1. Prayer refusal pupils 'disciplined'

Comment #204663 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 1:11 pm

I meant to add that I see it as no different from the petty sadism of your average PE teacher. The religion of the teacher is irrelevant in this example, what is important as to whether this consititutes taking religious "education" too far and whether the teacher is in fact a bully.

If, again, the story is true in essence or details.

2. Prayer refusal pupils 'disciplined'

Comment #204660 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 1:04 pm

"I am in no way advocating the equality of the two disciplines (theology and science), nor am I claiming some kind of NOMA seperation. What I am suggesting, is the act of participating in limited religious ritual may provide a more tangible example of the nonsense that is religious ritual, as science experiments show the usefulness that is science."

The main purpose of a practical science lesson is to make something that can be abstract and difficult to visualise for the student real and actual.

"To me, the argument that these rituals should be banned legitimizes the rituals themselves."

But you don't say why.

"To say our children should not be forced to perform a simple Allah worshiping ritual, almost implies that there is something that can be worshiped that differs from a preferred icon."

That makes no sense to me as a sentence. Could you retry, you leave me very confused here.



"If not this argument, it at least appears to be giving a greater amount of significance to a truly insignificant act."

If the "act" has no meaning, then why perform it? Why force children to perform it? What value can it bring to their education?

It is a needless waste of time, and as I said, IF the reason for discipline was that this was disrespectful to a facet of Islam, then it undermines entirely the basis of your argument that the act has no meaning therefore why not perform it. It clearly has a meaning to the teacher, and children are not stupid. Children of all ages sense the power games played by the adult.

Oh well, it only takes a minute, why not do it?

Not a strong argument. You and I draw lines in different places, and teachers act in loco-parentis and need to be careful they do not overstep the boundaries. This is the case whether it is the participation of a child in a religious act.

Would you, for example, like it if your child was asked to pull down the lever on a demonstration electric chair in a "right wing crime and punishment" part of a social studies lesson?

Or perhaps a simulated act of rape in a crime lesson.

Silly examples no doubt, but teachers are trained to know what is appropriate, and what is not and this act of ritual is a de-facto submission to an ideology that many parents would see as over the line and so would many teachers.

A responsible teacher would make the exercise purely voluntary.

3. Prayer refusal pupils 'disciplined'

Comment #204652 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 12:49 pm

I also don't think it is needful to condemn an entire group on the actions of a single individual within it.

I think that is setting your sights far too low.

Use the best examples to condemn the entire field of religion, religions that run schools and religious privilege.

Remove their tax breaks, their right to intervene in school education, the privileges and make the playing field level and you know, maybe the world would end up being a better place. It certainly wouldn't make it worse.

Oi, teacher, leave those kids alone.

4. Prayer refusal pupils 'disciplined'

Comment #204648 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 12:36 pm

If the basis of this story is true, that the children were given detention for refusing to take part in a "prayer demonstration" (regardless of whether it was detention for being disrespectful), then I think they have every right.

Compelling children to take part in acts of religious ritual is not good education, and is nothing that cannot be illustrated with books, videos or practical demonstration.

Getting the child to do it steps over a line. It does not convey any lesson, or useful information beyond what it is like to kneel and bend your back in a certain direction.

Heady stuff.

I would back any child, mine or others, that refused to take part in something on a point of principle, especially over such a worthless "demonstration", given they can articulate why in a rational way.

If the reason given for detention is true, then that is a disgrace and it is appalling that one or two members of this site are being mealy-mouthed about the issue.

If the reason was something else, like disruption, rudeness etc then that is a different point entirely.

I'm certain there is more to the story, but to use it as a stick to beat those that are showing "hypersensitivity" seems misplaced. There are other stories for whom that reaction has been merited more in the past which came and went without comment.

5. Does the Pope wear Prada?

Comment #204564 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 8:44 am

Flobear.

The only way for an outsider to understand Roman Catholocism is to look at the polytheistic religions of ancient Greece and Rome and the time before Constantine.

Once you look at that, you realise that Roman Catholicism could really not be any other way.

6. Christians challenge teaching of evolution

Comment #204416 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 12:14 am

You'd have to package the article in an accessible way. At the level that a half-wit can understand, after all, the half wit ignoramus is the bread and butter of all religion.

7. Sharia law 'could have UK role'

Comment #204415 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 12:12 am

It is a small step, perhaps, from faith schools to self-governed faith communities. Police and law no-go-areas.

The only one not covered by these areas that are governed by the trump card of religion would be the atheist. Hated by all, feared by all and thus persecuted by all.

Reason is in retreat in the West, religion is on the march and blood will run in the streets before long.

8. Christians challenge teaching of evolution

Comment #204413 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 12:04 am

Yet more proof that NOMA is a one way street.

9. Does the Pope wear Prada?

Comment #204412 by Dr Doctor on July 5, 2008 at 12:03 am

Dressed by Christ not Prada?

Looks like a designer label to avoid.

10. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Comment #202908 by Dr Doctor on July 2, 2008 at 6:11 am

Thereby ruining a perfectly good copy of the Daily Mail.
-------------------

There is such a thing?

11. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Comment #202905 by Dr Doctor on July 2, 2008 at 6:08 am

God is rubbish, he even went out of his way to make sure all the evidence points to his not existing! Pathetic! :)
---------

That just shows how smart the big guy is, steath-o-matic God. God is the ninja of the metaphysical world.

Plus, the universe is shaped just like a nice fat ear plug, which is why God never replies to prayer.

12. It can be right to discriminate against the religious

Comment #202899 by Dr Doctor on July 2, 2008 at 6:03 am

Brilliant article.

13. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Comment #202897 by Dr Doctor on July 2, 2008 at 5:57 am

Disgraceful heresy. Don't you know God is great? Super in fact, perhaps majestic. The DEC alpha and the C= Amiga.

QED.

All else is pseudo-religious babble.

14. Can't Darwin and God get along?

Comment #202892 by Dr Doctor on July 2, 2008 at 5:45 am

The entire argument, what there is of it, smacks of desperation and special pleading.

If reality does not need (a) God to explain it thus far, and if this is causing a problem for the theist side then the answer is simple.

Come up with something that does require (a)God to explain it, subject it to the scientific process and we can all live in harmony.

Otherwise, really, just go cry somewhere else.

15. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Comment #202890 by Dr Doctor on July 2, 2008 at 5:41 am

The cat was momentarily undergoing an experiment in a box and could not be reached for guidance.

16. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Comment #202882 by Dr Doctor on July 2, 2008 at 5:32 am

You know .... I read articles like this and it leads me to the inescapable conclusion that God did it. ;)

17. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #198986 by Dr Doctor on June 25, 2008 at 1:08 am

j s bach,

Do you think he really pulled it off?

18. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #198982 by Dr Doctor on June 25, 2008 at 12:46 am

Women that support Islam, Shariat law are either indoctrinated, suffering the Stockholm syndrome, insane or ignorant.

Not a great choice, but it's all there is.

19. Should Strident British Atheist Richard Dawkins Dictate Education Policy to US States? Barbara Forrest Apparently Thinks So

Comment #198967 by Dr Doctor on June 24, 2008 at 10:29 pm

Ah, an appeal to patriotism, to xenophobia and to anti-elitism in one punchy article.

Jolly good, that was the bottom of the barrel scraped. Do let us know when you are going to start punching holes in the staves eh?

20. Storm erupts over 'virginity' divorce

Comment #186782 by Dr Doctor on May 31, 2008 at 9:58 am

Oh and the wife admitted it in court. So there you have it.

Doubtless some will say she only admitted it because [insert prejudiced crass generalisation here].

But the point remains, this is a private issue that has been turned into a cause celebré for political reasons.

21. Teacher tortures, kills boy

Comment #186779 by Dr Doctor on May 31, 2008 at 9:53 am

"But let's leave off the "Daily Mail" style leap to conclusions."

Brilliant comment. Reading the comments section of various articles this morning has reminded me strongly of John Junor.

22. Storm erupts over 'virginity' divorce

Comment #186776 by Dr Doctor on May 31, 2008 at 9:48 am

Doesn't look like back tracking to me, looks like precisely what "qomac" said.

If "qomac" had said the opposite was true, you might have a point.

Still, having been hounded by one or two net twerps (on here strangely) for "back tracking" when all I was doing was re-explaining something they hadn't read properly in the first place (but not before they had gone off on some strange character assassination), I am more likely to be sympathetic to "qomac" than others.

Still wondering why this one is on here and not the Blair Faith Project, which seems rather more RD.net fare.

23. Storm erupts over 'virginity' divorce

Comment #186662 by Dr Doctor on May 31, 2008 at 12:10 am

The religion might be stupid, but so is stereotyping, and so is (selectively) reading an article like this through the filters of your own personal preconceptions - and those of hysterical lobbists seeking to make political capital out of a private matter.

The article is very sparse on detail, does not contain any of the meat of the claims, and is even poorly titled by "The Australian".

But, because it speaks to the prejudices, it gains a witless mob of pitch fork wavers.

Presumably there has been sufficient evidence produced in court to support the claim that the annulment was based on.

The rest of the article is up for grabs as to its integrity. I'm almost, but not quite, motivated to go and read some more factual articles on the subject.

24. Storm erupts over 'virginity' divorce

Comment #186644 by Dr Doctor on May 30, 2008 at 10:36 pm

Putting aside the contractual and legal aspects for a moment. To start out a marriage with a big lie to your potential partner is not the best of signs. I don't see why people are sitting in moral judgement of them not knowing the ins and outs of their case merely how it has been presented in court.

Reading the comments so far in the thread, they are littered with ugly prejudice, assumptions and over-reactions.

I don't know why the article has been given any prominence. French law is not built on case law, there is no threat to atheism or secularism here.

Virginity may not be important to you, but obviously it was to that couple because she lied about it and he annulled the marriage over it.

Live and let live a little, for goodness sake.

25. Repulsive but right

Comment #185889 by Dr Doctor on May 29, 2008 at 1:10 am

"Yet Hitchens, like Richard Dawkins, has absolutely no knack of persuading those he lambasts."

Bollocks.

26. Car dealership advert tells atheists to 'shut up'

Comment #185543 by Dr Doctor on May 28, 2008 at 3:40 am

"Car dealership advert tells atheists to 'shut up'"

OK then.

27. These dim-wits believe in anything but God

Comment #181682 by Dr Doctor on May 17, 2008 at 11:29 pm

It just be should be renamed "Unreality classes", and teach ufology, conspiracy theories, tarot, religion, flat earthism and crystal healing.

It should be mandatory for anyone who would rather slide into the slippery slope of superstition than deal with the world as it is. If you are going to go down this route, you'd better go the whole hog and be forced to believe in all of them, especially the contradictory ones. If not, the subject would have to be prepared to provide argumentation only on points of spurious detail.

The really academic ones, who pore over obscure texts and read extra lines and dimensions into obscure Italian art and get shocked every time five points on a map can be drawn as a pentagram, should be given a scholarship in order that they obtain the ultimate in delusional studies:

A doctorate in theology.

28. Richard Dawkins Responds to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

Comment #181680 by Dr Doctor on May 17, 2008 at 11:01 pm

The only reason that one should not liken one facet of the rabbi's character to one of Hitler's is because of the distinct inability of the shrieking religious lobby to read and digest the facts before issuing press releases; or indeed, posting irrelevant opinions on the internet.

29. Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss

Comment #161174 by Dr Doctor on April 15, 2008 at 2:10 am

I've enjoyed listening to this while I work today, the experiment in format worked.

I found one comment by Richard Dawkins very interesting, that he would be happy to teach evolution at a summer camp.

If I had any spare money at the moment, or if summer wasn't my busy period as far as the company is concerned I would step up to lobby the Foundation to do this and stump up donations to help make it happen as it would be a very constructive step.

I feel frustrated that I cannot help in this matter.

30. My quest to get de-baptised

Comment #152397 by Dr Doctor on March 31, 2008 at 12:18 am

A great endeavour, which we could symbolise by the logo of a towel or a hairdryer.

31. Fossil find could be Europe's first humans

Comment #150549 by Dr Doctor on March 27, 2008 at 5:18 am

Interesting, Homo Shrektus.