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If a religion tries to coerce you into staying, you're in a cult, so run away from it!

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 2d

Tonight's blog post: "If a religion tries to coerce you into staying, you're in a cult, so run away from it!"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/11/if-a...

Here’s another right-on message from the person who shared thoughts with me that became a blog post, “A message for those thinking of leaving RSSB, Radha Soami Satsang Beas.” It’s on the same theme, t...

Base-running blunder cost Toronto a World Series championship -- by just a few inches - Hinessight

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 2d

Tonight's blog post: "Base-running blunder cost Toronto a World Series championship -- by just a few inches"
hinesblog.com/2025/11/base...

I love to watch sporting events because they so often — heck, maybe always — reflect life as a whole. Meaning, victory or defeat often doesn’t go to the better team, or the most deserving team, but th...

Just this -- a simple yet profound Zen saying

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 4d

Tonight's blog post: "Just this -- a simple yet profound Zen saying"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/11/just...

Zen Buddhism is known for focusing on the natural world rather than abstract concepts. Chopping wood and carrying water are favored over devotion to God and similar thoughts divorced from everyday rea...

After eight years of using a urinary catheter, TURP is planned due to improved bladder function - Hinessight

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 4d

Tonight's blog post: "After eight years of using a urinary catheter, TURP is planned due to improved bladder function"
hinesblog.com/2025/10/afte...

In May 2017 I had a serious urine retention episode — unable to pee, more bluntly put — that kicked off a lengthy period of depression and anxiety due to the difficulty I had with needing to insert a ...

Why keeping an open mind on the divine is a stupid idea

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 6d

Tonight's blog post: "Why keeping an open mind on the divine is a stupid idea"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/why-...

Sometimes intelligent people can say some really stupid things. I know this as an experiential fact, because I’m intelligent and I’ve said some really stupid things. In conversations. In books I’ve wr...

Check out demobrats podcast where we talk about Mayor Hoy's ethics violation and other juicy subjects - Salem Political Snark

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 7d

Tonight's blog post: "Check out demobrats podcast where we talk about Mayor Hoy's ethics violation and other juicy subjects"
salempoliticalsnark.com/2025/10/chec...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being part of a demobrats podcast episode, “The Mayor, In the Office, With the Ballot Measure.” You can listen to it by either clicking on that link, or via this embedd...

If hurricanes, trees, lions, and brain-damaged people don't have free will, why believe that most humans do?

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 8d

Tonight's blog post: "If hurricanes, trees, lions, and brain-damaged people don't have free will, why believe that most humans do?"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/if-h...

A massive hurricane just struck the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Aside perhaps from a few extreme pantheists who consider that consciousness exists in every part of the universe, nobody believes that ...

I chose ATRIO Medicare Advantage after Providence dumped me, but wished for more options - Hinessight

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 9d

Tonight's blog post: "I chose ATRIO Medicare Advantage after Providence dumped me, but wished for more options"
hinesblog.com/2025/10/i-ch...

For eleven years after I became eligible for Medicare at age 65, I was mostly happy with my Regence Medicare Advantage plan. But near the end of 2024 Regence was enmeshed in a contract dispute with Sa...

The real danger of A.I. isn't that it becomes like a human mind, but that the human mind already is like A.I.

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 10d

onight's blog post: "The danger of A.I. isn't that it becomes like a human mind, but that the human mind already is like A.I."
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/the-...

Artificial Intelligence, A.I., is a big deal nowadays. I just heard a financial expert say that if the burgeoning investments in A.I. are subtracted from growth in the United States, that growth would...

Trump fits narcissistic personality disorder diagnosis perfectly (no big surprise) - Salem Political Snark

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 11d

Tonight's blog post: "Trump fits narcissistic personality disorder perfectly (no big surprise)"
salempoliticalsnark.com/2025/10/trum...

Donald Trump is a despicable human being and the worst president in the history of the United States. But that description doesn’t fully capture all of his flaws. That’s why we need to turn to psychia...

Spiritual sickness arises from meditating too assiduously. Or viewing India as a promised land.

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 12d

Tonight's blog post: "Spiritual sickness arises from meditating too assiduously. Or viewing India as a promised land."
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/spir...

Most people view spirituality and meditation as a good thing. Often, it is. But almost always, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. Too much eating leads to obesity. Too much exercising le...

Seven reasons why Trump's destruction of White House East Wing enrages me - Salem Political Snark

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 13d

Tonight's blog post: "Seven reasons why Trump's destruction of White House East Wing enrages me"
salempoliticalsnark.com/2025/10/seve...

I’m used to being irritated by Trump. That’s to be expected when the worst president in American history almost daily challenges his own record for worst’ness. But there’s something about his destruct...

No free will brings great news: You are innocent of your past mistakes

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 14d

Tonight's blog post: "No free will brings great news: You are innocent of your past mistakes"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/no-f...

There’s plenty of reasons not to believe in free will. The most important and basic reason is that free will is an illusion. Robert Sapolsky made strong arguments for this in his book, Determined. I w...

Why a favored sports team losing hurts almost as much as physical pain - Hinessight

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Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 15d

Tonight's blog post: "Why a favored sports team losing hurts almost as much as physical pain"
hinesblog.com/2025/10/why-...

I don’t follow professional baseball very closely. I’m much more of a college baseball fan, the Oregon State Beavers being my favorite team. But since the Seattle Mariners are the closest professional...

Regret seems useless to me, especially if there's no free will

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 16d

Tonight's blog post: "Regret seems useless to me, especially if there's no free will"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/regr...

I regret quite a few things that I’ve done in my life. Everybody does. At least, everybody that I know. But recently it dawned on me that regret is almost always a useless emotion, whether or not we p...

Photos and videos of No Kings rally in Salem, Oregon - Salem Political Snark

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 17d

Tonight's blog post: "Photos and videos of No Kings rally in Salem, Oregon"
salempoliticalsnark.com/2025/10/phot...

Yesterday I joined at least 6,000 other people for a No Kings rally near the state capitol here in Salem. We protested Trump’s authoritarianism and inhumane policies. The rally was energizing. Also, h...

To look at life and deeply feeling one day it will end -- for me that's the essence of spirituality

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Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 18d

Tonight's blog post: "To look at life and deeply feeling one day it will end -- for me that's the essence of spirituality"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/to-l...

Everyone has their own personal approach to spirituality, even if it is to say, “Spirituality is a load of crap, I have no interest in it.” I’m sympathetic with that attitude, because I’ve become incr...

Me and my senior citizen Marxist, Antifa, Hamas-loving friends will enjoy the No Kings rally tomorrow - Salem Political Snark

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 19d

Tonight's blog post: "Me and my senior citizen Marxist, Antifa, Hamas-loving friends will enjoy the No Kings rally tomorrow"
salempoliticalsnark.com/2025/10/me-a...

I’m really looking forward to attending the No Kings rally here in Salem, Oregon tomorrow. But I’m confused about what Republicans have been calling the Hate America rally. It sure seems like me and m...

Provocative idea: there are only two branches of science, physics and evolution

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 20d

Tonight's blog post: "Provocative idea: there are only two branches of science, physics and evolution"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/prov...

Science is our best way of learning what is true about the world. Those truths, obviously, include us humans, since we are part of the world. So this makes science not something to be admired from the...

Must watch City Council videos: Chris Hoy and two other people call out Mayor Julie Hoy for her lies - Salem Political Snark

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 21d

Tonight's blog post: "Must-watch City Council videos: Chris Hoy and two other people call out Mayor Julie Hoy for her lies"
salempoliticalsnark.com/2025/10/must...

Speaking truth to power. It’s not just a cliche. It was on full display at last Monday’s City Council meeting when former Mayor Chris Hoy and two other people stood at the public comment podium, looke...

The dry clarity of one who no longer lies

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 21d

Tonight's blog post: "The dry clarity of one who no longer lies"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/the-...

This morning I felt in love. With a chapter in Robert Saltzman’s book, The 21st Century Self: Belief, Illusion, and the Machinery of Meaning. I knew that I wanted to share it in a blog post tonight. B...

Les Zaitz of Salem Reporter advises "Don't trust the media!" at City Club talk - Hinessight

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 23d

Tonight's blog post: "Les Zaitz of Salem Reporter advises 'Don't trust the media' at City Club talk"
hinesblog.com/2025/10/les-...

Last Friday Les Zaitz, the editor and CEO of Salem Reporter (our town’s digital-only news source), gave a talk to the Salem City Club with the surprising title, “DON’T trust the media!” But what Zaitz...

I'm opposed to religions. But what really is "religion"?

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 24d

Tonight's blog post: "I'm opposed to religions. But what really is 'religion'?"
churchofthechurchless.com/2025/10/im-o...

During the 21 year lifespan of this blog, I’ve devoted many posts to criticizing religions and religiosity. I’m fine with exploring the Big Questions of Life. It just seems to me that there are much b...

At ethics commission meeting, Mayor Julie Hoy denies lying, which almost certainly is another lie - Salem Political Snark

Brian Hines @oregonbrian.bsky.social · 25d

Tonight's blog post: "At Ethics Commission meeting, Mayor Julie Hoy denies lying, which almost certainly is another lie."
salempoliticalsnark.com/2025/10/at-e...

Salem Mayor Julie Hoy is digging herself deeper into an unethical hole. Yesterday Hoy claimed at a meeting of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission that contrary to the finding of a commission inves...