51. Romney's Mormonism is fair game

Comment #89411 by PrimeNumbers on November 20, 2007 at 3:46 pm

Someone needs to speak out about the crackpot Mormon beliefs. I wish Hitchins had given more detail to the Christian audience about how nutty the Mormons are.

52. Georgia gets rain, but it may not help

Comment #88502 by PrimeNumbers on November 17, 2007 at 6:37 am

What a bunch of blithering idiots.

53. Saudi gang-rape victim is jailed

Comment #88428 by PrimeNumbers on November 16, 2007 at 3:10 pm

Come on, these are the benefits of Islam that Dr Bari wants for England! They must be good if Dr Bari wants them....

54. Dr Bari: Government stoking Muslim tension

Comment #87461 by PrimeNumbers on November 12, 2007 at 7:38 am

Spot on Dr Benway! As soon as he didn't condem the hate literature in mosques and as soon as he didn't agree to live and let live with Sir Rushdie, I think he's made his intentions clear. I don't think he wants anything less than a Sharia law state within a state, and that to me is treason. Quite frankly, you're right - he should be brought before parliament and asked these questions again, and when he answers the same, he should be told that he's no longer welcome here and he should leave. And then he should be put on a plane somewhere that more suits his needs.

55. Dr Bari: Government stoking Muslim tension

Comment #87305 by PrimeNumbers on November 11, 2007 at 6:26 pm

This Dr Bari is scary. He is absolutely not moderate in any way shape or form. This Dr Bari is exactly the kind of dangerous religious nutter we need to be shaming and ridiculing. His remarks on Rushdie alone should set him up for immediate deportation, his gross intolerance should have him deported ten times over.

Muslims have got to learn a few things....

Their religion doesn't make them special,
it doesn't put them above the rule of law,
it doesn't mean they can be treated differently to anyone else.
they're not liked because of the very words this so called leader of Muslims has just spoke.
That they are the problem, not us.
That if they keep going on like this, they'll not only be disliked, but be acted against to stop them preaching their doctrine of hate and intolerence.

Dr Bari should have:
Said, "although I personally don't agree with the Knighting of Sir Rushdie, I accept that he has been honoured, and that I regret that some Muslims have been distressed by this, but in a free and democratic society, we must learn to be tolerant of those we disagree with."
"Although I don't agree with adultary, stoning is absolutely wrong"
"Although I don't agree with homosexuality, they must not be harmed or discriminated against."
"Books that advocate violence should not be on sale in Mosques. I will make it my mission to remove such books from all Mosques in the UK because I understand that they are giving people a very bad impression of Muslims"

Now, he had the opportunity to show us all that Muslims are nice, decent people who don't want to impose themselves onto society, that they want to integrate and live in a democatic, secular society. But he didn't. He's got to go. He really does need to leave the UK and go somewhere else.

56. Can we at least demand 'Secular Communion'?

Comment #86861 by PrimeNumbers on November 10, 2007 at 10:40 am

I think we all know where a policy of appeasement leads....

57. Holy communion

Comment #86860 by PrimeNumbers on November 10, 2007 at 10:38 am

The problem is not religion or church, but faith and belief itself, irrational beliefs lead to irrational actions. It's the primary belief of the religious in some kind of afterlife that is the root cause of all their problems. It's that belief that allows you to sacrifice your own life or take someone elses.

That's why it's not just extremists that are the problem. They're all the problem. Let's not pussy-foot around here.

58. Fox News Discussion on 'The Golden Compass'

Comment #85902 by PrimeNumbers on November 7, 2007 at 12:49 pm

I think Hitler is fair game from the point of view that the Vatican didn't ex-communicate him, nor deplore his actions. Indeed, his actions looked very much like the typical Catholic hatred of the Jews. That the Vatican supported Nazi Germany is another very good point.

59. Fox News Discussion on 'The Golden Compass'

Comment #85880 by PrimeNumbers on November 7, 2007 at 11:48 am

She did mention the inquisition, which was a good counter, but really, when dealing with Catholics, you need to have a long list you can just shove down their throats:

Inquisition
Buiggering young boys
Magdelane Laundries
Physical and mental abuse
Hitler (repeat this a few times - it really annoys them to have one of their own go so bad and not be condemed by head office)
Hell
Aids (promotion thereof by lack of condoms)

anyone care to add to the list?

60. Fox News Discussion on 'The Golden Compass'

Comment #85870 by PrimeNumbers on November 7, 2007 at 11:16 am

It must really hurt the Catholics when the shoe is on the other foot. For them to be the "victims" of a clever book that promotes a world view opposed to theirs, it must hurt them. What a bunch of crying babies they are.

And for their representitive to state that their religion has brought peace and comfort - that is a lie. To threated little children with the torment of hell, and then to physically and sexually abuse kids on top of that, the Catholic church doesn't have a moral leg to stand on.

61. Response to Dinesh D'Souza op-ed

Comment #85331 by PrimeNumbers on November 5, 2007 at 1:49 pm

When I read the article I didn't notice that Kelly of RRS had written it, until I reached the negative comments. I felt it was a good commentary, to the point, and it made valid points.

As for style - really it's substance that matters, and that people read it that matter.

We can't all be elquent speakers like Hitchins, but sure as hell can do a better, less annoying job than McGrath, and Kelly certainly does a better job than, and I'd like to say that I'm thinking that I'd like to say, McGrath.

62. Rome playing politics

Comment #84905 by PrimeNumbers on November 4, 2007 at 6:36 am

"About 1900 years. Seriously, if Catholicism wasn't selling afterlife, nobody would put up with this crap. "

Indeed. It's the selling of the afterlife that causes (is the root cause) of most of the problems with religion. If you feel that life goes on after death:

1) you can selfishly live for today, not for the future of all on the planet and all who are yet to come
2) you can murder and kill without feeling too guilty about it, as you've just helped your fellow man onto heaven (or onto hell, and in that case, they probably deserved it)

This just isn't mad, it's evil and amoral. Anyone who teaches life after death is highly immoral.

63. Rome playing politics

Comment #84822 by PrimeNumbers on November 3, 2007 at 6:05 pm

Fascism and Catholicism - what's the difference?

64. What the New Atheists Don't See

Comment #84293 by PrimeNumbers on November 1, 2007 at 4:23 pm

A creator god might give meaning to us, but it's not likely to give meaning to that god, as if we need something external to ourselves to give us meaning, god too must need something external to itself to give it meaning. Yet again, "godditit" answers everything, yet actually answers nothing. It adds no information content, just sets the question back another level.

65. Lessons in hate found at leading mosques

Comment #83610 by PrimeNumbers on October 30, 2007 at 3:59 pm

It's time for this to end. It is not, and never had been free speach to threaten death to others. It's time to tell Muslims that their behaviour is unnaceptable, that they will cease and desist from such extemism. If they do not alter their religious books to remove all commandments to violence and intolerance, then it will have to be done for them, and the old style books removed and destroyed.

66. Face to faith

Comment #82896 by PrimeNumbers on October 28, 2007 at 7:28 am

And "godditit" as an answer to "why?" enhances our wonder of the universe?

67. Don't write off religion - it can be the key to a stable family

Comment #82585 by PrimeNumbers on October 26, 2007 at 8:19 pm

I bet she still had the foreskin cut off her boy's penis - that is, if one of her children is male.

The rest ijust boils down to - "I'm nice and moderate, so that's not MY religion you're critical of." Yeah, right, we've heard that one before.

As for stable families - what tosh.

You all know what this dire level of journolism means? Religion is on the run. They can't win with theological crap like McGrath spouts - most people won't understand it. And they can't win with "That's not my religion" either.

Let's keep them running - let's see:

The Dogma Delusion
The Theology Delusion
The Moral Delusion
The Creation Delusion
and more....

68. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath

Comment #79188 by PrimeNumbers on October 16, 2007 at 12:06 pm

McGrath so far, makes no argument at all, but waffles. He claims the "issues" of relgion are of the "fringe" element. Personally, the key claims of religion in that it allows for an afterlife is the primary cause for the harm it causes, and how it allows it's followers to harm others.

And Morality cannot be sustained without a metaphysical basis? That's just bollocks. How can you ever be sure you're getting the "correct" morality, and that you're not being deceived by a "devll" or something or other?

No matter what your worldview, McGrath is just not as nice to listen to or is as entertaining as Hitchins, and whereas Hitchins seems to be adressing McGrath's points, the reverse seems not to be the case....

69. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78857 by PrimeNumbers on October 15, 2007 at 5:22 am

I define the universe as "all that there is". For something to exist outside the universe makes no sense. The Bish must think the universe is "nearly all that there is", which is a bonkers definition.

God is either part of all that exists, or else he is not part of all that exists. I'm on the side that thinks he's not part of all that exists as he does not exist.

The Bish sounds like one of those intellectual types like McGrath, who finds "classic" - ie what people in the pews believe - moronic, stupid, out of date, inellegent, unbelievable, irrellevent, childish, materialistic etc, so he has developed his own "intellectual" understanding of it, that basically takes it back to deism with window dressing so that he can still put on his frock and be part of the club. What a sell-out.

70. Muslims tell Christians: 'Make peace with us or survival of world is at stake'

Comment #78065 by PrimeNumbers on October 11, 2007 at 5:41 pm

These Muslim leaders have a nerve, eh? Muslim peace is the peace of the sword in the back of the infidel or unbeliever (or Christian for that matter). They've proven it time and again, they're not fit to be in modern society. You give them an inch of tolerance and they take a mile of special dispensations for their religious needs.

71. Ban teachers from religious dress, Quebec group says

Comment #77695 by PrimeNumbers on October 10, 2007 at 7:36 am

Interesting idea - to force those who think they're religious to the tenets of that religion: force Islamic women to dress without an ounce of flesh showing, Christians only to be held to their ten commandments to the letter, to be forced to kill their children if they speak back to them etc. Jews to be locked up if they eat pork or whatever. Of course, their "get out of Jail free card" is to state that, after all, they don't beleive in their religion.

72. Teachers 'fear evolution lessons'

Comment #76393 by PrimeNumbers on October 5, 2007 at 5:24 pm

If a kid brings up Creationism, they need to be asked for scientific evidence of their Creator and it's doings. If they mention the Bible, this needs to be shot down in that the Bible is not evidence for anything. Then creationism can be shot down similarly - lack of evidence.

73. Religion advances despite science (and thanks to Dawkins)

Comment #72970 by PrimeNumbers on September 23, 2007 at 4:41 pm

Every time I read an article like this, it just says to me that Dawkins and friends are making more and stronger impact than they imagine.

I say keep making that impact.

Keep ridiculing religious belief. It's not clever, and it's not special and it's not something to be seen as a virtue. Stupid is stupid, and to think you have "the answers" is arrogance of the highest kind. To think you've got the creator's telephone number on your friends and family list is arrogance.

Science is not arrogant. It specifically only works by falsifying it's own results to build better ones. Science uses it's own knowleges that it's not-perfect to it's advantage. That's the opossite of arrogance.

74. Out of Thin Air

Comment #72927 by PrimeNumbers on September 23, 2007 at 2:32 pm

He doesn't look too bright, does he? Is he really arrogant enough to think he has "the answers"?

As I know for certain that if there was a God, a creator of everything God, a unique creator of everything else, itself uncreated, then surely it cannot believe in a higher power than itself, and hence it cannot have it's own personal God. Surely, if any religion or belief or lack of belief could be attached to that God, it would be (strong) Atheism. Quite frankly, if Atheism is good enough for God, then it's good enough for me!

75. Crisis of faith in first secular school

Comment #72889 by PrimeNumbers on September 23, 2007 at 10:46 am

Perhaps the other way to attack this nonsense is to address the "broadly christian character" and do assemblies that follow this to the letter:

Read only offensive passages from the bible,
Refer to ritual canabalism,
look at the teachings of ancient christians and the daft things, and contrary to orthodox beliefs that they had which would annoy the hell out of Anglicans,

and generally teach a cherrypicked christianity that would basically show it in a very bad light.

I'd suggest randonly picking girl children of the school to be "persecuted witch of the week" would make for fun assembly entertainment. All very christian, I'm sure.

76. Crisis of faith in first secular school

Comment #72861 by PrimeNumbers on September 23, 2007 at 9:12 am

Maybe the headteacher should set up some standing stones, and get in the local druids, that being the Religion of England until the Romans invaded. I'd love to see the newspaper and TV reports when the school bunny get the chop. Then we'd see how many people want religion in schools.

77. Why Christians should take Richard Dawkins seriously

Comment #72169 by PrimeNumbers on September 20, 2007 at 1:24 pm

Let's all play the definition game! If we can't define god, then those darned atheists can't disprove him as they need a definition.

What a bunch of loosers who just keep moving the goal posts. Sad thing is they don't really believe in god themselves, just the idea of god.

78. We need a more intelligent religion debate

Comment #68471 by PrimeNumbers on September 7, 2007 at 8:23 am

As soon as the side of religion looses, or feels that they're up against the wires, they back off into playing the "definition game". I think we atheists know very well what religion here. I'm sure many of us were innoculated at an early age with a mild dose of CofE. To say the kind of god we don't believe in is not the kind of god that those who are in the UK who believe, believe in is a very intellectually dishonest way to argue.

It's the "inverse straw man". In a straw man, you deliberately argue against an easy target. In the inverse straw man, after dealing a "winning" argument against your opponent, they change their point of view so that the try, through slight of hand and sophistry, your winning argument now lands on the straw man they have just created.

79. The New Atheists

Comment #67551 by PrimeNumbers on September 3, 2007 at 7:25 pm

Victor Stenger's book is superb - as Dawkins is from a biology background, Victor is from a physics background. He writes well and clear - superb book.

80. India to charge writer Nasreen with 'hurting Muslim feelings'

Comment #67537 by PrimeNumbers on September 3, 2007 at 6:32 pm

First, we need a new conscience raiser - "The religion of peace". Should be challenged whenever heard, with "Muslims are not peaceful."

Secondly, I think the very existance of Muslims is offensive. Their belief system is offensive to human dignity, their holy book offensive full stop. Before a single Muslim says they're offended, or that they've got hurt feelings or whatever they're winging on about this week, they should stop and look at their religion and their book and how their existance offends humanity.

81. Another view

Comment #66231 by PrimeNumbers on August 29, 2007 at 11:54 am

Just because you don't know how something works, doesn't mean that it doesn't work. Just because something "works" doesn't mean it's working for the reasons you think it's working. That's why you can examine and work with how ECT works, but not with homeopathy, which, when it comes down to it, is just water..... You can compare ECT to placebo in a double blind study and find that ECT has an effect over and above that of the placebo, whereas homeopathy will not.

82. Anger over 'blasphemous' balls

Comment #65911 by PrimeNumbers on August 27, 2007 at 10:33 am

Blasphemous Balls? That's balls filled with Atheist sperm, right?

83. These preachers of hate must be exposed

Comment #63339 by PrimeNumbers on August 14, 2007 at 1:34 am

Superb article. Now we need to see some action. But the UK government are in bed with the Saudi's, so will anything really happen?

If I were still living in the UK I'd be thinking how to leave before my kids are getting converted to Islam in school, before the country shuts down five times a day for prayer, before women are not "allowed" out on their own, before any criticism at all of Islam is met with time inside, or worse.

84. When did the police start collaring television?

Comment #62967 by PrimeNumbers on August 12, 2007 at 3:54 pm

By locking up the Muslims who preached hatred at the cartoon rally, "they" showed exactly how this should all work: if you go out and preach death and destruction, you get locked up. How can they now not prosecute and lock up the clerics from the documentary for doing exactly the same thing - preaching hatred and destruction?

85. When did the police start collaring television?

Comment #62937 by PrimeNumbers on August 12, 2007 at 11:41 am

Perhaps the next "Dispatches" should be a follow up documentary. They can show the after-effects of the original documentary, how the Muslim clerics who preached hatered are "misunderstood", according to the CPS / Police etc.

It's pretty hard to take "I hate you" out of context. You'd have to be saying something like "(I know others say to )hate the unbeliever, (but I say you must love the unbeliver") and that's just not the case here.

Shame on the BBC and Sky for not getting to the bottom of this story. We all know what the story is - "Appease the poor little Muslims. They're so misunderstood. Islam is the religion of peace." Camera pulls back to see gun pointed at head of news presenter. Peace under the gun.

The BBC wouldn't even show the cartoons of muhammed. Shame on the BBC for giving into bullies. Shame....

86. Does the Bible have a place in public schools?

Comment #61756 by PrimeNumbers on August 6, 2007 at 7:06 pm

Studying the Bible, in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing. However, there is the temptation to teach the Bible rather than study the Bible.

If there's a proper syllabus that must be adhered to, that guides the student through looking at the Bible as a cultural phenonma and literature, that keeps religious teaching out of the programme, then it could be a very interesting course.

However, I doubt that many teachers in the USA would be able to stick to such a syllabus. Given that, better not to teach it at all.

87. CNN Debate on Koran in Toilet

Comment #60527 by PrimeNumbers on August 2, 2007 at 6:15 am

Rtambree, that's a fine idea and certainly not a hate crime! Actually, I'd prefer it if those books, in their current form, were illegal for sale due to their hate crime content, and that censored versions be mandated as the only versions available for sale. Or perhaps, instead of censoring, each objectionable passage must have a disclaimer attached to it.

88. CNN Debate on Koran in Toilet

Comment #60275 by PrimeNumbers on August 1, 2007 at 12:47 pm

If the student stole the books, then he should be charged with the crime of theft. That is obvious. However, disposing of the said book does not in itself make it a hate crime.

89. CNN Debate on Koran in Toilet

Comment #60236 by PrimeNumbers on August 1, 2007 at 11:04 am

Islam has a real problem. But I really would have liked Hitchins to read out a paragraph from the Koran that tells it's followers to kill unbelievers as that is most undoubtably an example of a true hate crime.

90. Don't eat at the Outback Steakhouse on Route 3...

Comment #58970 by PrimeNumbers on July 26, 2007 at 7:28 pm

They've had 2000 years without serious criticism, and now they complain. They've got to go out and meet us on the rational battlefield, or accept that their beliefs are 2000 years out of date and are about as sane as the flat earthers.

91. Don't eat at the Outback Steakhouse on Route 3...

Comment #58966 by PrimeNumbers on July 26, 2007 at 7:09 pm

I think the maker of the video should remember that he who is without sin should cast the first stone.... The christians are well known for their book burning, and library burning (something I can never forgive them for).

The fact is, that their Bible is full of the nastiest type of hate crime propoganda there is, and if it didn't have it's status as the chosen holy book of christians it would have been banned or only released in edited form.

That they are so insecure in there religion and get worried by some mis-interpreted forum posts shows how truly feeble their mental state must be.

92. Fewer Muslims 'back suicide bombs'

Comment #58668 by PrimeNumbers on July 25, 2007 at 4:59 pm

That the percentages are not in the 0% to 1% category is testament to the backwardness of the muslim religion and it's followers. They're just not safe to be around.

93. The fundamentalist delusion

Comment #56215 by PrimeNumbers on July 14, 2007 at 2:06 pm

"Study Christianity seriously....", that's like saying we can't say faries are bunk without doing an in-depth, serious study of the farie phenonema first. Perhaps we even have to believe in faries first before we study them, because, as you know, fairies don't appear to un-believers.

But quite frankly, it's wonderful to see the stupid christians on the defensive.

94. Borehamwood eruv granted planning permission

Comment #56137 by PrimeNumbers on July 14, 2007 at 1:35 am

Jewish religious beliefs have been almost immune to criticism due to those, who rightfully say that their beliefs are bonkers, being called anti-semitic.

These orthodox nutters must be told to stop behaving like children, to grow up and enter the real world. If they don't want to work on their holy day, then fine, but this nuance of the eruv is to "allow" them to do what every other person does on saturday. Maybe they should think that if they want to work, they can, and nobody will stop them! To need a stupid barrier / boundary is stupid beyond belief.

Quite frankly these local councils are more than wrong for wasting time, money and energy on the eruvs. What about the vast majority of people who are not Jewish? What about their right to live in their homes without them magically becoming some part of some wandering desert cult's imaginary fictions.

95. Borehamwood eruv granted planning permission

Comment #56104 by PrimeNumbers on July 13, 2007 at 6:54 pm

Fine, if they don't want to work on Saturday, that's cool with me. But neither should they expect anyone else to do work for them on a Saturday - no fire or police protection. If they fall ill, doctors and nurses should not treat them.

96. Borehamwood eruv granted planning permission

Comment #56072 by PrimeNumbers on July 13, 2007 at 3:25 pm

We should go around cutting their wires on a Saturday so that they are no longer protected and go to hell.

97. Police plea on genital mutilation

Comment #55500 by PrimeNumbers on July 11, 2007 at 10:08 am

Sure - still wrong though.

98. Police plea on genital mutilation

Comment #55457 by PrimeNumbers on July 11, 2007 at 7:06 am

How sexist is it that now they say they're going to clamp down on female circumcision, but little boys still have to suffer..... It must be "it's ok to take away the religious excuse from Muslim's" week. I guess we can't do the same for the disgusting Jewish practise of male circumcision.

99. Sean Hannity with Christopher Hitchens

Comment #54850 by PrimeNumbers on July 9, 2007 at 6:26 am

The science answer would baffle a Fox viewer though..... That's half the battle that the "you can't get something from nothing" makes sense to a lot of people. Then you throw in the "godidit" and they nod their heads approvingly......

100. Won't anyone stand up for God?

Comment #54609 by PrimeNumbers on July 8, 2007 at 6:43 am

Religious belief is really, when it comes down to it, a longing wish for a happy afterlife. And as long as people think such horrors that are the bible's heaven (eternal piety - yuck) or hell (eternal torture, but at least you're not surrounded by pious twits - yuck) are in some way "worth dieing for", we'll have the problem of religion.

Quite frankly, the only reason that life is precious is because life is short. The only reason to do good to others is because life is finite. The only reason to have children (and I think children are fantastic) is that we die.

The universe is amazing and interesting and worth studying precisely because it was not created. If the universe had a meaning, then that would be the be all and end all of universal study - know that and it would seem that you need to know not much else. Because there is no meaning, it means we must study, learn and explore our environment, and that is interesting and the universe is beautiful because it's natural, not god made.