1. Non-voters: It's all in God's hands

Comment #200754 by Thor'Ungal on June 28, 2008 at 7:54 am

Voters or not, that Louisiana bill has been signed. Fairytales in science class is now OK.

2. World Youth Day condom protest against Pope

Comment #198901 by Thor'Ungal on June 24, 2008 at 5:08 pm

Someone probably said the same thing about Christians a couple thousand years ago.

3. Should We Rid The Mind of God? A Debate

Comment #198440 by Thor'Ungal on June 24, 2008 at 12:55 am

I find it hard to see why believers feel they have any more "meaning of life" than we do. We are unbelievably happy that we are alive. They are unbelievably happy that they will be saved from their wretched, sinful existence, go to heaven and live FOREVER worshiping God.

Don't know about you but doesn't this beg the question "why" should this be concidered a meaning of life. It's almost like saying that the meaning of life for a dairy cow is to provide the farmer with milk. Externalising your meanings to life do not go about solving them.

On another point (previously made) I have trouble reconing why the idea of existing forever doesn't give more people the creeps. How many billions of years would it take before you went insane just for a bit of variety.

4. Pastors Challenge Law, Endorse Candidates From Pulpit

Comment #196994 by Thor'Ungal on June 20, 2008 at 9:23 pm

I agree with the pastor in a certain respect, some tax laws need revising.

Pay Caesar his due then you can spread all the "free speech" you like. Well, baring the usual hate speech limitation everyone else has to abide by.

oh wait...atheists...homosexuals...hmmm not sure how well the usual kind of free speech will serve you.

oh well it'll all get better once Jesus comes down and takes all that pesky libertarianism away from us. Should be any day now...right.

I wish them good luck in recovering from their illness,

Thor'Ungal

5. Thinking ahead: Bacteria anticipate coming changes in their environment

Comment #196991 by Thor'Ungal on June 20, 2008 at 9:08 pm

i for one welcome our new bacterial overlords.

6. John McCain: America a Christian nation, needs Christian president

Comment #190516 by Thor'Ungal on June 9, 2008 at 8:14 am

Anyone else think that Obama's faking his faith. I've never seen him ever get exited about it, every time you see him use the word "us" or "we" describing the faithful it just sounds forced. I worry the guy might do a Freudian slip one day and let the cat out of the bag by saying "you" instead of "we" when addressing xians.

7. Ben Stein 1, Yoko Ono 0 in 'Expelled' copyright spat

Comment #188300 by Thor'Ungal on June 3, 2008 at 8:09 pm

I would have to agree. As odious as his movie is designing laws that would exclude this kind of thing would also prevent our own criticisms.

This is like the youtube flagging campaigns by Muslims, Atheists even defended despised Christian fundamentalists for their right to air a view.

Protecting free speech is about protecting the views that are unpopular, popular views don't need protecting.

I am reminded of a modern day proverb about tearing down all the laws in England to get at the devil. What happens when he turns on you, with all the laws torn down where will you hide.

8. Storm erupts over 'virginity' divorce

Comment #186627 by Thor'Ungal on May 30, 2008 at 9:36 pm

Erhum...It's not just Muslims who choose not drink C₂H₅OH. And I quite enjoy the odd cup of Irish Breakfast.

9. How Are Humans Unique?

Comment #184571 by Thor'Ungal on May 25, 2008 at 6:44 pm

Agreed,

I hadn't even noticed that part, but yes it's wrong. I thought the big difference was in representational language but I'm wondering if other animals manage this too.

It might just come down to having the right combination of traits: to cooperate; develop language; technology; etc. This is one reason I wonder why we don't try to develop the same traits in other species, the building blocks seem to be there.

Thor

10. The amazing intelligence of crows

Comment #181366 by Thor'Ungal on May 17, 2008 at 3:46 am

I am wondering if it would not be possible to do something like what we've done with dogs(selective breeding has sped up the evolutionary proccess so to say) except this time breed for sentience. We're looking to create artificial intellegence but why not work with a proccess we know already worked once.

Set up systems that try to force animals to develop culture, representational language and tool making. Try to keep it all ethical so don't just fry the stupid ones but maybe just make it really worth the smart ones while to get smarter and breed with smarter. Ok this could end badly for us but I too would welcome our crow overlords if it came to that.

If we can't find intellegent life out there it's our responsibility to make more of it here.

EDIT: it might also be sensible to have them evolve a code of ethics too, lest we create a monster.

Thor'Ungal

11. Science leads to killing people

Comment #170760 by Thor'Ungal on April 28, 2008 at 12:57 am

I have a terrible feeling Thunderf00t is going the way of captnOrdinary. I think dealing with this level of insanity on a week by week basis is quite draining. I wouldn't be too suprised if he posted a "taking a few of months off from this" video just to recouperate.

We don't have the zombie like devotion to causes they do. they've got hellfire chasing them to put their videos up. We've just got the truth, plus our stuff has to actually be verifiable, we can't just make shit up.

P.S. I use the word "we" here only to say I identify with their cause. I have neither the skill not the commitment to put videos of this quality up myself.

Thor

12. In search of the God particle

Comment #156960 by Thor'Ungal on April 8, 2008 at 12:40 pm

having read only a small selection of the comments on the times site I think:

a) calling it the 'god' particle brings out the nut jobs big time

b) I did not understand the shear depth of human stupidity, I am truly in awe

oh and "Science, it works bitches"

13. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156347 by Thor'Ungal on April 7, 2008 at 11:20 am

I fear I have no hard facts to support my assertion but just within the numbers of people I work with in Perth, Australia about half think this way (and the vast majority just counting theists). The form of xianity they teach here is a little too "biblical" for my liking. I was shocked when I found the first one, horrified when I began finding more. I honestly thought this sort of thing was isolated to America and Saudi Arabia.

I guess the work is never really done. At least they're still teaching a heliocentric planetary model. Gravity also seems safe for now.

Thor'Ungal

14. Get out of here, atheists!

Comment #156338 by Thor'Ungal on April 7, 2008 at 11:08 am

I forgot that this was in the Official Atheist Handbook

15. Iowa county board gives initial OK for ghost hunters to investigate asylum

Comment #151658 by Thor'Ungal on March 29, 2008 at 6:28 am

JemyM

No, the thrill with a mystery is to not know.
Science ruins the mystery by spoiling the ending.

16. Beware the Believers

Comment #151647 by Thor'Ungal on March 29, 2008 at 6:08 am

I dunno about anyone else but I do get a warm fuzzy feeling everytime the machine hurls screaming some errant creationists. Yes I know it's wrong but still imagine Kent Hovind at the end of one of those claws. Wrong...but funny.

ooh: "We appreciate you concern, it is noted and stupid", classic

For some reason Dan Dennet suits that look.

Thor'Ungal

17. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #150367 by Thor'Ungal on March 26, 2008 at 7:21 pm

With any luck at all, one day you will be discovered as a transitional fossil!

18. The Great Tantra Challenge

Comment #144551 by Thor'Ungal on March 16, 2008 at 10:27 am

Dammit. I was really hoping he'd die.

19. Full house captivated by atheist Dawkins' take on religion

Comment #142846 by Thor'Ungal on March 13, 2008 at 6:23 am

Lucas: That happens to me allot, so much so I now copy the test to clipboard before posting. I think it has to do with posting a comment too close to the time someone else does, or posting it after too many others have posted while you were writing. This is sheer speculation though. Oh and my sympathies.

Thor

20. How to abandon your God

Comment #139518 by Thor'Ungal on March 6, 2008 at 3:00 am

ahhh,

does anyone else cringe when statements like "...closer to god" and "what would Jesus do..." are bantered about by seemingly liberal/Agnostic churches. I occasionally attend a unitarian church here in Australia. I've found one thing extraordinary about it is that they accept science almost explicitly and believe the bible was written by people alone yet they still use it as if that makes no difference.

To make matters even more interesting they occasionally introduce other "holy" books into the mix and treat them with the same unthought as the bible. Why do people bother, just use ordinary quotes. Heck even Douglas Adams had more inspirational things to say than most holy books. Socrates, Aristotle, Mark Twain, Bertram Russel, anyone with literary ability and a sharp mind really can do better.

I think many people miss the point entirely. Your holy books are holding you back. Embrace the fullness of your philosophical heritage and quit quoting from books simply that crazy.

And whats this about gods anyhow, what do they have to do with good and evil or meaning for that matter. To quote Douglas Adams "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?"

Btw. The good thing I can say about unitarians, at least the ones I've met is the degree of intelligence they seem to have and the degree to which they are willing to debate their beliefs. It's only one or two real hangups I have with them, this being one of them.

Thor

21. Bulldozers tear down giant religious teapot

Comment #139100 by Thor'Ungal on March 5, 2008 at 6:05 am

that's OK, we'll never know we were wrong about relativity. someone will probably break the light barrier long after we're dead, maybe by untacking themselves from space and time (ok that's a tad speculative and absent of evidence, but hey)

voidship ho,

Thor.

22. What's the Point of the Archbishop of Canterbury?

Comment #139038 by Thor'Ungal on March 5, 2008 at 4:03 am

Tyler Durden:

clearly it's the Anglican God, neither the Catholic nor the pentecostal Gods would give him the time of day (although they may have briefly joined forces on the anti-gay rights thing)

Prankster:

I'm all for dog-worship. The daily services, the sacrament of the walk, scratching behind the ears, the barking at the door as you come back from work, the 15,000 year traditions... oh thats a euphemism for god, well in that case yes no place in a modern world.

=P
Thor

23. Dispatches: Holy Offensive

Comment #135257 by Thor'Ungal on February 28, 2008 at 7:01 pm

I wonder if we could do a trade. we'll stop making fun of them when they stop telling us there's an uncomfortably warm place waiting for us if we don't believe their particular brand of fairytales.

Admit it makes no difference whatsoever if you do or don't believe in this stuff, that hard fought science isn't just a liberal conspiracy and we'll stop pointing out just how ridiculous not doing so really is.

Of course it's a strange irony that if they did this we'd have nothing to make fun of in the first place.

Thor'Ungal

24. Are they running for President or Pastor-in-Chief?

Comment #134550 by Thor'Ungal on February 28, 2008 at 1:21 am

Steve,

I was going to disagree based on the sharp uptake of Islam in Europe but I think aside from the odd insane bout of political correctness and religious pandering with only 4% (and mostly moderate) representation this probably doesn't pose much of a threat.

A USE to counter the USA would be cool.

25. Are they running for President or Pastor-in-Chief?

Comment #134538 by Thor'Ungal on February 28, 2008 at 12:59 am

With that said I will give my support to the Dan Dennett presidential campaign. :)

26. Are they running for President or Pastor-in-Chief?

Comment #134503 by Thor'Ungal on February 27, 2008 at 10:38 pm

test -> text, sign spellcheckers are just no substitute to reading your work carefully

27. Are they running for President or Pastor-in-Chief?

Comment #134501 by Thor'Ungal on February 27, 2008 at 10:35 pm

nogodsever posted:

Why is 'atheist' so damn hard for some people to spell?

28. Church is paying a high price for its celibacy rule

Comment #133234 by Thor'Ungal on February 26, 2008 at 12:01 am

jonjermey wrote:

It will be interesting to see what convolutions European religion goes through in trying to survive at all...

29. The coming religious peace

Comment #132137 by Thor'Ungal on February 24, 2008 at 9:37 am

I think this guy and Hitch need to go into a room somewhere and compare notes.

It'd probably do the horsemen some good to find a minister sufficiently "moderate" that they don't just shield the fundies.

I think it'd take barely a nudge to replace "God" in his rhetoric with "human compassion". Still it serves our purpose if he keeps using the former for now. I wonder if he has a worthy successor (I think he's retiring).

Having said that the whole receiving death threats from other Christians thing doesn't help.

Now all we need is an Imam for the same purpose, anyone got any ideas? Someone they'll relate to, plenty of charisma to convince people that the qua'ran is not the inerrant word of a just and loving god (because clearly it's just not obvious enough for some)

Weening people off of God completely may be as impossible as getting people to ignore horoscopes but if we can get it there...

30. The coming religious peace

Comment #132115 by Thor'Ungal on February 24, 2008 at 7:55 am

This is sort of related to my previous post, we need to hire this guy, he is brilliant. Does the RDF have a clerical hire policy?

John Shelby Spong, nothing like a christian that thinks the bible is made up of bronze age fairy tales written by men.

http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-2243629201852813533&q=shelby spong&total=25&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

I am so waiting for someone like him to write a 2nd edition to the bible (well a complete rework really) with the words "NOT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY" plastered on the front in the same way "DON'T PANIC" is printed on the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.

31. The coming religious peace

Comment #132103 by Thor'Ungal on February 24, 2008 at 7:23 am

I wonder if the key is something like what Dennett proposed. Help lead religion into an evolutionary path that is comparatively harmless. Perhaps one that is somewhat like the unitarians. One that preaches that atheists are NOT THE ENEMY but their friends.

Perhaps by knocking down the arguments of theists we are unintendedly forcing them into an arms race in order to survive. My own experience with some of my more difficult family and friends is that few even listen to rational arguments favoring a "We Know the Truth of the Lord Jesus Christ" model instead. This of course accompanies the list of the damned: Gays, atheists, other religions, other Christians, shellfish eaters (OK even they're not quite that literal) etc.

Perhaps some writers have the right of it, convince them of an increasingly compatibilist view of there faith until one day all you have to do is say "And look take god out and it all still works".

Genesis reviewed:

In the beginning God created the Impulse Potential Singularity, space-time, some rudimentary physical relationships, started the clocks running and promptly went to the pub for a beer as god was parched after all that. God saw all that he had made and decided to spend a bit more time drinking.

I'd say amen to that, well until we find out what caused that too then we'd need a new edition.

Then again someone did mention to me something about personal integrity, bah couldn't have been important.