I’m pretty sure it is from 1984, but close enough!
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1984 and Animal Farm, both required reading IMO.
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I did read Animal Farm, but not 1984. Both books are good. I also recommend “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck; and “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller. Read those a long time ago in high school.
@David_Killens The recent “Trump Non-Presidency”, makes reading “1984” a requirement. As for my view on religion - I am glad I left it. I see religion, not just as evil, but as outdated and obsolete.
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Society and mankind evolves. I can see where religion had it’s place in early civilizations. But these days, there are other methods and organizations that can do the job better. If someone has a personal problem, instead of seeing the local priest, now there are psychiatrists and addiction clinics (for example). Instead of city states and nations misunderstanding each other, religion allowed a method of communication. Now we have embassies, statesmanship, the internet and other forms of communication to resolve misunderstandings and prejudices.
At least in theory, it seems this world is perpetually messed up. lol
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@David_Killens I agree. And looking at it from the perspective of Natural Selection and Evolution, it seems that religion is not doing a great job adapting to changes in the world. #Evolution
My brother went to his Baptist Pastor, the same one that pissed me off, and complained about how anti & non religious that I am. Then proceeded to tell him about our strained relationship. That same pastor came to me and told me everything that my brother said. Then he pastor asked if he could help or if I had any problems or concerned. I told him no other than the fact my brother needs to “shut the fuck up and quit causing drama”.
So I went to my mother and she was aggravated, not at me. She told me that my brother needed to have a filter and keep things to himself and that what he was complaining about was not a problem. To be honest, I think that’s the last time my brother went to and bitched and moaned to a pastor.
I rarely ever talk to my brother. He’s a hypocritical religious bigot who believes he’s a good person and thinks he’s better than me. Although that hasn’t stopped him from lying and feeling entitled. If he thinks I’m not going to ever get even. He’s in for a surprise. When our parents pass away. I’m going to take any and every opportunity that involves fucking him over the way he’s done me for the past decade. Any time I do anything to him he purposely has gone and strained my relationship with my mother, who is probably the only relative I have that I actually do care about. He’s even lied to my mom about stuff I never did and then thought I was going to immediately dog him to get even. What he doesn’t know is that I’m saving it all for him after the funeral right before I wash my hands of him for good. He’s probably the second or third person in my life that I have little tolerance for. I’m going to fuck him over real good. Looking forward to it.
What’s more is that I thought pastors and priests are supposed to practice confidentiality. Apparently I thought wrong.
@MrDawn At least the pastor in question tried to be of help to you. As for your brother, you have the option of kicking him out of your life for good, which, it seems, you are intending to do.
It seems like your brother is, what we call, a “religious zealot”, as he takes religion too seriously to the point that religion has consumed him, and likewise, he has consumed religion. I wish I could offer any advice, but I do wish you the best of luck, sir. If you need anyone to talk to, I am here. Namaste!
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I can’t resist, I have to show these off. To the best of my knowledge, they are first US printing (not worth anything like a first UK printing would be):
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He’s always been my mother’s favorite and he’ always fought to be the golden boy by throwing me and his sister under the bus and treating us like shit. He can be the golden boy. But does he realize at what cost? He’s going to be alone when his parents die. He’s going to come to me one day wanting to talk and I’m going to tell him to fuck off and that I’m done.
As for his religious bullshit.
I didn’t know that he was that religious until I went to his wedding last year. I was cornered into going to his wedding 5 months after my divorce had been finalized. I thought that was a shit thing my parents made me do. It was at this church a little ways out of town. He had a big wedding in comparison to what I had. My wedding back in 2008 took place in my mother’s back yard.
He and I had gotten into it months before and I told my mother that I wasn’t going. I really didn’t want to part in the service. I kept saying I didn’t want to. I ended up being placed as an Usher. I really didn’t want to do that either. As I sat through his wedding, I got to see all the ceremonial bullshit. I got to see him act all happy and fake like he always is.
He and his wife did this thing with the cross and untying some thing on it and they were doing all this special moment religious bullshit. Saying their vows to be faithful.
People are catching on that my brother isn’t all that great. That it’s all just a masquerade.
I don’t know how or why she stays with him. He beat his last girlfriend before her and she left him. Lilly told my brother that she hoped he’d commit suicide someday. I had a friend come to me and tell me that he thought my brother was a horrible human being.
The only thing I hope is that his wedding is in vain. I want everything he does to be a failure. But the sack of shit never fails at anything. He’s always succeeding some how and some way.
I fucking hate him so much. I have dark thoughts about wanting him dead sometimes.
I’d be overjoyed if he died in a house fire or a car wreck. That would solve him. But that’ll never happen. I never get my way. I’d have to kill him personally and that would ruin my life because I’d get caught with his murder and I’d be charged to the full extent of the law.
It just seems that shit and horrible people always outlive everyone and all the NICE people live short lives. Yeah, that’s him.
I’m so sick of him. I hope something happens and he’s gone one day. That or he moves out of state.
I moved to Florida for 11 months and didn’t talk to him the entire time. I had nothing to say to him. It was wonderful.
@MrDawn My siblings are all assholes. I have distanced myself from them, I won’t waste any brain cells thinking about them, I don’t have any hate for them because unless I think of them (for example right now) they don’t exist.
I do not allow bad people to affect me.
@Nyarlathotep Two great books worth reading for sure. I wish I could remember all the books that I read, when I was in high school, but that was more than 20 years ago.
Yeah…I’m old.
@MrDawn What you wrote, proves that the whole notion of an omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent God or Deity, let alone some sort of “Divine Justice” like karma, simply does not exist. It is all fantasy.
And yet, theists and religious believers, come on here and make us believe in such things, when we non-believers (i.e., mainly atheists) know better. What you wrote, also affirms my decision that I made, to no longer believe in any God or Gods, and thereby, leave religion behind. And thank God for that!
Yes…very smart. They are not the boss of you or your life, David……YOU are!
I don’t believe in karma or gods either. My girlfriend believes in karma.
However on the subject of my hate towards my brother. I can wish, hope, or whatever that every horrible thing in the book happens to him. Nothing is going to happen to him. Because that’s how things go down in my life. All I can do is sit back and wait to see if he pisses off the wrong person. If my brother is ever murdered for whatever reason. I’d be happy.
@MrDawn What you wrote is EXACTLY why I do not believe in the concept of karma. It does not exist.
Careful mate, that’s an affirming claim. Of course you can prove your claim? 
Probably just semantics; I don’t believe in karma either, but can’t demonstrate it doesn’t exist. I’m therefore unable to make any claims. Seems to be one of those pesky unfalsifiable thingies.
I agree of course, though I would assert it’s a vile idea, that every tragic or unfortunate affliction people experience is somehow deserved.
The use of that word… I have found some use it in place of “consequences resulting from actions” and others, a way of disparaging people who are in dire circumstances or a pat on their back for their own fortunate circumstances.
Sadly, again, just a way of rejecting personal responsibility or outcomes or societal injustices via “invisible forces of past soul decisions/actions”
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We humans have a tendency to “count the hits and ignore the misses”. Many of us atheists use that argument in debating such topics as the veracity of prayer.
When it comes to “karma”, it we applied the same standards, we are also guilty of the same. For every person who is on the receiving end of karma, how about the person who commits a crime and gets away with it, how about the truly bad people who run rampant over others?
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