Comments by Tom Coward

Comment #261403 by Tom Coward on October 6, 2008 at 7:24 pm

Well, this is the best flea I have read yet. The author writes well, is obvioulsy intelligent, and is putting forth in concise fashion what is probably the best theistic response to 'the new athiests.'

It is all utterly circular and unconvincing. If this is the best there is, I can stop worrying now.

2. Art teacher made student pray to Jesus for forgiveness

Comment #251219 by Tom Coward on September 21, 2008 at 8:08 am

Some general comments:

1. This sure takes me back to high school in Indiana in the 1970's: Mandatory school prayer, teachers prosthelysing, the whole bit.

2. The article carfully does not mention the location of the school district, but my prediction is that, if the facts of the story turn out to be as stated in the article (very likely, but one does need to actually investigate it) the school board will almost certainly act against the teacher in some fashion. Most school boards across the country, even in conservative areas, would see such actions by a teacher as inappropriate. If this one is an outlier, they will at least know that they are dealing with well-financed, motivated and savvy parents. Just the threat of ACLU involvement will keep them on their toes!

I hope we can follow this one to see what happens.

3. Theocratic Sect Prays for Real Armageddon

Comment #241570 by Tom Coward on September 2, 2008 at 2:49 pm

Two unconnected comments:

1. This has all been 'prophesied' (sorry) before. Your homework is to read 'The Handmaids Tale', by Margaret Atwood, which came out in 1985. (There was also an entertaining, but-not-as-good-as-the-book, movie adaptation in 1990, starring Robert Duval, Faye Dunaway and Natashia Richardson.) It is a 'future history' of the US after being taken over by a "Joel's Army" -style military dictatorship.

2. Fortunately, movements like this tend to be ultimately self-limiting, as they eventually do something really stupid (e.g., Jonestown or the Branch Davidians) or people finally lose interest and they fade away, as happened to the KKK and various white supremacist organizations in Idaho and other places.

This is not to say that they should not be resisted by all appropriate means, only that hysteria is not in order.

However, I am guiltily amused by the reaction of the 'mainstream' Christian fundamentalists when a new, exciting, even more lunatic movement gets going.

4. A Teacher on the Front Line as Faith and Science Clash

Comment #236429 by Tom Coward on August 24, 2008 at 3:31 pm

This is how it is done: One misguided young person at a time! Excellent teaching!

5. Poll: Should the motto 'In God We Trust' be removed from U.S. currency?

Comment #230519 by Tom Coward on August 14, 2008 at 7:32 pm

Currently 44% Yes to 56% No.

6. Do they really think the earth is flat?

Comment #224359 by Tom Coward on August 4, 2008 at 1:58 pm

Ape (@39): There would be a "Global Earth Society" on the Discworld, except that everyone acts rationally there. I mean, if I had the evidence that they have on the DW of the existence of magic, gods, witches, etc., I'd believe in it all too!

"What's the sense in believing in gods? That would be like believing in the postman!" --Granny Weatherwax

7. Do they really think the earth is flat?

Comment #224260 by Tom Coward on August 4, 2008 at 11:43 am

These guys are obviously Poes, no?

8. Is Killing Liberals a Hate Crime?

Comment #222516 by Tom Coward on July 31, 2008 at 1:45 pm

I agree with the point made about "Hate Crimes" being subject to enhanced penalties as a subset of "terrorism". However, why not just impose an enhanced penalty for all "terroristic" crimes? The justification would be that a terroristic crime also has as intended victims the members of the group that is intended to be intimidated. Limiting this concept to crimes committed by reason of race, gender, etc., would seem to leave out plenty of terrorism that perhaps should be punished.

9. Kung poo panda 'The Sex Lives of Animals' exhibit digs deep.

Comment #221988 by Tom Coward on July 30, 2008 at 12:10 pm

I have read Joan Roughgarden's book. Well written and well worth reading. Covers everything you ever could possibly want to know about non-hetero sex in the animal world.

10. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #220512 by Tom Coward on July 28, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Steveroot: Re your comment #220198.

I'm not an expert but I understand that re-melting essentially resets the clock by driving out the gasses that are the daughter products of radioactive decay. Also, there is apparently an problem that can arise when magma flowing underground picks up bits of rocks of different ages, which may not get fully melted before the mass as a whole cools. I think the take away lesson (for me, anyway) is that radiometric dating works, but you have to be very very careful how you do it.

By the by, it appears that I have been banned from Bill Muehlenberg's site. I have 4 posts 'awaiting moderation' for over a day, while later ones from other people have appeared. So, who's hiding from the facts, then?

Cheers!

11. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #220195 by Tom Coward on July 28, 2008 at 7:51 am

Steveroot: I saw your comment over on Bill Muehlenberg's site. Well done to get past their 'moderation' (i.e., censorship) process. I guess I got up BM's nose, though, as I have several posts over there that have been "awaiting moderation" for about 24 hours.

Maybe I should just stop being so closed minded and accept the 'massive, persuasive and compelling' evidence for xtianity.

12. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #219569 by Tom Coward on July 27, 2008 at 7:29 am

If anyone would like to do a field trip, I've been 'debating' with the YECs and other fundies over on this related fundie site:

http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2008/07/23/889/#comment-91200

Don't know how long it will be until I am 'moderated' out of existence there, but it might be fun while it lasts.

13. A Holocaust Denier Hits Manhattan (And Hearts Hitchens)

Comment #219374 by Tom Coward on July 26, 2008 at 9:48 pm

I don't know if this already been given, but here is the link to the article referneced by ScarSick in Comment #8:

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/may/20/books/bk-144

Very good article. All Hitchens fans should read it.

14. Sydney brothels say Pope's visit will give business a leg-up

Comment #218660 by Tom Coward on July 25, 2008 at 3:16 pm

All those sexually repressed Catholics! Where do I buy stock in a brothel!

15. Texas Fiction Science

Comment #218659 by Tom Coward on July 25, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Once again, Texas leads the charge back to the middle ages!

16. Losing Sight of Progress

Comment #215411 by Tom Coward on July 21, 2008 at 8:24 pm

Hitch does it again! Yet another interesting take on a point of fact that has been 'seen' before many times, but now shows another facet.

17. Antony Flew reviews the Index of The God Delusion

Comment #215409 by Tom Coward on July 21, 2008 at 8:18 pm

I was originally going to comment that it would be refreshing (for once) to read a review or critique of TGD by someone who had a) actually read the book, and b) spoke to the actual issues raised.

Then, after reading about Flew's actual present state of apparent near dementia, (see link to Pharyngula http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/11/roy_varghese_and_the_exploitat.php),

I think the whole thing is just sad. The reason Flew's article is so pathetic is that his faculties are failing and he either doesn't know what he is doing or someone else is ghostwriting it for him.

18. An Irishman's Diary

Comment #208859 by Tom Coward on July 11, 2008 at 10:19 am

If we are being pedantic, I would point out that the dodo is not "redundant", it is extinct. (Unless, of course, fmcnally means that the word "dodo" is itself redundant, and that the bird should actually be called the "do".) The trajedy of the dodo is precisly in that it was NOT redundant. Rather, it was unique, and was killed off for sport by humans.

19. Bisexual Species: Unorthodox Sex in the Animal Kingdom

Comment #208855 by Tom Coward on July 11, 2008 at 10:06 am

Homosexuality, bi-sexuality, plural "marriage" and every other combination of sexuality are surprisingly common among animals. This has been exhaustively documented in this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Evolutions-Rainbow-Diversity-Gender-Sexuality/dp/0520240731/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1215795819&sr=11-1

This is wonderful and inspiring book, even to middle-aged, whitebread straight guys like me.

20. PZ Myers - Science and Atheism in the Blogosphere

Comment #197207 by Tom Coward on June 21, 2008 at 11:04 am

Can't wait until next week.

--A card-carrying member of the reality based community!

21. Oystein Elgaroy - the Christian defender who became an Atheist

Comment #195177 by Tom Coward on June 17, 2008 at 8:45 pm

Following up on chuckgoecke, I have heard from several sources that the Norwegians are the most conservative of the Scandanavians, with a relatively high percentage of evangelical and conservative church members.

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

Comment #190822 by Tom Coward on June 9, 2008 at 4:08 pm

The only "Christian" principle in the Constitution is that slavery is "just fine with us." Other than that, I challenge any one to point out a single principle of the Constitution that is uniquely Christian.

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

Comment #190821 by Tom Coward on June 9, 2008 at 4:05 pm

John McCain must know better than this! Is he just sucking up to the religious right again?

24. The Expelled Evolutionist

Comment #189507 by Tom Coward on June 6, 2008 at 11:29 am

Re comments further up about modern theists wanting to believe only in an unprovable god. Do you recall the Douglas Adams "Babel Fish" proof of the non-existence of god?

25. The day of judgment

Comment #189490 by Tom Coward on June 6, 2008 at 11:00 am

When humankind was armed with swords and spears, or even conventional explosive armaments, doomsday cults, from Millerites to Nazis, could do little permanent harm. This is no longer the case. It is as if civilzation were a 5-year-old armed with a .45. All the gun safety classes in the world will only put off the day that he will kill himself or someone else. One fundamentalist bomber pilot could literally launch the end of humanity.

26. Blogger spreads the gospel of science

Comment #189474 by Tom Coward on June 6, 2008 at 10:25 am

Some place names in Maine:
Millinocket (not to be confused with East Millinocket)
Macwahoc
Squapan
Mattawamkeag
Passadumkeag
Wytopitloc
Ogunquit
etc.

All derived from Native American names. (I hope that one of them means "Place-where-we-played-a-big-joke-on-the-stupid-white-guys")

27. The Great Evangelical Decline

Comment #189071 by Tom Coward on June 5, 2008 at 11:03 am

I sit here in northern New England, constantly agog at what goes on in the Bible Belt. Christine's article is consistent with my observations up here, as fundamentalism is definitely in decline, both in terms of numbers of adherents and political influence. The local fundie umbrella organization, The Christian Civic League, came a cropper a couple of years ago over a plan to blackmail public officials about their sexual orientation, and then managed NOT to defeat a gay rights referendum that was passed 55% to 45%. So, evengelicals are definitely having a hard time up here!

28. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions

Comment #157070 by Tom Coward on April 8, 2008 at 2:32 pm

I thought this was a marvelous program! The panel was diverse, perhaps even balanced. The nutters got show themselves for what they were, and the seculars were generally able to make their points clearly and calmly. And for an uninterrupted hour! Only in Britain! In the US this would have been a 7 minute shout-fest between professional talking heads, with victory to the loudest.

Having said this, is "Red Ken" Livingstone not standing for Mayor of London this time? And does the Xtian "give yourself to Jesus to protect you from the devil" have any chance at actually winning?

29. It's Make Believe!

Comment #139269 by Tom Coward on March 5, 2008 at 12:57 pm

George Carlin is still smokin! I used to listen to him in high school (1960's). Cool then and cool now.

Still, even better was Lenny Bruce. Anyone here remember him?

30. Fleabytes

Comment #130430 by Tom Coward on February 20, 2008 at 1:54 pm

Thank you Paula!

Is it too much to hope that we will now be spared further harassment by Wee Flea?

31. Atheism and Violence

Comment #117827 by Tom Coward on January 29, 2008 at 6:28 pm

I thought Jesuits were famous for their reasoning abilities. I guess this one cut class the day they covered logical falacies.

In more serious vein, isn't this article just another variation on the theme of "If there is no god, then all sorts of terrible things would happen. Therefore, god must exist"? IOW, even admitting the premise, what does this have to do with whether god exists?

I always want to respond: "That there is no god is established beyond a reasonable doubt by the available evidence. Deal with it!"

32. A Letter From Hell

Comment #116054 by Tom Coward on January 25, 2008 at 12:18 pm

This is supposed to be frightening? My teenage son found the movie "Hostel" frightening; this he found laughable. Also, note that this piece of ham acting is not directed towards converting anybody, it is intended to make Xtians who don;t spread the "good" word feel guilty.

This thread should be moved to "Reliion as Child Abuse"!