when i went as a red herring.

p-nullifidian comments on Jan 5, 2021:

Depending on your targeted audience's ability to 'get it,' your logical fallacy costume was a winner, in my book. Showing up in a Strawman costume probably would've resulted in confusion with the Wizard of Oz, while who knows what a Slippery Slope, Hasty Generalization or Ad Hominem costume would even look like? ;-)

Lou Dobbs Wonders Why It's Been So Hard 'Finding Actual Proof' Of Election Fraud | HuffPost

p-nullifidian comments on Jan 5, 2021:

“We know that’s the case ... but we have had a devil of a time finding actual proof. Why?” Welcome to the cult of Trumpism! When people take an intellectual position in the absence of evidence, or in denial of evidence to the contrary, it is nothing more than faith, which the Bible defines as "...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1, KJV) Things people hope for do not have substance and no court of law would admit 'things not seen' as evidence. But the simple-minded Trumpists who rely on their 'gut' or hope or simply what they believe to be 'common sense' in attempting to establish their assumptions as facts are rejecting reason for blind faith.

"Take up the White Man's burden-- Send forth the best ye breed-- Go bind your sons to exile To ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jan 4, 2021:

IMHO, there can be only one response to Kipling's imperialist oeuvre: Mark Twain's essay, "To the Person Sitting in Darkness."

Researchers Say Christian Nationalism is Making It Harder to End the Pandemic | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jan 4, 2021:

Christian Nationalism is a scourge, to be sure! However, the anti vaxxer movement has had vociferous support from the left, led by none other than Robert Kennedy Jr! Similarly, the anti-GMO movement, which is also anti-scientific, is not led by conservatives. And when one considers all the New Age woo woo that has no basis in scientific fact, the stark realization sets in that there's no political basis for insanity. Sadly, crazy is as crazy does, and neither side of the political spectrum has clean hands when it comes to anti-scientific, irrational and unsupported beliefs.

Trump Caught In Leaked Phone Call Trying To Steal The Election With Fake Votes

p-nullifidian comments on Jan 4, 2021:

Just a few more weeks and we'll finally be rid of this cretin!

Strange Priorities

p-nullifidian comments on Jan 3, 2021:

Task 8 is what God's always been best at.

Sunday 1-3-21 in order to - Know thy Soul - as - One Self - One should dedicate the time - ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jan 3, 2021:

The Woo is strong in this one.

BUILD THE WALL!!!

p-nullifidian comments on Jan 2, 2021:

Indeed! Thomas Jefferson may have been the first to use the term "Wall of Separation between Church and State." This impenetrable barrier serves to create a mental picture that clarifies the Framers' intent when they drafted the so-called establishment clause in the First Amendment.

Alabama Governor Issues Proclamation: “The Gift of Jesus is Everlasting” | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 28, 2020:

Alabama is a very special place ... with a very special governor.

Sums it up.

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 28, 2020:

When it comes to faith, what qualifies as evidence is spurious ... the word "discover" should be replaced with "fabricate."

[smithsonianmag.] new animal highway overpass a success

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 28, 2020:

The Canadians are way ahead of us, as they've been doing this for quite some time now in places like Banff. Animals adapt pretty quickly.

How come god is always portrayed in male attributes ?

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 28, 2020:

Religion's actually more difficult to make sense of than rocket science, thank goodness, or we might never have gone to the moon! With all of the absurdities, inconsistencies, barbarisms, contradictions and prestidigitation, little wonder that the whole of most religions is even more insane than the sum of its parts.

So my FB page has a bunch of Xmas messages reminding me that Jesus was born on this day and how he ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 26, 2020:

Not that I believe any of this nonsense anymore, but the silly thing is that most educated Christians realize the trouble with the Biblical narrative that has Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem to take part in a census ordered by Caesar Augustus and conducted by Governor Quirinius, during the reign of Herod The Great. Problem is, according to the historical record, Herod The Great died in 4 BCE, nine years beore Quirinius took office and conducted the census in 6 CE. Another problem is that Rome did not require people to travel to ancestral lands to be counted, nor would they have been required to travel during winter. The Bible spells out why the couple from Nazareth needed to get their ass (as well as their donkey) down to Bethlehem--they needed to establish the 'House of David' angle for Joseph who, according to the patrilineages in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, was the actual father. It was only later--centuries later--that writers inspired by pagan mythologies felt it necessary to turn Jesus into a deity and went about inserting their interpolations regarding a virgin birth and resurrection, among many other plagiarisms of polytheistic folklore.

A SOLEMN OCCASION TONIGHT It is a solemn occasion and please take a moment to remember how a big ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 24, 2020:

Imagine, an entire religion based on the statutory rape of a young teenage maiden by a so-called deity, resulting in a half-breed, half-god/half-man (or, as the Catholics believe, all-God/all-man) being who was compelled to sacrifice himself to himself in order to remove the alleged sins of an entire species of primates. Makes sense to me...

New Starbucks cup....

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 24, 2020:

Makes we want to break out in song with "We Three Cheeses" and "What Sauce Is This?" R'amen!

My father recently died and the pastor presiding over the service used that time to convert people ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 24, 2020:

Funerals and weddings provide ideal opportunities for the clergy to 'cast their nets' in an attempt to catch backsliders and the uninitiated. Nothing like a captive audience for the artful salesman.

Just a smile for the skeptic agnostics :-D

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 24, 2020:

Everybody, fold your arms!

Why are we still allowing them to treat us this way?

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 23, 2020:

The Labor / Capital dichotomy is as old as capitalism itself, with the power dynamic always favoring wealth. However the right for Labor to organize and bargain collectively is relatively new, but seldom used to good effect, particularly in today's anti-union climate. It is human nature for those who wield power to seek more of it, conceding only when forced to.

Right wing Christians invade native American sacred ground to pray away dark energy

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 23, 2020:

While I don't believe anything to be sacred, this is ethnocentric religious oppression, pure and simple.

Trump Pardons GOP Rep.

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 23, 2020:

Can a church or religion be the victim of abuse or a crime even? Yes, but they had it coming to them.

Anyone here that was inslaved in christianity for 20 years or less

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 23, 2020:

It took me more than 40 years to finally realize that the slavery of Christianity was all in my mind, however the psychological scars remain.

I’ve seen quite a few posts on here where something is deemed to be “unknowable”.

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 22, 2020:

Beginning with, "When will I find my keys?" there are many things that are unknowable. However, there is a significant difference between this unanswerable question and "How many grains of sand exist on our planet?" In the first case, the answer comes when the keys are found, whereas in the second case, even though we know that there is an objective, finite number, we have no way of determining it, and can only provide rough order of magnitude estimates.

Does anyone in here believe in reincarnation?

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 21, 2020:

I consider myself a skeptic, but one who is always open to new sources of data. I've long felt that reincarnation is a heap of woowoo, but recently I've been made aware of a number of interesting cases of children who, without coaching, prompting or prior knowledge, have provided intricately detailed descriptions of what would appear to be the memories of a recently deceased person who lived a great distance away. I have no explanation for this.

States Say Trump Administration is Reducing Vaccine Shipments Officials in multiple states say ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 18, 2020:

Impeccable source of information, that Johnny Robish - Medium! Apart from The Onion, few can compare. Is there a Pulitzer your future, Johnny? Perhaps not, but a million laughs along the way!

So where was everyone before they started "living in the moment?" 🙃

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 18, 2020:

I've forgotten how to live in the moment ... continuously striving to view the far point.

Alrighty, then!

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 18, 2020:

The anti-vaxxers belong with the flat-earthers, anti-GMO people and stolen election conspiracy theorists. Their unfounded, anti-scientific lies and urgings are not without consequences. At some point, society may be forced to reexamine the full range of the First Amendment. Could it be that the 'unprotected' speech of yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater (when there was none) is synonymous to propagating unfounded claims that lead to harm?

Atheist Hopes to Erect Festivus Pole in FL Capitol to Honor COVID Victims | Hemant Mehta | Friendly ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 17, 2020:

Festivus for the rest of us!

My profile photo is a radio show about religion where I made a statement that "religion cheapens ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 17, 2020:

Some religions are worse than others when it comes to cheapening life. I agree that a belief in an afterlife, particularly when offered as a reward, tends to not only devalue our existence on this planet, but the very planet itself. What need is there, after all, to conserve resources and protect the environment when your god is just going to wipe everything out and make it all brand new again?

Why do religious leaders complain about humane treatment of animals because it clashes with their ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 17, 2020:

Simply, because their ignorant god said so? This illiterate and uninformed god set humans apart from the animals, as opposed to teaching what we now know today--namely, that homo sapiens evolved from lower forms and we share a common ancestor. Once humanity fully accepts the knowledge that evolution imparts, including the implications of the range of suffering that all animals experience, a thoughtful rethinking of these so-called divine commands may take place.

Yes, there is a war between science and religion

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 14, 2020:

I concur with the sentiments espoused by *'The Great Agnostic,'* Robert Green Ingersoll: "There is an "irrepressible conflict" between religion and science, and they cannot peaceably occupy the same brain nor the same world." The Gods, 1872 "Every new religion has a little less superstition than the old, so that the religion of Science is but a question of time." Individuality, 1873

So, earlier today, I'm on my bicycle, on this wonderful trail in a 3900 acre conservation area of ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 14, 2020:

I subscribe to the point of view that one can feel 'blessed' without having received a literal blessing from anyone or anything, however, the way you describe the reaction of the woman with the sweet dog would seem to indicate an underlying assumption in the use of the word.

I recognize within me the animal that is drawn to nature's cycles.

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 10, 2020:

Perhaps it is due to our limited vocabulary, but there seem to be two distinct camps here regarding "spiritual" experience. Those who, much like Carl Sagan and Sam Harris, accept, if not embrace, the concept of godless spirituality, and those who think the whole notion is rubbish. Like you, I lean toward the former. "Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. ... The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both." Carl Sagan, *The Demon-Haunted Word: Science as a Candle in the Dark* "Spirituality must be distinguished from religion—because people of every faith, and of none, have had the same sorts of spiritual experiences." Sam Harris, *Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion*

These Animal HATERS pass this on.

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 9, 2020:

Animal HATERS pass this on?

What Do Atheists Do at Christmas?

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 9, 2020:

I'm not convinced of the interchangeability of 'atheist' and 'pagan,' but then I'm also a nullifidian.

What if atheist child becomes Christian?

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 9, 2020:

Was your daughter ever aware, even obliquely, of any pagan observances, teachings, books, symbols, practices or rituals while growing up? Is it possible that, much like Emperor Constantine, she's turned her back on one religion in favor of another for political purposes?

Trump-Loving Pastor Urges Church to Reject Vaccine in Favor of “Divine Immunity” | Hemant Mehta ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 9, 2020:

Wait, if I'm no longer capable of being "infected" by religion, don't I have divine immunity? ;-)

Do you have a question that you'd like to know the answer to?

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 9, 2020:

If I strive to fail and succeed in doing so, am I a failure or a success?

Why are you agnostic? If you're not agnostic then why are you only a theist or an atheist?

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 8, 2020:

I identify as agnostic because it addresses my knowledge of the existence of a deity, of which I have none. I identify as atheist because it addresses my belief in the existence of a deity, of which I again have none. And so, the absence of both knowledge and belief regarding a deity comfortably coexist in my philosophical mindset, which I most readily identify as nullifidian: A person having no faith or religious belief.

Trumplicans are coming out of the wood work to threaten upstanding citizens who did their patriotic ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 8, 2020:

Mussolini had his blackshirts, Hitler his brownshirts, but Trump's redshirts (or redhats) are little more than clowns and buffoons that appear like characters right out of the Jackass movies.

Great article about the differences in the brains of conservatives and liberals.

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 7, 2020:

I was raised by a liberal, single mom who was a staunch Kennedy supporter, and from whom I rebelled, joining the military, regularly attending church and voting Republican for decades. But then I had kids of my own, who while in their teens, literally forced me to defend, if not entirely re-think my political philosophy. Confronted by their integrity, I began to evolve away from the rigidity of my youth, and the older I get, I'm almost surprised to find that the more liberal I become. I'm now determined to age progressively! ;-)

I would not normally post a joke here, but come on!

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 7, 2020:

Great share ... thanks!

Has NASA aborted the James Webb Space Telescope?

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 5, 2020:

What is your source for this development? I've been unable to find info on this.

I believe this pandemic has really exposed the religious for what they are.

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 3, 2020:

When you are convinced that God is in control and that, as a Christian, he has your back, nothing that science or basic common sense has to offer seems to find a home in the minds of the faithful. Blind faith is a bit like blind love in that the mind sees only what it wants to see.

Pastor: After God Overturns the Election Results, Atheists Will Finally Convert | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 2, 2020:

Ah, an 'If-Then' statement! I think these Christians would recognize the implausibility of other conditional statements beginning with 'a cold day in hell' or ending with 'when hell freezes over.'

Agnosticism is the natural attitude of the evolutionist.

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 2, 2020:

Wait! Are we throwing quotes out there now on this site too? Might you at least show the intrepidity to offer an opinion upon the quote, if only as an icebreaker?

Sad news for science. [nationalgeographic.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 2, 2020:

Sadder, I think, for Puerto Ricans, many of whom had come to see Arecibo Observatory as a noble monument to science.

How many stars are in the Milky Way? - BBC Science Focus Magazine

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 2, 2020:

I can only hear the voice of Carl Sagan when asked that question. ;-)

The Appeal of Conspiracy Theories: Karen Douglas | Skeptical Inquirer

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 2, 2020:

At the risk of seeming elitist, IMHO there is an intersection of the rise of Trump and the ‘Dumbing of America’ that Susan Jacoby described in her 2008 book, *The Age of American Unreason*. At this crossroads of anti-science, anti-reason and anti-intellectualism, we find throngs of exceedingly proud (if not self-righteous) pro-Christian, pro-gun, pro-life, anti-government flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists. Their continued unabashed and braindead support of Trump is matched only by their arrogant certitude, ineptitude and inability to perform a 360 evaluation. Sadly, a good portion of the electorate appears to be afflicted with the Dunning-Kruger effect—they are simply too stupid to realize how stupid they really are—and the soon-to-be former president has been their icon.

Virtually every agnostic lives like an atheist, living completely irreligious lives Dennis ...

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 2, 2020:

As a nullifidian (a person having no faith or religious belief), I resemble that remark! ;-)

Sean Hannity Says Trump 'Needs To Pardon' Himself And His 'Whole Family' | HuffPost

p-nullifidian comments on Dec 1, 2020:

Even if Trump were to pardon himself, it would only apply to federal offenses. Can't hide from the New York AG!

If I could play like him, I'd say the same thing.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 30, 2020:

Josh Groban? Are you kidding me? Josh Groban is to music as rhinestones are to jewelry.

Worst Bible Passages

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 30, 2020:

Too many instances of genocidal, homicidal, filicidal, uxoricidal commands and condoned behaviors to name!

75 years ago: People’s Republic of Yugoslavia proclaimed On November 29, 1945, the Federal ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 29, 2020:

Sadly, once the oppressive communist lid was removed from this powder keg, it exploded into a raging inferno of ethnic-religious warfare along lines that had never been fully eliminated, or even blurred. For some, it seemed necessary to settle scores dating back centuries, and Yugoslavia was unable to remain a viable, 'cantonized' state. And so we learned a new word to describe what we witnessed: balkanization.

No good deed goes unpunished.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 25, 2020:

When I was a kid we were taught that Squanto pretty much showed the Pilgrims how to live off the land, including how to fish, what berries to eat and that planting corn with a dead fish as fertilizer yielded better results. While there may have been a peaceful 'first Thanksgiving' where native Americans and Pilgrims shared a meal, what came later is nothing short of genocide.

A cat wrote this.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 24, 2020:

Freakin' brilliant!

"The Thieves Who Stole Our Election Got Sloppy" by Newt Gingrich <Laziness leads to sloppiness, ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 24, 2020:

Thieves who 'stole' the election? The Epoch Times? Seriously? A shining example of journalism, if ever the was one!

Had to share this.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 24, 2020:

20 had me ROFL!

A few times I tried to point out the latent subconscious damage that religion has done that most ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 24, 2020:

On the other hand--just playing the devil's advocate here--moral outrage can inspire action, even movements for positive change. There were a helluva lot of 'temper tantrums' thrown this summer over the police killings of unarmed persons of color--tantrums that were both called for and need to continue.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t. Might as well have fun!!

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 24, 2020:

This joke is not theologically correct. Believers profess that God made man and woman with free will, but *without* sin. It wasn't until the fall (i.e., the choice to disobey God, thanks to that crafty serpent) that the original sin was committed--a sin that was somehow heritable--thereby dooming all of humanity. Silly loony bullshit, I know, but the joke isn't funny when the premise is wrong.

So exactly how do Biden supporters justify the televised subtraction of 19k+ from Trump to Biden in ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 24, 2020:

Please provide the source(s) for this story.

Pennsylvania governor halts alcohol sales day before Thanksgiving

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 24, 2020:

Leave it to that paragon of journalism, the NY Post, to omit the key prepositional phrase, "in restaurants and bars." So you can still run down to the liquor store for that brandy or rum you forgot, or a twelve pack to watch the football games ... makes a difference, don't you think?

Someone posted this on Facebook as a retort to a tRump follower.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 24, 2020:

"Melania, stop! You know I don't like it when you squeeze me that way!"

Giuliani Fires Conspiracy Theorist Powell After Insane Press Conference President Donald J.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 23, 2020:

Watching Team Trump in action--from Trump himself to his family, to his advisors and spokespeople, to his legal representatives--is like watching Homer Simpson, the Three Stooges and the Keystone Cops all at one time!

Religion is at its best when....

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 22, 2020:

A good quote, but in this century I have become convinced that religion is at its best not when it possesses some constructive attributes, but rather when it is entirely *without* certain properties, beginning with the following: * No personal, interested and engaged supreme being * No sacred, holy or divine * No sacrament, ritual or liturgy * No faith, credulity or unsupported belief * No prayer, miracle or intercession * No organization, hierarchy or structure * No prophet, oracle or medium * No disciple, promoter or evangelist * No scripture, dogma or creed A religion without the above is one I *might* be able to tolerate. On the other hand, a religion with any one of these features is one I would, and do, mistrust from the outset.

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure." ---Mark Twain

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 22, 2020:

Ah, the master of sarcasm ... Twain sure could spin a phrase, couldn't he!

I do like this guy.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 19, 2020:

President Biden will have less than 18 months to make a positive impact large enough to retain the House and turn the Senate. There are 21 Republican senators up for reelection in 2022, of which at least 5 eked out wins last go around. Assuming they hold the majority following the runoff, McConnell knows that all he has to do is continue to block meaningful legislation and blame shift.

“Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 16, 2020:

Not a fan of James Surowiecki's so-called "Wisdom of Crowds?" ;-)

A picture is worth a thousand words. [dailykos.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 16, 2020:

And now, let us spray ... amen!

Hehehehehe.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 16, 2020:

Very funny, but Ol' Glory seems out of place on a French tool of execution. How about a nice meat cleaver in place of a guillotine?

Come on, it's funny. ;)

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 13, 2020:

Gynecologist or proctologist?

They're coming to take him away, ha ha. [youtu.be]

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 13, 2020:

He does indeed belong on the show with Dr. Demento!

What are the benefits of having religion?

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 13, 2020:

If the new 'religion' (I still shudder at the term) is to be of any benefit, it simply cannot, IMO, possess the following, to start with: * Faith (believing things without evidence) * Supernatural (i.e., all that exists is material and may be naturally explained) * Dogma (inflexible principles or beliefs) * Ritual (prescribed behaviors, particularly in groups) * Hierarchy (pecking order, rank or authority) * Money (monetary exchanges or commitments) There are no doubt other characteristics that belong on this list of 'thou shalt nots.'

Mark Taylor: Christians Who Voted for Joe Biden Will Be Cursed for Generations | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 13, 2020:

Oh crap, now that I'm no longer a Christian, I don't get to enjoy the curse!

Does society have a problem with Reward v Reserve?

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 13, 2020:

I recall from my youth the story in Luke of the Pharisee and the Publican (tax collector), which basically castigates the immodest and public display of false humility on the part of the Pharisee. I try not to judge when I see public confessions, even though my gut distrusts the motives of these apparently remorseful individuals. I feel safe in saying, however, that for every conspicuous confession by the self-absorbed, there are an order of magnitude more deeds of private, personal and sincere acts of humility, pleas of forgiveness and, to use a religious term, soul-searching.

Trump Claims the Medical Deep State Sabotaged His Election President Trump reportedly flew into...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 13, 2020:

Funny how Trump might think the announcement of a successful vaccine trial would actually change enough minds to affect the election. If so, I don't recall him crediting James Comey for his announcement to investigate Hillary's emails 11 days before the 2016 election.

A must-have for Floridian Women (and some men)

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

Gotta love that retro aqua ... so 50's!

Interest in Englewood Atheist Community

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

This Californian will be there in spirit!

Another cowardly conservstive disparages multiculturalism.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

@Thirst2learn didn't say much, but he did provide a link to an article from May of 2019 ("The Poisonous Religion of the Ruling Class") in a journal I'd never heard of (The American Mind) by an author I did not know (Dan McCarthy), and so I read it. And while I found little I could agree with in McCarthy's doom and gloom fulminations, I reckon it's better to hear counterarguments from time to time in order to reexamine and refine, as needed, my own point of view. As Mark Twain once said, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."

We R - Creature Creators - in - Time & Space - Eternal Beings - Divinely being - a Person - thru ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

Just for shits and grins you might want to try reading your stuff aloud, making sure to SHOUT the upper case words, and maybe it will hit you. So this it what it might sound like if Deepak Chopra had Tourette's and took too many magic mushrooms.

Self Control

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

Hear, hear!

Not available after Christmas (OK January)

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

Somebody's going to get coal in his stocking.

Life is but a sexually transmitted disease.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

Then death is abstinence! ;-)

Is it enough to be a freethinker?

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

It seems to me that, in a world dominated by religion, free thinking is a prerequisite for critical thinking. The liberation of one's mind to think freely without regard to religious authority, doctrine or emotional appeal is a necessity if one is to think critically.

Everything Wrong With Genesis 35 in the Bible | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

"...one of Jacob’s sons is going to sleep with Jacob’s mistress. Because this is the Bible." Snicker, snicker...

Caught my usual Bus today to go get my grocery shopping done, as I do every second Tuesday.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

Firing Trump results in the death of Christianity for all mankind? Oh if only it were that easy!

Two million-year-old skull of human cousin found by Australian team in South African cave ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

Not all religions are young-earth creationists that deny evolution. Of course, this opens an entirely new can of worms for Catholics, for example.

This actually JUST happened to me. Even Words With Friends knows religion is bullshit!

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 12, 2020:

Religion may be bullshit, but Merriam-Webster's is not. ;-)

HYBRID PETROL/ELECTRIC CARS ?

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 11, 2020:

Petroleum engines of any kind are dinosaurs, assuming the goal is to eliminate all carbon emissions from motorized vehicles. Battery efficiency is improving with each year--witness the new Lucent Air with a range of 500+ miles on a single charge.

“The more I learn about the universe, the less convinced I am that there's any sort of benevolent ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 11, 2020:

Nor malevolent. Few have said it better than one of my philosophical heroes: "Nature, so long as we can discern, without passion and without intention, forms, transforms, and retransforms forever. She neither weeps nor rejoices. She produces man without purpose, and obliterates him without regret. She knows no distinction between the beneficial and the hurtful. Poison and nutrition, pain and joy, life and death, smiles and tears are alike to her. She is neither merciful nor cruel. She cannot be flattered by worship nor melted by tears. She does not know even the attitude of prayer. She appreciates no difference between poison in the fangs of snakes and mercy in the hearts of men. Only through man does nature take cognizance of the good, the true, and the beautiful; and, so far as we know, man is the highest intelligence." Robert Green Ingersoll, *The Gods*, 1872

Thought many need this after this year

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 11, 2020:

Nice ... come on, vaccine!

Will Others Emulate Shakespeare and Write Great Works During Plague?

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 11, 2020:

Or, perhaps we have another genius out there, using his/her solitary time during lock down to endow the world of science with not one, but two incredible achievements: a new mathematical language that surpasses Calculus or a publication that rivals the Principia ... or, perhaps not, as there could only be one Isaac Newton.

Do you think there will ever be a time when we can actually discuss removing "under God" from the ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 11, 2020:

Sure, we can discuss it any time, but reversing these McCarthy-era, Cold War laws passed by Congress may take an act of, well, let's just say a majority of sub-deities. The words 'under God' were added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 and "In God We Trust" was made the national motto in 1956, and appeared on paper money the following year (it had been stamped on coins since the 19th century). Since it's easier to elect a pedophile or rapist to higher office than it is an atheist, I doubt Congress will ever come to its senses and realize the error of its ways.

LOL!!! Tucker Carlson says Biden will make you drink Starbucks everyday [thewrap.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 11, 2020:

And Kamala, being from the Bay Area, will make you drink Peet's?

"What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 11, 2020:

IMHO, it's not a binary. Cases are dismissed due to *insufficient* evidence. Eyewitness testimony is admissible, but is open to examination, to include the credibility of the witness him/herself. In a properly functioning court of law, a witness may only testify on what he/she witnessed first hand, otherwise their report is inadmissible as hearsay. Furthermore, a witness is not allowed to speculate as to the whys and wherefores; such guesswork amounts to an opinion and is inadmissible as conjecture. An assertion is only an opinion, and an unfounded assertion is made by one who is not in possession of any specific first hand knowledge or observations in support of his/her claim, and thus may be viewed as spurious. Thus the original statement holds and is appropriate when considering most religions, which rely on dead witnesses and unsourced writings, as my avatar well understood. “Revelation, when applied to religion, means something communicated immediately from God to man. No one will deny or dispute the power of the Almighty to make such a communication, if he pleases. But admitting, for the sake of a case, that something has been revealed to a certain person, and not revealed to any other person, it is revelation to that person only. When he tells it to a second person, a second to a third, a third to a fourth, and so on, it ceases to be a revelation to all those persons. It is revelation to the first person only, and hearsay to every other, and consequently they are not obliged to believe it. It is a contradiction in terms and ideas, to call anything a revelation that comes to us at second-hand, either verbally or in writing. Revelation is necessarily limited to the first communication—after this, it is only an account of something which that person says was a revelation made to him; and though he may find himself obliged to believe it, it cannot be incumbent on me to believe it in the same manner; for it was not a revelation made to me, and I have only his word for it that it was made to him.” Thomas Paine, *The Age of Reason*, 1794

Things that make you laugh your ass off.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 10, 2020:

Hang ten, god dude!

Here's an apologetics book I'm about to read. Let's see how they refute my lack of belief.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 9, 2020:

Have at it! For fun, you might try a comparative analysis between this book and Rebecca Goldstein's "36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction." In the final analysis, arguments and evidence are a tough sell to people of faith.

Pastor Who Blamed COVID on People Who “Committed Fornication” Dies of COVID | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 6, 2020:

Bwahaha!

My mother's brother is in the hospital with some sort of bleeding issue.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 6, 2020:

Sad about your uncle; my wife's uncle passed away two weeks ago after a long battle with cancer. Contained in your mother's statement is the intractable logic of the faithful believer--if your uncle passes away, it was God calling him to heaven, but if he survives it was God's healing power. God wins, either way, with our without the assistance of doctors, caregivers and medicines.

I have reached a point in my life where the concept of nihilism appeals to me.

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 5, 2020:

Consider Optimistic Nihilism which does not view the world as devoid of hope, but rather, offers one the chance to create one's own meaning and sense of purpose.

There will be a test after viewing ...[youtu.be]

p-nullifidian comments on Nov 5, 2020:

Reminds me of the opening spoken words in the song 'Milliontown' by Frost* "Did you ever notice how in the Bible whenever God needed to punish someone … or make an example … or whenever God needed to make a killing, he sent an angel? Would you ever really want to see an angel?"