1. Comment #396049 by Hominidae on July 13, 2009 at 4:49 pm

Whoa! That's strong stuff.

BRILLIANT!

Other Comments by Hominidae

2. Comment #396050 by Steve Zara on July 13, 2009 at 4:53 pm

Excellent. This has a particular political aspect in the UK. Many in our Royal Family ("God bless 'em") are total suckers for alternative medicine. They won't be happy about the message this sends.

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3. Comment #396052 by Cinculus on July 13, 2009 at 4:56 pm

This wonderfully scathing exposure of the sheer bollocks of homeopathy will hopefully have reached an even wider audience than did Richard's pretty sound attempt in "The Enemies of Reason".

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4. Comment #396053 by Cartomancer on July 13, 2009 at 4:58 pm

I must say I am a tremendous fan of Mitchell and Webb. They seem to be quite refreshingly modern in their humour in a way a very large number of mainstream comedians are not. That, and they're genuinely very funny.

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5. Comment #396057 by Cinculus on July 13, 2009 at 5:09 pm

A propos of nothing else other than that this thread is about matters comedic, it was nice to hear Richard Dawkins get a brief mention on "I'm Sorry, I haven't a Clue" tonight. He left a message on Adam and Eve's answering machine...

(For those unfortunates not in the know, ISIHAC is a long-running BBC R4 programme that, like cricket, is probably inexplicable to alien cultures.)

Other Comments by Cinculus

6. Comment #396070 by Godfree Gordon on July 13, 2009 at 5:40 pm

hilarious

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7. Comment #396074 by Clairebear on July 13, 2009 at 5:52 pm

Oh my god, this is brilliant!

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8. Comment #396080 by Enlightenme.. on July 13, 2009 at 6:15 pm

I hope everybody's following the rest of 'em.
'The front fell off' had me in stitches

It's beyond the environment,
there's nothin out there but sea, birds and fish..
and twenty thousand tons of crude..
and a fire..
and the part of the ship the front fell off..
it's a complete void.

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9. Comment #396082 by Alternative Carpark on July 13, 2009 at 6:23 pm

>>5

You're 'avin' a laugh!

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10. Comment #396084 by Frankus1122 on July 13, 2009 at 6:31 pm

I emailed this to several people a few days ago and discovered that they had sent it to others - others that go to homeopathic practitioners.

Here is another related find from Mitchell and Webb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1-bbz3crjw

Other Comments by Frankus1122

11. Comment #396088 by Goldy on July 13, 2009 at 6:54 pm

People in Auckland Uni medschool who frequent here will now know who Goldy is if they read their junkmail... :-D

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12. Comment #396092 by critica on July 13, 2009 at 7:54 pm

Could it be any clearer as to why this is junk?

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13. Comment #396094 by Gems on July 13, 2009 at 8:12 pm

Brilliant. Someone needs to send this to Prince Charles

Other Comments by Gems

14. Comment #396095 by Koko on July 13, 2009 at 8:51 pm

Excellent!

Now for the Chiropractors....

Other Comments by Koko

15. Comment #396108 by beebhack on July 13, 2009 at 10:38 pm

They did over nutritionists last week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsTwW938hxs

Other Comments by beebhack

16. Comment #396114 by DamnDirtyApe on July 13, 2009 at 11:25 pm

I love those guys.

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17. Comment #396121 by huzonfurst on July 14, 2009 at 12:00 am

The word is homeopathetic!

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18. Comment #396122 by bewlay_brother on July 14, 2009 at 12:11 am

homeopathic lagers...briliant.

Other Comments by bewlay_brother

19. Comment #396123 by mrjohnno on July 14, 2009 at 12:13 am

More ridicule at BadHomeopathy

http://jonn.co.uk/badhomeopathy/modules/news/

including a Simon Singh interview.

Dissolve one leech under the tongue and have an early night.

Johnno

Other Comments by mrjohnno

20. Comment #396124 by linbetwin on July 14, 2009 at 12:16 am

Good Samaritan - That Mitchell and Webb Look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS_Uvg56U_o

Other Comments by linbetwin

21. Comment #396132 by weavehole on July 14, 2009 at 12:49 am

I thought the point of homeopathy was that you took an 'active' ingredient from something which causes the opposite of some desired effect. Eg dilute caffeine a gajillion times to get a sleeping potion. Right?

So, surely to get a homeopathic lager you would need to dilute and jiggle an ingredient that is the opposite of something that gets you drunk.

Hmmm, what helps to sober you up?

Water...?

Wait a minute!

Other Comments by weavehole

22. Comment #396141 by CaptainMandate on July 14, 2009 at 1:41 am

Did anyone catch this week's£

splendid attack on nutritionists, complete with the line about "going online to order a new phd"

Other Comments by CaptainMandate

23. Comment #396152 by byrlink on July 14, 2009 at 2:22 am

Excellent ridicule of homeopathy! For more serious and rigorous (but still entertaining) exposing of this frauds, there's no one better than James Randi.

Other Comments by byrlink

24. Comment #396164 by RightWingAtheist on July 14, 2009 at 3:23 am

Brilliant!

Here's one with religious messages in food:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfqht0LEOWQ&NR=1

Other Comments by RightWingAtheist

25. Comment #396169 by ColdFusionLazarus on July 14, 2009 at 3:41 am

I think the farmer sketch is brilliant. All very short - watch Parts 1, 2 and 3. You cannot lose!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZuBziWLgk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-v1zV8n0cA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV9YzBmtmVU

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26. Comment #396172 by Francis Clarke on July 14, 2009 at 3:57 am

Saw this the other week, brilliant!

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27. Comment #396181 by Enlightenme.. on July 14, 2009 at 4:52 am

Linbetwin (20)

THat's a good one.

Jesus; "..didn't realise there were any Samaritan sympathisers in the room..
..sami-lovers"

Audience member; "some of my best friends are Samaritans"

Other Comments by Enlightenme..

28. Comment #396186 by Enlightenme.. on July 14, 2009 at 5:06 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGDndcxH-O4&feature=related

Other Comments by Enlightenme..

29. Comment #396201 by Buckaroo Banzai on July 14, 2009 at 5:45 am

I really laughed my ass off watching this. Cheers. I never really looked into what homeopathy was about but if this is any indication...I learned enough :D

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30. Comment #396203 by flying goose on July 14, 2009 at 5:48 am

Enlightenme Linbetwin

Watched the Good Samaritan, have to say thats not quite how its told, nor is that its point.

The parable is a response to two questions.

1) What is the greatest commandment? Of which part of the answer is, Your nieghbour.

The second question follows
2) 'Who is my neighbour?'

The people who you have been brought up to hate.

I was born in 1967 to a german mother, 22 yrs after the end of hostilities in the Second World War.

During which war and its aftermath, many people said that 'the only good german is a dead german ' There were many during the second temple period who had a similar attitude to the Samaritans.

They were still saying it in the playground in the 1970's.

The parable for me and many others is an injunction to leave your prejudicies behind and see the person.

I think the piece distorts the message of the parable, fine.

But having been the victim of racist bullying at school please don't expect me to laugh with it.

It may be clever even funny, but it lacks compassion.

There, got that of my chest.

Other Comments by flying goose

31. Comment #396204 by rod-the-farmer on July 14, 2009 at 5:58 am

I agree with in comment 14. Does anyone here know these two and could ask them to take on chiropractors ?

Other Comments by rod-the-farmer

32. Comment #396212 by Tezcatlipoca on July 14, 2009 at 6:13 am

I want to be a blue coat irregular.

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33. Comment #396215 by weavehole on July 14, 2009 at 6:22 am

Rod-the-farmer

They've kinda done a chiropractor sketch already. It's linked to this one on youtube. Although, prob not quite the kind of thing you're after tho.

Other Comments by weavehole

34. Comment #396218 by PJG on July 14, 2009 at 6:27 am

Another vicar one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGSBp_ODzxw

Other Comments by PJG

35. Comment #396225 by Flapjack on July 14, 2009 at 6:42 am

Or how about Mitchell and Webb brainstorming the bible...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFsEQVyyzE4&feature=related

Other Comments by Flapjack

36. Comment #396270 by Sean on July 14, 2009 at 8:32 am

I thought the point of homeopathy was that you took an 'active' ingredient from something which causes the opposite of some desired effect. Eg dilute caffeine a gajillion times to get a sleeping potion. Right?

Nah, they work on the "hair of the dog" principle, or "like-cures-like". A compound that would cause a runny nose could be used to treat allergies.

Morons, utter stupid lead paint licking morons. Homeopaths are criminals or total idiots, with little in between.

Other Comments by Sean

37. Comment #396286 by Enlightenme.. on July 14, 2009 at 8:57 am

flying goose, (#30)

I actually thought the good Samaritan parable was supposed to be about; 'even those who aren't people of the book are still created by [the creator] and so are capable of accidentally being good'

(the one that kind of messes up the Christopher Hitchens' challenge)

Other Comments by Enlightenme..

38. Comment #396297 by Stuart Paul Wood on July 14, 2009 at 9:16 am

(the one that kind of messes up the Christopher Hitchens' challenge)

How does the story of the good samaritan mess up Hitchens' challenge? It rather confirms Hitchens' point does it not?

Other Comments by Stuart Paul Wood

39. Comment #396313 by Sievers on July 14, 2009 at 9:44 am

Flying goose

Not only did I LOVE the Samaritan sketch' I would suggest Jesus is not the 'target' of the sketch any more than he is the target of 'life of Brian'.

I thought the sketch was about prejudice, the way it is aroused, and the way religion is so often hijacked by it (or is it vice versa?)

Some pretty dubious people have used the parable in ways very similar to this.

Think of Margaret Thatcher:

"No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well. "

TV Interview for London Weekend Television Weekend World (6 January, 1980)

I believe she also used this idea in a sermon to the assembled elders of the Scottish Church. They sat and listened attentively.


Hilarious!

Other Comments by Sievers

40. Comment #396339 by Enlightenme.. on July 14, 2009 at 10:47 am

38. Comment #396297 by Stuart Paul Wood on July 14, 2009 at 9:16 am
(the one that kind of messes up the Christopher Hitchens' challenge)


"How does the story of the good samaritan mess up Hitchens' challenge? It rather confirms Hitchens' point does it not?"
--------------

The challenge being:
'Name me an ethical statement made or an action performed by a believer that could not have been made or performed by a non-believer.'

The simple refutation being:
'You cannot make that distinction, because as The Good Samaritan parable shows us, even non-believers can accidentally be good, being originally made by [the creator].

Other Comments by Enlightenme..

41. Comment #396350 by Panurge on July 14, 2009 at 11:10 am

40. Comment #396339 by Enlightenme.. on July 14, 2009 at 10:47 am
The simple refutation being:
'You cannot make that distinction, because as The Good Samaritan parable shows us, even non-believers can accidentally be good, being originally made by [the creator].

So where is the refutation?

Other Comments by Panurge

42. Comment #396354 by Stuart Paul Wood on July 14, 2009 at 11:19 am

So where is the refutation?

Indeed. The whole irony of the story of the good samaritan is that the samaritan was good despite the fact that he was not a christian (knew nothing of christianity in fact, as the story predates christ) and could not have been expected to act in a supposedly "christian" manner i.e. with compassion. The story suggests religion is superfluous where moral actions are concerned - Hitchen's main thrust.

However where immoral actions are concerned there have been a few examples of explicit religious motivation.

You cannot make that distinction, because as The Good Samaritan parable shows us, even non-believers can accidentally be good, being originally made by [the creator].

I don't understand what you mean. What was accidental about the good deed? Sounded a pretty deliberate action in the story. And the good deed only came about by accident because he was "created"?

Other Comments by Stuart Paul Wood

43. Comment #396380 by linbetwin on July 14, 2009 at 12:29 pm

The parable has nothing to do with Christians. Jesus is talking about Jews who knew God's Old Law, even if they didn't know Christ's New Law. This is not about pagans/atheists/nonreligious people vs. Jews/Christians. The Samaritans were Jews that had a different interpretation of the Judaic religion and there was a lot of bad blood between them and the rest of the Jews. It's like Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. The Samaritan's good deed was (seen as) remarkable not because he was not religious (which he was) but because he helped a member of different "sect", in spite of the mutual hatred between them and the fact that the priest and the Levite didn't help their fellow "sectarian".

In mediaeval times, it was ascribed an even deeper meaning: the wounded man was Adam going from Jerusalem (Eden) to Jericho (the world) and wounded by sin. The priest (of the Old Testament) and the Levite (prophet from the Old Testament) did not help him. The Samaritan is Christ who bandages his wounds and takes him to the inn (the Church, who recieves anybody, just like an inn) and asks the innkeeper (Pope, bishop, priest) to take care of him until he (The Samaritan/Christ) returns (second coming).

Other Comments by linbetwin

44. Comment #396393 by Lastandfirstmen on July 14, 2009 at 1:09 pm

So that's why you never get homeopathic care at an A&E. Brilliant comedy on the BBC at long last.
The good Samaritan sketch seems to have stirred a few worms in the woodwork. Sammi tossers.

Other Comments by Lastandfirstmen

45. Comment #396410 by Stuart Paul Wood on July 14, 2009 at 1:43 pm

in spite of the mutual hatred

So the Samaritan disregarded religious considerations when it became obvious to him that he should do the right thing.

Thanks.

And by the way, you would be right about it having nothing to do with christianity had it not been for the fact that christ is telling the story. The point being - what should be considered so special about christianity, in particular, when the person executing the good deed was not a christian and could apparently work it out for himself?

Other Comments by Stuart Paul Wood

46. Comment #396414 by JMCARVAS on July 14, 2009 at 1:54 pm

Fantastic

Other Comments by JMCARVAS

47. Comment #396423 by Rodger T on July 14, 2009 at 2:29 pm

Mitchell and Webb, pure brilliance.

Also this is one of the best comedy articles I have read for a long time,
http://www.twincities.com/newsletter-morning/ci_12823168

A falling out amongst newagers.

Other Comments by Rodger T

48. Comment #396426 by Rodger T on July 14, 2009 at 2:44 pm

Here`s my favourite,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfqht0LEOWQ&feature=related

Godless comedy ,the vicars expression at the end of the clip pure genius lol.

Other Comments by Rodger T

49. Comment #396427 by Enlightenme.. on July 14, 2009 at 2:46 pm

SPW (45)
"The point being - what should be considered so special about christianity, in particular, when the person executing the good deed was not a christian and could apparently work it out for himself?"

The CHA refuter is able to posit that the person could only 'work it out for himself' because he has [the creator's] moral law installed in him by [the creator] when he was [ensouled] and you are unable to distinguish him from a believer.
There's your refutation.

Other Comments by Enlightenme..

50. Comment #396436 by linbetwin on July 14, 2009 at 3:17 pm

Here's my favourite M&W sketch. It's about Queen Victoria, not religion, but it's wicked funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHze0SqB5Zg

Other Comments by linbetwin