The Boss’s Office

Welcome to the Schadenfreude.  I am your host, Vel.  This is my place, where my opinion reigns and where the bouncers will show you the door if you intend on being a jerk(defined as not participating in discussion, trying to make others do your work for you by only posting links rather than what you think is valid about the link, doing the equivalent of throwing shit at a wall and hoping some of it sticks by posting links and having no idea what is on them, lying and making baseless insults when you have nothing else, among other things. I have no problem in banning people and ridiculing them for the idiots they are. I also have no problem in posting the email addresses and names of people to make them responsible for their comments.)

No time for navel gazing here.  The bartender will light your cigarette, give you a bourbon on the house, lend you a gat if you need it and laugh at your problems.

If you want to know your host, feast your eyes.  I’ve been with the same mate for 30+ years. I love cats, especially snow leopards; lovely predators, even my various felis domesticus.  I am an atheist, one of the “new” variety who are not pussyfooting around religion and probably have my iconoclasm hardwired in me from watching James T. Kirk karate chop gods.  I am smart, likely know something about just about anything and I don’t tolerate willful ignorance.  I find sympathy easy to have but essentially worthless. I dislike most humans but have great hope for humanity. I take great pride in being able to do for myself. And I’m married to the perfect man, who is an awful lot like me.  I love two-fisted heros and spend most of my time reading about them.  If not reading, I’m a fine cook, brewer and a decent seamstress. Dieselpunk is my thing, when it comes to style.

I also get a great amount of pleasure and satisfaction from those who suffer from their own willful ignorance, greed, bigotry, selfishness or arrogance.  Hence, Schadenfreude. Unfortunately, they tend to make the rest of us suffer too.  I do take great amusement in allowing people to post their  hateful screeds here.  Please understand, folks, that any blog owner can see the email address that comments come from.  You aren’t anonymous as you think you are.

If you are curious on how I became an atheist, you can read my “origin story” (alas no superpowers): atheist testimony 

I’m in my mid-50s as of 2020 if that helps figure out how old the testimony is.

Anyone can email me at velkyn at Comcast dot net and you’ll see me knocking around the internet as jane r@venswood If you are stupid enough to add me to nasty email lists, well, then we’ll have you as a blog post subject and show just what such people try to do.

102 thoughts on “The Boss’s Office”

  1. Already missing your posts over at WWGHA , Vel 😦

    *omitted last few letters on purpose since you introduced yourself as Vel over here *
    Take care and enjoy life

    Best regards

    JL

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  4. Damn reading this is like looking in a mirror! (except for the part about being married to a man :)) Very glad i found your blog today.

    If you can believe it (it took me a while to grasp it), I’ve seen a snow leopard in the wild. It was in far western Nepal, RaRa Lake. I knew they were around. I knew they inhabited the area and so for weeks i would just walk about taking this path and that path, making new paths, climbing, descending… looking, hoping. A day before i was due to walk out there was a rustle in the grasses along the path i was meandering down, and BOOM! Out he popped, 10 meters away. Not sure if he was more surprised or i was. What i do know is four sets of eyebrows nearly leapt off two foreheads, and there we remained, frozen, staring at each other. Quite the happy event. Remember it like it was yesterday.

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    1. Hi John, You’ve done a great job at showing how pathetic someone can be. I am not homosexual, but I would not be sad if I were.

      What a sad little man you are. I am quite happy that people like you comment on my blog because that reminds all of us that people like you still exist.

      Nice to see you are such a coward

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      1. Hahhaahhhh. Well, LIL, “he” called himself John. Sure seems like a male name. I accept that “he” wants to be called John. No reason to think that the poor thing is either male or female. Calling him a man is actually giving him too much credit.

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      2. My comment was actually towards “John.” I actually agree with you, “calling him a man is actually giving him too much credit” indeed.

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  11. Hi Vel –

    I like the way you think. Also, to establish a (very weak!) connection, I’ve seen an Eastern Cougar in the wild. (I live in Nova Scotia, Canada) 🙂

    Thought I’d touch base with you. Oh, and love the idea of publishing the addresses of the asshats who comment; I’ve found that the more outrageous they are, the more likely they’re hiding behind an anonymous identity.

    Cheers!

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    1. Hello Carmen!

      Thanks for the comment. I’ve love to see a wild cougar, only have seen then in the zoo. Nova Scotia looks gorgeous, though a bit cold 🙂

      I’m quite amused to point out twits when they want to try to hide their identities.

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    1. hello my favorite commenter on our mutual forum. I am so happy to see you here! Let me know how things are going as you can. and I am an accidental redneck too. My spouse deals with his familial idiots. I think mine are afraid of their plaid sheep.

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  18. OMThor! I’m late … so very late! Just discovered your blog. I’ve seen your comments over and again, but never clicked on your link. Shame, shame on me!

    I shall be a regular visitor now as I’ve added you to my rather loooong list of blogs to follow. 🙂

    P.S. What made me finally click on your link was related to the (rather lengthy) discussion you were having with “Joe” at True and Reasonable (a misnomer for sure).

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    1. hah, “lengthy” what a kind way to refer to my monster posts 🙂 It’s a shame that Joe doesn’t seem to want to discuss things, but I do appreciate him allowing my posts to remain up.

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  20. Thank you for reading the blog and commenting. Life and ministry are extremely busy with so many people needing help and encouragement – some who are atheists or from other religions seeking information, comfort and hope. Those who are unbiased can read many insightful articles by apologists and creationist scientists such as Dr. Damadian who invented the MRI (a personal friend) and others who initially had hostility but eventually gave their lives to Jesus Christ. I would love to meet with you face to face for an hour or so at the ministry center to share some of the miracles this God has done. I am in the process of compiling a book entitled The Impossible that documents some of these many miraculous “coincidences” of God in my life. I would also like to hear you personally share your convincing evidence for the non-existence of God. Looking forward to meeting you. Bill

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    1. no reason to believe your claims, brm. You aren’t “extremely busy” at all. And your attempt at lying about people who are “unbiased” fails immediately. Apologists and creationists fail since they have no evidence for their claims. I have no problem in calling bullshit on your claim about Dr. Damadian inventing the MRI. funny how this person isn’t mentioned once here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_resonance_imaging it seemsm that a Christian yet again decides to lie. quite the lies about Damadian. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Damadian#Creationism poor Damadian, has no evidence for young earth creationism. Christians dont’ agree on young earth or old earth since none of them have any evidence for their claims. poor little fellow “I would have gotten there…eventually.” No evidence for that either. What a sad little man.

      I know that JC has done no miracles. But you can have a miracle done at the Lebanon VA center. Do have all of the vets who are stuck there suddenly healed. Please do show these miracles that did happen.

      one more selfish Christian who wants to claim “miraculous coincidences” but can’t explain how a benevolent all-powerful god can’t keep children from dying. But can have Bill find his keys.

      No evidence of any Christian being able to heal as per Mark 16, John 14 and James 5. Do tell us why no Christian can heal the current virus and why Christians die of it.

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    2. Bill,

      there is no evidence of the two versions of the creation myth. Do tell us which one is the right one. There is no evidence of the magic flood. Do tell me when it happened and what evidence you have for it. I have plenty of evidence that no flood happened, just the regular geological events, where deposits are laid and then folded over time. I would like to see you fold mud.

      When did the exodus happen? Why is it that no one noticed that egypt lost its entire army and its entire food sources? Why didn’t Egypt’s enemies attack? Why do records show that no magical nonsense happened but just the regular events of a civilization? Why did no one notice a major earthquake, the sky darkening and the dead wandering around Roman occupied Jerusalem on a Passover? You’d think that Caiaphas would have been told.

      Why is there no evidence for a man/god made a blood sacrifice by its god during any time? And why does no one notice a guy wandering around with a Roman legion’s worth of men, plus women and children, wandering around Palestine during any time in the past?

      Now we have Christians claiming that the bible is true. But no baptized believer in Christ as savior can heal anyone as Jesus Christ promised. Why is that, Bill? Why can’t you?

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      1. Hi Vel, I watched an interesting documentary tonight. “Pattern’s of Evidence, The Exodus” by Tim Mahoney. He shows archeological evidence of Joseph in Egypt, evidence of a group of Shepard’s who were treated very well by the Egyptian government, evidence that they became slaves and evidence that great calamity hit Egypt resulting in the conquering by the Hyksos. Tim interviews Dave Rohl an agnostic archeologist who claims that many Egyptian scholars have the time line wrong and if it were corrected there is abundant evidence for Israel in Egypt and an Exodus that match the Biblical story. Have you seen the documentary and if so what do you think? Thank-you. Jon

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      2. Hi jon,

        I’ve watched Patterns of Evidence. The claims of that movie are full of false claims and misrepresentation of actual archaeology. It is a great example on how Christians are desperate to pretend that they have evidence for their beliefs and that they are willing to deceive themselves and others to create it. I know it is hard to believe that Christians will lie to you, but they do and often.

        You say this “ “Pattern’s of Evidence, The Exodus” by Tim Mahoney. He shows archeological evidence of Joseph in Egypt, evidence of a group of Shepard’s who were treated very well by the Egyptian government, evidence that they became slaves and evidence that great calamity hit Egypt resulting in the conquering by the Hyksos. Tim interviews Dave Rohl an agnostic archeologist who claims that many Egyptian scholars have the time line wrong and if it were corrected there is abundant evidence for Israel in Egypt and an Exodus that match the Biblical story. Have you seen the documentary and if so what do you think? Thank-you. Jon”

        Let’s take a look at the parts that seem to have impressed you.

        “Shepherds who were treated very well by the Egyptian government”

        Ancient Egypt was a cosmopolitan nation. They traded with other groups including Canaanites aka Israelites ( the bible claims of genocide are false: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/ancient-dna-reveals-fate-mysterious-canaanites) We have no evidence that there was a Joseph who was in a very high position in any Egyptian reign, and no evidence of a famine and a storing of multiple years worth of grain. We also have that during the dates that the movie wants to claim as true, entirely different things were happening in Egypt and again, no one noticed the exodus, just like no one noticed a 28,000+ foot deep flood at some other date made up by Christians.

        “evidence that they became slaves”

        No evidence for this at all at any time during any Egyptian reign. There is also no evidence of 600,000 men, plus their families and animals (slaves having animals?) leaving Egypt at any time and wandering around an area half the size of Pennsylvania for 4 decades, an area that was already occupied. No one noticed them, not one latrine or trash pit full of quail bones have been found, not one grave.
        “evidence that great calamity hit Egypt resulting in the conquering by the Hyksos”

        Again, no evidence of ten very specific plagues. All we have is the attempt by Christians to lie and try to claim that one catastrophe was equivalent to ten, with no description of those ten plagues. We also have none of Egypt’s enemies noticing that all of Egypt’s army was destroyed, and evidence that the army was still around, and none of Egypt’s enemies noticing that Egypt lost all of its food supplies *and* all of its water supplies. Humans can only live about a week in a temperate environment without water. Egypt is not temperate: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-long-can-the-average/

        “Dave Rohl an agnostic archeologist who claims that many Egyptian scholars have the time line wrong”
        Rohl got his baseless claims from Immanuel Velikovsky, who was quite a loon with other ridiculous claims. Rohl has a BA in Egyptian studies and went no further. Rohl also claims he is an agnostic but he says he believes that the events in Exodus literally happened, so he literally believes in the god they speak about. He is no agnostic at all, but it sure makes a better story if a Christian can lie about the provenance of his information.

        They both try to find a place in Egyptian history that they can try to claim fits somewhat with the bible stories, and then try to change the time line to make it fit with the bible claims. That isn’t how research works. We also have many other claims of the “real” date, and unsurprisingly, they have no more, or less evidence, than Rohl. Since they have no evidence for their nonsense, no reason to believe them and plenty of reason to believe in the standard timeline that has evidence supporting it. Rohl also tries the “local flood” excuse for the Noah flood, and that the bible is simply wrong with its claims. Do you find that to be believable too? Rohl is such a classic cherry picker and outright liar. There is a good review of Rohl’s false claims and misrepresentations in his supposed research here: https://www.debunking-christianity.com/2016/01/patterns-of-poor-research-critique-of.html
        The attempts by “alternate history” advocates depends on lots of acrobatics, attempts to baselessly claim that different names are used for the same people to try to shoehorn in myths, attempts to claim that different cities are called different thigs, etc. We also have theists trying to claim that the reason that there is no mention of the ten plagues is that Egypt didn’t record their failures, but then these same people try to point to the Ipuwer Papyrus where Egypt does record its calamities, and tries to claim that the events in that papyrus are “really” the ten plagues, when none of those are mentioned. We have a mention of blood but that is nothing more than a mention of death happening, and the dead being cast in the Nile. That’s it. No frogs, no rain of fire, no loss of all the first born, etc.

        I would ask you to read this, including considering the sources cited by the articles and following those links, and learn why archaeologists don’t believe the false claims of those attempting to claim that the bible is true. https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Evidence_for_the_Exodus and https://thesuperstitiousnakedape.wordpress.com/2016/06/26/kadesh-barnea-gaza-the-exodus/

        When we have absence of evidence that the exodus happened and we have evidence that Egypt went about its usual existence like any other civilization, there is no reason to believe the bible’s stories and the god described in them.

        please come back after reading these sources and let me know what you think.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Hi Vel,

        If I understand correctly, one of your arguments against becoming a Christian is because Paul supported slavery.

        I would argue that Paul was fighting slavery nonviolently. He was using subversive tactics similar to those recommended by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus spoke out against unjust power and showed us how to fight it: See my post: 10/18/2020 “SERMON OF SUBVERSION: SERMON ON THE MOUNT”. on https://nonviolentchristians.wordpress.com/.

        I was not writing specifically about slavery in that post, but the principals are the same. If you don’t have time to read the entire post, you could scroll down to the paragraph “The Subversive Sermon.”

        Slavery is a very real problem today.

        I attend the Salvation Army church. The Salvation Army is taking action to fight slavery: See my 9/27/2020 post: Human Trafficking.

        I agree that slavery is a grave injustice that we all must fight against. If I were to become an atheist, how would I be better equipped to fight slavery today?

        Jon

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      5. The Salvation Army is no more than a sect of Christianity that tries to control what its members do, including choosing a partner. It’s quite a lovely cult, just like every other sect. They may stand against human trafficking but they ignore their bible to do it, just like every abolitionist did.

        Slavery is indeed a very real problem today. And your god does absolutely nothing at all about it.

        Paul supported slavery, he did not stand against it. He never said, slaves get your freedom, either non-violently or violently. He, and whomever wrote the nonsense in the Petrine letters have no problem at all with slavery, just like Jesus didn’t and your god didn’t. Paul used no subversive tactics at all. And Jesus didn’t speak out against unjust power, he just promised an afterlife. The Sermon on the Mount is a classic in how to convince people to not rebel at all. “10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

        jesus never once says slavery is wrong. He never tells the Roman centurion to let his slave go. In fact, he compares your god to a slaver and humans to slaves: “23 ‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents[i] was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” 29 Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’”

        Your god is an evil creature. I’m quite happy to know that it doesn’t exist at all. Torture is evil, no matter who or what does it.

        this goes well with this nonsense “18 Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. 19 For it is to your credit if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, where is the credit in that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.22 ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’23 When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”

        this is a great thing to tell people in an empire that has slaves. Don’t question, don’t care about your freedom, do what you are told. The Romans couldn’t have made up a better thing themselves.

        as for Christianity being non violent, that’s quite a lie considering how your supposed messiah says to kill everyone who doesn’t agree with it and then proceeds to do so in that sadistic fantasy called Revelation.

        If you were an atheist, nothing would make you better at fighting slavery today. Atheism is, yet again, nothing more than having no belief in a god or gods. Atheists can have all sorts of worldviews. Now, if you were simply a humane human being, you would not lie and tell people some god will save them and they should remain where they are. Paul did and that is vicious and lazy. Do you agree with Paul and whomever wrote the Petrine letters, Jon? Should everyone not question being a slave?

        That’s a simple question. I am going to guess you’ll not answer it since it puts you in a problematic position, supporting that no human should ever question his position as long as you can prate that it is god’s will.

        Now, as a mostly Epicurean, I have plenty of reason to be against slavery, ” The school rejected determinism and advocated hedonism (pleasure as the highest good), but of a restrained kind: mental pleasure was regarded more highly than physical, and the ultimate pleasure was held to be freedom from anxiety and mental pain, especially that arising from needless fear of death and of the gods.”

        You have no reason at all to be against slavery per your religion. Happily, you seem to have no problem in ignoring your religion as it is convenient for you.

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      7. Christianity holds women in contempt and advocates for slavery.

        “11 Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. 12 I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.” 1 Timothy 2

        “18 Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. 19 For it is to your credit if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, where is the credit in that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval.” 1 Peter 2

        Paul didn’t change Rome at all. Constantine changed it a couple of hundred years later.

        Why do you choose to try to lie to me about history, Jon?

        You are simply lying again, Jon, trying to pretend your bible says what it does not.

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      8. I am curious about your epicureanism. It seems a little strange that a woman would be almost an epicurean? At what point do you advocate that you stop taking advantage of other people? in my understanding of Greek culture, an epicurean would have found it totally acceptable to take many slave women for sexual purposes and kill them and his children as he saw fit to support his hedonism.

        Do you think it is acceptable for a country to use their great military to conquer other cultures and take their land and their oil to support a hedonistic lifestyle for all that countries people?

        What is the basis of your morality and ethics?

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      9. Why would it be strange that I would be a woman and have the worldview that pleasure is important, that being moderate is important and that gods aren’t important at all? Oh, it’s because you haven’t a clue what Epicureanism is. you have to invent a strawman about it. This is a good article about Epicureanism, which shows you to be lying. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism

        It’s hilarious to see you just making up shit like this “in my understanding of Greek culture, an epicurean would have found it totally acceptable to take many slave women for sexual purposes and kill them and his children as he saw fit to support his hedonism.” You have no understandin of Greek culture at all. and you are too stupid to realize that Epicureanism is only mostly followed by me.

        It’s grand to see you try to change the subject from your failure. It is not acceptable for a military power to conquer other cultures and take their land and oil. So I work to change the US.

        And again, you try to lie and claim your morality and ethics are from a god and that they are somehow objective. Funny how Christians can’t agree on what morality or ethics their god wants, and can’t show that their particular version is the right one.

        My basis for my morality and ethics are empathy, and enlightened self-interest and other humans. No god or Jon needed. I’m happy to have morality that is subjective and can change, getting better. I am not stuck with the morals and ignorance of people a couple of thousand years ago who had no problem with a god that kills children for no fault of their own, who has no problem with genocide, who has no problem of slavery, etc.

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      10. Perhaps you are saying that a woman could be an epicurean in Greek culture, even if her society was taking advantage of her because she has a free in her mind? Perhaps something like a Christian being free in the face of persecution in first century Rome. If you do not believe in a afterlife, your freedom would be temporary? A first century Christian would see her freedom as eternal?

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      11. exactly what is a “free in her mind”?

        no, I’m not saying whatever nonsense you’ve made up. You certainly wrote a lot of incoherent nonsense. This is meaningless “Perhaps you are saying that a woman could be an epicurean in Greek culture, even if her society was taking advantage of her because she has a free in her mind? Perhaps something like a Christian being free in the face of persecution in first century Rome. If you do not believe in a afterlife, your freedom would be temporary? A first century Christian would see her freedom as eternal?” you seem to have no idea on how to write a sentence.

        I have no free will. Humans have the illusion of it since we don’t know what exactly influences us. So we act like free will. If you are dead, you have no freedom period. You are simply dead. Christians might believe that they have free will (you all don’t agree on that) but that doesn’t make her belief true at all.

        and do tell which creation story in genesis is the real one, if any.

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  22. Article concerning DNA. At the time the events in the Old Testament took place Those who wrote a history of wars exaggerated. This included the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cities that Joshua claimed to destroy were destroyed at the time the Bible claims. Mahoney claims that Joshua destroyed military outposts and exaggerated the destruction of every man woman and child. I would agree with Mahoney. King David fought many of the same Canaanite groups and made the same exaggerated claims. If we assume Rohl is right in his timeline of history, then the archeological evidence of these cities aligns with the story of Joshua. Therefor that article about DNA does not call into question Mahoney’s assertions.

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    1. Article about water. If the Egyptians dug wells along the river they would have been able to obtain clean water. This article does not argue against Mahoney’s assertions.

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      1. which is very funny since water doesn’t work like that. The water in the river is the same as the water along side the river. The river is an expression of the water table. Alas the ignorance of so many Christians is revealed again.

        “19 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, and its ponds, and all its pools of water—so that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.”’

        20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and of his officials he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the river, and all the water in the river was turned into blood, 21 and the fish in the river died. The river stank so that the Egyptians could not drink its water, and there was blood throughout the whole land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians had to dig along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the river.”

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      2. Ground filters water. I have lived on properties with a well and a sewer. Based on the ability of the ground to filter the water, jurisdictions have codes to determine how deep you well must be and how far apart the well and sewer need to be.

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      3. Yes, grown can filter water. It doesn’t work that way right beside a river, and i’m sure your septic system was lower than your well.

        I’ve drilled and sampled hundreds of wells and mapped groundwater flow. I know exactly how they work.

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    2. Vel, I enjoy reading blogs like yours. It is certainly good to hone my thinking when I read those with whom I disagree. I have many disagreements with the debunking Christianity article conclusions. If I had time, I think it would be fun to discuss the Kadesh Barnea article with you also. I am a very busy man and if time allows I will get back to you. I will keep your blog in mind and hopefully will have time to have a proper discussion with you sometime. Thank you for your patience.

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      1. Jon,

        Christians often try that silly excuse that they are ever so busy and just don’t have time to show me how I’m wrong. That’s just an attempt to make a claim and then not have to support it.

        vel

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    3. Yep, the bible is full of lies, not “exaggerations” but nice try. it is a pathetic attempt by a people to try to pretend that some god favors them. Mahoney is a liar and of course you would agree with him since you need to to cling to your baseless religion. WE have no evidence at all of massive genocide, massive battles or that Joshua did anything at all. No reason to assume Rohl is right, that is only needed by Christians and Jews to support their false book.

      Heck, no problem thinking that the resurrection was an “exaggeration” too. Poof goes Christianity. Amazing how such good believers in this god lie repeatedly.

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  23. I have a question. What do you think?

    I have a good friend who is an atheist. One reason he gives that he is an atheist is because of the hypocrites in the church. He is especially disillusion by the violence of Christians in the light of the teaching of Jesus concerning forgiveness and nonviolence. If Jesus is correct in his teachings about the nature of reality, hypocrites in the church are no surprise to me. His argument is completely unconvincing to me.

    My friend also claims to be a Materialist.

    If I understand correctly, he thinks that only physical reality exists. That Only scientific study of that physical reality can bring us the truth. He would say that philosophy and religion cannot help us discover the truth.

    This is where I am curious about your opinion. It seems to me, the basis of science is philosophy. You must have the philosophical belief that the laws of nature are consistent in order to trust our interpretation of the physical through science.

    Do you agree with me that philosophy is necessary to trust in science and scientific laws?

    I am also interested in your opinion of near-death experiences.

    In one book I read about them a girl dies on the operating table. After she is revived, she tells the doctor how she was flying around in the hospital and saw a tennis shoe on a window ledge. She had no way of previously knowing about the tennis shoe. The doctor went from window to window and found the tennis shoe just as the girl described. Doe this show that there is more than material reality? Many who have experienced near-death experiences have seen places of weeping and gnashing of teeth and others have had heavenly experiences.

    Do you think it is possible that perhaps my friend is dismissing too quickly the possibility of heaven and hell? why?

    Some of those returning from near-death experiences claim to have seen Jesus.

    Do you think that shows the possibility of God?

    Do you agree with my friend that physical reality is all that exists?

    Like

    Reply

    1. Yep, some atheists are atheists because of hypocrites in Chrisitanity. Some aren’t, like me, who wants evidence. I have had my own share of watching Christian hypocrites, but figured that they weren’t what this god wanted, and went to the “horse’s mouth” as it were, when I was losing my faith. I read the bible, prayed and unsurprisingly nothing happened at all. No personal revelation , nothing.

      Your friend evidently hasn’t read the bible since Jesus is a violent being who kills everyone who doesn’t agree with him per Revelation. I wasn’t taken in by the false claims of Christians about how peaceful this entity supposedly was. It’s no surprise that Christians are hypocrites since they pick and choose what they want out of the bible, inventing their own religions in their own images.

      And which teachings by JC about reality? Christians don’t agree on what they are.

      His argument is unconvincing to you because you need to believe in your god and yourself as being special. You are not. And the other reason I suspect you find your friend’s argument to be unconvincing to you is that there is no friend and this is no more than a strawman you’ve invented to knock down.
      Most atheists are indeed materialists, that this reality is the only one and no magic is involved in it e.g. no gods, no miracles, no spirits, etc. There is no evidence of any of these things.

      There is no reason to think that philosophy or religion have any truth at all since theists and philosophers just invent their claims, and again, no evidence supporting them. If a philosopher gets lucky and his ponderings are reflected in reality, that is no more than reporting an observation. If they don’t, then that baseless nonsense is just ignored, discarded onto the metaphorical trash heap of history. Same with religions, they fail and are just supplanted with one more invented by humans.
      The basis of science could be philosophy if you mean this: “Philosophy (from Greek: φιλοσοφία, philosophia, ‘love of wisdom’) is the study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about reason, existence, knowledge, values, mind, and language.” Natural philosophy was what became science and then was further refined during the Enlightenment. Now, I’m pretty sure you don’t mean philosophy as the broad definition I used. I’m going to guess you want it to mean only ideas about metaphysics, what “meaning” life has, and vague things like that.

      We have no evidence that the laws of nature that we observe do not randomly change. Trust is built by repetition. So, nope, I do not agree with you at all that philosophy is needed to trust in anything.

      NDE’s are a biological phenomenon. No god needed, no hell needs to exist, no heaven needs to exist. Charalatans try to pretend it is some evidence for magic/divine nonsense. We have no evidence for that at all. There is no evidence for your story about an NDE. Funny how only people who know Christianity have imagined places like the classic decscriptions of hell and heaven.

      Nope, I don’t think your friend is dismissing the nonsense of heaven and hell too quickly. It’s baseless nonsense invented by humans, and funny how Christians don’t agree on what heaven and hell are at all.

      Some people claimed they saw Jesus. Again, just the brain firing off in people who know that nonsense. As for seeing Jesus, so what did he look like? Nothing shows that your version of your god exists, Jon. All you have are stories of subjective nonsense, just like any other religion.

      Until I see evidence otherwise, yep, I agree that this reality is all that exists. No reason to do otherwise, no matter how intoxicating it is to pretend that some magical being cares about me and agrees with me.

      please do invite your friend to come here and comment.

      Like

      Reply

  25. I am trying to understand your position rather than convince you. If you would like I can write to try to convince you. (When I have time.) I am skeptical of my chance of success.

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    1. “I am trying to understand your position rather than convince you. If you would like I can write to try to convince you. (When I have time.) I am skeptical of my chance of success.

      and that is just an excuse, a common one used by theists when they lie and claim “you’ll never consider what I say”.

      Like

      Reply

  26. 40 years ago Bertrand Russell almost convinced me. However after I mulled over his writing for several years, my faith in God became stronger than ever. I haven’t done a very good job keeping up with the New Atheists. Who do you think is the best writer? Are there new good arguments?

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    1. it always amuses me when a Christian tries to pretend that there are “new atheists” when they are the same as the old ones. The old argument are good and are generally used by even those atheists of this generation. I’ve not read any of Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris etc. I have read Jerry Coyne’s Faith vs Fact, which is good from a more sciency point of view. I also recommend my friend, John Zande’s book The Owner of All Infernal Names, which makes a fantastic argument that this god is an evil creature. He has has a sequel “On the Problem of Good” which is also excellent. If you like classical philosophy, you should enjoy them since they are written in the same formal style.

      Bertrand Russell was quite good. Pick a quote and tell me how he is wrong: https://todayinsci.com/R/Russell_Bertrand/RussellBertrand-ScienceAndReligion-Quotations.htm

      http://atheisme.free.fr/Quotes/Russell.htm

      I personally always like his teapot analogy
      “If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time.”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I think materialism (The belief that scientific empiricism is the only way to determine truth) fits in the teapot more easily than God.

        Like

      2. that may be what you think. It isn’t true. You’ve yet to show any evidence for your version of your god or any other god.

        Every theist invents a god to fit them. You can’t convince each other, even with this need to pretend that there is some other way of “knowing”. this mysterious other way does nothing but be used by theists who all claim that it supports their claims and no one elses.

        Like

  28. Everyone disagrees. When I first heard about pro-life atheists I was surprised. I had made an incorrect assumption about atheism. Just as no two atheists agree, so no two Christians agree. You have made many judgements about my motives and beliefs in your writing that are incorrect.

    I think disagreements and misjudgments about other’s thinking help demonstrate something that science and materialism cannot explain. Materialism cannot truly explore and evolution cannot explain consciousness.

    I think near-death experiences also demonstrate there is something beyond our physical selves. Because you dismiss the evidence provided by near-death does not mean that I did not consider what you said. But I disagree with you for what I consider to be very good reasons. For example, I think NDE researchers have demonstrated that there is something beyond our physical.

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    1. Again, its great to see you try to claim that no two Christians agreee when you try to claim that there is some objective god that now evidently can’t make itself understood.

      Disagreements are nothing more than perception changes, based on biology and experience. No god or magic needed.

      Your false claim that materialism can’t explain things and evolution can’t explain consciousness are just god of the gap arguments. And in any case, even if you are correct, neither argument shows that any god is needed at all. You have invented a god that is needed with no evidence of such a thing.

      How do NDEs show something outside of ourselves? The supposed researchers are not researchers at all. They have a presupposition that they find they must find evidence to support. They cannot show that any god exists or if there is a heaven or hell, which again, Christians can’t agree on.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  29. I am sorry God did not answer your prayers.

    At one point in my life, I had heard about the experiences of those who said Jesus had reached into their lives and changed them. I wanted that change and experience. I prayed for 5 years, nothing happened. I got baptized, I took communion, I went to church. Nothing happened. Then one day I was praying and I remembered that the gospels tell us to forgive those who hurt us. I asked God to help me forgive someone I found great difficulty in forgiving. My life was changed. I experienced what I had heard others explain. This experience certainly makes me much more difficult to convince about an atheist position.

    You asked me to provide some Russell quotes and tell you why I do not find them convincing. My belief in Christianity comes more through positive arguments. For example, I find the arguments for the resurrection of Jesus to be persuasive. You do not. Some find Pascal’s Wager to be persuasive. I do not.

    We think differently.

    You find Coyne more convincing than William Lane Craig. I find Josh McDowell more convincing than Bertrand Russell or Jean-Paul Sartre.

    You seem to think I am foolish because I believe in Jesus. I think I can partly understand your position because it seems that my experience in some ways came so close to being similar to yours. I do not think you are foolish because I disagree with you.

    I find NDEs and conscientiousness as well as several other reasons as sufficient evidence to believe that there is more than the physical world. You do not find these arguments convincing.

    You seem to judge me as irrational. It would be impossible for me to honestly make similar judgments about you because I can see how easy it is to hold your position.

    Do you have evidence for your assertion that the earth cannot filter water near a river?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. When I purchased the land in Northern Minnesota, I had a shallow well near a stream. I discussed this with an expert. He explained to me that the shallow well would be filtered from some of the contaminates but there was a danger that some of the microbes and bacteria would not be filtered. Boiling could make the water safe to drink. He recommended a new deep well and said the water comes from Red Lake in that area and is some of the best well water in the country. I drilled a new 200′ well, he was correct. The Egyptians could quite easily have found water in shallow wells by the nile river which would have been safe to drink if boiled.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. The bible said that the water had become blood. Blood clots. So do tell how the soil would filter that and how blood is made okay by boiling.

        You are still making nonsense up and ignoring the lies from your bible.

        Like

    3. I know you are sorry that your god did not answer my prayers. This lack of action make your bible and its authors liars. John 14 is very clear that prayers will be answered and baptized believers in christ will be able to do miracles just like or better than JC himself. I knocked and the door wasn’t opened and your religion fails.

      You offer more excuses and your forgiving someone is no more than common psychology, no god needed. You assigned something common to your god since you needed to pretend that *something* had to happen. Theists do this all of the time, depending on coincidence and parlor tricks to find their god. If you were a muslim and did the same thing, you would be lauding that god.

      Unsurprisingly, you cannot show that Russell is wrong in what he says. You find the arguments for the resurrection to be convincing since you already believed in the nonsense that some god cares for you and agrees with you. If you looked at it from an outsider’s perspective with no presuppositions, would you find the contradictory claims of 4 stories so important? There’s a reason not to find Pascal’s Wager unconvincing. It fails every time since it was written by someone who had presuppositions, like you do about your resurrection. We do not think that differently.

      I do not find Coyne more convincing. He as evidence for his claims. Christian apologists do not. They, and you depend on presuppositions that you must find something to support, so we have an entire industry, of contradictory excuses, for your religion.

      I find you foolish since you believe in something with no evidence for no better reason that you want something, no death, an entity that agrees with you, etc. I find the worship of a god that needs to kill anyone who disagrees with it to be thoughtless and childish. I wouldn’t care if you considered me foolish or not. Plenty of Chrisitans have claimed I was. Unfortunately for them, they have no evidence to show that I was.

      There is no evidence for NDEs to have anything to do with magic, nor is there anything that shows consciousness to have anything to do with magic. Christians do love to try to claim dualism, but they cannot explain why no one can sense this “soul” if it can interact with a chemical/electrical organ like a brain, and why if this brain is injured or has screwed up chemistry, this soul is affected. You find baseless claims convincing since your self-worth requires you to try to find anything at all to support your beliefs.

      I do judge you as irrational in the realm of your religious nonsense. You find other theists irrational because of their nonsense. Your beliefs are the same as theirs, and you have just as much evidence for yours: none. Compartmentalization is a powerful thing. You cannot show that I’m irrational at all so you do not.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  30. I am not good at arguing in this format. I noticed that in one comment above I said the exact opposite of what I had intended to say. You and I have great differences in our philosophy of science. We also have great differences in our interpretation of scientific facts. You have given me fodder for my blog if I choose to use it. Perhaps if I feel like it I will address some of our differences on my blog. I will let you know if I do.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Jon, it is not the format’s fault. If you can’t coherently defend your claims here, exactly what makes you think you’ll be able to do it on your blog, which is also just writing and addressing points? If you wish to correct something, then do so. I’ll be happy to edit your comment for you.

      It’s odd that you make this claim “I noticed that in one comment above I said the exact opposite of what I had intended to say. ” and then do not proceed to write what you supposedly did mean.

      Facts are facts. There is no interpretation of them. They are what they are, and you have nothing to show that what you want to pretend about them is true.

      By all means, do use what I’ve said. I’ll be happy to point out if you choose to take my words out of context or lie about me.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    2. Dear Vel (or Velkyn or Andrea) and Jon,

      There has been a great deal of exchanges going on here. Jon, I hope that you can amply appreciate Vel’s highly commendable efforts in providing well-informed and edifying explanations to you. She ought to be congratulated for creating and maintaining her blog to get past the religion debacle, to advance a decent, sobering and critical understanding of “those who suffer from their own willful ignorance, greed, bigotry, selfishness or arrogance”, and whatever else that tickles her intellectual fancy. Good on you, Vel! I shall extend, bolster and/or complement some of Vel’s positions and explanations with respect to your conversations with Jon as follows.

      Regardless of whether there is right or wrong in matters of belief, how one should adjudicate them, and whether one comes to realize that many people, rightly or wrongly, often believe that they have the truth, let us beware of rampant moral relativism.

      I can demonstrate with the story of three blind persons probing the elephant: one probing the leg insists that the elephant is like a pole; the other probing the tail insists that the elephant is like a string; and the one probing the ear insists that the elephant is like a fan. Only the person who has probed the most or who is sighted can be regarded as the most informed, enlightened and correct about the elephant, which symbolises the reality or truth. And only this person is in the (best) position to judge, discern, decide, choose and understand.

      There are evolutionary bases in people’s sense of morality and in their behaviours as well as in their religiosity. You will find a great deal of new understandings in multidisciplinary fields such as sociobiology, evolutionary psychology and behavioural sciences, epigenetics, brain and cognitive sciences, gene-culture coevolution, and many more. . . . .

      There has been no shortage of scientists who are or were religious. Moreover, regardless of the degree to which some scientists are religious or atheistic, it is very unfortunate that too often even those who claim to believe in and adopt the scientific method still cherrypick the data and refuse to examine contrary evidences. They fail to understand and address many valid points, perspectives, domains and dimensions, and hence it is impossible for them to evaluate and change their standpoints, approaches and behaviours. You might have heard of this quote:

      For those who do believe, no proof is necessary.
      For those who don’t, no proof is possible.

      Perhaps some of us could take comfort in the fact that in recent years, the Catholic Church has had to accept evolution, though on a theistic basis.

      For one of the most recent takes on atheism, visit http://www.thesixwaysofatheism.com.

      As for the pitfalls and fallacies of the design argument, visit the following:
      http://www.iep.utm.edu/design/
      http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/intelligent-design-trial.html

      It will be nearly or altogether impossible to claim or prove that (the theory of) evolution is wrong or invalid, for it has been estimated that if evolution (both macro and micro) were wrong then more than 99% of all scientific disciplines would be wrong too due to the high degree of cross-collaborations and confluences of data. That is not (just) my claim; and it is from some scientists who have made the interconnections and stocktaking of disciplines and knowledges. When creationists try to debunk certain parts and/or the whole of the findings of evolutionists or evolutionary scientists, they have cited certain problems with some scientific claims and/or techniques which rely on or are founded on mathematics, measurements, instruments, various disciplines and so on in very interconnected ways, and have been reliably used for a long time. For example, many instruments rely on the veracity and reliability of quantum mechanics, electronics and electrical engineering, which in turn rely on other disciplines such as physics, mechanical engineering, optics and so on . . . . It is a very highly interconnected web.

      By “cross-collaborations” (whether by design or by accident, whether independently or co-dependently, and whether concurrently or not), I meant the cumulative results, benefits and synergies from the convergence of evidence from diverse disciplines and researchers who may or may not be collaborating and/or aware of each other’s findings and activities in the first place; and I also meant that research(ers) on/in evolution and evolutionary sciences have relied and benefited, both directly and indirectly, fertilizations, findings, paradigms and techniques from diverse disciplines. Let me quote Michael Shermer from his essay entitled “A skeptic’s journey for truth in science” as further examples:

      To be fair, not all claims are subject to laboratory experiments and statistical tests. Many historical and inferential sciences require nuanced analyses of data and a convergence of evidence from multiple lines of inquiry that point to an unmistakable conclusion. Just as detectives employ the convergence of evidence technique to deduce who most likely committed a crime, scientists employ the method to determine the likeliest explanation for a particular phenomenon. Cosmologists reconstruct the history of the universe by integrating data from cosmology, astronomy, astrophysics, spectroscopy, general relativity and quantum mechanics. Geologists reconstruct the history of Earth through a convergence of evidence from geology, geophysics and geochemistry. Archaeologists piece together the history of a civilization from pollen grains, kitchen middens, potshards, tools, works of art, written sources and other site-specific artifacts. Climate scientists prove anthropogenic global warming from the environmental sciences, planetary geology, geophysics, glaciology, meteorology, chemistry, biology, ecology, among other disciplines. Evolutionary biologists uncover the history of life on Earth from geology, paleontology, botany, zoology, biogeography, comparative anatomy and physiology, genetics, and so on.

      For the same reasons, my own blog is also highly multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary.

      Happy May to both of you!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. May the 4th be with you!

        Well, soundeagle, your website certainly is colorful! Thanks for commenting here and thanks for the compliments.
        I do like your version of the elephant story. It generally does take a well-rounded approach to figure out something. Unfortunately, religion almost always tries to claim a “truth” and that automatically limits any further searching beyond someone’s fairy tale book.
        I enjoy keeping up with at least some of the current research on science collector websites like phys.org. There is a mountain of it out there.
        Humans are a stubborn lot and love to think we have the “right” answer no matter what. I see what you seem to mean with that quote but in many cases, it simply isn’t true. It is more that “For those who don’t believe something, there is often a good reason.”

        Creatoinists do amuse me. They are dragged kicking and screaming into accepting evolutionary theory bit by bit. Most of them would be considered heretics to their religious ancestors for even accepting a bit of it. I live about 30 miles from Dover, PA, where the Kitzmiller v. Dover case was and used to work beside the federal courthouse where the case was held. I really wanted to go watch.
        The six ways of atheism website is interesting. I’m not too keen on just philosophical arguments, but these ones are fun to read.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Dear Vel,

        Hi there! You are certainly welcome to explore and comment on some posts and pages of my blog. If you like, visit my “About” page and “User Guide” page to familiarize yourself with my blog, which by virtue of its multidisciplinary nature and topics, is multifaceted in its features and presentations. These two pages will greatly help you to utilize the plethora of features to maximize your experience and enjoyment when you visit my complex blog/website.

        The “User Guide” is available to you at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/about/user-guide/

        I would recommend using a desktop or laptop computer with a large screen to view the rich multimedia contents available for heightening your multisensory enjoyment at my blog, which could be too powerful and feature-rich for iPad, iPhone, tablet or other portable devices to handle properly or adequately.

        Furthermore, since my intricate blog contains advanced styling and multimedia components plus animations, it is advisable to avoid using the WordPress Reader. Instead, read the posts and pages directly in my blog so that you will be able to savour and relish all of the refined and glorious details.

        Given your backgrounds and interests, I am naturally very keen and curious of what you think and make of the contents of my blog in greater detail during your subsequent visits.

        May you find the rest of 2021 very much to your liking and highly conducive to your writing, reading, thinking and blogging whatever topics that take your intellectual fancy!

        Yours sincerely,
        SoundEagle

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Furthermore, since my intricate blog contains advanced styling and multimedia components plus animations, it is advisable to avoid using the WordPress Reader./em>

        And I would advise not taking any hallucinogenic drugs beforehand 🙂

        The content though is brilliant.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Dear John,

        Hi there! Thank you for your compliment. Where have you been lately? You have certainly been missed. I am delighted to hear from you here.

        There is a post of mine that could be of great interest to you. It is my latest and recently expanded post entitled “Misquotation Pandemic and Disinformation Polemic: Mind Pollution by Viral Falsity“.

        The post now contains twelve sections (plus a detailed annotated gallery), all of which are instantly accessible from a navigational menu. I suspect that you may have a lot to express about this particular post regarding the increasingly pressing issues that many of us are facing, worsened all the more by anti-intellectualism, fundamentalism, dogma, ideology, herd mentality, political expediency, corporate interests and the politicization of science, in conjunction with outstanding matters pertaining to mental pitfalls (or even mental health), social media, digital globalization, populism, illiberal democracy, and other behavioural and sociopolitical factors.

        I am very keen and curious to know what you think or make of the said post, which has garnered about 112 comments and 261 likes, as many readers have found it so compelling and significant in one way or the other as to be willing to leave their thoughts and feedback there.

        You can find the post at http://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2020/12/19/misquotation-pandemic-and-disinformation-polemic-mind-pollution-by-viral-falsity/

        Happy May to you and your family! And I hope that you have been vaccinated.

        Liked by 1 person

  31. Pingback: Not So Polite Dinner Conversation – reminder to Christians who challenge me: do your research – Club Schadenfreude

  32. “Unfortunately, religion almost always tries to claim a “truth” and that automatically limits any further searching beyond someone’s fairy tale book.”
    Had I been drinking anything, I would have spit it out of my mouth, laughing, for that is what you are claiming when you assert your ‘atheism’ as the correct worldview–or nonChristianity as the correct worldview. When you claim that Jon cannot ‘prove’ God exists, or that God created the universe, or that miracles described in the Bible happened as the Bible claimed, or that the Bible is true in spite of apparent discrepancies, you are asserting that your view is a “truth.” That is your claim, your truth, your belief; in sum, your religion. You may well deny the existence of God or gods, but you are as religious as everyone else. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Bill, you fail again. Theists, including Christians, claim to have a truth, and amusingly, they can’t even agree amongst themselves in their many many sects. I, as an atheist, have a conclusion of my own: there are no gods since there is no evidence for such things. As soon as someone can show one, then I can reconsider that conclusion.

      You, Bill, cannot show that your version of your god exists. You cannot show that this god is the creator. You cannot show that miracles ever happened, and you can’t do miracles like your supposed messiah promised his followers would be able to do.

      The bible is full of discrepancies, and Christians have had to invent a whole industry to try to explain away their god’s ignorance and impotence. And they *still* can’t even agree with each other. 😀

      I am not religious. That is a worn out lie by Christians like you since you find you need to pretend that everyone “really” agrees with you. Happily I do not, and I get the bonus of watching a Christian lie, ignoring his supposed god’s words.

      Religious: “relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity” merriam-webster

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  33. Hi Vel, the creepy Christian again.
    As being a hero, which I most certainly am not!
    I have not as yet been bold or brave enough to do open-air preaching
    I’m glad you have Christian friends, it seems I was too presumptuous in my friendship offer.

    I came across this video The Unbearable Truth- Christianity is a lie (full version) I commented on it

    Which you are likely to agree and applaud

    Regards Graham Commander
    Star Trek fan
    “Long life and prosper” Spock quote

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’m curious how you find Star Trek acceptable when your religion says that everyone who isn’t a Christian deserves death and worse. Your entire religion goes against “live long and prosper” and “peace and long life”. Spock is damned per your nonsense and supposed deserves it. What pathetic, selfish and bigoted nonsense.

      You are indeed not a hero at all. As I said, you seem to think you are being every so kind in wanting to be my friend, when, again, no friend would say I deserve death or worse. No one needs you or your sadistic religion.

      I don’t see your comments anywhere on that video. You can create a link to them by clicking on your comment where it has the length of time it has been posted next to your screen name.

      There is nothing unique to Christianity, and even if there was, that doesn’t make anything true. I find that it is more likely that Christianity is simply a mangling of Zoroastrianism. Christianity is just one more syncretic religion.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      2. ROFL. Oh my. Rather than addressing the video, you whine about the music. You must have a heck of a time at any movie or tv show since the music was no more loud than those. I speak as someone who does have hearing issues that make it hard for me to understand human speech clearly. I almost alway use closed captioning with videos or songs since I am one of those classic people who will mangle a song by mishearing the lyrics.

        If you are that sure you are right and they are wrong, you can click on the three dots to the right just below the video window. That will allow you to open up a copy of the transcript on most youtube videos (not all for some reason). You can then cut and paste the words into a word processing document. Or you can turn off the audio and just hit the “cc” button on the base of the video window and see the closed captioning.

        Liked by 1 person

  35. Pingback: The Differences Between Mainstream Christianity and Islam – My Ministry

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