A place for progressive atheists.
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The Bible is big on people making sacrifices. During the pandemic, church goers must sacrifice their gatherings for the good of all of us. How can those who don’t want to give it up see how selfish and ungodly that is? If God supposed to be everywhere, why does getting together in large groups matter? If Jesus walked the earth today, he might very well say, “just use Zoom, people!” I mean, come on.
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Amazing that there are seemingly so many people that still believe in a hateful, vengeful God. I believe they are thinking about people like Trump and just don't realize it or somehow are so afraid of living they have to DISPLAY how worthy they are so big, bad God won't GET them. If there is a God he or she is somewhere laughing their butts off at people like your neighbor Divine.
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My belief is that people project their own inner reality onto life, as well as God. There are gentle and intelligent religious people who believe in science and don't push anything on others: I am friends with several of them. Think of them as the 'wading in grace" christians. The "sinners in the hands of an angry God" christians are a different breed.
I work with abused kids (Foster youth - I am a CASA). The way we are seen and treated as small kids is so foundational to our beliefs about "reality." These beliefs live in the Right (unconscious) brain. People look for things that confirm this inner "realty" -- which is why we have optimists who soldier on through all kinds of bad circumstances, as well as bitter pessimistic people who have tons of apparent advantages. Some people like themselves and others hate themselves. Most of us know at least one or two very worthy people who nevertheless feel unworthy, That's early childhood.
In studies done by the NIH in the 1970s, James W Prescott realized certain child rearing practices created healthy/mellow/non violent people, and the chief one was carrying small babies around. Those early months and years when an available loving grownup is the lifeline for any baby. The societies which carried babies were 90% likely to be peaceable and low suicide.
I look at these crazy right wingers as a bunch of abused kids. Read about mike Pence's childhood home: he and his siblings were not allowed to SPEAK at the dinner table and had to rise and stand at attention if a grownup entered the room. Not surprising he's at attention when 'daddy' bosses everyone around imperious and enraged.
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That makes sense. Pence is comfortable with Trump because it's familiar and he knows how to cope.
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Hmmm, maybe that is part of the reason Trump has no much influence over people we once thought of as 'fairly' reasonable, but lost that resemblance after Trump came on the scene.
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The Wisconsin court and the US Supreme Court have demonstrated the true meaning of evil. Shameful doesn’t begin to describe their actions. This is too scary!!
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SCOTUS has stopped convening in person for social distancing, but won't offer it to voters. At least, not "those people" voters.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine made this perfect statement today: "We're not going to interfere with your First Amendment rights to practice religion. But I don't know any religion that teaches that you should do things that endanger, seriously endanger, other people. I don't know any religion that says that it's just OK not to worry about your neighbor."
DeWine is a devout Catholic.
And Republican.
But he's won over many people, me included, with his handling of the pandemic, working in conjunction with Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton.
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Pastor who vowed to preach 'unless I'm in jail or the hospital' dies of COVID-19 in VA
Quote from the article:
"I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus. You can quote me on that," the Bishop said, according to the New York Post. "I am essential. I'm a preacher, I talk to God!"
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Divine, I wonder how many of his parishioners will be joining him. So sad and so infuriating.
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Something tells me he's never really read the New Testament. As I recall, Jesus made a point of saying people could contact God on their own.
Joke: Man is on his rooftop in a flood. Someone comes by in a canoe and offers to take him to dry land. He replies "God will take care of me." Then someone comes by in a motor boat and offers to take him to safety. He replies "God will take care of me." Then as the water continues to rise, He prays: "God take care of me." God replies, "I sent you a canoe and a motor boat. What are you waiting for?"
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That's one of my favorite religious jokes, Wren!!!
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Continues to remind me of the saying that God helps those who help themselves. Then again I do realize that common sense is not common to everyone. I guess there are a few that continue to think a good Christian would trust their Savior. So they never consider that they can trust themselves. In my view, since I was one of the lucky ones ( not saying I get it right all the time mind you ) that was given a brain, it is up to me to trust myself and the intuition I am allocated. That has to be developed, but it kicks in -- like when your standing in the area of a mean dog -- you move away/
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Good one!
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In my mail today I received a letter from the Moronic, Narcissistic, President informing me about the Cares Act. Embarrassed to say my mail carrier now knows my political position as I spewed my favorite invectives at that &^^%$#%&& narcissist for spending my money so he could sign the letter. For all of those Americans who put that idiot in office so that women could be denied health care, that refugees could be denied freedom and all in the name of Christianity, political ratings and monetary gains. I hope they have learned that the unintended consequences include having over one million Americans infected with Coronavirus because he put the literal nail in the coffin of effective pandemic preparation, mostly deregulated the vast agri-business industry, and takes no responsibility for any of his actions that result in negative consequences.
It is still morning where I am, so now I can enjoy my second cup of coffee with a little additive I learned about from the drinking thread. That additive is Chambord, a raspberry and orange liqueur.
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Didn't that letter just tick you off, magiclight? We got them as well. Urghhh.
I feel for the postal carriers who have to deliver letters from a moron who wants to kill the USPS. All so he can get back at Jeff Bezos for being more successful than he ever was.
Stay safe everyone.
Trish
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From my Dad.
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Very good!
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Today, no employee at home depot was wearing a mask. I will be able to get what I needed online from a more conscientious retailer.
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Just an FYI, magiclight, the owners of Home Depot are big Trump supporters. I've switched to my local ACE Hardware whenever possible.
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I my town, the Home Depot folks were wearing masks. The Lowes people were barefaced.
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Trish: UGH!! Hard now to deny that even health care is political. Update: As of this morning my town is requiring everyone to wear face masks. Will see how that gets implemented.
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An interesting new book review for Robert P. Jones' book White too long: The legacy of white supremacy in American Christianity.
"One of the challenges, historically, has been that the Christian theology developed in White churches intentionally blinds White Christians to racial injustice. White Christians are nearly twice as likely as non-religious Americans to say police shootings of unarmed black men are isolated incidents. That is a moral and theological problem."
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Just another in a long line of things I despise about organized religion.
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One of Oregon's most remote, sparsely-populated areas managed to have a big (Pentacostal) church gathering a few weeks ago, leading to one of our state's most horrific COVID-19 outbreaks. Perhaps they have an IQ limit, and if you're smart, you're not allowed to join? Quite incredible, that during a complete lockdown, they decided to do this crazy thing. Many people in our country seem to believe in God and Church, but not in Science or Medicine. Ugh.
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Some Pentecostals also handle poisonous snakes. I would think that they believe that their god will protect them if they have enough faith.
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The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Louisiana law that could have left the state with a single abortion clinic writes the NYTimes. I read the amicas brief (I have no law education, but I found the arguments to strike down the LA law understandable and informative.
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