There are a lot of atheist dudes on here. I might have to become a Christian.

pepperjones comments on Jul 12, 2018:

Hmmmm... I don't see the problem.

brentan replies on Jul 12, 2018:

Don't go changin' to try to please me........... I want you just the way you are.

That pretty much sums it up.

brentan comments on Jul 11, 2018:

Has anyone read it? It's fiction so I wonder is it a good story, with an interesting plot that makes it a page-turner? Or (God forbid), could it be classed as literature?

brentan replies on Jul 11, 2018:

@Snickers77 @mordant Well I better give that a miss. Thanks for the warning!

If you’re anti Antifa, are you then PRO Fa?

TheInterlooper comments on Jul 11, 2018:

false dichotomy. I'm against people being beaten within an inch of their life for having different political opinions. Antifa is a terrorist organization.

brentan replies on Jul 11, 2018:

@TheInterlooper You must give credit where it's due. First we have religious people forcing 'right' values on us. Now we have antifa happy to thump them into us. I'm just happy so many people care about me!

If you’re anti Antifa, are you then PRO Fa?

TheInterlooper comments on Jul 11, 2018:

false dichotomy. I'm against people being beaten within an inch of their life for having different political opinions. Antifa is a terrorist organization.

brentan replies on Jul 11, 2018:

You must remember they want to correct wrong opinions, not just different ones.It's a social service!

Ugghhh My mail order pharmacy representative just wished me a "blessed day"

Hitchens comments on Jul 11, 2018:

He or she was probably just joking about the Handmaid's tale TV series greeting "Blessed Day"

brentan replies on Jul 11, 2018:

LOL. Imaging giving the reply "Under his eye'!

Does anybody here have a burning desire to ditch society, leave everything behind and go and live?

brentan comments on Jul 11, 2018:

I wonder if a monastery would accept an agnostic. I wouldn't be any trouble.

brentan replies on Jul 11, 2018:

@CrazyQuilter And perhaps not say what I'm seeking?

If you could live ANYWHERE....

FutureFicus comments on Jul 11, 2018:

Seattle seems like it would be amazing, but I actually love living in San Antonio. Austin might be perfect for me, or maybe San Diego. Did somebody say Hawaii? That sounds like a blast! Thailand. Definitely Thailand. The food.... Speaking of food, I might go for Italy or France.

brentan replies on Jul 11, 2018:

I lived in Washington for a few years. I love the two opposite topographies - green forest on one side, desert on the other. And the opposite demographics - country people everywhere and Kurt Cobain types in the city.

Are atheists criticising the wrong things about religion?

CeliaVL comments on Jul 11, 2018:

I'm sure Rowan Williams is a sweet man but he is very woolly-minded. What atheists criticise about religion above everything else is their belief in claims for which there is no evidence. Williams regularly stands up in church and states a whole lot of things he claims he believes in every time ...

brentan replies on Jul 11, 2018:

@CeliaVL That's the point I was making.

Are atheists criticising the wrong things about religion?

CeliaVL comments on Jul 11, 2018:

I'm sure Rowan Williams is a sweet man but he is very woolly-minded. What atheists criticise about religion above everything else is their belief in claims for which there is no evidence. Williams regularly stands up in church and states a whole lot of things he claims he believes in every time ...

brentan replies on Jul 11, 2018:

He sure does come across as a nice man. But you're right, he should have something solid to offer when he's talking about his faith. The trouble is that the proof of his faith lies in his heart and that sort of proof doesn't transfer easily. Here's a few definitions of faith from Hebrews 11:1: New American Standard Bible Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. King James Bible Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Christian Standard Bible Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. I think the best description of faith is 'conviction'. My old religion, the Jehovah's Witnesses, used 'evidence'. Between the three versions, they're talking about internal evidence.

One pillow, two pillows or more?

MrChange comments on Jul 9, 2018:

If I have a girl with me in bed I just need one. Lol

brentan replies on Jul 9, 2018:

Please don't smother the girl. Let her go home to her mom!

This is not a book recommendation but rather a story of getting back to Jane Austin.

brentan comments on Jul 9, 2018:

I love that old English. It seems like you would need to know everything you were going to say before you begin to speak, then speak it grammatically correctly , using clauses, to the end of your sentence. And being very polite while you're doing it!

brentan replies on Jul 9, 2018:

@AmelieMatisse Yes it does. I think it is very elegant.

This is not a book recommendation but rather a story of getting back to Jane Austin.

RaaChenn comments on Jul 9, 2018:

I'm glad you can read 19th century fiction and enjoy it. Other than Dickens, I can't. I find Austin difficult and Melville impossible.

brentan replies on Jul 9, 2018:

@AmelieMatisse Oh dear. I was hoping you would say yes, it's tough but well worth it. But it's best to know the truth. Thanks!

This is not a book recommendation but rather a story of getting back to Jane Austin.

brentan comments on Jul 9, 2018:

I love that old English. It seems like you would need to know everything you were going to say before you begin to speak, then speak it grammatically correctly , using clauses, to the end of your sentence. And being very polite while you're doing it!

brentan replies on Jul 9, 2018:

@RaaChenn That's interesting. I didn't know that. Does that mean that the style came from the Saxons?

This is not a book recommendation but rather a story of getting back to Jane Austin.

RaaChenn comments on Jul 9, 2018:

I'm glad you can read 19th century fiction and enjoy it. Other than Dickens, I can't. I find Austin difficult and Melville impossible.

brentan replies on Jul 9, 2018:

@AmelieMatisse But is it worth it? It's a very long book!

Be kind and love.

Ellatynemouth comments on Jul 7, 2018:

Why work hard and smile often?

brentan replies on Jul 7, 2018:

I can only make a guess it's about responsibility, sacrifice and doing these things cheerfully.

I wonder what the job applications look like at Hooters?

brentan comments on Jul 7, 2018:

If you're right, I think I could fill out a Hooter's bra. I would be very unsteady on the skates.

brentan replies on Jul 7, 2018:

@goldenvalleyguy That would bowl me over!

What is best in life?

stinkeye_a comments on Jul 7, 2018:

To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentations of their women!

brentan replies on Jul 7, 2018:

That sounds Homeric!

What common misconception do you hate to hear repeated as fact?

ProudMary comments on Jul 6, 2018:

That people are pouring across our borders so they can get welfare, food stamps, free housing and medical care, etc., etc., etc. And no matter how many times you tell people that it isn't true, they refuse to believe it and continue promoting the lie. Pisses me off to no end.

brentan replies on Jul 6, 2018:

Immigrants are darn hard workers. I know. I used to be one.

Are atheists criticising the wrong things about religion?

Ellatynemouth comments on Jul 5, 2018:

It's strange. Why was atheism so prevalent in the Soviet Union? Are things reversing now that Russia has become capitalist?

brentan replies on Jul 5, 2018:

It is very strange. Dostoevsky said it had become natural in some way for Russians to become atheists. I think he must have meant that in the context of a Russia that had just recently freed the serfs. The closest he came, as far as I know, to any kind of explanation was to write that as soon as people stopped believing in Mother Russia, they also stopped believing in religion. He didn’t seem to be the type of writer who would state facts. He just had complex characters that he used to show the different sides of arguments. The Greek Orthodox Church dominates in Russia, I think. Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned. I don’t know if anyone in Russia has compiled statistics to let us know what is happening over there.

Are atheists criticising the wrong things about religion?

A_steiner comments on Jul 5, 2018:

So long as religious practices enter into areas that are strategic and/or explanatory then they are fair game for critique. If the religious would like to claim that their beliefs offer no methodology or explanation of anything than there is no problem. However, if that is the case I still cannot ...

brentan replies on Jul 5, 2018:

If we rule out strategy and explanation, I wonder what's left to critique in religion. Maybe I should say faith, because religion offers so much in terms of club membership benefits. It is odd that Dostoevsky never actually said what atheists should be focusing on when they criticise religion. He just said 'they always seem to be talking about something else'. I can't help thinking he means ideas like Christ is in someone's heart or that God talks to people.

I'm super happy. Been trying find more of these collect and read and found a good pile.

brentan comments on Jul 3, 2018:

This has got to stop. Agnosticism is a serious business that leaves no time for happiness, especially for something so frivolous as comic books. I would suggest Dostoevsky for starters.

brentan replies on Jul 3, 2018:

@cweigle I wasn't being serious. Sorry. What are they?

Lovely to have my son back from uni (oh and his laundry mountain).

PalacinkyPDX comments on Jul 3, 2018:

What you're actually doing is KVELLING. As usual, Yiddish has the best words for the most important aspects of life.

brentan replies on Jul 3, 2018:

That might be just wishful thinking!

Lovely to have my son back from uni (oh and his laundry mountain).

archer5691 comments on Jul 3, 2018:

Nothing "spiritual" about it....it's just DEPTH of emotion. ;)

brentan replies on Jul 3, 2018:

I wonder could we say that if this well of love isn't spiritual or cultural, then it comes from our biology?

Survivors of Sexual Trauma Reveal an Important truth.

Ellatynemouth comments on Jul 2, 2018:

I believe Dylan Farrow.

brentan replies on Jul 3, 2018:

I would like to believe him too.

Survivors of Sexual Trauma Reveal an Important truth.

Nottheonlyone comments on Jul 2, 2018:

Is it wrong that it makes me sad that these men receive nothing but support for telling their stories? I'm seriously considering celebrating that this August it will be 25 years since the last time I was raped (not the first time, but the last, mind you). I would have loved to have experienced this...

brentan replies on Jul 3, 2018:

I don't think you're wrong. It's just that life isn't fair. I'll bet there's a world of hurt out there that gets no recognition. I hope you're OK and strong.

The bible clearly shows that Jesus could not control his temper and on one occasion went crazy and ...

brentan comments on Jun 5, 2018:

It would be better to compare what happened back then to some entrepreneurs using the premises of a cathedral as a marketplace. If the priest got angry and drove them out, he might be arrested for aggression but serious questions would be asked about the abuse of the premises by the businessmen. In ...

brentan replies on Jul 2, 2018:

@IpraiseMYSELF Well, I would criticise the passive-aggressive nature of Christianity in the way Nietzsche describes it but I don't think this is relevant to the discussion of what happened in the temple.

What's it going to take to get a president elected that doesn't believe in a god

brentan comments on Jun 29, 2018:

You gotta have faith. It'll happen. It needs a bit more time.

brentan replies on Jun 29, 2018:

@Marionville Oops!!

I’m starting to think religion persists because Americans desperately lack community and ...

Etre comments on Jun 28, 2018:

So let me ask you what is you knowledge about history? I need to know where you are at in your conscious perception of reality, I mean you are putting these ideas out there, but how much do you really know about History and the Evolution there of? You seem to think that these cultures were created ...

brentan replies on Jun 29, 2018:

Gosh, you would put people off coming up with topics for us to discuss!

Am I on the right track?

273kelvin comments on Jun 28, 2018:

Slightly playing devils advocate here but I beg to differ on " Considering all the damage monotheism has done to civilization over the centuries." Much of the reform in our societies have come from the christian church. They were prime movers in the abolitionist movement (amazing grace). In my ...

brentan replies on Jun 28, 2018:

Gosh, I enjoyed that post!

Why Atheists are not bound to subjective morality: Often I see members of religious groups make ...

Ellatynemouth comments on Jun 27, 2018:

Theists are tricked into thinking it forms consensus morality because of how widely it is shared. Because it is imposed, theist morality is inferior.

brentan replies on Jun 27, 2018:

Nonetheless, I wonder if a superior morality might never actually materialise. I think secular humanist values might only ever be limited to educated, liberally-minded people. Perhaps a social system might enforce such values but that brings memories of socialist Russia and communist China.

Why Atheists are not bound to subjective morality: Often I see members of religious groups make ...

David_Cooper comments on Jun 27, 2018:

Morality is simply harm management and has no need of evolution or ridiculous gods. All of it is dictated by mathematics. Most children understand this from a younger age than any religious teaching can influence - they are natural fairness meters, and they judge what's fair by how the suffering and...

brentan replies on Jun 27, 2018:

I think children are born believing the world revolves around them and are conditioned by society to behave as team players from a very early age. If this is true, then the survival of the tribe by means of fair play and support would be cultural, not genetic. But Richard Dawkins, if I understand him right, believes that these cultural norms become infused into our genes over time.

“Do not judge, or you will be judged.

brentan comments on Jun 24, 2018:

Judging as assessing V Judging as punishing I think assessing people is absolutely fine.

brentan replies on Jun 25, 2018:

@Mcflewster Would you say the punishments handed down by the judge are separate from the judging process?

The evolution of religion: Why belief systems are literally false and metaphorically true

Matias comments on Jun 22, 2018:

That is exactly how I view religions: They are wrong, erroneous - if taken literally; but they are, or have been, adaptive in societies without strong secular institutions. One of my intellectual heroes, David S. Wilson, expressed it as follows in his seminal book : "Darwin's Cathedral. ...

brentan replies on Jun 23, 2018:

Religion seems to have been a vehicle suited to the times it thrived in. How could that be? Was it a crude civilising force suited to a crude and barbaric time? Maybe. I wonder could an alternative reality be even considered as a possible different way of living in the past. Maybe not. I can’t help conclude that the stages human history went through – from myth to religion- were the only possible vehicles available to express the aspirations and profound questions of people in the past.

From a friend

Heraclitus comments on Jun 21, 2018:

All too often, when a believer says they will pray for you, what they really mean is that they will pray for you because they believe you are going to hell. BTW, I doubt they ever really pray for you. They just want to get the insult out in your presence.

brentan replies on Jun 23, 2018:

Christians often only have recourse to passive aggression. They can get very good at it.

I was inspired by the responses to my music post yesterday and the fun responses.

Etre comments on Jun 23, 2018:

https://youtu.be/MGEpnKrJU0Y

brentan replies on Jun 23, 2018:

That was a real nice surprise. Super musicians.

Why are there so many people who are lonely?

brentan comments on Jun 23, 2018:

Maybe people feel there is something wrong with a person who is lonely. I think lonely people feel the same way. There's a natural desire not to be around people who have something wrong with them, like avoiding a disease. So the lonely avoid the lonely, ensuring loneliness..

brentan replies on Jun 23, 2018:

@nicknotes Get back to me when you have something original to say.

Why are there so many people who are lonely?

SACatWalker comments on Jun 23, 2018:

First, I wouldn't use words like ameliorate to talk about something personal. Actually that's all. Let's just try that for awhile.

brentan replies on Jun 23, 2018:

@nicknotes his so-called cleverness resulted in his whole family being killed, including himself. And of course we are entitled to our opinions.

Why are there so many people who are lonely?

SACatWalker comments on Jun 23, 2018:

First, I wouldn't use words like ameliorate to talk about something personal. Actually that's all. Let's just try that for awhile.

brentan replies on Jun 23, 2018:

@nicknotes Polonius wasn't as smart as he thought he was!

Why are there so many people who are lonely?

SACatWalker comments on Jun 23, 2018:

First, I wouldn't use words like ameliorate to talk about something personal. Actually that's all. Let's just try that for awhile.

brentan replies on Jun 23, 2018:

@nicknotes ...or be yourself!

Balanced people

Pete66 comments on Jun 18, 2018:

What is your definition of a soul?

brentan replies on Jun 21, 2018:

I like the old Hebrew meaning of soul in the Old Testament. It is 'nephesh'. It means our whole make up as human beings - in other words, our minds and our bodies. I'm pretty sure the Jews later took on the more Greek notion of soul. But in earlier times, they believed that when they died, that was it as far as consciousness went and they had to wait for the resurrection to get their minds and bodies back.

Balanced people

brentan comments on Jun 18, 2018:

I take a daily anti-depressant that keeps me going but I'm not really balanced. Sometimes I take a valium and I really enjoy that mellow feeling. I was religious too for many years but that never gave the spirit of peace it promised. I suspect, with no proof, that some balance must be bought by ...

brentan replies on Jun 21, 2018:

@Sensiwoman7 I better elaborate. I was trying to understand why people sacrifice their individuality for company. They say we are social animals and it seems to be true but my experience of life has made me into what Dante called ‘a party of one’. I live an almost solitary existence. I’m sure Nietzsche would advocate isolation too but poor old Nietzsche went mad.

Very good article by author Tim Winton about boys and masculinity and culture [theguardian.com]

brentan comments on Jun 20, 2018:

I found this article on modern use of ritual to help young men find their place in society in the U.K. It is used mostly to try to stop young criminals re-offending but it might have a broader application.

brentan replies on Jun 21, 2018:

@Faithless1 I see the man’s role in reproduction as minimal. I think breadwinning is the rock on which a foundation for a permanent relationship is built. The problem for the role of men adapting to new circumstances lies in the fact that nature is not providing an answer so culture must step in. I think that is why culture has always stepped in. But it would be disastrous if our culture were to promote archaic notions of manhood instead of roles fit for purpose.

Very good article by author Tim Winton about boys and masculinity and culture [theguardian.com]

brentan comments on Jun 20, 2018:

I found this article on modern use of ritual to help young men find their place in society in the U.K. It is used mostly to try to stop young criminals re-offending but it might have a broader application.

brentan replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@Faithless1 I think so. My guess is that women have had their future cast for them as wives and mothers. Men’s positions were less clear and less constrained because of having choice in what role they might take. Men are in a difficult position nowadays as they struggle to find a role worthy of the name. As women’s roles expand to include bread-winning, men find their roles are contracting. Rites of passage determined what the roles of men were and promoted their importance in society. They might still have a role in our modern world.

You got a secret crush on this forum. How many?

brentan comments on Jun 19, 2018:

There are lovely-looking women here and intelligent ones too. I think intelligence in a woman is very sexy. I think they all live far too far away to even think of a relationship. Plus I'm 63 and I wonder am I kidding myself. I'm separated for more than 2 years now and I think I'm too used to having...

brentan replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@thinktwice That was a kind reply. I’ll keep it in mind. I would be very interested (without pressing you on it) what you meant by ‘keep learning’ in this situation.

Very good article by author Tim Winton about boys and masculinity and culture [theguardian.com]

brentan comments on Jun 20, 2018:

I enjoyed the article and was intrigued by the idea that young men in society have little or no involvement is rituals anymore. I would love to know more about that - what rituals they used to have, what benefit they had for the individual and the society, how ritual might be reintroduced into ...

brentan replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@Faithless1 I can't tell if the rituals in my upbringing had any influence on my role as a young man in Ireland. We had Holy Communion at age 7 and Confirmation at age 14 but they seemed to serve only to educate a young man in his obligations as a loyal member of the Church. We were utterly ignorant of social responsibility and knew nothing about women except they hated sex and we couldn't get enough of it so the objective was to fool them somehow into allowing sex. Maybe some pagan ritual practices were more useful. I don't know but I will keep an eye out for any books that touch on the topic.

Where’s all the haters? Disgusted by humanity, where’s the omnicidal maniacs?

brentan comments on Jun 19, 2018:

Does anyone remember how nihilistic Rusty Cohle was in True Detectives?

brentan replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@walklightly Yes, that eerie song Far From Any Road. That was a perfect song for the series.

You got a secret crush on this forum. How many?

brentan comments on Jun 19, 2018:

There are lovely-looking women here and intelligent ones too. I think intelligence in a woman is very sexy. I think they all live far too far away to even think of a relationship. Plus I'm 63 and I wonder am I kidding myself. I'm separated for more than 2 years now and I think I'm too used to having...

brentan replies on Jun 19, 2018:

@BucketlistBob No problem, Bob, no need to change it.

You got a secret crush on this forum. How many?

brentan comments on Jun 19, 2018:

There are lovely-looking women here and intelligent ones too. I think intelligence in a woman is very sexy. I think they all live far too far away to even think of a relationship. Plus I'm 63 and I wonder am I kidding myself. I'm separated for more than 2 years now and I think I'm too used to having...

brentan replies on Jun 19, 2018:

@BucketlistBob It's the best I can make of the situation, Bob.

For The Gamers In The Community....

twshield comments on Jun 19, 2018:

Really appreciate you guys chiming in on this article. as i said before, i am not a gamer and i have no interest in any form of video games. I know that gaming is a billion dollar industry and its like most things we have in society that can be addictive with excessive use. I am not sure if i would ...

brentan replies on Jun 19, 2018:

I think it would be a terrible thing to go through life without experiencing The Last of Us.

Ok ladies, help me out here.

brentan comments on Jun 18, 2018:

I really like to smile and be friendly. I would like to feel free to exchange a few words with people as I meet them informally but it just isn't done anymore. This new loss of sociability can't be good for anyone but I think we need to go with the flow so as not to worry people.

brentan replies on Jun 18, 2018:

@lerlo Deep doo-doo. Smartphone essential. Headphones optional.

I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code.

escapetypist comments on Jun 18, 2018:

I imagine the world is open source. And like most IT departments communication is lacking, there is near zero change control, and the place is run by chummy white males

brentan replies on Jun 18, 2018:

What! Don't we have laws to counter these old biases?

What are your weaknesses?

Anniemae comments on Jun 16, 2018:

A man that knows how to kiss! Swoon....

brentan replies on Jun 16, 2018:

Do tell. Are there really lots of bad kissers? And how?

Famous last words...

brentan comments on Jun 16, 2018:

That makes me wonder if all the world's a movies set and we're just actors, and the Great Director in the sky knows all the answers.

brentan replies on Jun 16, 2018:

@IAmLove Yes indeed. I'm a huge fan of the Bard!

"Humanism is the transformation of this Christian doctrine of salvation into a project of universal ...

SueZ comments on Jun 14, 2018:

Ah, interesting... not at all claiming any great knowledge here... but would it be fair to say that Buddhism is also a strong basis for humanism? There also appears to be a significant body of research arguing compassion is an instinct, which does make evolutionary sense when we look at a ...

brentan replies on Jun 15, 2018:

@OroLee Me too. I think it's nature and nurture. I think Christianity tried to nurture compassion that didn't exist in a person naturally. The opposite, I think, is when a naturally compassionate person is trained by their immediate group of influence to only care for that particular group.

"Humanism is the transformation of this Christian doctrine of salvation into a project of universal ...

brentan comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I think secular humanism is a modified version of Judeo-Christian values. It adds values such as equality for minorities and subtracts laws such as stoning adulterers. But I've never actually read a mission statement of a secular humanist group so I don't know how they express their goals and ...

brentan replies on Jun 15, 2018:

@Matias Whatever way you look at it, humankind is a marvellous thing. We have developed, some say over-developed, an awareness of ourselves and the universe we inhabit to the extent that we even come to discuss how, to use the term in the Truth Magazine, we might try to make a 'heaven' here on earth. This is what Judeo-Christian thought proposed to do in real terms. It is what secular humanism proposes in figurative terms.

"Humanism is the transformation of this Christian doctrine of salvation into a project of universal ...

SueZ comments on Jun 14, 2018:

Ah, interesting... not at all claiming any great knowledge here... but would it be fair to say that Buddhism is also a strong basis for humanism? There also appears to be a significant body of research arguing compassion is an instinct, which does make evolutionary sense when we look at a ...

brentan replies on Jun 14, 2018:

@OroLee would it be fair to say compassion is not instinctive because we can choose whether to give it or not?

Can you believe how many fucking churches there are?

brentan comments on Jun 10, 2018:

There sure is great variety. The wonderful thing about them is they all preach the absolute spiritual truth, even though they disagree. You can rest assured you are on the narrow path to salvation and enjoy the fact that all those other losers are on the broad road to damnation.

brentan replies on Jun 10, 2018:

@Sticks48 Yes! Pick any church (no checking) and walk into absolute truth and the only path to salvation.

I hate suicide.

Heidiwho2212 comments on Jun 9, 2018:

My first suicidal ideation was at eight years old. I've thought about it hundreds of times. Do you think that's selfish?

brentan replies on Jun 9, 2018:

No. I hope you always keep control over it.

I hate suicide.

doug6352 comments on Jun 9, 2018:

We all have problems, but people with a sense of responsibility think about their family and friends, not just about themselves.

brentan replies on Jun 9, 2018:

@rafferty It's good to see you believe in 'kindness in all things'. It shines through in all your comments.

I hate suicide.

Qualia comments on Jun 9, 2018:

There was an article i came across not a year or so ago that said a study was done on people with depression & found their cortisol levels weren't being processed like "normal" people. Remember....EVEN GOOD STRESS RAISES CORTISOL! This explains why someone can appear to "have it all" and still ...

brentan replies on Jun 9, 2018:

@Captnron59 I'm the same. Tried suicide at a young age and have had a very high regard for life ever since. But I understand why people do it.

I hate suicide.

Novelty comments on Jun 9, 2018:

Perhaps it's a way for the population to counter balance the effect of people that use their vagina to do an impression of a clown car. In fact I'm not so sure that suicide indicates mental illness, but I am starting to think that peoples negative reaction to it might be. I respect suicides for ...

brentan replies on Jun 9, 2018:

@NotAndrew I'm not sure therapy is the correct course for someone telling the truth. They would probably end up telling falsehoods because it's saner, I mean safer.

I hate suicide.

Livia comments on Jun 9, 2018:

Suicide is a very upsetting and baffling thing for people to cope with, but my view is this: There are different kinds of suicide. There are reactions to a major crisis, there are people who live with unendurable mental suffering, some are spur of the moment, others a cry for help that goes wrong. ...

brentan replies on Jun 9, 2018:

Carers turn up in the media for all the wrong reasons. I once trained with a group of would-be carers and their attitude to older people was appalling. I fear for the people under their 'care'.

I hate suicide.

DaveMania comments on Jun 9, 2018:

Mental illness seems to be a malaise of first world cultures, and worsening (or at least becoming more apparent) as we advance... We are doing something wrong. Maybe we're losing touch with what we're evolved to be? We no longer strive to survive — perhaps we need that?

brentan replies on Jun 9, 2018:

That's very perceptive. I wonder what we were evolved to be and how we've missed our purpose. Perhaps it is social cohesion, people committed to each other as part of the survival of the group.

I had the meeting st interesting discussion on the topic The opposite of addiction is connection.

mertheist comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I don't think this is entirely true, as we know that addictions such as alcoholism runs in families. And (I believe) they are working on determine why some folks are more prone to addiction than others. Personally, I think addiction is about the need to escape your own head, for whatever the ...

brentan replies on Jun 8, 2018:

You're right, of course. I hope they make some progress in hereditary addiction. In the case of addiction not obviously handed own, I wonder is it an emptiness inside. In the case of hereditary addiction, I wonder what actually has been handed down. Could that be an emptiness too, or some kind of fear of the world that that makes the sufferer try to hide in partial or total unconsciousness. I hope some day they find it's a gene that can be removed or tweaked to solve the problem.

Why don't men actually READ and pay attention to women's profiles before sending "I think we'd be a ...

Grassy comments on Jun 8, 2018:

So you're not an English Teacher?:):):) . You're way out of my league . I chose some hard and some dangerous jobs (: it kept me humble and it was fun:) I'm new at this.My wife liberated me 6yrs ago and I sent my last daughter off 2yrs ago (she turns 20ys tomorrow) I live on a small cdn. island west ...

brentan replies on Jun 8, 2018:

I love that expression 'my wife liberated me'. I can relate completely. I first came across the idea, not the expression, in a book called 'The Chimney Sweeper's Boy' about a woman who was married to a closet homosexual for decades. He manipulated their two daughters against her. When he dies, the book surprised me by describing how free she felt after years of his abuse. Surprised, because everyone expects widowed people to be miserable. The same can apply to separated people.

Solving the Pronoun Problem "I propose that simple solution, a small change in language that ...

DaveMania comments on Jun 8, 2018:

"It puts the lotion in the basket..." Just *no*. They/their/them may offend those who get uptight about singular and plural, but it makes far more sense as a gender neutral catch-all.

brentan replies on Jun 8, 2018:

@NotAndrew I'm not familiar with that. The closest I know is the 'royal we'.

The bible clearly shows that Jesus could not control his temper and on one occasion went crazy and ...

brentan comments on Jun 5, 2018:

It would be better to compare what happened back then to some entrepreneurs using the premises of a cathedral as a marketplace. If the priest got angry and drove them out, he might be arrested for aggression but serious questions would be asked about the abuse of the premises by the businessmen. In ...

brentan replies on Jun 5, 2018:

@IpraiseMYSELF I think Christians expect Jesus to be Buddhist-like in his composure. I think they also think Jesus should be judged by our law, but whether he sinned or not would be judged by Jewish law. Considering how eager the authorities were to put a stop to his preaching, I think they never saw a case in what happened in the temple. True, sales needed to be made to make the temple economy work, but going by Jesus’ words, they had taken over the temple and made it into a den of thieves.

The bible clearly shows that Jesus could not control his temper and on one occasion went crazy and ...

Our_existence comments on Jun 5, 2018:

The Jesus as portrayed in the Bible is NOT the real Jesus. Check out the Book of Thomas. It turns Christianity on its head

brentan replies on Jun 5, 2018:

I don't think there is a real Jesus. Is the Book of Thomas about gnostic Christianity?

The US Supreme Court has sided with the baker who refused, on religious grounds, to make a wedding ...

brentan comments on Jun 4, 2018:

I'm not bothered much about the cake issue. Mostly it was about gay activists targeting fervent Christians. And it's not about the cake, it's about what goes on top. Having a socialist tendency, I never thought I would be happy to hear 'let the market decide'. I never heard of the decorations, such ...

brentan replies on Jun 5, 2018:

@RobLawrence I am defending the right of the Christian bigots to limit their services to what they find morally acceptable. The market will resolve the issue because their limitations open up opportunities for other bakers. I also believe that the gay people making the case did so as a political move, and not just as ordinary consumers.

I've recently realized that for most of my life I was a romantic, playing with gauzy notions about ...

Petter comments on Jun 4, 2018:

I wrote this many years ago, on much that theme. **In Search Of Truth** Earthquakes, plagues and conflagrations Ripped apart earth’s diverse nations As disasters fell from “up above”. The “good book” told me “God is love”. Disillusioned, I sought out truth, With the ...

brentan replies on Jun 4, 2018:

Wow, that was really good!

Is anyone else on Goodreads?

brentan comments on Jun 3, 2018:

I'm on Goodreads too. For a long time, I've only gone on the site accidentally, thinking it a book store. But for some reason,it knows the last book I was reading. Perhaps I was a bit intoxicated because I really enjoy having a drink and reading. The site says not all books are being displayed in ...

brentan replies on Jun 3, 2018:

@joalanna Thanks for the request. You're my first Goodreads friend!

Can you name the next president?

brentan comments on Jun 1, 2018:

I keep reading about this young whippersnapper from the Kennedy family.

brentan replies on Jun 2, 2018:

@Ozman This is Joe Kennedy III, grandnephew of JFK.

Any recovering Mormons here?

SCbeelady comments on May 29, 2018:

I think there is an Ex-Mormon group. Congratulations on finding your way out.

brentan replies on May 31, 2018:

@BeckyC The trouble with the ex-groups is that they wallow in bitterness and hold you back from getting out into the fresh air and getting on with your life.

Any recovering Mormons here?

zing comments on May 29, 2018:

I'm a recovering Jehovah's Witness, I always thought Mormon culture was worlds apart from JW culture but I'm learning that there are many similar tactics shared between the two that, when viewed from the outside, appear as only minor differences. Like different lingo for instance, Mormons may use ...

brentan replies on May 31, 2018:

I was a JW too for about 15 years. It's so good not to be a slave to the endless, boring meetings and to be able to think for myself and read whatever I like.

Does anyone think we will live in a post-religious society?

mordant comments on May 31, 2018:

No, but many aspects of religion's hegemony in the world ARE eroding, and the rate of erosion is accelerating, particularly for authoritarian / literalist types. I consider this inevitable, because of the spread of education / knowledge, which inevitably destroys religious faith. As to how that ...

brentan replies on May 31, 2018:

That's a great post!

Does anyone think we will live in a post-religious society?

WilliamFleming comments on May 31, 2018:

Depends on how you define religion. Religious organizations seem to be on the wane, but deep religious sentiment by individuals is an integral and valuable part of humanity IMO. “Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible ...

brentan replies on May 31, 2018:

I think it boils down to independent spirituality versus organised spirituality. For me, organised spirituality is an oxymoron in the sense that the organisation always managed to diminish spirituality as unity of belief becomes more important than spiritual awareness.

Angry Young Preacher: The Bible Says Gay People Should Be Executed (Humanely) – Friendly Atheist

slydr68 comments on May 30, 2018:

Is that what Jesus would do?

brentan replies on May 31, 2018:

@birdingnut Yes, the returning Jesus is a very different kettle of fish to the hippy Jesus.

Do you find it offensive when theist think without a belief in god/gods, it’s impossible to have ...

brentan comments on May 30, 2018:

Yes. They also don't seem to realise that many of us carry the core of Judeo-Christian morality with us after we have left religion.

brentan replies on May 31, 2018:

@Omen6Actual The problem with the word Judeo-Christian is that it is one word. You need a figure of speech with at least two words to create an oxymoron, such as ‘"I am busy doing nothing’ or ‘a little pain never hurt anyone’." I wondered did you mean ‘antinomy’ , a contradiction between two beliefs or conclusions that are in themselves reasonable; a paradox. But leaving word meanings, the Judeo-Christian culture is historically linear, the Christian West adopting the Jewish God YHVH and interpreting the messianic scriptures as applying to Jesus Christ. How the Jews feel about this is not something the Christian West was much bothered about. The comment about how the Bible and Koran is interpreted around the world has nothing to do with my point about our Judeo-Christian culture in the West. The comment about goat-rapists lets you down, because every culture has a minority of perverts and to categorise whole peoples as such is racist and just plain incorrect.

So what is your most hated song of alltime?

Gatovicolo comments on May 27, 2018:

Mungo Jerry This song is just embarrassing. https://youtu.be/yG0oBPtyNb0

brentan replies on May 30, 2018:

"If her Daddy's poor, just do as you please" - that's a lousy attitude.

Do you find it offensive when theist think without a belief in god/gods, it’s impossible to have ...

brentan comments on May 30, 2018:

Yes. They also don't seem to realise that many of us carry the core of Judeo-Christian morality with us after we have left religion.

brentan replies on May 30, 2018:

@Omen6Actual Judeo-Christian can’t be an oxymoron because the two terms do not contradict each other. For Christians, the latter is the fulfilment of the former. While you were not brought up with any religion, many people were and still are, and are coming to atheism and agnosticism with the moral values of their upbringing.

What's the one most negative/detrimental effect religious teachings had on your life?

ano_ba_to comments on May 29, 2018:

It was not good at first. Feeling guilty for masturbating just made me want to do it even more. That was probably one of the factors that made me an atheist. Then of course there was the phase when I became an anti-theist. That didn't help my relationships living in a conservative country. But, I'm ...

brentan replies on May 30, 2018:

@ano_ba_to This is possibly stupid but I’m going to say it anyway. We all know women have periods because the egg in the womb that was not fertilised needs an outlet. What if masturbation is the necessary outlet for a fertilisation that never took place? That would make the matter quite natural, even if it involves taking the matter into our own hands. There is a difference, though, because masturbation is pleasant and periods are not. Masturbation is simulated sex and periods are not. Maybe God could accept masturbation if the person did not enjoy it. I’ll bet many sincere men have tried it. Sometimes I think the whole problem is that we are just animals really that have brains big enough to cause problems that don’t really exist.

What's the one most negative/detrimental effect religious teachings had on your life?

ano_ba_to comments on May 29, 2018:

It was not good at first. Feeling guilty for masturbating just made me want to do it even more. That was probably one of the factors that made me an atheist. Then of course there was the phase when I became an anti-theist. That didn't help my relationships living in a conservative country. But, I'm ...

brentan replies on May 29, 2018:

I read somewhere, when I was in my early 20s, that Chinese wisdom said that if you were sexually excited to the point of masturbation, you should do it and relieve the state of mind you are in. Then you can get on with life. The Christian idea seemed to be to take innumberable cold showers hoping the sexual need would go away. My money was on the Chinese way. I was a Jehovah's Witness in my 30s and distressed over my dilemma with sexual need and no allowed outlet for it. The brother I spoke to about my problem pointed out the standards laid out by the scriptures and also how no man had ever lived up to them except Christ. He recommended doing the best a person could do and leaving the rest to God's mercy. Not a bad comparison to the Chinese way!

What's the one most negative/detrimental effect religious teachings had on your life?

AaronScardina comments on May 29, 2018:

Fear of hell. I have anxiety and OCD, and my brain likes to envision ways of being tortured for eternity. Fun stuff.

brentan replies on May 29, 2018:

In the early days, Jews believed in Sheol, which was just the resting place of the dead. They got the ideas of Hell when they were in captivity and exposed to different beliefs. I don't see why you should suffer over people's different conceptions of the afterlife. The problem is probably that I don't understand OCD. It might be good to start a topic on it.

What's the one most negative/detrimental effect religious teachings had on your life?

AMGT comments on May 29, 2018:

The idea that I deserved all the suffering I endured because I was born a sinner. That’s an awfully profound guilt for a little girl that survived sexual abuse.

brentan replies on May 29, 2018:

What could be going on in the mind of a person thinking that? It is such a perverse twist on scripture. It seems like wallowing in the idea of sin and dragging in a vulnerable child to make it worse. I get a real sense that 'worse' in this situation means more sexual gratification. Perhaps it's like the Catholic guilt thing. I'm so glad you survived such a difficult start in life. I hope you have become strong, and if possible under the circumstances, not too angry at life.

So you can get to know me.

brentan comments on May 29, 2018:

I was very bad at history in school. I couldn't see it as real. I went for historical fiction and I read War and Peace and loved it. Lately I'm either reading or watching Checkov plays. I almost feel sorry for the Russian aristocrats in the plays. I want to read The Gulag Archipeligo some time soon....

brentan replies on May 29, 2018:

@RussellSteve I think it's something to do with feeling. History in school, with its hundreds of dates and names, didn't register as real to me. I have always suspected that I am somewhat autistic and that would explain the problem. But nowadays we have films and YouTube videos, as well as historical fiction, to ram the idea home that these are real people with real feelings. So learning how people coped and adjusted to new realities helped me greatly to 'put skin on the bones of history' as Gary Jennings said about his book Aztec.

I'm in the middle of Jordon Peterson's 12 Rules For Life.

moNOtheist comments on May 27, 2018:

Hmmm... wouldn't that give permission for Jehovah's Witnesses not to allow surgical intervention in the case of their children experiencing a life-threatening illness or injury - or am I misunderstanding the rule?

brentan replies on May 27, 2018:

I think some of them would see it that way. But it's not written for them.

The Big Bang had no size , infinitesimally small and infinitely large, no freaking SpaceTime in the ...

gater comments on May 25, 2018:

The Big Bang is a false theory that tries to proves the Universe had a beginning.

brentan replies on May 27, 2018:

Well OK but what if it explains our part of it?

How important is your family history or lineage to you?

McVinegar comments on May 25, 2018:

Not at all. Traditions and rituals are dead peoples baggage.

brentan replies on May 25, 2018:

@patchoullijulie I think you must be right. The dead are free of everything, including baggage. We get the pathologies (and hopefully the good things too) that they pass on down to their kids.

Who are your top 5 favorite authors starting with your most loved.

brentan comments on May 24, 2018:

I put them alphabetically because they're so different: Joseph Campbell Richard Dawkins William Horwood James Joyce Steven King

brentan replies on May 24, 2018:

@annedoneal Their books are like little babies to me. I love them, different as they are.

Quote of the Day: "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds".

LoneJungle comments on May 23, 2018:

"There is a lordly solitude which giants and geniuses find essential" Victor Hugo

brentan replies on May 23, 2018:

That’s a great quote. I was looking at Nietzsche’s quotes on loneliness, not all of them in favour of it. I think this one is sublime: What do you plan to do in the land of the sleepers? You have been floating in a sea of solitude, and the sea has borne you up. At long last, are you ready for dry land? Are you ready to drag yourself ashore?

Is the self an illusion?

Slappy_Longarms comments on May 22, 2018:

Consciousness = self. . Think it's all an illusion ? Hit your hand with a hammer as hard as you can.... ....tell us about it.

brentan replies on May 22, 2018:

@Slappy_Longarms So it's an awareness of what's happening to the body - pain, hunger etc. Its gets the info from the physiology of the body, I guess. The other awarenesses, the emotions, register in the brain through what connections (thinking out loud)? And thinking ability, calculating and imaging different outcomes for choices we make, where does the data come from and how is it processed? I think the physical data is transmitted along physical connections in the body so I think of that as akin to ethernet. I think of the other functions as transmitted in a manner similar to wi-fi because of the lack of 'cables'.

The Eighth Amendment.

Faithless1 comments on May 21, 2018:

Does it seem it will to harder to get this through than same-sex marriage?

brentan replies on May 22, 2018:

@Faithless1 The wording in the referendum will be about whether to remove the constitutional ban on abortion and make provisions for it in the law instead. My words were my own view of what is at stake for the future of the unborn.

What's your favorite language and or foreign culture?

Amisja comments on May 21, 2018:

You are all foreigners to me

brentan replies on May 21, 2018:

My bad!

What's your favorite language and or foreign culture?

Nevermind345 comments on May 21, 2018:

Since I retired 6 years ago, I've been to 8 European Countries, 2 Middle Eastern and before retiring 5 others which were vacations which I do not consider favorites. WTF are going to learn about a culture when your on vacation totally oblivious to what the culture is all about. I live in a ...

brentan replies on May 21, 2018:

That's a great post! Travel and immerse in the different ways of living.

The Eighth Amendment.

Faithless1 comments on May 21, 2018:

Does it seem it will to harder to get this through than same-sex marriage?

brentan replies on May 21, 2018:

@Coldo 'mainland u.k' lol

The Eighth Amendment.

Faithless1 comments on May 21, 2018:

Does it seem it will to harder to get this through than same-sex marriage?

brentan replies on May 21, 2018:

Gosh, I think so. This vote asks questions about collusion in mass murder. It will take either a stout heart or a callous one to vote YES. Voting NO will be easier because somebody else pays for your choice.

When in your life have you been humbled?

brentan comments on May 17, 2018:

Ever not got the job? Ever not got the girl? Ever jump in and find yourself in the deep end? I've been humbled quite a few times. It worked out well. Now I am one of the humblest people you could meet.

brentan replies on May 17, 2018:

@kensmile4u oh no i messed up again. now i'll end up even more humble ?

When in your life have you been humbled?

Slappy_Longarms comments on May 17, 2018:

Explain....too nebulous a question.

brentan replies on May 17, 2018:

@Slappy_Longarms That's what Christianity was meant to be but it seems to have produced a lot of smug, self-satisfied people. I guess it is hard to be humble when you're one of the chosen few.

How do agnostics determine their position?

hankster comments on May 16, 2018:

By embracing a lack of the presumptions in faith or science.

brentan replies on May 16, 2018:

@hankster I think this is where people like Jordon Peterson and Rupert Sheldrake come in.

JORDAN PETERSON: Christianity Stealing Credit for Human Nature, Bionic Dance [youtube.com]

skado comments on May 12, 2018:

I don’t think Peterson is trying to give credit to god for human nature, I think he’s saying that god is just another word for human nature, or all of nature.

brentan replies on May 14, 2018:

@Renickulous I think that gets to the heart of the matter with Peterson. I would call him quasi-Christian because of it. He believes that we act out the notion that man has a spark of the divine in his nature. This comes from our Judeo-Christian culture. But he also fully believes in evolution. And he believes that if you throw out the Judeo-Christian culture, you lose that notion of man’s divinity and all hell breaks loose in the form of tyranny and genocide. History seems to indicate that he is right there. But there seems to be no proof at all that we actually have sparks of a divine nature. So perhaps we need a middle-ground where we treat each other as if it were true, find a secular term that’s equivalent to the concept, and move on.