51. The atheist delusion

Comment #144380 by Mbee on March 15, 2008 at 9:37 pm

I think the bottom line here is that the more that science finds out about the world the more that it becomes obvious that religion is all a myth.

So religious people are scared of science as it will prove them wrong. This was apparent even in the days of Galileo. It is the major reason the theists in america are trying hard to get ID into the schools. If science is allowed to proceed without reference to GOD, sorry ID, they will be on a slippery slope where more and more people will be educated about how the world really works!

I learnt about science in an English school and I think that helped me see the flaws in religion early in life. The resistance to science in american schools at an early age is driven by the lack of good science education in the past plus a strong religious background of many parents.

52. Deadly Sins 101

Comment #143573 by Mbee on March 14, 2008 at 7:58 am

To the Catholics out there.

Does it matter if you committed one of the new sins before they became sins?

I guess that before the announcement these were not sins and were perfectly acceptable.

53. Two More Fleas

Comment #143273 by Mbee on March 13, 2008 at 8:37 pm

Well I think i've given up reading fleas. If there is anything substantive in them it will be discussed here in RD.net.

There have been many comments here on the synopsis of the title book of this segment that further comment here seems superfluous.

When will someone come up with anything to 'Really' support theism...
I know, I know, I'm preaching to the converted (apologies for the pun)

54. When blasphemy bit the dust

Comment #140559 by Mbee on March 7, 2008 at 9:27 pm

I agree this is a step in the right direction but surely blasphemy is only applicable to those who believe in god in the first place.
If you're an atheist you cannot be blasphemous as you don't believe in any god to begin with. Only religious people can be blasphemous. Or am I missing something?

55. Richard Dawkins' US Tour begins this week

Comment #140552 by Mbee on March 7, 2008 at 9:00 pm

Well I have t say that I'm sorry that I cannot get to any of the talks and am very hopeful that some of them will be posted on RD.net so we all can enjoy.
I also hope that those who do attend will be new converts to truth and the understanding of science. Lets get away from the supernatural and hocus pocus of the past.

Hey anyone got some tickets for wooter - he might appreciate it....

56. Revealed: Secrets of the Camouflage Masters

Comment #131114 by Mbee on February 22, 2008 at 1:30 am

Wonderful and informative. Thanks for posting. There are not too many places you can go to to see science videos. I'll be watching more on this site and less on TV.

Perhaps Richard should start 'The Evolution Channel' it would be great to watch on a Sunday morning...

57. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126983 by Mbee on February 14, 2008 at 3:33 pm

Does anyone know where those who cannot get the guardian can see the text of the 34 page supplement?

58. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #126276 by Mbee on February 12, 2008 at 9:16 pm

Hi deepthought,
I hope someone can help out in refuting the text in your link but... wait a minute here we have creationists debating the order of fossils. At least they admit they exist and were not planted by the devil...
If the devil was planting transitional fossils I'm sure he would have done a better job of filling in the gaps.

But don't miss the big point here. These were all species that lived on this planet! So score one for evolution.

59. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #126269 by Mbee on February 12, 2008 at 8:52 pm

Well somebody has to ask.
Richard (Thanks for saying we can call you that)
What are your plans after you have left the Chair at Oxford?

If you don't mind me asking.

Whatever you plan on I'm sure everyone here will be waiting for the debates, books and hopefully more TV programs to help educate the masses...

Thank you for all that you have done so far. I'm still working my way through your books.

60. Why Darwin matters

Comment #125845 by Mbee on February 12, 2008 at 6:59 am

I think Wooter has proved that if you give a monkey a typewriter then eventually they will come up with something intelligible.

I wonder how long we have to wait...

61. Hitchens and Boteach Debate on God

Comment #125067 by Mbee on February 10, 2008 at 9:24 pm

This is amazing.

How someone can completely misstate Evolution theory and provide no evidence to support his argument as to an alternative is just pathetic.

I would much rather believe in an argument that is supported by evidence than an argument that has none!

62. Why Darwin matters

Comment #125060 by Mbee on February 10, 2008 at 9:05 pm

Why Darwin Matters?
Well if it wasn't Darwin it would have been somebody else. Darwin just happened to be the first to see how all life is related. The evidence is overwhelming and the more science finds out the more Darwin is proved to be right. Darwin started the movement toward fully understanding how we came to be here on this planet.

It is not really that Darwin matters but that we have moved one step further toward a more complete understanding of how we came to be and not rely on supernatural mythology.

63. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #122828 by Mbee on February 6, 2008 at 7:17 am

Comment #123303 from epeeist
"Evolution is a fact. It has been observed directly in the laboratory and indirectly in the fossil record."

My apologies for the badly worded question. What I was trying to ask was when does a fact become established as a fact. As you say it has been observed in nature.

What I'm trying to get at is that the creationists keep referring to and arguing about the theory of evolution. Shouldn't they be arguing about the Fact of evolution and ignore darwins theory.
In fact the title of the debate 'Are Darwins theories fact or faith issues ' makes no sense. As you say theories are theories and facts are facts. The creationists certainly don't seem to accept evolution as a fact, let alone the theory of how it all happened.

Thanks for the reply, I had to leave yesterday and didn't see your reply till this morning.

64. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #122297 by Mbee on February 5, 2008 at 6:44 am

A scientific question for the experts here.
At what point does a theory become fact.
Gravity is considered a fact and the theory of gravitation is the best explanation of what it is.
The theory of evolution explains how life evolved so when does Evolution itself become fact?

In my opinion the amount of evidence is the overriding factor and for evolution there is an enormous amount (compared with any alternative) So who gets to decide when it is declared a fact or is it just public consensus?

65. US scientists close to creating artificial life: study

Comment #120638 by Mbee on February 2, 2008 at 7:28 am

If God created life in the first place doesn't that make us all artificial life forms ...

66. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions

Comment #117864 by Mbee on January 29, 2008 at 9:18 pm

Well I think the debate was great - I just wish that this would be available on the US TV! Nobody here (ie ABC, NBC, CBS , PBS) would have the guts to put on a debate like this that would allow such open discussion of the subjects covered.

I'm English and live in California and am very thankfull for the internet to allow this type of discussion to be available to anyone around the world.

Only if we can have this type of discussion will more people be able to come to the correct conclusion.

67. Darwin Day (Feb 12th) E-Cards

Comment #114784 by Mbee on January 22, 2008 at 7:48 pm

How about a card with the 'eye' evolution images.
I don't know where the original drawings came from but I know RD has used it a lot.

While we're on the subject most of the ideas posted would also be great for T-shirts in addition to the Darwin Day cards.

68. The Group Delusion

Comment #113017 by Mbee on January 18, 2008 at 12:49 pm

While I don't have a problem with all of the wooter baiting it really should be done somewhere else. (It's also just encouraging him to continue - and I'm sure he's doing it on purpose)

Is it possible for the site admin to move all these comments to an alternate thread so we can get this back on topic.

Please...

69. It was a bad year for God.

Comment #109824 by Mbee on January 9, 2008 at 8:44 pm

I too would like to thank all those on this site (especially Steve) who put forward their reasoned arguments on Atheism.

I've yet to see any reasoned arguments that support that God exists that don't use God in the reasoning.

As for promoting the book - I like the idea of putting it in hotel rooms. Why do the other books get to be there anyway? I bet if TGD was there it would not be allowed to stay there very long...

70. Archbishop of Canterbury Praises Richard Dawkins

Comment #104968 by Mbee on December 30, 2007 at 7:29 am

#104735 by krisking on December 29, 2007 at 9:39 am
Mbee: "They either have to work the science facts into their religion or make up a new religion that incorporates the facts."

'Hey, clever clogs....and science has to change its understanding as new discoveries are made, too!'

Mbee: Yes it is understood that science changes as new things are discovered. The point was that religious beliefs resist change and cannot in some cases (ie genesis) incorporate new information into their belief. There are many who think Genesis is true and what astronomy has discovered is false.

Thanks krisking. PS I'm not dutch.

71. Archbishop of Canterbury Praises Richard Dawkins

Comment #104713 by Mbee on December 29, 2007 at 7:49 am

Comment #104483 by Steve Zara
"The atheist in me does not say that much, but its presence allows me to say so much more about the world than theism might permit, depending on which version of theism I happened to have let in. "

Thank you Steve. I think this comment and the rest of your answer says it all. Atheism is just a belief that there is no god, it is NOT trying to lay down rules that govern anything else.

It seems that the religious factions want their religion to be the answer to everything, which is why they have problems accepting the facts that science has discovered over the years that now contradicts what their religion has said.
They either have to work the science facts into their religion or make up a new religion that incorporates the facts.

Mmm, I think that has happened before....

72. Sir David Attenborough on God

Comment #88294 by Mbee on November 15, 2007 at 8:45 pm

I think all the comments are useful and worth reading and I remember his broadcasts in the 60's.

However, please don't confuse Sir David Attenborough with his brother Richard Attenborough of 'Jurassic park' fame

73. Atheists don't believe in anything

Comment #85068 by Mbee on November 4, 2007 at 7:59 pm

The whole premise of the statement is wrong.
The second phrase does not follow from the first.
Just because you don't believe in god does not mean that you don't believe in anything - far from it.

A better statement would be:
If you believe in God you will believe anything!

- provided you think that god did it!