Arianne’s review of The God Argument: The Case against Religion and for Humanism > Likes and Comments
48 likes · Like
So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!
Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"
Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting reviews on Amazon due to paragraphs such as the one that opens of this review.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"
Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting reviews on Amazon due to paragraphs such as the..."
Don't get me going on GR vs Amazon reviews. None of my GR reviews can be posted to Amazon and that is the case with strong strong editing to boot. Such hypocrites. Like I get warned for comments as well and those comments are nothing more than words and phrases taken from the book being reviewed, the book they sell, the book they make so much money off of and yet they will gladly make money off such vile and disgusting books (I read thrillers, horror and extreme horror mostly) but I as a reviewer or poster cannot add my two bits at all which are way less offensive than what I am referring to in the book they sell and make money off of. No rationality at all!! I foresee them going to no comments by the way, just having the like option only because they do not like discussions like this either :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"
Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting reviews on Amazon due to paragr..."
Wow, Very similar to my experience. In my review of the book 'American Psychosis' by David Corn I connected the dots from American psychosis to Christian Nationalism. The review quickly accumulated over 200 'likes' and was then deleted by Amazon. This also happened with my review of 'The Demon Haunted World' by Carl Sagan. Soon after posting, my review become the number one review on Amazon, it was deleted and I was banned.
It is obvious, the Amazon review process is moderated by Christian theocratic fundamentalist fanatics who cannot tolerate any opinion different for their own.
Needles to say, none of my reviews included foul language or threats of violence.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"
Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting reviews on Amazon ..."
Wow, it really makes you wonder. As mentioned I did very strong edits and tried to make things politically correct and watched the related words and language and still would keep getting rejected. I totally avoid Amazon now as far as attempting to post reviews are concerned nor do I bother with Amazon reviews either. Keep up the great reviews Arianne, most posters thoroughly enjoy them!!
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"
Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting re..."
Thanks so much Luna. Amazon deleted all of my reviews when they banned me, about 390 reviews in all. An act of spiteful vengeance by the fanatical cult members.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"
Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned fr..."
That's just so wrong. I don't get the mentality at all but then again I look around and think how did we all end up at this point. Scary indeed..................
Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?
Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"
Thanks for the recommendation. I guess Ligotti has some great fictional stuff too and I have not read him. Your recommendation looks great. I am a poli sci honours graduate. I have read a lot of history, poli sci books, philosophical books etc. I was so into things but saw that no one else cared so in a way I stopped caring too and I just read fiction so as to not work myself up so to speak because that is what happens. I do admire the type of reading you do and have bought a religious based book as well as a book on the Roman Empire as well. I want to read that kind of stuff again just to broaden my base again. As mentioned your recommendation looks great at the non fiction as well as the fiction level. Definitely intrigued and really appreciate you pointing him out to me!!
Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"
Hey Arianne. So I just love the idea of a non fiction horror. Like just wild. I will be adding the conspiracy against the human race as well as teatro grottesco to start with. Can't believe I never heard of him before and just wanted to say thanks for bringing him to my attention. That non fiction has really piqued my curiosity. Like wow, so stoked :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"
Hey Arianne. So I just love the idea of a non fi..."
The scariest things in life are the things that are real.
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"
Hey Arianne. So I just love the idea of a non fi..."
You might also like the 'Horror Of Philosophy' series by Eugene Thacker:
Vol 1. 'In the Dust of This Planet'
Vol 2. 'Starry Speculative Corpse'
Vol 3. 'Tentacles Longer Than Night'
Best,
Arianne
PS: I also picked up a poli sci degree along the way.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"
Hey Arianne. So I just love the ide..."
Thanks so much for the Thacker recommendations. I have not heard or read of him either. I will look into him as well. I think I will start with the Ligotti 's The Conspiracy against the Human Race. That is so cool re your degree. It sounds like you have more than one. I think most of us who graduate are close to another one just based on our electives and such. I am a course or two shy of an economics one as well as a religious studies one. I kind of always thought of going back but never did. And man all my friends told me to go to law school after graduating poli sci. I think I should have listened as they are all loaded. Thanks again for all your tips Arianne, they are much appreciated :)
Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com.
Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy and history. I have also written five books, more of a hobby than a serious attempt at authorship, but they are still available. More non-fiction horror - but you are likely better off staying with the professional, e.g., Thacker and Ligotti. Now I know why they say "don't try this at home".
Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com.
Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy and history. I have also written five books, m..."
lol, I too dabble in writing. Nothing published or self published and I had a great book idea and thought ok what would you do after that one project. Well now I have like 8 manuscripts on the go. I write POV so it is no problem jumping from one to the other when a related thought comes to me. Or from a chapter on re the start of one vs the middle vs the end as it just flows. I find writing easy but hard in that I shut out the world around me including family which is clearly not good! I will check out your library. PS I just love your name :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com.
Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy and history. I have also writt..."
Your mean my pseudonym. Pretend Person? :) It is one of five pseudonyms under which I write, or coauthor with myself - literary incest with myself I guess.
Yes, reading and writing is a lonely affair one has with oneself.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com.
Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy and history. I ha..."
lol, well kudos to you as I for one really like it and yeah on sites like this you have to really hide your identity to be safe. I have a few ideas for an authors name. I need to keep it close to mine because I can only do my signature as it is basically illegible and I cannot really write cursive in the same way over and over so I will switch two letters in my last name and the first name can be anything as basically it will be scribble except for the first letter. This all likely makes no sense to you but it does to me so my apologies. lol Take care Arianne and thanks again for everything.
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com.
Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy a..."
You would be shocked at what makes sense to me :) In any case, please let me know if you publishing anything. I would like to take a look at it.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com.
Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in..."
Thanks so much Arianne. It would be awesome to have an author take a peek at it. Really appreciate it. Ps ordered the Conspiracy against the Human Race. It really intrigued me. Ps I scoured your books and wow quite unique. I may start with Abandoned Book or Unfashionable Darkness. It is only Feb 9 though and my monthly book allowance has been met. My wife is losing it as books have arrived every day I think. I tell her that at least I am reading them, lol. Also ordered my first true crime book breaking my rules. I picked up American Predator but hear that it reads like fiction but is sadly all too much true...............
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com.
Yes, more the one degree and great deal of m..."
'Abandoned Book' is the non-book, book. The book that was never written but yet exits in some sort of shadowy void of partial existence.
Please tell your wife that books are an essential necessity, not a luxury, and thus there should be no budgetary cap on acquiring them.
lol, no I get it. Alexa just announced a bunch more I am getting and she flipped. I likely got 100 on my kindle and rarely read on my kindle and then I have 4 book shelves and I have a series of upright books like any bookshelf should have and then in front of those I have series of books laid out in front of them in piles. I totally agree with you but I have at least 300 physical books and honestly my reading tastes have changed and many of these I have no interest in. I need to stop coming to this site as I clearly have a problem, lol. :)
Luna wrote: "lol, no I get it. Alexa just announced a bunch more I am getting and she flipped. I likely got 100 on my kindle and rarely read on my kindle and then I have 4 book shelves and I have a series of up..."
I am sure you noticed that the five books I wrote are not available as eBooks. This is intentional on my part. I read and own physical books exclusively. I own over 2,000 physical books that reside in the many matching bookcases located in my private study and stand as a work of art and as a monument raised to honor the written word.
eBooks, and AI writing, be damned!
Sounds like we have the same book fetish problem :)
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "lol, no I get it. Alexa just announced a bunch more I am getting and she flipped. I likely got 100 on my kindle and rarely read on my kindle and then I have 4 book shelves and I have a..."
Well I did not notice that fact. It's because I do not seek out ebooks at all. Yet many extreme horror books I read are novella's or just kind of short generally page wise so I will not fork out good money for that and I max out at $5ish for their ebook versions. Most can be had for a dollar or two, lol. That's basically my ebook genre, extreme horror and I read that very seldomly anyway.
I really admire your overall thinking though and for sure physical books rule. Are we becoming hoarders though, cuz I can see it unfolding before my very eyes............
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "lol, no I get it. Alexa just announced a bunch more I am getting and she flipped. I likely got 100 on my kindle and rarely read on my kindle and then I have 4 book shel..."
Yes, I have never parted with any book I owned. Does this make me hoarder of books? Yes again, I take great pride in being a bibliophile book hoarder, collector. Walls of books are great monuments to the intellect but they are becoming increasingly rare in this anti-intellectual age dominated by anti-literate morons whom I despise, at least in the U.S. I am very much an anachronism and take great pride again in being a snob in minds of fools.
Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the problem to me. Tell them what they want to hear and they be..."
There is nothing like new book day. Today, fives book arrived, all by James Romm. I already read 'Ghost On The Throne' and 'Dying Everyday' (sounds like my life) by Romm. Today, the stork left these five children on my doorstep for me to adopt and case for, viz.,
'Herodotus'
'The Sacred Band'
'Demosthenes'
'Demetrius Sacker Of Cities
'Plato And The Tyrant'
I need the diversion of ancient (Classical and Hellenistic) history and philosophy to distract me form the daily dose of American Christian fascism. Romm is highly readable on thee subjects.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the problem to me. Tell them what they want to hea..."
I always got to wound up reading philosophy and strong political books. My brother sadly followed me in reading some crazy philosophy and it really affected him in a negative way. It might have something to do with why I avoid certain books like that now. Yet when I see some good reviews on some big subjects like this one being reviewed I am so drawn to them. A lot of time has passed since I read all that kind of stuff and I have picked up a few books of late which I will be reading soon enough. My wife will be leaving to visit my daughter for ten days leaving me alone and my imagination is nuts so no horror or thrillers during that time and just some good old fashioned religious history themed books should keep me safe from my own mind, lol. Seriously my mind can scare the hell out of me!! 5 new books, very nice indeed. Enjoy :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the problem to me. Tell them what ..."
If you want to do religious studies, how about 'The Dark Side Of Christian History' by Helen Ellerbe and 'Holy Horrors' by James A. Haught?
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the problem to me. Te..."
Thanks so much Arianne, I will check these out. I do plan to write like mad when I am left alone for ten days. My mind is racing with ideas and I can barely keep them in order. I am sure you identify :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the p..."
Oh no, your mind sounds like my mind, cursed and dammed.
Here is a quote from my fourth book, viz., 'Abandoned Book':
Raging Against the Outrage of Existence
Warning: What is contained in this book is a storm from a mind broken lose onto paper as I cannot run from this experiment, this writing, this obliteration of myself, this detachment from the display version of my ‘Self’ in an intolerable state of Freudian narcissism. Most of the rest is the sadness of my madness pouring out into a stream of unbalanced consciousness. It is OK to hate this mind-bending babbling bitch because what is not understood or not readily understandable is often hated. I suggest reading the rest of this rage and then abandoning this book before it is too late.
Incredible, just awesome writing. I am going to get this one and remember it was the one I found most appealing.
I tell my wife at night I am like the Empire State building when it is a sleep so to speak and if I wake up and am unfortunate enough to think its like all the lights in the Empire building Starting with the lowest floor rapidly turning on and with blinding speed hit the second and then third all the way to the top until it is all lit up. I liken that process to my brain turning on and if that happens I am scre*ed and up for a very long long time, likely the night. Again great and awesome writing re the Abandoned Book. Like truly what original thinking!!
Luna wrote: "Incredible, just awesome writing. I am going to get this one and remember it was the one I found most appealing.
I tell my wife at night I am like the Empire State building when it is a sleep so t..."
Is this possible in the material human realm that we connect again? From the Quantum Prologue of 'Abandoned Book', p. 28.
"...This (the madness of creativity) comes into focus when I create the strange admixtures of fact and fiction that even I do not understand. I often awake in the middle of the night to hastily scratch notes into my bedside notebook only to awake in the morning to find the ravings of the madwomen, the scribblings of the night hag who invaded my bedroom in the middle of the night to leave cryptic notes and coded message that I spend the rest of the day trying to decipher and decode with my daytime thoughts; thoughts that do not apply well to the unfathomable waves of my night realm wonderings. I fictionalize my life to cope with the fiction of my life. I fail to feel things as I once did when I was solely in the human realm. Ties fail to bind; no goals drive me forward but onward I still stumble. I treasure no memories and cherish no future. The price extracted by the dark side of creativity is that of sanity itself. Don’t do it, you will suffer from the consequences of your own creativity as I suffer from the consequences of my own existence which become increasingly and singularly unthinkable. Read on if you dare."
like wow I got to get me that book. Like truly, holy smokes that's just amazing stuff Arianne and hits so close to home as well!! You really do have a flair for writing. You just write so well!
Luna wrote: "like wow I got to get me that book. Like truly, holy smokes that's just amazing stuff Arianne and hits so close to home as well!! You really do have a flair for writing. You just write so well!"
I am not trying to sell you books. Very few people read or even know of my books which is just as well. They are not for everyone. I really wrote them for myself which I guess means they are written for no one. I form of twisted therapy really. But in any case, here is an excerpt from my fifth book, viz., 'Offbeat Book', p. 40, on the same subject.
"The rooms in my house imitate human breathing, the corners absorb the warmth of human life, and the mirrors have their own favorites. Who smeared the dark blood of death on the mirrors where I see myself in the future? Where the hell are the household gods to help me? I guess I should fashion some household gods with the materials at hand. In the time-stay of the Faustian present moment I haunt each room in the empty desolate haunted halls of my own home in a state of deadly torment like the succubus in a diaphanous night dress as I truly am with my defective heart pounding and mocking me with each step I take (I never sleep through the night and am out of bed at least four sometimes five times overnight. This gives me plenty of time to haunt the halls). Crazed thoughts gallop through my mind like wild horses within and I have no reins to hold them back. My thoughts are the result of material dimensions but reside on the non-physical dimension of my imagination as an intimate aspect of myself. Each person represents a unique dimension of thought and presence to me. The dimensions of subjective reality are thus as plentiful as there are people with new ones created daily as old ones die off. For me, tonight’s broken dreams are the antecedents of tomorrow’s failed actions."
Luna wrote: "I know you are not trying to sell me books Arianne. I am just being really drawn to the abandoned book. Having said that the excerpt from offbeat book just so hits to home. I have always been so sc..."
I am an atheist and I have faced, conquered and then made peace with death so nothing in the blight of the night gives me a fright. I fight all comers in my guise of warrior queen against all that is benighted.
Darkness has become my friend as in the Simon & Garfunkel song. So I have no fear my dear.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "I know you are not trying to sell me books Arianne. I am just being really drawn to the abandoned book. Having said that the excerpt from offbeat book just so hits to home. I have alwa..."
You are truly kick ass!! I will admit though that as scared as I may be I am kind of not and take on anything, ghosts, devils whatever maybe that dare enter my domain. I totally get why people don't run when facing danger. It is not in our danger at all especially in our homes which are our castles :) You should see me take on my night terrors. I have fought the devil, fought all kinds of things that manifest themselves from the evil that constantly stalks me. As scared as I am I fight to the finish and always hope to wake up because something out there really does not want me to. But f that evil thing :) Ps I can always kind of sense when it is coming on so to speak and that is an uneasy feeling in and of itself!
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "I know you are not trying to sell me books Arianne. I am just being really drawn to the abandoned book. Having said that the excerpt from offbeat book just so hits to h..."
Yes, my teardrop shaped axx has been kicked. But in any case, what do you mean by sacred? There are no such things as ghosts or devils, or God for that matter. But night terrors, yes those are real indeed for the person who has them, knows them, lives with them, runs from them, and finally faces them. Mine come from my own physical maladies such as double genetic heart failure. I never sleep through the night and awake while it is still dark.
Maybe 'Abandoned Book' appeals to you becasue we have both been abandoned into the darkness. I wrote it in a fit of madness and rage, or maybe it was just a mad rage. I don't really trust myself anymore.
Our first disagreement. Oh there are ghosts devils and God rules but abandoned us. Jesus forgave us but daddy said to hell with you all for killing my son. Saw that in a recent book and just ate it up but seriously if my night terrors envision ghosts and devils I can't argue with it as it really does manifest itself in the epic battles I face. Like I see shadows and hear things at night which just are not normal. And I said it scares me not sacred and scares is a light word with regard to my night terrors. Terrifying is a light word too. It is literal insanity and I wish them on no one. You can laugh or mock me if you like but to me they are so real to me................
Luna wrote: "Our first disagreement. Oh there are ghosts devils and God rules but abandoned us. Jesus forgave us but daddy said to hell with you all for killing my son. Saw that in a recent book and just ate it..."
Why may I ask, did you like my review? I am an atheist and further, I do not believe that Jesus existed. He was just the latest in a long line of dying and rising mythical savior gods from the ancient near east with nearly the same mythological biography.
Our reality is fully material and casually closed. Not my opinion, this is just the physics.
So, I guess we can agree to disagree. :)
Luna wrote: "Ps note that I think no one likes to be challenged and I feel that's what you did with me. You questioned me when I think I laid things out quite clearly. Also this thread kind of has gotten to per..."
So, let me understand the ground rules of our discussion. You can make unproved claims and then become offended when they are challenged. Is this correct? Your have the right to make any claims you want and no one has the right to offer a counter perspective, correct? Any claim, with no evidence of support, no matter how brazen or baseless must be allowed to stand, correct? The challenger instantly becomes a villain. This is the arrogance of religious belief.
Luna wrote: "Well as a student of history you have to acknowledge the detailed history re Jesus as kept by the Romans. Why I liked your review is your anti religious slant and especially your opening paragraphs..."
What detailed history of the Roman? Do you mean the Testimonium Flavianum? This is a clear forgery perpetrated by Eusebius in the fourth century. The passages in Livy and Tacitus come mush later and only acknowledge the existence of 'Christians' as a cult and no one denies the existence of Christians as such the first and second centuries, but this in no way proves that Jesus existed. Other very reliable contemporary observers such as Philo of Alexandria never mention him.
Wow, I love your review and I agree 100% (or 600% in Trump speak) with your comments Arianne. Your comments nail the issues I have with religion too! Enough said.
I bet you[re also a fan of great atheists like Christopher Hitchens (RIP), Richard Dawkins and Stephen Fry, yes? There's also great intellectuals and thinker like Professor Brian Cox and Neil deGrasse Tyson too - right?
Who are your 'go-to' atheists/critical thinkers?
One closing point. It's so grating to know, the grubs responsible for the hatred, division and plain ignorance to the current US regime, are mostly (all?) Christians. It just blows my mind.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Ps note that I think no one likes to be challenged and I feel that's what you did with me. You questioned me when I think I laid things out quite clearly. Also this thread kind of has ..."
Funny as I took it as you being offended when I stated God exists. It seemed to me that you were really taken aback by me saying that. Like you had the right to say you were an atheist and that was that on the matter when clearly yeah you can believe what you believe and I can believe in God. Who knows who is right. All of us here do concur that organized religion is just a joke and to Mark's point yeah the Christian right is not Christian at all and way more in line with the teachings of the old testament and we know what religion that is. I never understood why they hide behind Christianity though as they clearly do not practice the teachings of Christ. Then again no one does or ever will as an organized religion imo as it simply is asking way way too much.
Mark wrote: "Wow, I love your review and I agree 100% (or 600% in Trump speak) with your comments Arianne. Your comments nail the issues I have with religion too! Enough said.
I bet you[re also a fan of great ..."
Wow, clever and delightful response Mark - thanks.
Hitchens, Dawkins, Fry - yes for sure! Add Dennett and Harris to Hitchens and Dawkins and we the Four Horseman.
You could not be more right. The Trump regime is a Christian Fascist regime. In my view, these people have not strayed from Christianity, they represent it in it's truest and most authentic irrational and intolerant nature. The 'humanist' Christians are the real heretics in terms of the more authentic faith.
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Ps note that I think no one likes to be challenged and I feel that's what you did with me. You questioned me when I think I laid things out quite clearly. Also this thr..."
I am not trying to be defensive, but I did conclude one message by saying we can agree to disagree after your noted our first disagreement. How can this be considered challenging?
But Christianity is a New Testament religion and the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament on Christianity's own terms. This is the point I was making in my reply to Mark above, the current crop of fundamentalist Old Testament Christians are the real Christians. The humanist or 'non-aligned' Christians are the modern heretics.
In any case, how can there be a belief in God without it becoming a religion? A religion actualizes the faith and this where the problems start.
My favourite religious studies prof always stressed that God and religion are just a way of life and of living and caring about one another .......along the lines of treat others as you would like to be treated. I always loved his lectures and that's why I kept taking his courses. It so rings true. Marx always stressed religion as the opiate of the people because organized religion is just manipulative of its followers. Again this type of communication we are currently engaged in kind of sucks in that there is no intonation that can be heard, no quick follow up so to speak to clear a point here or there. It is easy to get defensive or think a certain way when you can just be down right wrong and maybe that was my case here. The God I choose to believe in and the way I follow him would likely be seen by all who are part of an organized religion as to just be self serving. I have made my religion easy and no real work at all compared to those who attend a church and worship. They would scoff at the way I practice my religion. The last time I entered a church was at my sons wedding and prior to that likely 15-20 years of no church not even Christmas and Easter once a year deals. I have many out there thoughts re my God and yet who am I to know anything? Re God you cannot convince me there isn't one and I cannot convince you there is. Tough topic religion and politics and admittedly I know why people stay away from them, lol.
Luna wrote: "My favourite religious studies prof always stressed that God and religion are just a way of life and of living and caring about one another .......along the lines of treat others as you would like ..."
Your comment "The God I choose to believe in and the way I follow him..." shows that this God is your own invention. In any case, you sound more like a humanist than a Christian which is a good thing in my estimation.
The fact that religion and politics are tough topics as you put it is all the more reason why they need to be discussed and not avoided.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "My favourite religious studies prof always stressed that God and religion are just a way of life and of living and caring about one another .......along the lines of treat others as yo..."
Again you cannot judge my interpretation of God. Like my belief is an invention? Really? Like how dare you. Let me hail to you then. I am no different than any other stooge with opinion on the matter including you and the pope. No one knows - get that straight and apparently from this thread it really cannot be discussed because you are right and the rest of us mere idiots who need to learn to bow to you on the subject..............like wow. I have also gathered some anti Trump sentiment here but man all birds of a feather really and quite frankly he is so right about so many things including how Canada has so taken advantage of the States and for that matter so has the rest of the world too and of course all due to terrible leadership from the top of your regimes!! Like you want access to the richest market in the world maybe there should be a charge!! Like I live across from Detroit and we are the automotive capital of Canada and in the 70s early 80s you let European and Japanese automakers enter your markets. Why when the big three could not put any of their cars into those markets because they were too big for their roadways? And China - what the hell were you thinking building state of the art factories and the like into a country which clearly was not your friend. Oh yeah a quick buck which ultimately could lead to your undoing. Trump has recognized all that but it may be too late and trust me I so am not a Trumper but can CLEARLY see what he sees to a very large degree tbh.
Hi again,
I must say that the opening sentences, up to the "..............like wow." crescendo had my laughing out load in the early morning as I sipped my vanilla tea. :)
I any case, God is a human invention, this is not really new or controversial. It is not my original idea or claim to which all most bow. It has really been common knowledge among philosophers, historians, and scientists for thousands of years.
Your particular belief in God is your own invention based on your own choices by your own admission. To wit, "The God I choose to believe in and the way I follow him..." OK, if you feel you need this belief system for comfort and a coping I am not telling you to stop.
I get it, the human condition is one of existential dread and terror and people need a way of denying this, not facing it, ignoring it etc. Belief in God and an afterlife becomes the sine qua non. For personal comfort and coping, I have no objections to such beliefs. It is only when people try to force these beliefs on others, or want their beliefs taught in public schools, want to ban books based on their beliefs, try to pass laws enforcing their belief, etc., that I object.
I am not quite sure what is meant by your pro-Trump / anti-trump rant. It seems disconnected from the earlier point. Personally, I am not in favor of heavily armed masked government agents rooming the streets and assaulting as well as murdering people. But hey, the stock market likes fascism so I guess we will all float on OK.
No hard feelings.
Having slept on things I kind of get what you meant by me inventing God and knew you would say that anyone believing in him believes in an invention. So ok I will not take that as personally as I initially did. Re my Trump rant I saw references to the ruling elite and their corruption by both you and Mark so I took that as a swipe against Trump. Slight rants but they were there. And man oh man would I ever think Americans would sit back and take armed troops in their streets dolling out their own twisted justice - clearly NO. Yet to not have a general swell of opposition after Minnesotans fought the fight alone for so long well that is kind of disheartening that it did not spread nation wide. However, I was just pointing out that Trump is right about many things. Like with his free trade deal with Canada I sent him an email (through potus something or another) telling him he needed to get US telcos into Canada as our rates are insane and these US companies could easily compete. He ignored me. Then there was our proposed digital tax on basically meg 7 stocks where our govt was going to tax the REVENUE of these companies ( revenue not profits which is what is usually done) and oh get this it was a RETROACTIVE tax going back to 2021 if I am correct. Imagine anyone trying to get a retroactive tax done on anyone? There is your good friend Canada for you and we are not alone as the EU slaps hefty anti trust fines on Google, Micro and Meta on a regular basis. These companies provide and attempt to secure the net for all of us and yet the greed of your American cousins all want in on the fleecing of these companies. Is it their fault no European or Canadian company can compete against them? Note that Trump's tirade and threat of even higher tariffs put an end to Canada's digital tax but the EU just last week had a further issue with Facebook which is just a stepping stone for further punitive gouging of an American company. And I know I am going off topic re Trump but one more example of US regime stupidity. Canadians have a tax sheltered equivalent of a 401k known as an RRSP. They came out in the late 80s or 90s if I am correct and somehow they negotiated with the States that in those RRSPs Canadians could buy US listed stocks and pay no tax on the profits we make off of them. Like how the hell was that negotiated? The US losing out on hundreds of billions at this point if we are honest. In Trumps Big Beautiful Bill he wanted to get rid of that loophole and yet his Republican Senate said no that part of the bill has to come out. So that loophole remains. Like why, .... does that make any sense? Like if I own an American stock outside of that account and sell with profit the US IRA takes its cut but not in those RRSPs. My buys of US tech companies and the run they have had over the years has put such a smile on my face. Just wanted to show you some good things that Trump does see. One final note Canada, is basically already the 51st state and your country does not owe us or any other country anything. If you want to become a totally self sufficient country so be it. Do realize though that the US was the only western country without a sales tax or what is commonly known as a value added tax as well. These type of taxes are typically added at the end of the buying cycle. So in Canada ours is 13% so if you go to the checkout to buy a $10 product we have to shell out $11.30c. Your tariffs are a form of such a tax - yeah you now have a sales tax. I thought Americans hated taxes - apparently not. What is truly scary is it is a tariff on the front end of a purchase meaning when will companies do the following. Walmart has a pair of shorts they would sell for $10 (and clearly make a profit at that price) but hey lets have the consumer front the costs re the tariffs (as for some reason many companies are eating it at the moment) but say Walmart gets smart and says we can sell our Vietnam made shorts for ten plus the 20% tariff built in from Nams tariffs making it 12. Yet Walmart thinks hey no one knows what we really wanted to sell those shorts for so lets make them $14 and add the 20% making them just shy of $17 and adding basically a $5 extra profit to the profit they were already making. This likely will be the forthcoming norm and is likely what Fed chair Powell sees as a more inflationary period and why he will not cut rates as TACO wants. I apologize for the length here............
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Ps note that I think no one likes to be challenged and I feel that's what you did with me. You questioned me when I think I laid things out quite clearly. Also this thr..."
Yes, Luna - it's quite clear the MAGA Muppets of this world, many of whom are Christian, would not have a good bone in their body, and in fact if Jesus (if he was who people think he was) was here today, he would want nothing to do with them. Their so-called faith, gives them - the Christian Right - licence to leave their little brains at the front door, and allow their version of religious dogma to dictate their nasty ways :(
.............no different to the Ayatollahs murdering their own citizens, the Israelis bombing the crap out of Gaza, ISIS committing their atrocities etc etc etc. It's a nightmare. A nightmare caused by humankind's ability to dream up these fictions and create rules that have no remnants of human decency about them.
In my most humble opinion 🤗
back to top
message 1:
by
Luna
(new)
Feb 06, 2026 07:43AM
So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!
reply
|
flag
Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting reviews on Amazon due to paragraphs such as the one that opens of this review.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting reviews on Amazon due to paragraphs such as the..."
Don't get me going on GR vs Amazon reviews. None of my GR reviews can be posted to Amazon and that is the case with strong strong editing to boot. Such hypocrites. Like I get warned for comments as well and those comments are nothing more than words and phrases taken from the book being reviewed, the book they sell, the book they make so much money off of and yet they will gladly make money off such vile and disgusting books (I read thrillers, horror and extreme horror mostly) but I as a reviewer or poster cannot add my two bits at all which are way less offensive than what I am referring to in the book they sell and make money off of. No rationality at all!! I foresee them going to no comments by the way, just having the like option only because they do not like discussions like this either :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting reviews on Amazon due to paragr..."
Wow, Very similar to my experience. In my review of the book 'American Psychosis' by David Corn I connected the dots from American psychosis to Christian Nationalism. The review quickly accumulated over 200 'likes' and was then deleted by Amazon. This also happened with my review of 'The Demon Haunted World' by Carl Sagan. Soon after posting, my review become the number one review on Amazon, it was deleted and I was banned.
It is obvious, the Amazon review process is moderated by Christian theocratic fundamentalist fanatics who cannot tolerate any opinion different for their own.
Needles to say, none of my reviews included foul language or threats of violence.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting reviews on Amazon ..."
Wow, it really makes you wonder. As mentioned I did very strong edits and tried to make things politically correct and watched the related words and language and still would keep getting rejected. I totally avoid Amazon now as far as attempting to post reviews are concerned nor do I bother with Amazon reviews either. Keep up the great reviews Arianne, most posters thoroughly enjoy them!!
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned from posting re..."
Thanks so much Luna. Amazon deleted all of my reviews when they banned me, about 390 reviews in all. An act of spiteful vengeance by the fanatical cult members.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "So love that opening paragraph. True insight at its best. Awesome review!!"Thanks for your kind words. I have been banned fr..."
That's just so wrong. I don't get the mentality at all but then again I look around and think how did we all end up at this point. Scary indeed..................
Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?
Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"Thanks for the recommendation. I guess Ligotti has some great fictional stuff too and I have not read him. Your recommendation looks great. I am a poli sci honours graduate. I have read a lot of history, poli sci books, philosophical books etc. I was so into things but saw that no one else cared so in a way I stopped caring too and I just read fiction so as to not work myself up so to speak because that is what happens. I do admire the type of reading you do and have bought a religious based book as well as a book on the Roman Empire as well. I want to read that kind of stuff again just to broaden my base again. As mentioned your recommendation looks great at the non fiction as well as the fiction level. Definitely intrigued and really appreciate you pointing him out to me!!
Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"Hey Arianne. So I just love the idea of a non fiction horror. Like just wild. I will be adding the conspiracy against the human race as well as teatro grottesco to start with. Can't believe I never heard of him before and just wanted to say thanks for bringing him to my attention. That non fiction has really piqued my curiosity. Like wow, so stoked :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"Hey Arianne. So I just love the idea of a non fi..."
The scariest things in life are the things that are real.
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"Hey Arianne. So I just love the idea of a non fi..."
You might also like the 'Horror Of Philosophy' series by Eugene Thacker:
Vol 1. 'In the Dust of This Planet'
Vol 2. 'Starry Speculative Corpse'
Vol 3. 'Tentacles Longer Than Night'
Best,
Arianne
PS: I also picked up a poli sci degree along the way.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Just looked at your profile. Have you read any non-fiction horror, e.g. 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' by Thomas Ligotti?"Hey Arianne. So I just love the ide..."
Thanks so much for the Thacker recommendations. I have not heard or read of him either. I will look into him as well. I think I will start with the Ligotti 's The Conspiracy against the Human Race. That is so cool re your degree. It sounds like you have more than one. I think most of us who graduate are close to another one just based on our electives and such. I am a course or two shy of an economics one as well as a religious studies one. I kind of always thought of going back but never did. And man all my friends told me to go to law school after graduating poli sci. I think I should have listened as they are all loaded. Thanks again for all your tips Arianne, they are much appreciated :)
Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com. Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy and history. I have also written five books, more of a hobby than a serious attempt at authorship, but they are still available. More non-fiction horror - but you are likely better off staying with the professional, e.g., Thacker and Ligotti. Now I know why they say "don't try this at home".
Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com. Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy and history. I have also written five books, m..."
lol, I too dabble in writing. Nothing published or self published and I had a great book idea and thought ok what would you do after that one project. Well now I have like 8 manuscripts on the go. I write POV so it is no problem jumping from one to the other when a related thought comes to me. Or from a chapter on re the start of one vs the middle vs the end as it just flows. I find writing easy but hard in that I shut out the world around me including family which is clearly not good! I will check out your library. PS I just love your name :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com. Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy and history. I have also writt..."
Your mean my pseudonym. Pretend Person? :) It is one of five pseudonyms under which I write, or coauthor with myself - literary incest with myself I guess.
Yes, reading and writing is a lonely affair one has with oneself.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com. Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy and history. I ha..."
lol, well kudos to you as I for one really like it and yeah on sites like this you have to really hide your identity to be safe. I have a few ideas for an authors name. I need to keep it close to mine because I can only do my signature as it is basically illegible and I cannot really write cursive in the same way over and over so I will switch two letters in my last name and the first name can be anything as basically it will be scribble except for the first letter. This all likely makes no sense to you but it does to me so my apologies. lol Take care Arianne and thanks again for everything.
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com. Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in philosophy a..."
You would be shocked at what makes sense to me :) In any case, please let me know if you publishing anything. I would like to take a look at it.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com. Yes, more the one degree and great deal of my own reading in..."
Thanks so much Arianne. It would be awesome to have an author take a peek at it. Really appreciate it. Ps ordered the Conspiracy against the Human Race. It really intrigued me. Ps I scoured your books and wow quite unique. I may start with Abandoned Book or Unfashionable Darkness. It is only Feb 9 though and my monthly book allowance has been met. My wife is losing it as books have arrived every day I think. I tell her that at least I am reading them, lol. Also ordered my first true crime book breaking my rules. I picked up American Predator but hear that it reads like fiction but is sadly all too much true...............
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Since GR DMs have been turned off, my email is pretendperson@protonmail.com. Yes, more the one degree and great deal of m..."
'Abandoned Book' is the non-book, book. The book that was never written but yet exits in some sort of shadowy void of partial existence.
Please tell your wife that books are an essential necessity, not a luxury, and thus there should be no budgetary cap on acquiring them.
lol, no I get it. Alexa just announced a bunch more I am getting and she flipped. I likely got 100 on my kindle and rarely read on my kindle and then I have 4 book shelves and I have a series of upright books like any bookshelf should have and then in front of those I have series of books laid out in front of them in piles. I totally agree with you but I have at least 300 physical books and honestly my reading tastes have changed and many of these I have no interest in. I need to stop coming to this site as I clearly have a problem, lol. :)
Luna wrote: "lol, no I get it. Alexa just announced a bunch more I am getting and she flipped. I likely got 100 on my kindle and rarely read on my kindle and then I have 4 book shelves and I have a series of up..."I am sure you noticed that the five books I wrote are not available as eBooks. This is intentional on my part. I read and own physical books exclusively. I own over 2,000 physical books that reside in the many matching bookcases located in my private study and stand as a work of art and as a monument raised to honor the written word.
eBooks, and AI writing, be damned!
Sounds like we have the same book fetish problem :)
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "lol, no I get it. Alexa just announced a bunch more I am getting and she flipped. I likely got 100 on my kindle and rarely read on my kindle and then I have 4 book shelves and I have a..."Well I did not notice that fact. It's because I do not seek out ebooks at all. Yet many extreme horror books I read are novella's or just kind of short generally page wise so I will not fork out good money for that and I max out at $5ish for their ebook versions. Most can be had for a dollar or two, lol. That's basically my ebook genre, extreme horror and I read that very seldomly anyway.
I really admire your overall thinking though and for sure physical books rule. Are we becoming hoarders though, cuz I can see it unfolding before my very eyes............
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "lol, no I get it. Alexa just announced a bunch more I am getting and she flipped. I likely got 100 on my kindle and rarely read on my kindle and then I have 4 book shel..."Yes, I have never parted with any book I owned. Does this make me hoarder of books? Yes again, I take great pride in being a bibliophile book hoarder, collector. Walls of books are great monuments to the intellect but they are becoming increasingly rare in this anti-intellectual age dominated by anti-literate morons whom I despise, at least in the U.S. I am very much an anachronism and take great pride again in being a snob in minds of fools.
Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the problem to me. Tell them what they want to hear and they be..."There is nothing like new book day. Today, fives book arrived, all by James Romm. I already read 'Ghost On The Throne' and 'Dying Everyday' (sounds like my life) by Romm. Today, the stork left these five children on my doorstep for me to adopt and case for, viz.,
'Herodotus'
'The Sacred Band'
'Demosthenes'
'Demetrius Sacker Of Cities
'Plato And The Tyrant'
I need the diversion of ancient (Classical and Hellenistic) history and philosophy to distract me form the daily dose of American Christian fascism. Romm is highly readable on thee subjects.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the problem to me. Tell them what they want to hea..."I always got to wound up reading philosophy and strong political books. My brother sadly followed me in reading some crazy philosophy and it really affected him in a negative way. It might have something to do with why I avoid certain books like that now. Yet when I see some good reviews on some big subjects like this one being reviewed I am so drawn to them. A lot of time has passed since I read all that kind of stuff and I have picked up a few books of late which I will be reading soon enough. My wife will be leaving to visit my daughter for ten days leaving me alone and my imagination is nuts so no horror or thrillers during that time and just some good old fashioned religious history themed books should keep me safe from my own mind, lol. Seriously my mind can scare the hell out of me!! 5 new books, very nice indeed. Enjoy :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the problem to me. Tell them what ..."If you want to do religious studies, how about 'The Dark Side Of Christian History' by Helen Ellerbe and 'Holy Horrors' by James A. Haught?
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the problem to me. Te..."Thanks so much Arianne, I will check these out. I do plan to write like mad when I am left alone for ten days. My mind is racing with ideas and I can barely keep them in order. I am sure you identify :)
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Anti literate morons are everywhere and the lemmings who just believe what they are told to me are the bigger problem. The masses are the p..."Oh no, your mind sounds like my mind, cursed and dammed.
Here is a quote from my fourth book, viz., 'Abandoned Book':
Raging Against the Outrage of Existence
Warning: What is contained in this book is a storm from a mind broken lose onto paper as I cannot run from this experiment, this writing, this obliteration of myself, this detachment from the display version of my ‘Self’ in an intolerable state of Freudian narcissism. Most of the rest is the sadness of my madness pouring out into a stream of unbalanced consciousness. It is OK to hate this mind-bending babbling bitch because what is not understood or not readily understandable is often hated. I suggest reading the rest of this rage and then abandoning this book before it is too late.
Incredible, just awesome writing. I am going to get this one and remember it was the one I found most appealing. I tell my wife at night I am like the Empire State building when it is a sleep so to speak and if I wake up and am unfortunate enough to think its like all the lights in the Empire building Starting with the lowest floor rapidly turning on and with blinding speed hit the second and then third all the way to the top until it is all lit up. I liken that process to my brain turning on and if that happens I am scre*ed and up for a very long long time, likely the night. Again great and awesome writing re the Abandoned Book. Like truly what original thinking!!
Luna wrote: "Incredible, just awesome writing. I am going to get this one and remember it was the one I found most appealing. I tell my wife at night I am like the Empire State building when it is a sleep so t..."
Is this possible in the material human realm that we connect again? From the Quantum Prologue of 'Abandoned Book', p. 28.
"...This (the madness of creativity) comes into focus when I create the strange admixtures of fact and fiction that even I do not understand. I often awake in the middle of the night to hastily scratch notes into my bedside notebook only to awake in the morning to find the ravings of the madwomen, the scribblings of the night hag who invaded my bedroom in the middle of the night to leave cryptic notes and coded message that I spend the rest of the day trying to decipher and decode with my daytime thoughts; thoughts that do not apply well to the unfathomable waves of my night realm wonderings. I fictionalize my life to cope with the fiction of my life. I fail to feel things as I once did when I was solely in the human realm. Ties fail to bind; no goals drive me forward but onward I still stumble. I treasure no memories and cherish no future. The price extracted by the dark side of creativity is that of sanity itself. Don’t do it, you will suffer from the consequences of your own creativity as I suffer from the consequences of my own existence which become increasingly and singularly unthinkable. Read on if you dare."
like wow I got to get me that book. Like truly, holy smokes that's just amazing stuff Arianne and hits so close to home as well!! You really do have a flair for writing. You just write so well!
Luna wrote: "like wow I got to get me that book. Like truly, holy smokes that's just amazing stuff Arianne and hits so close to home as well!! You really do have a flair for writing. You just write so well!"I am not trying to sell you books. Very few people read or even know of my books which is just as well. They are not for everyone. I really wrote them for myself which I guess means they are written for no one. I form of twisted therapy really. But in any case, here is an excerpt from my fifth book, viz., 'Offbeat Book', p. 40, on the same subject.
"The rooms in my house imitate human breathing, the corners absorb the warmth of human life, and the mirrors have their own favorites. Who smeared the dark blood of death on the mirrors where I see myself in the future? Where the hell are the household gods to help me? I guess I should fashion some household gods with the materials at hand. In the time-stay of the Faustian present moment I haunt each room in the empty desolate haunted halls of my own home in a state of deadly torment like the succubus in a diaphanous night dress as I truly am with my defective heart pounding and mocking me with each step I take (I never sleep through the night and am out of bed at least four sometimes five times overnight. This gives me plenty of time to haunt the halls). Crazed thoughts gallop through my mind like wild horses within and I have no reins to hold them back. My thoughts are the result of material dimensions but reside on the non-physical dimension of my imagination as an intimate aspect of myself. Each person represents a unique dimension of thought and presence to me. The dimensions of subjective reality are thus as plentiful as there are people with new ones created daily as old ones die off. For me, tonight’s broken dreams are the antecedents of tomorrow’s failed actions."
Luna wrote: "I know you are not trying to sell me books Arianne. I am just being really drawn to the abandoned book. Having said that the excerpt from offbeat book just so hits to home. I have always been so sc..."I am an atheist and I have faced, conquered and then made peace with death so nothing in the blight of the night gives me a fright. I fight all comers in my guise of warrior queen against all that is benighted.
Darkness has become my friend as in the Simon & Garfunkel song. So I have no fear my dear.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "I know you are not trying to sell me books Arianne. I am just being really drawn to the abandoned book. Having said that the excerpt from offbeat book just so hits to home. I have alwa..."You are truly kick ass!! I will admit though that as scared as I may be I am kind of not and take on anything, ghosts, devils whatever maybe that dare enter my domain. I totally get why people don't run when facing danger. It is not in our danger at all especially in our homes which are our castles :) You should see me take on my night terrors. I have fought the devil, fought all kinds of things that manifest themselves from the evil that constantly stalks me. As scared as I am I fight to the finish and always hope to wake up because something out there really does not want me to. But f that evil thing :) Ps I can always kind of sense when it is coming on so to speak and that is an uneasy feeling in and of itself!
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "I know you are not trying to sell me books Arianne. I am just being really drawn to the abandoned book. Having said that the excerpt from offbeat book just so hits to h..."Yes, my teardrop shaped axx has been kicked. But in any case, what do you mean by sacred? There are no such things as ghosts or devils, or God for that matter. But night terrors, yes those are real indeed for the person who has them, knows them, lives with them, runs from them, and finally faces them. Mine come from my own physical maladies such as double genetic heart failure. I never sleep through the night and awake while it is still dark.
Maybe 'Abandoned Book' appeals to you becasue we have both been abandoned into the darkness. I wrote it in a fit of madness and rage, or maybe it was just a mad rage. I don't really trust myself anymore.
Our first disagreement. Oh there are ghosts devils and God rules but abandoned us. Jesus forgave us but daddy said to hell with you all for killing my son. Saw that in a recent book and just ate it up but seriously if my night terrors envision ghosts and devils I can't argue with it as it really does manifest itself in the epic battles I face. Like I see shadows and hear things at night which just are not normal. And I said it scares me not sacred and scares is a light word with regard to my night terrors. Terrifying is a light word too. It is literal insanity and I wish them on no one. You can laugh or mock me if you like but to me they are so real to me................
Luna wrote: "Our first disagreement. Oh there are ghosts devils and God rules but abandoned us. Jesus forgave us but daddy said to hell with you all for killing my son. Saw that in a recent book and just ate it..."Why may I ask, did you like my review? I am an atheist and further, I do not believe that Jesus existed. He was just the latest in a long line of dying and rising mythical savior gods from the ancient near east with nearly the same mythological biography.
Our reality is fully material and casually closed. Not my opinion, this is just the physics.
So, I guess we can agree to disagree. :)
Luna wrote: "Ps note that I think no one likes to be challenged and I feel that's what you did with me. You questioned me when I think I laid things out quite clearly. Also this thread kind of has gotten to per..."So, let me understand the ground rules of our discussion. You can make unproved claims and then become offended when they are challenged. Is this correct? Your have the right to make any claims you want and no one has the right to offer a counter perspective, correct? Any claim, with no evidence of support, no matter how brazen or baseless must be allowed to stand, correct? The challenger instantly becomes a villain. This is the arrogance of religious belief.
Luna wrote: "Well as a student of history you have to acknowledge the detailed history re Jesus as kept by the Romans. Why I liked your review is your anti religious slant and especially your opening paragraphs..."What detailed history of the Roman? Do you mean the Testimonium Flavianum? This is a clear forgery perpetrated by Eusebius in the fourth century. The passages in Livy and Tacitus come mush later and only acknowledge the existence of 'Christians' as a cult and no one denies the existence of Christians as such the first and second centuries, but this in no way proves that Jesus existed. Other very reliable contemporary observers such as Philo of Alexandria never mention him.
Wow, I love your review and I agree 100% (or 600% in Trump speak) with your comments Arianne. Your comments nail the issues I have with religion too! Enough said.I bet you[re also a fan of great atheists like Christopher Hitchens (RIP), Richard Dawkins and Stephen Fry, yes? There's also great intellectuals and thinker like Professor Brian Cox and Neil deGrasse Tyson too - right?
Who are your 'go-to' atheists/critical thinkers?
One closing point. It's so grating to know, the grubs responsible for the hatred, division and plain ignorance to the current US regime, are mostly (all?) Christians. It just blows my mind.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Ps note that I think no one likes to be challenged and I feel that's what you did with me. You questioned me when I think I laid things out quite clearly. Also this thread kind of has ..."Funny as I took it as you being offended when I stated God exists. It seemed to me that you were really taken aback by me saying that. Like you had the right to say you were an atheist and that was that on the matter when clearly yeah you can believe what you believe and I can believe in God. Who knows who is right. All of us here do concur that organized religion is just a joke and to Mark's point yeah the Christian right is not Christian at all and way more in line with the teachings of the old testament and we know what religion that is. I never understood why they hide behind Christianity though as they clearly do not practice the teachings of Christ. Then again no one does or ever will as an organized religion imo as it simply is asking way way too much.
Mark wrote: "Wow, I love your review and I agree 100% (or 600% in Trump speak) with your comments Arianne. Your comments nail the issues I have with religion too! Enough said.I bet you[re also a fan of great ..."
Wow, clever and delightful response Mark - thanks.
Hitchens, Dawkins, Fry - yes for sure! Add Dennett and Harris to Hitchens and Dawkins and we the Four Horseman.
You could not be more right. The Trump regime is a Christian Fascist regime. In my view, these people have not strayed from Christianity, they represent it in it's truest and most authentic irrational and intolerant nature. The 'humanist' Christians are the real heretics in terms of the more authentic faith.
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Ps note that I think no one likes to be challenged and I feel that's what you did with me. You questioned me when I think I laid things out quite clearly. Also this thr..."I am not trying to be defensive, but I did conclude one message by saying we can agree to disagree after your noted our first disagreement. How can this be considered challenging?
But Christianity is a New Testament religion and the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament on Christianity's own terms. This is the point I was making in my reply to Mark above, the current crop of fundamentalist Old Testament Christians are the real Christians. The humanist or 'non-aligned' Christians are the modern heretics.
In any case, how can there be a belief in God without it becoming a religion? A religion actualizes the faith and this where the problems start.
My favourite religious studies prof always stressed that God and religion are just a way of life and of living and caring about one another .......along the lines of treat others as you would like to be treated. I always loved his lectures and that's why I kept taking his courses. It so rings true. Marx always stressed religion as the opiate of the people because organized religion is just manipulative of its followers. Again this type of communication we are currently engaged in kind of sucks in that there is no intonation that can be heard, no quick follow up so to speak to clear a point here or there. It is easy to get defensive or think a certain way when you can just be down right wrong and maybe that was my case here. The God I choose to believe in and the way I follow him would likely be seen by all who are part of an organized religion as to just be self serving. I have made my religion easy and no real work at all compared to those who attend a church and worship. They would scoff at the way I practice my religion. The last time I entered a church was at my sons wedding and prior to that likely 15-20 years of no church not even Christmas and Easter once a year deals. I have many out there thoughts re my God and yet who am I to know anything? Re God you cannot convince me there isn't one and I cannot convince you there is. Tough topic religion and politics and admittedly I know why people stay away from them, lol.
Luna wrote: "My favourite religious studies prof always stressed that God and religion are just a way of life and of living and caring about one another .......along the lines of treat others as you would like ..."Your comment "The God I choose to believe in and the way I follow him..." shows that this God is your own invention. In any case, you sound more like a humanist than a Christian which is a good thing in my estimation.
The fact that religion and politics are tough topics as you put it is all the more reason why they need to be discussed and not avoided.
Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "My favourite religious studies prof always stressed that God and religion are just a way of life and of living and caring about one another .......along the lines of treat others as yo..."Again you cannot judge my interpretation of God. Like my belief is an invention? Really? Like how dare you. Let me hail to you then. I am no different than any other stooge with opinion on the matter including you and the pope. No one knows - get that straight and apparently from this thread it really cannot be discussed because you are right and the rest of us mere idiots who need to learn to bow to you on the subject..............like wow. I have also gathered some anti Trump sentiment here but man all birds of a feather really and quite frankly he is so right about so many things including how Canada has so taken advantage of the States and for that matter so has the rest of the world too and of course all due to terrible leadership from the top of your regimes!! Like you want access to the richest market in the world maybe there should be a charge!! Like I live across from Detroit and we are the automotive capital of Canada and in the 70s early 80s you let European and Japanese automakers enter your markets. Why when the big three could not put any of their cars into those markets because they were too big for their roadways? And China - what the hell were you thinking building state of the art factories and the like into a country which clearly was not your friend. Oh yeah a quick buck which ultimately could lead to your undoing. Trump has recognized all that but it may be too late and trust me I so am not a Trumper but can CLEARLY see what he sees to a very large degree tbh.
Hi again,I must say that the opening sentences, up to the "..............like wow." crescendo had my laughing out load in the early morning as I sipped my vanilla tea. :)
I any case, God is a human invention, this is not really new or controversial. It is not my original idea or claim to which all most bow. It has really been common knowledge among philosophers, historians, and scientists for thousands of years.
Your particular belief in God is your own invention based on your own choices by your own admission. To wit, "The God I choose to believe in and the way I follow him..." OK, if you feel you need this belief system for comfort and a coping I am not telling you to stop.
I get it, the human condition is one of existential dread and terror and people need a way of denying this, not facing it, ignoring it etc. Belief in God and an afterlife becomes the sine qua non. For personal comfort and coping, I have no objections to such beliefs. It is only when people try to force these beliefs on others, or want their beliefs taught in public schools, want to ban books based on their beliefs, try to pass laws enforcing their belief, etc., that I object.
I am not quite sure what is meant by your pro-Trump / anti-trump rant. It seems disconnected from the earlier point. Personally, I am not in favor of heavily armed masked government agents rooming the streets and assaulting as well as murdering people. But hey, the stock market likes fascism so I guess we will all float on OK.
No hard feelings.
Having slept on things I kind of get what you meant by me inventing God and knew you would say that anyone believing in him believes in an invention. So ok I will not take that as personally as I initially did. Re my Trump rant I saw references to the ruling elite and their corruption by both you and Mark so I took that as a swipe against Trump. Slight rants but they were there. And man oh man would I ever think Americans would sit back and take armed troops in their streets dolling out their own twisted justice - clearly NO. Yet to not have a general swell of opposition after Minnesotans fought the fight alone for so long well that is kind of disheartening that it did not spread nation wide. However, I was just pointing out that Trump is right about many things. Like with his free trade deal with Canada I sent him an email (through potus something or another) telling him he needed to get US telcos into Canada as our rates are insane and these US companies could easily compete. He ignored me. Then there was our proposed digital tax on basically meg 7 stocks where our govt was going to tax the REVENUE of these companies ( revenue not profits which is what is usually done) and oh get this it was a RETROACTIVE tax going back to 2021 if I am correct. Imagine anyone trying to get a retroactive tax done on anyone? There is your good friend Canada for you and we are not alone as the EU slaps hefty anti trust fines on Google, Micro and Meta on a regular basis. These companies provide and attempt to secure the net for all of us and yet the greed of your American cousins all want in on the fleecing of these companies. Is it their fault no European or Canadian company can compete against them? Note that Trump's tirade and threat of even higher tariffs put an end to Canada's digital tax but the EU just last week had a further issue with Facebook which is just a stepping stone for further punitive gouging of an American company. And I know I am going off topic re Trump but one more example of US regime stupidity. Canadians have a tax sheltered equivalent of a 401k known as an RRSP. They came out in the late 80s or 90s if I am correct and somehow they negotiated with the States that in those RRSPs Canadians could buy US listed stocks and pay no tax on the profits we make off of them. Like how the hell was that negotiated? The US losing out on hundreds of billions at this point if we are honest. In Trumps Big Beautiful Bill he wanted to get rid of that loophole and yet his Republican Senate said no that part of the bill has to come out. So that loophole remains. Like why, .... does that make any sense? Like if I own an American stock outside of that account and sell with profit the US IRA takes its cut but not in those RRSPs. My buys of US tech companies and the run they have had over the years has put such a smile on my face. Just wanted to show you some good things that Trump does see. One final note Canada, is basically already the 51st state and your country does not owe us or any other country anything. If you want to become a totally self sufficient country so be it. Do realize though that the US was the only western country without a sales tax or what is commonly known as a value added tax as well. These type of taxes are typically added at the end of the buying cycle. So in Canada ours is 13% so if you go to the checkout to buy a $10 product we have to shell out $11.30c. Your tariffs are a form of such a tax - yeah you now have a sales tax. I thought Americans hated taxes - apparently not. What is truly scary is it is a tariff on the front end of a purchase meaning when will companies do the following. Walmart has a pair of shorts they would sell for $10 (and clearly make a profit at that price) but hey lets have the consumer front the costs re the tariffs (as for some reason many companies are eating it at the moment) but say Walmart gets smart and says we can sell our Vietnam made shorts for ten plus the 20% tariff built in from Nams tariffs making it 12. Yet Walmart thinks hey no one knows what we really wanted to sell those shorts for so lets make them $14 and add the 20% making them just shy of $17 and adding basically a $5 extra profit to the profit they were already making. This likely will be the forthcoming norm and is likely what Fed chair Powell sees as a more inflationary period and why he will not cut rates as TACO wants. I apologize for the length here............
Luna wrote: "Arianne wrote: "Luna wrote: "Ps note that I think no one likes to be challenged and I feel that's what you did with me. You questioned me when I think I laid things out quite clearly. Also this thr..."Yes, Luna - it's quite clear the MAGA Muppets of this world, many of whom are Christian, would not have a good bone in their body, and in fact if Jesus (if he was who people think he was) was here today, he would want nothing to do with them. Their so-called faith, gives them - the Christian Right - licence to leave their little brains at the front door, and allow their version of religious dogma to dictate their nasty ways :(
.............no different to the Ayatollahs murdering their own citizens, the Israelis bombing the crap out of Gaza, ISIS committing their atrocities etc etc etc. It's a nightmare. A nightmare caused by humankind's ability to dream up these fictions and create rules that have no remnants of human decency about them.
In my most humble opinion 🤗
