How do you respond when someone shows their religion around you?

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

I find any exscuse I can to get away from that conversation as quickly as possible.

T-shirts........................

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

Depends.

I have recently familiarized myself with the new age spiritual awakening concepts of enlightenment ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

There is no relationship between new age "spirituality" and quantum pjysics.

Name the first word(s) that comes into your mind when someone says "scientism".

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

Ity is not a term I have ever heard.

Anyone else in an unhappy relationship and don't see a way forward? Any advice?

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

I would havbe to know more about the situation in order to respond. I have nothing to offer on such limitted information.

Trump signed an executive order to GUT the Postal Service! What next privatization of of all ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

Trump sees the American people as fools he and his financial cronies can exploit. He is A THREAT TO US AND OUR COUNTRY.

Have you ever met someone who truly changed your life? tell me a little bit about it

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

Not in person. But, my life has been significantly changed by contacts with the writings of some remarkable people -- Jean Paul Sartre, Jean Piaget, Hermann Hesse, John Gardner, among others..

What are your thoughts on homeschooling

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

I have no experience with home schooling. But, I have real questions about the motives and qualifications of those who do it.

Why would you not respond to a private message?

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

+Unless it was threatening or salacious, one should respond to a private message.

If you've got your DNA reports.

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

My DNA shows remote ancestors from the Pima or Aztec Indians , from the Bantu tribe of Africa (both about 500 years ago), and 3.0 percent Neanderthal.

Please tell me what is it about musics ability to moves you into different emotions at any given ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

I love music which combines true melody and power, such as that of Aaron Copland.

Isn't it all just Brainwashing?

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

Religion is brainwashing. The linkage between religion and patriotism is false, and should not occur.

Some of the posts here are serious in tone and beg a serious response.

wordywalt comments on Apr 18, 2018:

Damned irritated!

I no longer deny global warming.

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

You have gained a lot of wisdom and courage.

Was there a catalyzing event, person or perhaps a book sealing it in your mind forever the ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

A well-written book may help some to find heir voices on what about religion bothers them. I did not need a book. Simply experiences merged with reasoned analysis to provide a sound basis for rejecting religion.

Is it wrong...

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

Sounds like you may well have reasons for concern. If so, you have no reason to feel any quilt. It may make you sad that this is the case, but that is natural. Simply try to do the right thing for your son.

So I have these new neighbors in a rental house next door.

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

Warn them that the dogs are a real issue and that if the problem does not stop, you will report the issue to the HOA. If the person attempts to wreak retribution on you in any illegal manner, report the damge to the police and give them the full background. Do NOY be araid to stand up for your rights and quality of life.

As we age do we fear death, more or less?

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

For me, the answer is less. I cannot speak for others.

Atheism and socialization

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

Mever. I have always been and will always be proud of my choice of atheism.

Objectivism in the freethinking community

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

Anyone who has seriously read and analyzed Ayn Rand's work knows that her name cannot be seriously associated with real objectivity.

Quick questions... or maybe not... How does everyone feel about marriage?

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

Marriage is a social rite invented by prortect women and subscquent offspring. In a good marriage, it is also a joint commitment to a long rerm caring and sharing relationship.

Well this should be interesting. What is bothering you today?

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

Trump's presidency and presence on the Amreicna scene and will bother me until both go away.

I see the new Trump action figures are in.

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

I don't dislike anyone badly enough to give them that -- except Trump himself.

It is said that the way to a mans heart is to keep his stomach full and his balls empty.

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

I agree with the assessment that your post says you are a wise-ass kid without a sense of taste and a strong tendency toward machismo.

Do you like being intelligent?

wordywalt comments on Apr 17, 2018:

I have an IQ of 145, but I have almost always fought most of the tendencies you describe. As a child and young man, I had the privilege of knowing some remarkable uneducated people and from whom I learned some important things. I am repulsed by elitism, including intellectual elitism. In 1968, while in graduate school I received a written invitation from Mensa to join the group. I declined in writing, citing the elitism I saw in people I knew who were drawn to Mensa.

After reading yet ANOTHER article about Trump's discomfort with doing anything to antagonize his ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

Yes, she did meet with Tri\ump.

Hannity Says He Totally Forgot Michael Cohen Was His Lawyer When He Criticized F.

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

Hannity is such a crook ad damnable liar that the sound of his voice makes me gag.

Women and the old love songs by the great saxophonists. What more does a man need?

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

I loved to hear Paul Desxmond -- such a sweet sound.

Why does it seem that some people go out of their way to be unpleasant?

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

I also do not understant such a person.

Evangelicals are planning a high-profile meeting with Trump - The Washington Post

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

These charlatans should hang their heads in absolute shame.

What can I do to be a better representative of atheists?

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

Be yourself, and act and speak with confidence. omre;;oghemce. and caring. Be civil, except in the facte of disrespect for others.

What Are the Psychological Effects of Losing Your Religion? [neurosciencenews.com]

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

For me, it improved my mental health and self-image. Yes, it also led me to be more of an iconoclast -- and I am proud of that.

What would you do if your spouse of many years developed cancer and ultimately is unable to ambulate...

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

Only if I am unable to care for her.

Fake news and Reality

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

Experience teaches us which news sources tend to be reliable and which do not. Before I would believe it, I would fact-check everyword that comes from Fox "News."

What is better - to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

Only psychopaths seem to have an inherently evil nature. We all have the potential for good and evil.

It is said that the way to a mans heart is to keep his stomach full and his balls empty.

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

That may be enough for some men, but not for me.

Why is everyone looking for love?

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

Well stated.

How do you deal with the death of a son? Last thursday I lost my son (Age 32)

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

I am very sorry for your deeply personal loss. I hope that you have many positive memories of him to hold on to.

Anyone watch the James Comey interview?

wordywalt comments on Apr 16, 2018:

No, it was not a bombshell. But, that is not the point, at all! What it does show is what a crrooked, duplicitious, lying, morally bankrupt cretin Trump is, We have known that, but Comey makes the pattern abundantly clear. That IS important!

Atheism isn’t a culture as any atheist can tell you.

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

A culture includes of the norms, practices, philosophies, knowledge, values -- everything that humans create. To base a culture on atheism is analyyous to forming a one dimensional image in a multi-dimensional world.

Mitch McConnell

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

McCpnnell;is as morally crooked as they come.

So, there is a dog park close to me and I take my little dog to the park almost every day so she can...

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

You acted appropriately. The woman has some real personality problems.

I wonder if animals have an actual sense of right and wrong.

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Goof question. I am sure that many animals know when they do something other than what is expected from them. But, I am not sure that is a moral judgment.

To those who have left religious or ideological communities or social structure, have you maintained...

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

No. not really. But, it was not because I pushed away from those friends, but because I moved to communities far away and became actively engaged with my own children, wife, career and other pursuits.

"People have lost the ability to judge what is real and what is not.

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

His statement is true, The political and religious right, along with the extrme libertarians, are doing everything they can to limit and restrict rational, critical thinking, and intellectual activity. They are the most destructive force active in America today.

Trump's political advice comes from...

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Love it!

HOT or COLD, or somewhere in between maybe... What kind of showers do you prefer?

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Depends on the season. In the winter, I like hot showers. In the summer, cold.

I just spent the last 2 weeks with a friend who is getting cancer treatments in Seattle.

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

I am, by upbringing and nature, more of a small town or small city person. But. here in Tampa. I live in a secluded (but, not gated) neighborhood full of trees and greenery.It is easy to foregt that there is an eight-lane street with heavy traffic less than 10 blocks away. The only large city I have ever loved was Berlin, Germany. The city was full of parks and forest where one could get away from people, sidewalk pubs and cafes, and cultural events, along with a public transportation system so good that one did not need a car.

Do you think there is a difference between liberal and progressive?

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

No, not really.

How many of you older people listen to current pop music, or is it only "noise" to you?

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Probably true. I do sometimes listen to music from the 1960s through 1970s, but most of the time I listen to classical music today. Yes, I do consider most of today's pop music noise.

Anyone have anything to say about our amazing prime minister Thresa May, who decided to bomb Syria ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

You should be more prone to judge Assad and Putin the what they have done. The Western world had to do something, even if it was just symbolic.

Religious doctrine disguised as morality and ethics?

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Morality or ethics are based on one's defintion of right and wrong and the beliefs on what is bthe basis for those choices or definitions. Religious people tend to base their moral beliefs on their religious dogma, not reasoned judgment. Others have well-founded moral coes based on reasoned judgment. The two are very different on form and content. I consider myself a moral person based on my reasoned judment. I have choices and it is the effect of my choices that I weigh.

Do you get visits from missionaries often?

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Seldom. It seems less frequently today than several years ago. Maybe word spreads. When they do appear, I am not aggressively disrespectual, but I am also not welcoming.

Photographer Tiptoes Through The Tulips To Shoot Harvest Mice, And The Result Will Make Your Day | ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Delightful.

Fighting in the middle East will continue as long as the religions hate each other because of the ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 15, 2018:

Religions do not hate each other. Some people with certain religious beliefs hate people of different beliefs.

What is your atheist anthem? (Music)

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

I have no aheist anthem and don't need one.

What is your idea of a man "taking care of" a woman?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

I agree, but I would also add ,whenever it is relevant, helping to provide information which can help the wife in decision-making to make her life better.

Why does it seem to be that there are more male atheists and agnostics when women are often ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

That is probably due to the fact that society's stereotypical sex roles encourages men to be more risk-takers, and discourages that in women.

How did you start your career?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

After a stint in the US Army (the draft was still in deffect), I started as a high school teacher. From theere to graduate school on the GI bill and assistantships (and later 2 fellowships) I taught at the ollege leel,then the rest of my career in educational leadership positions focusing on school iumprovement.

What is the Origin of the Universe?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

I believe that the universe has always existed, but has gone through many alternating stages of extreme xpansion and contraction.

Are people changing, or am I?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

You are experiencing cognitive dissonance. The groups with which you are associated share common values, and some of your values are substantially diffeent. They are putting pressure on you to "shape up" and adopt their values. If you do not they will start excluding you from contacts with and activities of the group. Your best choice, if you want to maintain your human rights values, is to find new groups to associate with. Otherwise, your current group is going to make life uncomfortable for you and -- if you are not strong enough -- coerce you into to dropping your human rights values. I don't think you want to do that.

Syrian conflict sparked a thought, would we the human race still fight and kill each other if no ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

Yes. There wou.ld still be conflicts between tribes and ethnic groups over culture and resources.

Everything is nothing.

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

Are you saying that nothing matters, ergo, hedonism is justified? If so, I heartily disagree.

Any Sapiosexuals here?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

Most definitely!

How does music effect you...?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

I do not know how to explain why, but the one piece of music that grabs me that way is Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor -- conducted by Calaudio Abaddo and with the Violinist Schlomo Minsk. It moves from quiet poignance to joyful exuberance.

Is a married human being happier than unmarried one?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

There is no pat answer to that question. It depends on the personality of the person(s) and on the quality of the specific marriage.

Do more non-believers view life as a painful, unpleasant experience?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

Why should that have you concerned? Contrary to your staement, I do not find life to be a painful, unpleasant experience.. I enjoy many things about my life and always have. But, if I reach the stage in which I am a burden on others and.or in constant pain, I WILL choose to end my life. That is my choice, and none of your concern. It would be senseless to hang onto life when in agony, and selfish to hang onto life while costing others eotionally and financially.

Any Sapiosexuals here?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

Am unfamiliar with the erm. Please define.

I don't need a label, atheist or agnostic or what have you.

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

I agree totally. To me, flaunting one's beliefs is not productive. It is often seen as inflamatory and aggressive.

Is a married human being happier than unmarried one?

wordywalt comments on Apr 14, 2018:

In a good marriage, yes. Otherwise, no.

Do you agree that if wasn't for the Dark Ages and religious prosecution, our civilization would so ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

Accurate predictions of "what ifs" is impossible.

So now that private companies are starting to put stuff in space howling do you think it will be ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

The likelihood of any company doing that is rxtremly remote. Should they try, it would be easily prosecurable.

With mind reading technology improving, how confident are you that Big Brother won't haul you in for...

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

Tell me about improving mind reading technology> I have heard of no such i"improvements." I am not worried about any "big Brother."

How do you get tasks accomplished?

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

I often procrastinate before starting, but once started, I focus easily. So much so that when I was focusing on something, I hardly hezd anyone talking to me.

"Leave 'em laughing" or "Leave 'em thinking" ???

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

People like Train and Carlin id both at the same time. That is what made them so great.

What is your conspiracy fear that seems like nobody else thinks about?

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

All conspiracy thories I have ever heard of are sheer bunk!

Hey! I just made level 8! That means I'll get a T-shirt, but I'll have it sent to the US.

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

You'll be okay. People who live in conservative areas are safe unless they wear their atheism on their sleeeves.. You don't need to hide it, but you also do not need to trumpet it.

Anyone married to a person that doesn’t share your religious views?

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

I am, and it is not an issue. We each simply respect each other's right to believe as we choose.

Time to vote all these treasonous Fascists out of Office as soon as possible! Trump and the ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

Vote all of the damned crooks out of office.

As a modern, tolerant and fairly well balanced person, I find it extremely hard to have any kind of ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

I never relied on my parents of sister for intelligent conversation.That I found elsewhere.

Over Spring Break, I took a road trip by myself.

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

When I was in Kansas, my work with public schools took me across the entire state for meetings and in conducting training. When I travelled, I ususally travelled alone and NEVER took a cell phone with me.That time on the road was MY time. I would turn the radio to classical music and enjoy the scenes of the prairie. It was also my time for thinking. I also took a number of long trips v(1.200 - 1,400 miles) across the country by myself. Although I sometimes got tired, I did not mind either long distance driving or travelling alone.

According to reports a few weeks ago, there was an accusation the rebels were bringing in chemical ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

The report that Syrian rebels were bringing in chemical weapons is a damnable lie! Why would they do that? They do not even have any delivery systems. Sounds like another unconscionable Russian fake news ploy. Truly reprehensible!!

More People Believe in Ghosts than Darwin.

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

I find it difficult to believe that so few people believe in evolution. It is an estabnlished scientific principle that any intelligent person should acdept.

Does anybody else here think that your atheism/agnosticism is actually a pretty uninteresting part ...

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

My atheism is a central part of who and what I am. If it is uninteresting, then so am I.

It's never too late for ________ (fill in the blank).

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

Try "learning" and "the Truth."

My mother died last evening of cancer. Though we were estranged to some degree I am terribly sad ?

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

Sorry for your loss. We understand.

Anyone else notice the link between conservatism and crisis around the world?

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

Throuout history consevatives have sought to repress change which would allow a nation and culture to adapt to new conditions. The results have almost always been negative. In more than a few cases, such conservative actions have caused the collapse of the country and/or civilization.

Raising a decent human being

wordywalt comments on Apr 13, 2018:

First and foremost, you model the behavior. And, you ask a lot of questions wich get them to think about lissues and behaviors.

Should we have intelligence thresholds for voting?

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

While I have some emotional leaning toward such a requirementk I am old enough to know how southern states used such requirements to disenfranchise Black and Hispanic voters. That knowledge makes me think that it is better to tolerate some stupid people to prevent discrimination against specific ethnicities.

Should all drugs be legalized?

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

Not the addictive drugs.

What good has come to the citizens of the United States because of the current administration?

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

NONE! Trump and his administration are disasters in every sense of the word. Sie sind Dreck!

Footprints

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

Our city has a once-a-week recycling service for paper, glass, metal, and plastic bottles.

What’s your views on the death penalty laws?

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

I believe that the death penalty swhould be reserved for those cases involving deliberate and vicious killing, probven by physcial evidence such as DNA and videotape. We have no obligation to keep such people alive at public expense. All cases without such irrevocanle evidence should be given a life term, as there is always a chance of overturning the original verdict.

Hi, so I had a sad day.

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

As a man of age 81, I empathize with your mother. I will end my own life before I will go into a nursing home.

Registering Journalists

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

I do believe that journalists need thorough training and a commitment to objectivity. Many in the right wing media, including Fox News, are not journalists, but propagandists.

A question for the guys: What qualities most impress you in a woman?

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

Intelligence, emotional warmth, sincerity.

What, me worry?

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

S9me people's personality is such that they are chronic worriers -- including some otherwise bright people. That is not me. If I sense a problem, I try to figure out what I can do about it and I act. I don't dwell on things which I annot influence.

Yup, that about sums it up!

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

I damned sure hope so!

History repeating itself? Different face same mind set!

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

That has been the strategy of Fox news. It was also the strategy of Mitch MCConnell some 30 years ago when he began saying that dollars equal speech and that corporations are people. People shook their heads and laughed then. But more and more Republicans began repeating the lie. Now, the ideologues in the Courts like Scalia, Thomas, and Aleto, it is now the law of the land. With Trump, everything is a lie.

"So you think you understand Evolution?

wordywalt comments on Apr 12, 2018:

Of course, Darwin's full understanding of the entire process of evolution was limited by the tools at his disposal. He dis not have the venefits of understanding DNA, genetics, and mutation -- or of the environment's effects in producing muttations. But, he did get the broad outlines correct.