1. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #17796 by Howay the Toon on January 16, 2007 at 3:14 pm

SAncus,

When read in context, which is admittedly often omitted in interviews, the child going over the cliff is just used as an example of how hardwired rules of thumb can be beneficial but may have epiphenomenal effects.

Its not a "theory of the origin of religion". Its just an example of the kind of thing he's talking about, how universal traits can have Darwinian explanations even if the trait itself is not fitness-enhancing in a Darwinian sense.

2. Grandparents linked with church-going

Comment #13072 by Howay the Toon on December 15, 2006 at 9:12 am

3. When Atheists Have Their Say (5 Letters)

Comment #11506 by Howay the Toon on December 5, 2006 at 5:17 am

My favourite response from theists when confronted with the teapot (or the FSM / IPU / Leprechaun variants) is that they dismiss it because such things are absurd and the atheist is just being silly.

They seem to think that you can refute a "reductio ad absurdam" argument, which these are by claiming it to be absurd.

Well d'uh!!!

4. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and E.O. Wilson on the gospel of science

Comment #8712 by Howay the Toon on November 22, 2006 at 4:16 am

Why is simply putting forward the arguments for atheism always portrayed as somehow intolerantly wanting to eliminate or ban religions when no-one as far as I know has said anything of the sort?