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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.
that is so true...
wordywalt comments on Aug 12, 2018:
We have had them for for almost 150 years. It is just that they are now much more overt with te idiot Trump in power.
What is your favorite nickname for our POTUS 45?
wordywalt comments on Aug 11, 2018:
The anus.
What is the greatest challenge that civilization faces?
wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:
Long term, you are correct. In the short term, our greatest threat is the culture of greed, corruption, and ethnocentrism exemplified by Trump and his supporters.
Family and Religion
wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:
Tell them that you respect their rights to believe as they choose and that you will not treat them with disrespect by bombarding them with conversion attempts -- and that you DEMAND that they treat you with equal respect if they want to continue their relationship with you. I had to say that to a friend of 50 years who has turned ultra religious. It worked.
Their last hope?
wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:
If he is their last, best hope, Christianity is doomed.
Are you Opimistic about the future of the Human Race?
wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:
Two things" Human beings are a species, not a race. Second, human beings will eventually become extinct -- if some catastrophic event does not destry the entire earth before then.
Are you a card player? If so, please name your favorite one.
wordywalt comments on Aug 10, 2018:
Bridge and double deck pinochle.
Why are the right-wingers indistinguishable from trolls?
wordywalt comments on Aug 9, 2018:
Our country and democracy have withstood severe crises before -- as in the case of the Civil War. If we, as patriots and defenders of democracy, do our jobs, we will withstand this one. And, I reiterate, IF WE DO OUR JOBS . . .
What is your explanation?
wordywalt comments on Aug 8, 2018:
All these things are nothing more than manifestations the brain and nervous system shutting down. Period. NOthing more, nothing else.
Who is your all time favorite comedy actor?
wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:
Robin Williams, followed by Johnathan Winters.
Remember those two gray hair fat boys with a t-shirt saying: I rather be a Russian than a Democrat ...
wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:
That would make a fantastic tee shirt.
Evolution, religion, and why it’s not just about lack of scientific reasoning ability - On Biology
wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:
That kind of behavior is moere than adequately explained by Erich Fromm in his book, ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM.
What do you call your mother-in-law?
wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:
Deceased.
What right does the atty general have to take on a job of increasing christian values within our ...
wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:
He has no such right. In principle, his action is unconstitutional. The man is a moral hypocrite.
How much of the allure of religion, for men , is just for the illegitimate entitlements of male ...
wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:
Male religiousity is based more on fear of lack of knowledge and control and on the need for acceptance in the dominant social group than on the the need for patriarchy.
What is everyone's thought on this?
wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:
Education level does play some role, but the key determining factors are related more to personality. Atheists and agnostics have more questioning, analytical, and independent personalities.
I still sometimes think this reality is some nightmare that I'll wake up from...
wordywalt comments on Aug 7, 2018:
This nightmare is not going away by itself. WE must act to make it go away.
I'm curious to understand: Do you hold grudges?
wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:
I do not hold grudges. But if I have lost my trust in a person, or if my experience is that the person will only cause me pain, I simply cut off all contact. It is not an effort to punish the person, but simply an avoidance of pain on my part.
Something I just heard and I think it's good advice: Worrying is paying for a debt you may never ...
wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:
That is true if you are fretting over some remote possibility. If it is over something that is very likely, it is a way of covering all the bases to make the best of a bad situation.
OK - Advice needed.
wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:
From experience, I can tell you that you are taking a real risk. It could work out, or it could be a real disaster.
Do you like to dominate your partner or to be dominated?
wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:
Neither. I seek a relationship of caring and charing.
If you could be alone with tRump in a locked room for 5 minutes what would you do?
wordywalt comments on Aug 6, 2018:
I would eliminate the two sources of the vile crap he produces -- his tongue and his twitter fingers.
Brene' Brown, Ph.
wordywalt comments on Aug 5, 2018:
She is a truly beautiful person -- so, so right in her message.Making real human connections by having the courage to make yourself vulnerable adds such depth and joy to life. On the other hand, from painful experience, let me advise others : Stay away from people who are not willing or able to make themselves vulnerable, and/or those who would use your willingness to make yourself vulnerable against you. In the long run, they can only hurt you.
Do you feel like you have a greater penchant for insomnia because not believing in religion means it...
wordywalt comments on Aug 5, 2018:
I definitely sleep more soundly not worrying if I have offended a deity.
For the men here, have you been able to share your feelings/tears with your partner?
wordywalt comments on Aug 5, 2018:
I have been doingit so long with my wife (second) that it just feels normal and part of our mutual trust.
Trump has gone off the deep end, even by his standards.
wordywalt comments on Aug 5, 2018:
I love the one about the rat in the corner! So appropriate.
What Does Your Saturday’s Usually Consist Of?
wordywalt comments on Aug 4, 2018:
In this summer heat, my first real activity of the day is working out with weights at thre gym in late morning, a lazy afternoon,l then taking care of yard and garden tasks in the late afternoon. Evenings on the computer, and watching PBS.
'Insidious': Emails Show Trump White House Lied About US Poverty Levels to Discredit Critical UN ...
wordywalt comments on Aug 4, 2018:
This is all we can expect from the Trump administration -- a web of lies. That is why it MUST go away.