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From a different theistic perspective, I don't know if it gives me pleasure in the utilitarian sense but it is without a doubt for the greater good that RT includes a message, er, I mean a pain-inducing hateful attack from "Torah Philosophy," a blog that states its "purpose" "is to promote Orthodox Judaism and to critique other ideologies, in particular atheism: promoting truth and real happiness; fighting lies and harmful addictions."

"A recent psychological study seems to indicate that utilitarians were often psychopathic, Machiavellian or tended to view life as meaningless. I guess that's not very surprising, since they probably were often atheists as well."

Honest to _ _ _, when I refer to A/A it has absolutely nothing to do with any addiction or mental disorder!!!

Ever wonder if theistic parents counsel their children to look before you leap or do they just expect them to take an uneducated leap of faith?


"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein

Today, like virtually every day, I did "look deep into nature" (although a mere 10 minute walk from our house in Michoacan, Mexico) and what I experienced as always allowed me to appreciate and "understand everything better." From my naturalistic atheistic agnostic perspective, nature is nature as it is guided by unpredictably predictable super yet all natural forces that interact with one another while leaving the imprint on all of its evolving "creations."

So, what did I see today on a very short, no more than a mile walk at what is likely the end of the rainy season on "Cemetery Pond" trail which lushly and verdantly abuts fields of corn, mullet and blue agave.

1. Fifteen species of birds, including my first seasonal sighting of a northern migrant, a diminutive blue-grey gnatcatcher that probably flew upwards of a thousand miles to get here. Also seen were two streak-backed orioles nests.

2. A couple of mud turtles.

3. Three species of lizards.

4. Numerous tadpoles and frogs.

5. A solitary squirrel

6. A slithering snake in the pond- which was nice to see as the vast majority of snakes that I encounter have been beheaded with machetes regardless if they are venomous or not as a result of "human nature.".

7. A minimum of 50 species of insects ranging in size of less than 1/16"-3" that included: at least 12 species of grasshoppers (two of which I had never seen before) that cumulatively numbered in the thousands; at least 10 species of beetles, including dung beetles doing their wondrous "rolling act"; numerous species of butterflies, caterpillars and moths; a few species of bees and flies; dragonflies galore; three species of mantes; two species of spiders; dozens of wasps on their nest; and thousands upon thousands of multiple species of ants that my constant erstwhile canine hiking companion, Little Shu-Shu and myself were ever vigilant of.

8. The natural "artwork" on the leaves of the surrounding vegetation with most of the creative credit going to grasshoppers and beetles. Some of their creations resembled fine lace work as their leafy "canvasses" had dozens of eaten away holes in them, leaving virtually only a perimeter of green.

9. Upwards of twenty species of wildflowers (many being enjoyed by numerous species of insects) from 1/16" to 4" in such colors as white, yellow, red, orange, blue, purple, black and maroon.

10. In varying sizes, puddle upon puddle of water surrounded by hard to navigate muddy trails.

Thus, in a little over an hour, I witnessed a vast array and diversity of "nature being nature" with all of its accompanying joy, wonder, miracles and magic.

Do you generally process information intuitively or analytically?
Expressed differently, are you a critical thinker?

Two recent published studies, one by researchers at Harvard University and the other by researchers at the University of British Columbia, concluded that although culture and upbringing may be major factors in influencing whether people are "believers" or "non-believers," the natural/innate manner in which people think may also be a determining factor in one's religiosity.

According to an article published in Scientific American, research "showed that encouraging people to think intuitively increased people’s belief in God." Conversely, "encouraging people to think analytically reduced their tendency to believe in God. Together these findings suggest that belief may at least partly stem from our thinking styles."

As for me, after reading the article, I ruminated/pondered/mulled/debated/contemplated/evaluated/examined/cogitated or in many other thought-inducing words, critically thought whether or not I agreed with those findings. However, figuratively, I could have just looked in the mirror for the answer.

A message for all you agnostics, atheists, deists, freethinkers and anyone who is not adverse to open-mindedness.

If you have not checked it out already, an excellent source of A/A related free information (note "free information," not free knowledge as knowledge is something one must work at obtaining rather than just being given) is available at richarddawkins.net.

I bypass all of the self-promotional stuff on that website's homepage, and click onto News and Media and then onto News and then Atheism for some quite provocative, if not informative, articles, many of which have appeared in well-known, if not well-regarded as that is totally subjective, media outlets. Other options to access articles include Religion, Politics, Science, Pseudoscience and Education.

While I do not really agree with the author's premise, today I really appreciated reading an article on that site titled "Is faith the world’s most effective placebo?"

Whenever I experience and then talk about nature, it seems to me, that whatever its creative source(s) may be, I extol upon its beauty and the sense of wonder that it engenders within me.

Like yesterday, armed with a pair of binoculars that can close focus to within 18", mas o menos, thus providing exquisite detail of whatever is being viewed, on the trail that I had mentioned recently I literally focused in on more than 15 species of grasshoppers.

While all of the species were fascinating to me, especially their varying whimsical alien-like faces, one particular species stood out among his leaf gnawing brethren. Not so arguably, it was one of the most beautiful insects that I have had the pleasure of witnessing. About two inches long, its dominant colors were bright black and gold. Its back had an intricate, fine interwoven pattern of those colors while its extremely long antennae were tipped with black and then rotating bands of gold and black. Truly a remarkable creation!

Further along the trail, I "discovered" another one of those "black and gold" grasshoppers (I am pretty good at identifying birds by their actual names but not so with most species of insects). There on a leaf, "Blackgoldie" had spread its wings. What a visually contrasting surprise I had the extreme pleasure of seeing when those wings displayed pastel-like shades of yellow and orangey ochre. Yes, indeed nature is full of joy, wonder, miracles and magic!

Contrast my rapturous exhortations about nature to what two leading authorities on the theory of evolution have to say about "nature."

"What a book a devil's chaplain might write on the clumsy, wasteful, blundering low and horridly cruel works of nature."- Charles Darwin

"The theory of natural selection itself seems calculated to foster selfishness at the expense of public good, violence, callous indifference to suffering, short term greed at the expense of long term foresight. If scientific theories could vote, evolution would surely vote Republican."- Richard Dawkins

Yes, indeed, nature is wondrous in all of its manifestations!

I'm with you! I think nature is magnificent......in all its forms, sizes, shapes, and colors.

Just today I was studying the feathers of a heritage breed of domestic turkey, dark colored like the wild turkeys. I was struck by the various colors in the dark feathers and how beautiful this bird really is.

Thanks Debbie for your turkey story. Even before my birding days, when we used to hike in the hills of San Jose, CA I loved seeing families of wild turkeys (and families of wild boars, though those I stayed away from as far as possible!).
When I go on a birding tour of Southeastern Mexico next year, one of my "target" birds will definitely be ocellated turkeys- if you are not familiar with them, just Google and you will see something "miraculous," "awesome," "amazing" and "cool"!!! They are competition for peacocks in displaying gorgeous looks naturally department!!!

RT RT...
Whatever the source, oftentimes (especially if one is not a naturalist, zoologist, ichthyologist or ornithologist), nature can certainly appear to work in mysterious ways.

Swallow Story #1

While waiting for the bus in downtown Churintzio, for approximately 30 minutes I witnessed a sight that I have no rational explanation for.

Up to three dozen barn swallows at a time were circling and circling and circling the clock tower of the church in this predominately mestizo and Catholic small Mexican town. While I often see those swallows in flight, it is normally when they dive bomber like, just inches above the town's streets or just over the surface of bodies of water seek out available insects. Other times they are likely to be viewed either flying from one locale to another or resting on utility wires or on the roofs, windowsills or balconies of structures.

Why these swallows around and around and around the church were performing this atypical repetitive airborne maneuver I do not know as it did not appear that they were in pursuit of insects.

The town's faithful whose Catholicism is inextricably intertwined between superstition and religion, may or may not have viewed the swallows' uncharacteristic behavior at the church as a (good, bad?) portent/omen.

As for me, a naturalistic atheistic agnostic who birds daily, it was another instance of nature being nature in its mysterious at times infinite variety.

Swallow Story #2

This time of year barn swallows occur abundantly in Churintzio. Yet, they are not year round residents.

Every year at a certain time, masses of them congregate together, especially on utility wires as I have witnessed for the last 6 years at "Cemetery Pond" and other nearby locations. Then, literally overnight all of them are gone as they collectively participate in their annual migration cycle. That in itself for me is mysterious enough as to how birds en masse, hundreds upon hundreds organize for their departure and how they know when it is time for them to do so.

However, as I have incredulously witnessed in that same time period, the exact day that the barn swallows depart, another species of swallows, tree swallows, appear in great quantities, as none were in town prior to that.

As to what natural mechanism is the cause of this yearly phenomena I am without any knowledge of. All I know is that I am grateful for having the opportunity to witness it!

Nature frequently works in mysterious ways!

And why the heck is the wind blowing so much today that I cannot go out to bird watch and or insect watch???????

Top 33 Occultpations, er, I mean Occupations that would be hypocritical for a Naturalistic Atheistic-Agnostic to pursue

1. Soothsayer
2. Prophet
3. Fortune Teller
4. Clairvoyant
5. Reiki Practitioner
6. Channeler
7. Seance Conductor/Medium
8. Wicca Healer
9. Spell Caster
10. Doomsayer
11. Voodoo Doll Manufacturer
12. New Age Crystal Gazer
13. Tarot Card Reader
14. Professional Warlock/Witch
15. Astrologer
16. Feng Shui Master
17. Mystic
18. Seer
19. Oracle
20. Wiseman/Wisewoman
21. Palmist
22. Witch Doctor
23. Rhabdomancer
24. Cassandra
25. Sorcerer/Sorceress
26. Tea-Leaf Reader
27. Horoscopist
28. Wizard
29. Druid
29. Auspex (even though much can be derived from scientifically observing birds)
30. Augur
31. Magi
32. Numerologist
33. Cult Leader (ever notice the similarity between the words cult and occult?)

Note: Many of the occultpations listed above would also conscience-entially prevent me from pursuing an editorship at BellaOnline on many related topics. G_d bless its diversity!

Also, although I am not into numerology at all (despite my preference for trilogies!), an up-to-the-minute number that some may find "ominous" is 158!

The ocellated turkey is gorgeous!

I have witnessed the swallow migration many times as a young girl. Hundreds of tree swallows would fly about and then land on the utility lines to rest. Among them would be a few barn swallows. It happened year after year and I am not sure what attracted them to my neighborhood. Maybe the pond within sight that was the size of a small lake. It is indeed quite the event that would last several days.