1. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #149851 by simonchase on March 26, 2008 at 9:52 am

It is just a theory that it's your birthday. How can you prove that you weren't "intelligently gestated"?

2. Sir David Attenborough on God

Comment #86668 by simonchase on November 9, 2007 at 11:08 pm

This guy (quite rightly) is held in such high esteem by so many people in the UK that I wish he would add more vocally (maybe in a book) to the atheist cause.
However, he's a legend whatever.

3. Bible Belter

Comment #68147 by simonchase on September 6, 2007 at 8:51 am

Great review Richard.

But personally I rather like Christopher's frivolous turns of phrase. It's perhaps an oblique championing of free speech. In a deeply moralistic book they serve to highlight the fact that many (often religious) people complain about lack of respect in the discussion of certain issues but that there are far greater problems in the world. It's almost like he's saying "Look at how unpleasant and glib I can be and you'll realize that it's not important in the face of these other issues". I don't know if that's the authors intention.

Also you write, "I could not condemn those editors". Surely they could at least have been honest and said publicly that fear not respect was their motivation for not printing the cartoons.

Cheers

4. A force for good?

Comment #55084 by simonchase on July 10, 2007 at 1:38 am

"Atheists... assume that all the bad to do with religion is caused by that religion. All the bad done under the banner of science or secularism, or the millions killed by atheists like Pol Pot or Mao Tse Tuing, has other causes."

That's because the perpetrators of religious violence are screaming "In God's name!" as they slay their victims. I'd love to hear those who apparently kill in the name of science screaming "Kepler's third law of planetary motion!!!"

5. Some US Muslims say suicide attacks OK

Comment #43870 by simonchase on May 23, 2007 at 2:58 am

I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung!

Oh sorry - wrong meeting

6. God's dupes

Comment #26027 by simonchase on March 16, 2007 at 7:00 am

great article

what is it with Sam and spirituality though? I don't get it. Spirituality to me implies a spirt. Once you remove the spirit you just get an emotional rollercoaster ride. isn't that enough?

7. US Congressman Holds No God-Belief

Comment #25451 by simonchase on March 13, 2007 at 7:21 am

FROM THE UU FAQ:
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What do UUs believe about God?

Some Unitarian Universalists are nontheists and do not find language about God useful. The faith of other Unitarian Universalists in God may be profound, though among these, too, talk of God may be restrained. Why?

The word God is much abused. Far too often, the word seems to refer to a kind of granddaddy in the sky or a super magician. To avoid confusion, many Unitarian Universalists are more apt to speak of "reverence for life" (in the words of Albert Schweitzer, a Unitarian), the spirit of love or truth, the holy, or the gracious. Many also prefer such language because it is inclusive; it is used with integrity by theist and nontheist members.

-------------------------------------------------

So I guess as a non theist UU he worships "the spirit of love" which ain't too shabby at all. I guess I worship that too.

8. Houses of the Holy

Comment #24166 by simonchase on March 5, 2007 at 5:41 am

that should be - www.bcseweb.org.uk

9. The Certainty Bias

Comment #23227 by simonchase on February 27, 2007 at 2:52 am

I hurt my arm playing football

They put it in a sling and told me to keep it still then said I should wait around for 4 hours for an xray to see if it was broken. I asked what would be the difference in treatment if it was. They said nothing but that we should do it anyway. So we did.