World's First Sex Robot: A good or a bad idea?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

Predict that the company selling them will fail, quickly.

Is there a difference between spiritual and religious?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

I know what religious means; but do not really understand what spiritual means. Some people see them as synonymous, but I do not.

FAVORITE SOUNDS One of mine is a contented cat purring in my ear.

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

I like that, too. Another favorite sound is the gentle whispering of a breeze through the needles of pine trees.

How do I get over the grief of having a Joel Osteen block me on Twitter?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

Charlatans have thin skins.

Do you believe that we have souls? If so, can you answer why?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

No. That is part of the religious mythology and is used as an inducement to attract followers, promising eternal life.

I haven't been here long at all, but I feel comfortable here. Thanks, all!

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

Good! You will be challenged to think here, and there will be disagreements here. But, let us celebrate healthy dialogue!

Is life "fair"?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

One of the established principles f our universe is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle or the principle of bounded chaos. In a situation of bounded chaos, one cannot expect "fairness" anywhere near 100% of the time.

Have you ever followed through with New Year's resolution?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

No. but I have never made a New Year's resolution, either.

Anyone else of the opinion that our country was founded on the premise of freedom of religion, but ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

To me, the constitutional promise of freedom of religion (meaning freedom to believe as one chooses in reference to religion) MUST include freedom FROM religion if it is to be carried out to its fullest extent. Many of the founding fathers who wrote the Constitution were not deeply religious men, but deists and atheists.

Is dating, long-terming, or marrying out of the question for you with a religious person or persons?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

No. My wife of many years is a devout Catholic. We simply agree that each has the right to his/her own beliefs and there are no conversion attempts from either side. Other than religion, we share many values and beliefs.

Why did you choose your username/avatar?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

It is my first name and celebrates my fascination with words. have sometimes been called a "wordsmith."

Opinions wanted: my now ex has suddenly converted to Christianity??

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

It is more likely that he has manufactured this excuse for breaking up. There is probably another reason that he does not want to admit. You are better of without him. Don't be sad. Be mad and glad!

Out of curiosity, how many people here are old fashioned?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

Use the right terms. What you are talking about is male domination, not "old-fashioned". I am 80 years old, and my wife and I both worked, and we have always shared decision-making and responsibilities.

What has the atheist "community" done for anyone lately?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

Other than treating you with dignity and respect and promoting social and political actions to promote human well-being, I am not obligated to do anything for you now or ever.

Why are some atheists angry?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

It is in the individual's personality, not in the lack of religious belief.

are theyre any philosophies you like? or philosophers?

wordywalt comments on Dec 27, 2017:

Yes. I identify with existentialist philosophy. As for philosophers, try Jean Paul Sartre and William James

Am I living a total lie`

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

I would not live as you do, but I am not you. I will not judge you.

Are atheists and agnostics intolerant?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

Just like any other group: Some are intolerant, some not. Intolerance is a personality issue, not an ideological one.

Do we have a purpose in life?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

Many people simply exist, without purpose. The person who has a sense of purpose and finds the means to achieve it is fortunate.

Are New Religious Movements evidence of a traditional religions resurgence in the modern era, or a ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

New religious sects and cults have arisen and died out throughout human history. People feeling themselves inadequate will probably continue to make the same mistake again and again.

Was the biblical flood just the end of the last ice age?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

There have been a number of major floods which could have been the basis for the biblical flood story. Several were due to the failure of ice dams at the end of an ice age. Another was due to the Mediterranean Sea breaking through the Straits of Bosporos to inundate much of what is now the Middle East.. It is likely that the biblical flood story was the latter..

Well I blocked my first "Jesus freak" on here, I tolerate that stuff on social media because there ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

I agree. Any "Jesus freak" on this site is showing profound disrespect for us and for our right to believe as we do without harassment or proselytizing!! To any such person: Leave us in peace, you jerk!

To build and improve a society it requires an effort of people and businesses working together.

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

I believe that, as a whole, European businesses have a much greater sense of social responsibility than American businesses do today. The growing greed of American business culture today is frightening.

I’ve been on this site almost a week now, and haven’t received a single unsolicited dick pic so ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

I do think that this is a more enlightened group, but there are jerks on every site.

Egypt Reportedly Set to Pass Law Criminalizing Atheism – Friendly Atheist

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

That is what one can expect when religion dominates the culture and government.

Do men need 'sexual harassment' training? Agree? Disagree?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

No. I don't think that most man need sexual harassment training, as they really already know what it is. I think that what is needed is stricter enforcement..

Is there such a thing as business ethics?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

Unfortunately, all too often, the answer is no. For far too many businesses, what goes is limited only by what they can get away with without going to jail. Some do really try, though.

is there any countries that are not so religious as usa ?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

About the only countries as religious as the USA are predominantly Muslim.

The only responsibility business has to society is to maximize it's own profits. Agree or Disagree?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

Anyone or any company that claims that its success is to due its hard work alone is a liar. The germs of thir ideas they got from others, and they all benefit from a vast array of social services and to the labor and loyalty of their employees.

In your opinion, what habit is most annoying about other people?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

Incivility in speech and action.

If results were guaranteed, would you want to be cryogenically frozen?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

No. At the age of 80, mot a chance.

What right does a religious person have to threaten a person that don’t believe how they do?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

If someone said that to me, I would laugh and Say.. "Never gonna happen. No way. no how" and walk away.

What's your weather like right now?

wordywalt comments on Dec 26, 2017:

Around 60 degrees and somewhat cloudy here in Tampa.

"Politics" is a genteel filthy word with teeth.

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Thank today's Republican ideologues for the divisiveness and incivility in our politics. Up until Newt Gingrich and his extremist cohorts from Texas our parties were able to work together and get things done. They led a movement that has poisoned our politics. Incidentally, I was somewhat conservative in my youth, but now wear the label "liberal" with pride. and zeal. If you believe in democracy, patriotism, civil rights, and productive compromise for the well-being of our people, you should too. We have not moved to the left. Republicans have moved to the reactionary right.

Because I am an atheist does it mean that I should disrespect or not knowledgeable other peoples ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

I agree wholeheartedly!

Happy holidays heathens!

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Call yourself a heathen if you want, but not others. We are agnostics and atheists -- not crude, uneducated and unintelligent people. Heathen is a derogatory term.

C. G. Jung on God and the Unconscious - YouTube

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Carl Jung created an elaborate new -- but false -- metaphysical mind-world. Interesting, but mystical and off-base.

Closed-mindedness... not just religions

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

All religious "true believers" are, by definition, closed minded. But, the same is also true for true believers in any political or economic ideology.

What did you get for Christmas?

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Peace and quiet time with my wife. That is a good Christmas.

So - after many years, she just had to do it .

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Don't read the book. Send it back with a note telling her that she must either learn to respect you and your right to hold grounded beliefs, you will be forced to discontinue communication with her -- regretfully. Remind her that whether or not she wishes to maintain communication with you is her choice -- and responsibility. I recently had to say the same thing to an old friend of over 50 years who has become ultra-religious -- and it worked.

"Politics" is a genteel filthy word with teeth.

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Blame the total lack of civility on reactionary right-wing and inflexible ideologues in the Republican party. They have decided that they will use big money and any dirty trick they can create to cram their agenda down our throats. They do not really want to rule. They want to obstruct and to dismantle government. Given that agenda, we have more than ample reason to fight and fight hard!

Do you think atheists and agnostics can make claims about morality?

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Of course. No religion can claim ownership of the basis for morality. The basis for my concept of morality is the concept of minimum violation of human dignity, respect and well-being and of the environment which enwraps us.

If, like me, you were raised as a christian (my mother feared me pursuing a career in science ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

My triggers started in my adolescence, and after having read the bible from cover to cover 3 times. The triggers were noting inconsistencies, obvious fables, and lunatic ravings (in Revelations) in the bible, itself; and becoming angry at how religion made me feel about myself as a normal teenager. By the age of 19, I was finished with religion.

I see people who are atheist or agnostic have a prejudice in their mind to almost everything! Do you...

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

First, face reality: All of us have biases and prejudices. What we need to do is to be honest with ourselves and admit those biases which we do possess and carefully analyze our thoughts to make sure that we are not being controlled by our biases/ Second, if we are truly moral people, we must constantly ask ourselves: Does this bias fail to uphold human dignity and respect and concern for human well=being. If it does we need to decide in our own minds that we will not be controlled by such a bias.

Did you find calm when you left religion behind?

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

When I shook off the guilt and feelings of inadequacy that religion promoted, the calm was the result.

Out with the old & in with the new. In retrospect, how satisfied are you with the year past?

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Terribly disappointed. I never thought I would see the day when such a corrupt, egomaniacal, sociopathic idiot would be elected President of the USA. And I also never thought I would see the day when almost the entire Republican Party sold out its integrity, honor, and patriotism to the culture of corruption and greed. And, they continue to spiral downward into the depths of political depravity -- aided by so-called evangelical "Christians."

If the US had a recall on the presidential election tomorrow, do you think the result would be much ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Oh, yes. More than enough people can see what a truly stupid decision they made.

Will there always be a dominant person in any given relationship?

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Yes and no. It is very possible for two caring and mutually respectful people to agree that they are equals, as a whole. Still, within that, One of the two always has attributes and skills which makes them better at some things within the relationships -- and so does the other. The key is to utilize those strengths for the benefit of both, not for false mastery.

My favorite Christmas cards

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Good stuff!

I've been researching and reading about mass extinctions for the past couple of months.

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

As a scientist, he is entitled to draw warranted and proven conclusions from data and evidence, not distort and manufacture false proofs and rationale. As a scientist. he is NOT entitled to the opinion that he expresses What he has done is to show that he is a sham scientist -- a charlatan. True believers in demagogic ideologies and theologies are so certain of their beliefs that it matters not that the vast majority of people find their mental manipulations absurd.

Is the second amendment an antique?

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Today's interpretation of the 2nd amendment is an abomination. Three will always be a need for a WELL-REGULATED state militia, and a need for shotguns and rifles in small towns and rural areas for hunting for food, getting rid of dangerous or destructive animals, and for limited self protection. I grew up in a poor family in a rural area and hunting did really help in supplying protein. I also shot destructive animals, including rattlesnakes, rabid dogs, and animals killing our chickens. Still, I see absolutely no need for private ownership of assault weapons, automatic guns of any sort, semi-automatic guns. or pistols of any sort as those weapons' sole purpose is killing people. I am also totally opposed to either concealed carry law and open-carry laws. So, sir, I disagree with you on getting rid of the 2wnd amendment, but want interpretation of it to be sane and rational -- not what it is today. I am in total agreement with your sentiment of the insane danger of the arming of our society.

Hello guys, well, my friend Shana told me that I should not be so open minded, in telling people ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

I do not believe in deliberately trying to make others feel uncomfortable, unless there is a very valid reason for doing so. However, if asked, you have every right to express your honest opinion. If your answer makes others feel uncomfortable, so be it.

Tonight is Chirstmas Eve and this is my first post on this site.

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

I have been a non-believer for 60 years. In my adult life, I have always celebrated Christmas as a time for he warmth of family, as a time for good will to all, and as a time for sharing -- without any religious trappings at all.

My 17 year old came home from public school the other day.

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

You are absolutely correct!

With the invention of the internet and the advent of big data and crowd sourcing, it’s finally ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

We would come close to what you want if we would outlaw all PACs, all campaign contributions from lobbyists and corporations, and limit private citizen campaign contributions to no more than $100 per person. It would get rid of most of the corruption in government.

I'm an Atheist, but being here alone tonight, my loved ones dead or very far away really sucks.

wordywalt comments on Dec 25, 2017:

Christmas is not a time to be alone. I feel for you.

Do you like rituals, routines, and traditions?

wordywalt comments on Dec 24, 2017:

Not generally. I have always been a bit of an iconoclast.

Well, now that I’m here, I might as well jump into the fray.

wordywalt comments on Dec 24, 2017:

I don't believe that we have the harder path. Instead, I feel that we have the more exciting path, often lit with the joy of discovery. I also believe that we are more realistic and more often correct than the ideologue. We see things as they are, not through the blinders of ideology.

Who believes as i do of aliens visited earth and they were made out to be gods, only because of ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

Just as I see no evidence of any gods, I see no evidence of past alien visitors.

Are atheists a growing population?

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

Yes. The only question is: How rapidly?

For atheists - what makes you believe no deity exists?

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

Although one cannot prove a negative, I see absolutely NO evidence anywhere that a god exists. With the total absence of evidence why should any thinking person believe in gods?

Today,I wish I had an emotion chip like Data.

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

I respond to losing a cat friend just like I do when I lose a human friend. It hurts, and I grieve deeply. But, I pick up and move on. Still, I have vivid memories of my cat and human friends which I call upon frequently with joy. Those memories are among my greatest treasures.

Are atheist as racist as religious people?

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

Racism is not entirely linked with racism. Some atheists and agnostics are still quite racist.

Do you have to pretend to be religious to fit in?

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

No. I am not a charlatan.

I don't believe in God or heaven and hell but I do believe in the supernatural like ghosts and also ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

Sounds like you are trying to hold on to some myths because you somehow find them reassuring.

I got into a discussion a few days ago with a religious person who had said, "everything happens for...

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

It is the religious "true believer's way to trying to cope with the fact that he or she cannot explain what is happening within the context of his bogus religion. It makes him squirm, so he has to say, "only God knows."

The 700 Club is the worst show on television.

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

It reeks with greed and arrogant stupidity.

Where have the nice Atheists & Agnostics gone during the Trump times?

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

If we join hands with other moral and just people across the country, We will make life hell for Trump, his cabal, and the evangelicals. Let us make the whole lot of them damned sorry that they ever started this shit!!

Word Porn: 9 life lessons by Tim Minchin (Funny and Wise)

wordywalt comments on Dec 23, 2017:

BRAVO!! BRAVO!! If only 10.0 of the world could show such wisdom!!

Loss of religion is a medical diagnoses wtf?

wordywalt comments on Dec 22, 2017:

That is hard to believe.

How to explain the Adam and Eve story?

wordywalt comments on Dec 22, 2017:

Simply point out the inconsistency. Create doubt and leave the religious person to deal with it.

Want to share this deep thought-

wordywalt comments on Dec 22, 2017:

True in one sense, false in another. We are the direct result of solar explosions. Nowhere was there a direct intent too create us.

Does religion damage Self-Esteem?

wordywalt comments on Dec 22, 2017:

Yes, in several senses. It creates feelings of guilt and inadequacy. It teaches reliance on external dogma and external authorities, as opposed to self-reliance, critical thinking, and independence of thought and action.

What objective media do you use to get updated on current events?

wordywalt comments on Dec 22, 2017:

NPR and PBS

So,we know how big the Universe is,and,how far away celestial bodies are,what are the chances that ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

Damned small chance.

I liked these descriptions.

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

Good one!

Better to be on your hands and knee's planting food for your neighbour than praying to a stone god ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

Amen, brother!

When Einstein was asked if he believed in god, he said this: "We're to puny to understand the ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

He was right. But, that is no excuse for manufacturing false gods and religions.

Education or Indoctrination?

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

This "new world order" garbage is a contrived pile of totally false crap. Thank the religious right and Republican ideologues for weakening our schools and for trying to keep our population from becoming critical thinkers and good decision-makers.

Too many public schools are very poor.

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

Thank Republican state governors, bureaucrats and legislators for that. In recent years they have decimated public education. As a retired educational leader, I can state with absolute certainty that the 1970s and 1980s were a time in which a major emphasis on improving teaching, learning, and school leadership was making a difference. But Republican politicians have destroyed that movement. The question is why? I genuinely think that they do not want a population truly capable of critical thinking.

Overpopulation

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

Good question. In the 1960s there was a lot of publicity about the ?population bomb? and the need for ZPG (zero population growth). but it died away. How short the human attention span is, and how soon we forget. Overpopulation was a problem and is not the scourge of our planet. It contributes to our greatest problems -- global warming, pollution, wars, stress, ecosystem destruction, et. etc. Evidently most people simply do not want to face that fact.

This is brilliant.

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

That is brilliant! It would tie the anti-gay "Christian" haters in absolute knots!

I always found it strange that the religious would more than likely side with the republicans ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 21, 2017:

The answer is simple" Far too many evangelicals have compromised their integrity, their morality and their religion in a lust for political power to enact their theology into law.

all religion was created by humans to control weak people.

wordywalt comments on Dec 20, 2017:

No. Originally, weak people inflicted religion on themselves. But, once established all religions develop a priestlu caste which is manipulative and controlling.

.

wordywalt comments on Dec 20, 2017:

I agree with your point, but find better descriptors. evangelical agnostic is an oxymoronic phrase.

Who here finds it hard to be liberal when it's apparently racist to hate Islam?

wordywalt comments on Dec 20, 2017:

I don't get your point.

I just want you all to know that I love this site.

wordywalt comments on Dec 20, 2017:

It is not necessarily that we are more intelligent. It is that we are free to think critically, free of dogma, free ti receive data-based information.

I noticed that there are a lot of old people on this site and very few Millennials.

wordywalt comments on Dec 20, 2017:

Maybe it's because us old atheists and agnostics have lived in a world seemingly dominated by religious people longer and learned how to cope with them quietly. Also, I believe that for most people, becoming an agnostic or atheists is a long process involving both unlearning some things and finding a solid basis for not believing.

Advice for the younger generation?

wordywalt comments on Dec 20, 2017:

Losers own problems -- hang on to them forever, beat them to death. Winners seek and create solutions and act on them with vigor.

IS WATERGATE PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION?

wordywalt comments on Dec 20, 2017:

Colson was never known for good reasoning. He still has not learned much.

It was a great year. Looking forward to 2018.

wordywalt comments on Dec 20, 2017:

I am happy for you that you had a good year. To me, under the Trump presidency, this has been the worst year for our country since the Civil War. If 2018 is the year of Trump's impeachment, it will be a great year for our country and people.

This made me laugh.

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

That would pretty well match Trump's version of being a better person.

Why do so many fall victim to irrational thinking?

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

You are partly right: Loud-mouthed irrational people enjoy irritating others and trying to bully them. And, they reinforce each other.

If You Could Create a Law=Legislation, What Would It Be?

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

Shutting down Congress's own special health care provisions, along with provisions stripping away all congressional pension benefits for any congressperson or senator found guilty of or pleading nolo contender to any criminal or sexual harassment charges.

Proselytizing Public School Official: ‘I’ll Stop When Someone Makes Me Stop’ | American Civil ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

Tells you something about Christian zealots: They think their religion takes precedence over law and morality They are dangerous people!

If you were given an opportunity to design a speciality plate for your vehicle, what words might you...

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

Trump-free world

I live in the south in a town that would threaten to string up a non believer, recently they did ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

I would get the hell out of Dodge! Literally, that place is not safe for you -- speaking of both physical safety and mental health. A place that threatening will hurt you, one way or another. I do know what you mean. I grew up in a small southern town-- and want no part of it today.

Since many people rely on churches for socialization, if the religion part was taken out and people ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

Many social structures play a large part in the socialization of children -- families, neighbors and neighborhoods, friends, schools, clubs, activity groups and sports teams, etc. If people need community centers, they will create them. If not, let's not create an artificial social structure.

Christian ‘prophet’ Mark Taylor: ‘Trump will reveal cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s if ...

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

The absolute crap these morally and intellectually bankrupt evangelical charlatans come up with is astounding.

Im not religious by any means but sometimes when Im at a family event they pray.

wordywalt comments on Dec 19, 2017:

If they want to, it is their right. It is not going to sway my disbelief one iota.