I'm saying that it's not worth asking this question yet. There are a bunch of other foundational questions that need to be asked and answered first (there is a never-ending loop of ask/ answer, btw, it can be quite infuriating), before this supernatural question can be asked scientifically.

I'm saying let's focus on finding and asking these more basic questions first, then we can take the little baby, scientifically sound steps towards asking what the answer to life, the universe, and everything is. Ironically, if there is any purpose in life, it's finding our own special way to take these little baby steps for humanity.

Asking if the supernatural exists is not a scientific question whose answer can be derived empirically. Which to me means the question isn't even worth asking until a bunch of other questions can be asked / answered enough that this question becomes a scientific one, belief really has nothing to do with it (not sure I'm even capable of belief like that).

Concluding that all these stories are made up IS the simplest and most logical explanation. But, they almost certainly do not come from nothing. We as a species are kinda hardwired to understand things, and when we encounter something we don't, we have a tendency to either make shit up or seek things that satisfy that understanding (even if its not really understanding). The result is that we have all these fantastic stories and myths that are only distantly related to reality.

Ah man, guess I'll just stick with weed then

Wait, lemme guess, its called "X Studios" and its totally gonna change the world forever!

They have probably been doing it for months but now that it's becoming socially accepted they are willing to admit it

And everybody seems to care a little less

Yeah, I was getting at living in a religious household, but I can say from experience that it goes far deeper than that. There is way too often a toxic and parasitic mentality that constantly says things like birth control are evil and aren't to be talked about. When that kind of thinking permeates every aspect of one's life or community, it can make it difficult, humiliating, or outright dangerous for people to seek out things like contraceptives.

Also, I know this thinking doesn't hold true of all religious folks, and it's refreshing to see someone genuinely curious and asking questions rather than judging automatically, so thank you.

Abortion is, by definition, a form of birth control, but I don't think most people would ever consider it to be equal to other forms of controlling birth. However, let's not forget that for a lot of people abortion is quite literally the only birth control they may have access to, and even that access may come at huge risk. There are often family, social, religious (this is the big one), or cultural pressures that get in the way of accessing contraceptives until it is too late.

I fucking wish

The word your looking for is extortion

In other words, leave nature alone and let it do the thing it designed itself to do

... never as good as they seem and they are never as bad as they seem.

This argument is, by literal definition, a middle-ground. It's also an exceedingly dangerous and naive idea, especially when it leads to us electing actual pedophiles and rapists to make decisions for us on a national level. Its an idea shared by far too many people in this world and perpetuated by those at the top for the sole purpose of driving us all apart and preventing anyone from ever caring enough to do anything about it. This has fuck-all to do with opinions and everything to do with reality that is happening right now. Ineptitude is always lethal, and doubly so when it leads an army of morons that bend to its every whim while sitting at home saying "He's not that bad".

Also, side quest/point, voting is a statistically meaningless activity (still do it, you dummies) and is absolutely not the only thing one can do. DO whine about it all online. DO scream about it from the rooftops. DO make a big loud, obnoxious shitstorm so big that all the idiots that dumbly stare at the fire as it burns us all alive have to actually get up and join the conversation.

Except this time they really are as bad as seem, and middle-ground people like you are a big part of why we are in this mess. Sure, maybe the Cunt is all talk and no bite rn, but he's still gonna try and do stupid shit and the more we let him (and people like him) get away with it the more this whole thing falls apart. This is quite literally the end of democracy type shit that happens every time an empire falls. If you're too blinded by your rose tinted glasses to see this happening, just wait 4 years when the Cunt runs again and we let it happen like a bunch of fucking idiot minions.

I think they call that depression

Nice trapezoid

I find simply existing to be awkward enough

1. It's called Twitter (don't allow the scum rebrand their shit)
2. Good, I hope more organizations follow suit

He'll only try if he can personally take all the money

I want to build a house that has stairs that go nowhere and a bunch of hidden passages and rooms that only makes sense if you live there

Human extinction is neither near nor particularly inevitable. A few small groups (rich people) will always find a way to survive, most likely by exploiting those less fortunate. It's just that a lot of people are gonna die while we turn our planet into a living hell by extincting all the other species.