751. Rep. Davis: The Worst Person in the World

Comment #158264 by Vaal on April 10, 2008 at 9:11 am

And people accuse of us of being joyless :-)

752. Rep. Davis: The Worst Person in the World

Comment #158253 by Vaal on April 10, 2008 at 8:59 am

Come on Irate .. we're waiting.

753. Rep. Davis: The Worst Person in the World

Comment #158191 by Vaal on April 10, 2008 at 7:36 am

#158182 by kjmastaw

Irate, shall I leave it to you?

754. Expelled producers accused of copyright infringement

Comment #158146 by Vaal on April 10, 2008 at 6:14 am

PZ has added to his blog a letter from Peter Irons (Attorney at Law) to the expelled producers. Guess they may be changing the date of their release... April 18th 2009? I would LOVE to be in their office to see all those headless chickens ;-))

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/04/peter_irons_drafts_a_letter.php#more

They should make another film .. how NOT to make a movie!

755. Fleabytes

Comment #158126 by Vaal on April 10, 2008 at 5:21 am

Banning Jerusalem!! That's from one of my favourite films "Chariots of Fire". Infidels!!!

756. Reviews of Expelled

Comment #158059 by Vaal on April 10, 2008 at 3:17 am

Thanks rod-the-farmer

I have bookmarked that. Looks like "expelled" is getting the reviews it deserves, although as already mentioned, it is only aimed at a target audience.

However, it has taken such a battering that it may actually be the greatest own goal that the IDiots have ever undertaken, and will be the butt of jokes for years.

Hopefully Ben Stein will be remorselessly ribbed. I am looking forward to him appearing in South Park, and other irreverent comedies.

757. Fleabytes

Comment #158050 by Vaal on April 10, 2008 at 3:03 am

Not entirely unpredictable that the self serving DR should try to make as much capital as possible out of poor Richard Morgan's loneliness.

Who knows perhaps your gift of music will one day be used to worship God

758. Rep. Davis: The Worst Person in the World

Comment #158017 by Vaal on April 10, 2008 at 1:37 am

Quine

That is quite encouraging. She is getting a real slating from the vast majority of comments. Perhaps the Zeitgeist is changing in America, and the nonsense of right wing Christian evangelism is coming home to roost. Most of our American cousins aren't as daft as they are portrayed in the media.

759. Fleabytes

Comment #157483 by Vaal on April 9, 2008 at 6:52 am

There is always a sting in the tail with a relationship with these cults. I have a lodger who is/was a Jehovah's Witness, and her church friends always seemed a happy, cheerful group. However, once she got a boyfriend who was not a fellow JW, then suddenly all her friends turned their back on her, like a leper, including her best friend whom she had shared a flat with for ages. This distressed her considerably, but it is a mechanism of control by the cult.

I would rather have an honest friendship, warts and all, than have somebody be a friend only because I am part of their cult. It is nothing more than religious apartheid, and it shows how shallow they really are when it comes to callously expelling their former friend who had invested a lot of time and effort to their group.

I am not quite sure what RM expects to get from the carnivorous and duplicitous opaquethinker. He will just hover over him like a vulture over its prey, waiting to get the maximum propaganda over such a coup, licking his lips at the thought of writing it up in his next attack on the "evil" atheists in his next book. Sad.

760. Rep. Davis: The Worst Person in the World

Comment #157453 by Vaal on April 9, 2008 at 5:49 am

Excellent article Windweaver.

761. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby

Comment #157172 by Vaal on April 8, 2008 at 3:51 pm

Very good Paula. I know how difficult public speaking is, and you didn't seem nervous at all, and came across as very relaxed and fair. I did expect you to have a Scottish accent, as my nieces are English and have lived in Elgin for years now, and I can scarcely understand them. Your voice carried very well and was clear and pleasant.

Good to hear Richard explaining so clearly, nice to hear him reading from his book and coming across as so reasonable and concise. I was pleased to see the reaction from the audience.. however, still going through the questions... so, catch up later..

762. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions

Comment #156969 by Vaal on April 8, 2008 at 12:49 pm

That devil. He is a fantastic scapegoat!

763. The Atheist Next Door

Comment #156895 by Vaal on April 8, 2008 at 11:22 am

Where do I place my trust and my hope?

NOT in a despotic desert God who will fry me for eternity for not groveling in worship. In crisis, as we all do, just get through it with the help of friends and family, and understand that life does have some nasty elements we all have to face, as well as good, without obeisance to a non existent supernatural entity.

764. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156862 by Vaal on April 8, 2008 at 10:41 am

Wow! Is that sycophantic tirade on David Robinson's site REALLY Richard Morgan? I am amazed, especially with his musical tributes to many on this site, and his warm approval of Paula's fleabytes article.

Yes, we can be a bit joyless, but that is hardly surprising considering how exasperating the articles are that we address. However, I have laughed so hard on this site, I have nearly fallen off my chair, with Cartomancers brilliant compositions, Diacanu's brilliant put downs and Irate's concise demolition of the witless, and others.

Personally, I have quite a dark sense of humour, but not all atheists are the same of course, despite Mr Robinson's assertion of an "Atheist creed". However, I have never harmed anybody (except on a rugby field) or wished harm on anybody but can, like others here, laugh at the ridiculous.

I hope RM, if you are reading this, that you don't let yourself be used as a propaganda tool by Opaquethinker, as he will twist it to suit his own agenda, as well demonstrated by the comments he has made on this site.

I haven't agreed with everything you have said, but wish you the best. Don't take things so seriously. As Brian said "We ARE all different!"

765. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156688 by Vaal on April 8, 2008 at 6:32 am

#156675 by epeeist

And how about ice dating from the Antartic Ice cores showing ice layering to some 160,000 years? Let me guess, deposited by the flood?

Plate technoics? Radiation half-life? What a sad small Universe the young Earthers inhabit, and all based on Bronze age creation myths. It is almost pitiful.

766. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156670 by Vaal on April 8, 2008 at 6:02 am

Phil, not to mention the scale of the Universe. Is the Universe also 6000 years old? What are Galaxies then? How far are the nearest stars? Are Astronomical measurements so far out? How do they address that? I would have said that that would be the biggest death knell to the Young Earth crowd.

767. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156662 by Vaal on April 8, 2008 at 5:47 am

Dawkins has said quite unequivocally that his book would never change the minds of dedicated religites, as our friend Mr Robinson has shown to be a prime example, but he has said quite correctly that Religion has had a free pass for too long, and should be vigorously addressed in this era of aggressive Religious fundamentalism, particularly the insidious attack on science by duplicitous Creationists.

As Paula showed in her review of the fleas, the language coming from the fleas who have had their feathers flustered consists of ad-hominum attacks, atheist fundamentalism, atheism in your face, aggressive atheism, atheism as a faith, Darwinism as a social philosophy, the usual rant of Hitler/Stalin, not understanding theology. One would hardly think they had read the book at all.

None of it actually comes to anything and there hasn't yet been a single plausible criticism of the God Delusion. In fact, I think most people here, and Dawkins, would like to hear a good defense of theism, but it hasn't been forthcoming.

It is good that these beliefs should be challenged, and the zeitgeist raised. The more ridiculous the defense of the irrational, the better the case is for people who are sitting on the fence to see it for what it really is.

768. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156325 by Vaal on April 7, 2008 at 10:39 am

It is a worrying trend. I did go to a religious school in Ireland, but it was a very good school, and they kept religion to RE classes, and science to science. However, they did teach you to question and never tried to proselytize. It was the same school that Alistair McGrath came from, I am sorry to say, but I have never met anyone quite as woolly headed as him (until opaquethinker). My physics teacher was infectiously enthusiastic and LOVED to teach, and the pupils were inspired by him. I would say the awe and scale of the Universe is the best antidote to a small-minded, parochial and petty Abrahamic desert God.

Now parents want to send their children to faith based schools because, on the whole, they do get a good education, and the schools are not run by the children, unlike some of the horror stories of the government run schools.

Unfortunately, in particular Muslim faith schools, discipline is very good, but at the COST of truth, and an enquiring mind. The State should be seeking to properly cultivate young minds with rational enquiry, not allowing schools to inculcate Religious dogma as truth.

I lived in Australia for several years and never considered it at all religious, most people are extremely irreverent, and I can't say I heard many people even discuss religion, so I am quite surprised that ID is getting a foothold there. I suspect that it is a very small vocal minority.

Teach religion as truth at school should be banned, just as in Sweden, and accepting the pupil's right to question the curriculum based on cultural relativism and/or religion is absurd. There should be one curriculum for all. If teachers are teaching Creationism as Science then they are NOT science teachers and should be dismissed.

769. BBC 'too scared to allow jokes about Islam'

Comment #154477 by Vaal on April 3, 2008 at 10:35 am

I have just received an email from the BBC after a comment on their HYS website, asking if they would like me to contribute on the BBC world service tonight at 6/8pm. I actually have to go into work to do some scheduled maintenance, but I did email them back to say that somebody on this site, such as Steve, may be interested in contributing to the debate..

From: Lin Liu [mailto:Lin.Liu@bbc.co.uk]
Sent: 03 April 2008 16:51
To:Vaal
Subject: BBC World Have Your Say


Dear Vaal
My name is Kate and I am part of the World Have Your Say team at the BBC World Service radio.
Tonight's programme is asking the question 'Can Muslims take a joke about their own religion?' and having read your blog post on the BBC News website I wondered if you might be interested in taking part in our discussion?
We will be asking whether Ben Elton is right to believe there is a climate of fear around the satire of Islam, and whether comedians should consider restricitng their routines to avoid causing offence.
The programme is on the air between 6-8pm and if you did want to take part we would telphone you during that time and talk to you about your opinion. We are hoping to engage people from all around the world on the question.
If you would like to take part please repond to this e-mail with a contact number on which we could speak to you.
Thank-you for the contribution you have already made to the BBC blog.
Kind regards,
Kate Harvey

770. Fleabytes

Comment #147341 by Vaal on March 20, 2008 at 7:32 am

I am taking a break from the RD site for a while. Hope you make it to 10,000 posts. I will look on occasionally to see how it is going. It is just too addictive otherwise.

David, honestly, you can't really believe that inane nonsense you espouse every day. Try looking at the world and explaining it without any supernatural agent, and be honest about it. You are obviously fairly intelligent, but you have just compartmentalised your brain to believe anything, and are hoodwinking yourself. The Emperor still has no clothes, no matter how much you huff and puff.

I had hoped to hear something from you that would make me stand up and take notice, but it is still the same old straw men, smokes and mirrors. I am staggered you believe it yourself, when you look back and see what you are writing.

Paula, Steve and others. I have learnt lots from you and hope to have built my arguments more cogently from your excellent posts. Irate, Diacanu, you are class! Cartomancer, man, you hurt my sides, and have a talent that I wish I had.

Exceptional posts from many, who I have not mentioned. Riveting, but exasperating, to see the woolly headed thinking of the wooters of this world, and the inculcated poison coming from the empty heads of the pathfinders.

771. Sci-fi guru Clarke to have secular funeral

Comment #146804 by Vaal on March 19, 2008 at 12:23 pm

I don't know. I would like to be there to have paid him my last respects.

Classic quote...

The famed science fiction writer, who once denigrated religion as "a necessary evil in the childhood of our particular species"

772. Writer Arthur C Clarke dies at 90

Comment #146774 by Vaal on March 19, 2008 at 11:48 am

What a shame. He will be sorely missed in this day of religious backwardness and small mindedness, when we need him most.

He was a man of vision, who could see what mankind was capable of, at its best. He was a man who could see the bigger picture. A man beyond his time. Personally he was an inspiration as I grew up, as iconic as Carl Sagan, and why I developed a keen interest in Astronomy as a youngster. As he said below, he inspired youngsters to become astronauts and scientists, to want to learn more about the Universe and the world around them. How many of us could inspire such a legacy.

I'm sure we would not have had men on the Moon if it had not been for Wells and Verne and the people who write about this and made people think about it. I'm rather proud of the fact that I know several astronauts who became astronauts through reading my books. Arthur C Clarke

All this writing about space travel is utter bilge, Richard Woolley Astronomer Royal 1956

773. Ban anti-Catholic books in schools, says bishop

Comment #144425 by Vaal on March 16, 2008 at 3:52 am

D'Arcy

I was speaking to a religite, who was pigeonholing all the Jews for the crime of killing Jesus. I said "Well, Jesus was a Jew as well". He replied in horror "Jesus WASN'T a Jew!!".

Wow, I was rendered speechless.

774. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #144201 by Vaal on March 15, 2008 at 10:12 am

Bonzai

Really. Human beings have been changing animals, and plants, since early agriculture. Look at dogs, cows, horses, pigs etc etc. Some of them have changed almost beyond recognition. Look at how some of us are more lactose tolerant. I just thought it would have seemed, thick though I am, that it would have occurred to somebody a long time before Darwin.

775. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #144186 by Vaal on March 15, 2008 at 9:31 am

Thanks Steve

Wikipedia, sorry, should have checked that out.

Wow, this is interesting, actually from an Arab scholar in the 7th Century, Al-Jahiz.

Animals engage in a struggle for existence; for resources, to avoid being eaten and to breed. Environmental factors influence organisms to develop new characteristics to ensure survival, thus transforming into new species. Animals that survive to breed can pass on their successful characteristics to offspring.

776. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #144156 by Vaal on March 15, 2008 at 8:11 am

ungodlystheist

I actually agree with you, and your point below, as there is no other rational response.

However, this is why good law is not decided by our passions in adverse circumstances - but as to reflect our best rational thinking in the cool light of day

777. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #144143 by Vaal on March 15, 2008 at 7:49 am

Steve, just as a matter of interest, as you seem to be a very well read chap, and I learn a lot from your posts.

Are you not surprised that it took to the 19th Century for somebody to come up with evolution. It seems fairly obvious, although with the benefit of hindsight.

After all, the Greeks came up with the atom five centuries before Christ, and understood the Earth revolved around the sun. They even measured the circumference of the Earth. Were there any indications that anybody had considered evolution in that era, and had put pen to paper contemplating it?

Maybe the Library of Alexandria had that information before it was burned to the ground? I can't say I have heard of anything like that, but would be interested if you or anybody else had come across it.

778. The atheist delusion

Comment #144140 by Vaal on March 15, 2008 at 7:31 am

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth

the ugly fantasy that the Earth exists to serve humans, which most secular humanists share

779. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #144117 by Vaal on March 15, 2008 at 6:11 am

For me he is comfortable with torture

780. The atheist delusion

Comment #144113 by Vaal on March 15, 2008 at 5:49 am

The incomprehensibility of the divine

781. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #144101 by Vaal on March 15, 2008 at 5:18 am

Man. Those adverts!! Thank Thor for the BBC.

I think Richard has got to be careful implying that intelligent people don't believe in God, as he is at risk of alienating opinion, and coming across as an intellectual snob.

Several of my friends who are very intelligent, and have top degrees are theists. They just seem to have a mental block when you come to criticizing their religion. I don't know why. It would present an interesting psychological study.

They argue to a point and realize that their description of God becomes woollier and woollier, until they can't really define him at all. Then they come back to "That's not my God".

Fortunately, we just agree to disagree and none of them threaten me with murder as an Infidel. We just go out and have a drink and a laugh. I think the best we can do is try and persuade, not confront and hope that the seed that is laid in their minds grows until they work it out themselves. Otherwise they will just hunker deeper into their trenches, ignoring the incandescent shells of rationality.

Right off to watch the rugger. Come on England!

782. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143619 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 8:54 am

So, he is what? A fundamentalist wanker?

783. Deadly Sins 101

Comment #143584 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 8:13 am

How about thinking is a sin? At least Wooter would be in the clear.

784. Ban anti-Catholic books in schools, says bishop

Comment #143491 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 6:47 am

51. Comment #143486 by Ygern

This seems to be the trend since Ratzinger was elected Pope. I've never seen so many Catholic bishops falling over themselves to 'witness to' & promote bigotry, intolerance, ignorance, censorship, dubiously unsafe sex & hate-mongering.

785. Bishop accuses gays of 'conspiracy' against the Catholic Church

Comment #143477 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 6:33 am

Of course he is deluded. Isn't that a sine qua non for becoming a bishop.

786. Fleabytes

Comment #143473 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 6:29 am

Do you know, I think Clearthinker isn't a theist at all, but just a wind up merchant who likes to come on to the board, write some cobblers, and then just sits back and watch the board rev up and chuckles to himself.

787. Fleabytes

Comment #143433 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 5:39 am

#143420 by Sargeist

In a way, despite the obvious Euthyphro problem, I can see the attraction of big-beardy-morals, handed down from the sky

788. Fleabytes

Comment #143416 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 5:20 am

How about Oxford. We could do the Inspector Morse tour of the local pubs. Perhaps RD would care to have a jar with us. Oh, Veronique is over from May as well.

789. Fleabytes

Comment #143401 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 5:08 am

#143396 by clearthinker

Blind faith is by definition stupid. Real faith is faith based upon knowledge and that knowledge must always be open to challenge

790. Fleabytes

Comment #143389 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 4:45 am

Starksy and Hutch, no consequence. Blasphemy!!

791. Bishop accuses gays of 'conspiracy' against the Catholic Church

Comment #143387 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 4:42 am

So, if you are gay and an Infidel, do you get killed twice?

792. Fleabytes

Comment #143382 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 4:23 am

Very good Steve. Doesn't she have no hair now? Maybe it is a wig?

It is David Soul in one of his first roles on TV, in the Star Trek episode "The Apple", where Kirk destroys their religion, by killing off the 10,000 year old machine they have been worshipping, Vaal.

Guess Gene Roddenberry was an atheist too!

793. Fleabytes

Comment #143376 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 4:08 am

Notice that DR is the opposite of RD. Very fitting.

Anyone recognise who my Avatar is?

794. Fleabytes

Comment #143358 by Vaal on March 14, 2008 at 3:31 am

I know that Dawkins does not like to debate (and as he generally does not come of well, I can understand why)

795. Fleabytes

Comment #143154 by Vaal on March 13, 2008 at 2:33 pm

Quetzalcoatl

That would be an ecumenical matter.

796. Fleabytes

Comment #143150 by Vaal on March 13, 2008 at 2:25 pm

Quetzalcoatl

Personally, I'd find it funny if the first thing aliens said to us was "Jesus who? Let us tell you about the All-Powerful Xrglyuf, the Swarm-Father and creator of all life in the Universe

797. Fleabytes

Comment #143137 by Vaal on March 13, 2008 at 2:04 pm

Steve,

It is called moving the goalposts. The religites do it all the time. From Galileo to Einstein to Steven Hawkings, ad infinitum.

When they find life outside the Earth, then it will be that God created life in the Universe, not just the Earth etc etc.

798. Deadly Sins 101

Comment #143082 by Vaal on March 13, 2008 at 12:22 pm

You couldn't make it up. Oh, sorry, they have!

799. Ban anti-Catholic books in schools, says bishop

Comment #143069 by Vaal on March 13, 2008 at 12:06 pm

Irate_atheist

Are you going to reply, or shall I?

800. Bishop accuses gays of 'conspiracy' against the Catholic Church

Comment #143053 by Vaal on March 13, 2008 at 11:51 am

As Steve says, just let the Church carry on with this sort of nonsense. It is actually far better than any criticism that we can level at them, as it shows them for the bigots they are and the small mindedness of their beliefs.

It is cods wallop like this that empties the churches, particularly with the young, as the zeitgeist has moved on.