1. Leading geneticist Steve Jones says human evolution is over

Comment #261530 by fretmeister on October 7, 2008 at 1:53 am

There could be another reason - the NHS.

Effectively we treat all manner of diseases / defects etc that in the past would have caused a person to die before they reached breeding age.

Now those people survive and breed and so do their genes.

I'm not saying we should start granting breeding permits a'la Gattaca, but it rather seems that humans have opted out of evolution to an extent because of it.

2. Secular schools of thought tainted

Comment #252481 by fretmeister on September 23, 2008 at 6:50 am

Re: Gideon

You can have a look at their accounts online.

They give out over 70 million bibles every year at an estimated cost of over $100 million. They claim to have given out 1.3 billion bibles in their history.

Just think what that money would have meant to vaccine programmes / cancer research / kids education....

They are disgusting.

3. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #210896 by fretmeister on July 15, 2008 at 8:07 am

Anyone got any replies from the Uni?

Just curious.

4. Religious bigotry upheld in court

Comment #208683 by fretmeister on July 11, 2008 at 6:27 am

Chaps - get some emails sent to the Council supported any appeal they make.

The UK Govt has confirmed that Catholic orphanages couldn't opt out of placing kids with gay couples so this stupid ruling should not stand.

5. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208673 by fretmeister on July 11, 2008 at 6:20 am

As the email system appears overloaded...


The appropriate fax number appears to be:

1 612 625 3875

(UK people: dial 00 and then the rest)

I faxed mine and have a 'safe delivery' receipt.

6. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208536 by fretmeister on July 11, 2008 at 2:43 am

Mine sent email and airmail


Dear Sir

RE: PZ Myers.

I write in support of PZ Myers.

I refer to the article that he posted following news reports of a gentleman, by the name of Mr Webster Cook, being accused of something 'beyond hate crime' simply because he selected to not eat a food item that was gifted to him by a member of the clergy during a religious service.

There appears to be several important issues in the case even when we ignore the obvious legal reality that once an item has been willingly gifted from one person to another, the original keeper has no further control or influence over the use of that item. The second legal issue seems to me to be more evidentially tenuous: Father Miguel Gonzalez of the diocese in question has been reported as suggesting that the actions of Mr Cook are effectively a criminal act involving the kidnapping of the body of Christ.

Of course for such a charge to withstand challenge in Court the Church would have to prove that the wafer actually turns into the body of Christ at the point of ingestion.

The wafer is made from bread. I am sure I do not need to explain to the President of a renowned University that a bread product cannot transform into a meat product once inside the body. This seems to be a double-edged sword: if the Church can prove this transformation then I would expect thousands of suits to be lodged by offended vegetarians and vegans across the world.

I apologise for the sarcasm but I feel the situation deserves it.

PZ Myers, in commenting on the above in typical, forthright and more importantly constitutionally protected fashion, has received death threats. This cannot be tolerated for any reason and it is especially disturbing that certain individuals seem to be using their position of 'celebrity' to induce violent behaviour and to restrict freedom of speech and expression. While this is repugnant at any time, the attempt to limit speech, expression and inquiry at a University is particularly disgusting.

I rather suspect that the senior figures within the Church are embarrassed at the reaction of the local congregation and would have been entirely content for the story to have quietly disappeared. I further suspect that the real reason behind the carefully orchestrated attack on PZ Myers is in response not to his actual article, but to him bringing the matter to the attention of non-Catholics and therefore causing a great deal of ridicule.

The proper response would have been for the senior clergy to apologise for the over-reaction of the local congregation. There even seems to be a valid theological explanation for such an apology: that until the wafer is eaten it is only a wafer.

PZ Myers is a rare type of man: willing to stand up for his principles in a public forum and debate any issue with the application of great intellect and good grace. To silence any person that is willing to challenge self-interested groups would be unconscionable. The legal system of the United States of America is based upon the Common Law. The system states that the adversarial approach to the testing of evidence is the best way at reaching the truth of any matter. That means all arguments must be allowed to be presented and all evidence must be allowed to be adduced, even when a party considers it distasteful.

The freedoms enjoyed by the democracies of the world stem from that very concept.

Unlike much of the hate mail PZ Myers has received, this letter is signed and I do not use a pseudonym. I hope you will recognise that this issue has become a global concern.

Yours faithfully


Paul Williams Esq. LL.B (Hons). PG.Dip.Law
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

7. Susskind Quashes Hawking in Quarrel Over Quantum Quandary

Comment #207571 by fretmeister on July 10, 2008 at 2:56 am

You know - if there is a god... then I'm going to break his face for not giving me a brain smart enough to do that kind of awesome research for a living.

This is the very best type of competition - 2 amazing intellects locked in a battle to understand the universe - never being afraid to challenge themselves or each other. It is wonderful.


On the other hand it reminds me that my job is shit. :)

8. Richard Dawkins on Doctor Who

Comment #201641 by fretmeister on June 30, 2008 at 1:18 am

I knew he was going to be in it, but I didn't know the role.

I was hoping that he was going to play Davros to be honest. He could then have introduced the insane Dalek Jesus.... :D

9. Band T-shirt draws charge

Comment #199573 by fretmeister on June 26, 2008 at 2:35 am

What is the Mary T-shirt?

I only know of 1 - a lovely thing that says "Mary was only a virgin if you don't count anal"


T-Shirthell is an excellent site for such things!


EDIT: Oh yes - I see the link now. It is that one.


Although T-shirt hell did do a limited one with a bloke on the toilet wiping his arse with pages from the Koran.

10. New discovery proves 'selfish gene' exists

Comment #197953 by fretmeister on June 23, 2008 at 1:50 am

Count - if you want a non-science approach to conversion then a good one to start with is Russell's 'Why I am not a Christian'

It is written is much more gentle fashion than modern books on the subject and is less likely to offend.

Often I feel it leads the reader, rather than pushing him.

11. New discovery proves 'selfish gene' exists

Comment #197950 by fretmeister on June 23, 2008 at 1:48 am

What a bizarre article.

If my novice-scientist brain is right - I would assume every single gene to be selfish, otherwise it would not have survived this long.

The only other option I can think of is that IF there is a single gene with this quality, then that gene must live in some sort of symbiotic relationship with the other genes and that both are needed for survival.

However I can't imagine that anything as complex as a human being would ever be needed simply to allow a symbiotic relationship to flourish.

Mind you - I'm a lawyer not a genetic expert, so I shall wait for some proper answers!

12. We Urgently Need Your Help Now!!

Comment #195987 by fretmeister on June 19, 2008 at 6:41 am

I sent him a long rant. A polite one, but still a rant about how the USA finest minds didn't put a man on the moon by ignoring the scientific method.

I also pointed out that every single proper biologist would LOVE to find an alternative to evolution - they would be as famous as Darwin and rich beyond words - but despite 100 years of attempts no-one has succeeded.

I hope it works.

13. The Dissent Of Darwin - The World Of Richard Dawkins

Comment #180561 by fretmeister on May 15, 2008 at 7:58 am

"Brian English on May 14, 2008 at 9:01 pm

Cartomancer, who's going to witness your greatest acheivements, if not your little witnesses?

Testes = witness(es)
Testiculi = little witnesses

Testify to that. :)

Apparently when a man didn't have anything of value to swear upon, he would grab hold of his virile member and swear the oath. The testicles witnessed this oath. Of course, this could all be apocryphal..."



True.

This is why women were not allowed to give evidence - they had nothing to hold and risk!

14. Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour

Comment #177479 by fretmeister on May 9, 2008 at 6:53 am

Immigration is only the half of it.

Muslim families breed at a much higher rate than olde english ones. If immigration were to stop today the UK will still be a predominantly Muslim country within 100 years.

Part of me wonders if this has been planned.

15. Faith in Britain today

Comment #177477 by fretmeister on May 9, 2008 at 6:50 am

He was on Radio 4 this morning claiming that 70% of UK people were Christian.

What a dick.

16. Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions

Comment #163116 by fretmeister on April 18, 2008 at 2:37 am

I usually get the magazine.

Can't see it changes anything though - I don't see many people picking it up with their copy of 'Nuts'

Shame really - the mag is a pretty good read most of the time.

17. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Comment #163112 by fretmeister on April 18, 2008 at 2:19 am

Absolutely glorious.

It MUST go viral. I'm going to pimp it everywhere.



I do have a question though - if the stork theory is correct - why did I have a vasectomy? My doctor was the spitting image of Freddie Mercury (the hair, teeth, 'tache, everthing) which was a bit off-putting when he was ...er in contact.

I could have saved £250 and not had a gay icon at my tackle with a laser!

He did an excellent job as it happens. As I now have 2 young kids the contraception is brilliant... I don't get any time for sex at all!

18. Lungless frog discovered in Borneo

Comment #158777 by fretmeister on April 11, 2008 at 3:15 am

Can I just say what a wonderful, amazing and surprising place the universe is.

More than ever before I am so annoyed I went into the law and didn't study the sciences.

19. The simple falsehood at the heart of Expelled

Comment #158768 by fretmeister on April 11, 2008 at 3:03 am

The problem is - when we solve the issue of these idiots... someone comes along and invents a better class of idiot.

Oh well.

20. Commentary: Democrats finally getting religion on religion

Comment #158141 by fretmeister on April 10, 2008 at 6:04 am

"Martin is studying to receive his master's degree in Christian communications at Louisiana Baptist University."


What are 'Christian' Communications? and how on earth can any centre of learning be called a 'Baptist Univeristy'

It deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the Goebbels School of Racial Harmony.

21. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby

Comment #157376 by fretmeister on April 9, 2008 at 2:34 am

As a professional public speaker of sorts (lawyer) I am very impressed indeed.

So many people fall apart just because of a 'bigger room' when they are perfectly clear in smaller groups.

It can be taught - but natural confidence is a great help to start with.

Very nicely done.

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

Comment #153147 by fretmeister on April 1, 2008 at 5:58 am

I think it was The Hitch that said the best defence against extremism was an air force.

I never thought he might be right.

Sad day indeed.

23. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #149865 by fretmeister on March 26, 2008 at 9:58 am

12. Comment #148681 by eric.malitz on March 23, 2008 at 3:35 pm

Stein is the only Jewish ID proponent I can think of. I thought this movie would be good for a laugh, but apparantly not


Joshua Rosenburg (former BBC Legal correspondent) and his wife (apparently) Melanie Phillips who writes for the Daily Mail.

They don't even accept germ theory.

24. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133348 by fretmeister on February 26, 2008 at 5:28 am

Yes, all 98 lbs (44 kg) of this little atheist is a threat to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of all those theists out there. [/sarcasm]

WTF?

:)

I'm 231 lb. Maybe I threaten them a bit?


The best things about these books is that it shows how much we are annoying them!

25. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #125747 by fretmeister on February 12, 2008 at 1:26 am

There are some real design talents on there!

Fantastic stuff.

26. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #125255 by fretmeister on February 11, 2008 at 6:29 am

Assuming they have at least an 'O-Level' in a science subject...

I vote for a Chair and Assistant: Sam Harris and Christopher Hithens.


Just for fun.

I can see the press release from the Vatican now... :)

27. George Scales, War Hero and Generous Friend of RDFRS

Comment #112156 by fretmeister on January 16, 2008 at 1:24 pm

Very best of luck to you.

It is the bravery of people like you that allow us to have an often contrary voice in the first place, and without the contrary voice that challenges all irrationality we would still be at the mercy of middle age thinking.

Thank you.

28. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #107763 by fretmeister on January 5, 2008 at 8:43 am

I could not resist it:

I have sent them this email:

"Dear Sir

I am so pleased about your website.

It is about time that there was proper recognition for gay Christians everywhere.

In these enlightened times I applaud you.

I will ask my gay and straight Christian friends to recommend your site to all.

Best regards.

Paul
"

29. 2007 Audiobook Download of the Year: The God Delusion

Comment #99098 by fretmeister on December 15, 2007 at 2:35 pm

For those who think the audibooks are a bit expensive (they are... but when you get 14 CDs worth of audio that puts most music to shame)...

You can borrow the audiobook from any UK Library even if they have to order it in for you.

And often the quality is far better than buying a badly compressed and often mono digital download.

30. CNN Request for 'I-Reports' on religion

Comment #65429 by fretmeister on August 24, 2007 at 6:37 am

This is mine:

Hi

Religion is not being attacked and to state that is irresponsible. Religious people claim to be attacked when all that is really happening is that more and more people are using reason and evidence to come to their own conclusions about the nature of the world. The world is slowly but surely rejecting the religious approach of "we don't know and you are not allowed to ask."

The scientific advances throughout history have never set out to destroy religion at all (in fact originally science was used to promote the glory of God) but every day we learn something new is another day where we no longer have to rely on superstition.

The destruction of religion was never intended, it is merely a byproduct of human learning.

As Arthur C Clarke said "A faith that cannot survive collision with the truth is not worth many regrets."

I can't see any valid regrets at all.