1. Richard Dawkins Responds to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

Comment #181344 by Logicel on May 17, 2008 at 1:59 am

Do D'Souza and Boteach blog in all caps?

2. 'Spiritual' dentist fined $10,000

Comment #180315 by Logicel on May 14, 2008 at 2:54 pm

(Dr Gardner) does not appear to accept that he has done anything wrong," the panel said
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Of course not, he could not accept any wrong, after all he was telling the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth to his patient.

3. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179272 by Logicel on May 13, 2008 at 2:30 am

hungarianelephant, Aubrey de Grey responds to that criticism of overpopulation, by saying that it is an excellent opposing argument, and that perhaps people who choose long life will also need to accept that they can't breed.

And futurists like Kurzweil would respond that outer space colonization will be the answer.

4. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179269 by Logicel on May 13, 2008 at 2:22 am

I, also found Bobby Gs comment to be confusing. I regard his definition of dignity to be a question of human/civil rights. We are all able to partake in human/civil rights until we violate the rights of others, then we face the law and prison, therefore forfeiting some rights.

I agree with Pinker that dignity is a sloppy, subjective concept: some would regard a man sporting a fancy handbag as being undignified; others would consider it the height of fashion. Until the handbag-carrying man pummels another person to death with said handbag, it is not a case of lost dignity at all, but a person's right to be autonomous and make decisions for themselves.

EDIT: I also do not see how this article denounced Catholics (per Bobby G). It stated that religious sectarianism has nothing to do with public, secular policy.

5. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179241 by Logicel on May 13, 2008 at 12:46 am

Chris Bell writes: We should organize a mass protest. Let's all follow Kass around while noisily eating ice cream.
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I'll join the protest only if I can eat a corndog on a stick in this numbskull's presence.

6. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179240 by Logicel on May 13, 2008 at 12:43 am

I feel pleased when I see people (of all ages) munching on an ice cream cone--they are happy for the most part and I am pleased for them. Does this rigid, sour pus think it is undignified for kids to eat an ice cream cone? I bet this numbskull probably regards most activities done by kids--because of their playfulness--as being animalistic and therefore undignified.

7. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179075 by Logicel on May 12, 2008 at 1:34 pm

Pinker maintains his cool beautifully, focusing on the inanity of using dignity as a basis for ethics rather than autonomy. Of course, the meddling, tyrannical religious 'leaders' abhor autonomy for others because they would be out of a job. Poor babies, if they can't push people around and force feed their disgusting 'ethical/moral' concoctions down the throats of others, they lose their 'dignity.'

8. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #178609 by Logicel on May 11, 2008 at 5:48 pm

HourglassMemory wrote: If only we could get the women to fight back.
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One strategy is to get many people to criticize Islam. For example, the objection to funding protection for Islam critics (Like Hirsi Ali) rings false, that we can't afford to finance all the protection needed, all that is needed is a critical mass, more people will come out against the wrongs of Islam if there is protection available, and as more and more become vocal, the more difficult it will be for the islamofascists to kill them because of the sheer numbers, and eventually societal change will have happened, and paid protection no longer needed.

Hirst Ali describes vividly in undeveloped countries torn by political strife and war that the people DEPEND on the tribe to live. This dependence is similar to us depending on our education, job skills, etc. to get ahead in life. As Hirsi Ali grandmother drilled into her head, you are nothing without your tribe, you deserve to rot in the dessert if you dishonor it.

We all have tribal inclinations, but in western countries they have been moderated via our depending on advancement based on merit, on our hard work, access to opportunities, etc. The allegiance to the tribe does not mean life and death to us, because of all the options available.

Commerce has been a great civilizer. We, in the West, need to focus on expanding free trade to encourage the development of viable, thriving economies where people no longer need to give up their individuality in order to survive.

9. Church of Scotland mediators to quell disputes

Comment #178250 by Logicel on May 11, 2008 at 2:52 am

It is sad that a religion which has the commandment 'love your neighbour as yourself' at its heart is so often a poor example of a healthy supportive community."

____

Paula Kirby has an excellent handle on the real basis of the conflict.

However, these petty squabbles and their incessant 'reformations' as solutions are reminiscent of the little boy with his finger in the hole of the dyke--but in the case of religion the waters will eventually come crashing down on these rigid, frightened, non-thinking organizations because they have been patching up the leaks in their perspective for so long, their defensive walls are crumbling.

10. Scientists Know Better Than You--Even When They're Wrong

Comment #178010 by Logicel on May 10, 2008 at 8:28 am

If you want to know what counts as secure knowledge in a field like gravitational wave detection, you have to become part of the social group.
____

Is this author implying that atheists need to throw tea parties for theologians? If so, please send me to hell now.

11. Atheists are nice people who will roast in hell, says Cardinal

Comment #177955 by Logicel on May 10, 2008 at 3:59 am

"By carrying out this espionage under the subterfuge of a goodwill mission of Christian charity, the pope was able to gain access to sensitive information never before obtained by a hostile foreign power.
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Hmmm, the pope as a Trojan horse? More like an old, used, icky Trojan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_(condoms)

Fides_et_Rationalization, some commenters thinking the above posts are real just gives credence to Poe's law:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe's_law

12. $271 Million for Research on Stem Cells in California

Comment #177601 by Logicel on May 9, 2008 at 10:47 am

Way to go, CA! The Constitution and the great scientific achievements are the two aspects I love best about America. My heart has been broken listening to all the damage that Bush and his degenerates have done to science in America in the last years.

13. Richard Dawkins interviewed by John Humphrys on Cardinal Murphy O'Connor

Comment #177588 by Logicel on May 9, 2008 at 10:38 am

Now we know why Catholics don't reason, they don't know what the f reason is!

14. Richard Dawkins interviewed by John Humphrys on Cardinal Murphy O'Connor

Comment #177584 by Logicel on May 9, 2008 at 10:34 am

Sanderson's article is fantastic! (under RELATED at the bottom of the above post).

I only have this to add to Sanderson's evisceration of what this idiotic person who wear funny robes stands for: shove your corrupt business model (oh, sorry, meant your church) up your arse.

Stick a fork in it, the Catholic Church is done.

15. Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour

Comment #177387 by Logicel on May 9, 2008 at 2:11 am

fontor wrote: Sure, it's sad when people go. But an upside is that we get better memes, and I can't say I'm sorry to see the process happening.
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Yes, it is a very bitter/sweet process. The generation who vanquished the Nazis accomplished a great feat, however, that was the generation that my own fought against in the sixties because of their racism, sexism, and homophobia.

16. Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour

Comment #177385 by Logicel on May 9, 2008 at 2:05 am

Great comment, Hungarian Eggplant, #28!

As long as the throngs leaving Christianity do not join Islam, I think this report is quite cheering actually. Though it is understandable that growing numbers of unbelievers are not explicitly emphasized in a religious report, those numbers are there, present with their ability to challenge the increasing numbers of practitioners of Islam.

17. My Response to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

Comment #177360 by Logicel on May 9, 2008 at 1:17 am

Wow. This short post by RD made my day. What a beaut of simplicity, honesty, and verve. Now I will read the comments (first time ever that I have commented without doing so but I just had to comment immediately on the excellence of this post).

18. Faith in Britain today

Comment #177134 by Logicel on May 8, 2008 at 4:11 pm

How can it be otherwise if the first commandment to love God is inseparable from the second commandment to love our neighbour?
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Sorry, I just don't get the appeal of being loved by everybody and loving everybody. Love is a private matter, what the f does this busybody have to do with it? I want human and civil rights for everybody; I want folks to be in a situation where they can find and nurture relationships that are positive. Leave your stupid, overbearing, idiotic addiction to some kind of absolute love out of the equation, please, you oddly robed dickhead!

19. Faith in Britain today

Comment #177057 by Logicel on May 8, 2008 at 2:00 pm

Is this madman tranquilized? Is that why we don't see foam and spit flowing from the page?

WTF. That is all I can say. If this jesus junkie, waffle addict (and I don't mean the nice tasty ones), career religite wants to know why people are leaving religion behind he should read his own vacuous, meaningless dribble.

20. An Atheist Goes Undercover to Join the Flock of Mad Pastor John Hagee

Comment #176767 by Logicel on May 8, 2008 at 1:38 am

The Pentecostals would scare the crap out me when growing up as a closet atheist in a Catholic home--I would think how impossible it would be for me to fake belief and be joyous at the same time.

Their storefront churches were all over NYC, with yelps of joy emanating from them. I could pull it off within the Cult of Misery (Catholicism) because Catholics worship misery and I was miserable being a closet atheist so I was never found out.

I would fret what would happen if my parents converted to the Pentecostal way (though that had a slim chance happening, all religious brands seemed equally nutty to me, so it was plausible to me as a kid that they were all interchangeable), and my deep dark secret would be found out.

There was some kind of Catholic Encounter movement back in the sixties that was v manipulative of teenage emotions. I was finally chosen to go on a weekend Encounter where we were pushed emotionally to weep at the feet of a Jesus statute that was kept in a small dark room, hung with plush draperies, kept dim via candlelight, and suffocating via incense. The emotional breakdown was deemed necessary before we could appreciate the great love Jesus shown us by dying for us.

I did not cry and kept standing upright during the 'procedure' while about 4 other teenage girls went swooning about the room, keening up a storm. At the end of the session, I told the priest that he should be ashamed of himself for setting up such a scene. 2 years later, I was out in the world on my own, and finally came out as an atheist.

21. Is Liberal Catholicism Dead?

Comment #175935 by Logicel on May 6, 2008 at 8:56 am

manic-depressive writes: Human beings crave certainty.
______

The excellent Dr. Harriet Hall has just reviewed (fresh from my fabulous news reader) On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not by the neurologist, Dr. Burton:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=103

22. Life after Jehovah's Witnesses: website offers help to followers who lose their faith

Comment #175767 by Logicel on May 6, 2008 at 2:16 am

I have only admiration for this woman.

More and more outlets for easing the transition from religion to non-theism will crop up. Though the Web will play a large part in this process, I often muse about sometime in the future, when we are much less dysfunctional as a society than we are now, and when we actually have transformed the often beautiful places now used for silly religious worship for such hubs where people can recover from the damage done by their religious brainwashing, mis-information, and addiction.

23. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #175360 by Logicel on May 5, 2008 at 10:00 am

In a dysfunctional family, members enable each other's dysfunction. I consider world society to be dysfunctional in the same regard--we enable each other to stay stuck, because it is familiar ground.

So-called religious moderates do not decry the horror that is Islam because upon scratching the surface of a moderate, you will find someone who has embraced fully the dangerous idea that faith, that is, belief without evidence is a virtue (and not the vice that it is), and therefore do not want to rock their own boats, very much like dysfunctional family members who have gotten so used to playing certain roles, that they are lost without their precious role-playing.

Dysfunctional family members will change when the pain becomes too severe; but in order for that pain to be felt, the alcoholic, the binger/purger, the addicted shoplifter, etc., must not be coddled by their so-called functional family members.

The most important aspect of the 'new atheism' is this 'strident' aspect of it--often during family therapy the dysfunctional members will decry, oh, you are being so harsh, let them have their little weaknesses, etc.

Dysfunction is one helluva hard vicious cycle to break, but it is possible.

24. Truly Bizarre : Indians Throw Babies 50ft From Roof To Thank God.

Comment #174960 by Logicel on May 4, 2008 at 12:45 am

Well, throwing babies off roofs is natural, not like the nasty toxic stuff we inject into our babies that we pretend will ward off infection (teehee).

Seriously, if the trust part of this egregious ritual has any value it would be canceled by the terror felt by a young human hurtling downwards (remember that we are hardwired from a v young age to avoid the edge of cliffs). Needless to say, there are many occasions where parents can show that they are there as a safety net that make sense and that will encourage children to trust adults like feeding, educating, providing shelter and clothing and giving positive feedback.

25. Evolution's Critics Shift Tactics With Schools

Comment #174816 by Logicel on May 3, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Both houses of the Florida legislature passed academic freedom bills this month, but it is unclear whether backers can reconcile the two versions before the spring session closes Friday.
_____

The Florida bill did not make it, it has been successfully squashed: http://www.flascience.org/wp/?p=574

IDiots are so full of hubris and self-importance that they will not let go of their dangerous meddling (if scientists and science teachers leave America for the many excellent countries that have no problem with keeping religion out of science classes, then these IDiots' standard of living will lessen). They can't just practice their religious beliefs in church, they are so full of pride and so insecure in their beliefs that they have to cast totally unfounded doubts upon the fact of evolution.

These IDiots only increase the drive and motivation of the rationality based people to keep fighting until the IDiots are so weakened in base support that they eventually will cease their wasting everybody's else precious time.

Pharyngula is keeping on top of all the state bills so check there to keep on top of this fight. And don't get discouraged--the IDiots persistance is only a sign of their desperation--the tide will turn in America.

26. Was the new finger a 'natural' miracle?

Comment #174687 by Logicel on May 3, 2008 at 8:51 am

Before Bizarro's number 17 comment about how much us atheists were bashing God in an article unrelated to God there were only 3 comments related to God (numbers 4, 13, and 14), and to my mind all reasonably related to the article and prior discussions at this site.

Bizarro, no need to fret, there have been a quite a number of Christians who regularly post here and lots of drive bys. So be proud of those fellow Christians, they don't stay in the shadows.

However, as it has been pointed out, these Christian regulars all disappear when they are unable to counter the solid criticism directed at their religious beliefs. Then, their religious buttons are re-set, and they start from scratch as if they have completely forgotten the criticism they still have not rebutted. Unfortunately, that aspect of their behavior is certainly something a Christian should not be proud. So set an example, and stay and counter the criticisms directed at your religious beliefs.

27. Does science make belief in God obsolete?

Comment #170087 by Logicel on April 27, 2008 at 10:55 am

Hoodbhoy wrote a very interesting piece. Quantum physics will allow for a scientific God if I understand his points. But will such a God allow for Sapolsky's indispensable ecstasy factor? Perhaps such a quantum God could support Idealistic Theism (Dianelos' brand of subdued religious ecstasy). Sapolsky seems to fall mostly in the belief in belief is good for the masses atheist category.

If you are a masochist, I encourage you strongly to take time from your busy day and devourer the offerings by Midgeley and Schonborn.

28. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #168312 by Logicel on April 25, 2008 at 2:13 am

Remnant wrote: Oh yeah, and you won't get beheaded if you reject Him and you don't have to become a roach, then a cat, then a horse, back to a lady bug, then on to a squirrel, and then a cow to please Him.

______

No, instead you just burn for all eternity in his Hell. Sorry, but re-incarnation sounds downright pleasant in comparison to your god's 'justice.'

29. Investigating Atheism

Comment #167467 by Logicel on April 24, 2008 at 4:45 am

irate_atheist wrote: Do I detect the possiblity of - no, surely not - (and say it quietly):

Lying For Jesus
____

No, when theologians do it, it is creative misrepresentation.

I dutifully went through the site, and as I did, my skin got itchy and I started to sneeze. As I am allergic to theologians, I think we got the proof that this site is a theologian's wet dream come true. They can pretend to themselves that they are presenting an intellectual, in-depth coverage of their favorite fluffy topic.

30. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #166262 by Logicel on April 23, 2008 at 4:19 am

Winston: ...there is plentiful evidence of it (i.e., religion) being a cohesive force.
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A cohesive force for the in-group, or in the words of the religious brand that Winston uses, 'the chosen people.'

31. Responses to 'Gods and Earthlings' by Richard Dawkins

Comment #166180 by Logicel on April 23, 2008 at 1:22 am

La Sor: Could it be that the latter (that is, the universe was created by someone who has always existed) might make moral claims on all of us, something that would threaten our desire to be morally autonomous?
________

The implication is that Dawkins and his 'fawning minions' are being stymied from consuming babies whole and flaying kittens alive? Or am I misunderstanding his angle?

The ignorance that religites have towards morality is a big problem. They have basked in their imagined moral 'monopoly' for so long, that they seem unable to process the information that evolutionary biology is finding concerning the development of primate morality.

Steve, I see the so-called elitism--into which Styrer, our resident alpha male terrier has sunk his formidable teeth--as your new angle (embraced also by epeeist) of being both polite and ruthless towards wobbly thinkers. I think this approach is very viable. Have fun!

32. Ben Stein Vs. Sputtering Atheists

Comment #165191 by Logicel on April 21, 2008 at 7:39 am

Bozo, we got the fossils, we win! We got the genes, we win! You IDiots got your arses handed to you by a conservative, Christian Judge at the Dover trial.
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

33. A Conversation with Expelled's Associate Producer Mark Mathis

Comment #165109 by Logicel on April 21, 2008 at 4:22 am

What do you expect from a 'Praying Mathis?'

What a pathetic dipshit!

34. Gods and earthlings

Comment #164455 by Logicel on April 20, 2008 at 9:25 am

Scientific education, however, needs to be concerned with educating those who "get it,"...
_______

You are an elitist of the worst kind: the kind that wants to keep the best for a few.

35. Gods and earthlings

Comment #164452 by Logicel on April 20, 2008 at 9:23 am

Certainly, be concerned all day. But how is Dawkins making a persuasive argument to that audience? (Few Christians believe the earth is 6,000 years old, by the way.)
_______

So you are not concerned that the majority of Christians in the most militarily powerful country in the world are so off the mark about a basic fact as the age of the earth?

Dawkins himself refuses to debate with Creationists as not to give any respectability to their ridiculous assumption. He is concerned on keeping religion out of science, and with the Intelligent Design proponents in America it is an on-going battle.

36. Gods and earthlings

Comment #164447 by Logicel on April 20, 2008 at 9:12 am

mushymuse writes: but to an outsider, he comes across as a crank.
_____

Outsider to what?

Frankly, you seem to be bothered--though you strive unsuccessfully to appear as someone cool and level headed--you seemed, frankly, pissed off that Dawkins The God Delusion is selling so well, and that he has an active website filled with very lively debate.

His book is selling because it meets a need. The need is to have well thought out arguments against religion.

37. Gods and earthlings

Comment #164443 by Logicel on April 20, 2008 at 9:06 am

mushymuse writes: I think a brilliant intellectual who happened to find himself or herself growing up in a Christian fundamentalist household would have no difficulty reaching beyond the household view to gain acquaintance with the intellectual tools needed to do real science.
______

Then we should not be concerned that many Americans believe that the Earth is 6,000 years young? Which is on the same egregious level of error if one said that the distance between the east and west coasts of America is a few yards. Wtf are you blabbering about, you sound like you are in a fog, thinking that you are somehow making sense.

38. Gods and earthlings

Comment #164440 by Logicel on April 20, 2008 at 8:59 am

immoderatemuse wrote: I have consulted a Dawkins's book on occasion. I could find no science in it, which is why I stopped reading it.
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Which book by Dawkins did you consult? I suggest reading the Selfish Gene. If you can't find science in that one, then you are a whining dipshit.

39. Gods and earthlings

Comment #164431 by Logicel on April 20, 2008 at 8:49 am

moderationsmuse wrote: Why is Dawkins making this his life work -- instead of devoting himself to biological research?
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Dawkins forte is theoretical biology and has established his reputation with important books as The Selfish Gene. He has spent time in defending his gene-centric approach against scientists with a group selection focus. Dawkins is not a biological researcher. And he is still active in the theoretical aspects of biology.

Dawkins is passionate about that if a personalized God (one believers talk to and who listens to them) interacts in this material world, then such actions can be scientifically identified (like praying, which the Templeton study showed that there was no correlation between the act of praying and results). This pursuit of Dawkins fits nicely with his life work.

40. Gods and earthlings

Comment #164422 by Logicel on April 20, 2008 at 8:37 am

ramiejae wrote: as humans (even the most intelligent, as yourself), do not see or perceive something, does not prove it does not exist.
_______

So why not believe in Unicorns, Zeus, or the monster that I insist lives under my bed?

41. Interviews with Richard Dawkins and Michael Shermer

Comment #164334 by Logicel on April 20, 2008 at 4:52 am

This is the first time I have heard (never read anything written by him) Shermer at any length. My first impression is that his solid grasp of what composes science is laced with an acceptance that there are two sides (one could say this constitutes realism).

However, this 'realism' may border on acquiescence, similar to the tired, almost worn out acceptance that long-time public, urban high school teachers have regarding that some students want to learn while others don't give a damn (instead of examining why some appear not to give a damn, perhaps they are bored, have other worries preventing their focusing, etc.) Also Shermer's frequent laughing/giggling was odd--it seemed to have been used to disperse some inner tension, as there was absolutely no tension between Swoopy (the excellent, talented interviewer) and Shermer.

So at this time, with this rather paltry introduction to Shermer, I regard him as a 'career' skeptic, one who has found a comfortable niche--some do it via theology, he seems to have done it via skepticism.

42. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #163957 by Logicel on April 19, 2008 at 11:10 am

Yes, Diacanu, realizing that IDiots are not living in cold damp caves with no electricity does get to me. It's not fair. They get to cherry pick Science like the way they do their holy books.

However, on a Devil's Advocate level, one can say that the IDiots are upset because we are not using our God-given talents and abilities to perceive God. So the frustration is coming from both sides, theirs and ours.

43. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #163955 by Logicel on April 19, 2008 at 11:04 am

Pacman wrote: Faith is like the wind.
____

So Jesus really broke wind and not bread with the disciples at the Last Supper?

I am afraid that it is the Godbots who have let their brains fall out. How else can they handle the boredom that would be generated by embracing the type of stale, out-dated, useless, totally non-stimulating notions being presented by them in this thread? No brain, no boredom, I guess.

44. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Comment #163200 by Logicel on April 18, 2008 at 4:10 am

Please digg this vid (Digg icon right above the comments, just 20 diggs so far, usually over 1,000 is necessary to get it on the front page of Digg. It takes a minute or two to open up a Digg account. PZ Myers' post on being expelled from Expelled had over 2000 diggs and was on the front page for about a week.

Original content, yeah!

The Stork is love, sex is cold and material, leaving a sense of emptiness; folks do it over and over again, in vain, trying to get a sense being part of something bigger than themselves. They fail. They do it again. So sad, so lost, I will pray to the Stork so I can have more sex, oops, so the sexists can see the wrong of their ways.

45. Yoko Ono, Filmmakers Caught in 'Expelled' Flap

Comment #162442 by Logicel on April 17, 2008 at 1:35 am

The movie is set to open Friday on 1,000 screens,...
_____

As of 2007, there are roughly 39,000 movie theatre screens (http://www.natoonline.org/statisticsscreens.htm)

Maybe Expelled is opening in Afghanistan?

46. Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss

Comment #161290 by Logicel on April 15, 2008 at 5:58 am

Bonzai wrote: I am ashamed to admit that I was in a roboholic hero worship (regarding Feynman) mode instantly.I was born too late.
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We keep a shrine for Feynman in our household, candles, offerings, the works (at the moment I am trying to wrest away from my darling husband the last remnant of a freshly baked, lemon-zested, raisen-studded Madeira cake, in order to place it in front of Feynman's shrine)

However, despite that Feynman is my God, I think that Dawkins, with his built-in moderator and his acknowledging that the host has the power to set the debate back on track if its gets derailed, is spot on in his 'pioneering' effort to forge an alternative to the traditional debate set-up.

I view this style as a way we can listen to our side discussing the disagreements within our side, not as an alternative to 'proper' debate between opponents. And the traditional debate style needs better moderators.

47. A New Flea

Comment #160380 by Logicel on April 14, 2008 at 2:18 am

Fides et Rationalizing wrote: "...begs the question why won't athiests engage with intelligent faith rather than loons on the fringe."
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You mean the kind of intelligent faith that takes the following nonsense seriously: A cosmic Jewish zombie who was his own father wants you to telepathically acknowledge him as your master so that he can remove an evil force from your soul that was put there when a talking snake convinced a rib-woman to eat the fruit of a magical tree.

48. A New Flea

Comment #160376 by Logicel on April 14, 2008 at 2:14 am

Fides et Rationalizing wrote: ...having just glanced at this chap's career though, I find it sad that people who claim reason so firmly as their standard, dismiss him so quickly,...
_____

And I find it sad that a mere glance through his theological credentials is enough for you to equate his work with of anything of import.

49. Richard Dawkins' secular army must be stopped. God is behind some of our greatest art

Comment #160343 by Logicel on April 14, 2008 at 1:14 am

And how does Dawkins and the spirited reception to his appearing in Dr. Who have any connection to Ravenhill's concerns? If any, they refute them, as Dawkins is being involved in a creative endeavor by appearing in Dr. Who!

50. Richard Dawkins' secular army must be stopped. God is behind some of our greatest art

Comment #160336 by Logicel on April 14, 2008 at 1:05 am

Sounds like a Christian culture junkie. Other religions, past and present, also have contributed to art and are important in those cultures.

If having faith is embracing myth as truth, and Ravenhill accepts that is silly, then how can embracing something he has dissed himself be the impetus for inspired creativity?

His pathetic apologetics reminds me of the British couple decades ago, when excessive sugar intake was first reviled as being a cause of ill health, they said, ridiculous, sugar is good, and wrote a cook book glorifying the daily use of sugar. Once we know something is not good, why encourage its use?

Human ability to embrace magical thinking will always be the inspiration for creative works, and that is the ability which religion harnessed for its own pernicious ends. Remove religion, and that ability remains, waiting to be channeled for creative endeavors.