Is anyone else an atheist with BC besides me?

AliceBastable

If you do Facebook, you can follow the AHA there for regular updates. They overlap with the ACLU on many issues.

https://americanhumanist.org/

I also follow World Pantheism, which would be a good fit for many people here.

https://www.pantheism.net/

SoCalLisa

I wonder who God wanted to win the Academy Awards..

ananda8

The people who pointed a finger at the ceiling.

TB90

I know this thread is not about my thyroid, but I am happy to say it is out and I have to spend the night but it has been quite easy. I was a wreck for some reason. I do have a funny story, especially considering my mental state. My expert surgeon at a state of the art Health Centre got bumped out of his usual trauma OR. So last minute they are running around "borrowing" medical supplies and equipment. I am already freaked out when the disgruntled head nurse states, "well I certainly hope no one expects me to deal with anything unexpected. ". I almost ran out of there screaming.

ananda8

Good Grief!

ananda8

Good Grief!

jo6359

TB90-The unexpected is never fun when you are waiting for surgery. Charming nurse. Glad you are doing well.

ananda8

This pretty much explains why am at a loss to understand religion.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/godlessindixie/2019/03/01/kissing-hanks-butt/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=share_bar&fbclid=IwAR0JVDBMaZ0Bf0M1UmrJdXgoLi1ENRJQKgWnlseVwpvZFb0AtEmdDBQinTY#u2gXehLF4TaOsTBA.01

santabarbarian

Hahaha, I just flashed on "The Life of Brian"

HikingLady

ananda8 THANKS for sharing that link! That is perfect. It's interesting that in every other aspect of modern society, we're encouraged to be critical thinkers, careful shoppers, weigh the evidence, be informed, and not be gullible. And yet, THIS.

santabarbarian Do you live in Santa Barbara? I was there three weeks ago.

pingpong1953

Santabarbarian, Guess which song is going through my brain right now?

santabarbarian

pingpong: Hahaha, yes.... my favorite lyric: "Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it."

Hiking Lady, Yes I do! I hope the rain stopped long enough for you to do some hiking there!

HikingLady

Hi Santabarbarian--my DH and I had a brief trip and weather was chilly, but we had time to see art museum and Natural History museum and enjoy a beach walk. Lovely area, and we'll get back there sometime.

magiclight

Some friends and I are planning a few days get away in Santa Barbara. As we are coming from different places may meet somewhere central and take the Amtrak. I love trains and when travelling where they are readily available, always take advantage.

solfeo

I haven't been around for several months because I have been busy at work, and I have really enjoyed catching up on all of your posts over the weekend. Several times I wanted to chime in, but the conversation had already moved on long before I was reading it.

As I was reading I was thinking about the word "spiritual" and what it means to me. I took that quiz (I think ananda posted), and I fell on the extreme end of the secular scale. I do not consider myself to be a spiritual person, but in terms of spirit, I feel like that is the essence of me. Not a soul, but the heart of who I am as a sentient being. I want to be the best me I can be, and in that way I guess I am kind of spiritual. I don't have to look to an external supernatural source.

I wasn't taking very good care of myself before the breast cancer, but I have turned my mental and physical health around since then because of it. I don't know if I would have taken such extreme responsibility for my own well being if I had a god to pray to. Gods are primarily scapegoats, and knowing I was the only one who could change my future, if it can be changed, has made me a better person in every way -- mind, body, spirit.

Cancer may still claim me someday, but if it happens I will feel a lot better about where I am in life than I did the day I got the original DX. I feel like I have my atheism to thank for that.

SoCalLisa

Just attended a Conference here

jo6359

SoCal-beautiful. What kind of confetence?

pingpong1953

Where is this? It's gorgeous!

SoCalLisa

Colonial Dames XVII CENTURY

magiclight

SoCal...just looked that up. You come from a long line on this soil.

jo6359

socal-That is fantastic. Did you grow up knowing of your lineage?

SoCalLisa

I figured it all out when I was doing chemo in 2001 and then had to prove it all. I had some knowledge that a distant aunt was in DAR. But 5 ancestors came over on the Mayflower.

santabarbarian

I have Mayflower ancestors, & I also descend from Dutch West India Company (1624) settlers-- both on my Dad's side. So Cal Lisa, we are porbably cousins!

On my mom's side, I'm Scots/English who came more like 1800. My maternal great grandmother did something really cool: she went west in a covered wagon at 16, to teach in a one room schoolhouse in Montana. I have the pocket watch she bought with her first year's pay.

SoCalLisa

Santa Barbara, we probably are cousins...smaller world back then...

The biggest problem was getting all the paperwork proof...but I figured out where

to go when I was finished with chemo...all of it was back in the Northeast..

santabarbarian

In todays NY Times, a piece by a woman who was raised Calvinist, left organized religion, and has raised her daughters without the concept of "sin":

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/well/family/raising-children-without-the-concept-of-sin.html?fallback=0&recId=1I6SRLF1VjOCfkh1fvoA2GKNP1v&locked=0&geoContinent=NA&geoRegion=PA&recAlloc=home-desks&geoCountry=US&blockId=home-living-vi&imp_id=773320986&action=click&module=Smarter%20Living&pgtype=Homepage

ananda8

The Comments attached to the article are also spot on.  The number of people calling themselves non-religious or nones is growing every year. As an atheist, I have no objection if others want to believe in a god or higher power.  It is religion that is a threat to my human rights and I am glad to see it shrinking in numbers.  Perhaps it will also start to shrink in power.

MinusTwo

Excellent article - thanks Santabarbarian.

jo6359

Excellent article. Thank you so much for sharing that link.

ananda8

"Starting with the simple tale of an ant, philosopher Dan Dennett unleashes a devastating salvo of ideas, making a powerful case for the existence of memes -- concepts that are literally alive." https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_dennett_on_dangerous_memes?fbclid=IwAR1h5GKFMY7R0B2_r399ZdIUcEC49-b97wSJXi0irspCE9e75Jqp7PtJx5c

MinusTwo

News snippet from The Week: "Portland, OR's city council unanimously approved an ordinance banning discrimination against atheists and agnostics. 'With this declaration,' said the City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, 'perhaps more nonbelievers will feel less fearful of being themselves in the open.' "