Comments by Edanator

1. Lab agrees to test Shroud of Turin for new theory

Comment #182848 by Edanator on May 21, 2008 at 3:26 am

First of all, this was a horrible article. Basically it was just a big advertisement for John Jackson and his wacky ideas. Where were those non-biased researcher that have worked on the shroud? Joe Nickell and Walter McCrone, are two guys who could tell a very different story about the shroud (and about Jackson, probably). It would take 1 minute to find these guys and another minute to give them a call. What kind of journalist wrote this crap? Is this normal standard for Chicago Tribune?

Second, the shroud image looks exactly like a frontal photograph of a man. However, if you wrap a cloth around your face, and your face leaves a mark, your facial features will be greatly distorted once the cloth is stretched out. Your cloth face will definitely NOT look like a photograph. I'm always surprised that I never hear anyone mentioning this.

2. The List: The World's Worst Religious Leaders

Comment #159287 by Edanator on April 11, 2008 at 9:29 pm

These are "just" examples of madmen, one from each of the five world religions. What's disturbing with this article is that the Christian madman is the only one that gets dismissed as not practicing true faith.
"Although Kony frequently uses biblical passages to justify his actions and has his child soldiers make the sign of the cross before battle, he mixes Christianity with mysticism and claims to be advised by a "spirit council" from beyond the grave."

I'm sure religious leaders of all the other faiths could make similar claims of "their" madmen, but their objections are not heard. Bias?

3. Vote on freedom of expression marks the end of Universal Human Rights

Comment #153134 by Edanator on April 1, 2008 at 5:23 am

I'm also disappointed to see South Africa voting in favor. Anyone has a clue why they voted as they did?
Is that a serious question?

Most certainly is. I don't know much about SA, but judging from RSF their press is very free and they definitely stand out in this crowd of mostly dictatorships and pseudo-democracies. Mauritius and Mali are two other countries that seem odd here, given their relatively free press. Therefore I ask again:

Why is South Africa, Mali and Mauritius voting in favor of this amendment? (Mali has a 90% muslim population, though, which may explain their support.)

4. Vote on freedom of expression marks the end of Universal Human Rights

Comment #153036 by Edanator on March 31, 2008 at 11:12 pm

Here's the Press Freedom index from the different voting countries, according to Reporters without Borders (the lower, the better):
http://www.rsf.org

In favour (24):
Algeria 40.50, Azerbaijan 55.40, Bahrain 38.00
Bangladesh 53.17, Cameroon 36.00, China 89.00
Cuba 96.17, Djibouti 50.25, Gabon 31.50
Indonesia 30.50 , Jordan 40.21, Malaysia 41.00
Mali 16.50, Mauritius 8.50, Mexico 53.63
Morocco 33.25, Pakistan 64.83, Philippines 44.75
Russian Federation 56.90, Saudi Arabia 59.75, Senegal 25.00
South Africa 13.00, Sri Lanka 67.50, Tunisia 57.00

Against (14):
Canada 4.88, Czech Republic 4.00, Finland 1.50
France 9.75, Germany 5.75, Guatemala 33.00
Japan 11.75, Netherlands 3.50, Poland 18.50
Republic of Korea 12.13, Romania 12.75, Switzerland 3.00
Ukraine 26.75, United Kingdom 8.25

Abstentions (9):
Argentina 24.83, Brazil 25.25, Ecuador 18.50
Ghana 9.00, India 39.33, Nigeria 49.83
Peru 37.38, Uruguay 11.75, Zambia 21.50

The average Press Freedom Index for each group is:
In favor 45.93
Against 11.11
Abstained 26.37

Thus, the voting pretty well correlates with their freedom of press.

Why is even Cuba and China allowed to decide what is a human right?

I'm also disappointed to see South Africa voting in favor. Anyone has a clue why they voted as they did?

5. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146555 by Edanator on March 19, 2008 at 7:32 am

"Pray the gay away" - South Park

6. Sea reptile is biggest on record

Comment #135425 by Edanator on February 29, 2008 at 12:08 am

Svalbard is also where the new "doomsday vault" is placed:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7217821.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7262525.stm

7. Battle of the Chambersburg billboards

Comment #124510 by Edanator on February 9, 2008 at 4:31 pm

"He said the leaders of FFRF have a long history of holding hate-filled anti-American views."
It's so sad no one from FFRF were interviewed. Especially, when phrases like this are allowed to be printed uncritically.

I also find it strange that protectors of the American constitution are labeled as anti-American.

8. Life-Forming Chemicals Found in Distant Galaxy

Comment #114804 by Edanator on January 22, 2008 at 9:53 pm

One thing I hope to see before I die, is spectroscopy on the atmospheres of Earth-like, extra-solar planets. I expect to live another 30-40 years, so I think my wish is not too unrealistic?

So domesticating animals is better? Forcing them to live in cramped pens, get them fattened, then kill them with a bolt to the head?

There's a third alternative... (but that is off-topic)

9. Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up

Comment #109832 by Edanator on January 9, 2008 at 9:57 pm

Re 63. Comment #109775 by Greyman:
1. Everything that exists has a cause.
2. God (First Cause) does not have a cause.
3. Therefore: God does not exist.

Nice! If we, for the sake of argument, should accept the first premise, is there any logical flaw in Greyman's thinking?

10. Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up

Comment #109831 by Edanator on January 9, 2008 at 9:51 pm

Re. 14. Comment #109705 by BAEOZ: "There are things that don't have a cause. I believe an excited electron emitting a photon and going to a lower energy state is one such thing."

Isn't the cause, the phenomena which excited the electron into the higher energy state in the first place? Same for radioactive decay, which is often used as another example of uncaused events, where the nucleus of the atom exists in a higher energy state. All higher energy states can ultimately be traced back to the Big Bang, where all energy originated, and we are back at square one. Is my logic flawed?

The virtual particles is a much better example of events, seemingly uncaused. I like the approach of Vinelectric to critique the "assertion of a cause when there's demonstrably none".

11. Way of the Master Radio talks about Dawkins' Christmas Comments

Comment #100556 by Edanator on December 18, 2007 at 10:15 pm

47. Comment #100549 by mdowe: I think Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens should get together and do a Christmas album -- just to poke'em in the eye =) Let the fundies deal with that...

Dan Barker is a skilled musician who has written many songs AND has a great singing voice. I think he should be in on this album as well. I'd definitely buy it!

12. The Pagan Christ

Comment #94897 by Edanator on December 7, 2007 at 1:21 am

Well, Dr Bart Ehrman, New Testament scholar, was interviewed on the Infidelguy show, and he didn't budge an inch when pressed about the existence of a historical Jesus. He knows most scholars and claimed to not know of ANY serious historian who doubted the existence of Jesus. Dr Ehrman's an agnostic, btw, so he has no hidden motives in covering up the non-existence of Jesus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_Ehrman
http://infidelguy.libsyn.com/

13. This Friday: Debate between Dan Dennett and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #91656 by Edanator on November 28, 2007 at 9:51 pm

Has D'Souza been in any written debates? I'd love to see him go a few rounds against Sam Harris. Soundbites and misdirection doesn't work in written debates, especially not against such an experienced opponent as Sam Harris. Look up his debate against Andrew Sullivan, if you want to know what I mean.

Further, should such a debate take place, future "oral" debates could feed from the written, since D'Souza will be forced to explain in detail his arguments, and at the same time be exposed to the counterarguments.
"Why are you asking me this, Mr D'Souza? You know as well as I do that ... as was explained to you in your debate with Sam Harris."
This will not only serve as an effective rebuttal presented in a short soundbite, it will also expose D'Souza for the dishonest man he is.

Regardless, I wish our wise Obi-Wan Dennett good luck against the forces of darkness!

14. Religious scholars mull Flying Spaghetti Monster

Comment #88467 by Edanator on November 16, 2007 at 9:26 pm

I think it's time for the pastafarians to take it up a notch. Demand equal time in the theology departments as well! I would love to hear the theologian arguments for turning down the carbohydrate creator:

1. There is no FSM! (How do you know? Can you PROVE that there is no FWM?)
2. The FSM is a man-made deity! (For all we know, so is Jahve, Vishnu, Allah and Thor. How do you know they are not?)

Just for the fun of it, why not the the theologians fight on our side of the fence for a while? Let them come up with arguments why FSM is not real, that do not apply to any other god.

15. Malaysia firm's 'Muslim car' plan

Comment #87670 by Edanator on November 12, 2007 at 6:46 pm

Proton is a company with lousy economy, poor management, and naive goals. The company was created in the 80's to promote Malay identity. It has been kept alive for 20 years by oil money and government subsidies but with the oil wells drying up, the government has finally realized that they cannot continue to burn money at the current rate. The Muslim car is just a a desperate act from a doomed company...

I think Airbus has a better chance to become a success in the Middle East. At least as long as the Saudi princes are free to spend the oil money any way they please:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/21751216
(Should I take the Boeing 747 or my new Airbus A380 to Paris?)

16. Stretching the Search for Signs of Life

Comment #79034 by Edanator on October 16, 2007 at 12:17 am

I've been critical of SETI for a long while. Not that I think it's impossible to discover extra-solar signals, it's just that the cost and effort may be too high, considering the minimal odds. I've also spent many hours in different forums explaining why Drake's equation is useless with our current data. By multiplying several unknowns you simply cannot get a useful value.

However, I do think that we should pursue the search for extraterrestrial life both within and outside of our solar system. The present approach to discover extra-solar planets and focus on those, seems like a much better idea than randomly sweeping the sky for "intelligent signals". Any life detected, intelligent or not, would be one of the greatest discoveries in history.

Regarding the proponents for a lack of intelligent life in our vicinity, I think they are too sure of their ability to predict future technology, to understand alien thinking and how civilizations evolve and die. There are a lot of unknowns here as well, and it would be foolish to completely rule out extraterrestrial intelligence just because we do not understand how they could exist without us discovering them. (The argument from personal incredulity)

17. Norway flourishes as secular nation

Comment #76132 by Edanator on October 4, 2007 at 7:59 pm

Don't forget the wealth and lack-of-fear factors. The Scandinavian countries are rich, have great social security and public health care. Also, being geologically stable, having a good climate (as in not too extreme) and lacking external enemies make them very safe to live in. We don't know if they would be as secular if any of these factors were different.

(I'm Swedish myself and I know Russia is still a threat to be recognized.)

18. India to charge writer Nasreen with 'hurting Muslim feelings'

Comment #67583 by Edanator on September 3, 2007 at 11:39 pm

"Several lawmakers and members of a conservative Muslim political party threw flowers and other items at her and called for her death."

"In March, an Indian Muslim group from Uttar Pradesh state offered a bounty of 500,000 rupees ($13,000 Cdn) for her beheading."

Aren't life-threats illegal? A political party openly calling for the death of someone should be banned immediately and it's leaders charged. If you offer money to have someone killed you should be charged for attempted murder. Basically the muslim group is looking to hire an anonymous killer.

19. Christopher Hitchens - God Is Not Great

Comment #55232 by Edanator on July 10, 2007 at 9:58 am

I am sure Singapore, a much more progressive country does not have a ban. Hence, you can be sure many educated Malaysians (especially those not of the Muslim faith) can still access a copy of the book by just making a short trip across the causeway.

Yes! We got them all in Singapore: Books by Harris, Dawkins, Dennet and now Hitchens.

20. The moment a teenage girl was stoned to death for loving the wrong boy

Comment #37923 by Edanator on May 6, 2007 at 9:46 am

38. Comment #37748 by Fedler on May 5, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Can we please stop marking David Robertson as a troll! His responses may be infuriating, but no more than our responses are to him.

Shall we ban Bonzai, too (#11) for merely suggesting another reason other than religion?

You can ban me as well, in that case. Honor killing is mainly not due to religion, since it takes place in both christian and muslim groups of the region. The vaguely defined concept of "honor" is extremely strong down in Caucasus. I have a few Caucasian friends (people from Caucasus. Really nice people, until the question of honor comes up... This is no laughing matter for them, and one of them, an Azerbaijan atheist, even admits he would kill to defend the family honor.

21. Christians and Atheists to Debate Existence of God in First-Ever 'NIGHTLINE FACE OFF'

Comment #37240 by Edanator on May 3, 2007 at 8:23 pm

Re: Comment #37212 by Riley

Great stuff! Please send this list to the Rational Responders themselves. I think they could use help in setting up their debate strategy. I'd love to see them crush the opposition in this one, simply by being rational and not losing their temper. Do the Rational Responders read the Richard Dawkins website?

The moderator is very important too, however. If he should allow questions to go un-answered and debaters to switch the topic the debate can quickly turn against RRS.