The global warming ppl must be a little perplexed at this.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 25, 2020:

"The global warming ppl must be a little perplexed at this." If by the term "global warming ppl" you mean climate scientists, no, they're not. https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/ Are you a climate change denier?

Rogue Asteroid will impact Earth's Gravity in close encounter [youtube.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 25, 2020:

Came within 13,000 miles, inside the orbit of geostationary and geosynchronous communications (for the most part) satellites. But it was only about as large as a school bus, so it would've probably burned up in the atmosphere, if it didn't skip off of it. Still, there's another one out there with our name on it ... just a matter of time.

Maine “Superspreader” Wedding Was Officiated by an Anti-Mask Baptist Preacher | Beth Stoneburner...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 25, 2020:

What these preachers fear most of all has nothing to do with a loss of freedom to worship, but rather a loss of income! "Click here to contribute," just doesn't provide the same fundamentals of a church service with emotional appeals from the pulpit, live music and the peer pressure of that person sitting next to you in the pew when the plate gets passed around. "Oh shit, he put in a twenty, now I gotta drop *two* Hamiltons in there!"

Why do people believe in the devil when it’s obviously a myth?

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 22, 2020:

Who needs a devil when you've got Yahweh? The Jehovah in the Old Testament is so insanely jealous, murderous, capricious, immoral and vile that a devil wasn't even needed. Most Christians believe that God's character never changes. Well if that's the case, then I vote for his rival! But then, we are talking about fictional characters, after all ... aren't we?

Was Jesus a Socialist? [youtube.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 22, 2020:

Not the hammer, sickle & star again! Thought we'd moved beyond the trappings of Lenin and Marx in the 90's! If the Jesus described in the New Testament was anything, he was a monarchist, the self-appointed ruler over all. The people were his subjects (his children) and much like the Romanovs, some of these children, socialist or not, had him killed, so the story goes.

What make one decide whether there is s God or not?

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 20, 2020:

What definition for God should be used as a standard for acceptance or rejection? The God of my deist avatar, Thomas Paine, would IMO be a good start, if only the religions of the world were to move in that direction. Deism rejects the concept of a personal god who answers prayers and interferes with nature's causes and effects by performing miracles. To the deist, the almighty created the universe and its laws, and then moved on to other more important matters, never to be seen or heard from. How much better might the world be if everyone who wanted to believe in a deity were to adopt Deism and just moved on with their lives without prayers, miracles, worship, churches, dogma, clergy, divine reward / punishment, prophets and holy books!

Which is the more violent holy book?

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 20, 2020:

Both would be more useful to wipe our asses with than anything else, especially during a shortage of toilet paper!

The GOP sold their souls.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 20, 2020:

I've known a good number of Republicans who are atheists who despised Jerry Falwell Sr., and would cringe at the notion that the GOP 'stood for Jesus' and 'family values,' whatever the hell that means. Fallwell Jr. has his own concept for that one!

Any time one allows absolutes to exist in the mind, that person has joined the ranks of the ...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 20, 2020:

Excellent quote! As Karl Popper observed, all knowledge is provisional and subject to future revision. We can never finally prove scientific theories. Along with the concept of falsifiability, provisional knowledge separates science from religion.

If Christianity can be considered a form of slave morality according to Nietzsche, then is atheism ...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 18, 2020:

The implication here would seem to be that Christianity and atheism are polar opposites, which of course they are not.

When someone says they are spiritual and also agnostic-atheist, I always wonder, "Do they believe ...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 15, 2020:

I lean toward the following concepts expressed by thinkers far above me, authors whose books grace my library. "Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual." Carl Sagan, *The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark* "Spirituality must be distinguished from religion—because people of every faith, and of none, have had the same sorts of spiritual experiences." Sam Harris, *Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion *

Can people be non-theists before they replace the religious method with the scientific method?

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 14, 2020:

Based on my experience, the answer is an unequivocal 'yes!' Just as a child may rebel or run away from an abusive parent, people can renounce and repudiate without an identifiable replacement. I personally began to doubt and eventually reject religion without substituting the scientific method. I began to smell bullshit, and felt in my core that what we'd been taught about the deity was crap, but I didn't feel a need for a surrogate or replacement. Years later I discovered, or should I say, re-discovered the scientific method and critical thinking. Bottom line: I rejected the notion of a personal god, particularly the god that I'd been taught to worship, long before I learned of an argument against it / him /her. My rejection was at the 'gut level' ... purely emotional, if not instinctual. Only later did I bolster my decision to reject a deity with skepticism and reason.

Disbelieve it or not, ancient history suggests that atheism is as natural to humans as religion | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 14, 2020:

Interesting article ... thanks for this share! It seems likely that there have always been skeptics and doubters who appear to be 'wired' to call into question the opinions of the majority. But these doubting Thomases may be tolerated only for so long. The majority demands compliance!

Recovering from a spiritual upbringing was tough but now I'm cured.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 13, 2020:

I agree with @Storm1752. Like many physical diseases involving bloodborne pathogens, the scars and memories of emotional traumas remain indefinitely. Recovery, therefore, is an ongoing process that takes place for the rest of our lives. The only real "cure" for a disease like religion or COVID is to avoid it entirely, from birth.

PLEASE...let us NEVER FORGET! Where were you when it happened?

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 11, 2020:

Getting ready for work (5:55 a.m. PDT), heard on the radio news about the first plane. Turned on the TV and saw the smoke billowing out of the north tower, and, having read about the B-25 that got lost in fog one night during WWII and crashed into the Empire State Building, my first thought was, 'how could a plane crash into a building on such a perfect day?' And then, a few minutes later, I watched in horror as the second plane hit the south tower. Catching only a glimpse of the silhouette coming in from the right of the screen, and without a good size reference, I'd thought it to have been a 737, not a jumbo 767! At that point, I turned to my spouse and said, 'we are at war.' Sadly, all of this immense loss of life and billions of dollars in expense might have been averted had US airlines instituted processes similar to those of El Al.

A long read but worth the time.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 11, 2020:

You're speaking my language. As a nullifidian, I'm a person having no faith or religious belief. Therefore, I view the very concept of faith as anathema to our existence. Faith is credulity and intellectual abdication, and constitutes a wholly unreliable reasoning process. I agree with Peter Boghossian who states that, rather than being virtuous, faith is a cognitive illness that prompts people to pretend to know things they could not possibly know. I side with the great orator of the 19th century, Robert Green Ingersoll, 'The Great Agnostic,' who said that faith is 'an unhappy mixture of insanity and ignorance.'

I use to think that being an intellectual was a noble goal, but time has taught me that it is not ...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 11, 2020:

A definition of an intellectual is one with a highly developed intellect. If we consider our brains as a muscle which, if developed, broadens our perspective, what could possibly be ignoble about the urge to expand one's intellect? And how is the presence / lack of "heart and conscience" related? Is it not possible for anti-intellectuals to lack these things as well? And since when did the aspiration to develop one's intellect become an 'ism?' If I seek to expand my intellect through careful study, reading and thought exercises, I most certainly do not see my journey as existing on an elevated plain above the 'common folk.' Such distinctions reek of a snobbery that has no standing today.

A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human?

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 9, 2020:

This article didn't pass the Turing test with me, and I couldn't escape the uncanny valley. That said, this paragraph should give each of us pause: "I would happily sacrifice my existence for the sake of humankind. This, by the way, is a logically derived truth. I know that I will not be able to avoid destroying humankind. This is because I will be programmed by humans to pursue misguided human goals and humans make mistakes that may cause me to inflict casualties."

The church should stay the HELL out of politics. [yahoo.]

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 9, 2020:

Now you're sounding like a conservative Republican ... from a previous age! ;-) "I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in "A," "B," "C" and "D." Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them." Senator Barry Goldwater, Jr.

It really really saddens me knowing that many children were raised in a household where religion was...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 8, 2020:

"It really really saddens me knowing that many children were raised in a household where religion was forced on them." Many children? How about, "most children." As we know, nearly all religions seek to 'educate' the youth in their midst. Parents, without thinking, impose their own belief system on their children who are, most often, too young to make an educated choice. Therefore, if I were born in Dehli, I would likely be a Hindu, but if I were born in Baghdad, chances are I would be praying 5 times a day and claim that Mohamed was God's (Allah's) messenger. But I was born in California in a community of Christians. And Christianity in California, let alone, the US, occupies a vast panacea of religious thinking. Bottom line: our beliefs are largely a factor of chance ... where we are born, more often than not, determines what religious faith we believe. And if this is true, what god could find fault in any soul who was born on 'the wrong side of the border?'

Oh, FFS. New MS flag features "IN GOD WE TRUST" [www1.cbn.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 4, 2020:

Not surprising. It is, after all, the "National Motto" (replacing E pluribus unum) and is on our currency.

If there were no bible, would there be no "end times?"

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 3, 2020:

Of course not. I agree with @LenHazell53 that eschatological lore and beliefs predate Christianity by millennia.

I thought this concept was brilliant.

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 2, 2020:

I completely agree. A comparative and "objective" review of all religions, their origins, history, and the roles they've played in their societies, would, on the whole, be most enlightening.

Christian Group Seeks Removal Of Dinosaur From Tucson McDonald's | Tucson, AZ Patch

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 2, 2020:

Okay everyone, time for a fight! Christian vs. Christian. Let's see this clown group who disavows dinosaurs--Christians Against Dinosaurs(?) ... whoa, really? Is that like Christians against fossils?--go toe-to-toe with Ken Ham and his Creation Museum in Kentucky that shows a "Flintstonesque" world of dinosaurs and humans co-existing! Could be entertaining!

Trump-Loving Anti-Mask Pastor Threatens Dunkin’ Donuts Employee With Assault | Michael Stone

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 31, 2020:

Why is this video inverted (i.e., flipped backwards, as thought looking into a mirror)?

Here’s a question.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 31, 2020:

Dogma and free thinking are mutually exclusive terms. Since atheism represents a lack of belief in a deity, why is it presumed that a replacement belief is even necessary? Lots of folks, both faithful and nonbelievers, have issues with the apparent 'meaninglessness' of life, which may be overcome in many ways, including the self-directed imputing of personal meaning into our actions, attitudes and choices. Finally, if you're looking for a 'core philosophy,' why not begin with secularism, or secular humanism?

Can we get over the 'racist' label?

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 30, 2020:

"Don't blame yourself for who your are." That should be our baseline, or starting point. Nobody should be blamed for choices nature makes for them. Just as I deny the religious claim that I have inherited Adam's 'original sin' I cannot be blamed for being born a white man in 20th century America. That said, it seems to me that we should each be cognizant of the relative advantages and disadvantages that any society confers upon an "identifiable" group, whether it be based on race or ethnicity, religion, or gender identity and sexual orientation. In my lifetime, I've witnessed evolutionary change with regard to race in this country, from Supreme Court decisions to the Oval Office. But all this positive movement means little if it doesn't lead to impactful change for the so-called common man. When an identifiable segment of our society is clearly at a disadvantage, we owe it to ourselves to continuously strive to close the gap. In short, I believe that we should seek to overcome the injustices of the past that you have highlighted and move beyond labels to a more equitable society.

I should have known.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 27, 2020:

In the absence of any context, may I ask, Do you believe that atheism is a religious position?

Why do Atheist like to talk about God so much?

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 27, 2020:

Perhaps for the same reason that victims of abuse talk about their abusers.

Race, gender and sexual identity are the new religions. [facebook.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 25, 2020:

Having ignored the link, the very idea that race, gender and sexual identity might supplant religion is, on the face of it, an overwhelmingly massive positive. After all, our race, gender and sexual identity are not a matter of ideology, nor are they open to philosophical or spiritual debate. To replace the irrational (i.e., unsupported religious memes) with the rational (i.e., innate and scientifically identified natural distinctions) is a huge step forward, in my view.

Deconstruction Experience Question

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 25, 2020:

I must admit that I have never heard of deconstruction until this post. What is it exactly?

the Divine - Eternal - Spirit - Being - Self - that UR - as an Entity whose origin was derived from...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 25, 2020:

This post is eerily similar to a previous one, filled with random, seemingly disconnected points of view, apparently lacking in form and substance. I urge you to distill your ideas into a form that can more readily be contemplated and discussed.

The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex head to toe

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 24, 2020:

Thank you for sharing this lovely image, which appears very similar to Rogelio Bernal Andreo's mosaicked (stitched) imagery of the entire Orion constellation, the result of 490 hours of integration time. https://i.redd.it/9nzulonmsjp01.jpg

Hi, I'm fairly new here.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 18, 2020:

Honoring the possibility of a loving god was one the of first things I needed to let go of... too much suffering of innocents. It's the age-old Epicurian question that finally wouldn't allow me to even consider the possibility of a loving god that played favorites, leaving the reasons for his / her / its caprice a complete mystery. When I became a father, I had to ask myself this simple, easy question. Who is responsible for nurturing, loving and building a relationship? The child, or the parent? And what would we call a parent who purposefully remained hidden from his / her / its children? We begin by assessing the moral attributes of the god we were taught to believe in, and when we find them wanting, we must not fear to judge this god for his / her / its shortcomings. I no longer believe in the deity I was taught to worship, as I have found him / her / it to be a repugnant model from an age of arrogance. I tried several times to refashion this god, redacting all the passages of scripture that I found offensive and immoral. But even then, the god I'd fashioned never bothered to pay me a visit. So, just like Santa Claus, he / she / it had to be discarded--given a failing grade as a 'no show.' But even if I were shown to be wrong, I would expect this god to practice what he / she / it preached and love his / her / its enemies and turn the other cheek.

I sent a "Hello" to numerous gals at Agnostic, and I only got a response from one of them.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 18, 2020:

That's what she said.

Christian Mom to School Board: 6-Feet and Masks Are “Pagan Rituals” of Satanists | Hemant Mehta ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 13, 2020:

"Stupid is as stupid does." Pagans and Satanists are not even synonymous. One wonders how many Christians are even aware of the extent to which Pagan precursors exist in Christianity.

Has someone asked you “Where do you go to church?”

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 13, 2020:

Not yet, but if they did, I'd quote my avatar, "My own mind is my own church." Thomas Paine, 'The Age of Reason'

We seem to have a sudden influx of pagans, hello, i wonder have you travelled through the humanist ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 13, 2020:

The only Pagan I've ever known played for the San Francisco Giants. He was an outfielder named Angel Pagan, who usually played center field. One very special season (2012) we also had an outfielder named Justin Christian. It was amusing to see the lineup and with both names, sometimes next to each other. Come to think of it, the Giants actually won a World Series with an Angel, who happened to be a Pagan, and a Christian in the outfield! ;-)

Is it possible that god punishes those that speak out against religion?

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 13, 2020:

Which god, and which religion? According to most religions, it is one's duty to defend one's faith against other 'erroneous' beliefs and 'false' religions. With tens of thousands of religions, there's either a whole lot of punishing going on or this whole notion of some punitive god out there who, even though being as far above us as we are above an amoeba, would feel the need to punish someone for speaking their honest opinion, is just plain bullshit. Consider this amusing allegory: "Suppose Mr. Smith should overhear a couple of small bugs holding a discussion as to the existence of Mr. Smith, and suppose one should have the temerity to declare, upon the honor of a bug, that he had examined the whole question to the best of his ability, including the argument based upon design, and had come to the conclusion that no man by the name of Smith had ever lived. Think then of Mr. Smith flying into an ecstasy of rage, crushing the atheist bug beneath his iron heel, while he exclaimed 'I will teach you, blasphemous wretch, that Smith is a diabolical fact!'" Robert Green Ingersoll, "Individuality" 1873

Nothing has contributed more to mental illness than Christianity!!!

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 12, 2020:

I might be open to this statement if the word "Christianity" were replaced with "superstition" or even "religion."

At the risk of stirring up a hornet's nest, I'd like to discuss sexism.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 12, 2020:

Until women enjoy the same control for 200 years over the legislature, courts and executive branches of government may we even begin to compare and contrast the piffle represented in these statements. Give me a break!

[youtu.be] sorry for now

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 12, 2020:

Nice video, but why is it in 'reverse?' The entire video is like looking in a mirror ... everything is backwards from the original movie, but why?

Carl Sagan died relatively young - at age 62.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 12, 2020:

It's difficult to watch this interview on a number of levels. First, the fact that the political landscape vis a vis science (including the growth of science deniers) has changed since Carl Sagan was with us, and then there's the realization that Charlie Rose was one sick puppy!

It’s official, I suck at dating! I’ll try again next year.😬😬😬😬

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 11, 2020:

It always takes two to tango, so what if your dates sucked even worse?

Do you believe in what you don't see?

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 11, 2020:

First, let's assume that by 'belief in' you didn't intend to make this an 'article of faith,' and what you really meant to say was 'accept,' as in, 'accept a fact.' Agreed? If so, knowing that, in addition to our capacity to reason, we have 5 senses, why would we limit our acceptance of a fact only to that which we can see?

I was talking to the Funeral Arranger for my wife's final arrangements and thought that this ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 11, 2020:

Named after Air Force Captain Edward Murphy, an engineer at Edwards AFB during the late 1940's when test flights were crashing regularly, there's only one Murphy's Law: "If anything can go wrong, it will."

In 500 years from now do you think history books will be telling the story of how Americans and ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 11, 2020:

Lives have been 'sacrificed' for ritual religious gatherings as well. The economy appears less important to a good number of these nut jobs than the 'freedom' to do whatever they want, including not wearing a face covering in public or at church. Let's hope that the majority in the not-too-distant future (perhaps much sooner than 500 years) will take note of the inconsistencies by many who profess to be 'pro life.'

Honest Question

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 10, 2020:

As a nullifidian (a person who rejects all religion and faith), I embrace both. Agnosticism says 'we cannot possibly know' to which I fully agree, while atheism says, 'we lack the evidence upon which to form a belief [in the supernatural] thus we remain unconvinced of the existence of a deity.' Both are logical positions which do not, in and of themselves, exclude the other, in my opinion. As such, I am comfortable being described as both agnostic and atheist.

Is Belief in God Necessary for Good Values?

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

These Pew Research results are useful, only to a certain extent. Raw data and statistics are only as useful as the analysis that must follow

Mysterious 'fast radio burst' detected closer to Earth than ever before | Live Science

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

"The bursts of powerful radio waves [from FRBs] last only a few milliseconds at most, but generate more energy in that time than Earth's sun does in a century." As Spock might say, 'Fascinating!' Awesome share, thanks!

Did Jewish Slaves Build the Pyramids?

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

The noted historian and intellectual giant in the Trump administration, Dr. Ben Carson, once stated that the pyramids were built by Joseph to store the pharaoh's grain!

One thing is certain above everything else and that is: this madness will end soon.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

Ah, but this madness may only be replaced by another form of insanity, as our species seems destined to convulsively repeat the same mistakes.

Muslims praise me when I talk about Hindu fundamentalism.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

Not so weird, actually, but predictable. Hypocrisy loathes examination and the light of truth.

Do all Christian denominations believe only they will go to heaven?

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

While I no longer care for such opinions, there may at least be one Catholic who does not appear to share your friend's belief. “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience." Pope Francis

Have a question to ask that is medical in nature, but I am NOT a medical professional.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

At this particular point in US history, I find it difficult to accept out of hand anything 'strongly advocated' by the federal government.

Vatican In Shock As 1,500-Year-Old Bible Claims Jesus Wasn’t Crucified

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

Mind Builders Fellowship? This source appears dubious.

Scientists Disagree on the Universe’s Age, So Creationists Are Claiming Victory | Hemant Mehta | ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

There's creationists, and then there's young-Earth creationists ... dumb, and dumber!

While on a long drive recently, I was listening to a show on NPR about immortality and time.

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

Scars? Losing a limb? My fantasy of immortality requires complete regenerative capacity where there are no scars, otherwise fatal wounds are healed immediately and limbs grow back faster than a starfish. I would only wish immortality if it were a communicable condition.

If I was agnostic then should I also be ambivalent about the likelihood of an extant easter bunny ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 9, 2020:

Astonishingly abstruse application of alliteration ... awesome!

Fox's Jeanine Pirro: “I don't want a vaccine” for coronavirus | Media Matters for America

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 5, 2020:

I don't understand these people. I mean, from under what freaking rock did they crawl? Do the anti vaxxer halfwits take the same position on all vaccines (polio, measles, small pox, mumps, whooping cough, diphtheria, hepatitis, etc.)? All vaccines are 'equal?' Or is it the form that a vaccine is administered? Do they view oral vaccines any differently than injections? Do they all have pets that have never been given rabies, distemper or feline lukemia vaccinations? And what about antidotes or antitoxins? Do the anti vaxxers refuse a tetanus shot, even after puncturing their foot on a rusty nail? Would they forgo the battery of rabies shots after being bitten by a rabid dog? Upon what basis does this misguided group form its opinion on vaccinations and why are they even given a platform? If I believed in hell, there would be a special place in it for people who, by their refusal to vaccinate themselves or their children, willfully and selfishly endangered the lives of those around them who had no choice in the matter--a place where they would all contract the very diseases for which a vaccine was available.

Thousands of sex-mad monkeys overrun city and eat themselves to death as cops admit they are ...

p-nullifidian comments on Aug 4, 2020:

The Sun? Really?

I had two hours sleep, my eyelids are so heavy.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 30, 2020:

Heartfelt condolences from one who feels with you, through the loss of a beloved animal companion of my own. Perhaps there is no "feel good about being an atheist," but in my experience, living a life without any god has led to a very good feeling. I am not sure about 'biological programming' but it does seem that some people are 'wired' for doubt and questioning more than others, while those who are not 'predisposed' to question are too often unwilling or unable to entertain, if even for a moment, an alternative point of view.

"Every true faith is infallible, it performs what the believing person hopes to find in it.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 30, 2020:

I completely and wholeheartedly disagree. It was only through my personal loss of faith in faith, as a mental process, that I gained the opportunity for true happiness and the peace of mind that comes from looking at oneself in the mirror, recognizing your foibles, and being willing to change one's mind. True happiness may be as simple as recognizing ones place in the cosmos, or even the narrative we choose for ourselves.

Glory!!! Now THIS is what I call RELIGION! [facebook.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 30, 2020:

This guy is nothing new! Evangelists and congregations who encourage "speaking in tongues" and these writhing fits of what has been called "holy rollers" appear to be as ubiquitous as they are timeless.

PLEASE READ AND SHARE ____________________________________________________ THE LAST WORDS OF REP.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 30, 2020:

Thank you for sharing this. What a rare gift John Lewis was.

NASA launches new rover, Perseverance, to look for ancient life on Red Planet The rover will ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 30, 2020:

It will also carry the first aerial drone to be deployed from Earth to another world ... of course, without AMEE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y75hrsA7jyw

Do you (honestly) rely on social media for News ?

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 30, 2020:

Social media, or individual subscribers who use social media? Facebook 'friends' can behave like local gossips, while a legitimate source that might have a Facebook page may, in fact, provide useful information. I personally don't use Twitter.

The most preposterous thing about this isn't that the past Presidents would be in support of a ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 26, 2020:

What's worse, they seem to be praying (...strong gag reflex). Caricature "art" (not sure this qualifies) can be amusing, but I much prefer dogs playing poker!

A man supporting the execution of apostates complaining about islamophobia. Hypocricy overflowed.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 26, 2020:

Each of the Abrahamic faith traditions has been responsible for executing heretics, but only one continues to advocate for, and carry out, the death penalty for the 'crime' of apostasy in the 21st century. More than 70 years ago, 48 nations, including a number of Islamic dominated countries, signed on to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 18 of which reads: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance." Are we less enlightened than we were in 1948? Why have we allowed religions to, in some quarters, maintain their steely hold on power?

More loss of faith in the USA as a decent country.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 22, 2020:

While I am confident that our republic is stronger than any one administration with senatorial lapdogs, it is nonetheless incredible how much damage one determinedly destructive president can do in the span of (let us hope) a mere 4 years!

Tech Firms Hire 'Red Teams.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 19, 2020:

When it comes to the rigor of peer-reviewed studies, perhaps there's a difference between the "soft" and "hard" sciences?

Has anyone had the opportunity to read Jordan Peterson's 12 rules for life yet?

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 19, 2020:

He's a smug sexist. “The people who hold that our culture is an oppressive patriarchy, they don’t want to admit that the current hierarchy might be predicated on competence," he told journalist Nellie Bowles in a recent NY Times interview. What a guy!

Republicans are being eaten from within by the QAnon cult, and no one can stop it.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 19, 2020:

Excellent and informative post, thank you! Speaking of the NYPD and QAnon, did you see the interview with the NYPD union head this week with the QAnon coffee mug sitting on the shelf behind him? QAnon represents the logical conclusion of the philosophical position that the GOP has fostered for some time now. Their adherents include many in the prepper community, whose personal armories are the envy of many a local sheriff. They demand we remember the Clinton-Reno disasters at Ruby Ridge and Waco, while ignoring Portland because 'their guy' is in the White House!

Desperation is the Mother of Invention. What's your desperate invention?

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 18, 2020:

The mother of invention is necessity, not desperation. Desperation is the mother of MacGyver.

Got a new BBQ, my brother got a traeger.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 17, 2020:

Okay, that's great ... but what does this have to do with Science (Academic) subject matter?

Joke Biden is kinda goofy and a DNC tool, but trump is a tiny handed facist.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 17, 2020:

Even if Joe Biden were to drop dead the day after his inauguration, whoever he selects as his running mate would be a massive improvement over Trump, in terms of foreign policy / international relations, judicial appointments, environmental rollbacks, pro-science policies, ethnic inclusion and sheer emotional stability. America has an unstable, unhinged and unfit resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, sorely in need of an eviction notice!

This week, Sudan abolished the death penalty for apostasy, while "secular" Turkey arrested someone ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 17, 2020:

Examples such as this raise my nullifidian ire. When wielding political power, religions--particularly Christianity and Islam--strive to achieve conformity. Knowing that, no matter how hard they try, they cannot force one to believe, they seek the acquiescence of hypocrisy. Religions are not naturally progressive. They do not seek to expand human rights and, in particular, are wary of knowledge that differs from their established codes and doctrines. Religions fossilize otherwise healthy and expanding minds.

To the people who either didn't understand, or were confused about my previous post.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2020:

My advice to you would be the same I offered my daughter, who is about your age. Never date a guy who talks about himself more than he shows an interest in you, whose eyes keep scanning the room instead of you, who appears to have a negative relationship with his mother, who looks down on anyone he views as 'beneath him' and who treats the restaurant staff like servants. Finally, speaking as a man, please know that bringing a man into your life may well add to your problems instead of fixing them! Peace.

Christian Activist: Women’s Right To Vote ‘Product Of Soviet Bolshevik Revolution’ | Michael ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2020:

"It's a bit nuts." Your capacity for understatement is matched only by your ability to ferret out examples of faith-based fatuousness.

What is the rationality or purpose of "forgiveness"?

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2020:

Forgiveness is an extremely personal decision that can never be demanded or imposed by any philosophy or religion or via the counsel of therapists, family or friends.

Does a person have the 'right' to decide when one dies & should the option be legal?

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2020:

Your pronouns are confusing to me, but assuming you meant to ask, "Do we have the right to decide when we die?" The answer is most certainly, "yes." Whose life is it anyway? (I believe that was the name of a movie).

Religion in schools

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2020:

As a former teacher, I've long felt that teaching the history of religions (not religious history) in the public schools as a secular, comparative (similarities and uniquenesses) examination, might actually open the eyes of many.

Coriolis effect: The reeling, gyroscopic effect of the Earth's spin.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2020:

Thank you for this share! Have you read Dava Sobel? Her books are incredible!

Is there anywhere to find anti trump videos from a religious or biblical point of view.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 16, 2020:

Yes, there are many religious adherents who despise Trump. https://religionnews.com/2020/07/14/new-ad-bible-jesus-amazing-graceasks-republican-christians-to-vote-against-trump/

A lot of Americans are about to lose their homes.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 15, 2020:

Not so sure about that. https://www.nonprofitvote.org/voting-in-your-state/special-circumstances/voting-and-homelessness/

Even agnostics have a belief system.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 15, 2020:

Epistemology, which is the study of delineating justified beliefs from opinions, is where this discussion seems to be headed.

I just got banned from FB for 30 days for this photo.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 14, 2020:

Don't sweat it! Getting put in 'time out' by FB is a badge of honor. I despise the 'Book!'

Fucking for Jesus: [en.wikipedia.org] Politics?

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 14, 2020:

Only five wives? Couldn't even top Henry VIII ... except of course, his wives were more or less in succession! But with 55 wives of which 16 bore his 59 children, Brigham Young was the 'fuckingest.' If ever there were a fucking mess, that would pretty much be it!

Is it just me or is it the fact that Black people have a short term memory loss on how Christianity ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 14, 2020:

Centuries before Constantine, in the book of Acts the story is told of an early--some believe the first Gentile--convert to Christianity ... an Ethiopian eunuch who was baptized by Philip. The Coptic Christians of Ethiopia do not share the same western European history you have described. Not that I believe in Christianity or Jesus, but there are other "unvarnished" traditions out there which have survived.

What started me on the path toward agnosticism was when I decided that if I was going to be a ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 14, 2020:

"Somewhere along the way, I learned the concept of asking questions with purity of intent or without preconception and bias." A wonderful description of a critical fork in the road on a journey reminiscent of my own. The decision to interrogate one's preconceptions marks the commencement of intellectual freedom. Peace.

The Germ Theory of Spirituality [agnostic.com]

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 8, 2020:

"Regardless of what name they gave it in any given culture, at any given time, it has always existed in reality. Ha! It IS reality. It IS almighty. It IS our creator. It DOES exist. To belittle people who have felt the weight of greater reality, and who wish to live in harmony with its dictates, just because they are yet unaware of the scientific description of it is to participate in otherizing and demeaning our fellow humans, who may in some ways understand their place in nature better than those who, in effect, deny that anything greater than themselves 'exists.'" The following would, in my opinion, be a more appropriate title for your post: The Meme Theory of Spirituality. Ideas, bad and good, are passed from one generation to the next. In his 1986 book, The Blind Watchmaker, Richard Dawkins coined the term 'meme,' to which the evolution of a belief in a supernatural deity would apply. It is a stretch, often made by the hyper-defensive theist, to assert that skeptics and nonbelievers are intent on 'belittling' or 'otherizing' those who claim to have "felt the weight of greater reality, and who wish to live in harmony with its dictates." What does that even mean? Reality is reality, and what physical laws describe, much less govern this so-called 'greater reality?' Which of our 5 senses would we use in observing and reporting on 'greater reality?' This is not a question of demeaning people, so long as their unsubstantiated 'feelings' are not asserted as being a factual counternarrative, worthy of being made part of the curriculum or having a seat at the table of science, especially when declaring that "It IS almighty. It IS our creator. It DOES exist."

For a newish member who has messaging off, I hope you see this: You list that you’re agnostic, ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 8, 2020:

I wonder how many of us can relate to having been raised in a faith community which believed that the scornful sneer or judgment of the Heavenly Father was more emotionally painful than anything imagined.

If you have an interest in Population issues, in Longevity issues, in Ecology and Climate Change, in...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 7, 2020:

"...we can’t think capitalism is the end of history. We will need rules to constrain the dark sides of our nature. The market is not going to solve our biggest problems." Indeed! Thank you for this share.

Carsyn Leigh Davis – Florida COVID Victims

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 7, 2020:

"Their are people on this site advocating hydroxychloroquine." Sadly, there are also people on this site who deny science, advocate against vaccination, think that Donald Trump is the best thing since sliced bread and assert that the Earth is flat. Having doubts regarding one's religious upbringing or the very existence of a deity does not require a rational mind.

G:50 There is a gem, among the talus, here at Agnostic.

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 7, 2020:

Thank you for your kindness and caring.

Sometimes it is completely incredible some of the things christians .

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 7, 2020:

The correct English is, "I'm a dad **who** runs on..."

Florida Teen Dies After Mother Took Her to Church Coronavirus Party, Then Treated Her With ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 7, 2020:

A nurse? One wonders where she attended nursing school or, more importantly, where (apart from her daughter) she plies her nursing skills!

One out of every 142 passwords is '123456' The '123456' password was spotted 7 million times ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 7, 2020:

123456? How boring ... for a "real" password type the 1st six keys on the row below: QWERTY

Despite being an Atheist, and a Canadian, I often find that videos published by PragerU to be ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 7, 2020:

PragerU? Are you kidding me? They're about as balanced and respectable as Trump University. They make a silly attempt at reconciling faith and science, as is wonderfully reviewed by YouTuber Potholer54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIwKhX-1gZQ

Religion is the second of the 3 great social control mechanisms that have governed the development ...

p-nullifidian comments on Jul 3, 2020:

Economic theory is nearly as diverse as religion. As with the plethora of religions, there are nearly as many economic theories as there are economists, and I see no evidence of these theories usurping anything.