Steve Ruis on his Class Warfare Blog just added a post that included some awesome graphics from a Quora.com contributor. I commented on one of them and he directed me to the author’s page, “CommonSenseAtheism — The Ongoing Adventures of Maude and Eugene.”
Thank you, Steve!
The graphics are soooo SPOT-ON that I wanted to give them more exposure. Besides, some of you may want to use Maude’s responses as they are perfect retorts to common Christian statements.
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NOTE: I’m not sure if you have to be a Quora member to access the page, but if so, it’s no big deal to sign up. In fact, you might even enjoy taking part and/or reading some of the Quora conversations.
Nan's Notebook 
Great quote. I’ll have to check out that website.
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Hello Nan. I clicked the link and got right to the site. It has a lot of good stuff not just the memes. Tomorrow I will look into signing up for Quora or other ways to follow the site. Thanks to you and Steve for giving us another good resource for fighting the disinformation. Hugs
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Hello Nan. Also if people want a link to just the cartoons they can go here: https://www.quora.com/q/commonsenseatheism/The-Ongoing-Adventures-of-Maude-and-Eugene
I still recommend the full site as the arguments presented to religious dogma was worth reading. Hugs
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Great post. This Quora contributor reads Class Warfare regularly. Thanks for spreading the word.
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I have contributed to Quora under a different name for quite a few years. Some of the questions people ask are out of this world or completely Trump like ridiculous. You quite often would like to give them some hot verbal curry, but be careful Quora will remove content and send a warning….so I have heard:)
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Although I’m a “member,” I never contribute. I do get a small taste of some of the craziness through a daily email that notifies me of various questions and answers related to my noted interests. Most of them are Trump-related and are often quite hilarious!
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Creation is not a belief. To those searching, coming from a mind of reason, people realize creation. Even Einstein, who was (I believe) an atheist earlier on realized creation. This is clear to those who are truly searching but not trying to defend a belief due to their own private reasons.
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On Einstein. He clarified however that, “I am not an atheist”, preferring to call himself an agnostic, or a “religious nonbeliever.” Einstein also stated he did not believe in life after death, adding “one life is enough for me.” He was closely involved in his lifetime with several humanist groups. (Wikipedia)
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One thing theists seem to always do is to point to a prominent person/scientist etc., and declare they are not atheists, as though that is the end of the discussion. They cannot, or refuse, to understand that they are Christian, Hindi, or Muslim due to where they are born and raised.
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As you say it does seem really strange that the theists can not spot the obvious fact about the god they worship being determined due to where they were raised.
And of course none of them can work out the puzzle that if the particular god they worship actually does have the power to communicate and guide humans to a better life on Earth and to an eternal life after death as their holly books claim, why has the true god they worship not been clearly identified and stood up above all the other false man made gods?
Maybe theists should think about worshipping all the gods on Earth or have they considered they all just the same god with a different name and a set of rules? Or just maybe all the theists are not quite smart enough to realise that none of them are any kind of god? I put my money on this one.
Theists will claim their gods do things in mysterious ways. In fact Trumps presidency is considered a divine act of God by his followers, but he has actually reversed some of the traditional morals and principles of their Christian God and provided the momentum through God to divide communities, therefore this is truly a mysterious act and in fact proves these theists are far more stupid than we ever thought.
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Oh, they can see that without any difficulty.
They are just overjoyed that they were raised in the right place so that they could find the one true God. At least that’s how most of them think about it, and how they dismiss the problem.
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The easy confidence with which I know another man’s religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.
Mark Twain
Stripping away the irrational, the illogical, and the impossible, I am left with atheism. I can live with that.
Mark Twain
“… raised in the right place …”
That was exactly my mindset at one time. I declared Muslims would produce the antichrist. The Asian religions were myths, ad infinitum.
I knew I was a very smart person with all the answers. My, my. When people deceive themselves. Our brains become like a diode only admitting Christianity to pass through.
I think, though, that if with my limited education I could free myself from that yoke, anyone else can do it. But something has to click in the mind. I went from an obnoxious self-appointed Evangelist to an obnoxious atheist. Now if I can just shed the obnoxious.
I just wanted to share a little bit of my adventure, trying to not be too much of a hypocrite. I do not mean to de-convert.
If I have stepped over a line with this post, remove it from the thread, and please accept my apology.
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Stephen Greenblatt from “The Rise And Fall Of Adam And Eve” on George Smiths deciphering the clay tablets of Nineveh:
“Laboring feverishly over newly found tablets as well as tablets that had been languishing on the shelves for years, Smith identified and succeeded in translating the ‘Enuma Elish’. After two thousand years of forgetting, both deliberate and accidental, it became clear that the Hebrew origin story had not stood alone, in solitary splendor. The opening of Genesis was evidently a response to what the captives heard over and over again s they sat ane wept by the waters of Babylon.”
The further translating of the cuneiform tablets revealed other creation and flood stories. The Hebrew version is a late-comer.
“Theists will claim their gods do things in mysterious ways. ”
The mysterious actions of their gods is limited only by the imagination of their creators. They cannot worship each others gods because they all want to have their own in preeminence; all others must either be subservient or nonexistent.
Life after death is evil genius: fear of the loss of an abstract invention is key to keeping the sheep in the herd. Mythological tales of fabulous kingdoms exist in many societies, not meant as things to be achieved as a reward for credulity, actually, but to stir and titillate the imagination. There is the reason for the church’s burning of books and their authors.
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Thanks for the links, you and the other commenters. The atheist (a, as in no, theist, as in believing fairy tales and magic) community is not very large, so I appreciate new connections. I am a member of the FFRF, Friendly Atheist, and Point of Inquiry. You did well. Scottie also.
“A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on his past actions and their motives— of approving of some and disapproving of others; and the fact that man is the one being who certainly deserves this designation, is the greatest of all distinctions between him and the lower animals.”
Charles Darwin. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (Kindle Locations 11287-11289).
Robert M. Persig:
When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called Religion.
Nuff sed.
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Some good. Second to last absolutely wrong. Rhetoric isn’t real because it’s been said in the past. And people define the word differently, often by their own rhetoric and experiences. The very fact that the discussion wrote about motives, disapproval, and such points to an overall understanding shared by all. This commonality indicates a shared conscience, and shared standard by which all (or most) agree, even if they don’t always exemplify the best. Following the trail of reason, eventually we realize creation.
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I am so happy to disagree with you. Following the trail of reason has never led to creation. The only fact about creation is that it has been sustained for ages by people who depend on it for a living. There are exactly zero facts to sustain an argument for it. Now if you want to debate the existence of a creator god, then it is on you to provide supporting facts. I’m not going to engage in the circular arguments of creation. That is the realm of people who have determined there is no use for education beyond what is delivered by the priesthood.
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Thank you so much for the reply. As two people in a car accident, or two people seeing exactly the same car accident, standing next to each other, see completely different things, so when regards common sense and understanding. I share. And those who are looking can contemplate for themselves. To those who are already attempting to prove something, are closed to understanding, for there’s plenty out there for people to peruse, that is for them.
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For some reason, that statement seems to lack veracity. Depending on the powers of observation one may report some detail the other missed, but by no means “completely different things.” It will be the duty of the accident investigator to arrive at a reasonable determination of the facts.
The star that exploded to create this galactic beauty was first seen from Earth in 1054 A.D. This composite of the Crab Nebula was made with data from our Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue and white), Hubble Space Telescope (purple), and Spitzer Space Telescope (pink).
May 2020:
Follow this link to see this view in the Crab Nebula:
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/the-crab-nebula-observations-through-time
Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: NASA-JPL-Caltech
966 years. I don’t like to open a paragraph with numerals, but I want to make a point. Nine hundred and sixty-six years is how long women and men have been able to study this event, What they were able to observe then was what the human eye alone could see. The first telescope was about 500 years in the future. Today, thanks to the advancement of technology we see a view that could not be imagined in 1054 AD. Then it was seen as a sign from heaven. Today we know it was an exploding star.
Perspective changes through time and scientific discovery. Education drives back the darkness and shadows of ignorance. Mathematics, biology, empirical research with no exceptions for mythology or magic close the gaps in our understanding.
Plato
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
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“To those who are already attempting to prove something, are closed to understanding, for there’s plenty out there for people to peruse, that is for them.”
To have something to prove does not mean abandoning understanding or thinking there is no reason to continue to learn. That is the tragedy of religion: it stifles curiosity. As one said, “it causes us to be satisfied with ignorance (or words to that effect).” Dawkins. ???
I came to this site because it accepts atheists. I am an atheist. I seek my own ilk for refuge, fellowship, and exchange of thoughts. Most people you encounter here are survivors of Christianity, but some from other religions. For my part, you are welcome here as long as you abide by the rules of the site manager.
You have challenged a couple of things I posted, and that is good, but you have not offered any argument except to say “absolutely wrong.” When I taught Bible study I always promised that I would find an answer. If I declared something to be wrong, I was obligated to prove why. If there is an argument you want to make, the courteous thing would be to clearly state it. I have no desire to deconvert you and I have no fear that you will reconvert me. If there is a subject to be discussed or a point to be raised, then state it plainly.
Otherwise, I will leave you with this thought:
Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.”
Demosthenes
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An intellectual will use anything as a debater. For fun, I used to take opposite sides, something we learned to understand opposing views, as ridiculous as some of them are. There’s a far cry difference between honesty and intellectualism. And I know you’ll use that in your next response.
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I gave you several opportunities to respond to my comments. So much for your exercises in a debate. You have responded with deflections, non-responses, and strawman arguments. I should be flattered you identify me as an intellectual? I’ve been called worse. By intellectuals.
“Creation is not a belief.” Hmmmm.
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There are different levels of intelligence, and an intellectual without wisdom is information without real understanding. I say this for the readers. I have found, through articles, that while so many work so hard to place a blind-fold over others’ eyes, some of us encourage thinking for yourself and pondering, not attaching one’s self to anyone who seems intelligent, but to critically consider what is being said. Again. This is for the reader: to those who are truly looking to understand. I can’t help the rest who like to sound good without understanding. *On the opportunity thing, which I think I now know the speaker is tied to another name, that’s interesting in this public forum.
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I suppose I should feel flattered that I have such an “intellectual” commenting on my blog, but somehow I really dislike the preaching and pseudo reprimands from someone who, in essence, has offered little substance of his/her own.
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I am not going to question your opinions. I am not going to meddle with your belief. I am not going to dictate to you mine. All that I say is, examine, inquire. Look into the nature of things. Search out the grounds of your opinions, the for and the against. Know why you believe, understand what you believe, and possess a reason for the faith that is in you.”
—Frances Wright, “Divisions of Knowledge” (1828)
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Some people just can’t hear when understanding is right in front of them. I have seen a lot of that over the years. Thankfully, the ones with understanding, many of them, help others to see. That will be all for now. I leave it to those who want to understand.
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Now I’m going to check out those links.
Thanx
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It’s also silly.
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I completely believe in the bible, that God exists outside time and space, created everything through His Son, Jesus Christ, then sent His Son for Us, to His glory. This took decades of pondering, talking, reading, research, and most importantly, observation. Having said that, I also realize some of my own hypocrisies, but I’ve also learned when many people focus on the problems and hypocricies of others, what often they’re doing is making themselves feel “right”, hiding from their own hypocricies, and enjoy pointing out others’ problems. It’s a way of feeling right but not really hearing the messages. I know because I’ve been that person.
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Your experiences are your own. If you are content with the decision you made after “pondering, talking, reading, research, and observation” … then it must be right for you. However, this does NOT make it right for everyone.
Please do not evangelize. Others will find their own way in their own time. In fact, many of the people who visit my blog already have and do not need your assistance. Thanks.
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I am amazed at how those who purport to be honest find ways to criticize real conversation rather than realize to have real conversations. If they are not quoted verbatim, they criticize, then say things like we don’t need your help. This, I believe, is in part why many have turned away. There is, I believe, an agenda they aren’t aware of or don’t want to admit. I am encouraging them not to throw the baby out with the bathwater due to such attitudes, that though some go to church, that does not mean they should follow them. Each person has to follow their own path. As one friend shared, when he asked his father what the meaning of life is, his father explained that was something he would have to find for himself. Remember, blogs are public forums, and if the writer doesn’t want real conversations and opinions, they ought not to blog. I blog. I accept whatever people say in response. In this way, responses can be responded to.
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Blogs may be, as you say, “public forums,” but this happens to be MY public forum/blog and I make the rules.
And in making those rules, I have decided to moderate any future comments from you as I do not feel you are contributing anything to the topic or the ongoing conversations. If/when I feel you have offered something of substance, I will remove the moderation. It’s up to you.
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