Vicki

“…suffering both at the hands of Christians as well as experiencing some kindness and love.”

What a horror story, and what dogged strength and resilience from the writer! 
All the familiar draconian and […]

Martin Peter Clarke #2

So there’s not even a placebo effect? Nobody feels encouraged, the better for being prayed for?

Hi Martin. I liken praying to meditation, and in that context I think it might take t […]

quarecuss #463

gist of it was carbon taxes like rearranging deck chairs
on the titanic after it hit the iceberg

It’s a shame I couldn’t read your original comment, but I can’t say the truncated one is ve […]

Marco #45

And it’s struck me a few times now that we’re not always as welcoming to newcomers as we might be…

That got me wondering and thinking back to when I started posting here. I was hesitant, and I don […]

…and there are some I’m not qualified to contribute to at all, so I just enjoy reading those and hopefully learning something along the way.

Same here, especially (ironically) if the topics are s […]

Buc, Phil, and Marco
Kudos on the topic of souls. It makes for an interesting excursion, much like the lengthy discussion on the concept of spirituality that we had a few months (maybe it was years) back. 
As I […]

quarecuss # 459

Question: could a carbon tax encompass methane emissions?

Alan Appleby #34
All good points, Alan, but if anything, they highlight the elephant: none of those points would be issues without the often-modified tenets of Christianity itself.

LaurieB #32

I see no value in the discussion of the soul…

I’m with you, Laurie. To me, the idea of a soul is just consciousness in a snazzier suit. And when you think about it, are we ignoring the elephant in […]

What drew you to Geoffrey of Monmouth?!
The book was mentioned in a PBS show Secrets of the Dead:King Arthur’s Lost Kingdom Season 17 Episode 3 – Bing video
It took me a little while to really warm to […]

@Marco #450
I have just finished the most extraordinary book: You People, by Nikita Lalwani.
Your summary intrigued me enough to order the book. It will be my next read, after I finish “The History of the Kings […]

Dawkins’ new book looks intriguing!

I’ll wait until the price comes down a little before ordering it, but it definitely made my list!

@Michael

I get it.

I don’t see myself as antitheist–although I strongly resent theism pushing itself into secular areas such as politics and education. In that respect I am very antitheist. Others’ religious […]

@Michael #418
If a supernatural being is not required, there must be compelling evidence to accept that such exists, and until such is forthcoming the rational position is atheism, or even better antitheism — R […]

While I do not agree with the Supreme Court’s ruling, I look at the issue a little differently. To me, the heart of the problem stems from the city’s poor choice of subcontracting the adoption process out to an […]

Good luck with “Ulysses” Marco, it was far too complex for me.

@Phil #396
Why do you think so few can be involved in proposing futures?
Most certainly futures can be proposed by anyone, and writers and composers often make those propositions with a flair that touches us to […]

@Marco #393
I really do think it’s going to be difficult to find a definition of “literary” that doesn’t include a high degree of artistry and human insight.
IMO, it would be harder to define “artistry and human i […]

@Marco #388
I also don’t think it’s necessary for a great work of literary fiction to have anything at allto say about better ways of ordering society. For me, its greatness can consist almost entirely in the qual […]

@phil rimmer #379

I wonder which authors have most contributed to a non-crass vision of a viable future? Not a totality perhaps but perhaps in sectors…or preparatory stages….?
Or are narratives like that ant […]