Do you ever miss the religious life?

wordywalt comments on Sep 5, 2018:

No, not one iota!

It goes without saying you can't change the past .

wordywalt comments on Sep 5, 2018:

No, I do not ever wish that I could go back and correct my mistakes. I know that is impossible. All I can do is learn from my mistakes and try not to repeat them.Do I regret serious mistakes? Yes.

On Serial Monogamy "The difficulties surrounding romantic relationships in modern society have ...

wordywalt comments on Sep 4, 2018:

There is nothing wrong in ending a serious relationship it is not providing both persons with a reasonable quality of life. But, what every you do, do it openly and honestly.

How would you handle this?

wordywalt comments on Sep 4, 2018:

First, if he is the good friend you portray, ask him directly if his feelings for you are stronger than his feelings for her. If he says no, then go back to your female friend, and tell her that you value her friendship a great deal, but (1) she needs to get her head straight, and (2) you are not going to end your friendship with the guy simply to soothe her ungrounded fears.

Those of us who favor critical thinking and arguments based on scientific evidence should avoid ...

wordywalt comments on Sep 4, 2018:

While I agree with the sentiment of your assertions. I disagree with a number of your assertions, themselves: 1. Religion was invented by common men and women to deal with their feelings of ignorance and powerlessness (see Feuerbach and Fromm). The priests simply took advantage from here. 2. There are ethnocentric ideologies which are also highly intolerant. Both Nazism and communism (non religions, but also total system ideologieslike religion) perpetrated huge amounts of violence and oppression. 3. Neither Hitler, Stalin, or Mao were motivated by religion. Hitler was a megalomaniacal sociopath, as was Stalin. Mao and Stalin believed in Marxism, again, a total system ideology which parallels religion in intellectual structure, but is -- in no way -- a religion. .

HOW ABOUT YOU?

wordywalt comments on Sep 4, 2018:

I have read hundreds, if not thousands, of books that have genuinely influenced me and my life. But, at age 81 I don't try to remember the titles.All that I can say is that any person who has not done substantial serious reading has profoundly limited his or her intellectual and moral development.

Inherited qualities.?

wordywalt comments on Sep 4, 2018:

The qualities which were instilled in me by my parents, not inherited, were treating other people with dignity and respect, being caring and kind.

The only way the US will get back in the good graces of the free world is if trump is prosecuted and...

wordywalt comments on Sep 3, 2018:

I am not sure that I would go that far. He definitely should be impeached and publicly humiliated.

Raising children with/without religion

wordywalt comments on Sep 3, 2018:

I raised two daughters without religion. I did not force my atheism on them' not did I force religion on them. Instead, I raised them to make their own informed choices. As adults, both considered religion, but chose to be agnostics, at the least.

My Question on omnipotent

wordywalt comments on Sep 2, 2018:

Omnipotent means all powerful.

How much does it bother you when a person on the internet corrects your spelling, grammar, or misuse...

wordywalt comments on Sep 2, 2018:

If someone points out a real mistake I have made, I appreciate it. Yes, I do correct others if the error is egregious or if it can lead to misinterpretation.

Do you make the distinction between being skeptical vs. cynical?

wordywalt comments on Sep 2, 2018:

Skeptical means questioning in nature. Cynical can mean so jaded that one believes in nothing, and/or knowing and not caring. I am a skeptic, bit not a cynic.

Big oil asks government to protect it from climate change

wordywalt comments on Sep 2, 2018:

They have no consience.

I’ve been shot in combat.

wordywalt comments on Sep 2, 2018:

As a vet, a gun oner and former hunter, and a retired educator, I totally agree. Only a fool would recommend the arming of teachers.

How does everyone feel about the understanding that our global resources are finite?

wordywalt comments on Sep 2, 2018:

Excessive use of natural resources is due entirely to human overpopulation and wasteful lifestyles. Those same excesses are the primary contributing factors to climate change and environmental degradation. In the 1960s a great deal of attention was given to "the population bomb" and the need for ZPG (zero population growth). But, somehow the focus on those issues faded to nothing. Finally, we are again sensing the real danger.

Did you ever notice about history?

wordywalt comments on Sep 2, 2018:

The written record of what occurred is, in most cases, not history, but histiography -- someone's interpretation of what occurred, not the actual facts. Some of the writers have been more objective than others.The best way to get the full picture of an event is to make a case study of it -- gather evidence from multiple sources (including original documents), and make one's own judgment.

What kind of art do you enjoy most?

wordywalt comments on Sep 1, 2018:

Impressionistic and realistic painting and sculpture, modern classical and jazz music,

If I started an anti-Republican, non-Democratic group on here, would you join? ;)

wordywalt comments on Sep 1, 2018:

Why should I?

How old were you when you came to disbelieve?

wordywalt comments on Sep 1, 2018:

I started my movement away from religion at age 15, and completed it in my 20s.

are you afraid of death?

wordywalt comments on Sep 1, 2018:

At age81, I am not araid of death in the slightest.

Would you raise your children religious just to fit in?

wordywalt comments on Sep 1, 2018:

Never.

What moral code do you follow now that you are non-religious?

wordywalt comments on Sep 1, 2018:

I am not interested in arguing with religious people.

Rebellion.. Share an instance in which you defied your parent(s) rule. Was it worth it?

wordywalt comments on Aug 30, 2018:

I never really defied my parents when I was a child. I just went my own, very different way as an adult.

What's your education?

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

I am not surprised that this tens to be a well educated group. I'm ABD (Masters and all-but-dissertation in educational leadership).

Incest: Immoral or Moral?

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

Inbreeding magnifies genetic defects.

What makes you choose the poitics you support?

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

I base my politics on facts, logic, belief in democracy, and the basis of my moral code -- choices based on minimum violation of human dignity and respect. Those choices come from my life as an an adult, and on my learning -- not on my upbringing or the culture in which I was reared.

Do you find nudity in art unacceptable and why or why not?

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

Why should anyone consider it unacceptable? It is simply a depiction lf reality.

Which do you think is more important ?

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

I loved my parents and respected them for who they were, but I did not try to make them something they were not. I understood the circumstances that made them what they were,which helped me to understand them as people. As I grew up with the benefit of a college education and exposure to another culture, many of my beliefs and attitudes were different from theirs. I never belittled them.

Who knew about sweet potatoes? How many of you grew them this year?

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

But, if you hare cardiac problems they are also very high in potassium. Not good.

For those of you who came from deeply ingrained religious beliefs, how did you shift your beliefs ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

Mu movement away from religion was a gradual, seemingly natural process. It started with small doubts growing larger, and with dissatisfaction over feeling sinful over having natural thoughts and drives. As I moved away from religion, I never felt lost. Coming into contact with existential philosophy in my early 30s helped. The existentialist point ov view is that no one will ever understand or know us for what we are, and that we are basically alone. But that is not reason for despair, but freedom to to grow and to be who we want to be. Life has no inherent meaning and we create our own meanings by our own thoughts, decisions, and actions. We are responsible for our own decisions and actions and for the consequences that ensure from them, for in each case, we could have chosen otherwise. Once we get over the initial shock of the existential point of view, it is an empowering and enabling world view.

Do people take "Here for community" seriously?

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

You are right to be disturbed. Still, there are a lot of people who are on this site for sharing thoughts , intellectual stimulation, and interesting conversation. When I look at a person's profile, I am looking for more information as to whether or not this is a person I would be interested in conserving with over time.

The need for religion, not God came up today.

wordywalt comments on Aug 29, 2018:

You are on target. Read Erich Fromm's book, ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM.

TRumps on camera refusal to say anything nice about John McCain has been airing on TV over the last ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 28, 2018:

Simply evil.

It is possible we have a scammer in our midst. Has anyone had dealings with Kingsleyadams121?

wordywalt comments on Aug 28, 2018:

Admin should dump the bum!

I've been with my current partner for nearly 6 years.

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

I would ask him directly if he wishes to recover the previous quality of the relationship. If he answers yes, ask for a joint commitment to go into counseling to get help. If the answer to either question is "no", then it is time to start taking action to dissolve the relationship.

I hope you can read this, John McCain's last words from his last book.

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

Well spoken. A man of courage, honor, and dignity. Let us hope that his example becomes to beacon to Republican politicians, drawing them back to the light of honor, integrity, and patriotism so they can serve us and our country well.

Warrior nation mentality. Anyone else concerned by the jingoism often displayed in this country?

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

That jingoism is being perpetrated by Trump and the ethnocentric right wing. Once can always expect demagogues to act in a similar manner in troubled times to draw attention away from their own faults and weaknesses. In the 1940s political scientist Hans Morgenthau stated, "The degree of aggressive nationalism and imperialism expressed in a nation's foreign policy is inversely proportional to the nation's political and economic stability."

What do the words "mindfulness," "awareness," and "presence" mean to you?

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

They are all synonyms meaning consciousness of the situation, principles involved, and one's own relationship to those.

Iceland Bans American Televangelists | Andrew Hall

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

This coun try would be much better off if it really happened in this country.

Philosophy

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

Jean Paul Sartre, His philosophy is so clear, direct, and lacking in metaphysical mumbo-jumbo.

He just tweeted his DISAPPROVAL rating - 52% - rather than his approval rating! Idiot, or ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

The latter, of course.

Truly atheists

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

You are correct.

A friend from my bi-weekly atheist ladies Sunday brunch passed away this morning.

wordywalt comments on Aug 27, 2018:

Of course her atheism played a major role in her decision. It gave her the strength and courage to act as she did. Further, her atheism enabled her to see that she had choices, and that she -- and she alone -- should make decisions about her life and death

Cultural "Decay"

wordywalt comments on Aug 26, 2018:

The real cultural decay in our country is that created on the political right. It is a mixture of (1) a culture of corruption and greed which seeks to cheat, use, and abuse others for personal gain, (2) evangelicals in a blatant attempt to co-mingle politics and religion as a means of forcing their dogma on us all, and (3) the creation of a culture of white supremacist ethnocentirsm and racism to seek white dominance over all others. It is this vile brew which has increased overt racism, which enabled the acceptance and support of Trump, corruption spreading in both business and political sectors, and growing incivility toward anyone who dares to challenge those malignant movements. And they have the gall to talk about cultural decline when they are the main force in such decline.

Will tRump become insane to the point there will be no doubt by any rational person or standard?

wordywalt comments on Aug 25, 2018:

Eventually, but not soon enough to warrant impeachment on those grounds. That is why Mueller must succeed.

The Great Pumpkin transmogrified.

wordywalt comments on Aug 25, 2018:

Well stated.

What kind of driver are you?

wordywalt comments on Aug 25, 2018:

It depends on how fast traffic is moving and how dense the traffic is. If the traffic is dense and moving slowly,1 car length is okay. If less dense traffic moving more rapidly, 5 car lengthsapart is a safe distance.

Grandchildren

wordywalt comments on Aug 25, 2018:

I have two grown daughters, two grandsons, one granddaughter, and one great-grandson.

Is anyone planting a fall garden?

wordywalt comments on Aug 25, 2018:

I will be planting a fall-winter garden here in Tampa. It will include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, and carrots. +I will be starting the broccoli and cauliflower plants in a week for so and put them into the ground around the middle of October.

The Atlantic has a good piece up about how this whole thing will wrap up. [theatlantic.com]

wordywalt comments on Aug 24, 2018:

Another relevant quote from Macbeth? Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage. Tis a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

The Atlantic has a good piece up about how this whole thing will wrap up. [theatlantic.com]

wordywalt comments on Aug 24, 2018:

Syperb article.

With today's news, how close do you think tRump is to resigning.

wordywalt comments on Aug 24, 2018:

Not yet. He will still try to double down again and again until his situation is totally untenable.

Is there such a thing as "cultural identity"?

wordywalt comments on Aug 24, 2018:

One's"cultural identity is entirely one's own identification with his or her own conception of a specific culture.

Have you ever been the athletic type or super good at sports?

wordywalt comments on Aug 24, 2018:

I played football, fast-pitch softball, volleyball, and racquetball -- was a decent player, but never a super athlete. I still lift heavy weights at the age of 81

Quick question. What is growing in YOUR garden this season?

wordywalt comments on Aug 23, 2018:

Acre peas -- a delicious southern field pea. One can make a meal of acre peas and cornbread.

Do you think impeachment proceedings ought to wait until the Mueller report is issued?

wordywalt comments on Aug 23, 2018:

Yes. It wil take the evidence to force Republicans to show some moral backbone.

A major dose of truth.

wordywalt comments on Aug 23, 2018:

If you grew up in the South as I did, you would know that at least 1/3 of our people vary from ethnocentric to outright racist. It is our job to make sure that they are a minority and do not achieve power.

I put this in Politics but I thought I'd also post it here: I also say fuck the operating ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 22, 2018:

It is time to get to work and throw the damned bums out!

Where do you get your news from .

wordywalt comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Also NPR.

RepublTHUGS are supporting their illegitimate fraud, criminal leader who is occupying OUR White ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Let's go get 'em!!

Have you ever been in a newspaper story?

wordywalt comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Several times. Most of them were about programs I had started or state and national recognition for such programs.One editorial sided with me in a conflict that a regional teachers' union rep started, trying to block a program (incidentally, that program also later won awards).

We can help ourselves think more critically by keeping the following points in mind.

wordywalt comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Absolutely superb advice!!

I've always argued against the biggest islamic claim that the Quran is somehow unaltered since it ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 21, 2018:

All "holy books" are written by human beings and have been edited and altered to portray specific myths and support specific dogma. They are all odd mixtures of myth, altered history, and irrational religious dogma.

An article in today's Guardian discusses the Socialistic uprising that is pushing the Democratic ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 20, 2018:

I think that you and the article are misinterpreting what Democrats are thinking. What they are doing is rejecting laissez faire or unrestricted capitalism as they see it as simply the culture of greed. What we need is social democracy and a mixed economy to make people and businesses behave in a moral fashion which addresses the needs and concerns of our people. They are not throwing the baby out with the bath water.

An erudite and succinct indictment of American hypocrisy regarding its foreign policies and ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 20, 2018:

Please do not confuse the senseless foreign policies of the Trump cabal with what the American people, as a whole, want.

What's your favorite way to celebrate your birthday?

wordywalt comments on Aug 20, 2018:

Going fishing, and a nice dinner out.

I have decided to start a seed exchange/Plant with all the garden groups.

wordywalt comments on Aug 20, 2018:

I don't see the need for the arrangement. Months ago I posted that I have heirloom black tomato seeds to share. Several members said they would like them and sent me their addresses as a private message, and I sent them the seed.

Rudy Giuliani claims "the truth isn't the truth" on Meet The Press.

wordywalt comments on Aug 19, 2018:

Guiiiani has become a loud=mouthed, lying, spineless caricature of a human being. He is become as despicable as Trump.

If you are now an atheist, what other supernatural oddities, if any, did you used to believe in?

wordywalt comments on Aug 19, 2018:

I do not believe in anything supernatural.

Nine not-so-good reasons to be an atheist | Pakistan Today

wordywalt comments on Aug 19, 2018:

There is simply one good reason for not believing in any gods -- simply that no evidence exists that any god actually exists. Why should any person believe in something without a shred of evidence?

Should secularism be taught in high school as a part of a civics class or social studies.

wordywalt comments on Aug 19, 2018:

As a former social studies teacher, I would say no. Civics and government classes should be secular only in the sense that they do not deal with religion or rejection of religion at all, except for freedom of religion (including freedom from religion) as a constitutional freedom included in the Bill of Rights. They should focus on the functions and structure of government and on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy.

The Enlightenment and the origins of racism

wordywalt comments on Aug 18, 2018:

All slavery going far back in human history is based on the idea that a group is inferior to a more dominant culture. The inferior group, always based on color or ethnicity, were always considered to be lesser beings. Those are the real origins of racism. All that these enlightenment figures was to formalize the thought behind the practice. .

Audiobooks verse Regular Books

wordywalt comments on Aug 18, 2018:

I have vision problems so cannot read books any more. If I could read, I would greatly prefer a book in print.As a reader, I read rapidly and could control the flow of thought. Reading had more real consistency and flow.

What decade is your favorite music from?

wordywalt comments on Aug 18, 2018:

To me, the great time was the late 1960s and early 190s . You have the best of folk music, protest music,and others like Croce, Simon and Garfunkel, and others that did music with depth and quality.

Are atheists less educated than religious sects?

wordywalt comments on Aug 17, 2018:

You misinterpret the data. We "nones" are in a minority, yet we rank with higher number of Christians and Jews in in educational level. That means that we are more highly educated than the population at large, or than Christians as a whole.

Would the World Be Better Off Without Religion? A Skeptic’s Guide to the Debate - CSI

wordywalt comments on Aug 17, 2018:

It is possible that total system religious ideologies helped human beings to gain the courage to venture forward. Even if that were true, it is past time for human beings to find th strength and courage to become moral existentialists and move forward based on current scientifically-based conceptions of reality, recognizing that such conceptions are constantly changing with advances in knowledge. Religion today is a straitjacket, a false restriction on our conception of reality and a hindrance to progress.

A real professional...

wordywalt comments on Aug 17, 2018:

Bravo! One hundred million loyal Americans should flood Trump with requests that he denounce us as real threats to the legitimacy of his presidency. That would get his attention and that of the cowardly Republican party. Someone needs to take charge of such an effort and help make it happen.

What’s a movie or song that you can never get tired of?

wordywalt comments on Aug 17, 2018:

Several songs: " The Rose" sung by Bette Midler, "The Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel, and "The First Time I Saw Your Face" sung by Roberta Flack. Also "The Ashoken Farewell."

Best concerts?

wordywalt comments on Aug 17, 2018:

The two best concerts I have ever attended were in Berlin, Germany in 1960 or 1951 -- Ella Fitzgerald and Dave Brubeck.

Communicate with care

wordywalt comments on Aug 16, 2018:

I try to choose my words with precision and care to express the meaning I intend with the emotion I want to express. That limits misinterpretation.

How do you deal with pain?

wordywalt comments on Aug 16, 2018:

I o not like pain killers and seldom take them. I just try to outlast the pain until its cause can be dealt with or outlasted.

When will we see an Atheist US president?

wordywalt comments on Aug 16, 2018:

Not for a long time. We still have too many religious believers who would not be comfortable with that.

What do you miss from your childhood?

wordywalt comments on Aug 16, 2018:

Life was more simple wa a child. Other than that, I miss little from my childhood, as my adult life has been so much richer and fulfilling.

Are we living in an era of "post-truth" ?

wordywalt comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Read Erich Fromm's ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM. His book explains well why many people are emotionally drawn to total system religious and political ideologies. Fortunately for the human species, there have been enough of us independent, analytical, and critical thinkers to escape taht curse. We are the people who have enabled what advance we have. It is a constant battle, and it is never won.

Politics and the US November Election

wordywalt comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Absolutely right! Protection of our rights, our democracy, the moral character of our nation depends on US. We must act!

What makes you choose the poitics you support?

wordywalt comments on Aug 15, 2018:

I base my political beliefs and actions on several things: 1. The basis of my moral code -- minimum violation of human dignity and respect. 2. The logical and factual results of specific courses of action advocated by different political ideologies and parties. 3. Hard-headed respect for truth. 4. Pursuit of democracy.

What is good for your soul?

wordywalt comments on Aug 15, 2018:

What is good for my basic being are a number of things: reflection, analysis and synthesis of information, the act of creating something of real value for others, doing something to help or be kind to others, emotional closeness with others.

He never said this!!

wordywalt comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Sanders has been designated by Trump to be his official knowing liar. It is absolutely loathsome how she so avidly embraces the role. The role seems to perfectly match her lack of character.

When you reject a belief system, it's not because you don't know about it.

wordywalt comments on Aug 14, 2018:

Intelligent people reject a belief system only after they have studied it. Unintelligent people reject a belief system because of social pressures or because the dogma they believe in tells them to reject it.

According to a Gallup poll published Monday, a majority of Democrats no longer hold a positive view ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 14, 2018:

That is not quite accurate. Democrats do not want Marxist socialism or any totally socialistic form of government or economy. What they do favor is democratic socialism and a mixed economy (a mixture of capitalism and socialism/ The real difference is that democrats do not have a pathological fear of the idea of socialism.

If she really liked you, would you date her? (sorry if this has been posted previously)

wordywalt comments on Aug 14, 2018:

No. I have a feeling that getting involved with any woman with such leanings would be like putting a part of my anatomy in a meat-grinder.

I just wanted to thank members of this community for all their support.

wordywalt comments on Aug 14, 2018:

Glad you are moving ahead.

Hi all, I have to say I felt immediate relief the moment I logged into this site.

wordywalt comments on Aug 14, 2018:

Weocome.

As a non theist, what are your top 3 political issues you would like to see addressed in the ...

wordywalt comments on Aug 14, 2018:

(1) honesty and integrity in government, (2) infrastructure development, and (3) the development of people and opportunity in our country.

Where you should be?

wordywalt comments on Aug 14, 2018:

I am now retired. As a teenager, I swore the last thing in the world I would be would be a teacher. However, I took a competitive exam for a Florida state teacher scholarship just to get out of a day of school and won it. From a poor family that and one other scholarship enabled me to goto college. Later, after I had served in the Army I had the choice of paying back the scholarship or teaching. As I was near broke, I chose teaching. I tried hard to be a good teacher and loved working with students, but the school and district I was working in was far from a good one. So, I chose a career of improving teaching learning, and leadership in schools an went to graduate school at the U. of Florida in educational leadership and curriculum and instruction. After that I taught in a very good teacher education program at a small college. But, former students of mine in that program told me that they were better prepared for teaching than most, but something about the nature of schools dulled that edge and discouraged them. I I decided that the local of reach educational change was at the local level. A couple of years later I applied for and won the post of establishing and leading a staff development and school improvement center serving 12 rural districts in Kansas.Over the next decade I designed, implemented, and evaluated a number of programs which did result in significantly better school performance and won state and national recognition. Fro,m there I also served as a district administrator, and center director in other sites. While in graduate school, I also considered going into law, and was offered a fellowship in international relations , but chose to stay with my focus on school improvement. I am glad I did.

Left-handed?

wordywalt comments on Aug 13, 2018:

I am a lefty. The only group I ever found in which lefties were a majority was a political theory seminar in graduate school -- 5 of the 9 were lefties.

I found this to be a very educational read.

wordywalt comments on Aug 13, 2018:

I can give you real stories also not found in most history books. One of them is that two of the major reasons we won the Revolutionary War were (1) a madman, and (2) a fungus. If you are interested in the facts behind that statement let me know and I will provide them.

What inspires you to follow a member's posts on Agnostic.com?

wordywalt comments on Aug 13, 2018:

The intelligence and wisdom, humor, caring, and humanity expressed in that person's posts. A bit of the iconoclastic does not hurt.

Do you think tRump is genuinely mentally ill?

wordywalt comments on Aug 12, 2018:

At the very least, he is a disoriented sociopath.

Do you ever feel like you live in a different world to everyone else?

wordywalt comments on Aug 12, 2018:

No, but I do sometimes feel that I was born in the wrong time and place.