251. Flea Circus!

Comment #33002 by ridelo on April 19, 2007 at 1:37 am

What a lot of paper while Sam or Richard most of the time have enough with one page to persuade me!

252. For Some Hispanics, Coming to America Also Means Abandoning Religion

Comment #32134 by ridelo on April 15, 2007 at 11:28 pm

that don't require the koolaid restrictions that come with religious ritual.

253. Pope says science too narrow to explain creation

Comment #31324 by ridelo on April 12, 2007 at 2:50 am

If only there weren't so much intelligent people whose job did depend on religion. Then it would be easier for them to accept atheism and evolution.
'Primum vivere, deinde philosophare!' still counts.

254. Militant atheists: too clever for their own good

Comment #30100 by ridelo on April 7, 2007 at 1:00 am

Spinoza:
Almost everybody can tell you that the earth revolves around the sun. But if you ask: "Prove it!", how many can?
So maybe in the future we will have a kind of atheists who on authority will know that there is no god. At least they will not blow themselves up.

255. Planting the Mammalian Supertree

Comment #30090 by ridelo on April 7, 2007 at 12:20 am

I've always asked myself how a creationist explained the simple fact that for example a horse and a zebra were so much alike. If god created them independently why did they differ so little?

256. U.N. Draft Cites Humans in Recent Climate Shifts

Comment #29887 by ridelo on April 5, 2007 at 10:51 am

Playtime for humanity is over? Do we have to act as grown-ups from now on? Or can we go on as technofreak but scientophobic chimps?

257. Is God a Delusion?

Comment #29831 by ridelo on April 5, 2007 at 4:34 am

I like that idiom "fence-sitter". You can jump off to the good side if the bull attacks! I don't know of some comparable expression in my language (Dutch) for somebody who can't make up his mind. I would like to introduce "hekkenzitter"!

258. Creationism debate continues to evolve

Comment #29576 by ridelo on April 3, 2007 at 1:03 pm

Sometimes I ask myself if this rise in religionism has something to do with all the fuss about global warming, pollution, extinction, in short with a feeling of impending disaster. I can imagine that many people think the endtimes are nearing and are taking precautions for getting saved. In my youth in the sixties everybody seemed more optimistic. So there was less need for religion. I've just seen the video debate with David Attenborough, Richard Dawkins, Jane Goodall and Richard Leaky. They also proposed general optimism. Giving up just isn't an option. And in my view religion is giving up.

259. Religion useless to Dawkins

Comment #29477 by ridelo on April 3, 2007 at 3:55 am

She was lucky it was not the God of the Old Testament who made fall her into the pool. Then her iPod would have electrocuted her!

260. Growing Up in the Universe: 2-Disc DVD Set

Comment #29470 by ridelo on April 3, 2007 at 2:54 am

If I've noted well there will be no subtitles for other languages (like Dutch). I'm dying to buy this DVD for my grandchildren but no Dutch, no go.
If it's necessary I volunteer for the translation.

261. Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion'

Comment #28852 by ridelo on March 31, 2007 at 8:44 am

I have to say that in my political naivety I thought that invading Iraq was not a bad thing. Getting rid of some of the more oppressive regimes seemed a noble cause. And maybe there were some leading Americans who were sincere about thinking that they were liberating Iraq as they had liberated Europe before! Could they foresee what would happen? An oppressed people that opposed to be liberated!
And what to do now? Retreat and let hell break lose in the Middle East? It's like riding a tiger. Once you dismount he devours you.

262. Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion'

Comment #28822 by ridelo on March 31, 2007 at 4:55 am

Helian:
I was born in Belgium in 1940. I remember almost nothing from the war although my town was bombed by the Allies by mistake. But in the postwar years Americans became our heroes. They liberated us and America was for us like the promised land where everything was possible. Korea was only a fait divers. Also Belgians fought there. But that was in the pre-TV times.
Then came Vietnam and all the rest (the domino theory, you know). America became a little less of a hero. But the cold war was going on and there was stil some fear of the URSS. So protests were a bit muffled. And America was still top of the bill: spacefaring, computers and all that.
But then came Chile, Nicaragua, Granada, Kuwait, Iraq etc... and the hero lost still more of his panache. Other countries where help was more needed (Ruanda, Darfour...) were left in the cold. For any observer 'OIL' became a prominent motif.
Well, making a long story short, the fear that a good old friend is going nuts is paramount. And I terribly deplore that.
And now we see China is becoming an industrial and military superpower. Will that start a new arms race? Isn't it time that we begin talking and I mean TALKING and not shouting at each other. But I feel I'm drifting to Utopia again. And I can only agree with Richard Dawkins' statement that religious motives aren't helping mutual understanding between opponents.
I don't like the expression 'My country, right or wrong!" and I don't have to be a lefty for that.

263. Selfish genes may drive out disease

Comment #28671 by ridelo on March 30, 2007 at 10:54 am

May I humbly ask what GA and GP is about? I think I've missed something.
After a little googling: Genetic algorithm and genetic programming. Is it that?

264. Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion'

Comment #28669 by ridelo on March 30, 2007 at 10:48 am

WilliamP:
Maybe it's because English isn't my everyday language but if I understand you well I should have added a ;-) at the end of my text.

265. Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion'

Comment #28654 by ridelo on March 30, 2007 at 9:07 am

Helian, may I remind you a quote?

"If atheism is a religion then not collecting stamps is a hobby..."

I know Dawkins is passionate about his subject, but what's wrong with that? As long as he is not using whips, guns and hellfire to corroborate his arguments.
99,9 % of the time he is even polite! Shrill is an adjective I would rather use for most of his opponents.
But I have to admit that by frequently visiting this website he's acquiring some God-the-fatherly properties in my mind. I have to watch out for that!

266. Selfish genes may drive out disease

Comment #28633 by ridelo on March 30, 2007 at 7:33 am

Nicely said, denoir. I had the impression I was reading Dawkins.

267. Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion'

Comment #28630 by ridelo on March 30, 2007 at 7:28 am

Helian, it seems that atheists come in many flavors. You say you're an atheist since the age of 12. Maybe you should for some time convert to a religion (try catholicism), read some Dawkins and maybe reconvert. I have the impression that you've not fully understood him.
And when you say you know a lot of educated fundamentalists are they people who revel in videos like this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG1t5gGQkKs
But maybe you're only trolling around a bit and also those who made this video. Who knows with all that bogus information streaming trough the Web thes days?

268. Selfish genes may drive out disease

Comment #28614 by ridelo on March 30, 2007 at 5:57 am

I know that what I'm going to say is terrible and I hope somebody can correct me if I'm wrong. But on the one hand we are trying to eradicate all diseases that plague the developing countries and on the other hand there's a population explosion that maybe will lead to mass starvation.
I know the solution should be reducing disease, education (not religious!) and birth control. But is that realistic?

269. Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion'

Comment #28611 by ridelo on March 30, 2007 at 5:25 am

I would like to ask a question to a believer.
You could choose between two systems:
1) you live your life and after death there's total oblivion just as before you were conceived.
2) you have a 50/50 chance to go to heaven with eternal bliss (whatever that may signify) or to hell with eternal burning (that's long, especially towards the end - Woody Allen) after making some stupid mistake.
What system would you prefer?
But I suppose that a true believer (or beleiver?) doesn't have the choice...

270. Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion'

Comment #28608 by ridelo on March 30, 2007 at 5:10 am

Yorker:

I think that the people here know Dawkins better than most and therefore could become his severest ctitics if they so desired. Casual visitors would see the glaring difference between us and catholics for example, who wouldn't dare question their "hero".

271. Richard Dawkins: Author of the Year!

Comment #28482 by ridelo on March 29, 2007 at 11:07 am

If there is a gene for writing books, you've got it.
Congrats!

272. Mormons miffed over coffee-swilling angel image

Comment #27521 by ridelo on March 25, 2007 at 6:37 am

I'm afraid that next time I have to attend a church service (can't escape going to funerals!) thinking about all those women without pants will terribly interfere with my prayers!

273. Mormons miffed over coffee-swilling angel image

Comment #27499 by ridelo on March 25, 2007 at 3:24 am

Not being a native English speaker I don't understand the expression 'getting their nickers in a twist' and I can't find it in the dictionary. I suppose it means 'getting very upset' but I'm not sure.

274. New clues to why we see red

Comment #27419 by ridelo on March 24, 2007 at 1:21 pm

DavidMcC, why can bees see in the UV-range? Is it because they have smaller and dryer(?) eyes with less absorption in those wavelengths?

275. New clues to why we see red

Comment #27401 by ridelo on March 24, 2007 at 11:46 am

Could this mean that with some genetic tinkering we could learn to see see infrared or ultraviolet?

276. Gimme That Old Time Religion (Bashing)

Comment #27397 by ridelo on March 24, 2007 at 11:40 am

I would like to see one religious minded author who took one point of Dawkins, Dennet or Harris and showed it wrong in stead of calling their arguments unfounded, shrill etc... Then I might consider reading his article till the end.
Who takes up the glove?

277. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #26176 by ridelo on March 17, 2007 at 1:24 pm

I ask myself what makes otherwise intelligent people religious. I was raised a catholic with praying at home, in school, in church etc... During my youth I slowly came loose from all that but I could not show it too openly as I lived in rather religious surroundings. Maybe because I never had such epiphanies like mr Sullivan. Or maybe because I studied science and even if I never became very good at it, I took it very seriously.
For me it is simple: trough darwinism I believe we are animals with amazing cerebral capacities but nevertheless animals. If I claim an afterlife for myself why not for that amoebe in my gastro-intestinal tract? It has as long an evolutionary history behind it as I.
Mr Sullivan, I will not be saved and I can live with that idea. Hopefully still a lot of years. And maybe, if I become senile, I will repent and fall back on the certainties of my youth.
I cannot believe you're dishonest but I cannot help to have the impression you never could give up your toy pet. I think Sam will never be able to 'convert' you how long as this discussion may go on. And I fear the worst for the rest of humanity if he even cannot persuade an intelligent person like you.
Even if moderate christians cannot be persuaded to give up their belief let us hope that there can be found enough common ground to live in peacefull coexistence with atheists.
(And sorry if my grammatics and spelling are not 100%)

278. Cold is hot in evolution -- Researchers debunk belief species evolve faster in tropics

Comment #25991 by ridelo on March 16, 2007 at 1:39 am

Isn't it logical that where extinction rates are higher speciation is quicker? I would think that if intermediate forms are removed interbreeding is more difficult. Et voilà: two species!

279. Beyond Stones & Bones

Comment #25311 by ridelo on March 12, 2007 at 2:19 am

The third, called ASPM and also involved in brain size, clocks in at 5,800 years. That was just before people established the first cities in the Near East and is well after Homo sapiens attained their modern form. It therefore suggests that we are still evolving.

280. The Archbishop whose words came from same hymnsheet as a Marxist

Comment #25262 by ridelo on March 11, 2007 at 11:49 am

Comment #25063:about your avatar

An old catholic joke here went: "If Christ had been drowned in stead of crucified we now had to hang small aquariums on our walls."

281. Science, Faith, and Evolution

Comment #24888 by ridelo on March 9, 2007 at 4:00 am

Maybe Dowd is a useful 'missing link' between creationists and evolutionists. But reading The Selfish Gene is a better way for understanding life. I just finished it. Awesome!

282. Long live satire

Comment #24406 by ridelo on March 6, 2007 at 12:38 pm

Sue Blackmore, I don't like your hair color but I like what you've said.
Hopefully I didn't offend you. I'm off to google up some Mohammeds.

283. Houses of the Holy

Comment #24233 by ridelo on March 5, 2007 at 12:33 pm

How can religious people account for this? Exploiting gullible people should be a crime in any decent society.
How could this go on for so long? Wasn't Jim Jones and Heavens Gate enough? Don't these people read papers or watch TV?

284. Was there ever dog that praised his fleas?

Comment #24202 by ridelo on March 5, 2007 at 8:38 am

Atheism is to religion what silence is to noise.

285. Was there ever dog that praised his fleas?

Comment #24138 by ridelo on March 5, 2007 at 1:56 am

Don't bother buying any of these books. If any one of them will have any valuable argument it will be cited and commented extensively here. But don't expect it. Probably they'll contain evermore the same trash. How could it be else when the subject is fairy tales?

286. The Dawkins Confusion: Naturalism ad absurdum

Comment #23677 by ridelo on March 2, 2007 at 3:29 am

About that fine tuning I have a question for someone who knows more about it then me. I read somewhere that if some constant would differ by about 1 in 10e14 our universe would be inhabitable for life. But has somebody calculated what would be the effect of a smaller change? Could our universe then be a cosier place than the one we have now? You have to admit that the one we have now with al those arid planets, black holes and quasars could stand some improvement. All that unusable real estate with nowadays such high prizes for building area!

287. The Dawkins Confusion: Naturalism ad absurdum

Comment #23661 by ridelo on March 2, 2007 at 1:37 am

All of life has come to be by way of unguided Darwinian processes.

God does his very best to let it look like as all of life has come to be by way of unguided Darwinian processes.

288. Merkel wants EU to be vocal about Christian roots

Comment #23573 by ridelo on March 1, 2007 at 2:56 pm

I'm dreaming that someday a spaceship will take me away to a godless planet where people are concerned with real issues.

289. Faith

Comment #23216 by ridelo on February 27, 2007 at 1:03 am

'Tu quoque' again.
I tought 'tu quoque' came from the words of Julius Caesar, when he was stabbed by a mob of senators including his adopted son Brutus: "Tu quoque, fili mi!" (Also you, my son!)
It shows bewilderment that an unsuspected person is part of a plot.
Sorry if my English isn't completely flawless.

290. In Loving Memory of William Luke Ashton: July 10th 1989 - Dec 25th 2006

Comment #22305 by ridelo on February 14, 2007 at 2:14 am

I know this will sound almost religious but the existence of a universe where life, art, science and love can blossom has to mean something. The only thing we can do is to use reason to gain an ever deeper understanding.
My condolences for you and your family.

291. The God Delusion

Comment #22129 by ridelo on February 13, 2007 at 1:46 am

With regard to the eucharistical fast (I presume here that you are talking about how Catholics no longer have to give up meat on Fridays? Please correct me if I am wrong – I have had a protestant upbringing). Well, again this does not effect the Church in any great way. Incidentally, on a personal level, as a vegetarian, I need hardly talk about how little this has influenced me!

292. The God Delusion

Comment #22032 by ridelo on February 12, 2007 at 12:57 pm

FortunaAdiuvatForte:
My native language isn't also English (it's Dutch) but I'll try to explain where I suppose you haven't understood Dawkins (sorry if I'm wrong!): even if religion was the best thing that ever happened to mankind (but it isn't), that wouldn't make it TRUE. The existence of a loving God would be a very comforting asset for a humankind with lots of pain and sorrow. But if he should exist he could not be very omnipotent, isn't it?
Maybe anthropology can find out that virtually every human society that ever existed was religious in some way but even that is no proof. This may sound arrogant but if you read and tried to really understand evolution you can see that in the whole proces there is no place for God. There may be lots of gaps in our knowledge but desto more we know about nature desto more we see that god is irrelevant.
We are on our own and it is our duty to make the best of it.
Having been a catholic for a good part of my life I can a little feel how you feel. But only a little!

293. The God Delusion

Comment #21977 by ridelo on February 12, 2007 at 3:00 am

I think that the main problem moderates have with Dawkins is that he leaves them no other option than to be an atheist or a fundamentalist.
And they don't like any of these.

294. Does Richard Dawkins exist?

Comment #21473 by ridelo on February 9, 2007 at 10:59 am

Well that clip hit me right between the eyes. Now I'm doubting everything: does America exists, does the backside of the moon exists? Never been there.
Do I have a stomach, a heart? Never seen it.
Does the world exists or am I only imagining it?
Heeeeeeeeeeeelp!!!!

295. Atheist Rap: Extian, The Verse from Atheist Nation Pt III

Comment #20656 by ridelo on February 5, 2007 at 2:26 pm

Liked it. Even if I didn't understand all the words. Not used to listen to rap. Can it be that being 66 and not being American has something to do with it?

296. Root of All Evil? Discussion

Comment #20400 by ridelo on February 2, 2007 at 8:11 am

Richard seemed a little bit tired to me. If anybody deserves a good vacation it's he. I hope to have him around for a long, long time.

297. Blashpemy Challenge Interview

Comment #20136 by ridelo on January 31, 2007 at 3:02 pm

Explain! I don't get it with my tiny brain.

298. Blashpemy Challenge Interview

Comment #20129 by ridelo on January 31, 2007 at 2:43 pm

"If there was a 1 in a million shot that hell existed?"

And suppose there was a 2 in a million chance only Xians went to hell (Allah's hell of course). What then?
What stupid remarks! Read the Good Book of Dawkins!

299. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #19032 by ridelo on January 24, 2007 at 12:40 pm

DerrickB - Sorry, I should have been clearer. I wanted to say that labour will be lost in behalf of Mr Sullivan and most of the faithful, not for the rest of us. I hope I'm wrong but I'm afraid that this arguments will make few converts to atheism.
But nevertheless maybe we are witnessing a new awakening for mankind. Perhaps somebody can find new words for "This is the dawning of the age of ..."

I'm waiting for the rest of the argument with impatience - again.

300. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #18980 by ridelo on January 24, 2007 at 6:36 am

I would like to ask Mr Sullivan the following question: "Can you name any argument, any event that would made you lose your faith?"
Like: "If .... happens then I will become an atheist."
If the answer is negative Mr Harris can stop now with his argument. Labour lost!