201. Messiah

Comment #52478 by AdrianB on June 27, 2007 at 5:31 am

There's a great Penn&Teller Bull**** programme that dubunks the walking on glass or burning coals thing. There are a load of "motivational" courses out there, where people are prepared to take $dollars off others, with life changing promises that you will have the mental strength to say no to pain and be able to walk on glass and burning coals.

Basically, we can all do it. The soles of the feet are quite tough, and no practice is required.(As long as you use burning wood embers, and not real coal which burns at a much higher temp).

So get out there Rachel!

202. 'I have never been happier' says the man who won gold but lost God

Comment #52461 by AdrianB on June 27, 2007 at 4:27 am

I am pleased to see this article about Jonathan Edwards, he always came across as a very nice chap indeed, faith-head, atheist or otherwise. I was wondering what had happened to him since the story about his loss of faith broke, and I did a search on him just last night.

Amusingly, I came across the following:

http://www.aboutlife.com/gazdunn/jonathan_edwards_faith_certain_doubts

Best quote from the above is "I suggest we pray for Jonathan Edwards that he will come back to God and that his blind-faith with return with opened eyes."

I'm sorry but I've just got to say it ..... LOL!

203. Messiah

Comment #52436 by AdrianB on June 27, 2007 at 3:14 am

If a non-pretent pretend psychic like John Edwards can fleece people out of millions today, even with the disadvantages of some media ridicule, just think how powerful they could have been 2000 years ago!

Lucky we've got a few pretend psychics and magic men around, just to remind us how easily we can be duped.

204. Messiah

Comment #52424 by AdrianB on June 27, 2007 at 2:17 am

I have a lot of respect for Derren Brown, and am pleased that the likes him, Penn&Teller, Randi etc are on our side.

I prefer his smaller scale demonstrations to be honest, they show his true talents, and the sad predictability of humans.

A number of years ago, when my daughter was about 6, I used to play "guess which hand it's in" with her. I could always read what she was going to go for next, (4 out of 5 anyway) and I once had a run of 20 that she got wrong. I wouldn't be able to do that to her now, or any other adult, but Derren Brown could.

205. Executive Actions to Promote Religion Ruled Beyond Court Scrutiny

Comment #51923 by AdrianB on June 25, 2007 at 2:50 pm

This is very worrying, and should be read in context with the speech given by Edward Tabash.

206. 'Purity' ring case in High Court

Comment #51735 by AdrianB on June 24, 2007 at 12:17 pm

In fact the more I think about this the more important it is that the school wins the case. Take the following points from BBC News:

The Silver Ring Thing was set up in America in 1996 as a response to the escalating numbers of teen pregnancies in Yuma, Ariz. Teenagers pay a few dollars for a silver ring and a Bible, and pledge not to have sex before marriage. The movement arrived in Britain several years ago.

The U.K. branch of the Silver Ring Thing is based at the Kings Church in Horsham where Playfoot's father, Phil, is pastor. Her mother, Heather, is the company secretary of its business arm. It runs a training program called "The Silver Ring Thing 434."

207. 'Purity' ring case in High Court

Comment #51733 by AdrianB on June 24, 2007 at 11:59 am

Nails, agree 100% with your comments and this is what I was saying earlier in this thread.

Remember, that the uniform rules will have been set by the parents and governers for the perceived benefit of all the children.

What Miss Playfoot and her dad seem to want is religious inspired anarchy. I really hope they fail.

208. 'Purity' ring case in High Court

Comment #51337 by AdrianB on June 22, 2007 at 11:50 am

The real issue for me is as follows.

The parents and governers of our children's school have just come to agree on a dress code. It took many weeks of debating. I was for uniforms because there are instances of bullying about what kids wear, and it would get my kids off to school much quicker without the stress of what they were going to put on that was cool. In the end it decided against uniforms, but that jewellery was not allowed. This was decided by the parents, and we all abide by the rules.

If somebody then decides that the agreed rules are okay for the majority, but not for them, then what point are the rules?

Let me just move this girls reasoning into another example. What if somebody said it is okay to drive at 40mph in a 30mph area because his god says speed is good? Or even worse, what if somebody said it was okay to murder because his religion instructs him to?

209. Atheists: stand up and be counted

Comment #50932 by AdrianB on June 20, 2007 at 1:40 pm

fides_et_ratio, this is very tiresome. You keep saying that the author of this article claims that the Catholic Church teaches creationism. He does not make that claim.

210. Atheists: stand up and be counted

Comment #50834 by AdrianB on June 20, 2007 at 6:32 am

Nice comments newatheist. I agree with regards faith schools, as well as the obvious indoctrination element it is the issue of how the religious get away with discrimination that puzzles me. As I said earlier I pay the same taxes as my Catholic friend/neighbour but we have a choice of 2 schools for our kids, and they have a choice of 4. How can this be?

Fortunately they are currently at a very good non-faith school. What is odd is that this is the school of choice for a number of Exclusive Brethren parents, with about 6 in each year. (I know none of them will be reading this!) Of course their kids are not allowed to eat with the infidel. What is really sad is that my daughter became very friendly with one of the EB girls in her first year until she was told one day that her mother would not allow the friendship. As for all the other faiths in this non-faith school, the kids mix really well.

Your last paragraph makes the same point I was trying to make. Rutherfords article is about atheists needing to stand-up and be counted. Rutherford never mentions creationism being taught in Catholic schools, and yet this is precisely what fides claims and then he accuses atheists of ignoring the facts. Paranoid Catholic? LOL!

211. U.S. circumcision rate drops

Comment #50770 by AdrianB on June 19, 2007 at 11:58 pm

Shuggy, thanks in advance for the links. I will check them out later when I'm not at work.

I suspect the employer's Internet Police might get me with links like that!

212. Atheists: stand up and be counted

Comment #50627 by AdrianB on June 19, 2007 at 6:31 am

Isn't the real point that Rutherford doesn't actually make the claim that ID is being pushed in schools, nor specifically Catholic schools. Yet Fides seems to imply that he does, and attacks atheists for ignoring facts.

213. Atheists: stand up and be counted

Comment #50611 by AdrianB on June 19, 2007 at 4:52 am

What can we do?

The other day I opened the jewel case of a CD I had just bought, and out dropped a little piece of paper inviting me to buy the artist's t-shirt. It went straight in the bin. I don't like to advertise myself as being in some 'gang', never have and never will. I don't own t-shirts proclaiming my likes and dislikes, and I avoid clothing that shouts its brand whenever possible. I would hazard a guess that atheists are more akin to this way of thinking than average. We don't really want to form groups, it's against our nature. Besides some sort of quasi-atheist-religion is bound to get screwed up into some sort of cult, and we've already got scientology.

Trouble is, democracy doesn't work either if it can be manipulated to promote the prejudices of the majority as seems to be happening in the US. There is a high possibility that a European country will end up with Sharia Law when the muslim population becomes the majority, which will be in about 50 years given current birth rates.

The only thing we can do is nibble at it. Don't form groups necessarily, but make our numbers known. (The next census in the UK should be interesting; I have always stated my family to be COE even though none of us believe). Defend the separation of church and state is vitally important. Ridicule religion, and demand evidence. Ask that atheism be taught in RE lessons. Push for the abolishment of faith schools. (My children have a choice of 2 secondary schools, but my neighbours' children have a choice of 4, for the same taxes). Argue against the positive discrimination that the religious receive. There are plenty of small things, let's keep the debate going.

214. Atheists: stand up and be counted

Comment #50604 by AdrianB on June 19, 2007 at 4:18 am

fides_et_ratio, I think you must be on the wrong thread. You need to find the thread where atheists are demanding that evolution is taught as well as ID. It must be somewhere, but not here I'm afraid. Good luck with your search.

215. U.S. circumcision rate drops

Comment #50596 by AdrianB on June 19, 2007 at 3:15 am

It is obvious that fathers who have had the procedure will want their sons to have the same, otherwise this is some sort of recognition of self-inadequacy. It is also obvious that men who have had the procedure, and parents that have circumcised their sons, will want to hear the dubious positive benefits over and above the negative ones.

It's a meme pure and simple.

216. The Atheism FAQ with Richard Dawkins

Comment #46998 by AdrianB on June 2, 2007 at 4:01 pm

I wish they wouldn't put Truth instead of truth in the answer to the first question.

217. Dawkins at the Hay Festival

Comment #45982 by AdrianB on May 30, 2007 at 12:23 am

Nice try chadvader123, but no cigar in this instance imho.

218. Londonistan Calling

Comment #39074 by AdrianB on May 10, 2007 at 12:01 am

If you go to the source of the above article, Vanity Fair, there is a very interesting Q&A article with Christopher Hitchens as well. In it there are two very interesting questions put to Mr Hitchens:

Did you know that St. Paul's Cathedral almost invited the families of the bombers to memorial services for the victims?

Lawrence Wright says in his one-man show, "My Trip to al-Qaeda," that getting along with women is a large part of what civilization is about. He got a knowing laugh for the line, and another when he said that it's difficult to be a terrorist if your girlfriend doesn't want you to be one.

These two questions are very timely given yesterday's news in the UK dont we think?

Police quiz 7 July bomber's widow
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6637917.stm

219. Better God-fearing than sneering

Comment #38701 by AdrianB on May 9, 2007 at 1:58 am

14. Comment #38683 by atheist_peace on May 8, 2007 at 11:54 pm

This writer belongs on Penn & Teller: Bullshit!

Penn: "And then there's THIS asshole!"

220. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #38540 by AdrianB on May 8, 2007 at 2:24 pm

Nails - he's doing a TV show to be aired shortly which sounds like a TV version of sceptical enquirer or a more polite version of Bullshit. Indeed when RD was interviewed on Penn's radio show last year and he mentioned it, Penn shouted "hey that's our show!" LOL

I did like this interview very much.

221. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #37033 by AdrianB on May 3, 2007 at 8:05 am

Is it true that somebody at Time has commissioned Michael Behe to write up Richard Dawkin's profile for this?

Is somebody havin' a larf?

222. The Damned

Comment #36962 by AdrianB on May 3, 2007 at 12:24 am

I thought this was a new video from my favourite band. Oh well back on subject .....

Last year my car radio was scanning throug some channels when it stopped on a local channel called "Ramadan" which is broadcast during the period. I thought I would listen for a while as it might be an education.

The DJ was a young hip sounding guy, and there was a reasonably sensible phone in discussion going on for a few minutes with most of the calls about Iraq. After a while I realised that every single call was extremely negative about the country they live in. No surprise there I thought.

What did surprise me was that there was then 30 mins of young kids, ages about 5 to 12 reading passages from the Koran. Without exception, every single passage was the vilest possible ones about hell. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that when I got home I was utterly shell shocked and had to turn the radio on so my wife could believe me.

It is obvious that the darkest passages about hell are being preached to young Muslim kids in a way that they were not in the Anglican church when I was a kid.

Scary!

223. One Hell of a Religious Read

Comment #35075 by AdrianB on April 26, 2007 at 6:18 am

Just bought the "Hunter Of Climate" CD this morning .... brilliant!

224. One Hell of a Religious Read

Comment #34705 by AdrianB on April 25, 2007 at 1:09 am

Sargeist – just to add some meat to the bones over my previous post I will say this was 20 years ago but my friend and a Muslim girl were crazy in love for 3 years and hoped to marry. I call her a Muslim girl, but of course for the three years when she was free from the shackles of her family she chose not to be a Muslim.

Of course, (you know where we're going) the girlfriend was given the same ultimatum by her family that you will be given. She leaves my friend, my friend converts, or neither can darken their doorstep ever again.

They ended up parting quite quickly after uni, and my friend has made another life for himself with a wife a kids. What is deeply sad is that he still sees his ex from time to time, and she ended up being married to a man she does not love with 6 children and all her dreams shattered.

225. One Hell of a Religious Read

Comment #34522 by AdrianB on April 24, 2007 at 10:45 am

I feel for you Sargeist, you will have a tough time ahead. I had a friend at uni that was in the same position as you and it did not end happily. Good luck.

226. Pope abolishes limbo

Comment #34026 by AdrianB on April 23, 2007 at 4:28 am

I'm sorry but I've just got to say LOL.

227. Atheists split on how to not believe

Comment #34011 by AdrianB on April 23, 2007 at 3:19 am

As long as government can stay out of faith, and faith can stay out of goverment, I'm happy. People are free to believe what they want to believe.

The idea of some "atheist organisation" seems a bit crazy to me, it would encourage the faith-heads to call atheism just another religion. (It always amuses me that the faith-heads think it is smart logic to dismiss atheism by calling it a religion)

In the meantime, while ever religion insists on getting involved in government, and getting tax free status at the same time, I will continue to be vocal about my atheism.

228. Atheists split on how to not believe

Comment #33981 by AdrianB on April 23, 2007 at 12:27 am

I forgot where the quote comes from, but if organising atheists into groups is like "herding cats" then there is nothing surprising about this headline.

229. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #33896 by AdrianB on April 22, 2007 at 2:00 pm

Again it seems that in the main circumcision is being defended by those that are circumcised, or have circumcised a son. This sort of delusional wishful thinking is just the same as the women who argue for their "right" to wear the veil.

(Oh and of course, wearing a veil WILL have medical benefits since it will reduce the chances of skin cancer!)

As I said, this is simply memes at work. If you are circumcised or if you are forced to wear a veil then it is nice to think that there are good reasons to do so, even though there are not.

There is not a single medical organisation that recommends routine circumcision. Abdi repeats the same old religious (meme) reasons plus the flawed medical reasons. But it is the reasons given by queen5102 scare me the most.

My wife is a pathologist, and I can tell you there is not one bit of the body that she has not seen come through her labs with cancer. Some of them in the most horrific of places, nose and face for example. Thankfully most of these types that have to be surgically removed are very rare, cancer of the penis is a one of the rare ones. A quick google search indicates that there are more deaths from complications arising from circumcision procedures than there are from penile cancer.

I am well aware that for many people where there is a history of cancer in their family, there is a very valid reason why that person may wish to undertake preventative surgery. However, penile cancer is NOT caused by an inherited faulty gene and so other members of your family are not likely to develop it.




The following is cut'n pasted from The American Cancer Society:

"A recent study reported that uncircumcised men who had phimosis in the past were at increased risk of developing penile cancer. Penile cancer risk was not increased among uncircumcised men without phimosis. However, it is important that the issue of circumcision not distract men from avoiding known penile cancer risk factors -- poor hygiene, phimosis, having unprotected sex with multiple partners (increasing the likelihood of human papillomavirus infection), and cigarette smoking. In weighing the risks and benefits of circumcision, doctors consider the fact that penile cancer is one of the least common forms of cancer in the United States. Neither the American Academy of Pediatrics nor the Canadian Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine circumcision of newborns. Ultimately, decisions about circumcision are highly personal and depend more on social and religious factors than on medical evidence."

230. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33686 by AdrianB on April 21, 2007 at 5:49 am

I'm sure Peter Hitchens is looking forward to this book as well.

231. NEXT MONDAY: Bill O'Reilly interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #33202 by AdrianB on April 19, 2007 at 2:49 pm

Didn't RD enter into an agrrement with Gould not to debate with creationists?

This has to be nearly as risky.

Still I look forward to watching. TGD sold pretty much solely to our side, perhaps we need to take some risks and now is the time to crank up the debate to the opposition.

232. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32870 by AdrianB on April 18, 2007 at 3:06 pm

Apologies if this is not appropriate, but feel I must discuss this while the subject is hot. I can honestly say that I had not really given the subject any real consideration until this thread was started. Anyway I have been discussing this quite a bit with my wife of 20 years the last couple of days, and this led us to do a bit of "research" if you get my drift!

Quite to our surprise we have both discovered it is actually touch to the prepuce of the penis and clitoris that gives the most pleasurable sensation, rather than touch to the glands directly. For both of us the most intensely pleasurable feeling comes from the action of the prepuce riding back and forth over the glands.

We can certainly conclude that masturbation for either sex would be less pleasurable without a prepuce, so Kellogg was correct with his own conclusions in the late 1800s.

(I would suggest you all go and do your own research now!)

I recall a Desmond Morris (I think) programme about the mechanics of the female orgasm, where the cervix opening actually dips down at orgasm, presumably picking up any semen as it does so. It would seem sensible to suggest that there would be an evolutionary benefit for the male and female to orgasm as close to simultaneously as possible.

Again after discussions with my wife I feel that the so called staying power benefits attributed to circumcision are oversold, and whilst men might think it is cool to go at it like a jack-hammer for ages it's not really what women want and certainly not what the evolutionary process requires.

I would be interested if there is actually any research that links fertility to circumcision.

233. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32747 by AdrianB on April 18, 2007 at 6:58 am

D.O.C. appeared on the "Bullshit" programme that I watched again last night. They appear to be a reputable organisation and I doubt very much that there is any attemp to mislead or defraud.

234. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32607 by AdrianB on April 17, 2007 at 2:59 pm

At least most or all of us agree that female circumcision (which isn't just removal of the prepuce) or to forcibly circumcise a 12-year old against his wishes are both abhorrent.

The interesting debate for me is the fact that 60% of US boys, or 1 million a year, are routinely circumcised. It is also interesting reading these posts that whilst most non-US posters seem to find this routine act abhorrent as well, the US posters can't see what all the fuss is about this seemingly innocuous act.

Isn't this just memes at work?

Seemingly innocuous act? It has been shown that infants have a nervous system that is more sensitive to pain than adults. In the Penn&Teller programme there is a scene with a baby screaming very loudly during the process. In another scene a baby seems very calm, almost asleep which is quite common and is reassuring for the parents. In these cases the baby is not calm but actually suffering from neurological shock! Believe me, although the child will forget, the experience at the time of the procedure will be very painful and stressful indeed.

In another scene from the programme a paediatrician shows the tools used and tray to which the baby is strapped down using "soft rubber straps". Penn shouts (well it wouldn't be Teller would it) "where is Amnesty International? Oh, I guess it's not human violation because the straps are soft!" LOL

Jews started the practice in the US for religious reasons. It was further promoted by Kellogg and other extreme Christians nutcases in the mid 1800s as a deterrent to masturbation. The procedure has continued to increase as people want to conform. Not forgetting that the paediatrician gets 400 bucks for each 30 minute procedure. Of course it is just memes at work.

For those that doubt loss of sexual pleasure with the removal of the foreskin, first watch this video from the site linked in the article:
http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/video/prepuce.html
Then consider this, the foreskin rides back over the shaft of the penis forming ribs, and then slides back and forth over the glands retaining lubricants within the vagina. Any surprise that the % sales of ribbed condoms is much greater in the US than it is in Europe?

235. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32500 by AdrianB on April 17, 2007 at 7:28 am

"So given this, is it ethical for doctors to circumcise babies in Africa for example"

No.

236. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32496 by AdrianB on April 17, 2007 at 7:12 am

nancy2001 - as I typed my comment I just KNEW you were going to come back at with me with that!

Of course it is reasonable course of action to do what you did in your particular case. Most of us will have no argument with that.

But you would not suggest routinely removing the breasts of all young women because it would reduce the overall incidences of breast cancer? Of course not.

I wasn't having a go at you nancy2001, only what you were quoting from a textbook. Apologies if you think I was.

However, I do maintain that the case for circumcision in not valid, end of story.

If I was to totally remove my son's penis at birth his chances of penile cancer would be nil, if I was to remove part of it his chances of penile cancer would be reduced. But that is irrelevant anyway since in 99.9% of cases parents are not having their infants circumcised for medical reasons.

237. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32478 by AdrianB on April 17, 2007 at 6:22 am

nancy2001 - your textbook should also mention that surgically removing your breasts will reduce the risk of breast cancer!

There is absolutely no justification for the widespread circumcision on an infants, medical or otherwise, end of story.

238. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32444 by AdrianB on April 17, 2007 at 4:54 am

So Veronique has never ****** anyone that has not been circumcised, and my wife has never ****** anyone who has. This is simply an example of how this religious practice has become established that side of the Atlantic.

I really do recommend getting to see the "Bullshit" programme on the subject. It actually showed a baby being circumcised, and believe me the poor child was distressed.

Penn admitted that he was circumcised in accordance with tradition, but any genuine reasons were bullshit. The programme followed a young couple with their new baby, discussing whether to have him circumcised. The mother's main concern was causing unnecessary harm, and the father's main concern was the potential insults he would have to suffer later in life when in the showers alongside all his circumcised mates.

Of course there is no medical benefit whatsoever. For purely evolutionary reasons I would guess the opposite in fact. (I would do a google search to investigate, but probably wise not to at work.) I would guess that protecting the glands with a layer of skin, and rinsing it with sterile urine each time you take a piss are beneficial.

Of course in a country where 90% of males are circumcised any myth about "being unclean" is going to be popular. In the Penn & Teller programme they interviewed a number of young girls if they had sex with uncircumcised men and the responses were usually "err, how horrible, never"

Of course the long term effects of male circumcision over female circumcision is not as bad, but that is only because we are not comparing like with like. Cutting a baby's finger off would not be as bad as cutting a baby's hand off, but in both cases the baby would not remember the pain in years to come. What if a religion proposed cutting off the finger of each child?

239. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32387 by AdrianB on April 17, 2007 at 1:38 am

Spinoza, when I read you have no problem with infant circumcision I assumed you were from the US where the majority of men are circumcised. I see you are from Canada, and I don't know what the babaric preferences are there!

You will gather that I cannot agree with infant circumcision in any way and I would suggest anyone thinking otherwise to watch the Penn&Teller:Bullshit episode on the subject.

240. Atheism isn't the final word

Comment #32363 by AdrianB on April 17, 2007 at 12:26 am

Oh dear, his local bookstore has 5 books on atheism.

He should go and count the books on religion, and then add to that the books on angels and spirituality.

Should make him feel all fuzzy and warm inside again.

241. As Religious Strife Grows, Europe's Atheists Seize Pulpit

Comment #31784 by AdrianB on April 14, 2007 at 9:31 am

I am getting a bit peeved at hearing the term militant atheist.

Loud and vocal we maybe, an urge to convert to our way of thinking we may have, but militant certainly not. We are no more militant than an Anglican vicar. We are just starting to shout our cause, but until we start adopting the same tactics as the militant theists, violence or threats of violence (which we won't), then we should argue against the use of the term militant whenever it is used against us.

242. Dawkins says religion is 'like sucking a dummy'

Comment #28410 by AdrianB on March 29, 2007 at 5:19 am

Yes, we are definitely seeing a pattern emerge now in debates between believers and atheists/agnostics. "Well that's not the God that I know" is the usual retort.

Now that we have 30,000 different denominations of Christianity, and the leader of one of them can't decide if hell is real or not, we can now see that the theists are on the back foot.

In reality every believer has their own personal religion. How many religions are there? About 4 billion I would suggest.

243. Peanut Butter, The Atheist's Nightmare!

Comment #27887 by AdrianB on March 27, 2007 at 6:01 am

I think you're letting your ImagineAZion run away with yourself now!

244. Peanut Butter, The Atheist's Nightmare!

Comment #27881 by AdrianB on March 27, 2007 at 5:51 am

Fishpeddler - you make a valid point. Not a day goes by when I don't wish there WAS a god. For example, every day I am cut up and annoyed by other arrogant road users who drive with no regard for others. I can wish that these people will get punished for their actions, but I very much doubt they will.

245. UK Christians 'suffer for faith'

Comment #26389 by AdrianB on March 19, 2007 at 4:40 am

Are Christian's discriminated against? I would suggest only in so far as everybody is discriminated against.

When I interview people for positions in my company I am always guilty of discrimination in some form or another and will come up with a variety of reasons why I don't want to work with somebody. I would never ask a job applicant about their religion of course, but if somebody came across as overtly Christian then it is possible that I would dismiss them, just if somebody came across as overtly 'anything' I would dismiss them.

In the main however most Christians I know look and behave just like all the atheists and agnostic that I know, so discrimination is impossible.

When I left university and went for my first job I was quizzed about my faith at length by the MD of the company, and it was made clear that I would not be considered if I was not a Christian. Now that WAS discrimination!

Anybody tried getting a job for a company in the control of an Exclusive Brethren family or similar? I thought not.

I caught a bit of The Heaven & Earth programme, and in the main I sense discomfort at the fact that the atheist voice is becoming more vocal and that is it. The only 'real' examples given of discrimination were the British Airways cross issue, and the magistrate who had to resign over his inability to follow his own principles to discriminate.

246. If God is talking to you, too, Mr Cameron - don't listen

Comment #23504 by AdrianB on March 1, 2007 at 6:28 am

"Those who look for judgment not from the electorate or parliament or a free press but from God release themselves from the constraints of democracy."

Yes ClemIsMe, I agree this is a very good quote to remember.

247. If God is talking to you, too, Mr Cameron - don't listen

Comment #23429 by AdrianB on February 28, 2007 at 3:02 pm

Michael Portillo is an interesting guest on this evening's Moral Maze on Radio 4. Well worth a listen:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/religion/moralmaze.shtml

248. Meet the Relatives. They're Full of Surprises.

Comment #21589 by AdrianB on February 10, 2007 at 3:16 am

Bit surprised to see no comment to this, compared to the may comments about the lunatic rantings of McGrath.

To be honest I'm not interested in the rantings of McGrath, I just sigh, laugh and move on.

This is what it's about. This is fantastic. Good luck to all those involved in this exhibition.

249. Neil deGrasse Tyson - Death by Black Hole

Comment #20052 by AdrianB on January 31, 2007 at 7:13 am

It should be added that the Point Of Inquiry podcast is an excellent listen. As is the Freedom From Religion Foundation podcast.

Any other recommendations anyone?

250. The Ego and the ID

Comment #19971 by AdrianB on January 31, 2007 at 12:07 am

MacGruder, I totally agree with you. On the last census my wife and me put CofE as we always have just because we always have. We are both atheists. If you remember last time there was some amusement as many people decided to put Jedi. LOL.

Next time I hope that those that are non-religious put so and the true numbers become plain for all to see.