1. Comment #136255 by Duarf Dog on February 29, 2008 at 3:18 pm

For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication..." ―Revelation 19:2

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2. Comment #136264 by Masenko on February 29, 2008 at 3:52 pm

Wow, what a great website. Lots of good videos on there. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is always great to listen to. Sam Harris's videos are nice as well.

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3. Comment #136266 by Star Spangled Eagle on February 29, 2008 at 3:56 pm

The clip of Reza Aslan (from the main page) is also very interesting.

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4. Comment #136268 by AshtonBlack on February 29, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Indeed, very interesting. Good Article

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5. Comment #136271 by fatcitymax on February 29, 2008 at 4:12 pm

Sam is the absolute best. It's going to be fascinating to see how his thinking and attitudes develop further as time passes. Damn, when I was his age all I was capable of thinking about was sex and money and good times.

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6. Comment #136275 by Janus on February 29, 2008 at 4:34 pm

You know he's forty, right? :)

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7. Comment #136281 by Barbara on February 29, 2008 at 5:07 pm

You know he's forty, right? :)

I'd like to be forty again.

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8. Comment #136282 by julianstirling on February 29, 2008 at 5:17 pm

I find it hard to take a site seriously that has Deepak Chopra as one of the 3 "experts" displayed in the science section.

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9. Comment #136301 by PLAYBALL on February 29, 2008 at 8:49 pm

Sam's definition of happiness is similar in every detail to that of Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now and A New Earth. I wonder if he's read them.

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10. Comment #136307 by dazzjazz on February 29, 2008 at 9:53 pm

Sam's definition of happiness is similar in very detail to that of Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now and A New Earth. I wonder if he's read them.

I think those books are largely westernised repetition of Buddhist ideas - something Sam has studied in great deal.

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11. Comment #136334 by PLAYBALL on February 29, 2008 at 10:40 pm

I think those books are largely westernised repetition of Buddhist ideas - something Sam has studied in great deal.

Actually no one who has read either one of those books would offer such a review. Although Eckhart does make reference to the Budda he is clearly not of the endorsement of such any such philosophy associated with any religion. This is plainly stated throughout both books.

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12. Comment #136351 by Backslidden on March 1, 2008 at 12:25 am

Sam is the absolute best. It's going to be fascinating to see how his thinking and attitudes develop further as time passes...

I too am impressed time and time again by Sam Harris. The level of clarity in his thought is so refreshing. I hope for a future where more people think like this and beyond.

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13. Comment #136352 by Rational Thinking on March 1, 2008 at 12:37 am

All simply the best.

And if people are going to start changing the numbers yet again ...... well, I think it's 49 myself, but I've really lost count.

How wonderful :-)

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14. Comment #136426 by catalinmerfu on March 1, 2008 at 6:47 am

I'm glad you brought up Eckhart Tolle.

After reading TGD I understood there is nothing wrong with atheism. After reading Eckhart Tolle I understood that their is better help than organized religion.

My 2 cents ...

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15. Comment #136437 by pulsar1z on March 1, 2008 at 7:45 am

What a courageous women. The truth is so simple and beautiful. Its upsetting that there are so many clouded minds in the world.

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16. Comment #136554 by HeyBishop on March 1, 2008 at 11:58 am

Oh my - I could spend all day visiting BigThink.

Fantastic stuff. Thanks for sharing.

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17. Comment #136562 by NormanDoering on March 1, 2008 at 12:19 pm

julianstirling wrote:

I find it hard to take a site seriously that has Deepak Chopra as one of the 3 "experts" displayed in the science section.

Be thankful they don't have Ben Stein listed as an expert on anything.

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18. Comment #136570 by NormanDoering on March 1, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Sorry, my link didn't work. Maybe this will:
http://normdoering.blogspot.com/2008/03/ben-stein-admits-he-has-only-little-pea.html

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19. Comment #136811 by Richard Morgan on March 1, 2008 at 6:33 pm

oblige your children to master mathematics and science to the best of their abilities or 17 demons will torture you with hot tongs for eternity after death.

Does anybody else read this as a "shooting himself in the foot" notion?
Children who master maths and science will soon stop believing in demons!
Won't they?

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20. Comment #136814 by Frankus1122 on March 1, 2008 at 6:51 pm

Steven Pinker has some good stuff on Big Think as well.

http://www.bigthink.com/experts/browse-by-name/steven-pinker/1

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21. Comment #136925 by j s bach on March 2, 2008 at 3:20 am

BigThink is terrific link - who needs TV when you have material like this?

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22. Comment #137296 by babrock on March 2, 2008 at 3:58 pm

Ayaan Ali apeared to me to not look too good. I can imagine that having ones life threatened constantly can take its toll. I hope her new securety arangment works out for her.

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23. Comment #137346 by babrock on March 2, 2008 at 5:17 pm

Ayaan Ali apeared to me to not look too good.
I can imagine that having ones life threatened constantly can take its toll.
I hope her new security arangment works out for her.

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24. Comment #137356 by babrock on March 2, 2008 at 5:29 pm

Man.

This is so cool.

Some guy told me I needed to use t shift key.

But no.

One gets these cool white spaces by using t enter key.

I am amazingly new to this whole internet thing such that I am often amazed at what ever new thing I manege to learn.

Next I need to figure out how to put certain things in boxes and how to do those web addresses that one can then go to by clicking on.

And too it would be great if I could conect my spell check function to this part.

Man This is cool

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25. Comment #137954 by qster on March 3, 2008 at 4:32 pm

Not sure of your position Playball but I find the likes of Chopra and Tolle to be far more enlighteneing and positive than the plethora of popular atheist texts. With Atheism, I can only see a dead-end - where do you go from there?
In my local book shops, there are tables in prominent positions with at least 7 or 8 popular atheist books alongside the likes of Spong, chopra, Tolle etc. What I see is the fall of religion and the rise of free thought with , hopefully, higher awareness and enlightenment of the human condition. Right now I feel the human race has so far to go but the end of Religion is a good start. I feel, however, that Atheism is a natural but excessive knee-jerk reaction to religion and its dominanace of philosophy, science and goverment for way too long.

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26. Comment #138707 by Minium Jones on March 4, 2008 at 5:48 pm

Yes, i was thinking of Tolle when i was reading Sam's 'the end of Faith'

They put joy and love into Atheism, although, i'm quite sure neither of them actually use the word 'atheist'

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27. Comment #139451 by PLAYBALL on March 5, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Not sure of your position Playball but I find the likes of Chopra and Tolle to be far more enlighteneing and positive than the plethora of popular atheist texts.

You know I would not put Tolle and Chopra in the same catagory. Tolle is clearly an Athiest and Chopra is not. Go to a book store and have yourself a read of chapter 1 in 'A New Earth.' They have very differnt philosophies.

Also, Chopra is far too commercial. He has a center in La Costa San Diego about 30 minutes from where I live. He's quite the salesman.

Yes, i was thinking of Tolle when i was reading Sam's 'the end of Faith'

They put joy and love into Atheism, although, i'm quite sure neither of them actually use the word 'atheist.'

I know, he never uses the word Atheist but after reading his books it is easily descerned he has no belief in a god. He calls human consiousness God. I don't like that. I'm sure most misinterpret his use of the word.

I had dinner with him last year at a charity function. He is exactely as you would imagine him to be: walking happiness.

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28. Comment #139460 by MaxD on March 5, 2008 at 10:24 pm

Qster you actually find anything useful in Chopra? I hate to be mean but he seems like something of a quack.

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29. Comment #139462 by MaxD on March 5, 2008 at 10:39 pm

Playball said:

I had dinner with him last year at a charity function. He is exactely as you would imagine him to be: walking happiness.

He didn't look like walking happiness when he was on the end of Dawkins questions in Dawkins' reason specials.

Qster said,

With Atheism, I can only see a dead-end - where do you go from there?

What more do you want? reality is plenty fine with me.
Here is a list of things that might occupy a mind unfettered by mysticism though.
...one can combat one's natural pessimism by stoicism and the refusal of illusion while embellishing the scene with any one of the following.
There are the beauties of science and the extrodinary marvels of nature. There is the consolation and irony of philosophy. There are the infinite splendors of literature and poetry, not excluding the liturgical adn deovotional aspects of these, such as those found in John Donne or George Gerbert. There is the grand resourse of art and music and archetecture, again not excluding those elements that aspire to the sublime. In all of these pursuits, any one of them enough to absorb a lifetime, there may be found a sense of awe and magnificence that does depend at all on any invocation of the supernatural.
-Christopher Hitchens The Portable Atheist

I would add to that list physical disiplines as well. Exercise, sports, dance, martial arts, etc. Family and friends will do very nicely too.
As an atheist. I'm content with the world and the a larger cosmos around me. What you seem to be after is some extra something. With all there is you want a little more? Doesn't that seem just the tiniest bit greedy?
Why?

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30. Comment #139463 by Teratornis on March 5, 2008 at 10:41 pm

In reply to comment #139451 by PLAYBALL:

I had dinner with him last year at a charity function. He is exactely as you would imagine him to be: walking happiness.

Judging from your avatar photo I would imagine most of your dinner partners seem unusually happy.

Let's put you in a camouflaged blind from where you can observe how happy they are to have dinner with someone considerably less enchanting, for example me.

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31. Comment #139468 by Richard Morgan on March 5, 2008 at 11:23 pm

MaxD

Family and friends will do very nicely too.

How strange that you mention the most vital factors for "happiness" at the end of your list, like a sort of afterthought.
I find this almost worrying

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32. Comment #139472 by MaxD on March 6, 2008 at 12:12 am

Seriously I thought they were so obvious as to not need pointing out.
Don't worry about me. Worry about Mr. I need something else.

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33. Comment #139634 by Richard Morgan on March 6, 2008 at 9:28 am

MaxD

Seriously I thought they were so obvious as to not need pointing out.

Sorry - I misunderstood. You see, religion leaps into the gaps left by damaged relationships (with family and friends) and I suspect that there are lot more people hurting in that area than not.
There's a lot more to be said about that, but at another time.

Worry about Mr.

I'm afraid I don't understand that. Could you explain please?
And THANK YOU for having had the good idea to come and fetch me on the Fleabytes thread to indicate your post here. Good thinking.

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34. Comment #139636 by MaxD on March 6, 2008 at 9:33 am

Richard,
I meant that last line to read as follows,
"Don't worry about me, worry about Mr-I-need-something-else."
As in worry about qster who needs something more than the dead of atheism.
Sorry that was unclear.

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35. Comment #139637 by MaxD on March 6, 2008 at 9:37 am

Richard Morgan said about family and friend relationships the following:

and I suspect that there are lot more people hurting in that area than not.
There's a lot more to be said about that, but at another time.

It would be remarkable if that weren't true. Atheism, and my list of consolations and pursuits ring hollower to me if this family and friends to discuss them and argue about them is missing.

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36. Comment #139908 by Teratornis on March 6, 2008 at 5:10 pm

In reply to comment #139637 by MaxD:

Atheism, and my list of consolations and pursuits ring hollower to me if this family and friends to discuss them and argue about them is missing.

I don't have any devotees of Thor around to argue with me about my aThorism. That explains this hollow sensation I've been experiencing.

Would I miss irrational beliefs if everybody became rational? I'm unable to think of a way in which I would. For example, I certainly don't think anything rings hollower now that the practice of human sacrifice has become uncommon.

We will always have the historical record of irrationality to review, if we ever get nostalgic for the bad old days.

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37. Comment #139969 by PLAYBALL on March 6, 2008 at 9:10 pm

Hello MaxD,

Well I just might be a little intimidated to argue with you about anything with that photo of yours. My only shot would be that I could perhaps out run you.

He didn't look like walking happiness when he was on the end of Dawkins questions in Dawkins' reason specials.

Oh please tell me where I could watch this. Also...

I meant that last line to read as follows,
"Don't worry about me, worry about Mr-I-need-something-else."
As in worry about qster who needs something more than the dead of atheism.
Sorry that was unclear.

You were not unclear. This was basic to follow.

Hi Teratornis my new friend!!!

Judging from your avatar photo I would imagine most of your dinner partners seem unusually happy.

Yes I can not complain. You boys are very nice to me, but I am of the firm belief that Eckhart would have been just as pleased to have dinner with you Teratornis. Have you read 'A New Earth'?
If not, I must assign you with this reading material right away.

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38. Comment #140108 by MaxD on March 7, 2008 at 1:13 am

Playball!!!
You probably could outrun me, but I might catch up over the long distance. But maybe not.
However in the boxing ring...or on the tatame mats one can only run so far....
However, I'm actually a nice guy!
Really....
Here let me prove it.
The documentary is called Enemies of Reason and it is two parts.
Here is part 1
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2293483151556804649

And Part II
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6004927014381716642

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39. Comment #140229 by amor on March 7, 2008 at 4:07 am

I think I can clear a couple of small details up.

I had dinner with him last year at a charity function. He is exactely as you would imagine him to be: walking happiness.

PLAYBALL is talking about Eckhart Tolle in that quote.

He didn't look like walking happiness when he was on the end of Dawkins questions in Dawkins' reason specials.

MaxD is talking about Chopra, as I don't remember Eckhart Tolle making any appearance in the documentary.

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40. Comment #140369 by PLAYBALL on March 7, 2008 at 7:55 am

Hi there MaxD,

thanks for the links but I have already seen this (and loved them). Eckhart does not make an appearance.

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41. Comment #140440 by MaxD on March 7, 2008 at 10:47 am

My confusion is an embarassment to all of my reasoned brethren. I go now away from thee(s) in head hung shame.

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42. Comment #140460 by PLAYBALL on March 7, 2008 at 12:06 pm

MaxD

My confusion is an embarassment to all of my reasoned brethren. I go now away from thee(s) in head hung shame

Very cute!!

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43. Comment #140535 by MaxD on March 7, 2008 at 5:27 pm

Thanks....

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44. Comment #163666 by lkmartel on April 18, 2008 at 6:23 pm

PLAYBALL, are you really intimidated by MaxD's lame boxer photo taken in his garage, I mean, uh boxing ring / tatame mat? And MaxD, it does seem that you're trying a bit hard, doesn't it? Friendly banter aside, lets keep this forum for relevant purposes of science and reason, etc.

By the way, PLAYBALL, so you're into running I gather? Me too.

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