Forest Board

Do not use sunscreen! Stop consuming seed oils and you won't get sunburned! Sun is good, sunscreen is evil! The sun is a gift of nature from God, you do not need to be protected from it, it is healthy! I hate sunscreen, I hate the antichrist!

Zerphen and Great julunaphra

Ramonasche

Edited

Europe

Pankarpatia wrote:

snip

I also hate skin cancer, therefore I use sunscreen :)

Edit: Haven't stopped by Forest in a while, hope everyone's having a nice day :D

Verdant Haven, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ownzone, Northern Wood, and 5 othersZerphen, Nation of ecologists, Difinbelk, Santichushari, and Great julunaphra

The Zephyrs of Zerphen

Pankarpatia wrote:

I get sunburned very easily, being pale and redheaded, so I think I'll keep using sunscreen. I got a pretty bad sunburn a few weeks ago and my skin only just stopped peeling a few days ago. The sun is good, but it also hurts.

Ramonasche wrote:

Haven't stopped by Forest in a while, hope everyone's having a nice day :D

I am having a nice day. I hope you are too :D

Frieden-und Freudenland, Northern Wood, Nation of ecologists, and Great julunaphra

Santichushari

Pankarpatia wrote:

But I hate to get tan and I also don’t want to get skin cancer or sunburnt! It also blinds me, I must squint every time I go outside. :P And it makes me so hot and sweaty! I’ll stick to the shade. And not everyone is Christian. And I don’t think seed oils won’t get people sunburnt, how does that even work? I hate the taste of seeds! Evil sunscreen sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory that can be debunked by many people, sunscreen has prevented me from becoming completely red. :P (I turn red easily, but I don’t blush.)

Zerphen wrote:

I get sunburned very easily, being pale and redheaded, so I think I'll keep using sunscreen. I got a pretty bad sunburn a few weeks ago and my skin only just stopped peeling a few days ago.

Wait, skin can peel from sunburn? The only sunburns I’ve had are when I turn red and don’t even notice. :P And I know no one with the hair I have. I mean, dark brown is pretty common, but do you have a blonde patch on the back of your head? And a bit of blue dye? And it’s curly? I’ve met a person with curly brown hair and blue dye, but never a blonde patch. My eyebrows are also lighter than my scalp hair for some reason. Everyone seems to love my very colourful eyes and my hair! (My eyes are a mix of hazelish green, silver and brown.)

Frieden-und Freudenland, Northern Wood, Zerphen, and Great julunaphra

Heidgaudr

Pankarpatia wrote:

The Bible warns readers about worshiping false idols - especially Baal. And while Baal nowadays is believed to be a storm god in the same vein as Zeus, it was for a long time associated with the worship of the sun. So in a sense, blocking the sun with sunscreen can be considered righteous in Judeo-Christian faiths.

Einswenn, Frieden-und Freudenland, Northern Wood, Zerphen, and 2 othersWest Barack and East Obama, and Great julunaphra

The Zephyrs of Zerphen

Santichushari wrote:

For bad enough sunburns, skin does start to peel. It's a part of the healing process for the skin. My hair is fairly normal, apart from being strawberry blonde; it's parted down the middle, a little longer than shoulder length, and mostly straight but it curls a little at the ends. My eyes are also normal, being as brown as brown eyes can get.

Northern Wood and Great julunaphra

Cameroi

The Mercurial World of Isbjorn Maerenne Bava Paerani

having a god is not a replacement for having a conscience, no matter how many fanatics try to insist that it is.
nor do whatever gods may happen to exist owe anything to what is written in any one faith. spoken or carved in rock either.

as for avoiding skin damage, while it is good to go for a walk in nature and fresh air, parking oneself in direct unfiltered exposure to ultra violate for extended periods of time, is not. sunscreen? only one if you're one of those people who park themselves on a beach, which i could never understand why they would want to do anything that boring.

on a walk in the woods there's shade and trees and stuff. usually anyway. then there's, well living in a city and without a car (which is the only reason i do live in a city) there's pictures on the internet. which i don't get enough healthy sun that way, although it does come in through my east window in the morning and my west window at sunset.

not trying to impress anyone with how i look. rather look totally inconspicuous as i do, unless i could look completely and convincingly like some other species from some other world. (like one where people look kind of like cats)

i'm just not outside enough for sunscreen to be a thing, however much i might or might not wish to be.

Einswenn, Frieden-und Freudenland, Jutsa, Mount Seymour, and 5 othersRuinenlust, Canaltia, Northern Wood, Zerphen, and Great julunaphra

Is everyone in Forest an atheist?

Frieden-und Freudenland, Jutsa, Ruinenlust, Canaltia, and 7 othersNorthern Wood, Lofia, Zerphen, Nation of ecologists, Phillip isle, West Barack and East Obama, and Great julunaphra

The Realm of Lofia

Is everyone in Forest an atheist?

No. If you're talking IC, Lofia allows freedom of religion. But OOC, I'm a weak agnostic, meaning I don't believe there isn't any sufficient human capability in the present to justify the existence of supernatural beings, but it could be probable one day.

Frieden-und Freudenland, Jutsa, Mount Seymour, Isbjorn Maerenne Bava Paerani, and 6 othersRuinenlust, Northern Wood, Zerphen, Nation of ecologists, Phillip isle, and Great julunaphra

Pankarpatia

The Military-Industrial Complex of West Barack and East Obama

People believe in evolution and then also believe that the very sun humanity evolved under without any harm done to it can cause cancer now, even though nobody needed sunscreen before it was invented. You won't get skin cancer by being on the sun unless you spend like 5 hours straight without movement under it. I haven't used sunscreen in 2 years, not a single sunburn since then, as I said, stop consuming seed oils and you won't get sunburned.

Is everyone in Forest an atheist?

Obviously don't speak for everyone, but I am an atheist born and raised. Never had a reason to believe, and I don't think I'll ever convert.

Anyways, Forestians (is that right?), I have been drafting a GA proposal for a while. My friend and I will be submitting in a week, so if anyone has any thoughts on it, that'd be very appreciated! :D

go here

Frieden-und Freudenland, Isbjorn Maerenne Bava Paerani, Ruinenlust, Northern Wood, and 3 othersZerphen, Nation of ecologists, and Great julunaphra

The Tsardom of Lura

Pankarpatia wrote:

Oh dear. I'm afraid to tell you that ultraviolet light from the sun absolutely can cause skin cancer, and to hear something as pseudoscience and frankly ridiculous as this makes it kind of difficult to be curteous. I would sure like to see the evidence you have that people didn't suffer from skin cancer prior to the invention of sunscreen, or the link between seed oils and sun protection.

Australia is I think the country with the highest skin cancer rate, and few people would say that it isn't sunny here. The fact we're a mostly white country with a climate that doesn't particularly support such a trait does a lot to contribute to it; certainly it has nothing to do with seed oil consumption.

Verdant Haven, Einswenn, Rhodevus, Frieden-und Freudenland, and 10 othersJutsa, Mount Seymour, Ruinenlust, Uan aa Boa, Northern Wood, Zerphen, Nation of ecologists, Phillip isle, Station 8, and Great julunaphra

The Zephyrs of Zerphen

Edited

Pankarpatia wrote:

I think its reasonable to assume that skin cancer caused by UV radiation from the sun existed before the invention of sun screen. Of course, cancer research and diagnosis has come a long way in the 80 or so years since sun screen was invented, so a lot of those possible deaths caused by skin cancer from the sun may have just been reported as old age back then, but I don't think skin cancer is a new thing that started happening because people started using sunscreen and consuming seed oils. I tried to find a source on seed oils increasing the risk of sunburns, but all I found was one article that linked to one study from 1987 that I could only read the abstract of (if you could get me a source to that full study or wherever you got your information on seed oils increasing the risk of sunburns that would be greatly appreciated as I'd love to take a look at it. The study I was trying to read is called "Photocarcinogenesis and Diet" if anyone is interested), so I only know that the article said seed oils do lead to an increased risk of getting a sunburn. If that's true, that just means not consuming seed oils does not mean that you won't get sunburns, you can still get sunburns. The recent increase in sunburn risk can be more accurately attributed the the depletion of the ozone layer leading to more UV radiation reaching Earth.

(On a smaller note, I have gotten sunburnt in much less than 5 hours, as in like 20 minutes. Again, I am redheaded and pale, so I am at increased risk for sunburns, but it definitely doesn't take as long as 5 hours for even a normal person to get a sunburn without using sunscreen.)

Is everyone in Forest an atheist?

I generally consider myself agnostic. I think it might be possible that something or someone or somewhatever created the universe, but I don't think we'll be able to definitively prove the existence of such a being, and I certainly don't think we'll be able to know who or what did it.

In some respects, however, I could be considered anti-theistic. Religion is a dangerous tool that is often weaponized by those in power to make people do their bidding (i.e. The Crusades). I am very disapproving of the intertwining of faith and politics. So many religious people nowadays (not all of course) seem to think that being gay is a sin because some religious leader told them so, even though I think any reading of a religious book like the bible could be interpreted as at least a tolerance of LGBT people, and they'll even say being trans is a sin even though to my knowledge the bible makes no mention of transgender people or anything of that sort. Religion has become a lot less about religion and more about a political cult that you'll be damned to hell if you don't believe in. I also don't like fundamentalist and evangelical sects of religion, and I don't like that religious leaders are able to make a lot of money from what they do since they are tax exempt, Kenneth Copeland being the most egregious example that I know of.

Rhodevus, Frieden-und Freudenland, Jutsa, Mount Seymour, and 8 othersIsbjorn Maerenne Bava Paerani, Ruinenlust, Uan aa Boa, Canaltia, Northern Wood, Nation of ecologists, West Barack and East Obama, and Great julunaphra

The church of satan

The Military-Industrial Complex of West Barack and East Obama

The Rejected Realms

Intergalactic Tip #8: In planetside eateries, it is correct to tip your room steward, table steward, headwaiter and wine steward. An exception is the average Rigellian restaurant, where le service est tout compris.

Zerphen and Great julunaphra

The Eurovision Season of Einswenn

Edited

I generally agree that organised religion has been (and is) a net negative for society. In my opinion it’s just a really outdated method of thinking that’s been replaced by modern science and medicine. (all the explanation of how we exist and the universe, now eating pork and having foreskin is much safer so we don’t have to threaten people with hell so they don’t get sick etc) However, of course, people should be free to believe in a higher power if they want.

Ruinenlust, Northern Wood, Zerphen, Nation of ecologists, and 1 otherGreat julunaphra

The Konungsskógar of Furilisca

Edited

Pankarpatia wrote:

Nevertheless, I must object. There are different types of skin and various reactions to sun and UV. Some people are less exposed to the damage while others get sunburnt immediately and sunscreens are the only option if they want, for instance, enjoy some beach time (not questioning here why would they want that - it's entirely of their business). Having one personal example of a better sun tolerance is not a reason to call for everybody to stop using sunscreens, more than that, it could be hazardous for those who have another skin type than yourself :(

Upd: It took me so long to write this short reply that some folks above have already replied to that which doesn't stop me from posting anyway.

Siornor, Northern Wood, Zerphen, Nation of ecologists, and 2 othersPhillip isle, and Great julunaphra

Is everyone in Forest an atheist?

My family is Hindu, but I do not consider myself as very religious. I will participate in celebrations and stuff however I don’t go to the temple on a daily or weekly basis.

Siornor, Jutsa, Mount Seymour, Isbjorn Maerenne Bava Paerani, and 3 othersNorthern Wood, Nation of ecologists, and Great julunaphra

Siornor

The Equatorial Forests of Uan aa Boa

Is everyone in Forest an atheist?

Aha! Religion! My favorite topic! (Invoking the gods may not be proven to summon them, but it is proven to summon me!)

Based on the responses the last time I recall us having a conversation about it on the RMB, we have quite a good array of adherents to various religions here. I myself was raised without any proper religious background, although my father made sure I had a children's bible and read me enough Tolkien and C.S. Lewis to pump my head with an implicit understanding of Catholic morality. As to the question of theism/atheism, I would say that I'm something of a skeptical theist, by which I mean that I don't really think I believe in God -- but I'm also not quite sure I believe that I don't believe in God.

I actually met God once; while I was on magic mushrooms, which of course makes it a dubious encounter, but the way I see it either God is real and was revealed to me by the mushrooms or God is not real and my brain sought out a vision of him while on mushrooms -- in either case, evidence that I believe in Him seems to be strong. Therefore, my claim that I don't believe in God is somewhat unscientific, being a pure rejection of evidence, and if I'm going to reject science and logic that I may as well admit that I'm a fideist (one who believes that faith in God must be independent of reason). And yet still I find it hard to believe.

West Barack and East Obama wrote:

I'm aware that this is more or less the common view these days, but I'd really push back on it. As my roommate (who used to want to go into theology and is now a hardcore atheist neuroscientist), said the other day -- one great benefit of religion was that it gave people an automatic community to be a part of. More broadly, I would argue, religions tend to offer a sense of situation; they tell you who you are in this universe and what your place is. Obviously, in the scientific view, the answers religion provides are often baseless, and yet perhaps we need to believe them nonetheless. I don't think it's much of a stretch to claim that extensive psychological discomforts have arisen in the wake of the gradual decline of traditional religious institutions over the past two hundred years; so many of us today face problems of a kind of paralyzing metaphysical uncertainty (call them spiritual, religious, existential, whatever you like) that could be cured by religion, if only we could believe in it.

A notable exception to religions which provide answers might be Taoism which, while it certainly provides many answers, also presses the importance of admitting just how much we can't really know. (to those who find the premise of God preposterous, I highly recommend looking into Taoism for wisdom and guidance in your life; Ursula Le Guin's rendition of the Tao Te Ching is my favorite - she makes up for her lack of Chinese with her graceful mastery of English - and you can read it online for free at the Anarchist Library).

On a perhaps more topical note, I think a great benefit of many religions were that they humbled us. The sociology Anthony Giddens has written that one of the defining characteristics of the modern era is a belief that the world is vulnerable to human change. Having done away with God, we find ourselves unchecked and unchallenged with the universe at our hands. Being a faithful believer in the American promise of liberty, I appreciate the enticing nature of this particular ontological position for mankind, but it is a regrettable and undeniable truth that, given the opportunity to reject God and remake the world according to our own designs, we have instead rejected God and embarked on a path of widespread destruction (atom bombs, holocausts, pollution, climate change). Perhaps we needed God after all.

Rhodevus, Jutsa, Isbjorn Maerenne Bava Paerani, Ruinenlust, and 6 othersUan aa Boa, Northern Wood, Zerphen, Nation of ecologists, Difinbelk, and Great julunaphra

The Taiga Folk of Northern Wood

Siornor wrote:

I think a great benefit of many religions were that they humbled us... Perhaps we needed God after all.

Religion humbles some people but imbues others with a terrifying certainty. You don't get humble crusades or fatwas. Slavery and colonialism were unhindered by the perpetrators professing a belief in God. The Holocaust and the gulag didn't need religion as an inspiration. I think people sometimes do good things and sometimes do terrible things, and also sometimes do and sometimes don't have a religion. I'm not persuaded there are links between the two. If people are religious, they may provide a religious justification after the fact for their choices. As Susan B Anthony said, "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."

Deep down I doubt anyone believes religion is the foundation of morality. That would involve religious people longing to go looting, raping and pillaging but holding themselves back because of their faith. I suspect the reality is that because we are social primates, for most people living in favourable circumstances these urges don't arise directed towards members of our in-group. Unfortunately, because we're social primates we're very much able to unleash those urges on people outside our in-group. We like to think that unlike other primates we have reason, free will, self-awareness etc. History suggests we've used those gifts more to justify, explain and technologically enable our animal urges than to overcome them. Almost as if we were just another species of primate after all.

Cameroi, Rhodevus, Siornor, Frieden-und Freudenland, and 9 othersJutsa, Isbjorn Maerenne Bava Paerani, Ruinenlust, Canaltia, Northern Wood, Nation of ecologists, Difinbelk, West Barack and East Obama, and Great julunaphra