I have time for religion every week.

[guillaumeb]

And every day.

I can focus on many areas that are important to me.

When I sit in my garden, the tall trees arching overhead remind me of the pillars in a church.


The birdsong, the leaves moving, are all part of nature's choir.


Last week, there were 12 Monarch butterflies in the garden. The butterflies, and the flowers, are nature's stained glass windows.

[sprinkleeninow]

1. Mwah! Mwah! Mwah! Thrice due to I'm a Carpatski Rus.

Très, très belle! Merçi! 😍

[Bretton Garcia]

4. I accept your confession

[sprinkleeninow]

5. Say what? I addressed Guillaume.

A kiss three times is traditional. There a profusion of kissing that goes on in our church community primarily on a joyous feastday.😘

[sprinkleeninow]

6. That is: American Carpatho-Rus.

Last edited Thu Sep 27, 2018, 03:33 AM - Edit history (2)

I may post a lively video showing. Mb get alerted on again. I pays my money, I takes my chances.😌 This place needs some levity.

Pulling an almost all nighter.

We are into Holupki, Halushki and Pirohi [Pierogies.]

Pagaçi. I forgot PAGAÇI!

[link:

|

Will I be shown the door?

[Bretton Garcia]

33. Want to work for the CIA?

Are you a native speaker in any relevant language?

[sprinkleeninow]

34. A native speaker in English. Not the Queen's, but I wish.

My ancestors from CZECHOSLOVAKIA. They did not/could not/would not read Cyrillic, nor my parents, nor I.

Second generation AMERICAN.

What CIA? The Cosmetology Industry of America?

You jivin'...

[sprinkleeninow]

35. I also forgot

Palačinki, Kiflicky, Koláč, Páska and more.

[sprinkleeninow]

2. "Birdsong at Eventide"

[link:

|

[Bretton Garcia]

3. I too take time for religion.

Every day in fact, I think about it.

But yes.

There is an element of irony here.

[guillaumeb]

9. A veritable mine of iron.....y.

If you put a piece of that irony in a moral compass, where will it lead you?

[Bretton Garcia]

27. Critics are the best prophets, some say.

The great prophets spent most of their time pointing out flaws, hypocrisies, evils, in precisely, Religion; in the most apparently religious persons of the day.

Following this, some suggest that (the Jewish atheist?) Karl Marx, was the latest and greatest Jewish prophet of our time.

Even the pope suggests that atheists have a respectable place in religion, Catholicism.

[guillaumeb]

29. An excellent point.

I agree with you on these points. But it is also important to acknowledge that, no matter the flaws, there is also good.

[Bretton Garcia]

32. Jesus and science both, tell people to observe birds,.flowers; nature

Perhaps you are right to concentrate on nature to find truth.

[guillaumeb]

39. I see the Creator in all of creation.

Metaphorically.

[Bretton Garcia]

45. I see (scientific) truth in the universe

[sprinkleeninow]

48. Even I, being deficient in critical thinking skills, observes

scientific truth in the universe, and attributes this truth to the Source.

[guillaumeb]

50. Nicely done.

And the observable truth is evidence of the Creator.

[sprinkleeninow]

51. Guillaume,

Mon chère,
Everything you do is nicely done. 😊
💙

[Bretton Garcia]

52. The 1) impressive intricacy of the natural universe. ..

And 2) the immense fruitfulness of the science and technology that came from observations of that, strongly suggest a natural, not supernatural "nature" behind everything.

3) Corroborating that, has been the recent philosophical failure of the uncaused first cause theory, the Argument from Design,..etc..

Further conclusive evidence includes 4) recent investigations, books,.showing that even the Bible itself finally,.amazingly, supported science, over faith. And even over its own authority.

"Test everything," said even the very spiritual Paul.. Test with "science" (Dan. 1.4-15 KJE).

I suppose religious persons could capitalize the "Nature" behind it all. Though I personally don't really like the hint there, of say, a similarly capitalized. "Creator."

[sprinkleeninow]

36. Atheistic types do tug. They can put others to a test. Not in a bad way either.

So I'll give you that.

[Bretton Garcia]

40. Thanks. And I'll admit. ..

.. I like those stuffed cabbage things.

[sprinkleeninow]

41. Swedes also make stuffed cabbage rolls napped with a cream sauce, not a tomato base.

I have one here.
🇸 🇻 🇪 🇳 🇸 🇰 🇦 😉

I think in Minnesota ? they have a Pierogi Festival.😋

[Bretton Garcia]

43. Tomato is much better; really good

I worry about the pork or high fat content though. Tasty as it is.

[sprinkleeninow]

47. You can make it with like a 96% ground beef and no pork. Or a mix

of beef, turkey, chicken or mb some pork.

It's not a hard 'n' fast rule that you can't adjust the filling.

Some recipes call for canned tomato soup. I like a sauce made from scratch.

A touch of brown sugar in the sauce makes it special. Season the filling well.

It's a dish requiring some time to assemble, but the reward? Très mwah! 😋

[sprinkleeninow]

7. Guillaume,

Mon très cher,
You have a way with words.

[trotsky]

8. I wish you'd take time to listen to what atheists have to say.

Instead of just bashing them as being part of a faceless "choir" with no legitimate opinions of their own.

Or instead of insulting them by claiming they're mindlessly following a "commandment" that you invented to dismiss their opinions.

Or instead of trying to silence them by claiming everyone who expresses an opinion that differs from yours on your threads is engaging in "whataboutism."

I hope someday that your religion inspires you to listen to others.

[guillaumeb]

10. Thank you for your response.

And I do listen, every time something is posted in the Religion Group by an atheist.

And I even read other groups as well, including this little screed about theists. It is filled with insults, and condescension, and other things that, one assumes, reflect at the least the opinions of the author about theism and theists.

Edited to add:

Here is a small part of the wisdom of the post:

Basically, religion is, by definition, irrational, so, therefore, it's almost unfair that theists can use social media and podcasts to reach a smart, available atheist and prove their own cluelessness. Rationality never leads to religiosity. Using rational arguments to support religious faith can never work. But it's fun to hear them try. And fail.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/123057038

As to silencing people, it is ironic that you would even mention that tactic.

[trotsky]

11. Bullshit - you don't listen at all.

And selectively pulling posts from "safe haven" groups to try and compare to an OPEN FORUM is typical of your deceit and dishonesty.

[guillaumeb]

12. Did my link hit a nerve?

Sorry, but you did ask if I listened. And I do. And what I read here is available to anyone to read, not just DU members. Anyone can read whatever is openly posted at DU.

Apparently you do not understand the terms deceit and dishonesty either. Perhaps you should research them, along with whataboutism.

[trotsky]

13. The way you hit a nerve with me is by being your dishonest self.

You don't argue in good faith.

You won't listen to what people are telling you (insisting that you have the right to define atheism for atheists, for instance).

If multiple people disagree with you, you brand them as a "choir" to insinuate their responses are orchestrated and not sincere.

If someone criticizes your posts, you claim they aren't doing so out of sincere disagreement, but are only "compelled" to do so because of a fictional "commandment" you created and believe they must follow.

You dehumanize and insult all who disagree with you.

Truly deplorable, guillaumeb. And you truly think you are behaving like a good Christian should?

[guillaumeb]

14. You have constructed a scenario.

And I accept that you believe what you wrote. But I also have the evidence of your many replies to theists, and others, who post positive news about theism.

And that overwhelming evidence, evidence that is available for all to read, is the weakness of your scenario.

And the post that I linked to is filled with insults. Did you agree with the post?


Would you care to comment on it, and explain about dialogue? Talk about dehumanization indeed.

[trotsky]

15. So your answer is basically yeah, you do all that stuff, but it's because you think it's deserved.

Is that a Christian approach to things? You judge others and punish them as you see fit?

No, I'm not going to comment on some random thread you found and linked to. Who cares?

I'm talking about YOUR behavior, guillaumeb.

Of course, I fully understand why you'd desperately want to change the subject.

[Mariana]

16. Actually, that is a pretty standard Christian approach to things. nt.

[guillaumeb]

18. Your answer is typical.

And I understand why you will not respond to my questions.

[trotsky]

31. Good, I'm glad you understand why I won't answer your red herring questions.

This is about YOUR behavior. Are you excusing your behavior because someone else said something that made you act that way? You can control yourself, gil.

Look, when some people say bad things about religion or religious beliefs, you get really, really upset. That's been your trademark response as long as I've known you on DU. And when you get upset, you decide to insult, dehumanize, and demonize ANYONE who doesn't treat religion with the respect you think it deserves - whether that's me, MineralMan, Act_of_Reparation, Voltaire2, anyone who's been subjected to your "choir" or "11th commandment" insults.

If you don't like seeing criticism of religion, then STOP LOOKING AT IT. No one is forcing you go to searching through the Atheist & Agnostic safe haven looking for things you don't like so you can attack others as part of your holy crusade.

[guillaumeb]

38. This about you deflecting from positive posts.

And, your hyperbolic and revealing response aside, and given the abundant evidence of your own posts, your comments are inadvertently ironic.

[trotsky]

44. No, this is about your abhorrent behavior.

And I fully understand why you'd rather attack and insult me than look in a mirror.

So very Christian.

[guillaumeb]

49. Perhaps you should try reading your own many posts. eom

[trotsky]

53. So you act horribly because you think I deserve it?

Well that's just neat. Is that what Jesus taught you to do?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

17. Religion is irrational. Why does that come off to you as a "screed."

You are constantly arguing in here that religion is irrational. You know, the times you talk about just having to have faith regardless of lack of evidence? That not rational. It's definitionally irrational.

And, side note, you are completely exhibiting the reason why safe haven groups exist on DU. Well done.

[guillaumeb]

19. I argue that religious belief is unprovable.

Note: unprovable and irrational are not synonymous.

Did you read the entire post?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

25. Yes, I have read the whole thing. Couple times.

Merriam-Webster defines it as:

: not rational: such as
1 a (1) : not endowed with reason or understanding
(2) : lacking usual or normal mental clarity or coherence
b : not governed by or according to reason

Clearly definition 1b is how we use it to define religion. Religion is not based on logical (reason) explanation. It's based on faith. It is "unprovable," therefore irrational. There is no reason.

I know you don't want to admit that and there are some negative connotations to irrational, but objectively religion is irrational. And that poster is not saying religion is "crazy."

[guillaumeb]

26. The poster is saying exactly that.

Read it again.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

28. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

[guillaumeb]

30. I have many tools.

And many types of nails.

[Mariana]

37. I bet you do, Gil.

[Act_of_Reparation]

46. Tee hee hee

[MineralMan]

20. Of course you do. You're a religionist.

(Note: I have taken a brief break, during a gap in the hearing, to look in here. I see that you've posted a counter post to mine. Cool beans!)

[guillaumeb]

22. A brief break?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1218294337

That week passed very quickly.

[MineralMan]

24. ..

[Act_of_Reparation]

21. With all the time I spend drinking, smoking, and jerking off...

...I'm afraid there isn't much time left over for religion.

#Priorities

[guillaumeb]

23. At the same time?

A multitasker.

[Major Nikon]

42. I left an offering in the porcelain altar