What Should I Weigh

I used to believe in God and am now an atheist of sorts. However, unlike some people who seem to have rejoiced in the liberation from religious shackles it represents, I find I cannot embrace this worldview happily. I struggle with motivation and have struggled with depression for a long time due to many factors and difficult life experiences. I find life quite empty now without the belief in a deeper structure and meaning to the Cosmos. While I find religious beliefs absurd, atheism is certainly not something I’d want to proclaim to anyone and I really do genuinely want there to be a Higher Reality out there. As an ex-theist, accepting that life is just a case of “enjoy yourself while you’re here and be happy, treat people well, make your own meaning, etc., etc.”, while admirable, still seems totally inadequate. People will probably accuse me of being weak, or ungrateful for the gift of life or whatever. But for me it is inadequate because I care about a lot of issues and find it very hard to accept an unjust universe with no inherent purpose or care what happens to us or how we act. Perhaps it is simply unmet emotional needs on my part due to my lacking a strong father figure in my own life and a sense of social belonging. But I do find it patronising when people make light of the human condition, that to have a problem with life implies a weak character, when many of the great figures and writers in history (Albert Camus? Bertrand Russell?) have wrestled with this existential despair at life’s futility and the harshness of nature. Life for me has not generally been a happy experience and I find this sort of philosophy shallow and unfulfilling. Except it seems a lot of atheists are genuinely satisfied in their position and take pride in it (although arguably some of this is driven by an anti-religious zeal which seems to give some people a sort of purpose). Are there any other people like me out there? I wonder if it is because of my previous spiritual background, which is why I feel the loss of God in my life so much more keenly than, say, someone who grew up as an atheist. They never experienced this shattering of their worldview nor had to accept the blow to their pride in admitting that everything they believed was false. This is perhaps why I find it difficult to relate to the “atheist community” in general (obviously there is no such thing but I hope you get what I mean). So are there any of you atheists out there who have had mental health problems and know what I’m talking about, who maybe secretly would prefer it if there was a “God” of some kind, and who are honest enough to admit it? Also how do you deal with it?
Please try and be respectful in your answers. Thanks.
P.S. I don’t mean “God” in a childish anthropomorphic popular conception, the sort of stereotypical God some famous atheists use to discredit religion. But something much more subtle. Higher Reality/ Intelligence or whatever you want to call it, since presumably “God”, if such an entity exists, would be beyond our comprehension anyway.

Hey guys. I know nutritional knowledge is important and I AM interested, but I am preparing for military service and I really want to get fit as soon as possible and change the health of my body to better serve. To this end I would love to have something like an “ultimate diet” where I wouldn’t have to worry about how much I eat/drink, or exactly WHAT I eat or drink in any given day.
First off, some (relevant?) info on me:
I am about to turn 20. I weigh ~160 pounds. I am about 5″6.5′.
I run three times a day, for between 20-40 minutes on average, my goal being at least 2.5 miles every time. I do some weights and calasthenics (I messed that spelling I know) but none consistently, which I’m going to work to change. I am very committed to this goal.
Secondly, this is the only thing like this I’ve seen in my cursory reading tonight:
“WEIGHT LOSS DIET
The program was developed in conjunction with the grant from U.S. Department of agriculture and their Food & Drug Administration. It was field tested at the John Hopkins Research Center and was approved by the Board of Directors of General Motor Corporation at a general meeting on August 15, 1995.
It is management’s intention to facilitate a welfare and fitness program for everyone. This program is designed for a target weight loss of 5 to 6 Kgs per week.
It will also improve your attitude and emotions because of its systematic cleansing effects.
The effectiveness of this seven day plan is that the foods eaten burn more calories than they give to the body in calorific value.
This plan can be used as often as you like without any fear of complications. It is designed to flush your system of impurities and give you feeling of well being. After seven days you will begin to feel lighter by at least 10 pounds. You will have an abundance of Energy and an improved digestion.
DURING THESE SEVEN DAYS YOU MUST DRINK 10 GLASSES OF WATER EACH DAY.
Day One:
All fruits except bananas: Your first day will consist of all fruits you want. It is suggested you consume lots of melons the first day, especially water melons.
Day Two:
All vegetables: You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw and cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit of the amount or type. Avoid Oil and coconut while cooking vegetables. Have a large boiled potato for breakfast.
Day Three:
Any mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice: Any amount, any quantity. No bananas and no potatoes today.
Day Four:
Bananas and Milk: today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. You can also have one bowl of vegetable soup.
Day Five:
Today is a feast day: You will eat 1 cup of rice. You also have to eat six whole tomatoes. Drink 13 glasses of water today to cleanse your system of the excess uric acid you will be producing.
Day Six:
Today is another all Vegetables day. You may eat 1 cup of rice today. Eat all vegetables you want cooked and uncooked to your hearts content.
Day Seven:
Today your food intake will consist of 1 cup of rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.
Tomorrow Morning you will be five to eight Kgs lighter than 1 week ago. If you desire further weight loss, repeat the program again. Repeat this program as often as you like. However it is suggested that you rest for three days before every repetition.
You have your system under control now and it will thank you for all the purging and cleansing you just gave it. Even more that a diet programs it is good to follow this diet once in a while to clean your digestive system and remove toxic substances that have accumulated in the system.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
The most important element of the program is 10 tall glasses of water a day. You can also flavour the water with some lemon to make the drinking easier.
While on program take only black coffee.
Never more that 1 teaspoon of oil. Preferably do not use oil because of high calorific content. No fruit juices before day seven.
Here is what happens to your body while you are on this program and how and why it works.
Day One: you are preparing your system for upcoming program. Your only source of nutrition is fresh fruits. Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything you can possibly want to sustain life except total balance and variety.
Day two: Starts with mix of complex carbohydrates in the form of boiled potato. This is taken in the morning to provide energy and balance. The rest of day two consists of vegetables, which are virtually calorie free and provide essential nutrients and fibers.
Day three eliminates the potato because you get your carbohydrates from fruits. Your system is now prepared to start burning excess pounds.
Day four bananas and milk sound the least desirable. Today is the day you can have coffee with milk. You are in for a surprise. You probably will not be able to eat all the bananas allowed. But they are there for the potassium you have lost an

That is my opinion, and as of right now, my husband is in agreement. We have 3 that I dedicate my life to. And I have always wanted another, preferably a girl as my 3 are all boys.
We made the mistake of looking at pups in a pet store last weekend and it caused me to leave bawling. I didn’t like the fact that the puppies didn’t have blankets. Just an example of how sensitive I am when it comes to dogs in general, when it pertains to my own, that is on a whole nother level.
My husband told me today that a friend of his aunts got a Cockapoo and turns out she is allergic. And do we want him/her? (my hubby forgot to ask)
So, now it’s like I have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. I want another pup, but how are my boys going to take it. Joey, my yorkie would not be to pleased, but I think he would warm up. Miles, my wiener dog could care less, he’s just a love bug. And my lab, he’s easy. They all get along so well, and I just keep thinking, should we or shouldn’t we?
And for those of you that feel the need to lecture, it is not a matter of time or money. My boys are WELL taken care of and live like little princes. They look at me wrong and I take them to the vet. I take no chances with the health and welfare of my boys. That is why this situation is upsetting me so.

Wouldn’t it be cruel to bring something into this life thats only going to be miserable? Very short men have much harder lives than the general population (make less money, date much much less – if at all, or remain an involuntary virgin for life)) – would any of you ladies (or dads) abort your fetus if you knew that (he) was only going to grow up to 5’5″. State your answer and a rational reason. Short men have a high suicide rate – gee, I wonder why – http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/13/health/webmd/main708912.shtml
My MySpace – www.myspace.com/overtness – for photos of me.
As a short guy at 23, life sucks! I have never dated. I have no friends that are girls. I never asked a girl out – whats the use? I’ll end up a virgin for life – I’m planning on killing myself. All because I’m short. If love is the greatest thing ever, and I can’t find love because of my height then I choose to rather die. I HATE my mother for having me and I dont care if she hurts when I’m dead.

Is it possible for a guy to randomly have an orgasm? Not like in a wet dream, but just walking around and all of a sudden he has an orgasm?

I’ve been dancing since I was four. I’m almost sixteen. I’m 5’2-5’3. I do ballet, pointe, contemporary, lyrical, and modern. I’m pretty average but i know it dosen’t work that way in the world of dance and I plan on making a career out of it so how much should I weigh?

Wouldn’t it be cruel to bring something into this life thats only going to be miserable? Very short men have much harder lives than the general population (make less money, date much much less – if at all, or remain an involuntary virgin for life)) – would any of you ladies (or dads) abort your fetus if you knew that (he) was only going to grow up to 5’5″. State your answer and a rational reason. Short men have a high suicide rate – gee, I wonder why – http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/13/health/webmd/main708912.shtml
My MySpace – www.myspace.com/overtness – for photos of me.
As a short guy at 23, life sucks! I have never dated. I have no friends that are girls. I never asked a girl out – whats the use? I’ll end up a virgin for life – I’m planning on killing myself. All because I’m short. If love is the greatest thing ever, and I can’t find love because of my height then I choose to rather die. I HATE my mother for having me and I dont care if she hurts when I’m dead.

Wouldn’t it be cruel to bring something into this life thats only going to be miserable? Very short men have much harder lives than the general population (make less money, date much much less – if at all, or remain an involuntary virgin for life)) – would any of you ladies (or dads) abort your fetus if you knew that (he) was only going to grow up to 5’5″. State your answer and a rational reason. Short men have a high suicide rate – gee, I wonder why – http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/13/health/webmd/main708912.shtml
My MySpace – www.myspace.com/overtness – for photos of me.
As a short guy at 23, life sucks! I have never dated. I have no friends that are girls. I never asked a girl out – whats the use? I’ll end up a virgin for life – I’m planning on killing myself. All because I’m short. If love is the greatest thing ever, and I can’t find love because of my height then I choose to rather die. I HATE my mother for having me and I dont care if she hurts when I’m dead.

On the news there’s several reports of what each city is doing to arrest fathers behind on their child support.
Doing it now reduces the number of calls to police about the usual number of fathers denied court ordered access to their children. If you’re in jail you can’t complain. Over 60% of fathers are denied access despite court orders, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services study “Survey of Absentee Parents”.
Notice they never report on the arrest of mothers for violating court orders just before Mother’s Day.
Time Magazine has an article in this week’s issue, showing that fathers don’t deserve a special day, as they generally don’t care to be around their children.
A few years back, a state attorney general commented that she believed fathers only went after custody because they either are sexuaally abusing the children, or physically abusing their mother.

could they ptsd related nightmares ?
and afterwards you wake up alone, in your dark, gloomy apartment, in the late afternoon feeling alone , chilled and abandoned. – grey and dismal outside…..deserted of people.
in one dream : i was in a clostraphobic, bottle green , leafy suburb neighborhood, where i felt a weird, disturbing feeling of feeling trapped, hemmed in, and deserted by humanity……..there were people that lived there, but they were non-descript, distant , aloof and scary looking…….never came near me, seemed distant, remote…..hostile, uncaring…….but seemed ominous to…..threatening….like they were somehow behind the reason i felt trapped , unable to leave from the ‘ bottle green leafy , grey neighbor hood ‘..
i felt abandoned lost and alone as i drifted around….there was a part where i went to hospital for something…..and the hospital was large and labirynth like, large empty corridors, that stretched on endlessley…….unusual, creepy, strange looking , unfamiliar , aloof doctors dotted around…….doing various things………..outside i saw the grey sky……….the very green trees that were plenty……….i felt lost and alone…….abandoned……..and trapped in this strange world……..with a panic and terror in my heart.
then suddenley a part of the dream saw me hovering over a terrifying, pitch black , bottomless chasm or drop……that you fell into forever……it was so black and dark you couldnt see into it………only see the edges , the walls of the chasm…..which were a brick walled – bottle green colour again……..i saw a knowledge of no escape once i fell into the chasm……like ” is this what awaits after death ? ”……..the terrifying drop…….where the certainty of never seeing the light or the love of people ever again.. falling into unknown-ness, infinite darkness.
that i was back into the green , trapped neighborhood again….feeling desperatly lonely, forlorn , tapped in that place….and abandoned……the clouds and sky were a deep inpenetrable grey…..i was drifting around with the strange people i saw oblivious, and uncaring about my lonely wondering around.
then i stumbled on this olive skined attractive, caring looking woman that looked like penelope cruz. sitting near a coffee stand , with a non descript, unfamiliar person from the area…………..she seemed to listen to my grief…my despair of feeling trapped and lonely……seemed to take deep interest in me………then all of a sudden she burst out crying in what i told her about my desperation………like it was too much for her…..she ran off to a near by industrial tower drum, that had ladders from the bottom…….it was a high rise structure……..she climbed to the top, and threw her self off……i was afraid to look because the knowledge of a smashed skull….with blood everywhere……and i was so upset but too scared to go and see……people ran to the tower crying….a big comotion..
i saw a blonde woman mouth open screaming in terror at the scene..
i woke up feeling very afraid, disturbed and lonely………looked out my apartment curtains and it is grey and dismall and deserted outside in reality.
its now 6 :16 pm, friday evening, my sleeping patterns been messed up because ive been awake through the night for the past week….sleeping through the day…
in general im 31 , endured a very tough life of abuse and trauma, constant bad times…..missed out on a normal life of building relationships….working……getting qualifications……just living etc.
ive been failed by the mental health srvices in general…..struggled to get the help i need……was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder years ago…….but theres symptoms that have been missed so i asked for further assesment……but my psychiatrist doesnt feel its necessary……..so i now have to go down other paths to get the assesments and therapy im not getting..
i know i have all the symptoms of post traumatic stress undiagnosed..
ive had life very tough, and unfortunate…..missed out on everything….and im sure my life ahead will be tough to try and get the goals im after…….i hate the system and are very bitter towards it because of the help they didnt give me.