151. Ban anti-Catholic books in schools, says bishop

Comment #143268 by HourglassMemory on March 13, 2008 at 7:51 pm

"So, if we ban everything, the planet will be a better place??? ...right?"

Well when you think about it, dragonfirematrix, it is, after all, the quickest way for them to find THEIR peace of mind.
If only the entire world agreed with them, we would be at peace a long time ago, living like robots, as if going through cleansing process to get into heaven.

And now that I think of it...
Imagine if nothing suicidal happnened, like someone thinking about the apocalyspe and the return of the messiah.

Imagine all this unspecified number of generations, constantly coming out from previous generations and doing this repetetive life style, praying to god and banning, if not outright killing deviant minds, for an unspecified number of milleniums.
This is Peace, in their mind.

How boring can you get? It's like these people don't think of the consequences of their 'oh so ideal actions and duties.
Ack!

For one thing, I'm glad people like us exist. They make things more interesting, if not outright change the course of humankind for the better.

152. Deadly Sins 101

Comment #143101 by HourglassMemory on March 13, 2008 at 12:57 pm

My god!
It's like these people don't think!
"Polluting is a sin."
Give me a break. Cows farting 'Pollute the environment'. Dogs dropping their excrements on a pretty lanscape, are 'polluting the environment'.
You just by talking are throwing into the athmosphere "the evil Co2".

The whole issue is just so relative and so human based and it's extremely complex.

These people don't spend nights and days thinking about these issues seriously, ala Descartes/Kant....they just think "mmmm let's make this a sin...perhaps people will do less of it."

It's such a bad method. That sort of stuff doesn't work anymore.

It doesn't motivate people.
It might work in the minds of those afraid of hell, which scares me because their 'good behaviours' hang, then, by a thread of delusion. By a story. By archaic concepts.


This Sin stuff doesn't work in the 21st century.

153. Two More Fleas

Comment #142525 by HourglassMemory on March 12, 2008 at 3:57 pm

When I looked at the cover of the first of the new two fleas, I thought to myself: "Don't tell me that someone has actually come out and claim that reason and science have been the Devil's plan all along to get people into Hell!"

Actually I woudln't be surprised if a large group of people started claiming that, in their to keep their beliefs, and wonder about celestial conspiracies.
Oh well...More free publicity for Dawkins' book I guess. What worries me is that half the people might actualy be convinced by one of these books and go back to the "Agnostic 50/50 position", not to mention go religious again.
I don't want to think about it...

154. Should Galileo's tomb be opened for DNA tests?

Comment #141537 by HourglassMemory on March 10, 2008 at 3:10 pm

The man responsible for creating modern science should now suffer the consequences. *grin*
Who knows, Galileo could even agree to have his body tested if he knew what new sciences would arise. I'm sure he would love today's science, and I'm sure he would volunteer to let it gain more ground.
Well, why not? Not only do you gain new knowledge of the man....but you get to see the bones of the genius, and without a doubt it'll be filmed and have pictures out there.
I wonder if he's enveloped in clothes of the time. that would be pretty interesting to see.
It's like a time capsule.

And people aren't stupid. They can do it in a respectful way.

155. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #139875 by HourglassMemory on March 6, 2008 at 3:37 pm

I can only say one thing:
Good.

156. Richard Dawkins' US Tour begins this week

Comment #138014 by HourglassMemory on March 3, 2008 at 6:37 pm

Why do I have to live on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and not even in the Uk????
My only way to enjoy any of his lectures is to watch them through the Internet.
I hope SOMEONE films these talks.

157. Fleas on the Horizon: In Defense of God

Comment #137978 by HourglassMemory on March 3, 2008 at 5:15 pm

My God! These are Trekies who mean business!

158. Survey shows Non-Religious Outnumber Those of Every Single Faith (But One)

Comment #137809 by HourglassMemory on March 3, 2008 at 1:49 pm

Here's Freedom From Religion Foundation's Radio, where the main topic is this poll.
http://ffrf.org/radio/podcast/

159. Survey shows Non-Religious Outnumber Those of Every Single Faith (But One)

Comment #137662 by HourglassMemory on March 3, 2008 at 10:12 am

I think this would only impact me if it was a gigantic change.
It's only a tiny little change, which is great, don't get me wrong, but even so, you go look at those who define themselves as atheists, and it's only 4 percent.
lol...
How hard is it for people to get it that being an atheist has nothing to do with claiming 100% certain that there is no god?
It's just that you don't need a theistic god in your life.
My God, if you're a deist, you're an atheist, in a way.
All those who do not believe in a theistic God, and the spectrum where it lies, you're an atheist.
you are without a theistic God.

I wonder if it's possible to change the popular definition of atheist, of a person who doesn't believe in any god, to a person who does not believe in a theistic god. Because that's what it is, technically.

If it could be done to mka this more clear, I think people would slowly come to realise that ticking the Atheist box isn't as horrible and thoughtless as people think.

160. Dispatches: Holy Offensive

Comment #135040 by HourglassMemory on February 28, 2008 at 1:23 pm

Wow....putting scriptures to bed like a guru....I had never heard of that...

161. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #134174 by HourglassMemory on February 27, 2008 at 11:03 am

It's a nice interview, like all the others.
One or two people who called in were quite peculiar.
and the interviewr didn't seem to have questions ready for him. She seemed to ask questions in a sort of "mmmm I guess I'll ask him this now."
It didn't flow, it seemed to me.

The woman spoke of Dawkins going to Wisconsin to the Wisconsin Union theatre.
Here's a picture of the place, for those who are curious.
http://www.union.wisc.edu/uniontheater/venue_clip_clip_image002.jpg

I t think it is, at least that's what shows up when you Google it.

162. The Giant Tortoise's Tale

Comment #133764 by HourglassMemory on February 26, 2008 at 5:48 pm

It's so cool seeing Richard stooping next to the tortoises.
If The Ancestor's Tale ever gets to be done, Richard has to do that same thing, and talk to the camera, whispering like David Attenborough.

163. The Encyclopedia of Life, No Bookshelf Required

Comment #133708 by HourglassMemory on February 26, 2008 at 3:01 pm

I remember listnening E.O.Wilson about this project on a TED lecture.
It's great that it's still going.
I'm not able to get in at the moment. It stays there for a while, loading...and then it says it can't present me the page.
It's probably having too many people on it.

164. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133509 by HourglassMemory on February 26, 2008 at 9:09 am

Ban lifted?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7262071.stm

165. My Argument With God

Comment #131563 by HourglassMemory on February 22, 2008 at 3:06 pm

It's a nice little essay by Ricky Gervais.
It's nice to see a famous person talking about his experience with religion and atheism.

It would be great if this was a sort of series of small essays written by famous people, the first being Ricky. who knows, the second one could be Jodie Foster.
But this is just me dreaming around.

166. Over half of Britons claim no religion

Comment #131305 by HourglassMemory on February 22, 2008 at 8:09 am

I'm honestly not impressed.
Religion just isn't what it used to be.
And with the newest generations, who are far less religious, it could be that these new generations are the ones who are going to turn the whole religion thing the other way around, that "no religion" gets more than 50%.
I'm curious what would be the result in other european countries.

I honestly think that if people, in my country, which is Portugal, had their own Richard Dawkins' and Co. , a lot of people would gladly say that they did not practice any religion, and many would drop the catholic definition that they had been using since childhood out of tradition.
If people realised that they could have NO definition, many would casually drop it.

But let's not forget that if you asked those with no religion, many would answer that they were into something New Age.
How many of them are rationalist folk like the majority on this site?

167. DLD08 - Life: a gene-centric view

Comment #130431 by HourglassMemory on February 20, 2008 at 1:57 pm

I can't watch it!!
Once the man starts talking "1988... 10 years ago..." something elses appears, in German, asking me to give my email and such.
"Schicke dieses Video an einen Freund!"
I don't know what that means...

EDIT: Never mind!
I clicked on the link from where the video comes from, and it seems to be working now. At least it has gone beyond that 1988 part.

168. Fleabytes

Comment #129861 by HourglassMemory on February 19, 2008 at 5:11 pm

Bravo, Paula!
Hear! Hear! was all I could say for a while.

169. Machines 'to match man by 2029'

Comment #128517 by HourglassMemory on February 17, 2008 at 9:21 am

I wonder what religious fanatics would do with it....

170. The argument from oranges

Comment #128268 by HourglassMemory on February 16, 2008 at 4:37 pm

My God!
this is the sort of ignorance I hate the most. this is why I argue with people about these issues.
I hate it because people in the backround....say nothing....a man said "Amen"?
My God!

The man's stupid smirks, indirectly showing that "he's got it and it's wrong", are what makes me pitty people like him.

171. The Dog Allusion

Comment #128266 by HourglassMemory on February 16, 2008 at 4:31 pm

I can predict that any flea for this book will have to be as witty and as funny.
I don't think anyone will have the guts or the brains.
And when a deluded person tries to be funny with things like jesus, where they try to be serious....it just won't compare.
I'm now wondering if the fleas will be more hilarious or not.

I hope this is first of many books that Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and Dennett have in a sense, allowed to be published.

172. A match made on RichardDawkins.net?

Comment #128264 by HourglassMemory on February 16, 2008 at 4:27 pm

Who would have wondered!!!
Congratulations and the happiness to you both.
Enojy it while it lasts.

173. What is Evo-devo?

Comment #127863 by HourglassMemory on February 15, 2008 at 5:00 pm

60 seconds?!!
Nah Nah Nah.
Instead get people used to two hour lectures with Dawkins!!!!!
I honestly mean this.

I can understand this attempt but it just...it makes people dependant on these weird, blurry quick definitions.

174. Virus immunity 'created in lab'

Comment #127859 by HourglassMemory on February 15, 2008 at 4:55 pm

Flu?
Are you serious?
*smiles*

To me this sort of thing feels like those competitions on television, where the audience is shouting repetedly for the contestant as s/he tries construct some weird geometrical sculpture.

I'm one of those shouting "Go,go,go!"

175. Smaller Version of the Solar System Is Discovered

Comment #127850 by HourglassMemory on February 15, 2008 at 4:47 pm

It's amazing how fast discoveries are being made in astronomy.
I still remember when there were still just a few planets out there. The first extrasolar planet was discovered within my lifetime (I'm 18).

And now we're sending probes to the polar regions of Mars, in the hopes of finding some sort of life or its remants, and finding systems out there that could very well be like ours.
I mean, just the fact that Jupiter-like planets are common... To know that Jupiters are not rare, and we have one right here with us!

I'm just going to sit and wait.
This sort of thing is great.

I'm going to wait for the telescopes big enough to show us these planets, I don't care if they're Jupiters.

I know this isn't about the Phoenix probe, but my god, I cannot wait for its landing.
It would be really huge if they found ANY sort of life frozen on the polar regions of Mars.

My god I cannot imagine how the churches of the world would react.

176. US military accused of harboring fundamentalism

Comment #127567 by HourglassMemory on February 15, 2008 at 12:26 pm

Portugal!
I live in Portugal!
I'm sorry, I only checked the site now...

177. US military accused of harboring fundamentalism

Comment #127441 by HourglassMemory on February 15, 2008 at 9:46 am

To be honest, it does not give me the shivers.
but this must be because I live in a country that nobody gives a s**t about....except for radical muslims who want to explode in my country when our country has done nothing but exist on the coast of europe in a state of neutrality for years....
Unless the US military goes wild and becomes the organised equivalent of suicidalo-fundamentalist islam, I do not worry.
Only because my country will not suffer....much.

178. Debate between Richard Dawkins and Madeline Bunting

Comment #126939 by HourglassMemory on February 14, 2008 at 2:28 pm

This conversation was very calm.
I really liked it.
And I loved hearing Richard saying "Let me finish! Let me finish!" almost like a kid. (and I don't mean this in any indirect insulting way. It just reminded me of a child whose lolipop had been taken)
It was great.

179. Murder plot against Danish cartoonist

Comment #126120 by HourglassMemory on February 12, 2008 at 1:22 pm

If Islam is peaceful they should not even shout when seeing drawings like these.
If they explode and ill-behave towards other human beings they are the proof that their ideals are exceptionally fertile grounds for horrible deeds to take place when they are not needed.

180. Bill Maher on Larry King Live

Comment #125475 by HourglassMemory on February 11, 2008 at 12:20 pm

I really hope his film loosens people up a little bit.
It's about time religion and faith got LAUGHED AT.
Perhaps this inspires other directors and screenwriters to write films that are critical of religion.
Perhaps one day, we'll have a major film that takes place during the Inquisition, and then gets an Oscar for best wardrobe or something.

181. Exorcism undergoes a revival across Europe

Comment #125287 by HourglassMemory on February 11, 2008 at 7:36 am

Let them! Let them! Sit down and wait.
That's what my mother says.
These people, with some time, will degrade themselves by showing that their actions are dangerous, by ruining the family lives of one or two people, if not outright killing them.

People want to feel like their in a big story. I think that's key.
It's the same with Raelism(not realism) when you're getting your DNA transcriped to the Planet of the Geniuses by Rael through telepathy.

You just want meaningfulness bigger than yourself, inside you.

182. Inventor Doesn't Dare Say 'Perpetual Motion Machine'

Comment #124055 by HourglassMemory on February 8, 2008 at 8:54 am

At least he's asking for scientists to come and see it and explain to him what is happening.

183. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #123252 by HourglassMemory on February 6, 2008 at 5:30 pm

I watched this yesterday, after I watched the other Christopher Hitchens debates posted yesterday or the day before that.

It looked more casual. And the camera angles were different.

184. The New Atheist Movement

Comment #123164 by HourglassMemory on February 6, 2008 at 2:29 pm

I wonder if he mistook him for Dan BARKER.

185. The New Atheist Movement

Comment #123152 by HourglassMemory on February 6, 2008 at 2:12 pm

"75% of our students are loosing their faith in college"
Great! And coming from the mouth of a religious person, that's gotta mean something!!!!

"And ultimately, as History proves, the Truth will prevail."
Thank god!

"The Christian Faith is an anvil tha thas been wearing out hammers for two thousand years. it's gonna take more than Richard Dawkins and Sam harris to unravel the faith."
and with an ever growing number of people who realise that what you give them is *****, it's like a hammer that grows everytime it hits your 'anvil'.
Yes, just wait 'till it gets presented to an ever growing hammer called "Truth Aquired by Scientific Inquiry". Which only now is it starting to get hit by. I'm already seeing it deform!!!!

186. Pope says some science shatters human dignity

Comment #120105 by HourglassMemory on February 1, 2008 at 9:06 am

I find it curious that the pope, and quite honestly the majority of human beings, has a problem with humans being just another 'thing' in the universe.

Somehow consciousness cannot be illusions created by the physical brain and such.
But this is absolutely comprehensible.


I do believe that conciousness is a sort of illusion created by the material brain, but that doesn't depress me. I keep using my brain, since evolution has given that to me!!!



I like to think that when people say "Oh, that's putting it way too heartlessly. It rips us humans of our dignity." It's the moment where you can notice that we've went up the throne before asking ourselves if we were kings.

Now that we've asked ourselves what we are, people still like the colourful tapestry and the golden throne and the crystal chandeliers and the detailed and expensive royal clothes and furs.

The only problem I have is that we put ourselves in a pedestal, in a throne

All I ask of people is if they can step down of the throne. They can even take the furs with them....but do not stand on the throne.

Why?

There isn't one.

You'll only look silly if you think you're a king when you're actually sitting on the ground.

187. Sentenced to death: Afghan who dared to read about women's rights

Comment #118966 by HourglassMemory on January 31, 2008 at 8:15 am

I've signed the petition. (How curious....prayer was the last thing in my mind, now that I edit this 3 minutes later...)
It's horrible, the whole thing.
The ones who should be executed are the judges who have such perverse minds.
It is a shame that this sort of thing still happens. But it is not surprising to see it surrounded by arab names...

188. New atheists or new anti-dogmatists?

Comment #117077 by HourglassMemory on January 28, 2008 at 8:10 am

Adogmatist sounds like a good name...

189. Loneliness Breeds Belief in Supernatural

Comment #116331 by HourglassMemory on January 26, 2008 at 8:55 am

Would I be the only one to think that this sort of thinking could also be applied to us as a civilisation on planet Earth?

Our own loneliness on this planet makes us create these supersticions, such as extraterrestrial encounters and ghosts and gods...

EDIT:
I was also wondering if this just because our brains are so needy of social situations.
Why people develop imaginary friends, and why many times they talk to themselves.
It might even be why we dream, who knows.(I know it probably isn't)

190. Can Atheists Be Parents?

Comment #107309 by HourglassMemory on January 4, 2008 at 11:29 am

I have never had religion mentioned in my family. Nor God.
that makes my close family atheist.

And they can sure as hell be parents.
I don't smoke, I don't like drinking and I don't curse thanks to the way they raised me.

If I see an old lady in the streets with heavy shopping bags I would help, if I didn't think I would look lame. I feel like having tea with them...
If I see a girl crying I feel like I could give so many hugs and sit next to her for as long as she needed.
I couldn't hurt a fly, not to mention human beings.
I beleive that I should use my life to the maximum, that's why I try to learn as much as possible before something stupid like....dying...happens.
that's why I'm writing my novels.
I'm constantly laughing.
I'm constantly learning from other people's mistakes.

The only thing that gets me depressed is thinking about the innevitability of death. I find depression stupid and boring.
About all the rest I'm VERY optimistic.

I have to also mention that my parents educated me in such a way that I'm able to dodge stupid websites and come to forums such as the one here on this site.

....and I'm only 18. Go figure.

191. Carl Sagan's COSMOS begins airing on Jan 8th

Comment #104343 by HourglassMemory on December 28, 2007 at 10:52 am

Wow! I received Cosmos DVD for Christmas from my parents!
And I've been watching two episodes everyday, very late at night.
I love it, and I still haven't finished watching.
It's been great so far.

I hope you all enjoy it also!