51. Pope abolishes limbo

Comment #34137 by elfinabout on April 23, 2007 at 10:25 am

Devolved is quiet... thanks to Lee for the info there.


/tumbleweed

52. If only gay sex caused global warming

Comment #27544 by elfinabout on March 25, 2007 at 8:35 am

*Ahem*

(sarcasm)
My fellow Americans, we have a crisis on our hands!

Our community of Christian scientists have determined that global warming is in fact caused by the Devil himself!
We have concluded that the Devil is concealing himself in carbon atoms, and each atom of carbon carries with it a small amount of the Devils hellish, fiery breath. This breath is having a cumulative effect, and is causing our planet to heat up! In time, the Devil will have raised the temperature enough to enable him to walk on the Earth, and claim dominion!

Fellow Christians, rally together and help to stamp out this evil! We number in the millions - we must join together - in prayer, and in carbon emission reduction. Together, we can stop Satans plan to destroy our planet!
(/sarcasm)

Toungue-in-cheek as my words obviously are, I seriously believe that if this happened, millions of religites would swallow it whole. Think about it - they believe far more ridiculous propositions, and do not generally require proof of any kind.

America would turn virtually carbon-neutral overnight. The positive effect on the planet would be huge, and the oil and related military-industrial companies that line the Bush coffers would stumble quickly.

Discuss.

53. E-Petition: Abolish Faith Schools

Comment #26736 by elfinabout on March 21, 2007 at 12:15 pm

I like the traction this petition is getting - currently 12,055 signatures.

However, has anyone seen this?

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/forfaithschools/

It currently has 14,307 signatures. Why can't we be as bloody organised as those "of faith"?

This is the explanation, by the submitter, Jonathan Curry:

"Faith schools help to ensure that children develop mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and morally. As such faith schools ensure children are well placed to choose their own religious, philosophical and ethical beliefs. Schools should be places where children are given a full education, not centres where the spiritual and moral is excluded. Evolution and other scientific theories should not be taught as fact but instead along side other 'faith' views of origins. Supporting faith schools will provide children with a fuller education, parents with the choice of such for their children and help to promote a fully multi-cultural and peaceful society."

I... just don't know where to start with that.


As a reminder, the petition to abolish faith schools is at:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/faithschools/

54. Is Your Baby Gay? What If You Could Know? What If You Could Do Something About It?

Comment #26460 by elfinabout on March 19, 2007 at 1:00 pm

Gentlemen! You can't fight in here - this is the War Room...

Ahem. Please excuse the Sellers-ism(?).

Please, everyone take a step back, and a deep breath. Smoke if you got 'em.

I think that in attempting to defend a moral ideal against valid opinions that may be viewed unfavourably in certain lights, some of us may have lost sight of what we should be defending - the free exchange of opinion, ideas and theories. Debate. Reasoned discussion, without argument. Posit theory versus theory. Evidence it. Counter-theorise. Review. Re-theorise. This process is something we are all committed to. The day that you forget that, you have lost the battle against those who attempt to stifle it because they fear it.

I for one, as a gay man who is open, pending evidence either way, to the theory of my "gayness" being predominantly a genetic condition, will gladly discuss differences in judgements of morality on this point. Is it a defect? Define "defect". Many genetic traits considered defects by definition of not fulfilling an obviously advantageous need are in fact beneficial to the gene pool of the organism in question in other ways.

We as a species are unique in that we are aware, to an extent, of the nature of our genetic make-up on a sentient level, and in that we have the capability to explore it. In this instance, we also have an obligation to redefine words like "defect" as they apply to our own genes, because we as a species are capable of modifying our behaviour on a conscious, directed level.
In other species, the genes are, in effect, in total control, and may be said simply to be beneficial or detrimental to that species. We have choice. We can circumnavigate obstacles, make opportunities out of problems, and overcome difficulties other species cannot. We cannot fall into the trap of applying purely evolutionary theory to ourselves and then objecting to the result, because we add another variable to the equation by virtue of our self-awareness.

I must go now - please do keep the discussion going. But lets keep perspective.

Thanks.

55. Is Your Baby Gay? What If You Could Know? What If You Could Do Something About It?

Comment #26272 by elfinabout on March 18, 2007 at 8:54 am

Indeed. Let's examine for a moment:

1. Too many people, and rampant procreation above and beyond what the planet can reasonably sustain with our current "organisation" of resources.

2. Various religions either state categorically or are interpreted as saying that a). you must only have sex with someone of the opposite gender, and b). you must not use condoms.

A valid correlation...?

56. Atheism hasn't hurt Fremont Rep. Stark

Comment #26261 by elfinabout on March 18, 2007 at 6:09 am

I think this is fantastic. I'd just like to share his reply to my own message:

Subject: RE: Well done
From: rpete_stark@hotmail.com
Date: 15 March 2007 01:40:35 GMT
To: elf@macdream.net

Thanks! The funny thing is that I didn't even think of this as "coming out" as its nothing I've ever hidden.

Be well and thanks again for the nice note.


From: Elf
To: rpete_stark@hotmail.com
Subject: Well done
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 12:40:29 +0000

Hi,


Just a very quick note from the UK to express my admiration regarding your recent "coming out" as a (so far, the) non-theist voice in the US political system. You have more support, and more people who share your opinions, than you could possibly realise.

I sincerely hope this is the start of a turning of the tide - America is clearly in the grip of hideously dangerous religious fervour. When half the population of the Worlds only superpower profess to believe that the Earth (and the entire universe) is less than 10,000 years old, and that (millions of tons of) evolutionary evidence is fabricated, a change in attitudes needs to happen if our species is to survive.

With respect,


James Ogilvie, UK

57. Is Your Baby Gay? What If You Could Know? What If You Could Do Something About It?

Comment #26258 by elfinabout on March 18, 2007 at 4:44 am

Thanks all, for your comments.
It is clear to me that among the readers and posters on this site, there is an almost complete lack of bigotry towards those considered minorities. I find this both pleasing and interesting.

I have long suspected that those who reject one or more social "norms" or particular stereotyping, on the basis that they themselves do not "fit the average" demographic for one reason or another, are more open to rational discourse in other related areas. As a gay man whose primary interests are scientific/technological, I often pick up on tidbits of information that state or suggest that certain immensely talented people and/or those who have brought about great change (both historical and contemporary persons) are/were gay. Naturally, I'd like to investigate this.

Richard/Site admins: I have a request. I'd like to arrange a poll of forum members. My wish is to ask each member if they would be kind enough to identify themselves (anonymously, of course) as either "straight" or "gay/bisexual". My suspicion is that we would discover more people here who identify as gay/bisexual than the national "average". It is well known that the scientific community demonstrates a far lower percentage of theists (sometimes negligible) than the average population. I wonder what kind of percentage of people who identify as atheist also identify as gay/bisexual?
I've never before had the chance to test my suspicions. Although my reasons for wanting to investigate this are somewhat biased by my own situation, I would suggest there would be useful and interesting data. Would this be possible?

58. Is Your Baby Gay? What If You Could Know? What If You Could Do Something About It?

Comment #26136 by elfinabout on March 17, 2007 at 6:58 am

Mohler strikes me as no more deluded than any other religite.
What is scary here (and I speak as a gay man with no "issues" whatsoever about my sexuality) is the apparent association between "gay" and "defect" of some sort.

I have never considered myself in need of "alteration", and neither have any of my friends, family or colleagues. When I come across someone who has a problem with my sexuality, it is painfully obvious that the problem is theirs, not mine.

Mr Mohler - if your particular deity has a problem with how I live my life, then kindly ask him/her/it to tell me personally, and also inform me why he/she/it created me "flawed" in the first place. Otherwise, keep your prejudices to your bigoted self. End of conversation.

59. Do stop behaving as if you are God, Professor Dawkins

Comment #21204 by elfinabout on February 8, 2007 at 2:57 am

"Professor" McGrath:

To quote Stephen Roberts - "I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."

Nothing more needs saying.