This thread seems to have gone off the rails as soon as I mentioned medical insurance, and has devolved into politics. I don’t fucking care about that shit, I have no fucking way of doing anything to help our screwed up country.
We got another update from my sister-in-law a few hours ago. Her surgery is scheduled to start at 6:30 AM on Friday, and will take 8-9 hours.
They’ve decided to try a procedure that has only been done once before on someone her age(7).
My wife and kids have been trading text messages asking for people to pray all day today, do they actually think that it’ll help?
I’ve kept my mouth shut and haven’t said a single thing on the subject. I just hope she comes out of this okay, all things considered.
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Yep!
Probably the best thing to do. They actually believe they are doing something. They really believe they are helping. When Christmas rolls around, you can remind them how wonderful their prayers were and invite them to pray for Christmas presents. Hang in there, you’ve got your headphones and are probably making good decisions.
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Uhhhh… Cog? Ol’ buddy, ol’ pal of mine… While I really appreciate your putting in a good word and invite for me… Uhhh… If I go up there, you realize my wife will be with me, right?.. And, uh, seeing as how she and White seem to have very similar views and practices in regards to “domestic discipline”, I just can’t help but think that having them two together would be rather… Ummm 
… Well, uh, PAINFUL for the both of us. I mean, just think about it for a second. Each on her own is already capable of delivering… oh, shall we say… “unique” physical motivation deterrent methods. Therefore, I don’t even DARE imagine what they might devise should they have a chance to conspire together… (shudder)… Although, then again, I admit I would be lying if I said my curiosity isn’t a bit piqued. Hmmm…
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Aw, shit, Mr.Mac. You are absolutely correct. I can speak only for myself here, but I meant no disrespect in getting off topic in here. Just trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humor. No excuse. Just my way of dealing with such things at times. I sincerely apologize. I can assure you, though, that little girl is on everybody’s mind, and we all truly wish for the best possible outcome. Please keep us posted. Meanwhile, I am confident the health insurance issue can be taken to another thread. (Hint-hint to those in that discussion.)
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Among 300+ million people, there surely must be several. As seen from outside the US, the main problem is among your problems are your broken political system, with an effective duopoly that suppresses any views or politics that does not fit into the (D) or (R) boxes, around which everything revolves. Another one is the extreme amount of wealth required for a candidate to have any reasonable chance to fund the massive amounts of propaganda needed to be noticed by the masses. Yet another is the system where the winner takes it all, meaning that small parties never have a snowball’s chance in hell, no matter how sensible their politics are, and no matter now uncorruptible and “clean” their candidates might be.
“But…it happened on Biden’s watch!!!111!1one!!11” 
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HERE HERE!!!
Oh fuk yeah! Is she still doing those monkey feet charms and selling them on line? Shit, that woman is scary. Your right! One dominant female in the house is enough. Hell, I’m probably going to have to start trimming the leaves on my own banana tree.
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To: Everybody
Re: Political Discussion
Ladies and gentlemen,
With all due respect, may I suggest the current discussion about U.S. Politics and Health Insurance be moved to its own thread? Mr.Mac started this thread as a haven for him to keep us informed of the child’s condition, and to have a space to vent about the ridiculous religious nonsense he is having to endure from close family members. He has made it quite clear he has no interest in hearing about the current state of political affairs in this country. Considering the situation he is dealing with is totally beyond his control, I can only imagine his stress levels and frustrations must be through the roof. Therefore, I’m pretty sure the LAST THING he wants right now is to come in here and have to read about ANOTHER major situation that is totally beyond his control. And, personally, I can fully understand his feelings about it.
So, as a common courtesy to a fellow atheist coping with a dreadful situation and reaching out for our support, please refrain from any further political discussions in this thread. Move the topic elsewhere. Thank you.
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I literally can’t move it 
OUT but agreed.
We’ll start new thread.
Please respect this thread in support of @mr.macabre13
For other discussion:
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Absolutely agree @Whitefire13
Sorry, I did not mean to disrespect this thread @mr.macabre13 that situation is horrendous. I can absolutely agree with the massive levels of insanity from theists about disease and illness. My family is the same way, I swear in some sick way they enjoy gossiping about it more than they are worried by something like that. Unfortunately for atheists I think we feel things more deeply not filling our heads with whimsy and fantasy. It’s a bleak reality we live in, I think unfortunately it’s still human nature to cope by denial for so many. As easily distracted and maladjusted we all might be here, you’re not alone.
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Thank you for the words of encouragement and for understanding the reasons I started this thing in the first place.
Politics is the last thing I want to discuss on this, or any other forum. No matter what your beliefs are, there will always be someone who hates you just for expressing your opinion on the current state of this country, no matter what.
The current state of our medical industry(that’s what it is) is out of my control, all I can do is try to stay as healthy as I possibly can.
There aren’t any apologies necessary, I took zero offense at what anyone posted on this thread.
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@mr.macabre13 I live in my nation and it’s healthcare and you in yours. We are but tiny wheels in a much larger machine and all we can do is endure and try to find a way to navigate the shit of life.
I endure, that is all I can do.
Take care bud.
A few years ago I made an observation.
People like to feel good about feeling bad.
I guess it is human nature, but tragic stories, be a child suffering or a kitten stuck down a sewer, draws hordes of onlookers who just can’t look away.
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Very Good Observation: Many people make their exitence about feeling bad. Complaining is a way to get attention. From Munchausen’s to major depressions, suicide attempts and more. Being sick, hurt, injured, depressed, alcogholic, helpless drug addict, sad, etc… are all positions of power.
What better way to get the world around you to take care of all your needs. Alcoholics and drug addicts fine ‘enablers,’ perhaps you have heard of this. Sick people too find people to care for them. They end up in relationships where one partner cares for the other.
The sick person feels good because he is being cared for. The enabler feels good because they have someone to care for. There are millions of people like this, to all sorts of varying degrees, in the world. It is our first relationship with our parents and many, many, people, never grow out of it.
Smart man David! Good lesson.
EDIT: And no one is as demanding as a dead person. 'Stories I can tell. If your dead grandma was here… The people number of people that live their lives for the dead, is astounding.
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Extremely well put, I think altruism is unfortunately blind most of the time. People don’t objectively look at how they are helping others, or they just don’t know how to. I’ve watched my aunt enable my cousins who were both very heavily addicted to painkillers and eventually illegal drugs. To her she was helping them, and again an entire family of us who sat around and sent thoughts and prayers. It’s another moment in my life I look back on and just have to say now, WHAT THE FUCK! We did nothing, I feel culpable for them knowing what I know now. I think after I escaped the fantasy, I wanted to go back to it at first. The fantasy was comforting, I felt at the time it was another reason to stay on my “good path”. Now years later to realize it was all just a very very bad coping mechanism. It’s ok to cope with things in our own ways, but now I realize coping can be healthy. When I have times of extreme stress and anxiety, I turn to art, my garage where I do blacksmithing and fabrication, or work on my gardens and use that energy as a reason to make something. Even if I make something that’s a total failure, or a piece of art that nobody will like or understand, it doesn’t matter. At least I’m using it as a motivator doing something that’s a learning experience that helps me be a better artist or fabricator or whatever. Instead of just bowing my head and then say “that’s the best I can do” and go right back to my self centered lifestyle of living for me by trampling others.
It’s just unfortunate that an ultimately altruistic gesture from a theist is thrown away by performing meaningless rituals, instead of meaningful discussion or finding personal growth in it. Stay strong.
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And when we mature, our coping mechanisms also mature. (No they don’t. That’s a lie. We keep doing the same old shit over and over and over and then wonder why in the fuck it isn’t working and how in the fuck did the world around us get so fucked up. That’s what really happens._) LOL It’s so very hard to look at one’s self and ask, 'What can I do different? ’
Doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result is the very definition of crazy.
It’s unfortunate they find solice in meaningless rituals and their circular view of life keeps them caged in a system of delusion. If what they pray for does not happen, "It’s god’s will and god knows best. They are brave and wonderful people with good hearts because they spent so much time praying.’ It what they pray for does happen, "It too is god’s will and they are brave and wonderful people worthing of god’s good grace.’ In their delusion they place themselves in a position where they can only feel good about their response to the situation. Their response is ALWAYS the CORRECT response. They can never admit to being as confused and hurt as the real people in the world.
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That’s exactly the reason I started this thread, even when they pray for someone to recover from an illness, they think they’re actually doing something to help. But if/when that person dies, it’s always god’s will, it’s never because they didn’t pray long enough, or hard enough. They never take any of the responsibility. They can’t see that it was all a colossal waste of time.
I don’t have any information about what our nephew and his wife have been telling Isa during all of this, I just hope they aren’t pinning all of their hope onto a god that isn’t real.
People in the hospital who know that family members are praying for them actually have worse outcomes in the end.
All we can do is wait until tomorrow.
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Of course they are. California mother, son Omarr K Rambert reaction on passing Bar examination leave netizens emotional - YouTube
Thank you Jesus. Not a word to the kid about how hard he must have worked. This is the Christian mind. When does mom hug the kid and tell him how much she appreciates all his hard work?. That he did it on his own? That he has the power to control his own life? The video turns my stomach.
It’s how they are coping. They can’t do anything else. It is the only way they can feel any kind of control. And in the end: "Well, we did all we could do! " It’s their solace. They can not live in a world where someone is not in control. Everything happens for a reason and it will all be okay in the end because we are going to have milk and cookies with God.
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I prefer cinnamon graham crackers.
I’ll buy you a box for Christmas. Drop me your address.
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Well, it’s a little more than half past 12:00 here on the west coast, which means she’s probably still in the operating room after 6 hours of surgery.
Our son asked his mom if there was any kind of update about an hour ago, but so far nothing. I don’t know if that’s good news or bad. This is totally fucked up!