tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60044366621319063652024-03-17T02:51:37.991+08:00Towards a Rational America and an Enlightened JudaismThoughts on various topics from the perspective of a Jewish non-theist,taking the position that there is no evidence for the existence of a supreme being that directs our lives or the course of the universe.Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-47542372595609969942023-07-20T13:41:00.006+08:002023-07-20T14:25:05.028+08:00Caution: Balance transfers can be hazardous to your credit scoreA few months ago I incurred a medical bill and charged it to my Master Card. I hadn't intended to leave it there very long, knowing the horrendous interest rate that I would be charged if I did so. I was just biding my time awaiting the opportunity to transfer this balance to a 0% APR deal that I knew another one of my credit cards, let's call it Credit Card X, would eventually offer Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-53570186153496617412022-11-23T16:10:00.000+08:002022-11-23T16:10:46.425+08:00Forgive And Forget? Not Necessarily <!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-64768715763612844792022-04-15T15:49:00.004+08:002022-04-15T16:22:59.860+08:00Why a God Is Not Needed In Dealing With LifeAs I have submitted in my previous posts on the topic of atheism, there is no scientific evidence for the existence of a supreme being. In this discussion, I'd also like to point out that such an entity is not even necessary in order explain the events that occur in the course of our lives, or for that matter, life itself..Theists attribute the reason for these happenings as a divine plan Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-73897155821820643692021-10-01T14:06:00.001+08:002021-10-01T14:10:34.644+08:00On Saying "No" To Unfounded Faith Recently, a friend of mine referred to me an article from the "Wall street Journal" (Sept. 23, 2021) attacking atheism. The author, Michael Guillen, is a former athiest and regrets having been one. And like so many of his kind, his justifications for abandoning non-belief are completely wrongheaded. Here's what he has to say:Why Atheists Need Faith"Atheism's Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-15246132912761766202021-07-19T15:00:00.010+08:002021-07-19T15:24:42.484+08:00What The F--k Is the Matter With These People?The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected the minds of many Americans who've never even had the disease i.e. in terms of their reaction to the virus' mere existence which many of them refuse to even acknowledge. And in light of their hostility to compliance with simple life saving measures including wearing face masks and refusing vaccinations against the disease, I'm Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-82215637899687565892021-01-16T16:35:00.000+08:002021-01-16T16:35:05.779+08:00Can America Really Recover from the Trump Era?As a result of four years of Trumpism culminating in an attempt by President Trump and his followers to viciously overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, American democracy has been grievously wounded. Considering the following two articles I wonder whether even a new and Democratic administration can repair the damage that Trump did to the country--or Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-28115097529140704532020-11-15T14:44:00.002+08:002020-11-15T15:09:21.410+08:00Forgive Trumpsters? Forget It Now that Joe Biden has won the 2020 presidential election, I've been hearing a lot from various sources including the president-elect himself about the need for the American people to reunite and let bygones be bygones between the Dems and the Republicans. On one level, I understand--almost sympathize--with Biden in his desire to lead a country in which as he put it there are no red states Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-83373783629557246462020-10-23T16:05:00.002+08:002020-11-02T15:15:09.793+08:00Why Attacks by China on God-Centered Religions Should Not Be Blamed on Atheists<!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-26928827533850967862020-04-11T13:45:00.001+08:002020-04-11T14:00:50.936+08:00An Atheist's Perspective In Dealing With COVID-19I certainly can't claim to speak for all other atheists. But in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. my guess is that in trying to make sense of its existence and the worldwide havoc that it has wrought ,most of us who don't believe in a god are having an easier time doing so than those who do.
This is because we are not needlessly wasting time and energySecular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-69710899761001695142020-02-15T10:38:00.001+08:002020-02-17T07:36:39.069+08:00Who's In Charge Here?Like many other people, I have lived in places and taken jobs that I wound up hating. Yet with some exceptions, such as my childhood location of residence about which of course I had no choice in the matter, as an adult I was the one responsible for deciding where to live and where to apply for work. But once I was in, it was not easy to leave the former when I had a lease or a Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-58720571442260794192019-10-09T14:25:00.000+08:002019-10-09T14:25:04.931+08:00Why Is This Major Source of Global Warming Being Ignored?Global warming is not a burning issue (no pun intended.) for me. This is not because I don't believe that anthropogenic climate change is a menace to humankind. It certainly is. But for one thing as an old man, I don't think that I will live long enough to see its dire consequences. However, before you dismiss me as an unfeeling geezer, there's more to the story.
From the time Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-29219677664946057222019-08-27T11:58:00.000+08:002019-08-27T11:58:14.040+08:00A Special AnniversaryThe following is a sligthtly revised version of my response to the "Atheist Revolution" blog post "Why Can't You Keep Your Atheism to Yourself?"
Aug. 27 marks my 14th year of living as a retired American expat in
the Philippines which is probably the most devout Roman Catholic country
in the world. Yet I'm still more comfortable as an openly Jewish
atheist here than I was while living in Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-10652844755977991132019-08-04T15:18:00.000+08:002019-08-06T14:15:26.770+08:00 Ruthlessness And Religion
A few nights ago, my wife Lydia and I went out to dinner at a restaurant down the street from our residence. About halfway through the meal Lydia
got a
small piece of shrimp shell stuck in her throat. She wasn't choking,
but it was painful and hard for her to swallow The nearby clinics that
could have taken care of her were already closr the evening, so that
Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-70435417397984343722019-07-16T14:22:00.000+08:002019-07-16T15:01:26.857+08:00Can Atheists Work Together with God-believers for a Common Cause?
The following originally appeared as a response to a post in "Atheist Revolution" on a different subject but I slightly revised it to discuss the following related issue..
In theory, atheists and god-believers should be able to work together for a cause in which they both have a stake, such as promoting a political candidate who equally recognizes both groups. Such was the Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-16632094022506639082019-01-15T15:57:00.000+08:002019-01-15T16:13:10.322+08:00An Atheist's Perspective on Accepting RealityAs is likely the case with many other seniors, I often consider (but
don't dwell on) my mortality. I know that there's a chance that I could
live into my 90's as did my maternal grandfather. But the odds that will happen
are slim, and of course there's the matter of possible / probable
deterioration in the quality of life itself, as my physical and mental
health may fail even if I Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-46508222976295202572018-11-16T14:07:00.000+08:002018-11-16T16:16:51.882+08:00Would the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life Clash with God-Belief?
A friend of mine commented that if the space object Oumuamua now whizzing through our solar system were proven to be a probe from a civilization in another star system as had at one point been speculated, that discovery could be the impetus for humanity to unite in world peace-- "Or else" (sic).
I don't think that such unity would happen even if the object had been proven to be sent from Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-73267193215348982862018-08-29T15:05:00.001+08:002020-10-23T16:19:41.964+08:00Why "God" Is Irrelevant to Our Understanding of the Universe An argument for the existence of God is that life on Earth--and matter itself--could not possibly have come into being unless the universe were structured just right.This belief is based on the "Goldilocks'' or fine-tuned universe proposition. In addition, Earth had to be just the right distance from the sun which itself had to have certain properties, as does the solar system itself as a Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-12690176577865184912018-07-16T14:04:00.001+08:002018-07-16T14:17:39.990+08:00Her Bias Is ShowingAs per the title of this blog site, my posts are usually oriented towards matters regarding the U.S.and Judaism. However, I'm taking a side trip here to review an opinion column from a newspaper in the Philippines, as the topic is a problem that Americans face as well .
As a supporter of gender equality , I find it disturbing when feminists hijack issues that affect both women and Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-34651754695193572302018-03-29T16:35:00.004+08:002018-03-29T16:35:54.431+08:00Atheism and Gratitude
There's
a false impression among many (most?) god-believers that atheists can't
feel the emotion of gratitude because we don't consider a supreme being as a source
for the ''gift of life'', ''blessings'', and the favorable
outcomes that we experience. However, as I see it, it's not an imaginary
deity who gave me life. My parents did that. But no matter how I--or any of us Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-88110770941510113602017-08-16T13:54:00.000+08:002017-08-20T15:57:00.832+08:00Jewish Alt- Right Sympathizers, Trump, and CharlottesvilleIt should come as no surprise that President Trump had to be dragged into finally criticizing the white nationalist violence that broke out at the Aug. 12 Charlottesville rally. But he then muddied the waters with his retweeting a message from a right wing conspiracy theorist and then with his assertion that both sides in the melee were at fault.. However, what's almost certain is&Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-89321265525854040812017-04-06T14:48:00.001+08:002017-09-10T19:24:11.639+08:00Mess MutualWhether you reside overseas or in the U.S. if you have a traditional IRA or a 401(k) account, upon reaching age 70 1/2 you may have to start taking required minimum distributions from your account on an annual basis for which, if you're an American citizen, you will receive from your account administrator a 1099-R form at the end of the year to include with your tax filing Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-33812572799273639842017-01-10T13:27:00.001+08:002017-08-16T19:28:49.583+08:00When Ill Fortune Befalls an Atheist Like Many other atheists, I'm been told by theists that in a crisis, I will turn to God (or in my case ''return'' as I was also once a God-believer) and beg him for help. This assertion reminds me of the adage that ''there are no atheists in foxholes'', because in the extreme danger of combat, all soldiers fear for their lives and supposedly pray to God for deliverance. That Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-76244876450467300692016-08-03T14:53:00.001+08:002016-08-03T14:53:11.211+08:00Donald Trump, Israel, and Single Issue VotingI recently read a post on Facebook written by a Jewish fan of Donald Trump who believes that he is a "great friend of Israel"(!) and that it is therefore disrespectful to criticize him, as I and other Jews have done in FB and elsewhere.
Followers of Trump who support him just because they think he's a friend of Israel need to be reminded that Trump is running for President of Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-18052967585278963352016-07-10T16:51:00.001+08:002016-07-13T15:47:42.910+08:00Heaven: The Eternal Myth Every so often, I see posts on Facebook commemorating the birthday of a deceased loved one or friend that begins ''Happy Birthday in Heaven to (name of decedent)''. This sentiment reflects at best a childish yet typical faith-based misunderstanding on the part of many (most?) theists about death and a refusal to face the fact that there is no scientific evidence for an afterlife and that Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-91462289510079706052015-12-03T13:42:00.001+08:002015-12-03T14:04:46.978+08:00When "Christian Terrorism" Isn'tAs a Jewish atheist who resents Christian privilege in America and as one who finds Christian teachings ridiculous, I'm not especially fond of that religion. But if we're going to criticize it, let's do so objectively.
The regressive Left, which reflexively defends Islam no matter how often Muslim extremists commit violence against others, wasted no time in pouncing on Robert Dear whoSecular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com1