Comments by Johnny O

Comment #149089 by Johnny O on March 25, 2008 at 5:29 am

Now, having made and saved more money than most people can imagine

What's that story about the camel and the eye of a needle again...

52. 'Anonymous' takes anti-Scientology to the streets

Comment #144512 by Johnny O on March 16, 2008 at 9:12 am

They should have all worn Tom Cruise masks, that would have been hilarious.

Must say I agree with the IRS's original opinion...

Scientology was a business and not a religion

Hail Xenu

53. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #144504 by Johnny O on March 16, 2008 at 8:59 am

Harris is just intellectually shallow. Harris doesn't know anything about religion or the Middle East

He forgot to add...

And ripped me a new arse in our debate

What a cock!!

54. Deadly Sins 101

Comment #144501 by Johnny O on March 16, 2008 at 8:45 am

And 'SE7EN' will have to be changed into 'FOURTEEN' and have twice has many victims.

AH!! You've hit upon the source of these new sins.... Hollywood.

It's all just so they can make a sequal

55. The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing

Comment #144497 by Johnny O on March 16, 2008 at 8:33 am

This book has been out a couple of weeks hasn't it? I got it at the beginning of March from my local Waterstones and was very surprised not to have heard about it first on the website.

I've been picking and choosing chapters so far and have loved it. It's the sort of book you can take in the bath, read any part of and be satisfied when you emerge, hours later from the tepid water.

Brilliant

56. The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing

Comment #144496 by Johnny O on March 16, 2008 at 8:28 am

Does anyone else have Hitchen's "god is not Great" audio version?

I do and whilst I still enjoyed it, I got the impression Hitch was bored and wanted to do something else. At times it was like he was reading a list.

57. Beauty ad banned after Christian outcry

Comment #142857 by Johnny O on March 13, 2008 at 6:37 am

The ASA said that while previous ghd campaigns did not "mock" faith or belief, the new ads went further with the women appearing to be praying while being erotic.

I hope they don't try an ban shouting, "OH, MY GOD" everytime someone reaches sexual climax???

Can I ban 'Songs of Praise'? I find it offensive. Thanks.

Matt7895, that is a brilliant idea. I wonder what would happen if enough secularists complained?

58. How to abandon your God

Comment #139583 by Johnny O on March 6, 2008 at 6:26 am

What by the hair on Odin's chin is...

open-throated sex

I'm scared to Google it

59. Survey shows Non-Religious Outnumber Those of Every Single Faith (But One)

Comment #137631 by Johnny O on March 3, 2008 at 9:21 am

The study also shows the number of Americans who identify as atheist or agnostic has risen from 3.2 percent to 4 percent

That seems very low.

60. A God blog

Comment #137532 by Johnny O on March 3, 2008 at 5:17 am

Whilst I like the article I'd like to point out...

Posted by Ceri Radford on 25 Jan 2007 at 16:50

It's over a year old and was written not long after the release of the book, when everyone was still reading it after receiving it for Christmas.

61. A natural phenomenon

Comment #137522 by Johnny O on March 3, 2008 at 4:27 am

Tonight, after 54 fabulous years of globetrotting for wildlife, David Attenborough bows out

I'd just like to say that Sir David isn't "bowing out".

On Jonathan Ross last month he said he was already making another documentary series, this time about.... wait for it.... EVOLUTION!!!

I can not wait

Edit: Just found this link -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/01_january/18/ross.shtml

62. The Dog Allusion

Comment #128164 by Johnny O on February 16, 2008 at 11:36 am

'As with dogs, so with gods - by and large, you should blame the owners

I'm getting that put on a t-shirt... GENIUS!!!

63. Ben Stein Wins Intelligent Design Money

Comment #128152 by Johnny O on February 16, 2008 at 11:20 am

Watch the trailer for the film. It almost made me cry. Those poor down trodden Fundies. With all us nasty rationalist requiring some kind of evidence from them.

We are apparently intolerant and do not allow free speech when it is against Darwin.

And there was me thinking it was US being shouted down for questioning faith based beliefs???

What a cretin, I wonder if he actually believes the shite coming out of his mouth... shocking

64. A match made on RichardDawkins.net?

Comment #128149 by Johnny O on February 16, 2008 at 11:07 am

Congratulations, Veronique and Yorker.

When's the big day?

65. My Saudi Valentine

Comment #126788 by Johnny O on February 14, 2008 at 8:25 am

Guys took their chances by handing out their land-line numbers to any nearby female, just in case there was an eligible young woman hidden under that shapeless abaya and niqab. I remember my mother yelling at boys who would knock on our car window and "number" her; offer her cards with their home numbers.

I'm beginning to understand why the women cover themselves head-to-toe. All the men are sex mad. Why else would they give their number to a woman in a sheet, on the off chance that she's nice looking?

Mental

66. The New Atheist Movement

Comment #123426 by Johnny O on February 7, 2008 at 6:22 am

Madness, complete fucking madness.

I can't believe that the AB of C has said

"An approach to law which simply said - there's one law for everybody - I think that's a bit of a danger"

Of course there should be one law for everybody, WTF is he trying to achieve? Even more seperation and 'multi-culturalism'.

If Muslims find it, "...hard to live or work in some areas of the UK", they can always try living in Iran, they'll get all the Sharia law they can handle there.

What I hate most about this sort of bollocks is that they've made me sound like Enoch 'bloody' Powell.

67. Ad 'likely to offend gay people'

Comment #123420 by Johnny O on February 7, 2008 at 6:08 am

Sadly many straight people (even those not particularly homophobic) can have such a response, which has been conditioned by family, friends, society.

I have to admit to having fallen into this group. When I was 14 or 15 I bought a Bronski Beat album, they had had a couple of catchy singles so I bought the album. When I listened to it I looked through the sleeve and saw them at gay bars and clubs and then truly understood the lyrics to the song "Run Away".

I'm ashamed to say that I felt disgusted and threw the album away. I wasn't religious and had never even knowingly met any gay people, but the thought of it turned my stomach. I can only think that these views were based on ignorance and the views of my peers, (and definitely my Father).

I'm glad to say that I no longer hold these small minded views and have gay friends who laugh like drains at my story when I tell it. As penance they once made me wear a t-shirt with the word "BREEDER" on it, on a pub crawl round various gay bars in Soho...

68. Documents detail church coverup

Comment #121757 by Johnny O on February 4, 2008 at 4:50 am

..a coverup of pedophilia that involved top church leaders and touched a prominent law-enforcement official...

What an unfortunate turn of phrase...

69. Morality and the 'new atheism'

Comment #119954 by Johnny O on February 1, 2008 at 3:54 am

What a great article. I did have to read it in two goes however as this comment had me in hysterics...

When a monkey experiences pain from, say, being kicked in the testicles, several neurons can be observed to fire in his brain

It just summoned pictures of a monkey in an MRI scanner with some guy in a lab coat kicking it in the nuts... LMFAO

70. Scientists want rewrite of Earth's time line

Comment #117589 by Johnny O on January 29, 2008 at 7:26 am

this isn't an Americocentric viewpoint

I know it isn't mate, I was just taking the piss.

I do however think that the Industrial Revolution has had a bigger effect on the planet, apart from the obvious Industrialisation of what had previously been manual labour and the many inventions and discoveries that it drove, there was also the mass migration of populace. People lost their livelihoods to machines, the land owners evicted them to replace them with sheep to supply textile mills. It might have made Britain "Great", but it filled North America with it's unwanted masses.

And then of course there is the polution which we are feeling the effects of today.

71. Scientists want rewrite of Earth's time line

Comment #117579 by Johnny O on January 29, 2008 at 6:26 am

I'm inclined to agree with Opisthokont's choice of 1492 as emblematically marking the point when transcontinental transfers of species began to ramp up by orders of magnitude more than they had before

Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle-East have had, "transcontinental transfers", for quite a while. Alexander got to India, the Persians would have got into Europe except for those 300 buff looking nekid fellas, the Romans pretty much owned the Mediterranean basin and that Marco Polo chap put himself about quite a bit. There have even been well preserved ginger headed corpses in kilts found in China.

Is this another example of America re-writing history? It's bad enough when you do it in films. The Scottish invented just about everything used in the Industrial Revelution, please don't try and steal the new (Mc)Epoch.

;-)

72. 'Irrational Atheist' trounces God-deniers

Comment #117557 by Johnny O on January 29, 2008 at 5:37 am

Given that you wrote a chapter about Dennett, why didn't you include him in with the other three?

Because he wanted to use the term "Unholy Trinity" and forgot about Dennet.

Dawkins's stupid assertion that a religious upbringing is worse than sexual child abuse

RD has never said that religious teachings are worse than child abuse, he says that "Labelling" a child as Christian or Muslim is a "form" of child abuse.

I get so bored of these people misquoting him, you have to wonder if it is deliberate. He gets questioned about it all the time and no matter how many times he corrects them, people still keep spouting it.

Atheists have felt that science was on their side ever since the Enlightenment, and now they see it slipping away from them

Does he work for the Templeton Foundation? What Science is "slipping away" from us?

There is very little ... that was not already said by Jean Meslier prior to his death in 1729.

Evolution, General & Special Relativity, Big Bang, Quantum Theory...

I would have considered reading this book, but this interview shows that the guy is just an ignorant dullard.

73. Three Little Pigs 'too offensive'

Comment #115371 by Johnny O on January 24, 2008 at 5:25 am

..."could not recommend this product to the Muslim community".

Can we assume that they have been perfectly happy offending the Jewish community for years? Although I am unaware of a single Jewish protest against it.

I wonder if Texans are offended by the new title...

The Three Little Cowboy Builders

74. Mixing Mammals

Comment #115366 by Johnny O on January 24, 2008 at 5:19 am

Come on everyone admit it; when you read up to there you already had an image in your head of a mouse with bat wings!

Isn't a mouse with bat wings... A Bat???

lol

75. Ken Ham in Leicester April 2008

Comment #114889 by Johnny O on January 23, 2008 at 6:03 am

He's coming to Oxford???

Please tell me RD is in the country and popping along for a chat?

76. Mandrake: Charles's letter in support of Islamic 'fundamentalism'

Comment #113958 by Johnny O on January 21, 2008 at 4:50 am

I'm not sure what's worst.

Charles being a Religious Fundamentalist or William being a Villa fan...

77. Mandrake: Charles's letter in support of Islamic 'fundamentalism'

Comment #113939 by Johnny O on January 21, 2008 at 3:48 am

Whilst those comments are alarming, I'd like to read the whole letter to see the context in which they were used. We've all seen how RD is quoted as saying Religious Education is child abuse, by paraphrasing him.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not for one moment defending the inbred, jug eared fuckwit, I'd just like to see the complete letter.

78. The God Delusion: Now Available in US Paperback

Comment #113277 by Johnny O on January 19, 2008 at 7:42 am

I have to say I'm not taken by the shiny silver cover.

It looks like a prop from the set of a 1960's sci-fi film.

This how all books will look in the future when we drive our hover cars and live on the moon...

79. The New Theology

Comment #113274 by Johnny O on January 19, 2008 at 7:27 am

He rides around Oxford on a simple blue bicycle with a wicker basket on the handlebars, and he hasn't quite mastered his iPhone

RD has an iPhone?

C'Mon Professor, they're all hype. A superb media player but with a 4 year old phone attached, (no picture messaging, no video camera, internet connection is almost slower than drawing it unless you are in a wi-fi hotspot, not bluetooth compatible).

Take it back and get yourself a Nokia N95, (8GB memory, 5 Mega Pixel camera, 30 Frames p/s video, sat nav, 3G)

80. The New Theology

Comment #113269 by Johnny O on January 19, 2008 at 7:00 am

This nonsense is just God-Lite. The TAB of Religions. I almost have more respect for the Creationists, they are at least following their good book.

Indeed, many scientists and even theologians believe that Darwin's theory requires throwing out old ideas about divine design.

That sentence is exactly one word too long.

81. Interview with Neil Shubin, author of 'Your Inner Fish'

Comment #112822 by Johnny O on January 18, 2008 at 6:28 am

Colbert is a legend. He did a pretty decent job of making Behe look like a cock too.

http://richarddawkins.net/article,1483,Interview-with-Michael-Behe,The-Colbert-Report

I haven't heard Behe use his "Mousetrap" analogy since Colbert's comments

"Wood, metal and springs. What possible use could any of those be"

82. Gigantic fossil rodent discovered

Comment #112817 by Johnny O on January 18, 2008 at 6:19 am

How did it get so big when there wasn't any cheese yet?

83. This Friday: Debate between Dan Dennett and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #91741 by Johnny O on November 29, 2007 at 5:48 am

I'm just glad to see that the actual subject being debated is can give a balanced arguement, rather than the loaded debates we have seen of late and it being held in a 'real' university, with a hopefully impartial audience.

Dan will be fine, he certainly can't be any worse than the pissed up Hitchens was...

84. The God Delusion and Alister E McGrath

Comment #81841 by Johnny O on October 25, 2007 at 9:13 am

"What I would like to say, might be something like this...

Stop telling us what you MIGHT like to say and just fucking say it you twat.

McGrath should be in politics, I've never heard anyone take so long to say so little.

He has nothing to say and he says it too loud...

85. War in Heaven: Hitchens Meets D'Souza on Home Turf

Comment #81114 by Johnny O on October 24, 2007 at 6:46 am

Has anyone else noticed how the Religioso's are moving the goal posts and rigging the debates before they even start? Just the title of this one should have had alarm bells ringing in Hitch's head."Whose body count is bigger? Atheism's or Christianity's?" What kind of sensible debate can possible be expected there?

Even RD's debate with John Lennox was rigged in it's format. A quote was read from the book, RD had to elaborate and Lennox was then allowed to spout nonsense with no comeback on anything he said. Luckily RD just did his own thing, but there seems to be very little actual debate on the existence of God.

I have still not heard a single specific answer, good or bad, about evidence for God.

They have to be applauded for being able to do this. Whay aren't we organising these debates and setting the aganda. We don't even need to rig it with a biased aganda or format.

Opening speeches then dialogue between the two debaters.

86. Downward, Christian soldier

Comment #81097 by Johnny O on October 24, 2007 at 4:38 am

Brother John

What is asserted without evidence can be disregarded.

Like Religion?

Couldn't have put it better myself...

87. Downward, Christian soldier

Comment #80815 by Johnny O on October 23, 2007 at 5:22 am

there are atheists and agnostics in foxholes General, whatever you may wish to think otherwise...

This is so true though you'll never find the statistics to prove it.

When I joined up we were told NOT to say we were Atheist as we would be given extra duties if our troop or squadron was ever on church parade, for things like Rememberence Day. (Which I still attend every year). So all the Military records will show about 99% of serving personel as belonging to a faith.

My own dog tags still show me as being church of Scotland as at the time I joined, (I was only 18), I wasn't particularly bothered about standing up for my lack of belief, I was just more interested in not cleaning toilets or peeling spuds.

I recently attended my first Humanist Service for an old Army mate who had just returned from Afghanistan. (He died 4 days after returning from a 6 month tour, how shit is that?)

It was the most personal funeral service I have ever attended and several of the other soldiers made comment about the fact that they had requested the same thing on their Next Of Kin forms.

88. Downward, Christian soldier

Comment #80813 by Johnny O on October 23, 2007 at 5:16 am

a permanent organization for the destruction of life and property

As an ex-member of this permanent organization, I'd like to point out that it spends far more of it's time protecting life and property. In 9 years of service I raised my weapon, at another human being once and thankfully didn't have to fire it. (Though I would have, to protect the lives of my colleagues, if he hadn't dropped his weapon). I did however do a lot of peace keeping and construction In Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leon and Somalia.

Maybe you should think more clearly before making glib remarks to try and score points...

89. Christopher Hitchens at AAI 07

Comment #80164 by Johnny O on October 20, 2007 at 10:19 am

Until someone can do this, the Hitchens Challenge remains by definition, a straw man argument.

put up or shut up.

Try this mate: http://richarddawkins.net/article,1291,The-Great-God-Debate,Hugh-Hewitt-Show-Christopher-Hitchens-Mark-Roberts

You can hear Roberts and Hewitt make the old, "Stalin & Hitler were evil because they were Atheists" arguement. Now if that is not implying that you need belief in a God to be moral, exactly what is?

Roberts does give an answer to Hitchen's challenge too, neither of those can see your straw man arguement.

There are plenty of believers that also think there would be anarchy if there was no belief in gods, read a few of the older posts and you will see that they have commented on here.

If you want the proof you say it is on Hitchens to provide, you only need to look on this website...

90. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath

Comment #79236 by Johnny O on October 16, 2007 at 2:38 pm

I don't understand why McGrath takes part in these debates. He never comes out of them even close to winning.

You think it's the money? It can't be to advertise his books. I'd never have bought The Dawkins' delusion if I had heard him speak first. And that is why I can't bring myself to pay for Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life. I can't help think that is just more of the same non-specific, evasive teapot worshipping crap. Has anyone read it?

91. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath

Comment #79230 by Johnny O on October 16, 2007 at 2:33 pm

Whats a miniature?

Liitle bottles of spirits, Whisky, Brandy, Port etc). The sort that you get in a mini bar in a hotel room

92. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78590 by Johnny O on October 13, 2007 at 5:19 pm

the Taliesin Arts Center in Swansea, a port city in southwestern England.

Last time I looked Swansea was in Wales...

because belief in God comes with no conditions attached

What?? So the whole, "Do what I say or you'll go to Hell" isn't a condition?

Williams said, adding: "If God was there before the Big Bang, he must be complex."

Which, (if he had read TGD properly he would see), is the very reason that He almost certainly does not exist.

Talk about preaching to the choir, this is a sad attack on Atheist books and seems to be based on reviews of them, rather than actually addressing points made in them.

93. The New Atheism: An Interview with Mitchell Cohen

Comment #77878 by Johnny O on October 11, 2007 at 1:35 am

If I had been asked...

Question: Do you think that belief in naturalism and/or evolutionism on the part of the New Atheists is just a replacement for belief in god?

Which was followed by...

Isn't the pro-Darwin propaganda of the New Atheists really a step back?

I'd have slapped the interviewer round the head and told him to stop being a twat.

Evolution and Darwin are propoganda and beliefs? What a moron.

94. Fiction or prediction?

Comment #77872 by Johnny O on October 11, 2007 at 1:20 am

Prayers may indeed have been said, but it was science that got us there

Hallejulah!!

I can just lie out in my back garden at night, staring at the stars in absolute, open-mouthed awe and wonder.

95. The Religious Right's New Tactics for Invading Public Schools

Comment #77369 by Johnny O on October 9, 2007 at 6:24 am

I can't see it being too long before the "Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act" is tested in court. I may not be too familiar with the "Seperation of Church & State", but this is quite clearly the exact opposite.

"Explore Evolution" can't come as a surprise to anyone surely. I know that a lot of scientists, RD included, don't want to get dragged into the Evolution/Creationism debate, but surely an "Explore Creationism" book would be quite a valuable contribution to this battle. Even if it was bought by the fence-sitters who just don't know either way. If they get to see how ridiculous the ID arguement is, it could bring the "debate" to a much quicker end"

96. Norway flourishes as secular nation

Comment #76360 by Johnny O on October 5, 2007 at 3:38 pm

I would like to point out that the article doesn't credit Atheism for Norway's success, it clearly states:

And what has secularism done to Norway?

They can be the most religious people on the planet yet still have a secular state.

We can't state that Stalin and Pol Pot didn't do what they did because they were Atheists and then try and claim Norway is successful because they are. At best we can show this as an example that Religion is not in any way needed when it comes to government and that it does not lead a country into moral decline.

97. 1996 Richard Dimbleby Lecture

Comment #73912 by Johnny O on September 26, 2007 at 2:44 pm

It was nice to see Douglas Adams in the audience. He gets a nice close up as Prof Dawkins is talking about the petrol engine about half way through clip 3.

I would have loved to see what contributions he would have made to this website...

98. Against the grain: There are questions that science cannot answer

Comment #72067 by Johnny O on September 20, 2007 at 8:57 am

Do you ever feel you are being picked on?

Don't worry Professor, we'll look after you...

99. Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god

Comment #70873 by Johnny O on September 17, 2007 at 6:00 am

I hope they at least made a nice curry with the goat that could be served on the flight...

100. Do you have to read up on leprechology before disbelieving in them?

Comment #70872 by Johnny O on September 17, 2007 at 5:54 am

Isaac Newton was religious, but I would not call him ignorant...

Sorry Steve but I would. With quotes like, "Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done."

He spent more years of his life reading Religious texts, than scientific. He did discredit the Trinity, but he also searched the Bible for hidden messages and thought the world would end in 2060. He was also into mysticism and practically killed himself with his Alchemy.

Please don't get me wrong. Isaac Newton is a hero of mine. I carry an old £5.00 note with him on it, (and a £10.00 with Darwin), but because of the age he lived in, he was ignorant of a lot of things. As are we all.

I do however agree with your comments about making generalisations. In much the same way as we are all cold, emotionless, reductionists...

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