251. 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.

252. 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?

253. 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.

254. 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.

255. 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.

256. 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.

257. 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!

258. 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.

259. 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.

260. 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.

261. 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

262. 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.

263. 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?

264. 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.

265. The Ego and the ID

Comment #19904 by AdrianB on January 30, 2007 at 3:17 pm

If you go directly to the article and read some of the comments you will probably despair :-(

266. Does Evolution Select For Faster Evolvers? Horizontal Gene Transfer Adds To Complexity, Speed Of Evolution

Comment #19858 by AdrianB on January 30, 2007 at 10:16 am

I have to say that as somebody who just takes a casual interest in the science on evolution, this is one of the most interesting concepts I have read about.

In fact, when one steps back and thinks about it for a few moments, the idea seems blindingly obvious.

I look forward to RD's comments.

267. A Culture of Faith, Devoted Yet Complex

Comment #19146 by AdrianB on January 25, 2007 at 7:20 am

One has to admire Mr Dawkin's restraint, almost Christian, in not making the obvious easy "told you so" comments about Ted Haggard.

268. A Middle Ground for Stem Cells

Comment #18272 by AdrianB on January 19, 2007 at 8:24 am

I disagreed with so many thing with this article I don't know where to start, so I wont.

However I just wanted to add that I think Madpatriot has raised a very good point. Turn the argument in reverse to some of the extreme pro-lifers and ask them at what stage is somebody really dead? Is it when the heart stops, or the brain, or is when every single cell has flown?

Should we respect the cadaver? Is cremation murder?

269. If they preach the cause of the poor, they're my people

Comment #15849 by AdrianB on January 3, 2007 at 10:28 am

Don't you just love this sort of woolly thinking?

Let's get rid of "unbridled" consumerism.
"The poor deserve the best"
etc etc
As if both are mutually exclusive.

What has religion ever done to eradicate poverty. Sure the church may have a history of aid to the poor, but as for eradicating poverty? I'll take the sign of Microsoft or McDonalds over the sign of the cross anytime.

270. God's Enemies Are More Honest Than His Friends

Comment #15325 by AdrianB on December 30, 2006 at 11:21 am

60. Comment #15241 by JohnC on December 29, 2006 at 9:45 pm

John I agree with what you say in the above post. I believe that the rise in fundamentalism over the last few years, and the desire of those people to gain more political power is precisely because they know their religion is in decline.

I liken what is happening to that of a light bulb momentarily getting brighter just before it goes pop. Can't wait for it fizzle and fade away, but we should be aware that it could be messy beforehand.

271. God's Enemies Are More Honest Than His Friends

Comment #15128 by AdrianB on December 29, 2006 at 4:04 am

6. Comment #15124 by He-man Daunted World on December 29, 2006 at 3:50 am

In response to the loveley opinion you brought our attention to. Have you ever noticed that nearly all the attacks on RD come from people in the paid employment of religion?