101. Face to faith

Comment #181668 by huzonfurst on May 17, 2008 at 10:03 pm

Still waiting to hear how humanism derives from xtianity, Henri (but not holding my breath for it).

102. Face to faith

Comment #181667 by huzonfurst on May 17, 2008 at 9:59 pm

Excuse me, Common Toad, but the majority of people do *not* know the difference between amoral and immoral - what ivory tower have you been living in?

And it's "you're", dummy.

103. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #181658 by huzonfurst on May 17, 2008 at 8:31 pm

Yes, let's have Eat-Ins at Kass' everywhere he goes! Ice cream, corn dogs, sloppy pizzas, greasy, slimy chicken, those oversize burgers being devoured by yuppie lunkheads in those grotesque commercials, and Big Gulps leading to Olympic-class belching!

In your prissy face, Kass!

104. Texas Megachurch Minister Busted in Internet Sex Sting

Comment #181641 by huzonfurst on May 17, 2008 at 6:49 pm

Interesting how the church is praying for this creep's family instead of for his victims.

105. Face to faith

Comment #181471 by huzonfurst on May 17, 2008 at 9:14 am

I know what 'amoral' means, but I also know that probably a majority of people, especially religious people, equate it with 'immoral' - and I suspect that Henri is (consciously or not) exploiting this confusion.

106. Richard Dawkins Responds to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

Comment #181450 by huzonfurst on May 17, 2008 at 8:43 am

I attended a forum some years ago in San Diego which included Sam Harris plus a number of local "defenders of their faiths" - Sam being outnumbered by about six to one in what typically passes for "balance" in these things.

The most obnoxious person by far was a toady/columnist for our local excuse for a newspaper, a rag which could have made Hitler blush at times. He would frequently raise his voice to a thunderous level, for example when he insisted that "in the year of our lord" proved that God was mentioned in the Constitution! When I pointed out the absurdity of this, including the fact that the word "lord" is not even the word "god" he went even more ballistic, unknowingly embarrassing himself before the mostly reasonable audience.

At the end of the presentation he stormed out screaming that "at least we all respect each others' beliefs" and disappeared before I could disagree with that final presumptive statement of his - which he obviously disagreed with himself!

107. Face to faith

Comment #181427 by huzonfurst on May 17, 2008 at 8:17 am

"Humanism derives from Christianity" and "atheism is amoral" are two of the most asinine statements I've ever seen here!

108. Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens

Comment #179889 by huzonfurst on May 14, 2008 at 12:13 am

Well, isn't that special? The Vatican gives Catholics "permission" to believe in extraterrestrial life! What century do they think they're -- oh, never mind.

109. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179447 by huzonfurst on May 13, 2008 at 8:57 am

If they knew they could never get along with each other, Fanusi, why did they insist on moving into their bitter enemies' backyard in the first place?

There were other options available; and I am *sick* of supporting a near-theocracy on the other side of the world which only makes the Middle East more dangerous than it already was - for the insane reason of "fulfillment of prophecy!" (Oh wait, the proximity of vast oil resources may be a factor too.)

110. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179436 by huzonfurst on May 13, 2008 at 8:44 am

What sheer, breathtaking nonsense! The Catholic Church is *still* fighting the Enlightenment!

(Yeah, I know this isn't really news, but when it's thrown in your face you can't help being stunned for a few moments.)

111. Truly Bizarre : Indians Throw Babies 50ft From Roof To Thank God.

Comment #179426 by huzonfurst on May 13, 2008 at 8:33 am

Apparently Michael Jackson has relatives in this part of the world.

112. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179420 by huzonfurst on May 13, 2008 at 8:27 am

Just when you think you've heard it all...

113. God seekers go public

Comment #179417 by huzonfurst on May 13, 2008 at 8:21 am

Hi Forti, loved the "Lack of Faith" pic!

114. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179237 by huzonfurst on May 13, 2008 at 12:28 am

Your answer proves my point: Israel could not exist without U.S. aid. Cutting it off and insisting they get along with their neighbors is *not* genocide. Why are you such a knee-jerk supporter of a country that can't survive on its own staying where it is and pissing off half the world in the process - Jewish or non-Jewish?

Please remove your blinders; this is a situation that can only grow worse over time [and having said that, I would be the first one to celebrate if they actually did establish lasting peace in the region].

I have nothing against Israel existing as a country but it *does not belong where it is*!!

115. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179226 by huzonfurst on May 12, 2008 at 11:34 pm

Who's advocating genocide? I'm advocating that Israel stand on its own feet or go away, period. How long must it be our oil proxy in that benighted region and at what obscene cost?

And if you think the Israeli government actually wants to co-exist with Palestinians you haven't read a newspaper in 60 years! As long as we keep them as our biggest welfare case they have no incentive to change their ways. Their true stated objective is to drive out as many Palestinians as they can, because to them Israel cannot be Israel unless it is predominantly Jewish. This is Abrahamic tribalism as absolutist as any in the Arab or Muslim world. It values religious affiliation over U.S.-style pluralism, and is a recipe for perpetual conflict - something which is just fine with the religious con-men on both sides who profit from it.

Israel needs to relocate. Until then, a pox on both their houses.

116. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179197 by huzonfurst on May 12, 2008 at 9:22 pm

Uh, kaiserkriss, your analysis only sounds reasonable, but does not explain the fact that so many suicide bombers come from upper-class, educated families. It is ideology, not desperation, which drives these people.

Applying reason to Islamic radicalism is like trying to reason a cockroach horde out of invading your kitchen if that is what it is determined to do. They may understand in their buggy little way that if they do they will be exterminated, but they simply can't help themselves because the Roach God demands it!

So do we sit by and hope that radical Muslims will eventually come to their senses and knock it off? Want to buy a bridge while you're waiting?

117. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179193 by huzonfurst on May 12, 2008 at 9:12 pm

Well, sickofgod, lots of Jews disagree with you about Israel. It may not be the biggest problem over there but it has certainly become a rallying point for hatred of things Western. Besides, Israel was *imposed* on Palestine by Britain in order to wash their hands of the situation. Other countries had offered uncontested territory for the state of Israel, but Orthodox Zionists insisted it be plopped where it was 2,000 years ago despite intervening history - with what should have been predictable results.

There is a magazine called Tikkun ("Rebuilding")which in a recent issue carried a cover story about how the Israel Lobby was bad for both Israel and the USA. Many people here would find it interesting, to say the least.

My own solution to this artificial problem is to simply end U.S. aid to Israel so it would be forced to come to terms or rapidly cease to exist. We send a third of our entire foreign aid budget to Israel and get nothing but headaches in return - who needs it any more?

118. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #178683 by huzonfurst on May 11, 2008 at 11:14 pm

Got you thinking though, didn't I, Jenin?

The fact is, whether you choose to accept it or not, that the Muslim world has already declared war on the West, and they are laughing at our dithering response.

The Koran allows and encourages Muslims to lie to "infidels" at every turn, take advantage of them at every opportunity, let them live if they are useful but otherwise kill them (meaning US) with impunity - so I will think of you when an Islamic mushroom cloud blooms in my backyard.

This does not mean I agree with anything George Bush does, says, or thinks (being generous with that word), or have the least amount of regard for neocon "philosophy." The invasion of Iraq was the dumbest thing this country has ever done and we will be paying for it for a long time both diplomatically and financially.

However, I was describing a scenario that is one possible outcome of the current conflicts. Obviously it is an extreme example of a last resort, but do you think it's "immoral" to even discuss it? I certainly don't!

A little background: I grew up in a fairly liberal Lutheran community in Minnesota (Prairie Home Companion country, literally); my political eyes were opened in college in California and I have been very liberal ever since, to the point of becoming a godless socialist; I was in the Peace Corps in West Africa in the 1970s; I've had Jewish girlfriends but despise the state of Israel for what it's done to its neighbors, not to mention its shameless con job for U.S. support ever since day one; and I *hate* political correctness and especially multi-culturalism, which refuses or is afraid to recognize that some cultures are indeed vastly superior to others.

Appeasement is not in my vocabulary!

119. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #178515 by huzonfurst on May 11, 2008 at 2:19 pm

It seems like the misnamed "clash of civilizations" (misnamed because only one side is at least partially civilized) will soon be upon us in spades. Consequently, as horrible as it sounds, we may find ourselves in the position of having to apply the Final Solution to the problem of Islam for our own survival.

I hope nobody thinks for one moment that if the existing nuclear arsenal were in the hands of these howling barbarians instead of us that they wouldn't have used it already. And does anyone think they *won't* eventually acquire a significant quantity of these weapons?

For the same same reason that the Manhattan Project was undertaken and the bombs actually dropped on Japan (people conveniently forget that Japanese fanaticism was as lethal as the Islamic kind is today, and the military was prepared to order the entire population to fight an invading army to the last man, woman and child), we just may have to bomb first and ask questions later.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some of the Western powers don't already have this scenario in their contingency plans, in fact. If we wait until they also acquire nuclear weapons they *will* use them, forcing us to use them whether we want to or not and making the resulting carnage much worse than it needs to be.

The clock is ticking.

120. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #178478 by huzonfurst on May 11, 2008 at 1:35 pm

One step in the right direction might be for Western countries to offer sanctuary to any Muslim woman who requests it, along with her female children. Let's see how they reproduce once all their women are gone!

121. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #178472 by huzonfurst on May 11, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Stories like this and FGM bring tears to my eyes and despair to my heart. These things must stop, but how, and when??

122. Atheists are nice people who will roast in hell, says Cardinal

Comment #178211 by huzonfurst on May 10, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Speaking of wanking, isn't that precisely what religion is?

123. British Airways takes beef off the menu to avoid offending Hindus

Comment #178210 by huzonfurst on May 10, 2008 at 10:24 pm

The next time I find myself on any airline sitting next to someone with religious food restrictions I will demand to be served that exact dish, and if it's a Muslim with alcohol besides!

Alaska Airlines is in the habit of providing everyone with little Bible verses during meals, btw. This is of course irritating not only to atheists but any other non-xtian or jew. I make up for it by handing it back to the steward(ess) and informing them that I most definitely did not order shit with my meal.

124. An Atheist Goes Undercover to Join the Flock of Mad Pastor John Hagee

Comment #176884 by huzonfurst on May 8, 2008 at 8:49 am

I read most of Taibbi's article on the link, and came away unimpressed with his gratuitous put-downs of the participants as being "overweight losers with no fashion sense." What does this accomplish except to show that Taibbi is not immune to indulging in unworthy ad hominems for cheap laughs?

He seems to have no sympathy for these people, who have obviously had serious trouble in their lives and are only going to have more after getting suckered into Hagee's abortion of a religion (not that any religion is worth spit).

The perpetrators of these religious encounter groups deserve all the criticism they get, but picking on the victims is sadistic and crass.

125. An Atheist Goes Undercover to Join the Flock of Mad Pastor John Hagee

Comment #176869 by huzonfurst on May 8, 2008 at 7:56 am

Here's the perfect opportunity to expose McCain for the phony political whore he has become with the help of Karl Rove: make a campaign commercial with videos of him accepting Hagee's endorsement followed by clips from Hagee's sermons.

126. What really goes on at the Large Hadron Collider

Comment #175916 by huzonfurst on May 6, 2008 at 8:37 am

I get irked by the same bad grammar as you do, but I just couldn't resist the apostrophe comment. Don't agree about the pronunciation of kilometer, though, as linguistic evolution is not in the same category as rational vs irrational world views.

I don't have a problem with different pronunciations of "processes" either but have a personal bias against pronouncing the Latin diphthong ae as "ee" instead of "eye" (spelled wrong in Latin itself, as it started out correctly as "ai"). And the next person who says "between you and I" will have his head handed to him on a platter!

127. What really goes on at the Large Hadron Collider

Comment #175858 by huzonfurst on May 6, 2008 at 6:54 am

Gawrsh, rod-the-farmer, yew shore dew git upset over the small stuff. And there ya go spelling "its" with an apostrophe!

128. The emerging moral psychology

Comment #175836 by huzonfurst on May 6, 2008 at 6:24 am

About not putting the priests and theologians on an island with a volcano "for fear of who they might throw in" - what's your point? They're all priests and theologians, are they not?

129. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #174293 by huzonfurst on May 2, 2008 at 2:55 am

Of course religion threatens science: look what's happening in Florida, with yet another attack on evolution.

More and more I think we should have let the South secede and saved ourselves not only the trouble of the Civil War but also the troubles brought on by these blinkered bible-beaters ever since. By now those states would be a pathetic third-world quagmire, and who knows how much farther advanced the rest of us would be!

130. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172541 by huzonfurst on April 29, 2008 at 5:31 pm

Al-Rawandi, you are a multi-culturalist IDIOT! We are criticising a cultural practice, not a race of people. Crying "racism" at every perceived offense is an old trick that doesn't work on this site, so perhaps you should save your breath and stop making yourself look like such a perfect fool.

"Honor" killings happen all over the place, so it can't possibly be race-based. The fact that it preceded Islam does not excuse Muslim (or any other) societies from condoning it. It's "people like *you*", however, who try to excuse the most atrocious behaviors because "it's their culture."

Do you actually think "honor" killings are not a big deal? Where is your conscience?! And btw, I do not support the Iraq war but do believe it's a good thing we're in Afghanistan slaughtering as many Taliban bastards as possible. Perhaps we shouldn't nuke entire countries, but taking out certain hotbeds of insanity such as Mecca might not be such a bad idea!

131. Orangutan attempts to hunt fish with spear

Comment #171042 by huzonfurst on April 28, 2008 at 9:09 am

I hope he never sees anyone reading a Bible or Koran!

132. Science leads to killing people

Comment #170737 by huzonfurst on April 27, 2008 at 11:19 pm

Holy Christ, this guy is far worse than I imagined! How is such slanderous, flat-out lying even legal - it's as bad as talk radio, the right-wing flamefests that complain about "liberal media" as they predominate in it.

There's a temporary antidote out there, though: Martin Scorsese's concert film of the Rolling Stones in I-Max, called "Shine A Light." These guys may look dead but they're the liveliest corpses you'll ever see!

Thank God for "Sympathy for the Devil!"

133. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #169611 by huzonfurst on April 26, 2008 at 12:05 pm

There will always be teasing, whether innocent or vicious, but the fact that this made it to a courtroom is hopeful at least.

San Diego has a big Gay Pride parade every year, which I used to enjoy (it always starts on Normal Street ;>) ) before it got huge and commercial. I'll always regret not getting a t-shirt with "I don't care if they're straight as long as they act gay in public" on it! Would have loved to have worn that to work and seen how many people got upset over it and started wondering about my orientation (which they all knew was anything but gay).

134. Soldier Sues Army, Saying His Atheism Led to Threats

Comment #169600 by huzonfurst on April 26, 2008 at 11:45 am

One more example of how religion is another tool for bullies. Aggressive, socially coercive behavior apparently does have some survival advantage or it should have disappeared by now.

Thank gawd I refused to go to Vietnam or the other soldiers would have done me in before we ever went on patrol...

135. Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says

Comment #169576 by huzonfurst on April 26, 2008 at 10:34 am

Vaal, that's perfect! But how do you know it hasn't already happened? On the other hand, would an advanced version of humanity be able to allow all that suffering to occur?

Btw, everyone seems to be looking at the near-extinction of our species from only our own perspective. I suspect if there was a poll of all other life forms they would consider it a disaster that we *didn't* go extinct.

Speaking of polls, expelledthemovement (what human function does that remind us of?) never finishes loading on my poor dialup connection. Is it full of fancy, pointless graphics like a great many other sites, including unfortunately this one?

136. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #167252 by huzonfurst on April 23, 2008 at 7:22 pm

Good one about the mirror, Frankus!

And Remnant, please clean yourself...

137. Resentment Over Darwin Evolves Into a Documentary

Comment #166598 by huzonfurst on April 23, 2008 at 10:27 am

Come on, you geniuses. 50% of us can be neither below nor above average, because lots of us must be right at 50%, especially in a measurement as imprecise as IQ.

Not only that, there are many different types of intelligence and I doubt that many people get the same score on all of them. The significance of this number fades into insignificance the closer one examines it...

138. Responses to 'Gods and Earthlings' by Richard Dawkins

Comment #165943 by huzonfurst on April 22, 2008 at 3:59 pm

The most economical way to refer to a deity whose gender is uncertain (never mind the question of existence) is to use the compound pronoun s/he/it - pronounced rapidly.

139. Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda

Comment #165301 by huzonfurst on April 21, 2008 at 10:07 am

To D. A. Roberston (any relation to Pat?):

Of course "moderate" religion paves the way to extremism! What rock have you been living under?

140. Ben Stein Vs. Sputtering Atheists

Comment #165228 by huzonfurst on April 21, 2008 at 8:35 am

For years my friends and I have engaged in the idle speculation of why there haven't been any terminally-ill people going out and getting rid of some of the worst members of the human race, as a final, heroic act for the good of the world.

Where are you? We need you now more than ever!

141. Mecca should become core to measure time zones: scholars

Comment #165202 by huzonfurst on April 21, 2008 at 7:52 am

Another part of Quranic science is the denial of evolution, of course.

142. Ben Stein Vs. Sputtering Atheists

Comment #164992 by huzonfurst on April 20, 2008 at 11:12 pm

If there was ever a perfect example of "HOLY CRAP" this is it! If enough people swallow the criminal lies presented by this film another Inquisition could be in the works!

Richard, et al, is there any way you could return whatever money you might have been paid for your appearances and then sue these bastards for misrepresenting you? If Uri Geller can harass James Randi the way he did over a period of years, perhaps the tables could be turned and the bad guys made to suffer for a change. I suspect you could raise a great deal of money very quickly for a campaign like this.

I repeat from another message: THE GLOVES MUST COME OFF and we have to SLAM these a-holes HARD! They don't respond to reason or fair play, so what other choice is there? Wait until they break down our doors and haul us away?

PZ, why haven't you at least charged that producer with false arrest?

143. Yoko Ono, Filmmakers Caught in 'Expelled' Flap

Comment #164147 by huzonfurst on April 19, 2008 at 4:03 pm

PS: Please name any moment in history when appeasement has succeeded. I'm waiting...

144. Yoko Ono, Filmmakers Caught in 'Expelled' Flap

Comment #164123 by huzonfurst on April 19, 2008 at 3:13 pm

Look, so far nothing has stopped these religious fascists from continuing their assault on the Enlightenment, and I don't think anything will until they are hit *hard* by punitive damages again and again! So what if they use it as propaganda - how much more slandering and lying can they do that they haven't already?

It's time not only to stand up to them but to fight back proactively. Take the battle to the steps of their supernatural playhouses and force them to defend the brainwashing of children that goes on in them, or else force them to close down!

The USA is so cowed by religious nutjobs that it even allows child abuse to go unpunished if it's done "in the name of religion." Ever hear of Christian "Scientists" who don't believe in medicine and pray who knows how many of their own children to death every year? This is OUTRAGEOUS, and until we put a stop to it we have no right to call ourselves civilized.

I just listened to one of our local Neandertal radio stations praising "Expelled" and urging everyone to go and see it, swallowing whole the bullshit about "teaching the controversy" and making fun of Darwinists who "can't explain how life started," reinforcing the misconception that that is part of evolutionary theory. It's crazier than you think out there, folks, and far more dangerous.

145. Yoko Ono, Filmmakers Caught in 'Expelled' Flap

Comment #163954 by huzonfurst on April 19, 2008 at 11:02 am

I couldn't agree with you more, Jayday. I'm of the opinion that Yoko should sue the pants off these malicious liars, and if some people are "shocked and appalled," so be it!

I've always thought it's way past the time when the gloves need to come off and atheists should go on the offensive against the endless slander we suffer at the hands of all these religious creeps. And when they cry "Boo hoo, you hurted our widdle feelings," we should respond with a great big "F**K YOU!!"

146. Beyond Belief 07: Enlightenment 2.0

Comment #159548 by huzonfurst on April 12, 2008 at 1:14 pm

The reason the audience was smaller is because Roger didn't let any "civilians" in until the last day. I was able to attend the whole conference in 2006 as an observer, and a more fulfilling experience would be hard to find. Imagine being able to talk to all these people any time you wanted over a three-day period!

Roger blew it by restricting attendance in 2007, and hopefully he realizes that by now. There were no disruptive yahoos in 2006 (the Templeton people were the only ones who came close) because it wasn't advertised to the general public and the persistent ones like myself were pretty well screened. So they know how to keep it under control, and ought to open up the next one. Those of us who did get in will always remember it and remain grateful for the opportunity - and the food was exceptional too!

147. Get out of here, atheists!

Comment #157319 by huzonfurst on April 8, 2008 at 10:56 pm

I posted a comment in the forum a few hours ago; now it's gone and I can't log into it - but succeeded in logging in here!

What's going on, or is this place not as rational as it claims to be?