Archive:

Month: November 2016

How do I identify a militant atheist?

By: | Post date: November 26, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Culture

I am blessed to have lived in a country with a state religion—which ends up tantamount to no religion at all—and in an aggressively secular country. So while I may have had the zeal of Voltaire in my teens about atheism, I no longer get, nor particularly care to get, strident atheism such as abounds […]

What does the oldest translation say: was the Son Of God a Carpenter or a Stonemason?

By: | Post date: November 25, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Culture

I’ll register some confusion at Robert Semple’s answer that it’s a day labourer; I’ve read Crossan too, and I don’t remember that. I’m not disputing it; Crossan is pretty dense. What’s stuck in my head is what the Jesus Seminar decided (and Crossan was a prime move behind it, but not the only one): they […]

If the King James Bible is the only valid version, where does that leave non English translations?

By: | Post date: November 25, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Culture

I’ve tried to reword the question to what OP Sam Rizzardi intended (“what do King James Only proponents think…”); but QCR knows what he intended out of the question better than OP does, clearly. *sigh* There are different flavours of King James Only, as explained at King James Only movement – Wikipedia. Not all versions […]

Why do dogs love dirty clothes?

By: | Post date: November 24, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Pets

To a dog, smell is much, much, much more important than sight. The dirty clothes don’t smell bad to a dog. They smell of wholesome, owner-y goodness. Answered 2016-11-24 [Originally posted on http://quora.com/Why-do-dogs-love-dirty-clothes/answer/Nick-Nicholas-5]

Why Turkey doesn’t form a Turkic Union instead of joining the European Union?

By: | Post date: November 24, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Countries

Mehrdad, I feel bad when I pass on A2As from you that I can’t answer. I can’t answer this either, but let’s analyse this. Why was the EU formed? Really, for political reasons: with the hope that a closer financial, and then political union between France and Germany would prevent World War III. That agenda […]

What is so controversial about Ivanka Trump joining Donald Trump for the meeting with Shinzo Abe? Is it really that bad to bring your daughter when talking to foreign diplomats and people of power?

By: | Post date: November 24, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Countries

Is it really that bad to bring your daughter when talking to foreign diplomats and people of power? Why stop there? Why not bring the in-laws? And your cousin Vinny, who just loves sushi? Is it really that good to bring your daughter along? What are her qualifications for being there? What is the reason […]

What are your most controversial criteria when looking for a romantic partner?

By: | Post date: November 24, 2016 | Comments: 1 Comment
Posted in categories: Culture

Well, this one has worked out well for me. More or less. 🙂 Banter. The coupling of Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing is the coupling that’s brought me to tears. To me, that’s the marriage of true minds. Answered 2016-11-24 [Originally posted on http://quora.com/What-are-your-most-controversial-criteria-when-looking-for-a-romantic-partner/answer/Nick-Nicholas-5]

Who is your favorite 20th century composer and why?

By: | Post date: November 23, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Music

First, thanks to Victoria Weaver for her assembled works of Glass, which I will be working through. Now, if I were a horrible human being, I would answer this question with something like this: MAHLER!!! Because he’s technically 20th century!!! In your FACE, Victoria! WAKEY-WAKEY!!! Ahem. But I am not a horrible human being. And […]

What joy do homophobic people find when they’re being homophobic?

By: | Post date: November 23, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Culture

Not… feeling it with these answers. Not putting themselves enough in the homophobe’s shoes, I believe. I think Sophia de Tricht’s is the closest to the answer I’m about to offer, but her answer was pretty epigrammatic. Consider this: Habib Fanny’s answer to Why do social conservatives care if gay people can marry or trans […]

Can you post a picture of yourself with a nice, uplifting comment to bring out some positivity in yourself?

By: | Post date: November 23, 2016 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Personal

Um… positivity? … You’ve A2A’d the right guy, Diane? OK. I’m a misery guts, but I appreciate the challenge! It was my honeymoon, last year. For her sins, I dragged my honey to my home town in Greece. I wanted her to know where I grew up. I hadn’t been back in six years; and […]