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Quotations – Momentous, Memorable, Meaningful

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A place to share the words of others (or your own!) which have been impactful in your life, whether they're serious, poignant, humorous, or just something worth noting.

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I have been a quote collector and quote monger for at least as long as I've been an atheist and probably a good deal longer. My admiration for those who enjoy reputations as wordsmiths extends even further back, whether we're talking about John F. Kennedy's assertion: "We choose to go to the moon," George Santayana's warning: "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it," or James T. Kirk's deft observation when faced with the dauntingly huge First Federation ship: "Not chess, Mr. Spock ... poker!"

The realm of atheist activism has had its own share of verbal craftsmen and women, from Madalyn Murray O'Hair's: "An atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church." to Aron Ra's succinct: "If you can't show it, you don't know it."

Regardless of the topic, these are words which are capable of fomenting inspiration, reflection, and sometimes even action. They can educate and illuminate the human condition and allow us to better know ourselves. That said, here is an open invitation to share those words which have been particularly meaningful or impactful or timely or just special to you for one reason or another.

Let's share those words and have fun!

One bit of clerical business: please hold your quotes in the comment area below to 20 lines or 200 words. One comment should not so dominate the Home page of this group that no other comment is visible. That way, the briefer comments and quotes of all participants are more likely to be seen, read, and appreciated. If you have a long quote or commentary, create a post, please.

Discussion Forum

Truth

Started by Joan Denoo. Last reply by Joan Denoo Feb 11. 14 Replies 2 Likes

"APHORISM XXV. He who begins by loving Christianity better than Truth, will proceed by loving his own sect or Church better than Christianity, and end loving himself better than all."~…Continue

Tags: Truth

Ideas

Started by Joan Denoo. Last reply by Joan Denoo Sep 14, 2018. 2 Replies 2 Likes

The word “Permaculture” is the combination of the two words “permanent” and “agriculture.” It is a method of agricultural philosophy that allows gardeners to create and sustain growing food in a way…Continue

Tags: production, shelter, food, permaculture, Mollison

On Emotion, Vulnerability, and a Flawed God

Started by Loren Miller. Last reply by Grinning Cat Sep 10, 2018. 5 Replies 5 Likes

On 31 May, 2018, Joan Denoo posted a most excellent quote from David Hume: That quote was well deserving of a response, which is the following:The most preposterous notion that H. sapiens has ever…Continue

Tags: flawed, vulnerable, emotion, god

Will McAvoy's Rant: "America Is NOT the World's Greatest Country"

Started by Loren Miller. Last reply by Joan Denoo Aug 25, 2018. 3 Replies 4 Likes

Aaron Sorkin has a habit of swinging for the fences when he writes political commentary as entertainment for television. This was first evinced in the network television series, The West Wing, and…Continue

Tags: The Newsroom, Will McAvoy, Aaron Sorkin

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Comment by Loren Miller on September 19, 2018 at 9:33pm: Precisely, Joan. Weather reporting is particularly nightmarish, because of the insane number of variables which are involved. This is part of the reason why, the further one tries to project the path of a storm over time, the wider the error bars get, and why meteorologists are always (or damned well should be!) circumspect in their language when forecasting.

On the other hand, when is the last time the bible predicted a weather event with ANYTHING resembling accuracy?!?

Comment by Joan Denoo on September 19, 2018 at 3:54pm: Bertold & Loren, "how close is the model to what is modeled?"

Weather reporting and forecasting offers an exellent example of the changes that take place in reporting and predicting as new infoermation and new technology develops.

Comment by Joan Denoo on September 19, 2018 at 3:52pm: Loren, I agree, the bible exists as fiction because it cannot correct itself or be corrected by new information. It survives as a poor and faulty histoy as well.

Comment by Loren Miller on September 19, 2018 at 5:57am: The more you love, the more you can love -- and the more intensely you love. Nor is there any limit on how many you can love. If a person had time enough, he could love all of that majority who are decent and just.
-- Robert A. Heinlein, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

The longer I've been on this planet, the more I've come to appreciate the truth of the above statement. Sure, it flies in the face of the model of monogamy which many societies insist on as "normal." Many of the concepts Heinlein put forward in his novels run counter to convention.

That doesn't make them wrong.

Comment by Loren Miller on September 18, 2018 at 10:27pm: Indeed, Bertold. The question becomes: how close is the model to what is modeled, and can the model be improved upon, to better reflect what it is meant to represent? The problem is that a book cannot do that if the book cannot admit itself to change, editing, or updating.

The bible admits of no flaw in itself, though it is rife with such flaws, and its representatives will not concede to the existence of those errant passages. I submit that such disqualifies it from any claim to reference, never mind authority.

Comment by Bertold Brautigan on September 18, 2018 at 9:01pm: . . ., there is a big difference between using a belief as a model and adopting a belief as an explanation.

~Alan Chapman

Comment by Loren Miller on September 18, 2018 at 6:38pm: It isn't just a circle of life, it's a circle of matter. Until we can import things from off-planet, this planet is materially a mostly closed system, and we had better learn that in a hurry.

Comment by Bertold Brautigan on September 18, 2018 at 4:03pm: Joan, that reminds me of something from somewhere back in the 70s: There's no "away" where we can throw anything.

Comment by Joan Denoo on September 18, 2018 at 3:08pm: "Everybody lives downstream from something or someone."

~ Larry Montgomery, Spokane, WA. artist

Comment by Loren Miller on September 18, 2018 at 11:25am: Precisely, Spud. All the hand-waving and referring to the bible and talking about subjective experiences amounts to ZILCH. If you don't have the goods and can drag them out and SHOW them to us, all that amounts to is a waste of our time.