Recent content by Valjean

YHWH was the war god of the Israelite tribes, wasn't he?

Just another consequence of 'small government' and deregulation.

At least there are first-person accounts of Wyatt Earp, Billy and the events at the OK corral, and from disinterested parties, as well. It's my understanding that there are none for Jesus, only second hand reports or reports about his followers and their beliefs, ie: hearsay.

Religion can be a crutch. It offers a set of simplistic, deontologic rules, often with no apparent practical utility. Accepting a set of external rules enables one to dismiss questions of consequence or utility, it obviates the need for an internalized, consequentionist morality. It retards the...

Religious hyperbole. Theological grandiloquence. Bombast. The ancients had no scientific understanding of time, special relativity or the "big bang."

Has nobody ever been to a German sauna? No sexual segregation. A single locker room. Total nudity. Whole families are there: kids, parents, grandparents -- everyone, all naked. Some saunas are really big, with multiple rooms of different temperatures, bars, even cafés. There's nothing sexual...

If the changing room rules require sexual segregation, and women prefer it, then the men should stay out.

What about women walking down the street with their knees exposed? That was shocking, too, at one time. What if the schoolgirls just laughed at Mr trenchcoat, and went back to their games. What's shocking is learned. A century ago parents would have covered their children's eyes at the sight of...

Not as close as the coup attempt against FDR, but there's a growing cadre of delusional 'enemies domestic' I think pose a significant threat to democracy.

Meh... There's something new, remarkable or shocking about ordinary anatomy? I'm not seeing any actual harm here. Ie: Who cares?

All natural systems are in decline; collapsing. Water tables are dropping. Topsoil depth is decreasing. The sea is overfished, polluted and awash in trash, its pH is decreasing and temperature increasing. Marine nurseries like mangrove forests are now luxury hotels. Petroleum reserves are...

By volume of product, by weight, or per calorie?

For the planet's carrying capacity. We're well above that already.