Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There is a language barrier with you, Tzaphkiel. You are not understanding anything. You all are so quick to criticize me - would you like me to post some your old negative posts? We can do this all day long but I'd rather see this thread die than to get one more post like yours.
Sorry, good sincere and honest posters. But I think this party is over due to the persistent harassment and negativity. Simply put, I am an atheist that is a very nice person. I used to be a Christian, true, and I was over-zealous but that's not what is happening here.
I think all of you who are reading this thread without posting see that mental illness and chauvinism are running rampant here. I simply wanted to hear your stories and learn from it. I'm not against change and growth. Some people are just so miserable, it really is like a disease.
If I offended anyone I am truly sorry. I am sarcastic for sure and I make jokes but it's all in fun. That doesn't mean I hate your religion and I want to see it gone. I've had my moments when I did, but I have since realized it isn't necessarily representative of a religion when someone is unreasonable and combative.
It has nothing to do with belief or non-belief. It's a personality defect. And the fact that some here are rallying behind them means there is a deeper problem. These few posters have taken over and they ran off all the good ones. Please stop letting them do that.
I've noticed since I came back from a long hiatus from C-D that a lot of posters have left. Gee, I wonder why. There were a very few positive responses, thank you for that. Like Porky says:
You should listen to Tzaphkiel...one of the most wise people to ever post to this board. You could learn a lot from her.
She has squared me away and helped me many times through her wisdom and her passion for The Divine.
This is the world we live in now. Increasing division, anger, and distance.
Hang in there.
We can't allow the cacophony to prevail.
You're not kidding. I'm not going anywhere, I took a year or more off from here and during that time a lot happened. One of those things was determination to thicken my skin, which I have.
If some legitimate religious responses were made in this thread, I didn't see them. Just a couple of really negative posts from whatever religious affiliation they claimed, which I don't think they stated. I would call this an epic failure as far as threads go.
I've never been more ready to call out these people for what they are. I can't say the word here and there's no point anyway it doesn't faze them to be called that. Let's just say that a few of them that I thought were friends have proved their unworthiness of my attention in spades. I will no longer be engaging with them but no, I'm here to stay.
Sorry boys. Your loss. Should of behaved yourselves.
I certainly understand, it's a real problem here with fanatics, like you said "rabid conservatism". With my views being what they are, I have no allies or anyone who will at least be open-minded enough to hear my story first before they judge me. That's another thing I've been struggling with. My political affiliation.
She is so on the money with the hostility, my biggest peeve (and it's not being offended) is the old trick question - "where do you go to church" - seems innocent enough right? Check out the instant cringing, stepping away and the all too familiar response to saying I don't go to church, "Oh". I can just feel the prayers going up, as well as a ridiculous amount of judgment.
Another issue is the difficulty finding child care. Too much of the heavy-handed "spare the rod and spoil the child" ethos (I keep hearing in my head the southern Baptist neighbor when I was a kid, yelling at her young son, "Billy-Bob, I'm goin' to tan yore hide!"). Anyway -- my daughter has a special needs / neurodiverse son. When he was 5, he had a meltdown at the sitter's house and the sitter lost her ... well, her composure and said she did not want anything to do with this disobedient child who obviously has serious mental problems, so my daughter lost her sitter just like that. But in the South it doesn't end there ... suddenly she was ghosted by virtually all her friends and acquaintances because this sitter knew them all and got her tongue wagging. My daughter said, "Dad, what am I supposed to do with all this middle school-level pettiness? It's like a bunch of children. It would be funny except now I have no child care AND no friends over a single incident!" I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back and got her planning to move. She had only a very fragile and ultimately unreliable support system that had no real commitment to her.
It is true what someone else said, the world we live in is reaching a fever-pitch of polarization and conflict and tribalism. So far I can still take a walk in my neighborhood and apart from everyone not masking like it's 2018 again, I feel safe. But sometimes I try to game out in my head what would happen if something really meant we had to rely on and trust each other for our very lives. Say a nuclear attack or Carrington event or something where the utilities went down and stayed there. I can't really say I trust most of the people on my own street to be decent human beings in an extreme situation like that. Our social connections don't happen based on neighborhood anymore, but based on work (but I am virtually employed by a company a thousand miles away) or church (whoops, I'm an unbeliever) or on other organizations (ongoing pandemic -- make that pandemics -- means that is hard). I honestly think we'd starve or freeze to death each in our own houses, once we were too weak to try to steal from each other on the basis that it's the other person's fault somehow that this all happened to us.
Maybe I'm wrong about that and I'd have the very cockles of my innards warmed by how some huge tragedy like that would bring out the best in most people. I sure hope I'm wrong. Somehow I am starting to wonder if I mightn't be right though. We really don't want to be inconvenienced. We don't extend ourselves in any big way like I remember people doing in Ancient Times, like over 15 or 20 years ago.
Another issue is the difficulty finding child care. Too much of the heavy-handed "spare the rod and spoil the child" ethos (I keep hearing in my head the southern Baptist neighbor when I was a kid, yelling at her young son, "Billy-Bob, I'm goin' to tan yore hide!"). Anyway -- my daughter has a special needs / neurodiverse son. When he was 5, he had a meltdown at the sitter's house and the sitter lost her ... well, her composure and said she did not want anything to do with this disobedient child who obviously has serious mental problems, so my daughter lost her sitter just like that. But in the South it doesn't end there ... suddenly she was ghosted by virtually all her friends and acquaintances because this sitter knew them all and got her tongue wagging. My daughter said, "Dad, what am I supposed to do with all this middle school-level pettiness? It's like a bunch of children. It would be funny except now I have no child care AND no friends over a single incident!" I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back and got her planning to move. She had only a very fragile and ultimately unreliable support system that had no real commitment to her.
I feel for her and understand the pain. No wonder they're moving. It is difficult to make friends in these two sister states, it's very cliquish. And petty. There was some kind of unsettling undercurrent traveling through the whole street where I had my business several years ago, I felt evil. I encountered it in person. I do not socialize with the locals. Something is wrong in that podunk town. I'm in the next town to it now.
Reminds me of the movie "Wrong Turn" LOL. I think there's a Billy Bob in it too.
I'm sorry your daughter has had so much trouble with finding a babysitter, in small towns they all know each other's business. It's a favorite past time to gossip about and shun outsiders. I hope that the move proves to be better. Much better.
Quote:
It is true what someone else said, the world we live in is reaching a fever-pitch of polarization and conflict and tribalism. So far I can still take a walk in my neighborhood and apart from everyone not masking like it's 2018 again, I feel safe. But sometimes I try to game out in my head what would happen if something really meant we had to rely on and trust each other for our very lives. Say a nuclear attack or Carrington event or something where the utilities went down and stayed there. I can't really say I trust most of the people on my own street to be decent human beings in an extreme situation like that. Our social connections don't happen based on neighborhood anymore, but based on work (but I am virtually employed by a company a thousand miles away) or church (whoops, I'm an unbeliever) or on other organizations (ongoing pandemic -- make that pandemics -- means that is hard). I honestly think we'd starve or freeze to death each in our own houses, once we were too weak to try to steal from each other on the basis that it's the other person's fault somehow that this all happened to us.
That is true. It's gotten even worse on here and elsewhere. I do that too, what would happen if.....there was an EMP attack or nuclear strike that would immediately turn us into panicky messes and ready to kill for what someone else has. There's a book I read a long time ago, it was science fiction but it was about what might happen in a case like that. Wish I could remember the name of it, it was, I think, pretty much on point. But since that book was written smartphones have come along, and we all know that some folks would literally die without their phone for more than an hour. It's a decent read if you like apocalypse type stuff. Heck, you probably know what book I'm talking about. ...............found it! It's below.
Quote:
Maybe I'm wrong about that and I'd have the very cockles of my innards warmed by how some huge tragedy like that would bring out the best in most people. I sure hope I'm wrong. Somehow I am starting to wonder if I mightn't be right though. We really don't want to be inconvenienced. We don't extend ourselves in any big way like I remember people doing in Ancient Times, like over 15 or 20 years ago.
Pffft. One can dream I guess. I hope we're wrong too. LOL I guess around here if you've been here on this board as long as we have then we must be elderly. Haha I've been accused of harshing on an "elderly religious woman", what is all that about? I couldn't get that poster to tell me what he was talking about so I'm assuming it's a lie. I swear I've been accused of so many untrue things today and I'm exhausted by trying to "defend" myself.....ooops I used a bad word by saying defend.
Thanks for the snickers, I needed that.
I found it, it's from 2009. One Second After
One Second After is a 2009 novel by American writer William R. Forstchen. The novel deals with an unexpected electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the small American town of Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Last edited by mensaguy; 08-02-2022 at 05:36 AM..
Reason: NorthSouth: Edit to add. Mensaguy: Fixing quotes
It's got it all! I should say that SC is quite beautiful too since I live here.
It is! I have only driven through, though. I have never been to Charleston, a city I would like to visit.
Bit of amusing sidebar. Got talking to a young woman working in the CVS near my house in NJ. She had only moved there recently because her husband was in the Coast Guard. She was from the PNW.
I asked her how she liked New Jersey, and she said, "I am shocked that it is so green here! I didn't expect that. And before we came here, we were in South Carolina. I always thought South Carolina was a desert, but it's not!"
It is! I have only driven through, though. I have never been to Charleston, a city I would like to visit.
Bit of amusing sidebar. Got talking to a young woman working in the CVS near my house in NJ. She had only moved there recently because her husband was in the Coast Guard. She was from the PNW.
I asked her how she liked New Jersey, and she said, "I am shocked that it is so green here! I didn't expect that. And before we came here, we were in South Carolina. I always thought South Carolina was a desert, but it's not!"
Obviously not a geography major.
Living in SE Alberta ( think eastern Montana without guns) everywhere I visit except Nevada is very green.
I could see that. For me, my connection with nature, which was always lying beneath the surface while I spent my life working in Manhattan, grew stronger over the past five years when I found myself in rural Ontario, watching the light change over a lake, seeing so many more stars at night, hearing wolves howling in winter, watching birds, being visited by a fox, etc.
The noise of civilization can get in the way.
"The noise of civilization can get in the way" is quite the understatement...
Another issue is the difficulty finding child care. Too much of the heavy-handed "spare the rod and spoil the child" ethos (I keep hearing in my head the southern Baptist neighbor when I was a kid, yelling at her young son, "Billy-Bob, I'm goin' to tan yore hide!"). Anyway -- my daughter has a special needs / neurodiverse son. When he was 5, he had a meltdown at the sitter's house and the sitter lost her ... well, her composure and said she did not want anything to do with this disobedient child who obviously has serious mental problems, so my daughter lost her sitter just like that. But in the South it doesn't end there ... suddenly she was ghosted by virtually all her friends and acquaintances because this sitter knew them all and got her tongue wagging. My daughter said, "Dad, what am I supposed to do with all this middle school-level pettiness? It's like a bunch of children. It would be funny except now I have no child care AND no friends over a single incident!" I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back and got her planning to move. She had only a very fragile and ultimately unreliable support system that had no real commitment to her.
It is true what someone else said, the world we live in is reaching a fever-pitch of polarization and conflict and tribalism. So far I can still take a walk in my neighborhood and apart from everyone not masking like it's 2018 again, I feel safe. But sometimes I try to game out in my head what would happen if something really meant we had to rely on and trust each other for our very lives. Say a nuclear attack or Carrington event or something where the utilities went down and stayed there. I can't really say I trust most of the people on my own street to be decent human beings in an extreme situation like that. Our social connections don't happen based on neighborhood anymore, but based on work (but I am virtually employed by a company a thousand miles away) or church (whoops, I'm an unbeliever) or on other organizations (ongoing pandemic -- make that pandemics -- means that is hard). I honestly think we'd starve or freeze to death each in our own houses, once we were too weak to try to steal from each other on the basis that it's the other person's fault somehow that this all happened to us.
Maybe I'm wrong about that and I'd have the very cockles of my innards warmed by how some huge tragedy like that would bring out the best in most people. I sure hope I'm wrong. Somehow I am starting to wonder if I mightn't be right though. We really don't want to be inconvenienced. We don't extend ourselves in any big way like I remember people doing in Ancient Times, like over 15 or 20 years ago.
Trying to help with the suffering of a child is one of life's greatest challenges, and here's all best wishes the better side of us humans will demonstrate itself for you, your daughter and her son. Sincerely -- LM
I'm tired. I'm tired of trying to get people to post here who don't have some sort of agenda or something negative to say. It doesn't seem to matter what you say or how you say it, you can count on it being picked apart by some posters.
What you are seeing are very unhappy people who thrive on being able to bring others down with them to that pit of misery. And I'm not just talking about the religious, there is obviously negativity coming from my side of the aisle. It's more of a personality issue rather than to believe or not to believe.
Its so true that misery loves company. I'm still learning how to deal with people like that. Even though those reading don't want to participate I definitely understand. It's a jungle in here and it's important to not feed the animals.
I don't know what happened between the time I signed off yesterday and now that I've returned, but I suspect you might be making the mistake of taking people in this forum too seriously. There are all kinds, and the trick if we're going to bother at all is to focus on what one wants to focus upon. I ignore lots of comments that tend to be abrasive in more ways than one. Lots of comments that can hardly be considered intelligent mature worthwhile contributions, but of course that's all a rather subjective matter.
One person's comments are another person's "fighting words." Nonsense and stupidity for some people. Valuable insights for others. "Perspective is everything," and there are all number of perspectives represented by the people who like to describe them here in this forum, but any to be taken too seriously? As if of any real consequence? I really don't think so.
Accordingly, I'm not too sure about getting so "tired," but I suspect you are either trying too hard or mismanaging your expectations. Perhaps both. I like your thread and your intentions, but even the best of threads will always be littered with all manner of comments that don't always represent the best of us.
As the Buddha is famous for saying, "you gotta let that <<bleep>> go."
Last edited by mensaguy; 08-02-2022 at 08:57 AM..
Reason: Language
It's not a language barrier. Not if you ask this atheist anyway.
I'll just leave it at that for now...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
is the old trick question - "where do you go to church" - seems innocent enough right? Check out the instant cringing, stepping away and the all too familiar response to saying I don't go to church, "Oh". I can just feel the prayers going up, as well as a ridiculous amount of judgment.
...............found it! It's below.
Haha I've been accused of harshing on an "elderly religious woman", what is all that about? I couldn't get that poster to tell me what he was talking about so I'm assuming it's a lie. I swear I've been accused of so many untrue things today and I'm exhausted by trying to "defend" myself.....ooops I used a bad word by saying defend.
