1. Texas Fiction Science

Comment #219004 by Ford Prefect on July 26, 2008 at 2:43 am

Could we not fight fire with fire ? I would suggest that 'both sides' of the story are introduced into Religious Studies. It could be argued that Christianity is a 'weak religion' that does not stand up to scientific scrutiny

2. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #84475 by Ford Prefect on November 2, 2007 at 6:01 am

The article above shows the usefulness of studying a 'worthless' subject. It is useful in countering the argument that if atheists studied theology they would come to a different conclusion re religion.
By your own argument people who begin to study a subject believing it to be worthy/worthless may have their prejudices confirmed. But you must accept that some, through their study, may change their minds.

3. The truth in religion

Comment #84451 by Ford Prefect on November 2, 2007 at 4:11 am

ADH
Every new comment that appears here just serves to show how much truth there is in what Polkinghorne is saying.

Your right, not a lot of truth at all !

You claim ad hominem attacks by atheists and descend into some of your own. Pot,kettle , black comes to mind.

If you find the arguments against the article 'woolly' and 'puerile' could you please provide your counter argument or are you all mouth and no trousers ?

4. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #84032 by Ford Prefect on November 1, 2007 at 3:22 am

ADH
I think your missing the point. Of course people who have studied theology have come to a different conclusion. However the inference of critics of Dawkins et al is that if they had studied theology there is no way they could come to the conclusions they have.
You can argue that theology is worthless, but that the study of it is useful, just to show how worthless the subject is.
If you don't agree with Standing it would be useful to hear your arguments.

5. Evolution to be taught in SA schools

Comment #83173 by Ford Prefect on October 29, 2007 at 6:46 am

Matters came to a head after snippets of a video, Tiny Humans: Finding Hobbits in Flores, was shown. The video traces the origin of tiny prehistoric humans somewhere on an Indonesian island. They are depicted as short and dark-skinned people. This offended some black teachers. They said that evolution was a racist theory. It "terribly undermines black people, everything bad gets a black colour. It means blacks were apes," they said.

What colour were Adam & Eve ?

6. The God Delusion and Alister E McGrath

Comment #82027 by Ford Prefect on October 25, 2007 at 2:52 pm

Ali McG is in dah house !

"Is it because I is a christian!"

7. The God Delusion and Alister E McGrath

Comment #81793 by Ford Prefect on October 25, 2007 at 7:36 am

I do have agree with McGrath on one point

'So I think there's this real sense of anger and frustration and in fact in some sources, despair, that religion is still such a major influence in the world today. '

I am also frustrated that they played a clip about not getting morality from the bible, but then spent absolutley zero time discussing it. If you can cherry-pick from the bible why don't the churches simply edit it ?

I'm frustrated that on at least two occasions I've heard McGrath claim that at a meeting his arguments for god were so devastating that he completely trounced a very angry atheist. Why is he not deploying those arguments now ?

I'm frustrated that after listening to and reading McGrath's defense of faith, he has never explained why he believes in his particular brand and flavour of religion.

I'm fed with him being described as a former atheist.

Ford Prefect - former chsistian

8. Help Counter the New Atheist Crusade to 'Evangelize' America!

Comment #79427 by Ford Prefect on October 17, 2007 at 8:40 am

CJ22
Just checked the website. The book isn't free. They are suggesting a gift of between $20 and $100. God can't do anything without believers money.

9. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78826 by Ford Prefect on October 15, 2007 at 2:53 am

At least the Telegraph article gives some indication of the bish's stance on homosexuality. He gave his blessing to his likeness being used as a fairy and obviously designed to take it up the arse !

10. Like any half-decent atheist, I'm fond of a bit of religion

Comment #67826 by Ford Prefect on September 5, 2007 at 12:42 am

I can understand that people like ritual to mark important events. Until very recently the Church seemed to have a monopoly. There are now alternatives that hopefully will become the norm.

I also failed to find any absolute insistence to join a fixed agenda. Can Linklater show me where I can find it ?

11. What do these atheists understand of religion?

Comment #67352 by Ford Prefect on September 3, 2007 at 5:24 am

I started writing a letter to the Independent when there was just one comment here. So expect others have expressed the same opinion as me but more eloquently. However for what its worth, here's my letter:

I am writing to comment on Yasmin Aliibhai-Brown hypocrisy and use of inappropriate pejorative language in her piece 'What do atheists understand of religion'
It does not help her argument to describe atheists as either militant or fundamentalist. Is she confusing these terms with passion? If so, could I not fairly describe her as a militant moderate and John Humphreys as a fundamentalist agnostic?
If Dawkins book is a rant, Alibhai-Brown's piece is hysterical blather.
She claims that men such as Dawkins and Hitchens 'know it all'. Yet in the same article she 'knows' that there are no experiments and tests to explain love etc. and that their are aspects of our nature that are not susceptible to scientific enquiry. She also 'knows' that these people have puny imaginations. Pots and kettles come to mind.
Alibhai-Brown accuses atheists of dishonesty when she drags out, yet again, the strawmen of Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and Mao. Has she honestly not heard the many rebuttals to this argument before? Suffice to say 'Good people do good things, bad people do bad things. But it takes religion for good people to do bad things '.
She points out that the church was on both sides of the apartheid argument. The same is true of slavery many years before. Does she not accept that it would have been better if the proponents of slavery and apartheid didn't have the authority of scripture to support their wickedness? Is she sure it takes religion for people to be altuistic?
If all relgion did was cause the erection of great buildings, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Alibhai-Brown accepts that the encroachment of religion is a bad thing. Yet in some countries it is not so much encroaching as embedded. Religionists are homophobic, misogonist and in positions of power. They demand that I agree with them or at the least I will burn in hell for eternity. Some also wish to hasten my passage there.
To paraphrase religionists, Alibhai desciption of atheism is not one I recognise. Atheists I know don't want to replace religion with anything. They just want to stop it interfering in our lives. Atheists I know are not certain that a supernatural force does not exist. They are certainly inclined to disbelief because of lack of evidence. So please ask Miss Alibhai-Brown in her next well thought out column to provide proof of her particular deity and all the militant, fundamenatlist atheists will disappear as if by magic.

12. Orthodox Call on Sinners To Give Chickens a Fairer Shake

Comment #66732 by Ford Prefect on August 31, 2007 at 6:56 am

'In general, I don't think that PETA is taken very seriously in the Orthodox community, or in any civilized society," said Rabbi Avi Shafran, spokesman for the ultra-Orthodox Agudath Israel of America.'

But swinging a live chicken over your head is civilised?

13. Amnesty to defy Catholic church over rape victims' abortion rights

Comment #63037 by Ford Prefect on August 13, 2007 at 2:02 am

And yet the catholic church condemns many to a slow painful death by banning condoms.