Comments by ashvetz

Comment #15388 by ashvetz on December 30, 2006 at 9:41 pm

Interesting point: during the Regan-era arms race with the Soviets, there was not nearly as much pressure to teach creationism in public schools as there was/is at other times in history. While there may be other reasons for this, I believe that the need for future engineers spurred the push for science-based education over religious education. While this may not always be the case, the need for advances in warfare technology may help :P

2. Atheist Brigade Takes Arguments to the Tolerant

Comment #15379 by ashvetz on December 30, 2006 at 9:02 pm

I agree with Thrall. We should thank NPR for taking a critical look at atheism in today's society. We can present all the logical conclusions and scientific evidence we want, but that alone is not enough to make a difference. I believe that most atheists find their way to it on their own, and all the "preaching" we do is mostly "preaching to the choir."

While I'm not a fan of the show "House" (I'm a strictly "Law & Order" and "Daily Show/Colbert Report" guy) its good to see an atheist character making headway into pop culture. Except for that character on "Dawson's Creek." That just conjures up images of "Amos & Andy."

3. Atheist Chic

Comment #15376 by ashvetz on December 30, 2006 at 8:38 pm

I think many atheists (Dawkins, etc) may seem militant on the face value of their arguments, but they are certainly well justified. If it were just a simple matter of how people choose to spend their free time on Saturdays/Sundays, or how annual dates were celebrated, that would be a minor thing. Unfortunately (especially here in the U.S.), religion has such a profound effect on public policy, that it is far from harmless.

My brother owns a store that has to close on Sundays because of "Blue Laws." My friend can be arrested, because he has sex with other men. My tax dollars pay to convert prison inmates to a religion other than my own. These are everyday events here, and we need people like Dawkins to take a strong stance against illogical intolerance that has become a way of life.

4. 7 monks injured in clash over monastery

Comment #15366 by ashvetz on December 30, 2006 at 6:38 pm

I'm currently praying to the Flying Spaghetti Monster that video of this incident appears on YouTube. So far my prayers have gone unanswered though :(

5. The problem with secularism

Comment #15363 by ashvetz on December 30, 2006 at 6:26 pm

"8. Comment #14345 by rww on December 22, 2006 at 5:54 am

"integral insistence" is when individual species like the way they are and choose to stop evolving. What I like about this website is its integral insistence on evolving, at least in our thinking, as fast as possible. Long may it do so."

Thanks for defining this rww. (Insert sarcastic tone for following commentary) I guess homo sapiens are happy with wisdom teeth. I know that paying lots of money to have mine removed was certainly rewarding.... I'm not going to bother dissecting the rest of this article.

6. Ghosts in the Machine

Comment #15360 by ashvetz on December 30, 2006 at 5:49 pm

I agree with eggplantbren 100%. While the ghosts may exist, so may invisible unicorns that roam the planet. Without conclusive evidence for either, why choose ghosts over invisible unicorns?

Back to the topic of the article, I find this area of science fascinating, and a great step towards defining the brain as to what it really is, an organic computer. Why do you sometimes feel like you're falling through the floor, right before falling asleep? How does deja vu work? Frankly, I'd rather discuss this than the same back/forth arguments against religion, creationism/ID, etc.

7. Woman beaten on Jerusalem bus for refusing to move to rear seat

Comment #15359 by ashvetz on December 30, 2006 at 5:37 pm

I agree with decius that while this woman did not deserve to be assaulted, its hard to feel too sorry for her. A significant portion of my extended family is Orthodox Jewish, and its painfully obvious how women are mistreated under the rules of the religion.

While this could have happened to anybody, the fact that this woman perpetuates the very belief system that caused it, makes her somewhat culpable. Maybe she thinks its ok as long as its only other women being mistreated. Whatever the case, I'll save my sympathy for somebody more deserving.