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Humanists, both religious and atheist, talk about the ‘dignity’ or ‘value’ or ‘worth’ or...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
Thank you for these discerning observations. I think perhaps that there are two key issues at stake here, the first concerns vocabulary (in this case, the word faith), while the second deals with values (in this case, human rights).
The word faith is too broad, as it covers both the religious ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 30, 2018:
@Matias Notwithstanding the dishonored and corrupt entity known as FIFA, soccer is just a game, played by a book of rules. Without a rulebook, you don’t have a game—you have chaos. Whether we engage in backgammon, chess or soccer, the rules must be universlly recognized, and are, in fact, what defines the game.
Humanism is not conveniently defined, but includes the following affirmation: "Humanism is a democratic and ethical lifestance which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality."
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
Thank you for these discerning observations. I think perhaps that there are two key issues at stake here, the first concerns vocabulary (in this case, the word faith), while the second deals with values (in this case, human rights).
The word faith is too broad, as it covers both the religious ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 30, 2018:
@Matias Notwithstanding the dishonored and corrupt entity known as FIFA, soccer is just a game, played by a book of rules. Without a rulebook, you don’t have a game—you have chaos. Whether we engage in backgammon, chess or soccer, the rules must be universlly recognized, and are, in fact, what defines the game.
Humanism is not conveniently defined, but includes the following affirmation: "Humanism is a democratic and ethical lifestance which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality."
Reality, what is it?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 29, 2018:
Sorry, but you lost me. Perhaps you can illustrate your concepts with charts and graphs? As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words, and as a visual learner, I cannot visualize your words. Thank you!
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 30, 2018:
@billy11 I completely agree, and find this easier to comprehend than horizontal, arcs, flatlines, zeroes, etc. Peace.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 29, 2018:
Sorry, but you lost me. Perhaps you can illustrate your concepts with charts and graphs? As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words, and as a visual learner, I cannot visualize your words. Thank you!
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 30, 2018:
@billy11 I completely agree, and find this easier to comprehend than horizontal, arcs, flatlines, zeroes, etc. Peace.
Do "strong and independent women, not need a man"?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 29, 2018:
"So, why do feminists profess that I am unnecessary in a hetrosexual woman's life?"
All feminists? Not in my experience. Women demand, and should expect, equal treatment, pay and opportunity, and as a cisgender white hetro guy, I have my mother, sisters, wife and daughter to thank for helping me ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 30, 2018:
@JoshArnaldo @JoshArnaldo A brilliant article, and inspiring. It is long overdue that our society be led, and policy be made, by a majority of chromosome X. Considering our recent history, I'm more than willing to take the backseat for a good long while. In my view, Dr. Walters' key point is found in this sentence: "We are told he’s with us and #NotHim. But, truly, if he were with us, wouldn’t this all have ended a long time ago?" Yes, however...
... Dr. Walters needs to look into a mirror. Women have had the vote for nearly 100 years. Injustices, including the inequality of women, have enablers--and it includes women themselves! Consider that, in the 2016 presidential election, 52% of white women voted for a man over a woman; and this is not just any man, but one who is recognized as a sexist and an abuser of women. Seriously, 52% of caucasian American women voted for an apparent misogynist! This fact makes my head explode!
Yes, the pendulum has swung too far toward the Y chromosome, but women represent the voting majority (by a small margin), do they not? And while I would prefer to avoid massive swings, it is high time. When women unite and rise to overcome the stereotypes and history of abuse, I will be right there with them. But blame, as well as credit, should be shared.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 29, 2018:
"So, why do feminists profess that I am unnecessary in a hetrosexual woman's life?"
All feminists? Not in my experience. Women demand, and should expect, equal treatment, pay and opportunity, and as a cisgender white hetro guy, I have my mother, sisters, wife and daughter to thank for helping me ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 30, 2018:
@JoshArnaldo @JoshArnaldo A brilliant article, and inspiring. It is long overdue that our society be led, and policy be made, by a majority of chromosome X. Considering our recent history, I'm more than willing to take the backseat for a good long while. In my view, Dr. Walters' key point is found in this sentence: "We are told he’s with us and #NotHim. But, truly, if he were with us, wouldn’t this all have ended a long time ago?" Yes, however...
... Dr. Walters needs to look into a mirror. Women have had the vote for nearly 100 years. Injustices, including the inequality of women, have enablers--and it includes women themselves! Consider that, in the 2016 presidential election, 52% of white women voted for a man over a woman; and this is not just any man, but one who is recognized as a sexist and an abuser of women. Seriously, 52% of caucasian American women voted for an apparent misogynist! This fact makes my head explode!
Yes, the pendulum has swung too far toward the Y chromosome, but women represent the voting majority (by a small margin), do they not? And while I would prefer to avoid massive swings, it is high time. When women unite and rise to overcome the stereotypes and history of abuse, I will be right there with them. But blame, as well as credit, should be shared.
Did anyone else go through the stages of Atheism?
Geoffrey51 comments on Jul 25, 2018:
Sounds like a Christian disease to me, not a religious one! I doubt ex Buddhists or ex Sikhs go through that motion.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Geoffrey51 Consider yourself one lucky dromedary! Peace.
Geoffrey51 comments on Jul 25, 2018:
Sounds like a Christian disease to me, not a religious one! I doubt ex Buddhists or ex Sikhs go through that motion.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Geoffrey51 Consider yourself one lucky dromedary! Peace.
EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY -- PRAGUE -- 1995
What astounded me most about Prague was the dearth ...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 29, 2018:
I love Prague. You're walking around town, and you hear American jazz, folk and blues, and then you hear polkas, and accordions and all types of klezmer, and a classical string quartet ... what a scene! I was lucky enough to be a chaperone for my daughter's choir, and they sang in St. Nicolas ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Snickers77 Quite a while ago--2005. My daughter's 30 now! It's so cool to be there I the summer when all the choirs from North America and all over the world converge. There were still a few remnants of the Soviet era in architecture and monuments. Sometimes it's hard to imagine what has happened, just in my lifetime, as I stood in Wenceslas Square, where the rallies and protests of the Prague Spring of '68 took place.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 29, 2018:
I love Prague. You're walking around town, and you hear American jazz, folk and blues, and then you hear polkas, and accordions and all types of klezmer, and a classical string quartet ... what a scene! I was lucky enough to be a chaperone for my daughter's choir, and they sang in St. Nicolas ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Snickers77 Quite a while ago--2005. My daughter's 30 now! It's so cool to be there I the summer when all the choirs from North America and all over the world converge. There were still a few remnants of the Soviet era in architecture and monuments. Sometimes it's hard to imagine what has happened, just in my lifetime, as I stood in Wenceslas Square, where the rallies and protests of the Prague Spring of '68 took place.
Do "strong and independent women, not need a man"?
BlueWave comments on Jul 29, 2018:
Need is different from want to many of us. At least when it comes to romantic relationships.
Yes, we are social animals and we need social interactions. Nowhere does it say that that social interaction must be of the romantic sort.
I do not need a relationship to pay my bills, feel happy feel...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@BlueWave I sometimes delete my entire comment, pull the text into a word processor, fix it, and then re-post ... what a pain in the ass this site has turned into!
BlueWave comments on Jul 29, 2018:
Need is different from want to many of us. At least when it comes to romantic relationships.
Yes, we are social animals and we need social interactions. Nowhere does it say that that social interaction must be of the romantic sort.
I do not need a relationship to pay my bills, feel happy feel...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@BlueWave I sometimes delete my entire comment, pull the text into a word processor, fix it, and then re-post ... what a pain in the ass this site has turned into!
Did anyone else go through the stages of Atheism?
Geoffrey51 comments on Jul 25, 2018:
Sounds like a Christian disease to me, not a religious one! I doubt ex Buddhists or ex Sikhs go through that motion.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
You are absolutely right ... it is clearly a disadvantage to be 'born into' certain religions or religious traditions. I have succeed in eliminating the symptoms of Christianity, but the disease still lurks, deep within me.
Geoffrey51 comments on Jul 25, 2018:
Sounds like a Christian disease to me, not a religious one! I doubt ex Buddhists or ex Sikhs go through that motion.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
You are absolutely right ... it is clearly a disadvantage to be 'born into' certain religions or religious traditions. I have succeed in eliminating the symptoms of Christianity, but the disease still lurks, deep within me.
Science is unable to set its own priorities.
Dave75 comments on Jul 29, 2018:
The ideology can be satisfying curiosity. There is nothing wrong in gaining knowledge for it’s own sake.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Fulishsage NASA is the the government, and while I agree that knowledge can be good for society, there will always be a party who profits from the venture. Having worked in satellite operations for three Fortune 500 defense contractors, I speak from personal experience.
Dave75 comments on Jul 29, 2018:
The ideology can be satisfying curiosity. There is nothing wrong in gaining knowledge for it’s own sake.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Fulishsage NASA is the the government, and while I agree that knowledge can be good for society, there will always be a party who profits from the venture. Having worked in satellite operations for three Fortune 500 defense contractors, I speak from personal experience.
Science is unable to set its own priorities.
Spinliesel comments on Jul 29, 2018:
What are you striving for, a Master Plan? Und liebe Grüße an Freiburg. Da bin ich gerne gewandert.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
Ich auch!
Spinliesel comments on Jul 29, 2018:
What are you striving for, a Master Plan? Und liebe Grüße an Freiburg. Da bin ich gerne gewandert.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
Ich auch!
Science is unable to set its own priorities.
Dave75 comments on Jul 29, 2018:
The ideology can be satisfying curiosity. There is nothing wrong in gaining knowledge for it’s own sake.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Fulishsage It most certainly was for the contractors. Having been a gov't contractor myself, they are always paid, sometimes quite handsomely, for their products and services.
Dave75 comments on Jul 29, 2018:
The ideology can be satisfying curiosity. There is nothing wrong in gaining knowledge for it’s own sake.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Fulishsage It most certainly was for the contractors. Having been a gov't contractor myself, they are always paid, sometimes quite handsomely, for their products and services.
Humanists, both religious and atheist, talk about the ‘dignity’ or ‘value’ or ‘worth’ or...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
Thank you for these discerning observations. I think perhaps that there are two key issues at stake here, the first concerns vocabulary (in this case, the word faith), while the second deals with values (in this case, human rights).
The word faith is too broad, as it covers both the religious ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Matias I could accept Humanism as a godless religion, if this means a 'code' or 'philosophy' to follow. But I am uncomfortable with the adjective 'superhuman' which may be interpreted as 'above and/or beyond' human capacity.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
Thank you for these discerning observations. I think perhaps that there are two key issues at stake here, the first concerns vocabulary (in this case, the word faith), while the second deals with values (in this case, human rights).
The word faith is too broad, as it covers both the religious ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Matias I could accept Humanism as a godless religion, if this means a 'code' or 'philosophy' to follow. But I am uncomfortable with the adjective 'superhuman' which may be interpreted as 'above and/or beyond' human capacity.
I was celebrating my daughter's 25th birthday on Thursday by having dinner with her and her mother ...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
At the risk of sounding like Dear Abby, you may want to re-think using the term "the ex" or "my ex wife," which carries a considerable amount of baggage. This entire interaction makes it appear like you haven't moved on, and are gleeful when you can enlist your daughter's help to one-up her mom. ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Jlangston70 I'll accept that hit. Peace.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
At the risk of sounding like Dear Abby, you may want to re-think using the term "the ex" or "my ex wife," which carries a considerable amount of baggage. This entire interaction makes it appear like you haven't moved on, and are gleeful when you can enlist your daughter's help to one-up her mom. ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Jlangston70 I'll accept that hit. Peace.
I am curious of people's thoughts of science here. Are you confident in science?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
The so-called 'soft sciences' concern me, as they sometimes appear to resort to methodologies that skirt the edges of objectivity. These sciences include behavioral psychology, anthropology and sociology.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Flyingsaucesir Never thought of economics as a science. Statistics, yes, but Econ? Seems 'squishier' than psych.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
The so-called 'soft sciences' concern me, as they sometimes appear to resort to methodologies that skirt the edges of objectivity. These sciences include behavioral psychology, anthropology and sociology.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@Flyingsaucesir Never thought of economics as a science. Statistics, yes, but Econ? Seems 'squishier' than psych.
I was celebrating my daughter's 25th birthday on Thursday by having dinner with her and her mother ...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
At the risk of sounding like Dear Abby, you may want to re-think using the term "the ex" or "my ex wife," which carries a considerable amount of baggage. This entire interaction makes it appear like you haven't moved on, and are gleeful when you can enlist your daughter's help to one-up her mom. ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@SallyInStitches Fair enough. As the product of a 'broken home' (even that term has baggage), I was raised by a mother who never once spoke negatively in front of us kids about our father, despite what I learned, much later in life, how unfit he was for 'domestic' life. As an adult, I was able to establish a 'relationship' with my father, but I never despised him, thanks to my mom's attitude. I also have a number of peers who've gone through a divorce, and am always uncomfortable around those who, years after they've parted company, still can't seem to 'let it go.' It's the children who are always caught in the middle, sometimes as chess pieces.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 28, 2018:
At the risk of sounding like Dear Abby, you may want to re-think using the term "the ex" or "my ex wife," which carries a considerable amount of baggage. This entire interaction makes it appear like you haven't moved on, and are gleeful when you can enlist your daughter's help to one-up her mom. ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 29, 2018:
@SallyInStitches Fair enough. As the product of a 'broken home' (even that term has baggage), I was raised by a mother who never once spoke negatively in front of us kids about our father, despite what I learned, much later in life, how unfit he was for 'domestic' life. As an adult, I was able to establish a 'relationship' with my father, but I never despised him, thanks to my mom's attitude. I also have a number of peers who've gone through a divorce, and am always uncomfortable around those who, years after they've parted company, still can't seem to 'let it go.' It's the children who are always caught in the middle, sometimes as chess pieces.
What's your answer to "what if you die and God is real?
nosferatu_cat comments on Jul 28, 2018:
It's the Pascal's Wager thing. I'm comfortable with the idea that the afterlife is such a low probability thing, like inverse 6 sigma, that I don't worry about it. I could die to regret it but I'm not expecting to. <g>
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
@mordant Exactly ... Pascal was appealing to the basest of our emotions: fear.
nosferatu_cat comments on Jul 28, 2018:
It's the Pascal's Wager thing. I'm comfortable with the idea that the afterlife is such a low probability thing, like inverse 6 sigma, that I don't worry about it. I could die to regret it but I'm not expecting to. <g>
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
@mordant Exactly ... Pascal was appealing to the basest of our emotions: fear.
What's your answer to "what if you die and God is real?
KKGator comments on Jul 28, 2018:
I'd spit in it's eye, and take a swing at it for being such a passive/aggressive douchebag.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
Nice. Slap him upside the head and say, 'dude practice what you preach, now, turn the other cheek!' ;-)
KKGator comments on Jul 28, 2018:
I'd spit in it's eye, and take a swing at it for being such a passive/aggressive douchebag.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
Nice. Slap him upside the head and say, 'dude practice what you preach, now, turn the other cheek!' ;-)
What's your answer to "what if you die and God is real?
nosferatu_cat comments on Jul 28, 2018:
It's the Pascal's Wager thing. I'm comfortable with the idea that the afterlife is such a low probability thing, like inverse 6 sigma, that I don't worry about it. I could die to regret it but I'm not expecting to. <g>
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
@mordant When revisited Blaise Pascal's famous 'wager' I was surprised to learn that he was essentially saying, 'fake it 'til you make it.'
nosferatu_cat comments on Jul 28, 2018:
It's the Pascal's Wager thing. I'm comfortable with the idea that the afterlife is such a low probability thing, like inverse 6 sigma, that I don't worry about it. I could die to regret it but I'm not expecting to. <g>
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
@mordant When revisited Blaise Pascal's famous 'wager' I was surprised to learn that he was essentially saying, 'fake it 'til you make it.'
What's your answer to "what if you die and God is real?
schway comments on Jul 28, 2018:
It depends on which god you're talking about.
Spinoza's god is Einstein's god so no apology needed.
Swedenborg's god accepted everyone and heaven and hell were on earth for him
The Unitarian god is unified and no Jesus or Holy Ghost.
Congregationalists said god wouldn't make anyone suffer in ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
And to the Deists, like my avatar, the Almighty created the universe and the laws that govern it, and left to do other things, never to be seen or heard from, least of all by us puny humans, who alone have been responsible for all the foolish and false religious doctrines and beliefs about his/her/its nature.
schway comments on Jul 28, 2018:
It depends on which god you're talking about.
Spinoza's god is Einstein's god so no apology needed.
Swedenborg's god accepted everyone and heaven and hell were on earth for him
The Unitarian god is unified and no Jesus or Holy Ghost.
Congregationalists said god wouldn't make anyone suffer in ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
And to the Deists, like my avatar, the Almighty created the universe and the laws that govern it, and left to do other things, never to be seen or heard from, least of all by us puny humans, who alone have been responsible for all the foolish and false religious doctrines and beliefs about his/her/its nature.
What's your answer to "what if you die and God is real?
Angus comments on Jul 28, 2018:
If God is real...
That means so is Jesus, and the unconditional love for those who do good acts.
Jesus knows the church has strayed from his message. He will welcome all who care for their siblings with open arms. Works are more important than Words.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
Only for Christians. To Jews he was a rebel, and to Muslims an amiable and honest teacher. To the rest of the world, he may or may not have even existed as an historical figure, but he most certainly wasn't divine.
Angus comments on Jul 28, 2018:
If God is real...
That means so is Jesus, and the unconditional love for those who do good acts.
Jesus knows the church has strayed from his message. He will welcome all who care for their siblings with open arms. Works are more important than Words.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 28, 2018:
Only for Christians. To Jews he was a rebel, and to Muslims an amiable and honest teacher. To the rest of the world, he may or may not have even existed as an historical figure, but he most certainly wasn't divine.
Is anti-theism on a par with racism?
Outlier comments on Jul 11, 2018:
The trap has been set! Bwhahahaha
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
@MrTallman Holy hoaxer, Batman! You may be on to something. And to think, I fell for it! ;-)
Outlier comments on Jul 11, 2018:
The trap has been set! Bwhahahaha
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
@MrTallman Holy hoaxer, Batman! You may be on to something. And to think, I fell for it! ;-)
Gulf Power project uncovers historic artifacts in downtown Pensacola
Gulf Power's five-year, $85 ...
geist171 comments on Jul 26, 2018:
I hate that the archaeologists are likely going to be under so much pressure to finish their work quickly so the city can get back on its development schedule.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
Well, at least they get some access. In the past, nobody cared, history was irrelevant, and projects went on, uninterrupted.
geist171 comments on Jul 26, 2018:
I hate that the archaeologists are likely going to be under so much pressure to finish their work quickly so the city can get back on its development schedule.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
Well, at least they get some access. In the past, nobody cared, history was irrelevant, and projects went on, uninterrupted.
Huge fires are burning all over the world, including the Arctic Circle.
gearl comments on Jul 25, 2018:
I have an acquaintance with whom I can discuss the Bible, evolution or politics but if I bring up climate change its pure blasphemy. He goes berserk. It really seems to be a major issue in the evangelical community and completely binary.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
@Matias Corn and soybeans are the two big ones. But to me at least, it depends on the reason or purpose for the modification. Some varieties are made to be resistant to insects, others are modified to be drought tolerant, while others are designed to tolerate herbicides. And here we have a potential side effect. Monsanto’s patented genetically modified soybeans, for example, represent a monopoly in this country, and their modification makes them resistant to Monsanto’s herbicide, Round-up, which is now being sprayed in copious amounts. Has Round-up (glyphosate) been scientifically proven to be harmful to humans? Not as of yet. Do you want your soy products to be covered in the stuff? Perhaps not, but that would not be a scientifically supportable position, at this time. I am likewise not an expert on the subject. Tschüss!
gearl comments on Jul 25, 2018:
I have an acquaintance with whom I can discuss the Bible, evolution or politics but if I bring up climate change its pure blasphemy. He goes berserk. It really seems to be a major issue in the evangelical community and completely binary.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
@Matias Corn and soybeans are the two big ones. But to me at least, it depends on the reason or purpose for the modification. Some varieties are made to be resistant to insects, others are modified to be drought tolerant, while others are designed to tolerate herbicides. And here we have a potential side effect. Monsanto’s patented genetically modified soybeans, for example, represent a monopoly in this country, and their modification makes them resistant to Monsanto’s herbicide, Round-up, which is now being sprayed in copious amounts. Has Round-up (glyphosate) been scientifically proven to be harmful to humans? Not as of yet. Do you want your soy products to be covered in the stuff? Perhaps not, but that would not be a scientifically supportable position, at this time. I am likewise not an expert on the subject. Tschüss!
I visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum today.
Enlightened420 comments on Jul 27, 2018:
I would love to get to go see that! I have been reading "The Greatest Show on Earth" by Richard Dawkins. I love learning about evolution and since I live in the"buybull" belt I often need good facts to combat the ignorance.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
Buybull! Love it ... first time seeing it. Peace.
Enlightened420 comments on Jul 27, 2018:
I would love to get to go see that! I have been reading "The Greatest Show on Earth" by Richard Dawkins. I love learning about evolution and since I live in the"buybull" belt I often need good facts to combat the ignorance.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
Buybull! Love it ... first time seeing it. Peace.
Is Doubt a Sin?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 26, 2018:
The question should be, is there such a thing as "sin?"
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
@Rhetoric In a religious context, doubt is not a value, and is in fact the enemy of faith. The so-called virtue of faith is valued even to this day! Faith, that hideous stillborn whose parents were ignorance and insanity, and which the Bible itself defines as:
“…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
What possible place in our thinking should faith occupy today? In my experience, there can be no substance in hoped-for things and no presentable evidence in unwitnessed things. Could anything be more absurd than this? And yet Jesus rebuked those who lacked this supposed virtue!
"And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Matthew 14:31 (KJV)
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
John 20:29 (KJV)
Religious faith involves claiming to know things we cannot know, and the Bible even demands that we throw away our skepticism, critical thinking and reason.
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."
James 1:6 (RSV)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight."
Proverbs 3:5 (RSV)
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 26, 2018:
The question should be, is there such a thing as "sin?"
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 27, 2018:
@Rhetoric In a religious context, doubt is not a value, and is in fact the enemy of faith. The so-called virtue of faith is valued even to this day! Faith, that hideous stillborn whose parents were ignorance and insanity, and which the Bible itself defines as:
“…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
What possible place in our thinking should faith occupy today? In my experience, there can be no substance in hoped-for things and no presentable evidence in unwitnessed things. Could anything be more absurd than this? And yet Jesus rebuked those who lacked this supposed virtue!
"And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Matthew 14:31 (KJV)
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
John 20:29 (KJV)
Religious faith involves claiming to know things we cannot know, and the Bible even demands that we throw away our skepticism, critical thinking and reason.
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."
James 1:6 (RSV)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight."
Proverbs 3:5 (RSV)
Huge fires are burning all over the world, including the Arctic Circle.
gearl comments on Jul 25, 2018:
I have an acquaintance with whom I can discuss the Bible, evolution or politics but if I bring up climate change its pure blasphemy. He goes berserk. It really seems to be a major issue in the evangelical community and completely binary.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@Matias Absolutely agree, but unlike the GMO issue, we actually do have a good deal of science regarding the impact of human activity on the climate.
gearl comments on Jul 25, 2018:
I have an acquaintance with whom I can discuss the Bible, evolution or politics but if I bring up climate change its pure blasphemy. He goes berserk. It really seems to be a major issue in the evangelical community and completely binary.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@Matias Absolutely agree, but unlike the GMO issue, we actually do have a good deal of science regarding the impact of human activity on the climate.
Gene editing is GM, says European Court
The European Court of Justice has ruled that genetically...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 25, 2018:
Unlike climate change, the negative reaction to GMOs comes largely from the left, and at times resembles a religious movement, more than it does a fact-based, scientifically argued position.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@Matias There are times, it seems, when the EU gets ahead of itself.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 25, 2018:
Unlike climate change, the negative reaction to GMOs comes largely from the left, and at times resembles a religious movement, more than it does a fact-based, scientifically argued position.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@Matias There are times, it seems, when the EU gets ahead of itself.
Just to make it clear.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Bravo Zulu to you for your integrity and honesty ... NEGAT Bravo Zulu on your brevity. Peace.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@GipsyOfNewSpain Happy 'covfefe day!' I respect your work as a radioman, as I served in uniform, and worked with satellites. Comms are always our backbone, no matter what band they occupy, and in a post apocalyptic world, shortwave radio operators with solar power collection could rebuild the planet. Peace.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Bravo Zulu to you for your integrity and honesty ... NEGAT Bravo Zulu on your brevity. Peace.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@GipsyOfNewSpain Happy 'covfefe day!' I respect your work as a radioman, as I served in uniform, and worked with satellites. Comms are always our backbone, no matter what band they occupy, and in a post apocalyptic world, shortwave radio operators with solar power collection could rebuild the planet. Peace.
Conversely, as rock bands go:
Who was the worst replacement for any band?
Akfishlady comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Phil Collins replaced Peter Gabriel in Genesis. Stupid mistake. Went from a progressive rock band to stupid pop.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@Akfishlady Thanks, as do you. And I prefer Peter Gabriel's stylized pop over Phil Collins' Miami Vice soundtrack style. ;-)
Akfishlady comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Phil Collins replaced Peter Gabriel in Genesis. Stupid mistake. Went from a progressive rock band to stupid pop.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@Akfishlady Thanks, as do you. And I prefer Peter Gabriel's stylized pop over Phil Collins' Miami Vice soundtrack style. ;-)
Conversely, as rock bands go:
Who was the worst replacement for any band?
Akfishlady comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Phil Collins replaced Peter Gabriel in Genesis. Stupid mistake. Went from a progressive rock band to stupid pop.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
It took a while though. I have all of Genesis' records/CDs, and agree that by the 80's they'd gone pop, but Trick of the Tail, Wind & Wuthering and even And Then There Were Three, had some great stuff. If you feel that Gabriel's departure caused the stylistic change toward pop, how is this reflected in his solo albums? Peter Gabriel became a pop icon long before Phil Collins. Personally, I view Steve Hackett's influence as being more influential--he left in '77, and his solo albums, as well as those of Anthony Phillips, have that early Genesis sound. Supper's Ready, by the way, is one of the best prog anthems ever!
Akfishlady comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Phil Collins replaced Peter Gabriel in Genesis. Stupid mistake. Went from a progressive rock band to stupid pop.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
It took a while though. I have all of Genesis' records/CDs, and agree that by the 80's they'd gone pop, but Trick of the Tail, Wind & Wuthering and even And Then There Were Three, had some great stuff. If you feel that Gabriel's departure caused the stylistic change toward pop, how is this reflected in his solo albums? Peter Gabriel became a pop icon long before Phil Collins. Personally, I view Steve Hackett's influence as being more influential--he left in '77, and his solo albums, as well as those of Anthony Phillips, have that early Genesis sound. Supper's Ready, by the way, is one of the best prog anthems ever!
Conversely, as rock bands go:
Who was the worst replacement for any band?
Donotbelieve comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Well, ACDC sure went to hell after Bon Scott died.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
On a highway! ;-)
Donotbelieve comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Well, ACDC sure went to hell after Bon Scott died.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
On a highway! ;-)
How convinced are you?
Wallace comments on Jul 25, 2018:
About 50/50, and that supports an adventursome outlook on life (and death). But I seriously doubt that the creeds of any particular religion are true.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@KissedbySun Robert Frost looking back at his life with regret? Perish the thought! ;-)
Wallace comments on Jul 25, 2018:
About 50/50, and that supports an adventursome outlook on life (and death). But I seriously doubt that the creeds of any particular religion are true.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@KissedbySun Robert Frost looking back at his life with regret? Perish the thought! ;-)
How convinced are you?
Geoffrey51 comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Okay, I'll swing the other way. I am 1% convinced there are no gods or deities. The Romans had them, the Greeks had them, the Babylonians had them. A long pedigree of intelligent, Empire building cultures there. Did they do it without offering favour to the gods? Doubt it. Did they bring ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
And what would you tell them? That you believe in the existence, as well as active interactions, of Marduk, Zeus and Jupiter? Is it your contention that nations are swept into empire by their gods? The Hindu religion predates those you have mentioned by centuries, if not millennia. Do you believe the dozens, if not hundreds of deities of this polytheistic religion physically exist?
Geoffrey51 comments on Jul 26, 2018:
Okay, I'll swing the other way. I am 1% convinced there are no gods or deities. The Romans had them, the Greeks had them, the Babylonians had them. A long pedigree of intelligent, Empire building cultures there. Did they do it without offering favour to the gods? Doubt it. Did they bring ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
And what would you tell them? That you believe in the existence, as well as active interactions, of Marduk, Zeus and Jupiter? Is it your contention that nations are swept into empire by their gods? The Hindu religion predates those you have mentioned by centuries, if not millennia. Do you believe the dozens, if not hundreds of deities of this polytheistic religion physically exist?
How convinced are you?
Wallace comments on Jul 25, 2018:
About 50/50, and that supports an adventursome outlook on life (and death). But I seriously doubt that the creeds of any particular religion are true.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@KissedbySun True, a sigh can be taken a number of ways, but I believe most who read the poem take Frost's final two lines as an affirmation of the decision to take the road less traveled.
Wallace comments on Jul 25, 2018:
About 50/50, and that supports an adventursome outlook on life (and death). But I seriously doubt that the creeds of any particular religion are true.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 26, 2018:
@KissedbySun True, a sigh can be taken a number of ways, but I believe most who read the poem take Frost's final two lines as an affirmation of the decision to take the road less traveled.
One of the best phrases i've ever seen...."Your God is a poor excuse for a human being." ;)
gearl comments on Jul 25, 2018:
Gene Roddenberry in a script for an episode of Star Trek had one of the Vulcans on board, in a very logical way, say, 'If this is your God, he's not very impressive. He's got so many psychological problems; he's so insecure. He demands worship every seven days. He goes out and creates faulty humans ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
How unfortunate that Gene Roddenberry was forced to capitulate in this instance. The original Star Trek was an incredibly forward thinking series for its time. That said, I am reminded of the episodes "Bread and Circuses" which clearly espoused a parallel founding of Christianity, as well as "Who Mourns for Adonis" where Kirk delivered his famous religious line in response to Apollo, "We find the one [God] sufficient."
gearl comments on Jul 25, 2018:
Gene Roddenberry in a script for an episode of Star Trek had one of the Vulcans on board, in a very logical way, say, 'If this is your God, he's not very impressive. He's got so many psychological problems; he's so insecure. He demands worship every seven days. He goes out and creates faulty humans ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
How unfortunate that Gene Roddenberry was forced to capitulate in this instance. The original Star Trek was an incredibly forward thinking series for its time. That said, I am reminded of the episodes "Bread and Circuses" which clearly espoused a parallel founding of Christianity, as well as "Who Mourns for Adonis" where Kirk delivered his famous religious line in response to Apollo, "We find the one [God] sufficient."
How convinced are you?
Wallace comments on Jul 25, 2018:
About 50/50, and that supports an adventursome outlook on life (and death). But I seriously doubt that the creeds of any particular religion are true.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@Wallace I have no words ... your journey, your life ... peace!
Wallace comments on Jul 25, 2018:
About 50/50, and that supports an adventursome outlook on life (and death). But I seriously doubt that the creeds of any particular religion are true.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@Wallace I have no words ... your journey, your life ... peace!
How convinced are you?
Wallace comments on Jul 25, 2018:
About 50/50, and that supports an adventursome outlook on life (and death). But I seriously doubt that the creeds of any particular religion are true.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
So that pretty much sounds like a coin toss. You've come to that proverbial fork in the road, and can see no reason to choose one over the other. My recommendation would be to, as the poet Robert Frost so eloquently wrote in his poem The Road Not Taken, take the one less traveled, and maybe you will feel the gratitude of the poet, when he said:
"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Wallace comments on Jul 25, 2018:
About 50/50, and that supports an adventursome outlook on life (and death). But I seriously doubt that the creeds of any particular religion are true.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
So that pretty much sounds like a coin toss. You've come to that proverbial fork in the road, and can see no reason to choose one over the other. My recommendation would be to, as the poet Robert Frost so eloquently wrote in his poem The Road Not Taken, take the one less traveled, and maybe you will feel the gratitude of the poet, when he said:
"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
How convinced are you?
Tomfoolery33 comments on Jul 25, 2018:
99.99%. I'll leave room for doubt on anything. I can always be wrong. And it informs my views of life deeply. I could go on for several pages, but I won't.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
Well (and succinctly) stated! Cheers!
Tomfoolery33 comments on Jul 25, 2018:
99.99%. I'll leave room for doubt on anything. I can always be wrong. And it informs my views of life deeply. I could go on for several pages, but I won't.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
Well (and succinctly) stated! Cheers!
I'm still new here so maybe I'm not acclimated.
Chars comments on Jul 25, 2018:
It seems to me sometimes that non-believing is just another religion. It’s this attitude that I see in both arenas: “If you don’t believe what I believe, you’re wrong. “. Not all non believers, of course. But some.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@Chars Just my opinion ... and of course, I realize I could be wrong. Peace.
Chars comments on Jul 25, 2018:
It seems to me sometimes that non-believing is just another religion. It’s this attitude that I see in both arenas: “If you don’t believe what I believe, you’re wrong. “. Not all non believers, of course. But some.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@Chars Just my opinion ... and of course, I realize I could be wrong. Peace.
I'm still new here so maybe I'm not acclimated.
Chars comments on Jul 25, 2018:
It seems to me sometimes that non-believing is just another religion. It’s this attitude that I see in both arenas: “If you don’t believe what I believe, you’re wrong. “. Not all non believers, of course. But some.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
Unbelief a religion? I disagree. It is the default setting in our operating systems. Non-belief is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby or the ‘off’ position is a TV channel. And it is not a religious stance to conclude that unbelief is more likely than religious faith to be correct.
Chars comments on Jul 25, 2018:
It seems to me sometimes that non-believing is just another religion. It’s this attitude that I see in both arenas: “If you don’t believe what I believe, you’re wrong. “. Not all non believers, of course. But some.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
Unbelief a religion? I disagree. It is the default setting in our operating systems. Non-belief is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby or the ‘off’ position is a TV channel. And it is not a religious stance to conclude that unbelief is more likely than religious faith to be correct.
GOP Candidate Claims the Founding Fathers Put “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge – Friendly ...
Castlepaloma comments on Jul 25, 2018:
In the the Constitution there is no mention of God. Along the way Christians did slide in a few amendments seeking to make US a Christian Nation. A great contradiction from the original American founding forefathers.
Any centralize group is a contradiction of the diversity and fairness of the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@NerdyOkieDude I'd forgotten about that one ... fell 3 states short. But it would need to be modified--I would recommend replacing the word 'sex' with 'gender.' Thoughts?
"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
Castlepaloma comments on Jul 25, 2018:
In the the Constitution there is no mention of God. Along the way Christians did slide in a few amendments seeking to make US a Christian Nation. A great contradiction from the original American founding forefathers.
Any centralize group is a contradiction of the diversity and fairness of the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@NerdyOkieDude I'd forgotten about that one ... fell 3 states short. But it would need to be modified--I would recommend replacing the word 'sex' with 'gender.' Thoughts?
"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
GOP Candidate Claims the Founding Fathers Put “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge – Friendly ...
Castlepaloma comments on Jul 25, 2018:
In the the Constitution there is no mention of God. Along the way Christians did slide in a few amendments seeking to make US a Christian Nation. A great contradiction from the original American founding forefathers.
Any centralize group is a contradiction of the diversity and fairness of the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@NerdyOkieDude As well as the 15th and 19th, ensuring voting rights for people of color and women, respectively.
Castlepaloma comments on Jul 25, 2018:
In the the Constitution there is no mention of God. Along the way Christians did slide in a few amendments seeking to make US a Christian Nation. A great contradiction from the original American founding forefathers.
Any centralize group is a contradiction of the diversity and fairness of the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@NerdyOkieDude As well as the 15th and 19th, ensuring voting rights for people of color and women, respectively.
I think I'm failing at parenting. My kid just turned off Tom Petty to put on Billy Idol. ?
Bigwavedave comments on Jul 24, 2018:
Awesome. White wedding
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@Nottheonlyone Wait, don't forget Eyes Without a Face!
Bigwavedave comments on Jul 24, 2018:
Awesome. White wedding
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@Nottheonlyone Wait, don't forget Eyes Without a Face!
Is gaslighting abuse?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
Your initial question requires no debate. All are aware, or should be, that to manipulate another human being through psychological means that calls into question their own sanity, is inherently wrong.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@Belrieve Clearly unfair to you.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
Your initial question requires no debate. All are aware, or should be, that to manipulate another human being through psychological means that calls into question their own sanity, is inherently wrong.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 25, 2018:
@Belrieve Clearly unfair to you.
I have noticed some incredibly sloppy and prejudiced thought on this site lately.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
So, a message like this may be interpreted in several ways, and reminds me of the teacher who scolds the entire class for the behavior of a few. In the absence of specifics, all are inclined to dismiss the admonishment, including those to whom the reproach was made. The bottom line here is this: ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@sarahjustme I hated teachers who punished the class for the actions of a small minority, and vowed never to do it when I was a teacher (junior high) ... a career path that, alas, didn't last.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
So, a message like this may be interpreted in several ways, and reminds me of the teacher who scolds the entire class for the behavior of a few. In the absence of specifics, all are inclined to dismiss the admonishment, including those to whom the reproach was made. The bottom line here is this: ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@sarahjustme I hated teachers who punished the class for the actions of a small minority, and vowed never to do it when I was a teacher (junior high) ... a career path that, alas, didn't last.
Artificial Intelligence Shows Why Atheism Is Unpopular - The Atlantic
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
Interesting! In Europe, attitudes toward diversity and pluralism are being reexamined, due to the influx of migrant refugees. Meanwhile, the US has shown its anti-pluralism colors of late, but is also deficient in education and, worse, appears to champion this deficiency. Of all the statistics ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@weeman Please, don't get me started about my intellectually erratic country! :-)
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
Interesting! In Europe, attitudes toward diversity and pluralism are being reexamined, due to the influx of migrant refugees. Meanwhile, the US has shown its anti-pluralism colors of late, but is also deficient in education and, worse, appears to champion this deficiency. Of all the statistics ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@weeman Please, don't get me started about my intellectually erratic country! :-)
Critical Thinking Skills: What are They and How Do I Get Them? - Brights Bulletin, Thinker Academy
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 24, 2018:
No matter how much critical thinking is being done, at the end of the day people will still disagree. That might be because no one really knows the answer. We need to be careful about thinking that our opinions are the correct ones because WE are the ones who use critical thinking, while our ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@WilliamFleming Reasonable people deserve reasoned replies ... peace.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 24, 2018:
No matter how much critical thinking is being done, at the end of the day people will still disagree. That might be because no one really knows the answer. We need to be careful about thinking that our opinions are the correct ones because WE are the ones who use critical thinking, while our ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@WilliamFleming Reasonable people deserve reasoned replies ... peace.
This is my understanding.
Anne209 comments on Jul 24, 2018:
This is the best description I've seen that describes the relationship between (a)gnostic and (a)theist. It's in chart form, which is an added bonus.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Anne-95209 Sadly, as I have learned, there a many things we cannot type on this blog without creating some stupid new emoji!
Anne209 comments on Jul 24, 2018:
This is the best description I've seen that describes the relationship between (a)gnostic and (a)theist. It's in chart form, which is an added bonus.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Anne-95209 Sadly, as I have learned, there a many things we cannot type on this blog without creating some stupid new emoji!
Critical Thinking Skills: What are They and How Do I Get Them? - Brights Bulletin, Thinker Academy
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 24, 2018:
No matter how much critical thinking is being done, at the end of the day people will still disagree. That might be because no one really knows the answer. We need to be careful about thinking that our opinions are the correct ones because WE are the ones who use critical thinking, while our ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@WilliamFleming Much as the debate in the 60’s and 70’s over the association with smoking and lung cancer, the evidence for the impacts of human activity on climate continues to mount. The question isn’t so much as to the facts, but rather, what to do about them. We each have a right to our own opinions, but not to our own facts.
WilliamFleming comments on Jul 24, 2018:
No matter how much critical thinking is being done, at the end of the day people will still disagree. That might be because no one really knows the answer. We need to be careful about thinking that our opinions are the correct ones because WE are the ones who use critical thinking, while our ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@WilliamFleming Much as the debate in the 60’s and 70’s over the association with smoking and lung cancer, the evidence for the impacts of human activity on climate continues to mount. The question isn’t so much as to the facts, but rather, what to do about them. We each have a right to our own opinions, but not to our own facts.
Artificial Intelligence Shows Why Atheism Is Unpopular - The Atlantic
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
Interesting! In Europe, attitudes toward diversity and pluralism are being reexamined, due to the influx of migrant refugees. Meanwhile, the US has shown its anti-pluralism colors of late, but is also deficient in education and, worse, appears to champion this deficiency. Of all the statistics ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@NerdyOkieDude One of my favorite Asimov quotes ... thank you!
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
Interesting! In Europe, attitudes toward diversity and pluralism are being reexamined, due to the influx of migrant refugees. Meanwhile, the US has shown its anti-pluralism colors of late, but is also deficient in education and, worse, appears to champion this deficiency. Of all the statistics ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@NerdyOkieDude One of my favorite Asimov quotes ... thank you!
“An almond doesn’t lactate:” FDA to crack down on use of the word “milk” | Ars Technica
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Lukian That's why I ended with 'peace.' You've worn me out! ;-)
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Lukian That's why I ended with 'peace.' You've worn me out! ;-)
“An almond doesn’t lactate:” FDA to crack down on use of the word “milk” | Ars Technica
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Lukian Not quite. It would be along the lines of, “Your honor, while we recognize the regulatory authority of the FDA to protect the public, we also recognize the potential for unwarranted, immoderate or gratuitous regulation, opaquely drafted, sometimes with the assistance of a third party with an agenda.” The case here should hinge on the right or ‘legal standing’ of the FDA to narrowly define ‘milk,’ a word applying to many products that have more than one meaning, worldwide, and the common use of which predates the founding of the FDA, not to mention the United States. The FDA’s definition of milk, plain and simple, is what the dairy industry wanted, not what best serves the public. As such, it is fundamentally unethical and should not be allowed, and here, I would trust a jury’s consideration over that of an individual judge. Peace.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Lukian Not quite. It would be along the lines of, “Your honor, while we recognize the regulatory authority of the FDA to protect the public, we also recognize the potential for unwarranted, immoderate or gratuitous regulation, opaquely drafted, sometimes with the assistance of a third party with an agenda.” The case here should hinge on the right or ‘legal standing’ of the FDA to narrowly define ‘milk,’ a word applying to many products that have more than one meaning, worldwide, and the common use of which predates the founding of the FDA, not to mention the United States. The FDA’s definition of milk, plain and simple, is what the dairy industry wanted, not what best serves the public. As such, it is fundamentally unethical and should not be allowed, and here, I would trust a jury’s consideration over that of an individual judge. Peace.
How old were you when you lost your faith? (If this applies of course)
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
I was a late bloomer ... somewhere around the age of 50.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Autodidact An excellent question. I finally began to realize, thanks in no small part to my adult children and spouse, that I could actually be wrong about many things, and that my reasoning might be at fault. This realization ushered in an epistemological crisis, spreading to my reasons for believing in religion or a deity. At that point, it felt just like playing a game of chess with all but your king and a few pawns remaining, while my opponent (reason) had all the high-value pieces. Unable to play to a draw, I was forced, by logic, to forfeit.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 24, 2018:
I was a late bloomer ... somewhere around the age of 50.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Autodidact An excellent question. I finally began to realize, thanks in no small part to my adult children and spouse, that I could actually be wrong about many things, and that my reasoning might be at fault. This realization ushered in an epistemological crisis, spreading to my reasons for believing in religion or a deity. At that point, it felt just like playing a game of chess with all but your king and a few pawns remaining, while my opponent (reason) had all the high-value pieces. Unable to play to a draw, I was forced, by logic, to forfeit.
What are the best come-backs someone pushing flat earth science?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 17, 2018:
Wow! I’ve heard of flat earthers, but never met one. As a skeptic I’m inclined to believe that no one is really a flat earther, and that they’re only doing this for attention. How do they explain the navigational patterns of aircraft and ships transitting the oceans? They always use great arc...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Jjones Having spent a good part of my career in satellite operations and space launch, I find it incomprehensible that a lunatic fringe of insane individuals like these flat earthers could exist in the 21st century, and have the unmitigated chutzpah to demand to be heard. I'd like to put these people on top of a rocket, bound for the ISS, and then dare them to open the air lock! By the way, I noted that the Tesla roadster with Starman had an empty seat ... pity that a spokesperson for this deranged cult wasn't seated in the passenger seat!
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 17, 2018:
Wow! I’ve heard of flat earthers, but never met one. As a skeptic I’m inclined to believe that no one is really a flat earther, and that they’re only doing this for attention. How do they explain the navigational patterns of aircraft and ships transitting the oceans? They always use great arc...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
@Jjones Having spent a good part of my career in satellite operations and space launch, I find it incomprehensible that a lunatic fringe of insane individuals like these flat earthers could exist in the 21st century, and have the unmitigated chutzpah to demand to be heard. I'd like to put these people on top of a rocket, bound for the ISS, and then dare them to open the air lock! By the way, I noted that the Tesla roadster with Starman had an empty seat ... pity that a spokesperson for this deranged cult wasn't seated in the passenger seat!
If Jesus was a real person, was he the first magician?
SallyInStitches comments on Jul 23, 2018:
Nope. Remember the Egyptian magicians thst Moses shamed when the staffed tourned into a snake & ate the snake shafts of the Egyptian magicians? Why does that read like a badly explained porn scene?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
Not nearly as pornographic as the 23rd Psalm. "...thy rod and thy staff they comfort me..." ;-)
SallyInStitches comments on Jul 23, 2018:
Nope. Remember the Egyptian magicians thst Moses shamed when the staffed tourned into a snake & ate the snake shafts of the Egyptian magicians? Why does that read like a badly explained porn scene?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 24, 2018:
Not nearly as pornographic as the 23rd Psalm. "...thy rod and thy staff they comfort me..." ;-)
“An almond doesn’t lactate:” FDA to crack down on use of the word “milk” | Ars Technica
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
@Lukian We may just have to agree to disagree. I don't see any need for there to be a hook from which to be let off, since the absurd 'regulation' here is the problem, not the manufacturers. It is overreach on the part of the government to seek to regulate what we choose to call something. And it is even more hypocritical in light of the fact that the dairy lobby is behind this decision. Again, no one is confused by the dairy vs. non-dairy milk distinction, and product safety is not enhanced by the FDA's folly.
As I said before, so long as the ingredients are clearly labeled, the consumer is informed. If the rest of the world (including the EU which is very particular about naming rights when it comes to regional foods like wines and cheeses), is unconcerned about terms like coconut, rice, soy or almond milk, why should we? Do we really want to live in a nanny state? The Chinese baby formula example is a red herring.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
@Lukian We may just have to agree to disagree. I don't see any need for there to be a hook from which to be let off, since the absurd 'regulation' here is the problem, not the manufacturers. It is overreach on the part of the government to seek to regulate what we choose to call something. And it is even more hypocritical in light of the fact that the dairy lobby is behind this decision. Again, no one is confused by the dairy vs. non-dairy milk distinction, and product safety is not enhanced by the FDA's folly.
As I said before, so long as the ingredients are clearly labeled, the consumer is informed. If the rest of the world (including the EU which is very particular about naming rights when it comes to regional foods like wines and cheeses), is unconcerned about terms like coconut, rice, soy or almond milk, why should we? Do we really want to live in a nanny state? The Chinese baby formula example is a red herring.
“An almond doesn’t lactate:” FDA to crack down on use of the word “milk” | Ars Technica
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
@Lukian Again, the regulation is the problem. It is counterfactual. Long before dairies, people were drinking plant milk and referring to it as milk. And well before the FDA adopted this regulation, we were buying and consuming coconut milk. What we have here is an unenforceable and stupid regulation which should never have been written. As for MuscleMilk, nobody is being confused by the name, and as long as the contents of the product are clearly labeled, who cares what they call it?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
@Lukian Again, the regulation is the problem. It is counterfactual. Long before dairies, people were drinking plant milk and referring to it as milk. And well before the FDA adopted this regulation, we were buying and consuming coconut milk. What we have here is an unenforceable and stupid regulation which should never have been written. As for MuscleMilk, nobody is being confused by the name, and as long as the contents of the product are clearly labeled, who cares what they call it?
“An almond doesn’t lactate:” FDA to crack down on use of the word “milk” | Ars Technica
Lukian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER B--FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
PART 133 -- CHEESES AND RELATED CHEESE PRODUCTS
Subpart A--General Provisions
Sec. 133.3 Definitions.
(a) Milk means the lacteal secretion, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
Long before almond, soy and rice milk were widely available, we raised our son on goat's milk (due to allergies), and we also consumed coconut milk. This definition is clearly too narrow, and favors one particular group--the dairy industry.
Lukian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER B--FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
PART 133 -- CHEESES AND RELATED CHEESE PRODUCTS
Subpart A--General Provisions
Sec. 133.3 Definitions.
(a) Milk means the lacteal secretion, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
Long before almond, soy and rice milk were widely available, we raised our son on goat's milk (due to allergies), and we also consumed coconut milk. This definition is clearly too narrow, and favors one particular group--the dairy industry.
“An almond doesn’t lactate:” FDA to crack down on use of the word “milk” | Ars Technica
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
@Lukian It is the FDA's original foolish and arbitrary regulation I assail, not merely their decision to enforce it. "Milk is the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows."
By this definition, goat's milk would also be disqualified.
It is clear that the FDA is beholden to the dairy lobby, which is reeling under the trend to move away from cow's milk. One need only look at the daily nutrition guidelines as evidence that lobbying trumps science. The slippery slope here involves , influence and revolving doors.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 23, 2018:
This is absurd! We have plant milk and we have animal milk. The entire planet recognizes this, and no one is confused. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its weakness to industry lobbies.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
@Lukian It is the FDA's original foolish and arbitrary regulation I assail, not merely their decision to enforce it. "Milk is the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows."
By this definition, goat's milk would also be disqualified.
It is clear that the FDA is beholden to the dairy lobby, which is reeling under the trend to move away from cow's milk. One need only look at the daily nutrition guidelines as evidence that lobbying trumps science. The slippery slope here involves , influence and revolving doors.
Five Foundations of Morality in America (Jonathan Haidt)
When you decide whether something is ...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2018:
I have Jonathan Haidt’s book, 'The Righteous Mind,' which I’ve marked up extensively, and I’ve watched most of his YouTube videos, including his TedTalks. To help clarify, the elements of Haidt’s moral matrix are as follows:
- Harm/Care
- Liberty/Oppression (found in The Righteous Mind, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
@Matias Fair enough.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2018:
I have Jonathan Haidt’s book, 'The Righteous Mind,' which I’ve marked up extensively, and I’ve watched most of his YouTube videos, including his TedTalks. To help clarify, the elements of Haidt’s moral matrix are as follows:
- Harm/Care
- Liberty/Oppression (found in The Righteous Mind, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 23, 2018:
@Matias Fair enough.
I find it difficult to remain friends with someone who is intellectually dishonest.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2018:
How is this behavior intellectually dishonest? Sounds more like the admissions of a true believer to me!
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@DustinFL I disagree. Mistaken beliefs and erroneous reasoning are not, in and of themselves, dishonest. If, on the other hand, your friend is in possession of information that would adversely affect his beliefs, and then fails to apply it as it would not serve his purpose, this would be dishonest. Not knowing your friend, and what facts or information he may, or may not, possess, I cannot say ... can you?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2018:
How is this behavior intellectually dishonest? Sounds more like the admissions of a true believer to me!
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@DustinFL I disagree. Mistaken beliefs and erroneous reasoning are not, in and of themselves, dishonest. If, on the other hand, your friend is in possession of information that would adversely affect his beliefs, and then fails to apply it as it would not serve his purpose, this would be dishonest. Not knowing your friend, and what facts or information he may, or may not, possess, I cannot say ... can you?
Five Foundations of Morality in America (Jonathan Haidt)
When you decide whether something is ...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2018:
I have Jonathan Haidt’s book, 'The Righteous Mind,' which I’ve marked up extensively, and I’ve watched most of his YouTube videos, including his TedTalks. To help clarify, the elements of Haidt’s moral matrix are as follows:
- Harm/Care
- Liberty/Oppression (found in The Righteous Mind, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@Matias I believe what you're referring to is tribalism, which all primates engage in. My point is that I disagree with Haidt here in that this behavior is not a moral principle.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2018:
I have Jonathan Haidt’s book, 'The Righteous Mind,' which I’ve marked up extensively, and I’ve watched most of his YouTube videos, including his TedTalks. To help clarify, the elements of Haidt’s moral matrix are as follows:
- Harm/Care
- Liberty/Oppression (found in The Righteous Mind, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@Matias I believe what you're referring to is tribalism, which all primates engage in. My point is that I disagree with Haidt here in that this behavior is not a moral principle.
Quotes:
"Collective commitment to the absurd is the greatest demonstration of group love that ...
Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 21, 2018:
America has always been a cradle for cults:
7th Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Branch Davidians, all apocalyptic. Blue Oyster, rock and roll. And now Orange Peckerwood, a celebration of ignorance and bigotry.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
We sometimes forget that, with a Constitution that completely ignores the existence of a God--any God--that the United States of America was founded as a free market, entrepreneurial, ground floor opportunity for religions--any of them! Consider all religions and churches as your basic, run of the mill hollow enterprise, with hucksters, false claims and marketing geniuses. The US was ripe for the freewheeling startups of Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists, not to name the plethora of re-constituted Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists!
Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 21, 2018:
America has always been a cradle for cults:
7th Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Branch Davidians, all apocalyptic. Blue Oyster, rock and roll. And now Orange Peckerwood, a celebration of ignorance and bigotry.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
We sometimes forget that, with a Constitution that completely ignores the existence of a God--any God--that the United States of America was founded as a free market, entrepreneurial, ground floor opportunity for religions--any of them! Consider all religions and churches as your basic, run of the mill hollow enterprise, with hucksters, false claims and marketing geniuses. The US was ripe for the freewheeling startups of Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists, not to name the plethora of re-constituted Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists!
A secular ideology that rests on the core value of personal freedom can be dangerous because it ...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 21, 2018:
Since the dawn of Homo sapiens, our species has always been on the move. Even without a commitment to so-called 'secular ideology,' (whatever that means) it is in our nature to venture out, take risks, abandon comfort and to wander.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@Matias The so-called 'recent' value of 'personal freedom' is a non sequitur, in that we all have it, and that it is as old as humankind!
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 21, 2018:
Since the dawn of Homo sapiens, our species has always been on the move. Even without a commitment to so-called 'secular ideology,' (whatever that means) it is in our nature to venture out, take risks, abandon comfort and to wander.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@Matias The so-called 'recent' value of 'personal freedom' is a non sequitur, in that we all have it, and that it is as old as humankind!
Quotes:
"Collective commitment to the absurd is the greatest demonstration of group love that ...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 21, 2018:
Reading these quotes immediately reminded me of the mass suicides of the besieged Zealots and Sicarii at Masada, as well as the Peoples Temple cult. Other than religion, what motivates such collective commitment behavior?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@Matias Be careful around 'social glue.' Like flypaper, it may make even you a victim!
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 21, 2018:
Reading these quotes immediately reminded me of the mass suicides of the besieged Zealots and Sicarii at Masada, as well as the Peoples Temple cult. Other than religion, what motivates such collective commitment behavior?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@Matias Be careful around 'social glue.' Like flypaper, it may make even you a victim!
Five Foundations of Morality in America (Jonathan Haidt)
When you decide whether something is ...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2018:
I have Jonathan Haidt’s book, 'The Righteous Mind,' which I’ve marked up extensively, and I’ve watched most of his YouTube videos, including his TedTalks. To help clarify, the elements of Haidt’s moral matrix are as follows:
- Harm/Care
- Liberty/Oppression (found in The Righteous Mind, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@Matias What on Earth are you going on about? Please, clarify.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2018:
I have Jonathan Haidt’s book, 'The Righteous Mind,' which I’ve marked up extensively, and I’ve watched most of his YouTube videos, including his TedTalks. To help clarify, the elements of Haidt’s moral matrix are as follows:
- Harm/Care
- Liberty/Oppression (found in The Righteous Mind, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 22, 2018:
@Matias What on Earth are you going on about? Please, clarify.
In what ways does this happen?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Religion teaches defective reasoning. Religion gives answers in the absence of, or contrary to, evidence, and demands that we believe, based on that toxic mixture of insanity and ignorance called faith. In this way, people are inured to mental laziness and choose to remain willfully ignorant in a ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
@Matias Not a miracle, but rebelliousness, courage and disobedience. Consider what bravery it took to go against the church, as Cervetus, Bruno, Galileo and Darwin learned. Of course all scientists and philosophers were believers, until recent generations, but they were most certainly not what we might call orthodox. Religion has been forced to gradually retreat in the face of the steady advance of science, and the scientific method will never be fully appreciated by the church. Peace.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Religion teaches defective reasoning. Religion gives answers in the absence of, or contrary to, evidence, and demands that we believe, based on that toxic mixture of insanity and ignorance called faith. In this way, people are inured to mental laziness and choose to remain willfully ignorant in a ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
@Matias Not a miracle, but rebelliousness, courage and disobedience. Consider what bravery it took to go against the church, as Cervetus, Bruno, Galileo and Darwin learned. Of course all scientists and philosophers were believers, until recent generations, but they were most certainly not what we might call orthodox. Religion has been forced to gradually retreat in the face of the steady advance of science, and the scientific method will never be fully appreciated by the church. Peace.
Whoopi Goldberg kicks guest off 'The View' - CNN Video
mpfillo comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Communist sympathizer? What is this 1984?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
@godef Under the Soviet system, Communist party leadership were treated like the Romanovs, prior to their overthrow, with perks like dachas and access to an entirely different lifestyle without waiting lines and empty refrigerators. Today's oligarchy behave in much the same way.
mpfillo comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Communist sympathizer? What is this 1984?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
@godef Under the Soviet system, Communist party leadership were treated like the Romanovs, prior to their overthrow, with perks like dachas and access to an entirely different lifestyle without waiting lines and empty refrigerators. Today's oligarchy behave in much the same way.
How do you make sense of this?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Your John the Baptist dream sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings ... are you sure you didn't meet Aragorn?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
@Solar1 My lame attempt at humor was meant only to say that I don't give credence to the dreams we have. I apologize ... and I don't do Facebook!
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Your John the Baptist dream sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings ... are you sure you didn't meet Aragorn?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
@Solar1 My lame attempt at humor was meant only to say that I don't give credence to the dreams we have. I apologize ... and I don't do Facebook!
Do you feel optimistic about the future??
Mightyjustice comments on Jul 20, 2018:
More optimistic than most. I feel like the world moves in a generally positive direction. There are fewer wars and less violence than any other time in history.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
Sounds like you might be familiar with Stephen Pinker ... peace!
Mightyjustice comments on Jul 20, 2018:
More optimistic than most. I feel like the world moves in a generally positive direction. There are fewer wars and less violence than any other time in history.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
Sounds like you might be familiar with Stephen Pinker ... peace!
I have always admired Michael Jacksons' work.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Not only beautiful, inspirational. Thank you!
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
@SpikeTalon Thanks ... don't know ... kinda doubt it though. Just gettin' back into the rhythm. Cheers.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Not only beautiful, inspirational. Thank you!
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
@SpikeTalon Thanks ... don't know ... kinda doubt it though. Just gettin' back into the rhythm. Cheers.
Does anyone understand Doppelgangers?
godef comments on Jul 19, 2018:
It's metaphorical. In an original Star Trek episode, Kirk is split into two, his good side and his bad, which in reality, isn't prone to happen. The conflict is when the two sides meet and how the conflict is resolved, which can be typically messy. The isn't necessarily an intent to resolve the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
"The Enemy Within" ... a classic original series episode. But what's important to glean from the story, in my view, isn't so much a Jekyll and Hyde tale about good vs. bad as it is about passivity vs. aggression, indecision vs. action, weakness vs. strength, etc. Each half is necessary for our existence, and only when the two polar opposites are present do we have a balanced individual.
godef comments on Jul 19, 2018:
It's metaphorical. In an original Star Trek episode, Kirk is split into two, his good side and his bad, which in reality, isn't prone to happen. The conflict is when the two sides meet and how the conflict is resolved, which can be typically messy. The isn't necessarily an intent to resolve the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
"The Enemy Within" ... a classic original series episode. But what's important to glean from the story, in my view, isn't so much a Jekyll and Hyde tale about good vs. bad as it is about passivity vs. aggression, indecision vs. action, weakness vs. strength, etc. Each half is necessary for our existence, and only when the two polar opposites are present do we have a balanced individual.
Religious Freedom
A2Jennifer comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Which neighbor is Indiana opposed to loving? I’m from Michigan, and here it’s Ohio!
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
Illinois.
A2Jennifer comments on Jul 20, 2018:
Which neighbor is Indiana opposed to loving? I’m from Michigan, and here it’s Ohio!
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
Illinois.
Has anybody heard of an obscure movie called "Eraserhead"?
The lady in the radiator?
242Foxtrot comments on Jul 19, 2018:
A must see! Totally bizarre, and hilarious in a very disturbing way. One of David Lynch' early movies, maybe the first, not sure. He also did Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
Don't forget Blue Velvet and Elephant Man.
242Foxtrot comments on Jul 19, 2018:
A must see! Totally bizarre, and hilarious in a very disturbing way. One of David Lynch' early movies, maybe the first, not sure. He also did Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 20, 2018:
Don't forget Blue Velvet and Elephant Man.
Been a symphony goer since 1977, my first concert with the San Francisco Symphony.
cmadler comments on Jul 19, 2018:
Shostakovich's 5th is my favorite symphony! I do think it's interesting that for a relatively recent composition there's so much disagreement about how to perform the end (tempo, etc). I'd always heard it played with an accelerando at the end (as per Bernstein), and always liked it, but the first ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
Nothing like hearing a Russian symphony doing Shostakovich. The St. Petersburg Phil came through a some years back and performed the 5th ... blew my mind, hearing the finale done that slowly. But then I later heard our (SF Symphony) performance of this work, led by Michael Tilson Thomas in a live recording. MTT slows that finale way down as well, making the to major key change near the end even more glorious. I now look for timings and prefer not to listen to the work if the 4th movement is under 12 minutes in length (Bernstein's was 8:59). There's also a nice live recording of the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Manfred Honeck. Thanks!
cmadler comments on Jul 19, 2018:
Shostakovich's 5th is my favorite symphony! I do think it's interesting that for a relatively recent composition there's so much disagreement about how to perform the end (tempo, etc). I'd always heard it played with an accelerando at the end (as per Bernstein), and always liked it, but the first ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
Nothing like hearing a Russian symphony doing Shostakovich. The St. Petersburg Phil came through a some years back and performed the 5th ... blew my mind, hearing the finale done that slowly. But then I later heard our (SF Symphony) performance of this work, led by Michael Tilson Thomas in a live recording. MTT slows that finale way down as well, making the to major key change near the end even more glorious. I now look for timings and prefer not to listen to the work if the 4th movement is under 12 minutes in length (Bernstein's was 8:59). There's also a nice live recording of the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Manfred Honeck. Thanks!
You can be patriotic and not have to pump your chest, yelling about how patriotic you are...right?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 19, 2018:
Not a chest pumper, but I served in uniform, swearing an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our Constitution's preamble begins boldly with "We the People," and was the first official state document that denied the existence of any God's divine ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
@Rideauxb My closest friends, colleagues and family are about the only folks who are aware of my service. I don't have bumperstickers, and don't view my days in uniform as making me inherently 'more patriotic' or, for that matter, a 'better' citizen. I was humbled by the experience. I didn't fully appreciate the meaning of the oath I swore at that time, coming to appreciate its ramifications only later. And I can only intuit, based on the character of the men and women with whom I served, that in the case of a true Constitutional crisis, the vast majority of the leadership, as well as the rank and file, could be counted on to do the right thing.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 19, 2018:
Not a chest pumper, but I served in uniform, swearing an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our Constitution's preamble begins boldly with "We the People," and was the first official state document that denied the existence of any God's divine ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
@Rideauxb My closest friends, colleagues and family are about the only folks who are aware of my service. I don't have bumperstickers, and don't view my days in uniform as making me inherently 'more patriotic' or, for that matter, a 'better' citizen. I was humbled by the experience. I didn't fully appreciate the meaning of the oath I swore at that time, coming to appreciate its ramifications only later. And I can only intuit, based on the character of the men and women with whom I served, that in the case of a true Constitutional crisis, the vast majority of the leadership, as well as the rank and file, could be counted on to do the right thing.
Hilarious Clip - Christian Is Terrified By Logic Atheist Experience
[youtu.be]
ArdentAtheist comments on Jul 16, 2018:
I’m a bit tired of the shows where they debate stupid people. I miss Hitch, he could debate scholars and people who while being deluded on this topic were at least able to express themselves intelegently. The low hanging fruit call in shows aren’t doing it for me.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
I don't know that I would call these debates. In any case, they are never about the individual caller only, but about others who have similar notions, but are open to listening to the counterpoints.
ArdentAtheist comments on Jul 16, 2018:
I’m a bit tired of the shows where they debate stupid people. I miss Hitch, he could debate scholars and people who while being deluded on this topic were at least able to express themselves intelegently. The low hanging fruit call in shows aren’t doing it for me.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
I don't know that I would call these debates. In any case, they are never about the individual caller only, but about others who have similar notions, but are open to listening to the counterpoints.
"one of them is a weirdo"
We're still finding moons around Jupiter and reconstructing the ...
Heraclitus comments on Jul 17, 2018:
The so-called weirdness is a retrograde rotational orbit.
BTW, six of the planets also rotate about their axis in this same direction. The exceptions—the planets with retrograde rotation—are Venus and Uranus. Venus's axial tilt is 177 degrees, which means it is spinning almost exactly in the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
Fascinating! As a pool player, I'm reminded of what can occur on a break ... balls heading a every direction, some remaining close to their original position, and some spinning in opposite directions. Perhaps one day in the not-too-distant future we will be able to accurately (within an acceptable margin of error) model, and render, the forces and reactions that took place during the formation of our planetary system.
Heraclitus comments on Jul 17, 2018:
The so-called weirdness is a retrograde rotational orbit.
BTW, six of the planets also rotate about their axis in this same direction. The exceptions—the planets with retrograde rotation—are Venus and Uranus. Venus's axial tilt is 177 degrees, which means it is spinning almost exactly in the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
Fascinating! As a pool player, I'm reminded of what can occur on a break ... balls heading a every direction, some remaining close to their original position, and some spinning in opposite directions. Perhaps one day in the not-too-distant future we will be able to accurately (within an acceptable margin of error) model, and render, the forces and reactions that took place during the formation of our planetary system.
As a newcomer, I find Agnostics to be elitist.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 18, 2018:
This is my second go-around, and I still don’t get the whole ‘level’ thing … does seem a little pretentious. But to generalize agnostics as elitist is much the same thing as generalizing any group—unfair, offensive and just plain wrong. Dig a little deeper, won’t you?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
@Jacar Wait. Did I imply I was being admonished? Didn't mean to! ;-)
Agnostic gods? Supreme clarity? You don't care and it doesn't matter? Now that sounds like a good line for the back of a jacket.
Thank you for supporting my main point regarding elitism, and I will try to slow down ... perhaps all of us should?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 18, 2018:
This is my second go-around, and I still don’t get the whole ‘level’ thing … does seem a little pretentious. But to generalize agnostics as elitist is much the same thing as generalizing any group—unfair, offensive and just plain wrong. Dig a little deeper, won’t you?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
@Jacar Wait. Did I imply I was being admonished? Didn't mean to! ;-)
Agnostic gods? Supreme clarity? You don't care and it doesn't matter? Now that sounds like a good line for the back of a jacket.
Thank you for supporting my main point regarding elitism, and I will try to slow down ... perhaps all of us should?
What is Reality?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 18, 2018:
It is my position that reality exists outside of our collective or individual abilities to perceive it. One only need ask, if another asteroid were to obliterate all sentient life on the planet, would not the reality of a universe, galaxy, solar system and the 3rd planet from the sun remain? Do the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
@kitarae Please don't take this personally, but your statement either represents an attempt at humor or irrational and incoherent lunacy. Having worked a good portion of my career in satellite operations and space launch, I found your remarks to be among the most breathtakingly cringeworthy posts I've ever read. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts. I am reminded of my avatar's warning:
"To argue with a man [or woman, as the case may be] who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture."
Thomas Paine
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 18, 2018:
It is my position that reality exists outside of our collective or individual abilities to perceive it. One only need ask, if another asteroid were to obliterate all sentient life on the planet, would not the reality of a universe, galaxy, solar system and the 3rd planet from the sun remain? Do the ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 19, 2018:
@kitarae Please don't take this personally, but your statement either represents an attempt at humor or irrational and incoherent lunacy. Having worked a good portion of my career in satellite operations and space launch, I found your remarks to be among the most breathtakingly cringeworthy posts I've ever read. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts. I am reminded of my avatar's warning:
"To argue with a man [or woman, as the case may be] who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture."
Thomas Paine
Been a symphony goer since 1977, my first concert with the San Francisco Symphony.
FrayedBear comments on Jul 18, 2018:
Any reason for fifth symphonies? Most composers were really hitting their straps by the ninth - Beethoven, Dvorak, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 18, 2018:
Agreed, the 9th of Beethoven and Dvorak are their greatest, but Beethoven's 5th secured his immortality, and the 5ths of Prokofiev (of 7), Sibelius [of 8], Vaughan Williams (of 9) and Shostakovich (of 15) are, in my opinion, their best efforts in this particular form--almost as if they began to run out of ideas. All of Mahler's (10) symphonies are great, if not monumental works, but his 5th is my personal favorite.
FrayedBear comments on Jul 18, 2018:
Any reason for fifth symphonies? Most composers were really hitting their straps by the ninth - Beethoven, Dvorak, ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 18, 2018:
Agreed, the 9th of Beethoven and Dvorak are their greatest, but Beethoven's 5th secured his immortality, and the 5ths of Prokofiev (of 7), Sibelius [of 8], Vaughan Williams (of 9) and Shostakovich (of 15) are, in my opinion, their best efforts in this particular form--almost as if they began to run out of ideas. All of Mahler's (10) symphonies are great, if not monumental works, but his 5th is my personal favorite.
As a newcomer, I find Agnostics to be elitist.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 18, 2018:
This is my second go-around, and I still don’t get the whole ‘level’ thing … does seem a little pretentious. But to generalize agnostics as elitist is much the same thing as generalizing any group—unfair, offensive and just plain wrong. Dig a little deeper, won’t you?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 18, 2018:
@Jacar Wait, did I imply this is a game? Didn't mean to. Just don't get how or why the levels are where they are and why they are actually necessary, and now, what 'filtering' is being done. In any case, the tenor of my comment was focused on the 'elitist' assertion. I'm afraid you lost me with your last sentence.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 18, 2018:
This is my second go-around, and I still don’t get the whole ‘level’ thing … does seem a little pretentious. But to generalize agnostics as elitist is much the same thing as generalizing any group—unfair, offensive and just plain wrong. Dig a little deeper, won’t you?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 18, 2018:
@Jacar Wait, did I imply this is a game? Didn't mean to. Just don't get how or why the levels are where they are and why they are actually necessary, and now, what 'filtering' is being done. In any case, the tenor of my comment was focused on the 'elitist' assertion. I'm afraid you lost me with your last sentence.
What are the best come-backs someone pushing flat earth science?
mratheistshirt comments on Jul 16, 2018:
I like Bill Nye's remark the best. "No problem with the flat earth hypothesis, tell me where the edge is and I'll go see for myself,"
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 18, 2018:
One would think that 'edge-of-the-earth' real estate would be prime--what a view!
mratheistshirt comments on Jul 16, 2018:
I like Bill Nye's remark the best. "No problem with the flat earth hypothesis, tell me where the edge is and I'll go see for myself,"
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 18, 2018:
One would think that 'edge-of-the-earth' real estate would be prime--what a view!
How many places have you lived in your lifetime?
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 17, 2018:
Please define ‘place,’ and for that matter, ‘live.’ Do you consider a period of less than a year ‘living in a place?’ And is a ‘place’ a region, state, country, ZIP Code or a particular dwelling?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 18, 2018:
@Stacey48 About 28 different addresses, in 3 different countries (including the UK and Germany). Lived in 8 states (CA, WA, TX, CO, NE, VA, DC & AL), but am a CA native, having lived in 13 different CA zip codes.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 17, 2018:
Please define ‘place,’ and for that matter, ‘live.’ Do you consider a period of less than a year ‘living in a place?’ And is a ‘place’ a region, state, country, ZIP Code or a particular dwelling?
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 18, 2018:
@Stacey48 About 28 different addresses, in 3 different countries (including the UK and Germany). Lived in 8 states (CA, WA, TX, CO, NE, VA, DC & AL), but am a CA native, having lived in 13 different CA zip codes.
"Religion is often depicted as a kind of virus, a mental disease or disorder, a scourge on humanity,...
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2018:
While I appreciate Michael Shermer’s work, I respectfully disagree with the crux of his argument—namely, that one should not entertain notions of a world without religion, which may be viewed as comparable to a political system. Organized religion represents a scourge—a blight on society. And ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 17, 2018:
@Matias Abolish religion? Even as a nullifidian I respect the First Amendment of the US Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” But I also believe that organized religion is aging out, with each generation, and that it is only a matter of time before the major religions of today fade into oblivion, just as their predecessors.
In societies where critical thinking and education take the place of magical thinking, the role of religion is most certainly in decline. Religions are much ‘tamer’ in Scandinavia, for example, as weekly attendance is at an all-time low, and fewer than half of the members say “yes” when asked if they believe in (any) God. If fewer than half of any church believes in the existence of God, their religion is tame indeed, and their reason for attending has little to do with faith!
Yes, I agree, the taming of religion should be our primary aim. Orthodoxy must yield to moderation, and moderation to indifference. A near-empty church with a majority who don't believe is the embodiment of a hollow, impotent and harmless religion. Northern Europe has provided the rest of the world with a reasonable course to follow, and it will take many generations—centuries, perhaps—before the world catches up.
p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2018:
While I appreciate Michael Shermer’s work, I respectfully disagree with the crux of his argument—namely, that one should not entertain notions of a world without religion, which may be viewed as comparable to a political system. Organized religion represents a scourge—a blight on society. And ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 17, 2018:
@Matias Abolish religion? Even as a nullifidian I respect the First Amendment of the US Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” But I also believe that organized religion is aging out, with each generation, and that it is only a matter of time before the major religions of today fade into oblivion, just as their predecessors.
In societies where critical thinking and education take the place of magical thinking, the role of religion is most certainly in decline. Religions are much ‘tamer’ in Scandinavia, for example, as weekly attendance is at an all-time low, and fewer than half of the members say “yes” when asked if they believe in (any) God. If fewer than half of any church believes in the existence of God, their religion is tame indeed, and their reason for attending has little to do with faith!
Yes, I agree, the taming of religion should be our primary aim. Orthodoxy must yield to moderation, and moderation to indifference. A near-empty church with a majority who don't believe is the embodiment of a hollow, impotent and harmless religion. Northern Europe has provided the rest of the world with a reasonable course to follow, and it will take many generations—centuries, perhaps—before the world catches up.
A word of caution to those who are against religion as much as I am.
PalacinkyPDX comments on Jul 16, 2018:
Disagree. Our culture is so inculcated with religion, specifically Christianity, that to equate the theism and non-theism as somehow equivalents is, IMO, disingenuous. Sorry, but I have no obligation to listen to racists, anti-semites, sexists, or homophobes and, in my experience, much of religion ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 16, 2018:
@Need2FeelU Perhaps; however you did preface your post with “a word of caution to those who are against religion as much as I am.”
As a nullifidian I loathe all religions, viewing their very existence as a plague. But I would be perfectly happy to hold a civil discussion with any theist on the subject of religion's net harm to society and its eventual extinction. I have yet to find a theist with whom to have this conversation, but remain open to the possibility.
PalacinkyPDX comments on Jul 16, 2018:
Disagree. Our culture is so inculcated with religion, specifically Christianity, that to equate the theism and non-theism as somehow equivalents is, IMO, disingenuous. Sorry, but I have no obligation to listen to racists, anti-semites, sexists, or homophobes and, in my experience, much of religion ...
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 16, 2018:
@Need2FeelU Perhaps; however you did preface your post with “a word of caution to those who are against religion as much as I am.”
As a nullifidian I loathe all religions, viewing their very existence as a plague. But I would be perfectly happy to hold a civil discussion with any theist on the subject of religion's net harm to society and its eventual extinction. I have yet to find a theist with whom to have this conversation, but remain open to the possibility.
George Carlin - Religion Is Bullshit
[youtu.be]
Marionville comments on Jul 16, 2018:
It has too much influence to just dismiss it as bullshit. In order to diminish its hold we have to formulate constructive arguments against it.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 16, 2018:
'Bullshit,' as used by George Carlin, is simply nonsense. Can Carlin's nonsense of "false promises and exaggerated claims" hold disproportionate power to the point of turning vices like credulity and worship into virtues? Clearly this is the case. But it sometimes requires sarcasm, humor and wit to open one's eyes to the "constructive arguments," all of which were formulated long before the religions with which we are familiar were created.
Marionville comments on Jul 16, 2018:
It has too much influence to just dismiss it as bullshit. In order to diminish its hold we have to formulate constructive arguments against it.
p-nullifidian replies on Jul 16, 2018:
'Bullshit,' as used by George Carlin, is simply nonsense. Can Carlin's nonsense of "false promises and exaggerated claims" hold disproportionate power to the point of turning vices like credulity and worship into virtues? Clearly this is the case. But it sometimes requires sarcasm, humor and wit to open one's eyes to the "constructive arguments," all of which were formulated long before the religions with which we are familiar were created.
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