51. Interviews with Richard Dawkins and Michael Shermer

Comment #164150 by Matt7895 on April 19, 2008 at 4:17 pm

Layla - when I listened to the interview I thought it might be you! I never knew your faith was 'draining away', though that is excellent news! I hope you don't have too many personal problems resulting from it (family/friends, etc).

52. Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher

Comment #163156 by Matt7895 on April 18, 2008 at 3:18 am

Richard: he may not believe in the talking snake, but Collins still believes God made a waterfall frozen! To me, that's almost as silly.

53. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Comment #163151 by Matt7895 on April 18, 2008 at 3:09 am

'As a sex..... MANIAC!'

54. Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss

Comment #162331 by Matt7895 on April 16, 2008 at 4:06 pm

We have a holocaust denier here now?

New low.

55. Evolution fray attracts top scientist

Comment #162326 by Matt7895 on April 16, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Sir Harry Kroto is pretty much a genius. His lectures, particularly the ones he gave at the Beyond Belief conferences, are well worth watching.

56. Victims: Pope Benedict Protects Accused Pedophile Bishops

Comment #161505 by Matt7895 on April 15, 2008 at 10:58 am

"As a Catholic, I have to sadly conclude that he is not serious about ridding the church of corrupt bishops," said Anne Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a group tracking public records involving the bishops.

57. Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss

Comment #161289 by Matt7895 on April 15, 2008 at 5:57 am

A very interesting talk. Thanks for putting it up on the website.

58. Richard Dawkins' secular army must be stopped. God is behind some of our greatest art

Comment #160322 by Matt7895 on April 14, 2008 at 12:14 am

Richard has addressed this himself, many times, as have Sam, Christopher and Dan. Just another sorry example of a critic who hasn't read up on the man he blasts.

59. Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher

Comment #159380 by Matt7895 on April 12, 2008 at 3:58 am

Him reconciling his daughter's rape with God (because she can now help out in a rape crisis centre) is something I found particularly repugnant.

60. The books that inspire me

Comment #157429 by Matt7895 on April 9, 2008 at 4:48 am

I haven't read anything by Carl Sagan. Demon Haunted World is on my to-buy list.

61. Hitchens vs. Hitchens

Comment #157195 by Matt7895 on April 8, 2008 at 4:28 pm

How awful it is that Peter Hitchens turns out to be an Intelligent Design proponent. He's deluding himself when it comes to God, but on Intelligent Design he's either ignorant or he willfully ignores the evidence.

62. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby

Comment #157182 by Matt7895 on April 8, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Paula, you have a lovely voice. You came across as very pleasant and well spoken, and you didn't seem at all nervous! Well done.

Relieving to see Richard talking again, last time I saw him he was on the BBC's 'Big Questions' Sunday morning religious programme, and he wasn't allowed to talk much.

63. Protests no concern for outspoken atheist

Comment #155067 by Matt7895 on April 4, 2008 at 6:04 am

I hope Richard also told that woman that chimpanzees certainly did NOT evolve into humans.

64. Faith healing church parents charged over toddler's death

Comment #153348 by Matt7895 on April 1, 2008 at 12:09 pm

Definitely manslaughter. Definitely a lengthy prison sentence for both of them.

65. My quest to get de-baptised

Comment #152456 by Matt7895 on March 31, 2008 at 4:50 am

I was baptised as a baby into the Church of England. That's just a fact of life. I can't pretend it didn't happen by trying to remove all historical records of it. That would just be silly.

66. Beware the Believers

Comment #152199 by Matt7895 on March 30, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Richard, if its any consolation, I didn't find it very funny either. I didn't really understand it.

On the subject of South Park, I'm actually quite a big fan of South Park when it's not focusing on toilet humour. But the episodes featuring you were obviously mean-spirited in nature, so I understand your objection to your depiction there.

67. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #149911 by Matt7895 on March 26, 2008 at 10:27 am

Happy Birthday Richard!

68. Expelled Overview

Comment #149793 by Matt7895 on March 26, 2008 at 8:25 am

I can't believe that they got permission for using 'Imagine' in the film. As far as I know, Yoko Ono owns the copyright to all of John Lennon's songs, and she is fiercely protective of it. She's an atheist like her husband was, so I think she would loathe creationism in all its forms.

69. Expelled Overview

Comment #149522 by Matt7895 on March 25, 2008 at 8:16 pm

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Josh.

70. Sue Blackmore debates Alister McGrath

Comment #149062 by Matt7895 on March 25, 2008 at 4:22 am

I wouldn't support that. Like Steve Zara, I don't find McGrath amusing, I find him irritating. And quite dishonest, he keeps bringing up the Stalin card when he knows Stalinism was anything BUT atheistic; plus he loves to misrepresent Dawkins as much as he can.

71. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #148676 by Matt7895 on March 23, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Bravo Richard, I've been awaiting your response to this piece of trash for a while now, and what a cracking response it is.

72. Discussion on PZ Myers being expelled from Expelled

Comment #148101 by Matt7895 on March 22, 2008 at 4:20 am

Oh man! This is 'Discussions with Richard Dawkins' Episode Two? If so, what a cracking episode to follow the Four Horsemen! PZ is a great guy.

Thanks RDF.

73. EXPELLED!

Comment #147676 by Matt7895 on March 21, 2008 at 5:42 am

Like PZ I find this whole debacle highly amusing.

I agree with others here though that a review by Richard would give the IDiots an ounce of credibility that they do not deserve. 'We got reviewed by Dawkins!'. They already laughed about having Richard ask them questions after the film, surely we don't want to give them anything more to be proud of.

74. In Britain, creationist theory is evolving

Comment #144681 by Matt7895 on March 16, 2008 at 3:21 pm

This is really frightening.

75. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #143810 by Matt7895 on March 14, 2008 at 12:54 pm

I seem to remember Alan Colmes being VERY reasonable when Richard was on his show last year. Some may remember it for featuring a few infamous callers, many refusing to accept evolution, one going as far to say if he didn't believe in a god, he would go out and kill people.

I'll listen to this new one with interest. Thanks.

Edit: Wow, I'm about half way through, I nearly splurted out my drink when Richard swore! The only other time I've ever heard him swear was at Beyond Belief 06, I think, and then he was only quoting someone else! Heh heh, was so funny though, swearing on Fox Radio!

Edit 2: Finished. It was a shame about the behaviour of some of the callers, but I guess the filtering people wanted to keep things interesting. Only one creationist though, so that's promising. And as for the woman who thinks Americans don't have a constitutional right to insult.... haha!

76. Beauty ad banned after Christian outcry

Comment #142416 by Matt7895 on March 12, 2008 at 12:58 pm

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

77. Two More Fleas

Comment #142413 by Matt7895 on March 12, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Funny how the religious are still bringing up the sodding devil.

Who created the Devil? Who allows him to continue causing leukemia in children, paedophilia, and all the other wretched things in this world? Yes, the same god they claim is a loving and merciful one.

78. Full house captivated by atheist Dawkins' take on religion

Comment #142406 by Matt7895 on March 12, 2008 at 12:54 pm

An odd title to the article. I'd have liked to have read some responses by the people who were there, although it was good that there was laughter at the 'ateapotist', which of course is meant to be a consciousness raiser.

Does anyone know if any of Richard's new talks are on the internet in video or audio? Thanks.

79. Special Guest: Richard Dawkins

Comment #142368 by Matt7895 on March 12, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Ah, I haven't heard anything from Richard in a while! This should be interesting. I hope his current book tour is going well.

80. Should Galileo's tomb be opened for DNA tests?

Comment #141677 by Matt7895 on March 11, 2008 at 4:38 am

I disagree. It isn't disrespectful at all, unless that person had only recently died, or his family/close friends were still alive. I don't see how opening up his tomb and doing a few tests on his remains is disrespectful. He doesn't give a damn. Nobody else does either, if they say they do then they are liars.

81. Should Galileo's tomb be opened for DNA tests?

Comment #141434 by Matt7895 on March 10, 2008 at 12:13 pm

I think Galileo doesn't give a damn if he is exhumed. And since all his loved ones are long since dead, I don't think they will care either. So what's the problem?

82. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #140180 by Matt7895 on March 7, 2008 at 3:23 am

Oh well, I'm only making a fuss because I'm English and I love German beer! I went to Germany for a holiday last year and was astounded to see it came in litres! Needless to say, I had a great time in Munich.

Vaal: Yes, the sleeping habits of the House of Lords have become quite a running joke ever since it has been televised for the whole country to see :) When it comes to House of Lords reform, I agree with many other people here when they say appoint more scientists and intellectuals to the upper house. As for making it into a US-like 'Senate', I'm not so sure. We don't live in a democracy, that's plain to see, and I think things work quite well the way they are. But the Lords does need a bit of change.

83. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #140172 by Matt7895 on March 7, 2008 at 3:10 am

Wait, you live in Bavaria and *don't* drink beer? Surely that IS blasphemy!

84. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #140165 by Matt7895 on March 7, 2008 at 2:58 am

[Richard Dawkins] is professor of philosophical studies at Oxford

85. Beyond Belief 2006 Videos

Comment #139173 by Matt7895 on March 5, 2008 at 8:54 am

How I wish Dan Dennett was well enough to go, how he would have brightened up this conference!

Richard and Sam were great, as were Neil Tyson, Michael Shermer, Lawrence Krauss, Sir Harry Kroto... but this conference had some really pugnacious pricks too (Jim Woodward and Melvin Konner, for example). Their attitudes towards Richard and Sam were really just rude, it showed in their vocal language and their body language during the panel discussion in Session 9. I could see Richard getting annoyed, and I don't blame him. I would have gone absolutely mental had I been in that audience, so it's just as well I didn't go.

And didn't Joan Roughgarden love the sound of her own voice? When she wasn't giving a presentation herself, she was taking up 10 minutes of everyone elses question time blathering on and on about nothing particularly interesting.

It would be unfair to judge the whole conference by a few ill-mannered speakers, so I'll just say the presentations by Neil Tyson, Michael Shermer, Lawrence Krauss, Steven Weinberg and Sir Harry Kroto are well worth watching, besides the ones from Richard and Sam too.

86. Please Call Earth. We Still Haven't Found You.

Comment #137652 by Matt7895 on March 3, 2008 at 9:52 am

I don't see any monkeys here, robotaholic. I see three apes, though.

Back on topic, I wonder why people like Stephen J. Gould were so pessimistic about extraterrestrial intelligence... and surely it doesn't really matter? Shouldn't the search be firstly for life itself, then worry about intelligence after? I'd be thrilled to find a smidgeon of bacteria on another planet, let alone an alien who can hold a conversation.

87. Please Call Earth. We Still Haven't Found You.

Comment #137616 by Matt7895 on March 3, 2008 at 9:00 am

I think these guys do a really important job. I mean, it's statistically improbable that Earth is the only planet with life in our galaxy, let alone the universe. I hope some discovery of life will be made before I kick the bucket... imagine the excitement! Probably the best discovery ever. One can hope.

88. A natural phenomenon

Comment #137524 by Matt7895 on March 3, 2008 at 4:38 am

There's a lot of good philosophy! Dan Dennett's philosophy, for example.

89. Fleabytes

Comment #137517 by Matt7895 on March 3, 2008 at 3:38 am

Congratulations, Paula. Sitting on a stage and having a discussion with Richard Dawkins is something most of us can only dream of. Make the most of it!

90. A natural phenomenon

Comment #137516 by Matt7895 on March 3, 2008 at 3:30 am

Richard Dawkins wrote:

I hope nobody can confirm the scurrilous rumour that, when an early Attenborough documentary was first released in America, his commentary was dubbed by Robert Redford because the TV company wanted an American accent.

Richard

91. Fleabytes

Comment #137152 by Matt7895 on March 2, 2008 at 12:30 pm

Wow, this will be the 2719th post. Will this be the longest comment thread on the website?

Firstly I'd like to thank Mr. Robertson for answering my question regarding 'Songs of Praise'. I wonder if he's heard of Professor Robert Winston. I'm sure he has. Well, Robert Winston makes documentaries with a pro-faith stance for the BBC, he's done so for a few years now. As far as television goes he's probably the antithesis to Richard Dawkins.

I'd like to ask Mr. Robertson about his criticisms of materialism. Would he define 'materialism' as simply the belief in physical, natural objects/causes with no supernatural or metaphysical beliefs thrown in? Why would that be an irrational view to have, if nothing supernatural has ever been shown scientifically to exist?

Finally I'd just like to ask him not to judge all of RichardDawkins.net by a few immature name-callers. I've been here for a few months now and while you do get a few people who love to swear and use insulting language (as you do anywhere on the internet), there are also a lot of interesting discussions to find, particularly in the forums. Perhaps you'd have more luck looking around there. I think most of the bad comments are because you've earned quite a bad reputation for yourself round here parts, although you have been more or less on good behaviour in this thread, which is probably why you haven't been banned again.

92. A God blog

Comment #136897 by Matt7895 on March 2, 2008 at 1:23 am

Wait, this is from the 'Telegraph'? I'm a bit startled to find this in Britain's most conservative broadsheet. But pleased, too.

93. Christopher Hitchens on Real Time with Bill Maher

Comment #136896 by Matt7895 on March 2, 2008 at 1:12 am

I totally understand the marriage thing. That's the main reason for switching religion over here, too.

94. Ayaan Hirsi Ali to get EU protection

Comment #135955 by Matt7895 on February 29, 2008 at 11:25 am

Fantastic. That means Ayaan can live in the UK if she so desires. I hope she considers it... she'd do a lot of good encouraging people to apostatise from Islam.

95. Fleabytes

Comment #134251 by Matt7895 on February 27, 2008 at 1:18 pm

Yes, I'm sure they are all fully aware of singing the praises to an "imaginary, brutal, genocidal celestial dictator."

96. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #134243 by Matt7895 on February 27, 2008 at 12:58 pm

Guinness, naturlich ;-)

Reminds me of a joke:
A Real Beer

After the Great Britain Beer Festival, in London, all the brewery presidents decided to go out for a beer. The guy from Corona sits down and says "Hey Senor, I would like the world's best beer, a Corona." The bartender dusts off a bottle from the shelf and gives it to him.

The guy from Budweiser says "I'd like the best beer in the world, give me 'The King Of Beers', a Budweiser." The bartender gives him one.

The guy from Coors says "I'd like the only beer made with Rocky Mountain spring water, give me a Coors." He gets it.

The guy from Guinness sits down and says "Give me a Coke." The bartender is a little taken aback, but gives him what he ordered.

The other brewery presidents look over at him and ask "Why aren't you drinking a Guinness?" and the Guinness president replies

"Well, if you guys aren't drinking beer, neither will I."

97. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #134234 by Matt7895 on February 27, 2008 at 12:41 pm

AtheistJon - What beer are you drinking in your profile picture?

Back on topic, I've finished listening to the interview, I thought Richard did well, his patience far exceeds mine, but I suppose that's why he's a Professor and I'm not :P

98. Fleabytes

Comment #134213 by Matt7895 on February 27, 2008 at 12:18 pm

This is a question for Mr. Robertson if he is still reading this thread (I suspect he is, after all he does seem to love argument (not necessarily a fault)).

Here it is. One of your points is that you think a major British broadcaster, such as the BBC or Channel 4, would not allow a Christian retort to 'Root Of All Evil?' be shown on their channels. It is in this that I actually envy you, Mr. Robertson. The dreadful, dreary, masochistic 'Songs of Praise' seems to have escaped your mind on this occasion. I wish it could escape mine too, but unfortunately every time I switch on BBC One on a Sunday afternoon, I am confronted by hordes of people singing praiseful hymns to an imaginary, brutal, genocidal celestial dictator. I find it tedious, dull, and think the timeslot could be better spent on other programmes. But it is Christian programming all the same, and it is shown every week. When are atheist programmes shown? Does Richard Dawkins have a weekly timeslot?

99. Fleabytes

Comment #134194 by Matt7895 on February 27, 2008 at 11:37 am

I was glad to read Richard's putdown of Robertson. I know he has a general policy of not 'scratching the fleas', but certain exemptions can be made in defense of respected RD.net users like Paula.

100. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #134154 by Matt7895 on February 27, 2008 at 10:34 am

It works for me. Though, an mp3 would still be nice. Can someone change this RP into mp3? I bet Jesus could do it!