1. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124540 by atheisticism on February 9, 2008 at 6:52 pm

Darwin doesn't matter when debating creationists because we have far greater proof that life evolved gradually than Darwin did. we need to start referring to a wider range of proofs than darwin's theory and the spotty fossil record. We can map the genome of any animal for god's sake. {don't worry, i'm using the term god as an expression only!} All living things are interrelated...

2. Richard Dawkins talks about The God Delusion

Comment #123237 by atheisticism on February 6, 2008 at 4:53 pm

Not only are we still "slaughtering each other" but god belief seems to be the main motivation behind the slaughter. Perhaps a better question is how we are able to be moral when we DO believe in god!

3. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #108334 by atheisticism on January 6, 2008 at 2:06 pm

"i am pleased to have met some atheists who respond in a reasonable fashion." I assume that you would consider attacking your beliefs as ludicrous nonsense and believers as being total morons unreasonable. These tactics, while rather insensitive, are perfectly reasonable, especially given theism's horrific history. Reasonable atheists are very common. [almost all are] It is reasonable theists like you Kris who are hard to find.

4. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #108307 by atheisticism on January 6, 2008 at 12:57 pm

What is it that so "amazed" you about these christians Kris, and how did it validate their beliefs?

5. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #107948 by atheisticism on January 5, 2008 at 4:20 pm

Is it bigotry to suggest sexual orientation has a psychological base? Sexual attraction of any kind has a psychological element. The great musician Sir Elton John was hetero when his career began, then changed to bisexual, then finally homosexual. This confuses me. Anyone have some insight to offer? Steve??

6. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #107515 by atheisticism on January 4, 2008 at 4:47 pm

On the subject of genetic predisposition of homosexuality, it is my understanding that certain genetic characteristics indicate a better than average chance of the person being gay. Not everyone, however, who has these characteristics is gay and not everyone who is gay has them. It seems to me that sexual orientation is partly genetic and partly psychological. The reasons are not really that important anyway, homosexuality doesn't hurt anyone and certainly doesn't need to be "cured."
By the way "granny" I'm 45 years old, too young for ya??

7. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #106978 by atheisticism on January 3, 2008 at 7:27 pm

I-am-a-7: you look more like a nine or ten to me, yum

8. We stand awed at the heights our people have achieved

Comment #49642 by atheisticism on June 12, 2007 at 5:22 pm

One's own mortality is indeed difficult to face. Solace is much more elusive to those of us who can't help facing the reality of our existence. The only thing that has helped me is understanding how unlikely it is that we came into existence at all. In times of grief, I reread the first chapter of "Unweaving the Rainbow." [I'm sure you Dawkins groupies all know the book] The only reason we die is that we were born. Would you rather have never been born at all?

9. Angry atheists are hot authors

Comment #44451 by atheisticism on May 24, 2007 at 8:16 pm

Asking someone if they believe in god is like asking if they believe in glurk. God has been defined in so many different ways, the question is totally meaningless. What kind of response would we get to the question "do you believe in the existence of anything for which there is no evidence?"

10. Shark virgin birth mystery is solved

Comment #44234 by atheisticism on May 23, 2007 at 7:50 pm

Gawd always did have trouble getting dates, but a shark?? C'mon big guy, I know 2000 years is a long time to not get any, but ya shouldn't have to resort to beastiality! We gotta get a date for gawd people, anyone know a real hard-up woman?

11. The God question

Comment #44232 by atheisticism on May 23, 2007 at 7:36 pm

William: Your assessment of the evidence has led you to the opposite conclusion of virtually every other scientist and rational thinking person as well, not just Dawkins. Please explain your position about this designer. Do you reject evolution entirely or do you think this designer of yours guided it? Where did this designer come from??

12. Despite what the scholars say, God isn't dead yet

Comment #44226 by atheisticism on May 23, 2007 at 7:16 pm

Not only was Hitler a staunch christian, he even justified his policy toward the jews with biblical christianity on a number of occasions. Christians' claims that hitler was an atheist are out and out deliberate LIES. How they can lie so blatantly is even harder to understand than how they can delude themselves to the extent required to have "faith" in the first place.

13. We aim to misbehave

Comment #35255 by atheisticism on April 26, 2007 at 6:07 pm

This damn site is turning me into more of an asshole all the time! But then, it might be that it's finally sinking in how long overdue it is for us "sanes" to drop the nice guy act. DIE EVIL GOD BELIEF DIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

14. Fighting Words: A wartime lexicon

Comment #35250 by atheisticism on April 26, 2007 at 5:40 pm

Excellent article. It justifies the recent uprising of militant atheism in a very clear and concise manner. The only problem i had was with using the word "soul" even if it was metaphorical. I too have a problem with using the word "brights." I don't even think the word atheist should be used. Labeling non-theists with any name seems to lend credibility to theism. Do we call people who don't drive adrivers? Are those who don't play musical instruments amusicians? The only thing people who don't believe that a magical super-being said "abracadabra" and everything appeared, should be called, is sane! It's difficult to understand how anyone, much less this fine writer, could support the completely unjustified invasion of iraq. Jawge Dubaya is the worst war criminal since Hitler in my book.

15. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #34636 by atheisticism on April 24, 2007 at 6:34 pm

Why is everyone acting like this is some kind of "good person" contest? George W Bush is by far the most influential person for the past 5 years. His decisions and policies have influenced almost every person in the world. Millions of people have been drastically influenced {negatively} by this dishonest, idiotic war criminal

16. Prophets of the new atheism

Comment #30505 by atheisticism on April 8, 2007 at 8:55 am

"racked by despair at life's apparent meaninglessness" This is the point of understanding between theists and atheists. Unfortunately, most atheists will not concede this point of life being meaningless and miss out on having an honest heart to heart conversation with a theist. We can wax on about how wonderful and majestic the universe is or how strange and wonderful it is that we evolved into existence but none of this offers any real meaning to life. The truth of the matter is that we are merely temporary life forms just like a weed growing in the ditch, and our lives and the lives of our children are no more significant than the life of that weed and its offspring. Let us at least understand that this is what we are asking the faith-heads to accept and why giving up their comforting delusions is so difficult for them.

17. Atheist says he's victim of religious hate crime

Comment #29448 by atheisticism on April 3, 2007 at 1:22 am

The concept of ANY kind of "hate crime" is ludicrous. Hate, like terror, is an emotion and can no more be a crime than "terror" can be an enemy.

18. In the Beginning

Comment #28759 by atheisticism on March 30, 2007 at 4:31 pm

Our current knowledge of genetics has conclusively proven that all living things evolved fron one celled organisms, no? Why does this argument not get wielded more, instead of the spotty fossil record?

19. The Case for Teaching The Bible

Comment #27806 by atheisticism on March 26, 2007 at 8:33 pm

By all means, let's study the bible. It was the bible itself more than anything else that convinced me christianity was a pile of horseshit! I am quite certain that serious and thorough bible study would turn more godders into atheists than vice-versa. Atheists often accuse [rightfully] believers of being ignorant of their own holy book. Of course they don't read it, they want to believe it's true!

20. Chimpanzees 'hunt using spears'

Comment #26260 by atheisticism on March 18, 2007 at 5:50 am

Hey godders, think you could send one of your soul experts down to Senegal to test these chimps for souls? Yes, I know, they probably don't have, but it couldn't hurt to test them. Um, also, I was kind of wondering about the soul thing. What exactly is the proper way to test for a soul? Are there different types of souls? Does everyone have a soul, even Dawkins and Harris??

21. Chimpanzees 'hunt using spears'

Comment #26209 by atheisticism on March 17, 2007 at 5:01 pm

Wait a minute! These bushbabies are being threatened by this new chimp-discovered technology of spear hunting!! We must discourage these chimps from spear hunting. Save the bushbabies!!

22. God's dupes

Comment #26145 by atheisticism on March 17, 2007 at 8:00 am

Ralcock is being rather optimistic about religion being dead once evolution is accepted. I don't believe ANYTHING will ever cure the god delusion!

23. God's dupes

Comment #26078 by atheisticism on March 16, 2007 at 2:41 pm

ImagineAZ: the believers never are certain if THEY are going to heaven of hell, but they are sure of where you are going. They do believe that their faith is the only hope of escaping death. This is what is most important to them, [escaping death] so important that they somehow manage to delude themselves into believing incredible nonsense to somehow be true. Also, the idea of hell being a "fiery pit" has lost a lot of support over the last two or three decades, most believers [even many very serious ones] retreating to a pretty tame version of hell. It is usually described as a simple absense of god, of course, you WILL be distressed greatly by this as you will understand how you were duped by satan. This non-violent hell is yet another in a long line of steps god belief has taken back. Give it another hundred years or so and evolution will not be disputed either.

24. God's dupes

Comment #25969 by atheisticism on March 15, 2007 at 9:48 pm

Ahh, but the thing believers value the most is ONLY offered by religion. That thing is the promise of everlasting life. As empty as that promise might be, it IS offered up, and those who are able to delude themselves to the required extent can escape the discomfort of having to face their own mortality.

25. Does God answer prayer? ASU research says 'yes'

Comment #25960 by atheisticism on March 15, 2007 at 8:31 pm

repeatable and predictable results are required here

26. Economics and human evolution

Comment #25205 by atheisticism on March 10, 2007 at 11:11 pm

Neanderthals also buried object with their dead, indicating a belief in an after-life. Hey xtians, does this mean they had "souls?"

27. British Book Awards shortlists 2007

Comment #24811 by atheisticism on March 8, 2007 at 5:16 pm

Richard: I have enjoyed your writings for many years, starting with articles in the "Skeptical Inquirer" which I was a devout reader of in the old days. Back then, you were just another of the many fine writers who submitted to SI {Martin Gardner, Richard Feynman, etc.} Your star has certainly risen in recent years as you have apparently taken over from Carl Sagan as the leading voice of reason. I am sorry to say that my opinion of you has taken something of a downturn lately as i recently started visting this site. You publish articles far too frequently with what seems to be the sole purpose of seeking worship from your "fans." I value humility a great deal and despise arrogance in anyone, no matter what they may have accomplished. Hey MIND REBEL, I hate to burst your bubble, but when RD goes potty, it stinks just like the rest of us. Most important man of our lifetime by far?? Try thinking about that for awhile.

28. Houses of the Holy

Comment #24287 by atheisticism on March 5, 2007 at 5:13 pm

Why is this church being singled out in a newspaper expose? They are only small potatoes when it comes to churches fleecing their members. What is this compared to the money that the Catholic church takes in? Of course, lately they've had to spend considerable amounts defending child rape charges! The Catholic church is the most evil, corrupt organization in the history of mankind. They've been robbing people AND raping their children for centuries. All we have to do is control the revenues of all churches, pay the pastor's and staff their salaries and be done with all this bullshit. They shouldn't mind so much, after all, spreading "the word" is the only thing that matters to them, right? right??

29. The Silence That Kills

Comment #23790 by atheisticism on March 2, 2007 at 7:12 pm

The invasion of Iraq was unwarranted, unnecessary, unethical, and accomplished no good for anyone, Americans and bush included.

30. Falwell says Christians shouldn't focus on global warming

Comment #23788 by atheisticism on March 2, 2007 at 6:19 pm

LOL... Ok, not such a sound analogy, thx mith

31. Falwell says Christians shouldn't focus on global warming

Comment #23785 by atheisticism on March 2, 2007 at 5:40 pm

Umm...how much of global warming IS caused by human emissions, CAN we stop it? I don't take a christian's side on anything very often, but hey, arguing against their beliefs is rather like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer, no real challenge!

32. Hunting chimps may change view of human evolution

Comment #22933 by atheisticism on February 24, 2007 at 5:44 pm

These chimps are almost as smart as "born again" christians!

33. Battle for Europe's secular values

Comment #22544 by atheisticism on February 19, 2007 at 2:41 pm

Does New Zealand need electricians? just wondering...

34. Memo: Stop teaching evolution

Comment #22527 by atheisticism on February 19, 2007 at 1:46 pm

Sorry gim but i fail to see the comparison between alien life forms and the magical "spirit world" Who was it that said "the invisible and the non-existent look very much alike"?

35. Memo: Stop teaching evolution

Comment #22491 by atheisticism on February 19, 2007 at 1:39 pm

Soooo, evolution is an ancient religious belief but creationism is a science?? Not surprising really, theists always try to turn the tables by accusing science of whatever they get accused of [being irrational, having no evidence, being dogmatic, etc.] It's very much like the way small children respond to insults-"and same to you, so there" I guess that's all you can do when you don't have a leg to stand on.

36. Give us back our bones, pagans tell museums

Comment #20833 by atheisticism on February 6, 2007 at 6:02 pm

One of my pet peeves has always been how society treats dead bodies as if they are still alive. Even atheists are not immune to the ludicrous rigamarole of embalming their loved ones, [talk about indignities to a dead body!] expensive caskets, and lavish funerals. Even the theistic position is that the soul leaves the body at death, no? A dead body is a piece of rotting meat. if science has no interest in certain bones the only other use they have is for a dog to chew on!

37. Atheists in Jail

Comment #20170 by atheisticism on January 31, 2007 at 5:33 pm

Every christian I have ever known speaks of "struggles" with their faith. Translation: they are agnostic at best. It has always been my position that, deep down inside, we all realize the god story is nothing more than wishful thinking. This is why "believers" get so upset when anyone questions their faith. Most don't even want to talk about it, their self delusion rests on such a weak foundation.

38. Skyway to Heaven

Comment #18755 by atheisticism on January 22, 2007 at 6:56 pm

All of the christians disappearing from the face of the earth IS the closest thing to heaven I can imagine!

39. Ruth Kelly, her hard-line church and a devout PM wrestling with his conscience

Comment #18754 by atheisticism on January 22, 2007 at 6:50 pm

Interesting comments Fil, I too have reservations about gays as parents. I also don't buy into the fear mongering about this or that species going extinct. Species die out and spring up, always have and always will. Ecosystems constantly change. How can anyone find time to worry about animal rights when the rights of human beings are stepped on all over the globe in horrifying and sickening ways?

40. Ruth Kelly, her hard-line church and a devout PM wrestling with his conscience

Comment #18471 by atheisticism on January 21, 2007 at 5:10 am

Okay, I think I've got it now: homosexuality is a terrible, unforgivable "sin" but pedophilia is a minor indiscretion that can be dismissed and covered up to protect the pedophiles. Have I got that right catholic bishops? When the church of pedophilia takes a stand against the "immorality" of homosexuals, it combines bigotry with hypocrisy in the most twisted, depraved way possible.

41. Open Letter to Rev. John Auer

Comment #16957 by atheisticism on January 9, 2007 at 7:09 pm

That the catholic priesthood attracts pedophiles is only logical given what the job entails. The police force attracts bullies in much the same way. The police force is necessary and needs to be cleaned up. The catholic church is unnecessary at best and should be driven into extinction as soon as possible

42. Executing Saddam Hussein was an Act of Vandalism

Comment #15916 by atheisticism on January 3, 2007 at 7:59 pm

the Saddam Hussein trial was a total farce. Were US forces not trying to take Saddam out with selective missile strikes early in the confrontation? Why the trial?? Why did they not simply shoot him on the spot when he was discovered in the spider hole? Saddam's transgressions against others are known with certainty, they are part of history. The trial was nothing more than a pathetic attempt by the US to appear "just" and "noble" It didn't bother me that he was hung, I just wish that Bush and Blair were hanging on either side of him!