1. Last Night's TV: The Genius of Charles Darwin, Channel 4

Comment #233598 by cebolla on August 20, 2008 at 5:00 am

I would have liked to have seen more of the discussion between RD and Rowan Williams...also with Dan Dennett...all that driving over there then just a sentence from him. Are there extended highlights available anywhere?

2. Hitchens and Boteach Debate on God

Comment #125409 by cebolla on February 11, 2008 at 10:24 am

Hitch on good form here...the more calm approach seems best,like ice-cool Harris.Damned if I could do it myself though,i was screaming at the screen like a madman.There were a load of absurd points boteach made,but without a response allowed from Mr H.Nice Hitch managed to make the moderator look like an idiot too though.
Hey,anyone know where i can get my hands on Hitch vs Hedges??I loved that one (hitchens nonchalantly swinging his leg while mercilessly destroying hedges) .but cant find it anywhere anymore.

3. Sam Harris at AAI 07

Comment #82541 by cebolla on October 26, 2007 at 4:16 pm

Ladies,gents...brothers,sisters
I sicked in my mouth a little while reading these comments so thought Id add my own 2 pen'th worth.
Im bound to say that I agree with the Harris..its something Ive thought about for a while.What has struck me is the human psychology of it...of the 'grouping' of people.Humans want to be part of a group,but also,conversely,want to be different.This leads to a plethora of social groups,be it fashion,music,art,political or 'faith' based,and being labeled "Atheist" denigrates the idea to become just one of many.Im not sure,but it seems to be slightly more in evidence in the US where people refer to themselves Irish,African american,Italian american etc even though they may be 6th generation US or more.Youre NOT african american...youre an american!I think the US culture (and by extension the UK) encourages these divisions as people are told that they need to pigeon-hole themselves to actually have any identity.
Ive noticed in this thread that people are saying "we need to do this or thus" well...i may not be in your 'we'.Just because we share a disbelief in a non existent deity doesnt mean we have anything else in common.(though admittedly it is more likely).The point is...Atheism as it is being represented is like being a goth,or a supporter of a particular football team...its exclusive.Sure,weve got each other right?But we also feel good that were different from "those others".I mean,look at all the different societies of HUmanist this and secular that,Brights etc...theyre like motorcycle gangs.Its a natural instinct to band together like this but...we should see through it.
The tenets of critical thinking and scepticism need to be embedded in the foundations of society,not buzzing around in an orbit with the multitude of other 'views'.
Is this making any sense?If not,ive had a sweet bottle of malbec,i hope that goes some way to explaining my lack of erudition.BIg luv! xx

4. The New Atheists on Organized Freethought

Comment #81979 by cebolla on October 25, 2007 at 1:27 pm

Just to play along,i typed atheism in the dictionary that came with my Ubuntu linux distro...the result was somewhat disgusting:

Atheism

Atheism A"the*ism, n. [Cf. F. ath['e]isme. See Atheist.]
1. The disbelief or denial of the existence of a God, or
supreme intelligent Being.
[1913 Webster]

Atheism is a ferocious system, that leaves nothing
above us to excite awe, nor around us to awaken
tenderness. --R. Hall.
[1913 Webster]

Atheism and pantheism are often wrongly confounded.
--Shipley.
[1913 Webster]

2. Godlessness.
[1913 Webster]

5. That's not MY God or Religion you're criticising

Comment #81856 by cebolla on October 25, 2007 at 9:59 am

I like Harris's (paraphrasing) "There are so many religions and sub divisions of those religions,and only one can be right that,statistically you have to accept that youre going to hell"

6. War in Heaven: Hitchens Meets D'Souza on Home Turf

Comment #81219 by cebolla on October 24, 2007 at 12:48 pm

I have no need of that hypothesis...
LaPlace and Ochams razor...doesnt it all come down to that?Cant we explain that to people?