Goonhilda

Everyone does crazy things with their money sometimes, that they later regret. That's how we learn to manage our money better. What has been your biggest financial regret, and why? What would you do differently next time? What have you learned?

Oh, and merry xmas! :)

I received some emails over the last few days in my yahoo mail account, which I don't use very often. I have read the messages and would like to read them again, but it seems that messages older than two days no longer appear in my inbox -- they disappear. I have looked through Yahoo help and it was bloody useless. I haven't used my account for a while since they changed the format, and my emails have never magically disappeared before. I can't find them anywhere -- I thought they may have been in Spam but they weren't, and none of the menus on the email page make them reappear.

There has to be a simple solution to this -- an email account that deletes your emails without your permission is pretty pointless. Please be gentle with me! I'm a luddite. :) It is insane that emails from two days ago have simply vanished of their own accord.

Thanking you in advance :)

I found a pattern, and the knitting yarn recommended is "RedHeart Baby Econo" but I'm afraid I don't think it's available in Australia. I would like to know what the ply is so I can substitute another yarn. Cheers.

Mine are Reindeer Games and Die Hard. I love action movies.

Yes, I know it's the religion/spirituality section, but I kind of thought Christmas movies were relevant to religion/spirituality.

I've had a Samsung A711 for a few years, but have never been able to get any of my computers, laptop or otherwise, to detect it. I tried downloading the software from the Samsung (couldn't find it on the site) and from other sites on the net. I managed to download Samsung PC Studio 7 last night, but the "Get Connected" function just searches and searches for the phone and never detects it.

I have many, many photos stored on my phone I haven't been able to download ever, and would really like to finally do this, but currently Samsung are making me very, very sweary, and I'm having great difficulty suppressing it all into 'bum'.

Can anyone help? Be advised I'm pretty analogue and own three record players. Some of this stuff is a bit beyond me.

Thanking anyone in advance! :) Cheers!

I live in Australia, but I'd have to say one of my favourite things about my country is freedom, especially of belief. I'm an atheist. I can believe whatever I want here and not be legally persecuted for it, although I know I get some nasty stares from the family sometimes.

I'm posting this in R&S because I think we people we need to focus more on the stuff we all have in common, and maybe try not to be at each others' throats so much.

So what country do you live in, and what religion are you, if any? Is it easy being what you are in your country? Do you get persecuted for your faith or nonbelief where you live? If you could live anywhere else, where would you go, and why?

I propose a challenge.

I'm interested in how well each of the camps (atheist and christian) know each other's worldview. Are they operating on generalisations they've been taught, or do they really have a handle on what the other group believes?

How well do you know your opponent's position?

If you're a christian, please post an answer explaining what atheists actually believe, and arguing why people should adopt this worldview.

Conversely, if you're an atheist, please post an answer explaining what christians believe, and arguing why people should adopt that worldview. I'm sure former christians like myself will probably have an advantage. :)

I know I'm gonna get some epic trollin', but for those of you who have a legitimate shot at it, I know I'll be really entertained with your answers.

I think that part of understanding others requires developing an ability to empathise with them, and their position. And if not for that, just the fact that you understand the opposing side's point of view is an asset when arguing your own case. I'll check in on the answers after I've finished watching the ManBearPig episode of South Park. Let the onslaught begin!

Mine gets called all sorts of things, but since she got a new collar with a bow on it, it's been "Princess Tinklepluff". I actually never call our cat by it's actual registered name. Am I the only person who does this?

When I realised god didn't exist (I'm an atheist) I tried incredibly hard to regain my faith. I tried everything I could think of. But ultimately, it was like trying to make myself believe in the tooth fairy or santa claus.

I realised that what I believe is based on what I know. Reading the bible revealed god to be a vindictive, two dimensional character invented by bronze aged goat herders. I couldn't undo what I'd read.

Your thoughts? Anyone else have a similar experience?

Not interested in what your religion says, or what you've been taught. Instead, I want your gut reaction. Is burning people in hell for eternity fair?

What crime would they have to commit to make it a fair punishment? Is there a crime bad enough?

I often thought about this when I was a christian (I'm now an atheist). It never seemed fair to me to punish people for eternity.

Just wondering how many christians (and other people of faith) out there are honest enough to admit that even though they believe, there are parts of their faith that they are not happy with. It doesn't make them bad people, it just makes them thinkers, with a unique perspective on their faith.

I think everyone has the capability of making their own mind up about morality, and I am sure there are some believers who can honestly say "Well, I'm a believer, but I don't like/agree with this part of my faith".

Does it make you uncomfortable? How do you handle it or rationalise it? Have you found a way to reconcile what makes you uncomfortable with your faith? Or did it make you question your faith.

I'm an atheist ex christian by the way. Reading the bible was what caused me to deconvert.

And for the record, I think that beliefs should be able to withstand this kind of scrutiny. Or more accurately, we should be able to apply this kind of scrutiny to what we believe or not believe, without fear. There should be no fear in new knowledge.

What constitutes evil?

Is there a discrepancy between evil defined as something that harms others, and the christian concept of evil as being not aligned with god?

Which do you think is the most accurate description of evil? Something which harms others? Or something that contradicts the bible?

I'm an atheist. I'm just interested in how christianity can interpret some things as evil when in reality they are incredibly benign, (like homosexuality) and at the same time interpret other things as not evil (god condemning unbelieving humanity to hell).

Are things 'evil' just because the bible says they are, or because they cause harm to others?

What's your personal interpretation of evil?

Oh, and on another note, it's after 2pm in Australia and the rapture still hasn't happened, in case anyone was wondering.

I think atheists and believers probably have a lot more in common than they realise.

I am an atheist, and I have received bigotry and persecution for my atheism. When I was a christian, I also received bigotry and persecution for that.

Anyone else, believer or atheist, have a similar experience? What was your experience like? Who persecuted you, and why?

I think it should be that everyone gets to live up to their full potential, and have the means to do so.

Do your religious or ethical beliefs influence what you think should be the greatest goal? Do you do anything to try to make your goal a reality?

About saving your own backside from hell?

I can't see why there would be any incentive to be a good, decent person if you can commit heinous atrocities and then just ask for forgiveness from god. Especially since we apparently all carry 'original sin' even if we don't sin ourselves, so we are punished with hell for other people's sins.

Does anyone else agree? What's your take on it? I'm an ex christian, now atheist.

Or am I the only one?

I'm in Victoria. Where is everyone else?

I used to be a christian, but I deconverted and now consider myself an atheist, because I no longer believe that god exists.

But when I WAS a christian, I believed that evolution was simply god's way of creating the world, and I didn't have a problem with it.

I still love the mystery and wonder of science. It had nothing to do with my deconversion.

Are there any christians out there who share this love of science? Because I think this could be a beautiful common ground for both christians and atheists.

I do. I'm a volunteer finance mentor for women leaving domestic violence.

If you do any volunteer work, what kind? And why? Are you driven by your religious beliefs, or something else?

I know I did.

I know a lot of christians say that the new testament makes the old testament laws unapplicable, but in matthew jesus himself said that he was not here to do away the old law.

When I read leviticus and numbers, I was appalled. I was also disturbed by how there are two different versions of the ten commandments, and how violent it is. I couldn't understand how a perfect god could contradict himself so much. And then *kapow!* I didn't believe anymore. It was like finding out Santa didn't exist.

Now, it just sickens me. I've been an atheist for several years now.

Who else has had a similar experience? What was it like?

I'm posting this because I am currently underneath a cat. Is anyone else in this predicament? My feet are almost asleep, but I don't dare move, lest Kitteh become unpleasantly swishy and prickly.

So if you're currently under a cat, or would like to be under a cat, give us the specifics. Mine's a short haired grey and white Kitteh called, for obvious reasons, Kitteh, and is currently taking up most of the armchair.