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Is it correct for the US to block a UN vote for an investigation into the murders and maimings of ...
wordywalt comments on May 16, 2018:
It is not morally justified.
Struggle = strength?
wordywalt comments on May 16, 2018:
> I would alter that to A strong person never chooses a path simply because it is easy."
How supportive were your parents when they learned you were not religious?
wordywalt comments on May 16, 2018:
Both of my parents were religious. When I made it clear that religion was no longer a part of my life, we simply never broached to topic again. Other than that, our relationship did not change.
Inside the secretive religious cult in New Zealand where women are forced to submit to men for fear ...
wordywalt comments on May 16, 2018:
He should be imprisoned for life.
A scenario. You can host dinner for people who are dead. Who would you invite?
wordywalt comments on May 16, 2018:
Hermann Hesse, Mark Twain, Carl Sagan, Charles Darwin, Barbara Jordan, Reinhold Niebuhr.
Offense, like insult, CANNOT be GIVEN, only TAKEN.
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
You have every right to say what you think, so long as you so it in a civil and respectful manner. If you can't abide by those rules, I don't want to hear a damned word you say.
Do you think we should be bailing out a Chinese phone company when American companies are going ...
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
Did you notice that the Chinese government approved a BIG trump private business deal? Do you think there is any connection?
It is very difficult to conduct an adult conversation on politics or social controversies, even on ...
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
Most political and social conservatives have forgotten what the term "civility" means-- if they ever knew.
Anyone who thinks there's not an "us" and "them" is delusional. [newsweek.com]
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
You are absolutely right. The Trump cabal is ant-i people, anti-environment, anti-democracy, and anti-morality.
As an atheist what do you want done with your remains when you die?
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
I want my ashes to be scattered on the Kansas prairie around Wilson Lake.
Do you value empathy?
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
Empathy is crucial in any relationship and must be a part of the culture of any caring society.
Bye Bye 4th amendment.
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
Both Thomas and Gorsuch are died-in-the-wool ideologues with real judicial temperament. Both should never been placed on the bench.
Well I commend on a Facebook post that was saying that Trump was the most incredible Christian of ...
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
Any person who says that Trump is an incredible Christian both does not really understand what Christianity is and is a damned fool.
I never understood the statement, "I want to give back.
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
Unless you are a rare person, you are among those of us who did good things to help us and who enabled us to move forward in our lives in a positive way -- without having any obligation to do so. Yes, we did benefit from such actions by others, and did build up an obligation to help others. If you have been so helped, and feel no desire to help others similarly, you are being senseless selfish.
Nikki Haley walks out of U.
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
I don't know what to think of Haley. Sometimes she shows intelligence and courage. Sometimes she is an ideologue, and says and does things publicly that she knows to be false and morally wrong.
At what age do you start to feel "old"?
wordywalt comments on May 15, 2018:
If you take care of your body and mind, you still have a lot of good years ahead of you. At age 81, I am as mentally alert as I ever was. At age 69 I started working out with weights and gradually increased the weights to the point that I am stronger today than I was as a teenager -- but endurance is limited. Yes, over time, the infirmities of age make us give up things which we loved, but we learn to adjust and treasure the things we do yet have even more. Relationships are deeper and calmer, but less sexual.
Anyone have naturally growing plants that Monarch butterflies feed on during migration?
wordywalt comments on May 14, 2018:
Milkweed and dill/
Mother's Day -- second one without my stepmom .
wordywalt comments on May 13, 2018:
She sounds like a very special person whose memories will always be treasured.
Which type of behavior makes you to literally stop dating / dealing with a person.
wordywalt comments on May 13, 2018:
Any behavior which is egocentrically manipulative or senselessly controlling and/or mean spirited
John Bolton: Trump Sanctions On European Companies "Possible" Over Iran | HuffPost
wordywalt comments on May 13, 2018:
These egomaniacs are insane and threaten the future of the entire world.
What was before the Big Bang?
wordywalt comments on May 13, 2018:
I would speculatethat the answer is one or a very few super, super massive black holes.
“I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians.
wordywalt comments on May 13, 2018:
All too true.
Another year older a couple of days ago, yep, getting up there cause I am now 57 years old!
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
You still have a lot of good years. Still enjoying the soap. Thanks.
Newt Gingrich: Atheism Is More Dangerous To Christians Than Terrorists Are - The Intellectualist
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
That kind of an attitude is the EXACT reason why religious "true believers" are often so cruel, judgmental, and men-spirited in their pronouncements and behavior.
Welcome.
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
Reminds me of the art deco style of the 1920s and 1930s.
Political issues
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
Given the moral corruption of the Trump cabal and the almost total collapse of moral spine among Republicans unwilling to confront the total immorality and greed of the cabal, honesty and integrity in government MUST the number one issue. It MUST be the compelling issue of 2018 politics.
I was at a coffee shop (OK, Starbucks) when the guy next to me starts telling me about all this ...
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
You have more tolerance than I do. I would not have listened to the guy for even 5 minutes.
A purple rose grown in a friend's garden.
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
Beautiful!
Americans - How corrupt is your government? If at all!
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
With the Trump cabal in power and with today's morally bankrupt Republicans in power, our government is becoming more and more corrupt by the day. As an 81 year old man, I am voicing my opinion in every medium that I can, contributing money to anti-corruption causes, and making sure that I do not show such moral bankruptcy in any of my behavior.
One of my co-workers (she's Catholic) commented during lunch that those that do not have faith have ...
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
I would say to her, "In all due respect, you do not know what in the hell you are talking about. I know non-religious people who are highly responsible and conscientiously moral people -- by personal choice. You are carelessly and falsely demeaning people with false dispersions."
Do you care if you are remembered when you die?
wordywalt comments on May 12, 2018:
No. As a former teacher, college instructor, and staff developer for public schools, as well as simple contacts as a person, I know that I have influenced hundreds, if not thousands of people. From feedback I know that for many that influence was highly positive. I don't care if those influenced don't remember where he influence came from. But, I do take pride in the fact that the influence occurred.
Sam Harris' moral landscape?
wordywalt comments on May 11, 2018:
My moral code is very similar. Mine is based on the concept of minimum violation of human dignity and well-being (and of things that contribute to that dignity and well-being).
When to help - when to step away?
wordywalt comments on May 11, 2018:
A ground rule I have found useful is" Never get involved with someone you work with and/or with a person who is crazier than you are. A person who is always emotionally needy is a bad risk.
A question of faith: Atheism as grounds for asylum - InfoMigrants
wordywalt comments on May 11, 2018:
Given the fact that disavowing belief in Allah is grounds for execution in most Islamic countries, it MUST be legitimate grounds for asylum in the U.S.
"Late in Life" Relationships
wordywalt comments on May 11, 2018:
The caring and the sharing -- the adding of quality to each other's flives.
When you die you go back to the state you were in before you were born.
wordywalt comments on May 11, 2018:
That statement only makes sense if the prior state of the individual were non-existence.
What Makes You Happy?
wordywalt comments on May 11, 2018:
A pretty damned good list.
The Irreligious Now Outnumber White Evangelicals in America
wordywalt comments on May 11, 2018:
Progress.
Why Only the Happily Single Find True Love
wordywalt comments on May 11, 2018:
Makes a lot of sense.
Is modern life too demanding?
wordywalt comments on May 10, 2018:
Life is only as demanding as we make it, or as we let it become. We have choices.For 3 decades I lived a life with a stress level that would have killed some people. Today, due to the choices I have made, my life is much simpler. The extreme highs are not there, but neither are the extreme lows. It is a much more peaceful existence.
Which Statement Hurts Most in Relationship?
wordywalt comments on May 10, 2018:
Number 7.
What do you think about Spiritual Healing?
wordywalt comments on May 9, 2018:
Spiritual healing is a hoax. The only effect from it is a placebo effect.
My parents are very religious.
wordywalt comments on May 9, 2018:
I can identify with your dilemma. I can remember going to my parents' place for Christmas with my wife and 2 daughters when I was in my late 20s. On Sunday, my father asked, "Are you going to church with me?" I answered simply, "No." My father then said, "Son, I worry about your soul." I replied, "You worry about my soul. I worry about feeding my family." That ended the conversation, and we never talked about religion again.
Exactly! ....
wordywalt comments on May 9, 2018:
Love it!
"So let’s be clear: On the one side, we have a dizzying array of serving and retired generals and ...
wordywalt comments on May 8, 2018:
It is strange that our egomaniacal president and the thuggish ideologue Natanyahu are the only two world figures trying to provoke war with Iran.
Seriously now? [shareblue.com]
wordywalt comments on May 8, 2018:
Trump is a dangerous, egomaniacal sociopath.
The Butterly Effect, the straw that breaks the camel's back, both overlook key forces.
wordywalt comments on May 8, 2018:
Your interpretation of the butterfly effect is not which i have heard. The version which I endorse tyakes the position that in huge, multifaceted systems, such a the earth's weather, the beating of a butterfly's wings, at the right time and place, in conjunction with the confluence of other events and forces, can set into motion a chain of effects which creates huge changes -- such as a violent storm. Your version comes directly from Ray Bradbury's short story, "The Sound of Thunder."
Atheists are good or bad persons?
wordywalt comments on May 8, 2018:
Atheists are people. Thre are some great atheists and some truly evil ones.
Does anyone have a great presidential democratic candidate to suggest?
wordywalt comments on May 8, 2018:
I think that a Joe Biden - Elizabeth Warren ticket would be a great one.
I believe in the Big Bang theory as the point traceable back in time in which everything started.
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
Consider the possibility that the "big bang" was just the beginning of a new cycle of cosmic expansion, that cosmic history is one of an unending cycle of expansion and contration wity no beginning and no end. That goes even a step farther.
What about your apppearance defines you?
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
My appearance does not define me. My thoughts and actions do.
This Angry Young Preacher Says Atheists Are All Coke-Drinking Video Game Addicts – Friendly ...
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
Oh, really. I am an 81 year old intellectual who has never wasted one minute on video games. Who is this turkey and where is he preaching?
Did you see?
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
It is an example of how evil a religious cult can be.
Conference Will Arrange Child Marriages For Christian Homeschoolers
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
This "true believer" moral idiot is trying to introduce some of the most regressive and oppressive aspects of age-old Asian practices to our culture. Yet, I'll bet that he rails against immigrants , other religions, and non-believers. He is trying to establish his own brainwashed culture. What a despicable human being!
How do you get through to someone who denies the Moon landings
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
You can't. Irrationality is not amenable to reason.
Young People Are Lonelier Than Their Elders : NPR
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
I am not surprised. Younger people are still in the process of defining who they are and who they want to be. They are more emotionally insecure and more self-conscious, more afraid of what others may think of them. At old, many people know exactly who they are, and many of them are fully comfortable with who they are. In a way, lonliness is clearly related to insecurity.
What do think the average age of religious person becoming an atheist?
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
I would say 20 to 30.
Do you have fear or peace about yourself dying someday?
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
At age 81, I am at peace with death.I find it difficult to understand why anyone would seek immortality.
To Bother Or Not To Bother: Finding Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type – HealthyWay
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
I took the Briggs-Myers yars ago, and did not find it informative or useful. I found Anthony Gregorc's Style Delineator much more accurate.
My goodness, how can it be so cold again?
wordywalt comments on May 7, 2018:
At 43 degrees your tomatoes should be okay. The cold might slow their growth a little, but they should be okay.
The party of the Christian Right is a disgrace to Christians and other believers everywhere...
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
I do not think so. Ryan, himself, is an extremely doctrinaire economic ideologue and he has a thin skin. I think that the problem lies in him -- and in the party which buys his ideological garbage.
I know we feel we must identify ourselves, so that others who share our ideals can find us and unite...
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
Any time we see primarily the label instead of the person and his/her behavior, We create problems.
This is going to be a odd question/ How does every one feel about the Boy Scouts changing the name ...
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
No big deal.
Could the GOP get elected without the evangelical movement and the play on nationalism.
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
No. Aggressive nationalism, ideological zeal, and religious demagoguery are the emotional driving forces on the political right.
Does the republicans realise their actions towards immigation isn't that much different than the ...
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
Blth groups are aggressively hostile ideological extremists. True believers in any religion or political ideology have do difficulty in disparaging and discriminating against others.
Too Many Atheists Are Veering Dangerously Toward the Alt-Right - VICE
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
In the first months of this site, there were a number of these aggressively far-rights on the site. But, as time went on, they got little reinforcement from the vast majority of site members and most have gone away.When they appear, we must hake it clear that they do not represent the most of us.
I like to believe in civility even in the face of talking heads.
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
It is almost always a person who is engaging in irrational thought who resorts to incivility when pressed by evidence and sound reasoning. That is almost always a person on the extreme political right.
This is my little garden.
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
Nicely done.
Who or what would I be when I disassociate from my mind, intellect, brain, and body?
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
The pictured statement is utter nonsense.
Existence brings natural questions of origin.
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
I prefer "reality" to either.
A cattle rancher died and at the reading of his will he left the ranch to his three sons under one ...
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
Groan. Pretty good.
After dropping out of high school and going in the Marines on my seventeenth birthday, I later ...
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
Science is too often poorly taught. If taught well, it is an adventure!
Who else out thar, is so tired of all the Trump Bashing ?
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
Not me. Trump is a totally reprehensible excuse for a human being. He deserves every bit of the ill will he generates.
Do different colors affect your mood?
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
Orange, by itself, seems frenetic. Blue is cool and soothing. Green is cool, yet vibrant. Red shows energfy.
To or not to make friends with the new neighbors?
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
I always reach to new neighbors. If they respond well, then that contributes to the quality of life of both of us. If not -- at least I tried.
I'm a bookseller, so this is probably the best way for me to get involved in the community.
wordywalt comments on May 6, 2018:
For fiction -- STEPPENWOLF by Hermann Hesse.
Trump's move last week to establish a new faith-based initiative within the White House is ...
wordywalt comments on May 5, 2018:
It just shows what depths the evangelicals have sunk to in their lust for political power. They and Trump are threats to us all.
Competition, good/bad for productivity and morale.
wordywalt comments on May 5, 2018:
The answewr is that it can be both.
When did confront become offense?
wordywalt comments on May 5, 2018:
Dialogue is possible only when both sides agree to remain in the rational and empirical realm and when both sides to remain civil and to allow their ideas to be tested. Those are conditions that the right winG seldom allows or meets. Your statement about the left is a load of crap.
Love and hate
wordywalt comments on May 5, 2018:
The answer is no to both questions.
I'm so glad there was no internet or social media when I was growing up. I mean, REALLY glad.
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
I agree. We did not need it then. 95% of the time, we do not need it today.
How did many of you first realize that a life free from religion was right for you?
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
Your story parallels mine. My break was over 60 years ago.
Would you be willing to move out of the city and into a healthier farming lifestyle?
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
Though not a farmer, I have lived in rural areas for much of my life. The only big problem with the rural area is that it is often intellectually sterile, religion=ridden, and culturally limited.
Truer today than ever.
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
That is exactly why organized opposition to Trump and his ilk is so critical!
May 4, 1970, a date that remembers the deaths of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio ...
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
I remember that day 00 it was a moment of horror and anger that was seared into the minds of people in the university setting of that time. I was in graduate school at the University of Florida at the time.
This site is a lovely thing to know about, but I fear I am not suited for it.
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
You can always use the messaging feature on this site. It is always only one-to-one. I have used it a number of times, with no ill results.
Over 1,100 leading economists sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging the president to ...
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
Wisdom is not Trump's strong suit.
Do u think Christianity is bad ? What's your opinion on it
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
All religion is limiting and harmful to the human species. Some Christian sects and denominations and sects are more destructive and dangerous than others -- particularly the evangelical protestant ones
Some advice to recently divorced people, especially if you were married for over a decade.
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
I had no problem being alone following my divorce. My first marriage was so aggressively bad in the last 15 years of that marriage that I preferred to be alone, rather in he company of my wife.
I was just thinking about some good movies that might make Christians cringe.
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
Elmer Gantry was a great movie. Lancaster was brilliant in the title role.
Just friends?
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
That depends on the intent of both.
As a human, are you an outside observer of the universe, or are you a piece of the universe ...
wordywalt comments on May 4, 2018:
We obviously do not exist outside of the universe. Seems like an artificial question.
Why do you (or do you not) think it is always right to do the right thing?
wordywalt comments on May 3, 2018:
Who says that saving that particular life from suicide is the right thing?
Is it long overdue for the disciplines of philosophy and natural sciences to divorce due to ...
wordywalt comments on May 3, 2018:
The pursuit of science is, in itelf a philosophical perspective. That perspective has long been divorced from many of the arcane questions in classical philosophy. Philosophy today needs to enrich itsdelf by finding cachment areas with athe sciences that it can explore.
I'm a curious person, interested in my fellow humans - I think of childhood and how it affects us as...
wordywalt comments on May 3, 2018:
My childhood in the rural bible belt South gave me a love for the out of doors, taught me to treat others well and to try to be a good person. Unfortunately, I had to later cleanse myself of much of the other aspects culture which influenced me in my early years. My real definition of myself occurred more in my 20s and 30s in different locations and cultures.
We all have that one fantasy celebrity cheat. Who is yours? Mine is Rachel Maddow.
wordywalt comments on May 3, 2018:
I listen to Rachel every time I can.
Equal Justice
wordywalt comments on May 3, 2018:
I would say that in most legal matters, one's religious or non-religious beliefs never come up.
I've been stuck on level three for a long time. Need your help
wordywalt comments on May 3, 2018:
Post some good questions and/or observations. Respond to all the posts that might interest you.
Live for the moment because tomorrow isnt promised.
wordywalt comments on May 3, 2018:
I learnd many years ago that it is not an either-or situation. One can live in the moment while still trying to build for the future. Ignore either one at your peril.
When you think something that benefits you. Do you even think how does such thing benefit everyone?
wordywalt comments on May 3, 2018:
Acting only when something benefits you is the behavior of a sociopath.