1. The Fleas Are Multiplying!

Comment #69319 by diamat1 on September 10, 2007 at 9:37 pm

Shouldn't we be referring to the authors of these books as "The New Christians"?

2. What I Think About Evolution

Comment #46559 by diamat1 on May 31, 2007 at 4:23 pm

I firmly believe that each human person, regardless of circumstance, was willed into being and made for a purpose.

Yes but how did it happen. It gets ridiculous when you try to put up an hypothesis. Charles Darwin ridiculed species creation this way:
did supporters of creationism

"really believe that at innumerable periods in the earth's history certain elemental atoms have been commanded suddenly to flash into living tissue?"

3. The Human Body as an Evolutionary Patchwork

Comment #31830 by diamat1 on April 14, 2007 at 1:45 pm

19. Comment #31664 by Rtambree

Many thanks for that. Will look into it.

4. The Human Body as an Evolutionary Patchwork

Comment #31662 by diamat1 on April 13, 2007 at 5:32 pm

Glad you're enjoying the Peter Ward lectures. They're some of the best around this year so far. Isn't the internet a great 'TV station'? - in one weekend you can be in Boston, Princeton, San Diego, London and New York.

I strongly agree. But, can anyone suggest to me a way of downloading and saving these real or windows media video files? (I'm OK with the audio files)
I find that I can appreciate these lectures better when watched from a saved file - our broadband in NZ is just so bad that streaming video is hopeless.

5. Growing Up in the Universe: 2-Disc DVD Set

Comment #29608 by diamat1 on April 3, 2007 at 2:56 pm

I will ask our local library to order this. However, NTSC could be a problem. They turned down a previous request of mine for a VHS tape because it was NTSC. (NZ is PAL).
A bit stupid as these days DVD players here can handle both PAL and NTSC. However, most older TVs and VHS players are only PAL.
May also be a problem with some schools who are always having to get by with old equipment because of under-resourcing.

6. Richard Dawkins and the dangerous delusion of religion

Comment #25964 by diamat1 on March 15, 2007 at 8:47 pm

"Just how dangerous can religion be in 21st century Britain?"

I don't know but i'll bet it never gets anywhere near the problems that the communists caused us.

Don't know what's going on here - nothing about this in the article.
Seems to me that cheshirecat is making unwarranted assumptions about the writer of the article and "playing the man rather than the ball".
Surely one should debate the content of the article rather than smearing the author?

7. Evolution Sunday

Comment #21886 by diamat1 on February 11, 2007 at 12:50 pm

It is one thing to stand back and present one's principles and another to analyse the actions of those supporting Evolution Sunday.
I can't see why atheists should go to church as an act of support. We are not in their camp. But it is interesting to see what is happening in that camp. I believe it is positive that Christians are prepared to make this sort of stand and I wish they would do this more often. Moderate Christians normally seem to be afraid of criticising the fundamentalists.
Of course, while supporting science they are still arguing for a special place for religious "truth".
In practice, however, the more realistic Christians have had to make more and more concessions to science and consequently give up more and more of their own dogma. Today we have many Christians who no longer believe in a personal god but instead say things like god is love. Surely that's a step forward (although they seem loath to give up traditions, ceremonies, prayers, etc., which imply a personal god).

8. Grief Without God

Comment #19572 by diamat1 on January 28, 2007 at 12:25 pm

Re funerals -I have for a long time felt insulted by those Christian funerals where the deceased was practically ignored and a "service" full of religious platitudes and hymns was substituted for true celebration of a life. I think that is changing, at least in New Zealand.
My last funeral (for my nephew) had no religious content. It comprised of music my nephew loved (Pink Floyd which was very appropriate in his case) and contributions, stories, from family and friends remembering him. It was a great celebration of his life and is certainly the way I would want to be sent off.
I think there are more and more funerals like this. And even some Christian funerals are including time for family and friends to make contributions to remember the deceased. Wouldn't be at all surprised if this celebration of a life becomes more and more important and the religious component less and less.
Celebration of the person's life has far more meaning than the impersonal (arrogant?) religious components. This is even worse when we know that the person's beliefs were not religious - surely that's insulting to the deceased.
I guess it is important that we let family know what we want for our own funerals.