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Morality - Objective or Subjective?
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
The establishment of the basis for a moral ode is subjective, but it can establish objective standards. Comparison of a decision or action to an objective standard can and should be as objective as possible. We can never remove all subjectivity.
If you are from the U.S. are we living in the novel "It Can't Happen Here?"
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
Yes, it can happen here. And, unless we stand up to Trump, his cabal, and the morally bankrupt evangelicals backing here, it will happen. We MUST NOT let that happen!!! We need every intelligent, moral, and patriotic American standing up to them and saying, HELL, NO!!
Anyone else think the rapture is bullshit?
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
The entire book of Revelations has no connection with reality or sanity.
Are we all racists?
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
We all have an innate tendency to view someone whom we view as different from us with suspicion. It is an impulse which w.e need to quell
If Bernie was the DNC nominee, does he win the election?
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
In the 2016 election Bernie would have won without a doubt! In the 2020 election, I'm putting my money on Elizabeth Warren
Saw this on Facebook. Thought people here might also appreciate it.
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
Love it!!
Oklahoma Pastor Busted Running White Supremacist Prostitution Ring
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
Just more evidence of the moral rot in evangelical Christianity and in the racist right!
I hear people say the religious books are an accurate account of history.
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
All core books of all religions are a brew of cultural mythology, manufactured justifications for the religion, opinions of the writers, mixed with histiography. On the issue of history. In the absence of videotapes showing events themselves and the things which led to those events, we never have 100 percent accurate history. Rather, what we have is histiography -- someone's interpretation of what occurred. Some depictions are much more accurate than others. Religious depictions are never objective or accurate.
Scientology
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
Hubbard designed his ideology, indoctrination system, and organizational culture to rope people in and keep them under control. Its "success" is no accident.
Do you ever feel lucky or unlucky?
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
Yes, sometimes I feel like I am on a roll, but try (not always successfully) to quit when I am ahead.
Agnostic.
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
I am enjoying the dialogue on this site, as well.
Opelika church receives backlash after posting political message on church sign – WHNT.com
wordywalt comments on Dec 6, 2017:
Every political action by any church or religious group should be challenged in EVERY way!
My lack of understanding for the people of Alabama that are voting in the upcoming election, is ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
a whole segment of the culture in Alabama and in much of the rest of the country is going through a moral crisis. They know that Moore is an immoral and dangerous demagogue. But they have sold out so totally to right wing political ideology and to the demagoguery of their evangelical leaders who want power to impose their religious dogma on us all that they value the immorality of those political and religious dogmas above truth, honor, moral decency, and democracy. And the hell of it is that they know how wrong what they are doing is, but can't stop themselves from doing it. They are sick and making our whole nation sick/
Anyone else have issues with being the black sheep of their family?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
I am sorry that you have experienced that. Every person, including children should be treated with full dignity and respect. I was a black sheep in one sense, but not in another. As an independent adult, I moved away from my family's religious, social, and political beliefs, and my father did not agree or approve. But, my educational and professional accomplishments were sufficient to earn his respect-- by the time he died, I had accomplished far more than he had in his entire life. One of my first cousins and I are the two agnostics/atheists and political liberals in the entire family on both sides. But, we are grudgingly tolerated because we both are caring people and accomplished people.
Do you believe in love.
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Love changes. As a young person it is a combination of physical and sexual attraction, a deep appreciation of the other, a desire to share time and space with the other. As one ages, and if the relationship is real, it shift toward simply appreciating the presence of the other, an appreciation of how the other completes one's own life, of simply being glad to share he same life space and be there for each other. It is not as passionate, but just as deep and real.
Finally.
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
In mid-summer in Florida, I would gladly exchange with you. Having lived in Berlin, Germany, in northern and in Kansas I have often said that one can always put on enough clothes to get warm; but in Florida in the summer, one cannot take off enough clohes to get cool.
Is it a good idea to get romantically involved with a good friend?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Maybe, maybe not. Depends on so many things.
In your experience, do opposites attract?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Attracting and meshing are two different things. If opposite get involved and don't mesh well, it is a disaster. If they learn to complement each other and feel comfortable in doing so, it can work well.
Finally.
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
High 82 degrees today. Low in the high 60s.
CHRISTMAS MUSIC THAT DOESN'T SUCK....
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Big band leader Stan Kenton did some beautiful jazz arrangements of Christmas music which, when he died, he willed to a Methodist church in Wichita, Kansas. I attended a Christmas service the church with a friend over 20 years ago just to hear the arrangements. They were fantastic! The church plays the arrangements with a jazz band during every Christmas season. . Even as an atheist, if you are ever in Wichita during the Christmas season, I would recommend it.
Old question. What's your favorite classic song?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Several: "The Rose" -- Bette Middler; "The Sounds of Silence" -- Simon and Garfunkel And one most of you have never heard of: the 1981 version of "A Scottish Soldier" by Andy Stewart. I had Scottish soldier friends in Berlin at the time. It was a haunting melody without great social merit. If interested. you can find it on YouTube music.
Do you find this site to be addictive? My daughter pinned this photo for me. She must think I do.
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
I would rather spend time on this site than be mindlessly entertained by the boob tube. Unlike much of my life at this stage, this site often challenges me, makes he think, makes me laugh, gives he the sense of intellectual and moral companionship. I would rate anything that accomplishes those things as a worthwhile endeavor -- period!
Bright side of the religions
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
None of those are bright sides to me. 1. To paraphrase Norman Mailer, we humans too often constantly seek pleasure and try everything possible to avoid pain -- going to extremes like opiates and false ideologies to do so. In so doing we cheat the heart out of life. Pain is hard, but it is a part of life and, if we deal with it well -- , it makes life more. 2. We don't need false ideologies which keep people in their comfort zones. We need viewpoints which challenge people and make them think for themselves. 3. The last damned thing in the world we need is an authoritarian, demagogic, self-serving elite telling us what to do. These are NOT "bright sides." They are curses on the human condition!!!
Do you have a BFF=Best Friend Forever?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
I did have a BFF until he became an ultra-religious evangelical and such an extreme right winger on political and economic issues. After 50 years, continuing contact and dialogue became too painful. He was no longer the reasoning, intelligent, and caring person I used to know -- and it hurt to see that.
What would you say is your best quality?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
I think that those who have known me are better qualified to answer that than I am. If they could answer, I would be interested in what they say.
What are the things that have positively impacted your life?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Luck, real friends, the pursuit of knowledge and knowledge itself, art, music, the intense pursuit of worthwhile goals.
Thought these were cute and funny! I dare myself to post these on Facebook!!! LMFAO!!!
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Those are good!
Absence of knowledge is knowledge of absence?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Not a bad play on words.
Oh boy! Politics, I know, are hazardous discussion fodder.
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
The Republican party has lost all claim to morality, patriotism, and legitimacy.
Watch an astrophysicist explain what happened when he secretly infiltrated the Flat Earth Society
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
There is no rational explanation for such chosen ignorance.
Are you more worried about doing things right ,or doing the right things?
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Doing the right things.
::Art Joke:: Through careful studying of the building plans and months of meticulous planning, he...
wordywalt comments on Dec 5, 2017:
Groan... Bad enough to be pretty good.
What is a nickname that your friends and/or family call you or have called you in the past?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
shots or shotgun.
Baptist Pastor Defends Slavery As Beneficial and Biblical
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
If you will look back in previous posts, this one has already been discussed.
Why do I see so many atheists claiming morals, like they feel the need to compete with theists?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
It matters while we are here. I am responsible for my actions and decisions, and for the consequences thereof. So are you responsible for yours. Your approach says that, since nothing matters, we can do anything we want, no matter what damage it does. I can't and WILL NOT buy that.
Liz Crokin: Trump Is 'God's Anointed' And 'Never Wrong' | Right Wing Watch
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
What a blithering idiot! this Crokin is!
Political Blindness
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
You are right. The Republican party has entirely lost its moral core and legitimacy and it is amazing and appalling that so many people have bought their crap. But, I am actually somewhat heartened. The actions of the Republicans in the past couple of years has gotten so bad that more and more people can't sto0mach their treachery , fraud, and greed.
Do Governments do more harm than Good?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
Your view is jaundiced. You lump all governments in one basket of bad eggs. Governments can do a huge amount of harm but can also do a great deal of things which enable our freedom and well-being of us and our environment. It is up to us to act strongly and consistently to make sure that our government is one which truly serves all of our people. You can't sit on the s9delines and carp. If you do, you are enabling bad government.
Anyone here live an agrarian existence?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
Depends on how you define your terms. I grew up in a rural village of 200 + people. I Could step over our side fence and be in a corn field. As a teenager, I worked many days on farms in the Florida sun and heat for far less than the minimum wage.
What do you do when you get bad news?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
Stay in contact with family who are there wit them. When they are able to talk, tell them your feelings.
Why isn't trump being called out for the treasonous, racist pig that he is?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
All legitimate media, Democrats, and ALL rational and moral people ARE being vocal about what a narcissistic, egomaniacal, morally bankrupt, lying, misogynist, and racist sociopath Trump is. The problem is that the irrational right, the evangelical Christian leadership, and most of the Republican party are not. Those segments of our population are rapidly losing any claim to having a moral core.
Read this poem if you are NOT a Racist, an Islamophobe, a Bigot or a Colonizer.
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
NATO, under American leadership, has made too many damnable mistakes. But,. it has also done good. In the late 1940s and 1950s, the USSR threatened to sweep through all of Europe and form a huge communist tyranny. NATO, including the US prevented that. I was in Berlin in 1950-62 when Kruschev threated often to attack Berlin and take it over. I was there when the Berlin Wall was built. I saw -- first hand -- the plight of the East German people under Russian domination. The streets of East Berlin were full of East German and Russian soldiers armed with submachine guns. He one smiled. No one talked on the streets. The air hung heavy almost complete oppression. NATO kept the same from happening in West Berlin and the rest of western Europe. We need to control our institutions and acknowledge their mistakes. But, we must also thank those institutions for their successes.
Does anyone know of any research on the correlation between intelligence and depression?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
I doubt that there is any substantial research on a relationship between depression and intelligence. Depression is primarily a matter of dysfunctional brain chemistry. Thoughts, stresses miserable physical circumstances, and catastrophes can help to bring on and sustain those imbalances.. Having been severely depressed at least twice in my life, I know what brought it on and how I got out of it -- once by lasting it out, and the other by deliberate action.
What is Islamophobia?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
Islamophobia is fear of the other one does not understand. It is a form of hatred of others based in extreme fundamentalistic religious beliefs because one sees any other religion as a threat. It is a desire to feel better or superior to someone else. It is a terrible and powerful tool which the most morally bankrupt of politicians and clerics use to whip up hatred and fear. .It is detestable ethnocentrism.
I believe we are coming into a time when the truth about many organized religions and the lies ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
I deeply hope that you are right. You are correct in pointing out that those "true believers" who have committed their entire being to their religious ideology will be shattered. The disillusionment will leave them with virtually nothing in terms of defining who they are. It will be frightening to be so empty, so alone. But, that is the existentialist dilemma: If we are to be free to define ourselves, we must face the fact that each of us is essentially alone in the universe; that no one totally understands us for who and what we are. Once we do that, we are free to form out own patterns of meaning, our own definition of self, our own values and beliefs, our own linkages with others. It will be hard for the disillusioned, bu "coming out the other side." will be exhilarating!
[youtu.be] Anyone else see this gem?
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
It is astounding that ANYONE can be suckered in by these greedy, lying vultures!
Trump and Russia: 'If he had to cheat to get in, I'm OK with that' - YouTube
wordywalt comments on Dec 4, 2017:
The combination of chosen willful ignorance and of chosen immorality is saddening and frightening.
What do you think about Reality Shows on Television? How do you think they impact our culture?
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
I donot watch reality shows. They have no substance. I think they are contributing to the "dumbingh down" and coarsening of our culture.
I'd like to hear some sound arguments in favor of universla healthcare and free education.
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
Two facts: 1. the USA is the only industrialized nation in the entire world that does not show enough concern for the well-being of its people to provide universal healthcare. All the resty do it. We can and should, as well. 2. Research shows that investment in the GI Bill at the end of World War II resulted in at least a 40.0 percent growth in our nation's productivity. Full investment in the education of ALL people who want more knowledge and skills WILL inevitably result in higher prosperity and economic growth. And one who says otherwise is either lying or ignorant.
As atheists, what do you think about this quote "This is not Christianity.
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
Superbly stated and totally accurate.
This showed up on my FB. Seems to say it all about today's society. Anyone have thoughts?
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
Depiocts accurately what the Trump machine is doing to our culture.
This is a bit of a rant-y, vent-y post, which after my wonderful “found a new friend” post ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
First, I am deeply saddened by the effects of the tax bill on you. I think that the Republican bill was unconscionable, victimizes many people, and is to be condemned. One would think that they are actively discouraging the pursuit of education. That growing gulf between you and your mother has to hurt. I would wish for you that she could have the decency to stop harassing you with her beliefs -- especially at a time of crisis for you. The statements and actions of your father are deliberately hurtful and unconscionable. It would be very difficult and painful to do, but you may need to say to both of them: "I love you both, but as of today, you MUST treat me -- your daughter -- with the full dignity and respect that I deserve as a human being. Otherwise, I will have to sever our relationship." Oh, I feel for you on both issues!!!
Being new to this forum, I've been lead to see myself as a freethinking agnostic atheist.
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
It might be better to deal with each of these premises one at a time. \Sixteen at once is whole bunch to try to attend to.
Van Gogh or Picasso
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
Neither. Try Andrew Wyeth.
How trump use people's single issue positions to become the president against their own best ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
We absolutely must rid ourselves of the entire rotten lot! With the backing of Trump, sexual predators like More. the attempts to dismantle health care, and the passage of a tax bill helping only an oligarchy, and obstruction of any constructive action for our people, etc. etc. et. -- the Republican Party has lost all claim to morality, legitimacy, or patriotism. We MUST sweep the entire damnable lot out of office.
"In this world, there are no sides.
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
I like Spader as an actor and enjoyed some of the early Blacklist shows. However, I have a it of a problem with a show glorifying an admittedly amoral character. The Trump administration exemplifies the institutionalization of amorality.
Do you think it is possible to make people alive after they die ? Should we do that, if possible ?
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
No, it is not possible.
What is your favorite color and why?
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
Blue. I see it as cool and peaceful.
Who stayed atheist?
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
To me, an atheism is one who knows about religion and has consciously rejected it. What you are describing is the absence of belief simply because one has had no experience -- either way -- with it. They are NOT the same.
Atheism Does't Excuse Intolerance I have seen racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, anti-semitism etc.
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
I agree wholeheartedly with you that we should all reject racism, ethnocentrism, racial superiority or any such thing -- and fight against it with vigor. But, I will always retain the right -- and obligation -- to criticize any culture -- including my own -- when there is evidence that the culture is destructive to human dignity and well-being.
Isn't the idea about the rapture silly?
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
It is not just silly. It is sheer lunacy! Anyone with half a mind who has ever read Revelations has to feel that the entire book was written by a demented lunatic.
Who believes as i do of aliens visited earth and they were made out to be gods, only because of ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 3, 2017:
I consider it remotely possible, but unproven.
Today I was getting my hair-did at the hair salon.
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
Glad you shared. It is always rewarding to find someone who really understands a part of you by sheer coincidence!
Is anyone else into genealogy or DNA testing?
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
Yes. I have used Ancestry.com and its DNA service 23andme. I have been able to trace my lineage on my mother's side back to Switzerland in the 1400s, and my father's side back to coming into this country as German immigrants arriving in this country around 1750. The DNA analysis was also revealing in two senses. First it showed I am mostly from European lineage -- mainly Germanic English, and Scotch-Irish -- but also with 3 percent Neanderthal, 1.0 percent Scandinavian, 1.0 percent southern European (probably Spanish), and traces of Bantu (African), and American Indian (either Pima or Aztec) From the percentages I believe that I had a Spanish ancestor in Mexico in the 1500s who had a child with an Aztec, and that line shortly afterward shifted to Jamaica to include ancestor from a Black slave. In addition, the hereditary medical info is priceless.
Paul Piff: Does money make you mean? | TED Talk
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
Back in the 1970s, when I was teaching a class of teaching methods for teaching social studies, I ysed a simulation called "Starpower" -- a simulation disguised as a game. In the simulation players were to trade tokens among other games, but the game was stacked in favor of one group from the very beginning. As the game went on, they accumulated more "wealth" their behavior became for domineering. When given the opportunity to change he rules, the group given the advantage always changed the rules to increase their advantage and control -- just like the Republicans in Congress are doing today. Each time the game was played with a different group new to the game, the behaviors of both privileged and disadvantaged changed depending on what transpired. It was a fantastic teaching tool. If you can find the simulation today, buy it convent a group of 8 - 10 people, play the game and watch what happens. Again, the name was Starpower."
Sweden have started providing everyone, working or not with a living wage, it is amazing the ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
Interesting. Would like to follow the results over time.
What do you embrace most about being an Atheist?
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
Freedom from irrational fear and from dogma.
Two percent of our gene pool is from neanderthals.
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
the Ancestry. com 23andme shows that I am 3.0 percent Neanderthal.
Consent is the locus of justice.
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
Damned well stated!!
Lets say It was NOW the year 2060.
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
I would choose to leave the country.
Baptist Pastor Defends Slavery As Beneficial and Biblical
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
I am not surprised. The Southern Baptist Convention began as a breakaway sect from the larger Baptist Church in 1860 -- specifically to openly endorse both slavery and the Confederacy. IN other words it chose to debase its own theology to comingle politics and religion in support of slavery. It supported racism and segregation through the early 1960s. Even today, it allows congregations that are predominately racist (not all are) to select their chosen racist pastors. The Southern Baptist Convention exercises virtually no control over immoral ideologies among its pastors. In other words, it allows and condones racism.
What religion were you originally steeped in? I was raised Mormon.
wordywalt comments on Dec 2, 2017:
Methodist.
Are you Left handed, Right handed or Ambidextrous?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
I once was in a graduate level seminar in political theory in which the majority of the group was left-handed. I often wondered if that said something about the personality of lefties that drew them to the topic.
What do you think of people that see Jesus' face in Cheetos, toast and other things?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Either emotionally desperate people or frauds seeking recognition, or both.
Trump Cabinet Bible Study Leader Plans To ‘Christianize’ Government Officials
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
What sheer, intellectually and morally corrupt lunacy on both sides -- the Trump cabal and the evangelical demagogues seeking power.
Do people use you and ask you for money?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
We can't help everybody. so we have to make choices. When I was young, I was an easy mark, but I learned to say, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you." That is hard to do, but sometimes we need to think of ourselves first.
Seasons: How does the effect of the seasons, due to the earth tilting or ‘wobbling’ affect your ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
What affects me most are temperature and humidity. I love all seasons except summer. But, when I lived in a northern climate, su7mmers were also good -- especially in Berlin, where conversing with friends over a good beer or bottle of white wine midsummer daylight lasted from 2:20 AN to 10:30 PM It was great sitting at a sidewalk restaurant in full daylight until after 10 PM.
What is your favorite show?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
NOVA on PBS.
I don't believe in Islam as much as I don't believe in christianity, but demonizing Arabs and ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Demonizing any person because of ethnicity and/or religion is totally immoral!
Are you Left handed, Right handed or Ambidextrous?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Have always been left handed, except when I played golf and when I batted in baseball and softball
New to this site.Took me a week to get the courage to post.
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Go at your own pace. Ralk about the things you feel comfortable talking about or which you feel comfortable in revealing. Ask questions, Post ideas if you feel like it. Welcome.
Do you support Trumps retweeting the videos of Radical Islamic Extremism?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Hell, no. Those videos were distributed by a vicious, right wing hate group in Great Britain . No person with any sense or morality would have done what Trump did.
Would you rather face Radical Islamic Extremism or Radical Domestic Extremism?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Both are despicable and a real threat to human dignity and well-being.
In this day and age, why is lethal force necessary at all?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
In most cases it is not. But, there are still times when the person or group is actively trying to kill or maim and must be stopped by any means possible.
Is global warming real?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Of course, it is real. There is no real question. The only people denying it are the greedy and the ignorant.
Should law enforcement be allowed to access cell phone records?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Cell phone records should be available to law enforcement. However, if law enforcement uses it for any purpose than investigation of a known or suspected crime. But, any other use of cell phone records by law enforcerment should be a serious felony for the officers perpetrating that offense.
How would you end racism in the US?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
I am not sure we can ever completely eliminate ethnocentrism and racism in the US or in any country. It exists everywhere. What we can do is to develop and enforce the laws, practices, norms, and structures which actively discourage it.
What do you think about the "trickle down" theory?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
pure hogwash peddled by the culture of greed and its supporters. ANY politician peddling that tripe has little character and it not to be trusted.
When does nationalism become dangerous?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
1.. when it fails to respect the dignity, rights, and well-being of another culture, nationality, or country and its people. 2. When it becomes my nation first and to hell with the rest. (like Trump) 3. when it takes the stance: "My country, right or wrong.."
Patriotism vs Pacifism ...Thoughts ?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
It is not either or. A true patriot chooses to avoid conflict if at all possible within he bounds of morality and concern for human dignity and bell-being. Sometimes truly evil actions, ideologies, and men force moral people to defend ourselves and others from deliberate attempts to hurt and.or control us.
Do you think those of us without faith can ever have fulfilling romatic relationships with those of ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Yes. It requires that you both respect each other's right to believe as you choose and make no conversion attempts or disparaging remarks to the other about his or her beliefs. My wife and I have done it for 23 years.
DEATH Someone just posted about dealing with another's death. How about your own?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
As an 80 year old, I would suggest that you allow yourself to live every minute of every day to the fullest extent -- not in the sense of cramming things in, but in the sense of a connoisseur of fine brandy would snift the aroma and savor the bouquet. Appreciate the little things for what they are while you still can. Form and carry out short term goals which bring pleasure and quality to your life. For me, I grow, harvest, eat, and share the fruits of a vegetable garden 3 times a year. I
Anyone else feeling like we are the last group totally discriminated against?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
No, I don't feel like the last group totally discriminated against. Religious zealots, white supremacists, and reactionary political demagogues don't like ANYBODY who disagrees with them!
THAT'S NOT FAIR I just read another article about a mother that is trying to sue because her ...
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
The first case says everything about the parent (negative), not the system. The second: I think all kids should get a certificate of participation, not a trophy.
What do you all make of kneeling for the anthem?
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
As a patriot and as a veteran, I consider it a respectful response.
Your thoughts on hunting .
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
For people with limited income who need it, hunting is a legitimate means of securing needed protein. I disapprove of trophy hunting and hunting just for sport. The biggest problems are twofold: (1) hunters who will kill everything they can, as in the case of h passenger pigeon, and (2) human overpopulation consuming more wild game than can replenish itself. In short, we have too damned many people consuming too many resources, and too many of them are rapacious.
It seems to me that religious belief is largely a part of the human psyche.
wordywalt comments on Dec 1, 2017:
Fear of the unknown, deep dissatisfaction with being unable to control the world impinging on oneself, dislike of the feeling of not being able to understand and control things and events are all part of the human psyche. Religion is not. Rather, it is a dysfunctional response to these feelings which actually prevents a productive response. You are a more independent thinker who has manage to free himself from being a true believer in a false dogma.
Who scares you more - Donald Trump or Mike Pence?
wordywalt comments on Nov 30, 2017:
Trump. He is a stupid, egomaniacal sociopath whose mental health is about gone.
Depression from Nihilism
wordywalt comments on Nov 30, 2017:
Depression does not come from nihilism, but comes from chemical imbalances in the brain. Yes, stress can create the imbalances. Essentially, there are two ways of breaking our of the depression. The first is taking antidepressants, but that alone will not work. You will still need to make yourself get physically active and DO SOMWTHING! The second way is to put yourself into a situation which will force you to feel powerful emotions. As an extreme ex ample, in some treatment centers, people suffering with depression have been given toothbrushes and told to the floor. It doesn't take long before one doing so gets so angry that he blows his or her top. That "blowing the top" is a first step out. I've suffered real depression at least two times in my life.
Science proving there is a god
wordywalt comments on Nov 30, 2017:
I don't respond to absurd questions.