“I expect to pass this way but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” (Etienne De Grellet)

“The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others happy.” (Robert G. Ingersoll)

“The world is my country; humanity are my brethren; and to do good deeds is my religion.” (Thomas Paine)

“Men tend to have beliefs which suit their passions. Cruel men believe in a cruel God, and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly people believe in a kindly God, and they would be kindly in any case.” (Bertrand Russell)

(July 21, 2019 at 9:24 am)Gwaithmir Wrote: “I expect to pass this way but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” (Etienne De Grellet)

“The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others happy.” (Robert G. Ingersoll)

“The world is my country; humanity are my brethren; and to do good deeds is my religion.” (Thomas Paine)

“Men tend to have beliefs which suit their passions. Cruel men believe in a cruel God, and use their belief to excuse their cruelty. Only kindly people believe in a kindly God, and they would be kindly in any case.” (Bertrand Russell)

I like the last quote.

It is a mistake to assume for the theist, that because I am an atheist, that somehow I only want to hurt theists out of spite or evil. That is complete bullshit.

I'll certainly side with the likes of Martin Luther King Jr, but still say that his goodness isn't because of a fictional super cognition. I'll certainly side with the likes of Ann Frank, but still argue that her goodness isn't the result of Yahweh. I'll certainly side with the likes of Malala, and again, still argue that her goodness isn't the result of Allah.

But when push comes to shove, if someone still insists on believing in a God, then I'd most certainly prefer that their interpretations, of those respective beliefs in all religions, leads the follower to compassion, empathy and defense of human rights.

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(July 21, 2019 at 12:27 am)Anomalocaris Wrote:

(July 20, 2019 at 8:47 pm)=Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: I've found that if you skin a person it's hard to tell what "race" he was.

But only a human would skin another to find out what race he is.

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(July 20, 2019 at 8:54 pm)Brian37 Wrote: BUZZ KILL!

Damn it! You just gave away my recipe for barbecue humans.

It’s no good.  Crispy crunch skin is what makes the barbecue.

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(July 20, 2019 at 8:37 pm)Brian37 Wrote:  There is no god helping humans. There is no Jesus, or Allah or Yahweh or Buddha or Vishnu. But there are tons of decent human beings worldwide of all beliefs, whom I'd merely argue that our species ability to do good and be good is in us, as individuals. I have no desire as an atheist to force any religion out of existence. But would only argue to my fellow humans that if they can accept that others outside their sect, outside their religion, are as capable of being good and doing good, then my argument is, that our species morality is in OUR SPECIES, not old mythology.

It may be an worthy aspiration to take our morality without baggage.   It may be that morality would only reach their full potential to serve mankind if dispensed of its baggage. 

But it must be admitted that, up to now and to the degree morality has been able to serve its purpose, it has most frequently come to serve that purpose using mythology as its means of conveyance.

We can work out morality but we are by nature not moral beings.

So morality that provides greater good of all must often be made to seem to promise disproportionate and false reward for the individual for sufficient numbers of individual to act on that morality.

Sorry, but I totally disagree with "We can work out morality, but we are by nature not moral beings."


That is nonsense. Being capable of cruelty does not mean we cant ever have empathy or compassion. Our species has always displayed both cruelty and compassion.

If we were by nature not moral beings, we never would have ended slavery.

Maybe you are arguing ratio? That would be a better argument. But I wouldn't frame it like that. I would simply argue that humans fear their social norms being upset. Evolution drives us to group, and control resources, and when we feel like our status is being challenged we most certainly can get to the point of being cruel to others. 

I do get the intent of that statement, but I think the better argument is that humans tend to think locally and defend that which they are familiar with and that can lead us to do horrible things to others when we think our social norms are under threat. 

But we most certainly have morality in us.

Brian will be Brian


Always thinking his instinct driven will and desires is so righteous any inconvenient realities can be banished by his righteous decree, or better yet,  the power of inconvenient reality can be expunged by the simply by refusing to learn about them.

I refuse to be categorised as the same species as Trump and his rabid supporters.

No way am I a member of Homo Dumphuk!

I think a very good case can be made that men and women are different species, as are children and adults.

Boru

(July 21, 2019 at 1:59 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I refuse to be categorised as the same species as Trump and his rabid supporters.

No way am I a member of Homo Dumphuk!

We never thought you were the specie as trump.


Hmmmm, but why the emphatic declaration of the obvious,   Gnawing insecurity?   🤔

(July 21, 2019 at 2:53 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote:

(July 21, 2019 at 1:59 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I refuse to be categorised as the same species as Trump and his rabid supporters.

No way am I a member of Homo Dumphuk!

We never thought you were the specie as trump.


Hmmmm, but why the emphatic declaration of the obvious,   Gnawing insecurity?   🤔

Because I wore an orange wig to a party once.

(July 21, 2019 at 1:59 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I refuse to be categorised as the same species as Trump and his rabid supporters.

No way am I a member of Homo Dumphuk!

Trump unfortunately is the same species.

The trick isn't trying to say he is a separate species, but merely pointing out he is a fucking dick, which unfortunately our species does produce.

(July 21, 2019 at 3:16 pm)Brian37 Wrote:

(July 21, 2019 at 1:59 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I refuse to be categorised as the same species as Trump and his rabid supporters.

No way am I a member of Homo Dumphuk!

Trump unfortunately is the same species.

The trick isn't trying to say he is a separate species, but merely pointing out he is a fucking dick, which unfortunately our species does produce.

I require DNA samples to test this claim.

(July 21, 2019 at 3:24 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote:

(July 21, 2019 at 3:16 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Trump unfortunately is the same species.

The trick isn't trying to say he is a separate species, but merely pointing out he is a fucking dick, which unfortunately our species does produce.

I require DNA samples to test this claim.

I bet trump doesn’t even have any DNA.