Nadezhda

If it’s an insult, I’m sure it’s not intentional.

Just as when an atheist is likely to die from cancer and people tell you they are praying for you and its all in God’s hand…is quite similar. Even when you ask them to stop they keep doing it. It may not be intentional but it is still demeaning to many and grossly offensive to others.

Poitically, socially and per globalism Canada is immensely different from the United States. Heathcare was insitutionalised decades ago, the state gives generously to the disabled, single mothers and many other groups needing help. Job security is more protected. You are usually helped by the government if having a full income is unlikely.…[Read more]

had a serious distaste for a central governments

This is America’s slight strength and biggest weakness.

And yes the republicans work the system

Because of the over-representation of rural areas with an overwealming traditional conservative world view, it means the democrats have to fight much much harder to win. The republicans don’t necesarily w…[Read more]

This kind of thinking Belle, is first, quite an insult to the dead navy seal diver as Robert masterfully pointed out. And then of course the doctor, you know, the one who gave up his vacation to risk his life to swim to the boys and stay with him for three days, and was instruimental in making them strong enough to swim out in the right order, his…[Read more]

Except of course unseen, you’ve mischaracterised those philosophers arguments because you don’t know their arguments because you’ve never read them. It’s one thing to not believe something because someone tells you do…its another thing to not believe something cause you are too lazy to pick up a book and read.

It’s quite clear that Lucifer and his angels are in charge here on Earth which is why I say this is not God’s world.

Earl. That makes no sense. Absolutely zero sense. God apparantly created everything. He spent seven days making everything. He created Satan. To say God is not responsible for what happens on Earth and what Satan does is rid…[Read more]

@Earle

Let’s go along with this purpose behind something that just wouldn’t happen to emerge:

The planet is hospitable and the ideal conditions are met. It was likely created. Except of course that the Earth is not particularly hospitable. Multiple ice ages, meteor impacts, near wipe out of all life and the threat of it happening again. Natural…[Read more]

Wait but why offers an excelent overview of common possible answers to the Fermi paradox, and it is also entertaining and insightful as all of his posts are on the site (I belive FronkeyFarmer is a fan of WaitbutWhy)

The Fermi Paradox

If you want to get deep into the Paradox, this book is phenomenal (though I…[Read more]

garnet wrote:
We may be the “alone” in the milkyway – maybe – but there is no way we are totally alone in other places – Stephen Hawkings said it is possible that we are not in the only universe and that he believes there are multiple universes-maybe hundreds of universes-maybe millions of universes…..If this is true then it stands to reason that…

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The very fact they gave an estimate of the likelihood of life somewhere else, takes away all their credibility. You cannot possible make such an estimate considering our enormous ignorance, gaps of knowledge, known unknowns, unknown unknowns etc. Worse, they base their estimate on some statistical acrobatics using the various estimates people have…[Read more]

I think the fear of death can only be properly approached by those not deluded in a joyous afterlife reuniting with loved ones. It is false comfort. It keeps you from facing the loss of your loved ones with a fake crutch that you’ll see them again. It shifts the need to remember, celebrate and pass on your lost one’s values and memories in this…[Read more]

Two horrid problems you are the victim of. Many Christians and even barely-religious people think that it is they who are being opessed. They simply don’t believe that non-christian bullying exists. That if it does it is very isolated and exceptional. But it does and clearly you are suffering greatly for it. You need to be vocal about this. The…[Read more]

@Daniel

There is nothing about the United States that makes the current direction of US politics a permanent one. The overwhelming majority of the facets of American life is identical to other western countries. It’s the irrational and sometimes cold/cruel peculiarities that always stick out. Perhaps the future will see a kinder approach to s…[Read more]