Fake Christianity is making up your own rules when the rules are already written down.
Feeling this today.
brentan comments on Apr 9, 2019:
And still you find us older people going at it with gusto, some even getting out of bed in the morning with the plan to fight all day.
brentan replies on Apr 9, 2019:
@MissKathleen I missed the quotes. My bad. Apologies.

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This is taken right in front of the Alcazaba in Almeria.
Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist, Secularist, Freethinker, Spiritual
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