1. Texas Megachurch Minister Busted in Internet Sex Sting

Comment #181555 by exquisitetruth on May 17, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Oh, they'd never close the church over something like this. Christians have the perfect protection from these scandals. They simply say that the actions of their followers do not reflect the faith.

Now, how you can say that, given that all we have to go on are the followers, is beyond me, but it's a pretty good racket if you can get people to fall for it.

It's the classic, "That's not the Jesus I know." argument.

2. These dim-wits believe in anything but God

Comment #181554 by exquisitetruth on May 17, 2008 at 12:32 pm

I had to read that twice, because I thought I might have hallucinated the whole thing.

This guys says that we are forcing our viewpoint by not allowing him to force his? We are seriously supposed to consider the educational viewpoint of a guy that "was bored to tears" by physics, and sees as something completely useless?

I feel like Alice down the rabbit hole these days. Fundamentalists seem to have resorted to fighting secularism by defining it as the worst of what they, themselves, take part of. How in the world can he rationalize that we are imposing our viewpoint by saying that he should not be able to impose his own?

3. Texas Megachurch Minister Busted in Internet Sex Sting

Comment #181549 by exquisitetruth on May 17, 2008 at 12:20 pm

This just goes to show that Christian morality is the foundation of the Nazi regime . . . or something like that.
Can we do a documentary where we talk about these guys while standing in front of the ovens at Auschwitz?
How do they keep gaining traction with the argument that atheists are amoral sociopaths, when these stories crop up every month or two?

4. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179126 by exquisitetruth on May 12, 2008 at 5:54 pm

Maybe we could build a better brain for Bush? Of course Jesus may not like him if he didn't make do with the pitiful cognitive powers his daddy gave him..

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

Comment #177557 by exquisitetruth on May 9, 2008 at 9:49 am

I dearly hope that this new trend of arguing against atheism through such absurd associations, and tenuous lines of reasoning are (as opposed to the older, more reasonable arguments, ;)), a sign of last ditch desperation.

6. Faith in Britain today

Comment #177061 by exquisitetruth on May 8, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Peacebeuponme,

Tell me about it. It's very hard to go wrong by heeding his words. He's the quintessential example of what an American can be.

7. Faith in Britain today

Comment #177051 by exquisitetruth on May 8, 2008 at 1:53 pm

You know, at some point, we really need to stop answering the same ill formed arguments over and over again. What this fellow is arguing for is institutionalized religion. What attempts he makes at reason are laughable, and in the end, it's the Roman Catholic version of an old time Baptist Revival.

I don't think he has presented any arguments solid enough to warrant rebuttal. In the words of Thomas Jefferson,

"I rarely waste time in reading theological subjects... Ridicule is the only weapon that can be used against such unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them; and no man ever had a distinct idea of the trinity. It is mere Abracadabra of the mountebanks calling themselves the priests of Jesus. If it could be understood it would not answer their purpose. Their security is in their faculty of shedding darkness, like the scuttle-fish, thro' the element in which they move, and making it impenetrable to the eye of a pursuing enemy, and there they will sulk."

8. Trouble ahead for science

Comment #177037 by exquisitetruth on May 8, 2008 at 1:44 pm

I live in the American South East (Nashville, TN to be exact), and I have to say that from where I am sitting, science and critical thinking in general are in deep trouble indeed. Less than an hour from my home is the planned site for a Bible theme park, to be financed in part through tax incentives, and the major controversy is that local residents are worried about traffic.

The local public schools sport banners advertising neighborhood churches, and the local courthouse starts each session with a prayer.

Recently, I began an audio podcast (ExquisiteTruth.com), primarily out of frustration. I wanted to be able to tell others out there that they are not alone. Fortunately, I have been able to find a small band of enlightened compatriots in the local area, but we are so very alone, and quite rightly feel we would be endangered while in public if people knew what are.

People in more enlightened regions have no idea how ubiquitous faith and religion are in this region.

9. Citing Faith, Bush Defends War Actions

Comment #177006 by exquisitetruth on May 8, 2008 at 1:05 pm

and Mr. Bush conceded in an interview with conservative commentators last year that his critics believe he is "hopelessly idealistic."

10. Dumb and Dumber: A discussion between Ben Stein and Glenn Beck

Comment #175524 by exquisitetruth on May 5, 2008 at 2:38 pm

Ah, Artful_Dodger is legend.

11. Dumb and Dumber: A discussion between Ben Stein and Glenn Beck

Comment #175519 by exquisitetruth on May 5, 2008 at 2:30 pm

Peacebeuponme,

In a world where I so often find myself saying "Are they for real?!", or, "Are you ****ing kidding me?"

It's nice to see, for once, someone who is not real, and is actually kidding.

12. Dumb and Dumber: A discussion between Ben Stein and Glenn Beck

Comment #175505 by exquisitetruth on May 5, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Peacebeuponme,

I smell a troll.

3/10

You lose points for the unconvincing self righteousness.

13. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #168633 by exquisitetruth on April 25, 2008 at 8:45 am

al-rawandi,

This is too much. I will tolerate a lot of loose talk from people, but when you can Hooters a quality restaurant, you have gone too far sir.

14. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #168576 by exquisitetruth on April 25, 2008 at 8:05 am

Oh, I am sure this kid is wearing this shirt as a direct result of what he is being told at his local house of indoctrination. That being said, I am against any form of censoring ideas; even when those ideas can hardly be classified as the result of thinking. School is where kids learn to socialize, and will be the template for their interactions with the community in later life. If we censor such things for students, they will grow up believing they have an inherent right not to be insulted or offended . . . oh, wait . . . well, too late for that I suppose. Anyhow, we should teach these kids that they do not have a right to not be offended.
Besides, my earlier statements still stand; if we let them say what's really on their minds, there is a better chance that fewer people will see their opinions as reasonable, and worth defending.

15. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #168550 by exquisitetruth on April 25, 2008 at 7:45 am

let them speak their hate. otherwise, how will we know who the dangerous ones are? A wound can't heal until you expose it to the air. If we force them to hide the ugliest parts of who they are, they will just protect those things, and nurture them in secret.

16. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #168535 by exquisitetruth on April 25, 2008 at 7:33 am

I think we are going about this all wrong. We should let these crackpots express themselves to the fullest extent. By stifling the more extreme expressions of their faith, we force them to present a more moderate facade. If we pull out all the stops and let them preach what they really think, their popular support would shrivel up faster than a Catholic Priest's ball sack at finding Chris Hansen at his door.

17. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Comment #162927 by exquisitetruth on April 17, 2008 at 5:10 pm

You know, my mother first told me about this stork theory when I was a small boy. Given that she loves me very much, and was obviously involved with my arrival into the world, I see no reason to doubt her account of the events.

The bottom line is, I was raised to believe in the stork, and none of your "science" mumbo-jumbo is going destroy my relationship with the almighty stork.

18. Teacher Expelled Over Religion

Comment #161673 by exquisitetruth on April 15, 2008 at 1:50 pm

I've had the link to expelledexposed.com on my site for weeks. Ben Stein has paid so much money that I can't keep his banner off of it.

19. Science Debate 2008

Comment #161400 by exquisitetruth on April 15, 2008 at 8:50 am

This is exactly what my podcast is all about.

exquisitetruth.com

20. Religious education as a part of literary culture

Comment #160961 by exquisitetruth on April 14, 2008 at 3:34 pm

This is one of the questions I try to touch on in my podcast. Personally, I appreciate the fact that our culture is deeply effected by the Christian tradition. But we are also deeply effected by Greek mythology. When people can come to see Jesus in the same light as Hercules, we will finally be able to address Christian history in a sensible context.

21. The simple falsehood at the heart of Expelled

Comment #160956 by exquisitetruth on April 14, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Ben Stein has spent so much money spreading this poison, that my website has been plagued by his banner ad for weeks. If it weren't for the irony factor, I'd be pissed.
Instead, I just added a note, telling visitors to go ahead and click, since I always wanted to win Ben Stein's money, but then go to expelledexposed.com to get the full story.