Is anyone else an atheist with BC besides me?
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Hey, whatever floats your boat. Happy to be catergorized an environmentalist, and not holier than thou. hehe!
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I watched part of an interview on TVO (Ontario publicly-funded TV) with Lionel Tiger, Prof of Anthropology at Rutgers, who has co-written a book entitled "God's Brain" with Michael McGuire, MD, currently President of the Biomedical Research Foundation.
Their central thesis is this: "The brain creates religion and its varied concepts of 'God', and in turn feeds on its creation to satisfy innate neurological and associated social needs".
The TV programme was focused on ideologies and, co-incidentally, the latter half of the program featured environmentalists and the Cdn Leader of the Green Party!
But we're talking ideology here, and no-one put forth the idea that environmentalism is a religion. On the other hand, for those of us who are tree huggers (to use a rather vulgar expression), practising "reduce, re-use, recycle", does indeed satisfy some of our innate neurological needs, I guess. If I'm doing something which will benefit everyone, then that makes me happy.
However, I still stick with my view that religions which feature life ever after, or life in a different form, were created to satisfy the ego -- which cannot conceive of non-existence. JMHO, of course.....
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Hi Dawn ... welcome home!
LJ .. as far as I'm concerned, dialog is good. I don't think you're a troll ... just the atheist thread is the only place non Christian women can congregate.
I'm glad we can all post on the conservative thread. I truly enjoy the dialog between you and Rico ... it forces me to look things up, read and think for myself.
OMGoodness ... please don't make me recycle to stay here ... okay, I do a little, I have a compost pile and use newspapers to keep the weeds down in the veggie garden. And I wear Tim's hand-me-down jeans .. oh for the love of pete .. I guess I am a compost piling, recycling tree-hugger.
Time to go outside and visit mother earth for a bit.
Bren
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Atheism is a religion like bald is a hair color.
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I agree with Madalyn 100%---people trying the hardest to convert or hammering the loudest on other people's beliefs --religous or otherwise---are the ones who are most insecure. When I first met my husband he was an atheist. He never minded his daughter from marriage 1 going to church or later on, our older kids being baptised---figured he had come to his conclusions about god but felt no need to convince others as he could always be wrong. I really respected that and it contrasted sharply with a grad school friend who was also an atheist but who felt the need to belittle anyone with religious beliefs. I always felt she was belittling of others because she really wasn't convinced she was right.
notself, you have tried harder than I would. Sometimes you just have to designate things as spam.
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ljh58, isn't it curious how people can say that a ruling by the Court of appeals or the Supreme Court proves their position when they agree with the opinion but if the same court does something they disagree with, then the Court is completely off base?
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*sigh*
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Haven't said the Pledge since I was in a Lutheran grade school.
That was a funny question to ask.
another *sigh*
Daisy .. feel free to post wherever you'd like. I was friends with many of the conservative posters LONG BEFORE the political threads were created. We know we are friends regardless of our political persuasion or religious beliefs. You and I, on the other hand, do not know one another or have the same history as I do with the others.
If you'd like to discuss fundamentalism, Catholicism, Martin Luther or Charles Darwin .. you're in the right place here.
You're in the wrong place if you're looking for converts or an argument.
Peace,
Bren
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When I went to school in the US that whole thing about the Pledge of Allegiance puzzled me. I stood (respectfully as an army brat would) but did not put my hand on my heart nor say the words. Very rarely did anyone question me about it. That was in the 60s. I wonder what happens to non Americans who do that now.
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Daisy and LJ:
This is not a debate thread. This is a place where non-theists especially can post and talk free from the religious chatter that is a part of everyone else's threads. This thread was not and never has been a place to debate and challenge anyone's belief -- or non-belief.
Posting material here in THIS thread that is designed or intended to provoke the members on the thread is unacceptable, rude and inconsiderate of your cancer sisters who would like to have at least ONE place on the web where they can talk free from religious interference.
The intention of the thread is that it be an OASIS for non-theist women who are experiencing the devastation of breast cancer so that we can support each other free from religion and superstition.
Certainly anyone "can" post here, but to disrupt the thread and challenge the women in it by purposely making statements that you have every reason to believe could have the effect of insulting or offending them, when they simply want to be free from such controversy is the height of rudeness and IS trolling, regardless of Bren's interpretation.
Posts designed to purposely poke someone in the eye is trolling. In THIS thread if that is what you have come in here to do, then that is what you are, a troll.
Now, 3monstamoma, your own post is wholly ridiculous because here no one did that. You have essentially created a strawman argument. The ruling in the link applied to ONE person, a prisoner who was attempting to get equal consideration for HIS PARTICULAR group to meet, as religious-oriented groups are allowed to do. It's a very narrow ruling and does not in any way, shape or form redefine what atheism is and is not.
Because if atheism IS a "religion," then I want my tax-free status. . . just sayin'
Finally, daisy6, regarding your somewhat bizarre and naive question, speaking as a Vietnam-era veteran who not only salutes the flag but had to swear an oath upon enlistment, of course I salute the flag and, when required, recite the pledge. It's not a very common occurance anymore but when I did, I simply did not recite the "one nation under god" part as that is not something I believe.
Why would I pledge to an imaginary god-being? On the other hand, my country and my commander in chief deserve my allegiance, and I have every indication that both really exist.
Hope that helps.
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"You can't fight City Hall, but you can pee on the steps and run." --Gary North
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I'm with Michele, this thread is not a place for debate. She was eloquent in her answers, and although I have responses to the questions and challenges that were tossed like gaunlets into our space, I will not respond here. This is not the place for it.
To all my sisters in free thought, agnosticism, atheism, humanism, and any other non-religious "isms", peace and love and hugs!!!
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Ezscriiibe
I would respectfully request that you back off.
1] I wasn't the person who said atheism or environmentalism was/not a religion or who originally inserted the link to the decision.
2] what I said, or tried to say perhaps inartfully, was that I find it fascinating how people leap to the courts to argue their point when they think it proves their argument but wholeheartedly bash the Courts when they make rulings that they disagree with --and in my humble experience the ones who do that the most are fundamentalists and conservatives like I perceived the OP contending that atheism had been declared a religion to be.
Clearly this thread is NOT the place for a live and let live Buddhist to hang out.
good bye and best of luck to all.
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Monstamama .. please don't leave this thread. We have a couple of Buddhists who post here. If I stay away from the conservative thread, the gals won't be tempted to follow me here.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
Peace,
Bren
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3monstmama,
Stay, please.
By the way to all of my dear friends, Buddhism is a "religion" without a creation story or a creator god. There is no divine eternal being who pokes around in our lives or requires worship and obedience. Buddhists either don't care if there is such a being or they are flat out atheists like I am.
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Notself ... I like the idea of being a Buddhist .. but I'm just too lazy to learn about it or even meditate. I have my quiet moments on my swing when I think about how grateful I am for all that I have. I guess that is my meditation time.
I had been thinking and feeling for a very long time that I didn't "fit" in the spiritual/religious world I was living. Everytime someone said, or I read, that God was testing them, I wanted to scream. I am reminded of Julia Sweeney and her one-person show .. how can God possibly have the time to submit me to all kinds of trials and tribulations just so I can believe even more.
Just didn't fly with me. My lack of faith in God was a process. It's happened over a long period of time ... I don't grieve the loss like I have in the past. I still say my gratefuls at night .... maybe saying what I'm grateful for makes me feel better and more appreciative of my life.
Since I stopped worrying about all of this, I have become more able to enjoy each moment and live in the now.
I miss Analemma .. somehow she could put it all into the right words.
Sweet dreams all,
Bren
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Its hard to resist a good debate about the pledge of allegence. Thank you Notself and BinVa for your words.
daisy6 and all the rest with the pledge of allegence questions---
you do know the original pledge was written by a socialist right? and you know that the "under god" part only came about over fifty years later in the middle of the red scare/cold war? Sorry but I have to make sure because thats one of those things in life I just find too funny.
That would be the sane cold war period that came up with such brillant ideas as saying children of American citizens [including American military] born overseas in American military hospitals were not US citizens. Because, you know those godless commies---planting secret agents every where, even in hospital basinets. Clearly the only cure was to add "under god" to the pledge so that if the fake citizens say the words, lightening will strike or something like that. . . . .
I stopped saying the pledge in grade school. Even then more times than not, I missed it by being late for school....wonder what that says about me. That said, no one can be mandated to say the pledge, at least not in the US. That was resolved long ago when the Jehovah's witnesses sued.
BinVa---somewhere on these boards you wrote about being sad that a factory in your area was closing and putting people out of work. I agree, That is sad. In my humble opinion, the solution is pretty easy but you may have figured it out too---if only people were willing to pay more for stuff being made in US factories instead of demanding the lowest price on everything. If only the concern for a living wage being paid to US workers raised as much interest as whether the godless atheists and heathen buddhists and the like were placing their hand over their hearts while they say the pledge.
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"Clearly the only cure was to add "under god" to the pledge so that if the fake citizens say the words, lightening will strike or something like that. . . . . "
Monstmama .. I copied that sentence from your post. When I read that, the first thing that came to mind was the Spanish Inquisition. At that time, the Jews left in Spain had a choice, either convert to Catholicism or move to Poland. Isabel was concerned that the Jews who remained in Spain were "pretending" to be Catholic ... she was worried about any Jews still practicing their faith .. thus the "inquisition" was begun.
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And nobody even expected it.
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No-one should ever have to leave the boards. I left months ago because it was so bad, I was receiving hateful private messages banishing me to hell. Which is pointless, because I don't believe in the firey pits below...point being, it became stressful instead of supportive to be here.
I agree, everyone has the right to post in any thread they chose...that said, I would never find myself arrogant enough to post a link about evolution, in a prayer thread. There is only one reason for that, causing trouble. Life is too short....embrace those who love you for what you are, despite any belief differences & just shrug the others off,
One of my best friends is a Mormon as some of you will remember...never once has she tried to sway me from my non-faith. We joke and laugh and tease each other about our beliefs....I mean come on? How can coffee be a sin!?? But there has never been anger.
I have a strong love for some of you who were here during my diagnoses last year. Those whom brought laughter at a time when all I wanted to do was cry. I think of Elizabeth everyday...I wondered if she had stayed here, gone back to Canada...how her cats were....
It is just amazing to me, how someone can make such a huge impact on your heart and not even realize it. Point? When you have a past or a friendship with some of the girls here, you can debate a little in a friendly way about things maybe you wouldn't just hop into a new group of girls, in a strange thread and attempt. Run on sentence much?
Geez...where are those professional journalists when you need them?
I hope you all have lovely week-ends. I live at the beach now...no chickens...just lots and lots of sand
Hugs to all.
Dawn.
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Hi Layne .. I've been thinking about you .. and here you are. How is your mom doing?
Sige is mostly posting on FB .. she's a hoot. If I set my page to "friends of friends" you'll be able to "see" her.
I forgot about Jesus-Jesus .. bwahhaha. I hope he's okay and enjoying the beach!
Dawn .. liked what you wrote about friends and having a little friendly debate. That's how I feel about 2 or 3 of the conservative gals. Our friendship began long before I knew about their politics .. and it continues today.
I also liked what you wrote about not posting in a thread that really isn't suited for us. Even though I do have a couple of gal pals in the conservative thread, most of us do not have that same relationship. So .. best to leave that thread to like-minded folks .. rather than irritate them with my presence.
Hugs all .. Happy Friday,
Bren
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Layne...Poor Jesus~Jesus is in the big chicken place in the sky. All chickens go to heaven you know...Dog got him...I am in Florida now...the house I rented is half a block to the beach & half a block to the Halifax River. Good fishing home base for my 10 year old son...
I haven't seen anything posted by Sige in ages...I still get an email every time someone posts here. So, I am pretty up to date on things. I have had tons of surgery over the past few months, so I have been stoned once in awhile and may have missed some things. But~I feel fantastic! And hey! The new girls are screaming perky
I hope all is well with you, Layne. I notice a lot of new girls here...seems like a lot of the old ones have faded away. I hope it is because of the grief we catch. I also hope they know we love them.
Heathen hugs back
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I am on Facebook too, I just do not talk about BC there. Many of my friends do not even know.
Ivorymom! So happy to see you. My year anniversary is next week, I am too frightened to even go to be checked, I do not even have an oncologist! Your attitude is amazing & you will be alright! I love that you added no animals were harmed...otherwise, I may start raging again
I love you.Layne, So sorry about your Mom...help her by just being as strong as you can. Don't let her see you cry or be sad, it is terribly difficult, but just hold her hand and love her. The only advice I can offer, completely unsolicited of course; but, it is what I did with my Father & I feel like I did all I could for him, no regrets.
You all can FB me I am just Dawn R. Samples...same as always. My pic there is the same as it is here, on the Warlock motorcycle. Find me, find me
More Heathen Hugs to you all.
Since I just joined AGAIN...I may be on that posting limit, so I will see you all tomorrow
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Layne .. I sent Sige a PM on FB to friend you ... hopefully you'll hear from her soon.
I'm sorry to hear about your mom. Shokk's dad just died of the same thing my dad died of last year. He didn't want to let go either or leave his wife. My dad just let go when he'd had enough and he knew that he had done everything he could to help his wife and prepare her for the future w/o him. I think he just wanted to be free of the cancer (and probably all the people lurking) .. and away he went.
Meg .. I am so sorry to hear the cancer is back in the other side. That sucks big eggs. Will you try an AI this time around? Just curious, as I don't take Tamoxifen or an AI, and I'm ER+.
I'm going to remember "no one died and no animals were hurt." I love that!
Sending you huge hugs .. we're all here for you.
Bren
PS .. I can't believe Jesus~Jesus got eaten by the wolf. arghh. Poor Jesus.
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Don't be sad about Jesus~Jesus..It was quick & he did not suffer. Besides; I buried him wrapped in a linen cloth...maybe he will come back to life & save us! I know, straight to hell with me.
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Dawn, good to see you again. I do a lot of lurking, but stick my oar in every once in a while. I, too, am sad to hear of Jesus-Jesus' demise.
Meg, sorry to hear you're back in the trenches. I had a second primary 18 months after my first dx so I've gone through chemo twice, too. In some ways, it was easier because I knew more what to expect. But I didn't bounce back nearly as quickly after the second batch of chemo. So be patient. You *will* bounce, but it may take several months longer than you're expecting.
I've been bald during a Minnesota winter and bald during a Minnesota summer and I can highly recommend the latter over the former. LOL Just don't sunburn your scalp!
--CindyMN
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BinVa Yes, the "test" was to make someone eat pork. To me the saddest part was that even families who had willingly converted to Catholicism years and generations before were considered suspect. People would actual go in the street to publically eat pork so that their neighbors would see they were good? Catholics.
DawnRenee, I have 2 sons [8 & 10] who love fishing too. So how do I find the story about Jesus-Jesus?
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Dawwwwwnnnnnn!!! You're back! You're so sweet! I'm in Ottawa, have an onc I call McDreamy, and a really long thread in the Stage IV called Really Crappy News. In a nutshell, progression, a successfully zapped lesion in my brain (I had fun acting all twitchy and walking strangely just to freak out my friends), waiting on a clinical trial, and still visiting my bf in Boston every 3-4 weeks [he still calls every day]).
A house near the beach in Florida -- oh baby, sounds like what heaven would be if it existed. I happy to hear your reconstruction went well! Sad about Jesus -- one day archaeologists will dig up his linen shroud and proclaim to have found the shroud of the real Jesus.
Awwww, Meg, sorry about the recurrence. I've been wondering how you are. Sending healing vibes your way.
Layne -- so sorry about your Mom. I love it when you lob facts in "those" threads!
What a nice way to start my day -- seeing my fav ladies posting here!
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Hey Layne:
I am so sorry to hear about your mom. My two wishes for anyone at the end of their lives is to 1. Not die alone. 2. Be ready to go.
I was able to ensure the first for my father. Unfortunately, in spite of great pain due to pancreatic cancer, he didn't want to go either. And he hated being sick and having the women in his life care for him. But he had finally achieved both peace and happiness in his life and it seemed almost cruel that he had to die during the happiest time of his life.
Best wishes to you and your family.
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I do say the pledge of allegiance
but I just leave out "under god"
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