Comments by crabsallover

1. Richard Dawkins talks about The God Delusion

Comment #123229 by crabsallover on February 6, 2008 at 4:35 pm

5. Comment #122792 by SPS on February 6, 2008 at 5:05 am
I think there should be a way for people to get a copy of TGD for free the way people can get a copy of the bible for free.

Be a Member of Parliament! I'm proud to say I had a hand in the success of the pledge to send all 645 UK MPs a copy of The God Delusion last spring: http://www.pledgebank.com/church-and-state/info

See the graph a week before the end date - thanks to BHA, NSS and RichardDawkins mailshots on the last Friday, the pledge was successful.

2. MySpace: No place for Atheists?

Comment #119966 by crabsallover on February 1, 2008 at 4:04 am

I've deleted MySpace Account too (not that I ever did anything with it anyway!) Chris Street http://HASSERS.blogspot.com

3. Britain cannot put its faith in religiously divided schools

Comment #116273 by crabsallover on January 26, 2008 at 5:48 am

Richard Dawkins and I belong to two organisations in the UK (NSS and BHA) that actively campaign to oppose faith schools.

The more UK citizens who join these organisations the more effective will their voice be - The National Secular Society (NSS) www.secularism.org.uk and British Humanist Association (BHA) www.humanism.org.uk - both organisations costs less than £30 a year to be a member.

I have blogged at HASSERS about UK faith schools:
http://hassers.blogspot.com/search/label/faith%20schools

The Government (Ed Balls' Department for Children, Schools and families www.dfes.gov.uk) and faith school providers say in the "Faith in the System" publication:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/publications/faithinthesystem/pdfs/FaithInTheSystem.pdf

that they believe all schools - whether religious or not - play a key role in providing a safe environment for interaction between different faiths and communities. In this way they foster understanding, integration and cohesion.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers questioned whether faith schools do provide for "interaction between different faiths and communities" and question why schools, in which the majority of funding comes from the state, should, as the government proposes, nurture young people in a particular faith. The job of schools is to nurture young people as individuals and as responsible and compassionate global citizens, rather than promoting a particular religious viewpoint. Our members believe that we need schools which embrace the diversity within our community, not a diversity of schools dividing pupils and staff on religious grounds."

http://hassers.blogspot.com/2007/09/faith-school-backing-challenged.html

4. This Week's Flea

Comment #113922 by crabsallover on January 21, 2008 at 2:27 am

Beattie has a talk at Uni London, Royal Holloway College, Egham, Surrey on 5th February 1.30-5pm
http://www.rhul.ac.uk/whats-new/events.html

"Enemy in the Mirror: Richard Dawkins, the New Atheists and their Crusade against Fundamentalism"

Book: http://tinyurl.com/35g3xo features Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, Toynbee, Dennett on the cover in a parady of Leonardo's Last Supper!

Listen to Beattie talk on R4 'Start the Week'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/starttheweek
(at 32 mins)

Another Dawkins / Toynbee flea!!

5. Richard Dawkins on The Late Edition with Marcus Brigstocke

Comment #110862 by crabsallover on January 13, 2008 at 4:55 am

I saw Marcus Brigstocke in his one man show on tour in Wimbourne, Dorset last October. He had a great 20 minute slot on atheism. Check what he is up to http://www.marcusbrigstocke.com/ and here is his brilliant rant on the Now Show: http://hassers.blogspot.com/2007/08/brigstocke-rant-against-religion-now.html

6. New attempt to end blasphemy law

Comment #110856 by crabsallover on January 13, 2008 at 4:18 am

I wrote to my MP (Desmond Swayne, New Forest) after National Secular Society and British Humanist Association emailed asking us to write to our MP.

I've followed the story here: http://hassers.blogspot.com/search/label/blasphemy

Desmond Swayne MP wrote two letters to me saying that he had sponsored the amendment to abolish the offence of blasphemy (along with 75 other MPs).

Evan Harris MP and Keith Porteus Wood of NSS, amongst others, deserve praise.

7. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #102082 by crabsallover on December 21, 2007 at 2:24 pm

Libby Purves, who I admire greatly as a raconteur and interviewer on Radio 4 'Midweek' weekly show, makes some good points.

Libby Purves says "But there are limits. If I found myself at a Nazi rally I would not sing the Horst-Wessel-Lied; if I were with the Druids at Stonehenge I doubt that I would don a sheet and join in hymns to the rising sun or whatever, because I think it is all fabricated modern nonsense.

For many years, when attending a wedding or funeral in a church, I've avoided saying 'Amen'.

For 33 years I have belonged to the CRABS (Christchurch Ramshackle Antique Bicycle Society) and we have a host of songs to the tune of carols eg:-

12) Tune: Eternal father strong to save

"Intrepid cyclists brave the storm, By pedaling hard keep themselves warm, Through mist and rain, and hail and snow, On country lanes they swiftly go; Oh, sing your praises of the hub; That spins us to the country pub."

Maybe we should make up our own words to carols, as Libby suggests.

"Silent night, Science is right"... "Away in a helix, no crib for a bed/ The little Lord Genome laid down its sweet head..."

I am quite happy to sign hymns - CRABS hymns!

8. URGENT APPEAL: Please Help Protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #88744 by crabsallover on November 18, 2007 at 7:38 pm

For a quick overview of the background read:-
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: abandoned to fanatics by By Sam Harris
and Salman Rushdie October 9, 2007
http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/ayaan-hirsi-ali-abandoned-to-fanatics/

9. URGENT APPEAL: Please Help Protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #88743 by crabsallover on November 18, 2007 at 7:20 pm

for background read the links at http://www.samharris.org/site/security_trust/ayaan_hirsi_ali
viz. Christopher Hitchens http://www.slate.com/id/2175458/ and Christopher Caldwell http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/magazine/03ALI.html?_r=1&oref=slogin articles.

10. URGENT APPEAL: Please Help Protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #88742 by crabsallover on November 18, 2007 at 7:16 pm

i have just made a one off donation and will review again in a week. I'm going to buy her 'Infidel' book and publicise her case to Dorset Humanists etc.

11. Make Richard Dawkins a Knight

Comment #80482 by crabsallover on October 22, 2007 at 12:39 am

signed.

12. Interview with BHA President Polly Toynbee

Comment #68346 by crabsallover on September 7, 2007 at 12:04 am

13. Comment #68107 by fides_et_ratio said
Maybe this is how BHA (British Humanist Association) also claim that there are 17 million humanists in Britain, (a statistic not supported by the last census) they're just borrowing a few Christians, as well as quotes, for their numbers.

I've discussed the "17M Humanists in UK" claim by BHA over at Dorset Humanists blog:

In December 2006 BHA organised a MORI poll. This showed that 17M (36%) of UK adult population agreed to ALL THREE statements below. BHA said that those people who agreed with ALL three statements where humanists in their outlook:-

1) 62% feel that scientific & other evidence provides the best way to understand the universe (rather than feeling that religious beliefs are needed for a complete understanding of the universe)
2) 62% feel that 'right and wrong' can be explained by human nature alone, and does not require religious teachings, and
3) 65% base their judgments of right and wrong on 'the effects on people and the consequences for society and the world' (rather than basing judgments of right and wrong on personal preferences OR rather than thinking that right and wrong judgments are unchanging and should never be challenged)

http://dorset-humanists.blogspot.com/2007/06/17-million-humanists-in-britain-36-of_30.html
BHA source: http://www.humanism.org.uk/uploadedFiles/cms/store//Demo_BHA//ATTACHMENTS/Humanist_w43_2006x.pdf

13. The Out Campaign

Comment #59861 by crabsallover on July 31, 2007 at 12:22 am

I've blogged
http://tinyurl.com/2tgz7u

several times about the 'OUT' campaign over at Dorset Humanists blog (in Bournemouth on the south coast of England) http://dorset-humanists.blogspot.com/

It's going to be interesting to see what reaction we get from the 'T' shirts and stickers. I'm sure we will get some puzzled questioners!

14. Religion is Hard

Comment #59615 by crabsallover on July 30, 2007 at 12:05 am

Marcus brigstocke has a UK nationwide show this autumn: http://www.marcusbrigstocke.com/tour.php

I'm off with the Dorset Humanists www.dorsethumanists.co.uk to see him in
Wimborne at the Tivoli Theatre on Sat 17th Nov. If anyone in Wessex wants to go I've got discounted tickets.

15. Can the rest of us have our planet back?

Comment #57827 by crabsallover on July 21, 2007 at 11:20 am

Marcus,

Brilliant! the best 7 minutes quick fire anti-religous Humorous rant I've ever heard!

You've done it for The God Delusion, now do the same for Letter to a Christian Nation and God is Not Great.

Rock on!

Chris Street
http://dorset-humanists.blogspot.com/

16. Richard Dawkins explains his latest book

Comment #51434 by crabsallover on June 22, 2007 at 11:19 pm

Victor Stenger will give a talk ('God the failed hypothesis') to Dorset Humanists in Bournemouth, England on 31st August 2007 at 6pm. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/yr8ov7

If you want to attend contact Chris Street: http://tinyurl.com/25t3x3

We plan for Stenger to debate John Polkinghorne at this meeting (TBC).

More about Victor Stenger: http://tinyurl.com/27qx7x

About Polkinghorne: http://tinyurl.com/27p34y

17. Let's Hope It's A Lasting Vogue

Comment #51432 by crabsallover on June 22, 2007 at 11:16 pm

18. God-less

Comment #51431 by crabsallover on June 22, 2007 at 11:13 pm

19. God: The Failed Hypothesis

Comment #51429 by crabsallover on June 22, 2007 at 11:09 pm

20. Snake Oil and Holy Water

Comment #51428 by crabsallover on June 22, 2007 at 11:06 pm

Victor Stenger, whose book 'The Unconscious Quantum' is quoted by Dawkins; will give a talk ('God the failed hypothesis') to Dorset Humanists in Bournemouth, England on 31st August 2007 at 6pm. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/yr8ov7

If you want to attend contact Chris Street: http://tinyurl.com/25t3x3

We plan for Stenger to debate John Polkinghorne at this meeting (TBC).

More about Victor Stenger: http://tinyurl.com/27qx7x

About Polkinghorne: http://tinyurl.com/27p34y

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

Comment #51427 by crabsallover on June 22, 2007 at 11:00 pm

Lets hope we don't get the same abuse for Dorset Humanists talk with Victor Stenger!

Victor Stenger will give a talk ('God the failed hypothesis') to Dorset Humanists in Bournemouth, England on 31st August 2007 at 6pm. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/yr8ov7

If you want to attend contact Chris Street: http://tinyurl.com/25t3x3

We plan for Stenger to debate John Polkinghorne at this meeting (TBC).

More about Victor Stenger: http://tinyurl.com/27qx7x

About Polkinghorne: http://tinyurl.com/27p34y

22. God: The Failed Hypothesis and The Comprehensible Cosmos (book reviews)

Comment #51425 by crabsallover on June 22, 2007 at 10:41 pm

23. Atheists: stand up and be counted

Comment #50562 by crabsallover on June 18, 2007 at 7:04 pm

Comment #50529 by pkmusic says "This article speaks the truth, but the question really is: Where do we start? I think we all sit around and think about how screwed up the world is with religious people in power and want to do something about it. It's a matter of not knowing what to do. I like the "Stand-Out Campaign" idea from Richard Dawkins with the Scarlet Letter shirts, but there has to be something more than just wearing shirts. Any brainstorming?"

If you are in Britain I suggest you join The British Humanist Association BHA http://www.humanism.org.uk

BHA has over 60 local groups and 6000 members. But needs loads more members to be a real influence!
http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/contentChapterView.asp?chapter=369

Richard Dawkins is a BHA Vice President:
http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/contentviewarticle.asp?article=1160

24. Atheists: stand up and be counted

Comment #50561 by crabsallover on June 18, 2007 at 6:48 pm

Scott says "Something should be done about this, if for no other reason than to point out that religion is a choice, not a default. I'm going to go see the Head-mistress about this, and I'll happily post the response. Anyone else want to commit to doing the same?"

I for one. My twelve year old daughter attends my local Hampshire comprehensive school. Earlier this year the GSUS Live http://www.gsuslive.co.uk/ trailer came to 5 Dorset/Hampshire peddling their religious views. I'm in correspondence with the Head and am considering taking my daughter out of RE classes next term.

25. What I Think About Evolution

Comment #47254 by crabsallover on June 3, 2007 at 6:23 pm

the author of this article Sam Brownback says "The heart of the issue is that we cannot drive a wedge between faith and reason".

Faith is the belief in pronouncements made by a supernatural being. Scientific evidence^ suggests that in all probability no such supernatural being exists. Therefore Faith is unreasonable.

Indeed we should make strenuous efforts to highlight the falsity of faith by driving wedges between faith and reason.

* Victor Stenger's 2007 book God: The Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows that God Does Not Exist, Prometheus Books, ISBN 1591024811.

26. A debate on people who profess no religion

Comment #33987 by crabsallover on April 23, 2007 at 1:23 am

A full transcript of the 2 hour House of Lords debate on 19th April, with key points highlighted:
http://waspofscience.blogspot.com/2007/04/religion-non-believers-house-of-lords.html

The National Secular Society contributed a briefing paper to Lord Harrison:

http://waspofscience.blogspot.com/2007/04/national-secular-society-position-in.html

A summary of each main speaker:
http://waspofscience.blogspot.com/search/label/House%20of%20Lords%20debate%20Religion%3A%20Non%20believers

27. Send The God Delusion to your MP

Comment #28985 by crabsallover on April 1, 2007 at 3:32 am

66. Comment #28957 by crabsallover on March 31, 2007 at 11:17 pm
We are planning a Press Conference for the Pledge on 16th April at 12am at House of Commons.

Richard Dawkins says he will probably attend - in an observers role only.

Terry Sanderson, President, National Secular Society will give the Pledge to selected MPs.

We need as many MPs as possible to attend the meeting. Can you contact your MP to accept the Pledge?

Contact me latest by 6th April: chris@street56.fsbusiness.co.uk

Also Norman Bacrac of South Place Ethical Society will attend the meeting.

28. Send The God Delusion to your MP

Comment #28957 by crabsallover on March 31, 2007 at 11:17 pm

We are planning a Press Conference for the Pledge on 16th April at 12am at House of Commons.

Richard Dawkins says he will probably attend - in an observers role only.

Terry Sanderson, President, National Secular Society will give the Pledge to selected MPs.

We need as many MPs as possible to attend the meeting. Can you contact your MP to accept the Pledge?

Contact me latest by 6th April: chris@street56.fsbusiness.co.uk

29. Atheist banned from committee on religious education

Comment #27818 by crabsallover on March 27, 2007 at 12:04 am

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/generalnews/display.var.1279333.0.atheist_banned_from_committee_on_religious_education.php
Posted by: Andrew Edmondson, Balcombe on 8:10pm Fri 23 Mar 07
The BHA quotes are genuine apart from this one: British Humanist Association spokesman Andrew Copson yesterday called the decision "narrow-minded, bigoted and stupid."

Edmondson says he added above quote in error.

30. Send The God Delusion to your MP

Comment #27307 by crabsallover on March 23, 2007 at 8:53 pm

60. Comment #27199 by peejay on March 23, 2007 at 1:46 pm
All of a sudden it looks like the pledge might be successful, thanks to the NSS and BHA both promoting it today in mailshots.

.

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched! We still need 72 more pledges (at 24/3/07, 3am) to reach the 645 (1 per MP). Pledge NOW here:
http://www.pledgebank.com/church-and-state

Deadline is 31st March - 1 week

I like your covering letter. Because time is precious maybe you could indicate roughly how long each chapter or section would take (a busy MP) to read.

31. A Brief History of Disbelief

Comment #26572 by crabsallover on March 20, 2007 at 2:04 pm

I recorded all of these programmes on my Archos when they were first transmitted.

Johnathan Miller has wonderful insights in his analysis of Atheism.

Watch them all - the 3 parts of the 'Brief History of Disbelief' along with the six accompanying interviews 'The Atheism Tapes.' with Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, Steven Weinberg, Arthur Miller, Colin McGinn, and Denys Turner.

32. Send The God Delusion to your MP

Comment #26441 by crabsallover on March 19, 2007 at 10:32 am

The pledge deadline is 31st March. At 19th March 513 have pledged to send a copy of The God Delusion to their MP. A shortfall of 130+ pledges.

TGD is £10 from www.amazon.co.uk

Pledge NOW!
http://www.pledgebank.com/church-and-state

33. Understanding Genetics - Daniel Dennett Interview

Comment #25273 by crabsallover on March 11, 2007 at 2:50 pm

in Part 6 Prof. Dennett says "some religions are just benign, just wonderful ... some religions are just fine... These benign religions should be allowed to fluorish .. whilst the toxic religions should go extinct .. then we would be better of."

What aspects of religion or what religions are benign and don't hurt us at all?

34. Out There

Comment #25268 by crabsallover on March 11, 2007 at 1:50 pm

I've clipped this article (26,000 characters) about the history of the discovery of

Dark Matter http://tinyurl.com/yqk36x

and

Dark Energy http://tinyurl.com/2yo5l3

to a 2000 character summary.

35. The questions science cannot answer

Comment #21749 by crabsallover on February 10, 2007 at 11:30 pm

80. Comment #21660 by iwentdowntotheriver on February 10, 2007 at 12:33 pm
..religion is the combination of two different things that are intertwined within the religious narrative. The first is a world view that attempts to explain things like creation, the movement of the planets etc. The second is an ethical system handed down by a super-natural god.

Now theists usually place science as being opposed to religion as a whole. Science in actual fact is only opposed to the first of these, and its extremely successful in its challenge. Hence the brilliance of modern theories of evolution, cosmology etc. Atheists often offer science as a complete alternative to religion but it is not and they are letting down the side of rationality when they do.

There is another aspect of the rational which challenges the second of these two things and that is philosophy in general and moral philosophy in particular.

Good point!

The challenge is usually represented as:

Science vs. Religion

Instead it should be:

Science and Moral Philosophy vs. Religion

or simply:

Science and Philosophy vs. Religion

iwentdowntotheriver - I comment on on this idea in the Chris Street Blog here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2t27wx

36. The Mystery of Consciousness

Comment #18698 by crabsallover on January 22, 2007 at 2:00 pm

#18624 by Azven
The Nature Neuroscience abstract on the brain & Altruism is in the January 21st issue: http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nn1833.html

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Quotes of Note:

"Sex brought into existence the gene pool, made meaningful the species, and changed the whole ball game of evolution itself."

Richard Dawkins

"(Religion) With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion"

Steven Weinberg

"Thus the creationist's favourite question "What is the use of half an eye?" Actually, this is a lightweight question, a doddle to answer. Half an eye is just 1 per cent better than 49 per cent of an eye..."

Richard Dawkins

"So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence."

Bertrand Russell

"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear."

Thomas Jefferson

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