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Comments by Ian Bamlett


1. A New Pope

Comment #171702 by Ian Bamlett on April 28, 2008 at 5:42 pm

Fantastic! How did i miss this when it was first posted?

You tube may yet be the death of religion through the death of a thousand ridicules.

2. Soldier Sues Army, Saying His Atheism Led to Threats

Comment #169619 by Ian Bamlett on April 26, 2008 at 12:14 pm

If I was in an organization where I had to put my life in the hands of the guys next to me, and most of the guys next to me were christians and I was an atheist.... well, I think I would shut the fuck up about my atheism.

Not saying it's right; but the military is a different world. Let's get civilian society sorted first - it all flows from that anyway.

3. Hitchens vs. Hitchens

Comment #159394 by Ian Bamlett on April 12, 2008 at 5:04 am

I thoughts Hitchens was excellent.

4. Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled'

Comment #147924 by Ian Bamlett on March 21, 2008 at 3:35 pm

Priceless!

It has altogether been a good day following this story on various blogs and websites.

5. EXPELLED!

Comment #147651 by Ian Bamlett on March 21, 2008 at 4:27 am

What idiots.

What they should have done was publicly issue invitations to PZ and RD; that would have been a media savvy thing to do.

Instead, like grubby brown shirts standing at the doors of a munich beer hall in the 1930's, they turn away anyone they even suspect of not being already in full agreement with them.

This tells me the documentary is not about convincing anyone or engaging debate - but just bolstering the faith of believers. It's made for a select audience - no one else need bother.

6. Sci-fi guru Clarke to have secular funeral

Comment #146810 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 12:46 pm

Comment #146805 by HarryHUK

I don't think so!


I'm sorry Harry, I can't let you do say that.

7. Sci-fi guru Clarke to have secular funeral

Comment #146795 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 12:15 pm

People make far too much fuss about what happens to their remains and those of other people when they die.



Absolutely! The only thing that is a bigger waste of space than a graveyard is a golf course.

Turn them all into parks for families to have picnics I say.

:-)

8. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146793 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 12:09 pm

Where are all the undersea cities we were promised?




Oh... they are there. Just not under our management.

http://ufo.whipnet.org/xdocs/underwater.ufo/index.html

9. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146703 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 9:39 am

Comment #146695 by Frankus1122

"What percentage gay are you?"

I'm somewhere between 4 and 12% I think.

Anyone else care to share?




About 20% I think -

Reminds me of a quote from one of my favourite movies, (again):

CH: "We've never made great husbands, have we? Of course, I have a good excuse.I'm part gay."

SZ: "Supposedly everyone is."

Zero points and no prize to anyone who gets the movie!

10. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146663 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 9:07 am

I don't know about scientific definitions, but isn't anything that exists, by definition, normal - because it exists. Only the supernatural is abnormal - because it does not exist.

Hmmm.. a better way maybe to put it: anything that can be and is must be natural. And therefore normal.

Help me out smart people!

:-)

11. Fleabytes

Comment #146641 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 8:43 am

Paula,

I agree 100%. I think some of us like a good argument too much though and are letting themselves get sucked in by this idiot.

It's time for discommodation! http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071125193213AAcVS0O&show=7

12. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146625 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 8:29 am

Comment #146615 by Quetzalcoatl

Dastardly inclinations? Have we stumbled into an episode of "Wacky Races?"


Well quite! I think he's (women aren't this childish) bored now and is leaving all the clues.

13. Fleabytes

Comment #146622 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 8:25 am

Comment #146600 by Pathfinder

Apologies for the Shipman dig. Mea Culpa. The devil was at work with me then


This persons tounge is so firmly in their cheek it is drilling a hole through the other side.

Come on peeps - this is fake for sure. The games up.

14. Fleabytes

Comment #146608 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 8:12 am

All,

Hop over to "god's cure for gays lost in sin" You really need to see Pathfinders latest and greatest - I'm calling him OUT!

15. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146603 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 8:09 am

Comment #146598 by AllanW

Pathfinder is not someone we know posing as a religious bigot


Funny you should be writing your post as I was writing mine and come to the exact opposite conclusion! But I think your wrong. Who the hell uses language like that unless they are a put up job and secretly want to get caught! I ask you!

16. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146599 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 8:06 am

Comment #146590 by Pathfinder:

Look at the ranks of the famous who have remained happily married, in spite of their dastardly inclinations


"Dastardly inclinations"!?

That was the final straw! Across so many threads, now I am as certain as I can be that you, sir, are taking the piss.

17. Two More Fleas

Comment #146559 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 7:36 am

Ok.... DONE!

http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ordination


Let's all do it for a laugh!
;-)

18. Two More Fleas

Comment #146558 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 7:35 am

Comment #146523 by al-rawandi:

I will have you know that I am also an ordained minister.

And thus I too am a man of the cloth.


Oh please me too!... Hang on a sec.... hang on...

19. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #146552 by Ian Bamlett on March 19, 2008 at 7:30 am

Comment #146441 by Styrer

Ah. Good.

Best,
Styrer


... Heretic hunt over. Suspect found innocent. We'll maintain an open file though and keep an eye on him...

... Is that how it goes?
;-)

20. Religious groups want Russian cartoon channel shut down

Comment #146205 by Ian Bamlett on March 18, 2008 at 6:51 pm

Where's Stalin when you need him?

Off to Siberia with them!

:-)

21. Writer Arthur C Clarke dies at 90

Comment #146155 by Ian Bamlett on March 18, 2008 at 5:32 pm

Rendevous with Rama,

Tales from the Whiteheart

Geostationary satellites....

Fanks 'Arfur!

22. Religion 'linked to happy life'

Comment #146054 by Ian Bamlett on March 18, 2008 at 2:31 pm

Comment #146051 by abutler76

My first post! I've been reading for awhile, I absolutely love the articles and comments here. I feel right at home!


Welcome! Nothing wrong with lurking - I don't post as often as I'd like but I'm always here reading. I think what I like most is that we are such a mixed bunch who really only agree fully on one thing!

23. Religion 'linked to happy life'

Comment #146050 by Ian Bamlett on March 18, 2008 at 2:23 pm

I've only skimmed everyone posts so apologies if someone else has said this but what if the best description is that religion is manic depressive.

Yes, they may well be happier when the highs are good - but aren't they also so, so much more depressed when the low hits? I think as an atheist I just sit somewhere in the middle - with no illusory god pulling me one way or another because I think that god loves me when things are going well or has abandoned me when they are not. That kind of rollercoaster I can do without.

24. New Atheists Are Not Great

Comment #145828 by Ian Bamlett on March 18, 2008 at 7:31 am

They seethe with disapproval of God.



Deep breath and ... sigh.

When will some of them get it through their thick heads that I am not against god.

I cannot be against that which does not exist. I am against the concept of god though. Hitchens is dead right on that one. To paraphrase him, thank goodness god does not exist, because if he did he'd be a real bastard.

25. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #144181 by Ian Bamlett on March 15, 2008 at 9:17 am

Comment #144121 by Steve Zara

Why? Evolution is a very good reason for doubting the existence of a creator. The discovery of evolution (and, later, of the mechanism of inheritance) was significant as it led to the vast majority of biologists rejecting theism


Of course Steve is correct, even a basic knowledge of evolution, (that would be me), is indeed a great reason to have doubts about religion. Unfortunately it's also easily dismissed along the lines of 'it's god's way of doing it' as we see so often.

I think my main point was there are many other paths to doubt. Let's imagine an illiterate peasant in some South American country. No education, no knowledge whatsoever of evolution. But this peasant just happens to be smart enough to see through the contradictions and hypocrisy of the local priests and their pious BS. Alright, I'll admit without education the average person is at the mercy of received wisdom and the argument from authority - but I still think it's possible for someone to see that religion is BS just by noting how it operates in their own life.

Speaking anecdotally, it always just sounded 'wrong' to me, and that was as a little boy of five or six who felt very uncomfortable being told to pray in school assemblies. No knowledge of evolution or science required.

Does that make me smarter than Richard Dawkins?, (just being cheeky - please don't take that seriously!)

26. The atheist delusion

Comment #144092 by Ian Bamlett on March 15, 2008 at 4:34 am

Painful, but I finished it.

Four thousand odd words and he didn't come close to answering the question that was growing paragraph after paragraph in my head: but is any of it TRUE?

I am left thinking this is no more than a weak defense of Dan Dennet's 'belief in belief'.

27. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #143997 by Ian Bamlett on March 14, 2008 at 8:22 pm

Veon -

The commercials are real. Radio advertising in the USA is a comedy show all by itself.

28. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #143984 by Ian Bamlett on March 14, 2008 at 7:36 pm

One of the better interviews I have heard recently for sure.

Just one point I would like to raise though. A number of times now Richard has said his final break with faith came with his understanding of evolution. I'm troubled, (a little - not much), by this. I have never believed in any kind of religion, and my knowledge of evolution is that of an interested amateur at best.

Is Richard really saying if he hadn't come to a full understanding of evolution he might still have faith? Doesn't this play right into the hands of the creationists who can then play the evolution = atheism card?

29. The Salamander's Tale

Comment #139946 by Ian Bamlett on March 6, 2008 at 7:25 pm

Is Wooter one of us having a laugh?

30. The Salamander's Tale

Comment #139547 by Ian Bamlett on March 6, 2008 at 4:07 am

Comment #139539 by wooter:

The whole earth is like a very big department store starting from the heater, sun, fruits, vegetables, food, soil, chickens, sheep, cows, etc

Wooter, lets take a look at some of the 'etc' shall we...

Onchocerca volvulus: a parasitic worm that causes blindness, (especially in children)

Cotesia congregata: A wasp that injects its egges into canterpillars which hatch and eat the caterpillar alive

Mycobacterium ulcerans: One of many so called 'flesh eating bugs' that increasingly infect the already sick.

And this is just a very short list of wonderful 'creations' which, Wooter, you must accept your god created if you are also to give him credit for the fruits vegetables and soils.

Take it ALL Wooter - or leave it all.

31. Ayaan Hirsi Ali to get EU protection

Comment #136096 by Ian Bamlett on February 29, 2008 at 1:10 pm

Al-ranwandi worote:

In the US, apostates have been left alone for the most part. There hasn't been much killing in the name of Islam.


Maybe it is just Europe.


Al, perhaps because here in the USA, if I say Islam sucks, (and I do), I do so knowing I can carry a 9mm on my person should anyone violently object, (and I do).

Just a thought...

:-)

32. Ayaan Hirsi Ali to get EU protection

Comment #135963 by Ian Bamlett on February 29, 2008 at 11:35 am

Fantastic news if it works out. I think it probably will.

Is this Europe starting to develop a spine? I hope so.

33. US Treaty with Tripoli

Comment #135934 by Ian Bamlett on February 29, 2008 at 11:08 am

Al wrote:

make it totally illegal for any African American to possess a fire arm.


Why not do that? That would cut way way down on gun crime.


Come on Al, you're better than that! Of course it wouldn't since all the weapons used by gangs to kill each other over drug turf wars etc are illegal.

But I am being picky I know - you're main point no doubt is that most gun crime is committed by Black/Hispanic gangs killing each other in drug infested Ghetto's - an uncomfortable fact for the gun restrictions crowd who think taking away my right to own a gun as a law abiding person would change things. It wouldn't change a damn thing.

34. US Treaty with Tripoli

Comment #135704 by Ian Bamlett on February 29, 2008 at 8:14 am

Comment #135694 by Gymnopedie:

I live in Detroit


I am so sorry. You have my deepest sympathies.

;-)

35. US Treaty with Tripoli

Comment #135590 by Ian Bamlett on February 29, 2008 at 5:50 am

when the 2nd amendment was clearly designed for a largely empty continent full of hostile forces, not today's America


I guess you haven't been to South Central Los Angeles. Or parts of Detroit or Philadelphia.

:-)

36. Taking evidence seriously

Comment #135059 by Ian Bamlett on February 28, 2008 at 1:40 pm

O/T

People who accuse scientist of being arrogant keep forgetting that WE accepted penicillin even though it is just a freakin' fungi. And why? Because it had been proven to work.


That's an interesting train of thought to me. What else is out there that has been proven to work, but for which, lets say, no scientific explanation of how it works currently exists? Anything outside of medicine?

Sorry for the OT I just thought that aside by 42nd was intriguing.

37. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133142 by Ian Bamlett on February 25, 2008 at 4:58 pm

Both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have expressed concern that the film would spark global protests and riots.


That is pathetic. So because we fear the muslim reaction we have to keep our mouths shut?

I'll say one thing for the christians, they've learned to take it on the chin. They don't like it - but they take it. We can't be afraid to talk in our countries because of how some muslim is going to flip out.

Let them riot. Let them burn.

38. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133138 by Ian Bamlett on February 25, 2008 at 4:47 pm

I don't think they looked to hard at You tube before banning it if they think the Dutch video is the worst thing out there offending Islam.

Probably for the best; they just can't handle free speech bless them.

39. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #132879 by Ian Bamlett on February 25, 2008 at 11:02 am

Inspired by Paula's efforts, I am going to read this one.

It will be my first time. Wish me luck!

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

Comment #132836 by Ian Bamlett on February 25, 2008 at 9:10 am

Unfortunately, whilst the horror that is Catholicism may be dying the death of a thousand cuts in Ireland and possibly Europe it's going strong in Latin America. It is also enjoying a resurgence in the USA with the influx of immigrants, (legal or otherwise), to the USA from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

One of the major supporters of the legalization of the estimated ten or twenty million (pick your number), illegal aliens in the USA is the Catholic Church. They can't wait to fill their pews with these people and take their money.

41. Physicist Neil Turok: Big Bang Wasn't the Beginning

Comment #132217 by Ian Bamlett on February 24, 2008 at 1:29 pm

I see science and religion as being two completely different things. I don't see science as relevant to the question of whether or not there's a God.


Shame on Turok for buying into the terrible idea of non-overlapping magisteria. As RD points out time and time again, a universe in which there is a god as opposed to one in which there is not is very much a scientific question. All evidence points to the latter, Turok knows that, and should have the guts to say so.

Good article otherwise though!

42. Fleabytes

Comment #131967 by Ian Bamlett on February 23, 2008 at 5:35 pm

Comment #131959 by scottishgeologist

The subsequent funeral during which 2 British Army corporals were lynched.


On a pedantic point of accuracy they were shot, after being stripped and beaten. But the main point is well made of course.

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

Comment #131964 by Ian Bamlett on February 23, 2008 at 5:27 pm

Comment #131960 by Goldy:

Shrommer knows his views are backward and abhorrent


I doubt it. I think you underestimate the power of the religious mind to believe that the prevailing moral zeitgeist of the society it exists in is wrong. He doesn't know his views are backward and abhorrent - that's what he thinks about being gay. In that sense he is to be pitied; but only if he is left marginalised and without power. When people like him start to get power; that's when we have to fight back.

44. Fleabytes

Comment #131948 by Ian Bamlett on February 23, 2008 at 4:56 pm

Comment #131947 by RickM

Which channel?


Fox news channel


(Too easy)

45. Fleabytes

Comment #131942 by Ian Bamlett on February 23, 2008 at 4:44 pm

Bonzai said:

There is a War On Terror (WOT)going on and you don't joke about assassination on public forums.


Whatever you do, don't make a phone call in the USA that combines the following words:

"President"
"Allah"
"Infidel"
"Kill"

Those NSA computer monitoring programs will have a red light flashing on the desks at the secret service before you can say 'Allah be praised'.


.... or so I've heard....

:-)

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

Comment #131941 by Ian Bamlett on February 23, 2008 at 4:32 pm

Shrommer,

Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. Here is a good link to start your research on the subject, but don't stop there, as there are many good psychology studies and real world case studies to be found that will also demonstrate the point.

http://agora.stanford.edu/sjls/Issue One/fisher&tversky.htm

Or why not just to speak to any honest cop who will tell you how much 'faith' they put in an eyewitness unless it is corroborated with other evidence.

Now, when you've done all that research, (I know you will), add 2,000 years into the mix and repeated translations of said eyewitness testimony and I suggest what you get is highly questionable.

47. The coming religious peace

Comment #131872 by Ian Bamlett on February 23, 2008 at 1:59 pm

Comment #131814 by Steve Zara

The Spell that Daniel Dennett talks about has indeed been Broken.


Steve, I am sorry I wouldn't normally dare challenge you for fear of making a damn fool of myself but surely that's just wrong. It may be broken in our minds but lets be careful not to project here - it's still holding strong in most of the world. And just to further the point you write later...

They are struggling to maintain their hold.


Not from where I am sitting Steve. Maybe in Britain, or even Europe as whole; but that's a bubble you're living in so be careful. I'm here in the trenches in the USA and religion's hold over millions is as strong as ever. And I am assuming you surely cannot be talking about the middle east/asia/africa?

We desperately need Europeans who might be sensing some kind of impending victory over superstition to not sit back on their laurels and believe all is going well with the world because things are going the right way in Britain or France or Sweden.

Now more than ever we need people like you steve!

48. Whale Evolution

Comment #131214 by Ian Bamlett on February 22, 2008 at 4:09 am

Is the evolution of whales the most 'extreme', (sorry, can't think of a better word), example of adaptation to an environment we have,(which we we can demonstrate)?

By that I mean, we had land animal, and now we have an animal perfectly adapted to a water environment - very different from where it started.

I just can't think of a better example that we know as much about.

49. Fleabytes

Comment #129768 by Ian Bamlett on February 19, 2008 at 2:56 pm

Wow. Paula, you're amazing.

I've toyed with the idea of reading one or two of the flea books but lacked the self discipline to do so.

You've inspired me.

All the best,

Ian

50. Why do we believe in God? 2m study prays for answer

Comment #129571 by Ian Bamlett on February 19, 2008 at 10:23 am

Bonzai,

Agreed. But...

The divide of the internal world of mental representations and the external physical world gives rise to a feeling of other worldliness. It is the source of existential anxiety



... it's harder to make up a little story about that part of it.

:-)

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