Volly
48p85 comments posted · 46 followers · following 1
359 weeks ago @ Atheist Revolution - Religious Belief and M... · 0 replies · +2 points
383 weeks ago @ Deep Thoughts - Still life of starfish... · 0 replies · +1 points
388 weeks ago @ Deep Thoughts - Tsunami video that I c... · 0 replies · +1 points
391 weeks ago @ Atheist Revolution - In This House, We Go t... · 0 replies · +12 points
458 weeks ago @ Deep Thoughts - Use a rod and go to pr... · 1 reply · 0 points
488 weeks ago @ Mississippi Atheists - But Its Sunday · 1 reply · +1 points
512 weeks ago @ Atheist Revolution - An Unpleasant Task Ahe... · 0 replies · -1 points
This is the way we REALLY are, if we could only feel the freedom to be honest. I tried to express this to a Christian co-worker not too long ago. He's a thinker, so I like to sustain the hope that he's not privately consigning me to hell or something. What I told him was, you take any American Christian church with more than 50 congregants (this excludes weird, inbred, family groups like Westboro Batshit), and if you could get every member to take truth serum and then ask them 1) What is your theology? and 2) Why do you attend church?
What you'd discover is that in addition to those who never bothered to think outside the bobble, you'd have an impressively large number of atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, skeptics, pantheists, deists, pagans, small-u unitarians, universalists, Buddhists, and the rest of the spiritual array. You'd find that people attend that church because their families do and/or always did, their friends are there, they like the architecture, they like the music, the place is conveniently located, they like the sermons, they get to use abilities that they can't use at their jobs, they're looking for romance, the church is famous, their boss goes there, and so on ad infinitum.
What would make me happy is each of these people being able to state it honestly, regardless of what their beliefs are. Stating it without fear of others' judgment. Feeling the freedom to explore their beliefs and change them as needed. And above all, to have the freedom to believe what they believe without feeling the need to join up with others who supposedly believe exactly the same thing and then base an entire society and government upon this. If we could evolve even that far, I'd be happy. Will it happen? In my lifetime? The chances are Slim and None, and Slim just took the last train out.
518 weeks ago @ Deep Thoughts - Photo–Newspaper ... · 0 replies · 0 points
520 weeks ago @ Deep Thoughts - Pastor Jones flies fir... · 0 replies · 0 points
522 weeks ago @ Atheist Revolution - Civil Rights: Despite ... · 0 replies · -1 points
I've pondered the whole "thankfulness" issue quite a bit, and here are my conclusions:
When something good happens in my life, it falls into one of two categories. The first can be attributed to the help of others -- my boss, a friend, a doctor, etc. Why is it so terrible not to be able to toss out a quick shorthand to express that? Why is it so terrible to have to say "I appreciate the surgeon's steady hands," rather than "Thank God?" To me, it's an ADVANTAGE. It makes us actually think about what we're grateful for.
And for those good moments that just happen -- you think you're going to collide with that car but manage to come to a stop with a half-centimeter to spare and no damage or injuries? Or you win the lottery? There may not be any one person or thing you owe your life or luck to, but you can certainly acknowledge that you were, perhaps, expecting the worst and instead came out of the situation safe, or surprisingly enriched. Rather than mucking about for someone or something to "thank," why not simply use the experience for the good? Take your lottery winnings and help someone out who's in need, or change your driving habits enough to avoid future close calls? Instead of "Thank God," how about "I appreciate every opportunity?"
Again -- it's an opportunity to really THINK about life and gain an understanding of what's important to you and how life works. Much better than smooching non-existent toes.