Posts by wearyowl29

Raymond Anderson4 said:The acting really missed the mark for me.
The movie itself is solid—heavy, fateful, and definitely leaves an impression on you by the end.
But the performances were just poor. Vera and Fermig held the whole thing back.

I don't know about that! I didn't feel like they missed the mark, mostly because my focus was entirely on the kids.

Honestly, this movie is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish.
It’s one of those rare stories that really stays with you long after the credits roll...😢

To be honest, this Film just didn't hit home for me. It’s missing that certain charm you find in those classic American stories where you don't need guns or violence to tell a powerful tale.
Instead, it felt kind of lukewarm... a real "could have been" moment.

It isn't exactly fun, it isn't educational, and it barely qualifies as a drama either. Honestly, it lacks all three, which makes the whole thing a bit of a slog.
If you're looking for someone to blame, look no further than a lackluster script.

Melissa Stewart6 said:Consciousness usually finds its way through people.

Maybe we just do that to make it easier to swallow.😉

Melissa Stewart6 said:So, when you say a personal God, you're actually referring to the Christian God, right?

He could be both personal and impersonal. Consciousness reveals itself through a person.

Yeah, exactly that guy.

I just don't see how the source of everything could be a single person without first being a consciousness that shapes all these different forms.

Melissa Stewart6 said:Why couldn't a personal God just be one specific manifestation of that spirit or consciousness?

But why does He have to be personal at all?
If there's a way for it to be less personal, honestly, I think that works much better.

I mean, take a look at a clear summer night sky out in the Midwest. It doesn't exactly feel like someone sat down and signed their name in the stars.

Melissa Stewart6 said:So, what is it that you do believe in?

I believe in the spirit, in Consciousness, and in the Source of us all.
There’s definitely something higher up there.😲

Melissa Stewart6 said:Wait, aren't you an atheist?

I just don't subscribe to the idea of a personal god handed down by organized religion.

Melissa Stewart6 said:Does that mean atheists are more mentally stable because they know the truth?

Honestly, I haven't a clue.

Maybe they just deal with constant existential dread, or maybe they eventually get used to living in a world without any divine purpose at all.

Maybe if we actually knew the truth, we wouldn't be able to stomach it anyway.😉

Since we’re just as psychologically fragile as kids, we’d much rather hug a lie than face the truth head-on.
Religion exists because we aren't perfect; we need way more than just food, water, and a roof over our heads to make it through life. We crave social connection, too! And when we lean on others, our psyche starts chasing these deep-seated impulses—mostly the desperate need for security and acceptance.

It all points to the fact that we need to identify with something bigger than ourselves. We hand over our trust to these systems because, honestly, we’re pretty unstable and insecure on our own.
That sense of identity gets tied to a specific group and is kept alive through rituals, ceremonies, rites, and these kinds of cyclical processes. It’s almost like how nature itself works in cycles, and we’re just trying to mimic that rhythm.

Religion essentially exploits our social nature and our need for a higher power. It takes our individuality and wraps it in this sense of belonging, offering us the safety of the pack and total acceptance.
It maintains the status quo through ceremony and provides a roadmap for living—all while keeping a healthy dose of fear in the mix. Without it, the individual basically ceases to exist, because back in the day, being cast out from your community was a death sentence.

Because of all this, religions ensure that individuals and groups don't rock the boat too much. They encourage everyone to just flow with the mainstream, because anything outside that circle is watched by the big bad wolf waiting to eat the strays. The real trouble for religious institutions starts when people finally wake up—when the consciousness of those who were peacefully grazing in the pen suddenly shifts.

Drew Cooper4 said:Exactly. That’s what true peace in Jesus feels like.

But seriously, who is Jesus?

Lisa Jackson7 said:Too often, instead of actually building up community values, people just burn themselves out attacking some imaginary "antipod"—whether it's through endless verbal fights or things escalating physically.

Maybe it's not a huge deal right now, but in a different social climate? It could definitely become one.

Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with having an opposing view. There have always been two sides to every story.
Just because someone disagrees with your perspective doesn't mean their point is useless.
Not at all!

Things really spiral out of control when we try to force everyone around us to adopt our exact mindset.
When we push and push but realize we can't make others see things our way, that's when our own emotional wounds start to flare up.
If we actually had total power, the "solution" would be much darker—we'd basically just steamroll half the world to force our narrative on them...😉

The real secret behind all that emotional heartache? It’s the struggle between having power and feeling powerless to change anyone else.

Lisa Jackson7 said:I'm with you on that—honestly, I don't see what the big deal is.

The real issue here is this whole "safe space" subculture—it’s a bubble. Once they step out into RL, it becomes painfully obvious that these people have zero clue how to handle any opinion that isn't just an outright insult to "the other side."

I’m talking about anti-theists (not just plain old atheists!) and religious fundamentalists—the whole anti-atheist crowd—when they start barking about religion. But honestly? It applies to any group claiming to be the "enlightened vanguard"—whether they’re those zealots who won't budge an inch on their dogma, or the crazies chaining themselves to trees to stop a construction crew.
Honestly, I feel like any worldview or ideology that just lives off being "anti-" something eventually hits a wall—it just turns hollow and completely useless over time.

"Anti" is really just a precursor, or maybe just another way of saying someone disagrees.

The antipod.

If someone’s entire emotional stability collapses just because they hold an atheist worldview—and they're actually asking to have their page deleted over it—then there is clearly something fundamentally broken in how they process reality.

Look, you can absolutely have your own opinions, but you should still show some respect for the host's traditions... it's basic manners when you're a guest in someone else's home.

Lisa Green522 said:It’s all just part of the mechanism. Identifying your entire ego with some random ideology. What a joke. It’s a cluster of ideas, really. You start feeling like the ideology is actually you—part of your DNA—so when someone calls out your position, you take it as a personal hit. You snap back to defend yourself, but you're really just defending a bubble of thoughts that your ego decided to latch onto.

Why would an atheist's attitude and their critique of a massive set of ideas even bother someone who believes?
If faith is enough on its own, there’s really nothing left to defend.
Even a believer will feel bad for an atheist—not just because they're headed straight for Jesus's hell, but because they're missing out on all the good stuff that faith brings to a believer's life.

Why do believers lose their minds the second you poke fun at Jesus, God, the Bible, the Quran, Krishna, some guru, or Muhammad?

People really love tying their whole identity to an ideology—it’s all about the aesthetic and the ego, none of it actually being about what they believe.

It’s all just part of the mechanism. Identifying your entire ego with some random ideology. What a joke. It’s a cluster of ideas, really. You start feeling like the ideology is actually you—part of your DNA—so when someone calls out your position, you take it as a personal hit. You snap back to defend yourself, but you're really just defending a bubble of thoughts that your ego decided to latch onto.

Why would an atheist's attitude and their critique of a massive set of ideas even bother someone who believes?
If faith is enough on its own, there’s really nothing left to defend.
Even a believer will feel bad for an atheist—not just because they're headed straight for Jesus's hell, but because they're missing out on all the good stuff that faith brings to a believer's life.

Why do believers lose their minds the second you poke fun at Jesus, God, the Bible, the Quran, Krishna, some guru, or Muhammad?

People really love tying their whole identity to an ideology—it’s all about the aesthetic and the ego, none of it actually being about what they believe.

Actually, I think we're asking the wrong thing here. A much better question would be: "Why are atheists so obsessed with God and religion if, according to what they claim, He doesn't even exist?" It's funny, really—so many atheists these days spend a massive amount of time acting like they're the smartest people in the room. They tend to look down on anyone who believes, and then, get this, they expect everyone to treat their opinion as the absolute truth. Of course, a believer is going to get annoyed when someone acts like they're somehow superior or more enlightened than everyone else. In their eyes, being a believer makes you a primitive. Honestly, it usually just comes down to some deep-seated personal complexes.

Actually, I think we're asking the wrong thing here. A much better question would be: "Why are atheists so obsessed with God and religion if, according to what they claim, He doesn't even exist?" It's funny, really—so many atheists these days spend a massive amount of time acting like they're the smartest people in the room. They tend to look down on anyone who believes, and then, get this, they expect everyone to treat their opinion as the absolute truth. Of course, a believer is going to get annoyed when someone acts like they're somehow superior or more enlightened than everyone else. In their eyes, being a believer makes you a primitive. Honestly, it usually just comes down to some deep-seated personal complexes.
Well, in that case, they seem even more obsessed with theists than they are with the gods they say aren't there! Maybe this obsession just means they're searching for their own path—trying to tackle those big, heavy questions about who we really are and where we're headed.
The struggle to understand existence isn't just some niche issue for religious folks; it's a universal human reality that hits everyone.

When believers get angry at those critiques, they aren't actually defending their faith; they're just tripping over their own feet. If you truly believe in yourself and what you hold dear, nothing can shake you. You shouldn't let someone else's attitude rattle your soul or cause an emotional meltdown.

Lisa Jackson7 said:Honestly, I don't care about the whole "believer vs. non-believer" thing... what matters is whether this is a place meant for finding people who think exactly like you for some mutual support—which I get, regardless of who you are—or if it could eventually become a place where we actually talk to people with different views... people we don't see as a threat anymore... because we've finally moved past our own baggage.

I’m telling you, it’s just like joining a social club! 👏

Lisa Jackson7 said:Well, some people clearly *do* take offense... or maybe they're just part of some activist mob... who knows.

I’d draw a line somewhere though... there's a huge difference between a site that has a blatant, obvious agenda from the jump—where it makes total sense that only people with that specific worldview show up—and everything else.

It’s a completely different ballgame when you're on pages meant for actual discussion and dialogue.
In those spaces, you should naturally expect a basic level of respect for your peers and a willingness to actually look at things through someone else's lens, right?

It’s just like those strict religious forums where they’ll ban you for even mentioning the word "cookies" in your very first post. They definitely lack that sense of community spirit.
Everyone gets what they want based on their own preferences.
Honestly, someone who is mentally stable isn't going to be crushed by a differing opinion. If they see something inappropriate, they can just react calmly without taking it personally or feeling wounded.

Morgan Rodriguez57 said:Nowadays, that’s basically just a hallmark of being left-wing...

Honestly, I think conservatives are basically immune to that kind of logic naturally.🤣

Left, right, straight ahead—it honestly doesn't matter. Immature people just can't handle it when someone holds up a mirror to their own weaknesses.

Amy Barrett2 said:From what I've seen, this all stems from low self-esteem. If anyone disagrees, they tend to take it personally—like a direct hit to their character—and then you see one of two reactions: either they get aggressive and go on the defensive, or they just shut down emotionally and feel rejected.

Oh, absolutely. There is a massive demon lurking right inside that insecurity.😉>