51. God's Enemies Are More Honest Than His Friends

Comment #15167 by Pieter on December 29, 2006 at 9:08 am

i think we all need to sit down and watch the 2 parter south park on atheism (go god go) because a lot of the discourse is quite relevant to it. although the weak part of the show was its message that the world has to do away with all 'isms' (atheism is only an ism because it contains the word 'theism') However, the program's final call for rationality is merely an echo of our similar sentiments. But the source of the conflict (between the UAA and the UAL and the AAA, the otters) is about what atheists should call themselves.

Otters ho, and a happy new year to everyone.

52. Orr on Dawkins

Comment #14913 by Pieter on December 26, 2006 at 4:52 pm

This Hitler and Stalin thing is bugging the hell out of me as well. Thus in an attempt to help the debate along i strongly suggest that everyone go out and buy a copy of John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty". This wonderful piece of victorian classical liberalism (which is arguably the most influential work of political philosophy in the Western world) also (more or less) advocates an atheistic political system. Mill was an atheist, as were most of his close friends, family, and colleagues, and by and large the cases and examples of illiberal social forces which he rails against are religious.

Thus continue to refute any claim on the Fascism/Communism - Atheist connection with the 'political dogma' argument, but also counter with the faithless, dogma-less political system that is unadulterated classical liberalism. This is the true atheistic political system. Religion constrains one's liberty, society's liberty, all liberty. An end to religion is an end to these political shackles and the fastest route to social freedom, the result of which is a liberal society. ~PQ

53. An Exercise in Contempt

Comment #12582 by Pieter on December 12, 2006 at 4:08 pm

It seems to me that a lot of reviewers are attacking TGD because it isn't 'philosophical' enough. What they should be saying is that it isn't obscure enough to meet the supposed 'philosophical' standards. Thus they are essentially complaining that Professor Dawkins' is too clear on the subject. This review was nothing more than the trite ravings of someone beyond help anyways, and it seems to me his biggest problem with the book is that someone may (God forbid) understand its message.

54. Sunday Sequence with William Crawley

Comment #12382 by Pieter on December 11, 2006 at 4:11 pm

Re: Comment 12261.

Mr Topping, I do hope you recognize how futile it is coming into this environment and trying to pursuade us into your line of thinking armed with nothing more than verses from the Bible. However this is not to say any of us are closed minded. Indeed I would venture as far as to say that if you are proven correct (about us 'scoffers' and the fast approaching end times) every one of us here would be willing to but you a coke and admit we were wrong. And by proven I mean that armageddon actually happens as prophesized, just so we're clear. But until that day acknowledge the fact that your attempts elicit nothing more than disdain and pity from any atheist.

55. Sunday Sequence with William Crawley

Comment #12217 by Pieter on December 11, 2006 at 9:48 am

Hey NoLongerHaveBelef, you're forgetting about the estimated 5-8 million species of beetles that also needed some room on the ark. The task of rescuing the beetles alone would have required several arks. But the problem that really has bugged me about the ark is the Kiwi, a flightless bird that would have made it all the way from central Armenia to New Zealand in a few thousand years without leaving a trace of its travels whatsoever.

Some people in this world... it really makes you wonder.