1. Bill Moyers interviews E.O. Wilson

Comment #55833 by JJoe on July 12, 2007 at 2:19 pm

Thanks fin for the QT download.

2. Christopher Hitchens - God Is Not Great

Comment #55790 by JJoe on July 12, 2007 at 10:01 am

Very good interview.

Kudos to those at Point of Inquiry. They do great work. Intelligent, tough questions and adult conversations. I wish the rest of the media would rise to their level.

If you haven't heard of them before they have a number of their shows available on their website and as podcast subscriptions thru iTunes. (I'm not affiliated, just a big fan.)

3. Bush Vetoes Measure on Stem Cell Research

Comment #51051 by JJoe on June 21, 2007 at 9:46 am

8. Comment #51045 by aznxscorpion517

It'd be ironic when someone close to him suddenly becomes ill and would benefit from stem cell research. What would he support then?

We all know that answer. In fact, you can almost guarantee that this whole 'controversy' will disappear when the first therapy from embryonic stem cells appears to be effective. It's inevitable. Then all the 'high-minded' people who oppose this research will line up at the nearest clinic.

I wish people would realize the danger of following religious leaders on subjects relating to science. It's not like they have the best track record here. Remember, it wasn't long ago when the church opposed organ transplants as well. How many lives have been saved through that procedure in the last 40 years?

4. Atheism is pretentious and cowardly

Comment #48283 by JJoe on June 7, 2007 at 10:01 am

2. Comment #48052 by Buddha on June 6, 2007 at 12:08 pm

I would recommend that you all go straight to the comments section on the Guardian site. The cavalry are already sticking the boot in to this poor fellow good and proper.

I almost feel sorry for him...

Holy Sh*t, no kidding. He's being pummeled page upon page...

I'm almost beginning to believe there are A LOT more rational-thinking non-belivers out there than I ever imagined. I guess the publication of these books (Dawkins, Harris, Dennett, and Hitchens) and thier sales figures really are having an effect of emboldening some courage to speak up in public. Let's hope it continues.

5. The 'Is God...Great?' Debate

Comment #48146 by JJoe on June 6, 2007 at 7:15 pm

Comment #48063 by Vinelectric on June 6, 2007 at 1:11 pm

Reza Aslan debating Sam Harris.

I was going to say the same.

Although upon re-listening to that debate I thought Sam was being particularly non-confrontational. I've heard him knock down many of the points Reza was making in other debates. I'm not sure why he let them go in that one.

6. I Don't Believe in Atheists

Comment #45777 by JJoe on May 29, 2007 at 8:01 am

I don't see it posted anywhere so a reminder that Sam Harris posted a reply (short one) over at truthdig.org.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070529_sam_harris_fights_back/

As you would expect, Sam points out that Hedges distorted and selectively quoted from Sam's book.

7. God help us all - The No. 2 book on Amazon right now is a

Comment #45089 by JJoe on May 26, 2007 at 10:41 am

I thought the world was supposed to end when the Soviet Union got the bomb? Or when Communism took over every country?

Oh yeah that's right, it was supposed to all come crashing down after the North Koreans got the bomb. Or was it if Saddam Hussein was left in power? Or was that if Al Gore became President? Or the Democrats took over Congress?

I'm sorry, I keep getting all my world-gonna-end, doomsday scenarios mixed up. There's just so many of them, you know?

Does the Religious Right-GOP have anything to offer this country except their silly Chicken Little proclamations every time a microphone is put in front of them? Now, we have a new book by someone who reads and believes every headline generated by George Bush. Ho-hum.

I can't be the only person sick of this pattern, am I?

8. Christopher Hitchens Explains It All for You: Move over, Sam Harris; another atheist wants the pulpit

Comment #41002 by JJoe on May 15, 2007 at 10:08 am

Comment #40948 by Dower on May 15, 2007 at 8:37 am

What the hell do we need to be saved from?

Exactly. Some of these people have drunk so much kool-aid they can't even see the need to question their assumptions.

9. Bill Maher - APATHEIST

Comment #35467 by JJoe on April 27, 2007 at 8:42 am

Yeah, Maher can be smug and shallow. But he skewers the right people for the right reasons and he's occasionally funny.

I watch it but his show suffers for the same reason that most news/issue/political television does - you can't just spend 2-3 minutes discussing an issue and expect to hear good thoughtful analysis. The problems we face on this planet are more complex than soundbite TV.

Hey, not everyone can be as erudite as Jon Stewart or as classy as Johnny Carson.

10. One Hell of a Religious Read

Comment #34336 by JJoe on April 23, 2007 at 8:24 pm

* On the Koran: "I simply laugh when I read the Koran, with its endless prohibitions on sex and its corrupt promise of infinite debauchery in the life to come."

I always liked this one too. Nice to see someone else highlight the hypocrisy as well.

Looking forward to this. Looks like an interesting read. I wonder if it'll have cartoons (nod, nod, wink, wink).

11. E.O. Wilson Accepts his 2007 TED Prize

Comment #30786 by JJoe on April 9, 2007 at 8:05 pm

Comment #30603 by Tridhos on April 9, 2007 at 2:05 am

If you've not already done so, I urge all of you to watch the hour-long Charlie Rose episode featuring E.O.Wilson and Jim Watson...

Absolutely, a great interview. It's one I keep and pull out of my archives occasionally just to remind myself there is still intelligent life on the planet.

12. The God Debate

Comment #29571 by JJoe on April 3, 2007 at 12:45 pm

Comment #29558 by Phaeonix on April 3, 2007 at 12:06 pm

The inhumanity you speak of is real... the idea that a deity would actually prolong the experience of pain through an unimaginable infinity (Consider what that would take, ie, ignoring tolerance and shock affects) is by far the most evil concoction of the minds of men... nothing in reality matches the totality of pure evil expressed with such a notion... and it was this realization that so many years ago, that I became an atheist

I think where this really hit home with me is talking to believers about The Rapture. I'd try to point out to them the horrible cruelty of their deity that would slaughter 5 billion innocent people (assuming there are 1 billion christians) all because they wouldn't go down on bended knee to him. I want nothing to do with anyone or anything that would consider that just. The immorality, and acceptance, of that is staggering.

13. The God of the Bible is No Delusion!

Comment #29567 by JJoe on April 3, 2007 at 12:37 pm

Comment #29561 by Quetzalcoatl on April 3, 2007 at 12:14 pm

Before I start, can someone please tell me how to highlight comments in those boxes? I cannot work out how to do that!

Near the 'Post a Comment' box is a link called [Comment Posting Guidelines]'

Click on that link. It has examples of HTML coding you can use in your Comment box, including how to Blockquote text.

14. The God Debate

Comment #29062 by JJoe on April 1, 2007 at 1:04 pm

You guys should really read the whole exchange.

Oh man, the referee should've stepped in and called that fight after the first 3 questions. Warren had nothing but his fuzzy headed faith to offer. Sam wiped, and I mean wiped, the floor with him.

I'll give this to Warren though, he didn't beat around the bush and equivocate as badly as Andrew Sullivan did. At least he stood there and took his beating like a man. Even if he didn't (couldn't?) recognize how badly he came off.

15. Peanut Butter, The Atheist's Nightmare!

Comment #27938 by JJoe on March 27, 2007 at 10:30 am

I'm waiting for a clip where someone sets a ball on the ground, watches it for a few seconds, then declares.. the world is flat, if it wasn't flat this ball would have rolled away.

LOL. I'm sure it's coming.

Seeing things like this makes me wonder who dresses and feeds these people every day. I mean, talk about your vast chasm of compartmentalized thought. It never ceases to amaze me. I know we're all guilty of it at some level but this is amazing.

16. Debate between Alister McGrath and Peter Atkins

Comment #27223 by JJoe on March 23, 2007 at 3:31 pm

While I thought Prof. Atkins did a fine job I couldn't help thinking how much I would have preferred seeing Dawkins debate McGrath instead. I think Richard would have surely shredded some of McGrath's silly statements about science.

Particularly McGrath's point about how Darwin might be usurped in 150 years by something else (and I'm paraphrasing his point) and how that somehow was a negative of science. On the contrary, I think that's one of the beauties of the scientific method. It's self-correcting mechanism of further refinement towards a more accurate understanding of the natural world. If something comes along that better explains our rise than evolution, then fine. If it's to be accepted it'll have to withstand rigorous debate and examination.

Can religion make the same claim? Since when did religion ever alter it's explanations of the world except when there was overwhelming social pressure or the rare papal epiphany?

17. James Cameron finds grave of Jesus & Son

Comment #23213 by JJoe on February 26, 2007 at 11:02 pm

It's interesting how the standards for proof & evidence are all of a sudden so important to christians. We all know they wouldn't accept something unless it could be fully verifiable and foolproof to casual scrutiny. [/sarcasm]

18. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #22958 by JJoe on February 25, 2007 at 12:13 am

I have seen people write about Sullivan's "intellectual honesty" so much since learning who he was with this debate. But after reading that he was one of the worst offenders of calling people "appeasers" and other derogatory terms for opposing the Iraq war I can't say I have much respect for him.

I know this isn't a political blog so I'll keep it short. I don't think most people are saying they agree completely with Sullivan or that he hasn't been horribly wrong about some issues. I think the point is he's a proponent of conservative principles who doesn't abandon them just to play along with those in power on the Right. In other words, he doesn't always toe the party line.

For someone like me, who wants to keep an open mind and to hear both the left and right side of issues, it's hard to find someone (anyone) who isn't a partisan hack. I find that very rare in these days of Fox News, conservative talk radio and their willingness to parrot GOP talking points no matter what the content.

He's the ONLY conservative I've read who has repeatedly called out Bush on his incompetence, profligate spending, torture policies, etc.. And did so earlier than anyone else on the Right. I believe Sullivan even called for his readers to vote for Kerry. How many conservatives were doing that in 2004? There are STILL conservative members of the MSM who worship Bush, just as there are +30% of the public who still approve of him. I mean, who are these people and what are they smoking?

No argument about the Harris debate though. Sullivan is a true believer. Intellectual honesty isn't even a concept among that lot in regard to their religion. That he may be willfully ignorant about one thing doesn't make him stupid about everything. Just another example of cognitive dissonance. Surely, you don't find that unusual?

19. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #22922 by JJoe on February 24, 2007 at 2:07 pm

I like Sullivan. I read his blog regularly because he's the only conservative I've read who seems to have some intellectual integrity concerning his positions (even if I don't agree with them).

I think the Harris debate is great but he's got a little arc going now about the soul residing in the heart. Here's a snippet from that dialogue:

But a soul is eternal. It may be dismissed as such by scientists. But they can't disprove something not susceptible to proof. They can merely try to delegitimize those of us who take the unprovable seriously.

If you think you're going to get through to someone with a mindset like that, you're dreaming.

That is a kevlar-wrapped, radar-detecting self-identity set in granite. Ain't nothing going to convince him. He doesn't WANT to know truth. Sorry, not in the market.

"can't disprove something not susceptible to proof."

Oh, brother.

20. Atheists come in last

Comment #22921 by JJoe on February 24, 2007 at 1:45 pm

Last?

Nowhere to go but up.

21. Panel discussion on atheism where no atheists are included

Comment #21276 by JJoe on February 8, 2007 at 11:31 am

from Richard Dawkins:

My 20 minute interview will be edited down to about 4 minutes,...

That's a shame Richard but typical for these type of shows. Don't take it personally. If God came down from Heaven (and being an atheist, I don't think it's likely), he wouldn't get more than a 4 minute segment either.

The TV networks have decided that we Americans can't concentrate on issues longer than that. Besides they have too many other scandals (astronauts in diapers, etc.) and flotsam to broadcast.

22. Panel discussion on atheism where no atheists are included

Comment #21066 by JJoe on February 7, 2007 at 1:22 pm

That was a pretty despicable display of 'journalism' and a disgraceful use of public airwaves. The 'panelists' grasp of the situation had all the complexity of grade schoolers. It reminds me why I gave up watching the cable news channels. I don't regret it.

BTW, nice letter Riley. I'd be surprised if we get a retraction from Ms. Hunter. I bet she's really on the defensive now.