1. Origins - The BIG Questions: 2008 Skeptics Society Conference

Comment #242329 by ergaster on September 3, 2008 at 2:45 pm

This looks like the best thing since Beyond Belief 2006. Let's hope for videos or at least some audio from this.

I checked Wiki to see what to expect in regard to opposing viewpoints and it looks like it's going to be a great clash of minds. Dr. Hugh Ross will certainly have a rough time. [EDIT: He will be mincemeat, he's going to debate Stenger after their talks.] Here are some highlights on the speakers:

Sean M. Carroll
He is an outspoken atheist, who argues that scientific thinking leads one to a materialist worldview. He turned down an invitation to speak at a conference sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation, on the grounds that he did not want to appear to be supporting a reconciliation between science and religion.

Dr. Paul Davies
Davies' sympathy towards religion's reliance on faith has been criticized by the prominent atheist Richard Dawkins: "Paul Davies's The Mind of God seems to hover somewhere between Einsteinian pantheism and an obscure form of deism - for which he was rewarded with the Templeton Prize."

Dr. Stuart Kauffman
American theoretical biologist and complex systems researcher concerning the origin of life on Earth.

Dr. Christof Koch
American neuroscientist working on the neural basis of consciousness.

Dr. Kenneth Miller
Biology professor at Brown University. Miller, who is Roman Catholic, is particularly known for his opposition to creationism, including the intelligent design movement.

Dr. Nancey Murphy
Christian theologian and philosopher known for her works on theology and science. She is currently Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Her first book, Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning, won prizes from both the American Academy of Religion and the Templeton Foundation awarded the 1999 Prize for Outstanding Books in Theology. In 2006 Murphy claimed she faced a campaign to get her fired after she expressed her view that intelligent design was not only poor theology, but "so stupid, I don't want to give them my time."

Dr. Donald Prothero
Professor of Geology at Occidental College and Lecturer in Geobiology at Caltech
His latest book is Evolution: What the Fossils Say & Why it Matters.

Dr. Hugh Ross
Canadian-born Old Earth creationist and Christian apologist. An astronomer and astrophysicist by training, he has established his own ministry called Reasons To Believe that promotes forms of Old Earth creationism known as progressive creationism and day-age creationism. Ross accepts the scientific evidence of the age of the earth and the age of the universe, but he rejects evolution and abiogenesis as explanations for the history and origin of life.

Dr. Victor Stenger
Emeritus professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Hawaii and adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado. Stenger used to work in particle physics but is principally known as a critic and skeptic of Intelligent Design and other ideas of pseudoscience.

Dr. Leonard Susskind
Felix Bloch professor of theoretical physics at Stanford University in the field of string theory and quantum field theory. Susskind is widely regarded as one of the fathers of string theory for his early contributions to the String Theory model of particle physics.

2. Genesis and the origin of the Origin of the species

Comment #239623 by ergaster on August 30, 2008 at 4:08 am

The believer might wonder, as does Lord Rees, president of the Royal Society, in his Just Six Numbers, at the extraordinary precision of the six mathematical constants that determine the shape of the Universe...

The good name of Martin Rees is dishonestly besmirched here. It's been years since I read Rees's book but AFAIK, he never implied a goddidit solution to the universal constants. Rees is a proponent of the many universes theories and it's preposterous the see his name in the same article as stuff like "the covenant with Noah".

Is the Rabbi similarly dishonest about using Matt Ridley's name?

The believer might go on to say, as does Matt Ridley...

I haven't read Ridley's book but I've seen his name many times in other books and made a mental note that he is a real scientist.

The Rabbi's choice of words suggets to me at least that Ridley (and Rees) shares the Rabbi's views.

3. France rejects Muslim woman over radical practice of Islam

Comment #209527 by ergaster on July 12, 2008 at 2:22 pm

"France is home to nearly 5 million Muslims..."

If she appeals long enough the Sharia will kick in. Then she will have the god-given right to be the cattle that she is fighting to be.

4. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #178268 by ergaster on May 11, 2008 at 4:08 am

Guardian prints a shocking interview with the murderer, 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'. Warning. Not for the faint of heart.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/iraq.humanrights?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

5. Debate between Richard Dawkins and John Lennox

Comment #76057 by ergaster on October 4, 2007 at 2:39 pm

Here is a brief overview of the Lennox guy. It could be useful to know before you listen to the debate:

Dr. John Lennox has been exploring the place where religion and science meet for decades. Raised in Ireland where religion is "in the DNA", Lennox never gave a second thought to his belief in God. It wasn't until he went off to Cambridge University that he would dive into the debate over religion, science and evolution after a student asked him if he believed in God.

Since then Lennox has gone on to become a vocal proponent of intelligent design. The Oxford University reader in mathematics is also a fellow in mathematics and the philosophy of science at the school. He travels all over the world talking about the nexus of religion and science, as well as intelligent design ... although he doesn't like that label. Lennox says it's been hijacked by people who don't understand it.

6. Do you have to read up on leprechology before disbelieving in them?

Comment #72750 by ergaster on September 22, 2007 at 4:37 pm

REVCORT:
So, I would ask one question of CHeard, if Scripture is not given to us by God, what good is it? And further, if it is simply the thoughts of a bunch of men, how do you decide what to believe?

If the Scripture has no inspiration and has no authority, then I'd likely be an atheist myself, or, at the very least, an agnostic./REVCORT

Revcort is on the verge of being freed from his belief, if only he could be persuaded that Scripture isn't God's words. The obvious and short answer is, no it's not inspired by a god, it was written by men. Surely there are people here who can see his invitation and "deprogramme" him? It would be a shame if he left the forum without the logic that is so prevalent here, especially because it wouldn't take that much of a nudge to let go of that "inspired" stuff.

7. New Rules: A Religious Test

Comment #72741 by ergaster on September 22, 2007 at 3:03 pm

Can't you just ignore the Religion field and leave it blank?

8. The smallest signs of retreat

Comment #68538 by ergaster on September 7, 2007 at 1:12 pm

I usually refrain from posting here since I do not want to lower the the level of intelligent discussion. But after having read Bunting's rude and asinine article I feel confident that I can't possibly lower it, whatever I write. Even if my immediate aim is to acquaint her with my special bunch o' fives, I am well above her standard.

After reading this as well as MacGrath, Cornwell, Hobson and their tactical and well-considered lies I fear that there is only so much nonsense that RD can put up with. He has spent so many years of his career teaching and enlighten people but when he publishes such a well-reasoned and polite book on religion he is repaid with contempt, personal attacks or the adversary's lack of other things to do. So, how long before he says to hell with this, it ain't worth it, and returns to the biology lab?

I must say that I admire how regulars on this site have the stomach to read the dung that many articles spout and yet have the endurance to keep on pointing out the fallacies and lies for the visiting reading. It is much appreciated, you shall know.

MONOAPE: A wonderful letter to the editor, please post if you get a response.

9. Mother Teresa's '40-year faith crisis'

Comment #65524 by ergaster on August 24, 2007 at 3:04 pm

I think this is remarkable news. It's almost as if the pope himself had expressed doubt. It will be interesting to read Hitchens next installment in Slate, he cannot let this pass. Teresa was obviously even more evil than Hitch imagined.

She didn't even have faith in a god to back up her belief that she must keep her flock in perpetual discomfort and destitution. So what is her excuse? There is none. She enjoyed the limelight and the Nobel prices but her effort in the slums of Calcutta was fraudulently on the behest of a god. And that's what makes "the old bitch" a fake and a bona fide charlatan.

10. A child's Darwinian revolution (Review of 'Growing Up in the Universe')

Comment #53295 by ergaster on June 30, 2007 at 3:35 pm

It really should have come with subtitles. Kids outside Britain and USA would love this in equal measure.

11. Inferior Design: Richard Dawkins reviews Behe's lastest book

Comment #53290 by ergaster on June 30, 2007 at 3:09 pm

I am reminded of the quote Richard uses in TGD, p. 154:
'Its author can be excused of dishonesty only on the grounds that before deceiving others he has taken great pains to deceive himself'.