51. Female Muslim medics 'disobey hygiene rules'

Comment #121749 by YssiBoo on February 4, 2008 at 4:29 am

The planet will survive, living things will continue to evolve. Human beings will just become another one of the millions of extinct species. Religion and religious conflict may bring that extinction about a few hundred or thousand years earlier than would happen without it, that is all.

52. God vs. Gridiron

Comment #121672 by YssiBoo on February 4, 2008 at 12:51 am

Doesn't it say a lot about the power of christ that american carry-a-ball-that-is-not-actually-ball(-and-occasionally-allowing-on-a-single-player-to-kick-the-damn-thing-with-his-foot)-ball gets them more interested?

53. Female Muslim medics 'disobey hygiene rules'

Comment #121669 by YssiBoo on February 4, 2008 at 12:23 am

An interesting case I found was that of Nalen Yasin, who made her own custom uniform which lived up regulations as well as her own needs. Yasin also mentioned that "according to Islam I can put aside the rules of modest clothing if I'm treating a sick person."

54. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions

Comment #117894 by YssiBoo on January 29, 2008 at 11:44 pm

Just had to comment on the awful intro-music that sounded like it came from day-time tv from the 80's.

edit: Just saw mrjonno's comment which explains the dog-awful music.

55. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116985 by YssiBoo on January 28, 2008 at 12:57 am

It is demonstrably false to say that getting braces for your teeth is done purely for aesthetical reasons. I wore different kinds of braces for a total of eight or nine years. This was done firstly because I had an underbite. This is probably aesthetics taken into consideration. Later it was discovered that my tongue is so wide that it impeded the growth of my eyeteeth. Therefore braces were used to correct this. Then I had my upper jaw corrected to prevent neck problems due to an uneven bite.

My teeth look much nicer now than they would have done otherwise, but there are medical reasons why I went through all this.

If there are no medical reasons for having your foreskin removed, I don't see any point in removing it. It is not normal to do so here in Norway, and I don't think there are major studies showing reduced health in our population as a consequence of this.

56. A Letter From Hell

Comment #115862 by YssiBoo on January 24, 2008 at 11:58 pm

I don't think I dare going to this GodTube site. I'm afraid my computer will catch the stupid, and convert to christian technology. (Fire and brimstone will not do wonders to the computer simulations i'm doing for my master's degree...)

57. A Letter From Hell

Comment #115860 by YssiBoo on January 24, 2008 at 11:55 pm

I guess GodTube shares the same server with YouPorn.

But seriously, it is good to start the day with a hot steaming cup of stupid isn't it?

58. The real danger in Darwin is not evolution, but racism

Comment #115361 by YssiBoo on January 24, 2008 at 5:05 am

You Americans should be glad that your constitution includes in clear language a paragraph ensuring the separation of church and state. Here in Norway the church is funded through tax money, 50% of the elected government HAVE to be members of the state church, and our Monarch MUST be a confessing member of the same church.

In primary and secondary school in Norway one of the mandatory subjects is called "Christendom and philosophy education". This subject includes prayer education (although parents can choose to let their children be excused from class during prayer). It was recently judged to be in conflict with basic human rights of freedom of/from religion by the court of human rights in Geneva.

59. The real danger in Darwin is not evolution, but racism

Comment #115326 by YssiBoo on January 24, 2008 at 2:57 am

I see many good points in this comment section, and I'm truly glad to see them. I get so fed up with people claiming to have found some dangerous element of a scientific disipline when they show such an obvious lack of understanding of what it says. It is so intellectually corrupt to judge evolution solely on the initial work done on the subject. 150 years of extensive research on evolution has shown that the notion of races within the human species is a misnomer. We humans are so genetically similar across any divisions you could think of as to make racism a product only of cultural divides. It stinks even worse when you see that even the claims Campolo makes about Darwin's opinions on racial issues are without merit. It makes my blood boil!

PS
Velkommen til RD-net Ole. Godt å se nordmenn med internasjonale interesser. :p

60. Ken Ham in Leicester April 2008

Comment #114820 by YssiBoo on January 23, 2008 at 12:49 am

"I wonder if he realizes that "evil" technology and science are allowing him to broadcast his "message"." (How do I quote?)

That is exactly what I think when I hear those ignoramuses. If they truly believe modern technology is the root of all evil (or whatever), they should destroy their cars and rip out the electricity from their homes (along with the internet connection), throw out all medicin, refuse to go to the hospital, refuse to go to the dentist, (along with refusing to use x-ray and other radiation sort diagnosis equipment), stop using oil for heating, refuse to use firewood chopped with a chainsaw, oh where to stop... you get my point...

61. Dinesh D'Souza: Winner of the 2007 Bad Faith Award

Comment #112355 by YssiBoo on January 17, 2008 at 12:37 am

I started watching the debate between schermer and D'idiot just now, and he claims: equal dignity for women, science as an autonomous enterprise, compassion, the importance of the individual, the abolition of slavery, the idea of the individual are all direct products of christianity! sheesh!

First of all: equal rights for women was fought for and only obtained during the last century, often facing direct opposition from church leaders.

according to my history book the chinese had an approximation of a free market economy where every peasant, at least in theory, were self sufficient during the european middle ages. Hence no slavery. Were the chinese christians?

Science was first thought of by the greeks 500 BC. All the scientists of leading up to the enlightenment had to be wary of offending the church with their findings.

He pisses me off!!

62. Huckabee Wants A 'Faith-based' Constitution

Comment #111913 by YssiBoo on January 16, 2008 at 2:04 am

Off topic:

gcdavis: your avatar needs a language clean-up. It says Thor and Woden, while the Norse gods really are called Thor and Odin.

Fun fact: Wednesday is named after Odin and means Odin's day, while Thursday is Thor's day.

63. Huckabee Wants A 'Faith-based' Constitution

Comment #111910 by YssiBoo on January 16, 2008 at 1:58 am

To all american atheists: If your country becomes a theocracy (theocrazy?) you are welcome to seek political refuge in my country. We need more good atheists in Norway as well.

64. Debate between Sam Harris and Chris Hedges

Comment #108931 by YssiBoo on January 8, 2008 at 1:03 am

Is it just me or is Chris Hedges' definition of God totally useless?

65. Debate between Sam Harris and Chris Hedges

Comment #108923 by YssiBoo on January 8, 2008 at 12:48 am

I only wish I had the eloquence of Sam Harris. Of the four horsemen I find him the best debater, and most lucid and interesting speaker.

66. Sam Harris debate with Rabbi David Wolpe

Comment #108459 by YssiBoo on January 7, 2008 at 1:43 am

The rabbi at first came off as calm when he debates but before an hour passed he diverted to the Dinesh Debating Technique (DDT). Getting louder and louder he's getting closer and closer to making my ears bleed.

67. What Your Brain Looks Like on Faith

Comment #99970 by YssiBoo on December 18, 2007 at 2:20 am

Comment #99961 by Incredulous

I agree. The problem with organized religion is that tremendous power is placed in the hands of a few people. Generally one can say that people who rise to the top of any hierarchy are often interested in wielding this power. When these people can get the "common man" to believe that their power is vested in them by a supreme being it becomes difficult to control that power. To me this means that it doesn't matter much if the clerics actually believe their own proclamations as long as the congregation does. The solution will be the emancipation of people's minds.

68. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #99968 by YssiBoo on December 18, 2007 at 2:05 am

I have never enjoyed singing the christmas carols that contain some glorification of god (there are lots of norwegian jul-songs which have nothing what so ever to do with christianity), but as has been said by people before me there is nothing wrong with singing songs about non-existent things, or about things I don't personally believe in. The songs can be nice without making sense. For six years in primary school we had to say grace before we were allowed to eat. I thought it was utter nonsense, but went along with it because I didn't think it made a difference either way.

Anyway, for me this holiday is more about having a nice time with my family, eating good food, exchanging gifts and getting my mind off the everyday concerns. The festivities are influenced both by the solstice festival of ancient norse traditions and of christian tradition. I don't believe in norse mythology or christ but that shouldn't exclude me from celebrating this time of the year.

69. Jumbo shrimp, creationist astronomy

Comment #98601 by YssiBoo on December 13, 2007 at 11:30 pm

My ears bleed when I watch this crap! The Creationist Stupidity Waves (CSW) are trying to replace my brainwaves with muck!

70. This deadly religious resistance to vaccinations

Comment #96845 by YssiBoo on December 11, 2007 at 2:20 am

Pardon my ignorance but just one quick question:

If there is an outbreak of say, measles, will this pose a threat to people who are vaccinated? Do measle and polio evolve like the flu virus, so that a vaccination only works against one strain?

71. Former Evangelical Minister Has a New Message: Jesus Hearts Darwin

Comment #94893 by YssiBoo on December 7, 2007 at 1:04 am

Isn't "Evolution Theology" an oxymoron?