Nice Comment

Comment was by Ian Mason on December 11, 2022 at 10:52pm

How are you feeling, Patricia?

Comment was by Ian Mason on December 11, 2022 at 10:50pm

That surface look treacherous for anything on wheels and more so if there are two wheels.

Comment was by Mrs.B on December 11, 2022 at 6:12pm

Oh no, but glad he's okay.

Comment was by Stephen Brodie on December 11, 2022 at 5:31pm

Let it snow, let it snow. I was looking at the Abbey Road webcam when I saw a motorbike slide off onto the snow and ice. He was OK thankfully.

Comment was by Chris B on December 9, 2022 at 1:03am

Welcome Josh!

I tried that too long ago, to opt for inclusion, but when I understood that all concessions were to be mine and I would still be looked down upon, I quickly stopped.

When asked, I say that I'm not religious - it doesn't annoy people to say that.

Comment was by Josh Karpf on December 8, 2022 at 5:16pm

Ian, belated congratulations from me too (I'm new).

A conformance I've always encouraged, here in the urban US Northeast, is for atheists to, on dating services, to label themselves, if they can, "spiritual not religious" rather than "atheist" or "agnostic," or they'll disqualify themselves from the get-go.

A conformance that surprised me was when I visited Italy, where Rome-area atheists told me they were more assertive about getting their children baptized than campaigning for church-state separation: they preferred inclusion to separatism.

Comment was by Ian Mason on December 8, 2022 at 3:34pm

Thanks for the good wishes. We're doing things slowly and carefully.

Christopher Hitchens was recieved into the Greek Orthodox church to please his fiancé and to be able to have a GO wedding. His second marriage was performed by a liberal rabbi.

Richard Dawkins didn't see any problem with leading grace at the High Table of his university.

A remarkable number of people conform when it suits them. I've started going to aikido and there's a lot of bowing and other ritual that has some kind of sacral basis and I put up with it because there's no chance of me changing the world of martial arts. I still go along with the crowd at weddings and funerals out of respect for the people concerned. Otherwise, I just steer clear of 'worship' which is fairly easy to do in northern Europe.

Comment was by Josh Karpf on December 8, 2022 at 2:09pm

A lifelong atheist, I first went to a synagogue to please a Jewish gf I was deeply in love with. I read up on sabbath-service rituals so I'd know what to expect. As always I would not say/sing prayers/hymns; I just didn't want to be the only one sitting when everyone else stood. So we're in the last row, like newbies at a yoga class, probably also making out, too, as we often did in the last row in theaters. And suddenly, while singing, the entire goddamn congregation turns around to face us. A ritual moment I'd missed. I felt like I was in a Monty Python sketch.

Comment was by Mrs.B on December 8, 2022 at 1:45pm

I did that in church when I was a young girl. I decided not to bow head, & close eyes once, to see what would happen....nothing of course, & I looked at everyone in prayer position, & thought they looked ridiculous. I never bowed my head or closed my eyes again. I think I was 9 or 10 at the time. Not very old anyway.

Comment was by Randall Smith on December 8, 2022 at 8:04am

Two days ago, I attended a "breakfast get-together" of many retired school teachers that I worked with. Someone gave a prayer before eating. I stood off to the side (trying not to listen), looked over the group of 25, and observed every single person head bowed and eyes closed. I've read that only 3% of Americans are true atheists. I was that one in this gathering (and proud of it). You can imagine what was going through my mind.

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