1. God-Fearing People: Why are we so scared of offending Muslims?

Comment #60561 by ranjani on August 2, 2007 at 8:55 am

Most muslims are NOT Arab/Persian. Here is breakdown of Muslim populations across the world. As Dr.Benway pointed out, Indonesia has about 180 million, followed by Pakistan which has about 139 million, Bangladesh with about 115 million and the fourth on the list is India with about 109 million muslims. Even China has more muslims than Iraq.

2. Why I Believe Anti-Evangelism Is Wrong

Comment #57433 by ranjani on July 19, 2007 at 10:15 am

Ah, another article about: I am an atheist but....Anyone else see shades of Scott Atran in this article or is it just me?!!!

3. Interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #57141 by ranjani on July 18, 2007 at 11:22 am

Another article about the escalation of terrorism as a result of the Iraq war, this time from Bush's own intelligence report. This article is originally from the New York times.

http://www.slate.com/id/2170564/nav/tap1/

4. Interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #57133 by ranjani on July 18, 2007 at 10:54 am

On another thread I posted a link to an article about what US war vets are saying about the devastation in Iraq

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070712_iraq_vets_break_silence_on_devastating_realities_of_war/

Here is what Henri Bergson had to say about it

"Ranjani,

So what? Everyone knows that US military personnel are wimps.

I once read they had 'compassion training' exercises whilst the Brits were having night-vision targeting training."

And before anyone gives me flak for this, yes, the sectarian violence is just as brutal and chilling. I would like somebody to explain to me why they think that democracy can be imposed from without when there is very little impetus for it to thrive from within, in islamic societies, when it is very clear that strict adherence to islamic theology is completely incompatible with liberal democracy. Ah!, I forgot, instead of trying to contain the threat, we wipe them off the face of the earth.

5. Hitler Was an Atheist Who Killed Millions in the Name of Atheism, Secularism?

Comment #56665 by ranjani on July 16, 2007 at 9:49 pm

Goldy:

Confirmation bias notwithstanding, one could easily verify or disprove it by flicking through Payne's or Speer's biography of Hitler if one is really all that interested. The actual quote from Payne's biography is very likely to be faithful to the original text, just because anyone could easily prove him wrong if he made that up. Presumably Payne or Speer had no agenda one way or the other.

6. Kenya: The Death of Religion And Rise of Atheism in the West

Comment #56617 by ranjani on July 16, 2007 at 2:57 pm

_J_:

I am not sure that you are not right about Africa having more pressing problems, but some parts seem to be in hell's grip precisely because of religion. Case in point, the Lord's resistance army in Uganda, Sudan---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord's_Resistance_Army

7. Hitler Was an Atheist Who Killed Millions in the Name of Atheism, Secularism?

Comment #56541 by ranjani on July 16, 2007 at 8:04 am

hungarianelephant:

Just a small point. Hitler was a vegetarian; seems to be a myth like many others.

http://www.vegsource.com/berry/hitler.html

In the above article, he has quoted sections from Robert Payne, one of Hitler's biographers, debunking this myth.

8. American Taliban on the warpath against evolution

Comment #56536 by ranjani on July 16, 2007 at 7:43 am

Since a discussion of the Iraq war seems to have entered this thread, I think the following link might be of interest which is a collection of interviews with Iraq vets.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070712_iraq_vets_break_silence_on_devastating_realities_of_war/

9. Richard Dawkins Replies to David Sloan Wilson

Comment #56013 by ranjani on July 13, 2007 at 8:45 am

Bizarro Dawkins:
That appellation of yours is so incredibly on the mark. By the by, it is the religious who have VICIOUSLY taken me to task for not supplicating before a non-existent entity; in my case Vishnu, Shiva or any of the myriad constructs of that wonderful faculty, the human imagination. For what purpose you say: you guessed it for riches, and sons(not daughters mind you; because they cannot ensure you a respectable resting place in the afterlife). And please, please whatever you pen, do not ask me to accept Jesus as my true savior. Hmm.., on second thoughts if you did, I could roll on the floor shrieking with laughter, so that might be fun.

10. Richard Dawkins Replies to David Sloan Wilson

Comment #55785 by ranjani on July 12, 2007 at 9:07 am

SteveN:
Nah, no prizes. Just couldn't resist that, having had it pointed out to me by many "god fearing" people that my life was an exercise in futility if I did not produce a brood of children!!!

11. Richard Dawkins Replies to David Sloan Wilson

Comment #55770 by ranjani on July 12, 2007 at 7:38 am

DeLan:
But your question about Dr.Dawkins not offering you why you came to be etc. is completely missing the point. All scientists do, are offer contingent descriptions of the world we see around us through the lens of their own discipline. I have never heard of a single one claim to acquire any metaphysical insight from or because of the science they do. Would it not be overweening arrogance on someone's part to tell you what and how you should think about the utility or futility of your own life? Surely that's for each one of us to decide for ourselves.

12. Richard Dawkins Replies to David Sloan Wilson

Comment #55767 by ranjani on July 12, 2007 at 7:26 am

Many of the criticisms of TGD seem to be that he did not not go into sufficient depth and explore the evolutionary advantage of religion. Well, why would he want to write a clone of "Breaking the spell"? He is exploring the truth value of the existence of God ,a completely valid and relevant subject to explore since the whole edifice of religion is based on this supposition. Further, the personal attacks by Dr.Wilson ("angry atheist" etc.) are in very poor taste.

13. Scientific Savvy? In U.S., Not Much

Comment #54545 by ranjani on July 7, 2007 at 5:46 pm

Dr.Benway:
Puckish sense of humor, have you??!!

14. Scientific Savvy? In U.S., Not Much

Comment #54537 by ranjani on July 7, 2007 at 5:14 pm

_J_: I have no idea what Live Earth is and, is there a presumption in your statement that I look to the so called celebrities for information about the science on global warming? I do wish people would stop behaving as if they had a monopoly on critical thinking.

15. Scientific Savvy? In U.S., Not Much

Comment #54485 by ranjani on July 7, 2007 at 12:16 pm

sonord:

If Fezik's interpretation of your comment is correct, my apologies.

16. Scientific Savvy? In U.S., Not Much

Comment #54459 by ranjani on July 7, 2007 at 8:44 am

sornord:
I am not sure what you meant by "tree hugging hippie crap". I hope you are not referring to people like Dr.Wilson who are staunch conservationists, environmentalists and many others like him. Ironically the same critical skills that you bemoan the loss of are the tools of all these scientists that have brought the issue of AGW to the fore,not to mention human activity driven species extinction. Just an observation.

17. Darwin Still Rules, but Some Biologists Dream of a Paradigm Shift

Comment #52888 by ranjani on June 28, 2007 at 11:54 am

Another well known example of a paradigm shift was in the theory of formation of planetary disks that eventually form planets. This came about with the discovery of the first extrasolar planet which is Jupiter like and orbits very close to its parent star.

18. Look Forward to Anger

Comment #52521 by ranjani on June 27, 2007 at 7:31 am

Well--- BT Murtaugh seems to have very cogently replied to Summer Seale's comments, much better than I could have done. Another point to ponder to others who think that Saddaam should have been ousted for killing his own people--- Should the US now consider invading China. After all more than a million Tibetans have been killed since the Chinese occupation, millions more have fled. Admittedly, China poses no imminent threat to us, but neither did Saddaam. Should we be at least consistent about whom we go to war with or should we refrain from going to war with countries with whom we trade heavily but are deeply oppressive, religious or not.

19. Look Forward to Anger

Comment #52355 by ranjani on June 26, 2007 at 8:41 pm

Summer Seale
I pose this question to you out of genuine curiosity and, especially after having read the article http://richarddawkins.net/article,1333,Journey-Into-Islam,Tony-Blankley-Huffington-Post

which is on this website. Do you propose that the US attack all countries that have a muslim majority or even a country like India which has a Hindu majority but still has the third largest muslim population in the World under the guise of --- what exactly??? A preemptive obliteration? The article above is one of the bleakest reviews I have read so far, but do you honestly think that bombing Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh or India which house the biggest percentage of all Muslims in the world is the solution? Standing up to and vociferously condemning extremist stands is a good first step. Beyond that, I have no idea. But I hope you are not advocating wholesale mass slaughter.

20. Look Forward to Anger

Comment #52285 by ranjani on June 26, 2007 at 4:07 pm

MIND_REBEL:
Just to set the record straight, Sam Harris is a strident opponent of the Iraq War. He has said so very clearly in many of his talks.
Ranjani

21. UK Gov boots intelligent design back into 'religious' margins

Comment #52279 by ranjani on June 26, 2007 at 3:58 pm

Thanks a lot Pewkatchoo
So not much change then. I wonder, in light of Bush's unpopularity in Britain, whether he will distance himself from Washington or do a Sarkozy.

22. UK Gov boots intelligent design back into 'religious' margins

Comment #52240 by ranjani on June 26, 2007 at 2:48 pm

Hello all,
If anyone has the time, I would like to get some personal opinions from Brits on this site about their new prime minister Mr. Gordon Brown. Is he as religious as his predecessor? Does he have new initiatives to expand faith based schools? Thanks
Ranjani

23. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #50889 by ranjani on June 20, 2007 at 10:18 am

USA_Limey:
Very nice and funny!!! Burst into laughter.

24. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #50870 by ranjani on June 20, 2007 at 9:09 am

This is a follow up of Xenocratic's post about Hitchens' rant about Gandhi. There is no question that Gandhi was almost maniacally religious and had several bizarre ideas about progress, but if one wants a truly robust view of his achievements and failings, I would highly recommend this article by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen at this site
http://www.countercurrents.org/culture-sen281003.htm

which is in a large part about Tagore who was never as prominent, but whom I admire greatly. However, I hope people also remember that Gandhi prevented massive bloodletting by curbing the revenge instinct of the Indian populace in the face of some terrible British atrocities. He also fought tirelessly for the emancipation of women and the so called untouchables. Not all of Hitchens' statements are as well researched as people might think.

Ranjani

25. Hitchens and Prager Debate

Comment #46099 by ranjani on May 30, 2007 at 8:07 am

If the ten men walking towards you knew you were gay, I wonder how secure you would feel if you knew that they were coming from bible study class having just pored over Leviticus???

26. Fears for Democracy in India

Comment #44775 by ranjani on May 25, 2007 at 9:17 am

I can attest personally to the deeply dehumanizing and degrading aspect of the caste system as it was practiced all around me growing up in India. Belonging to the Brahmin community which is traditionally the highest caste in Hinduism, I had the nightmare of watching my family doling out pronouncements and actions that left me screaming and ranting which, of course, was completely pointless. That was the beginning and the end of faith and religion for me, not to mention the constant reminder that women would and should always remain second class citizens as sanctioned by god and the scriptures.

27. E.O. Wilson and Daniel Dennett

Comment #44738 by ranjani on May 25, 2007 at 8:36 am

I wonder if Dr.Wilson in addition to Dr.Steven Pinker will be invited to this year's BB conference. If the objective of the conference is to combat the most pernicious aspects of religion, it seems to me that a more thoughtful discussion like the one above might go a long way in fueling sustained research and public awareness of why they believe what they believe in. After all, the road to change is paved with doubt and critical self examination. A barrage of why why why might do the trick more effectively than simply asserting that the believer is deluded. Just a thought.

28. Despite what the scholars say, God isn't dead yet

Comment #44065 by ranjani on May 23, 2007 at 8:44 am

Comment by Yorker: I have never heard that before. Do you have sources that discuss this particular issue about his fondness for Islam? Thanks

29. The Cyclic Universe: A Talk With Neil Turok

Comment #42397 by ranjani on May 18, 2007 at 6:47 am

Yorker:
There are many articles about testing string using the LHC which is coming online soon

http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn11085-new-particle-accelerator-could-rule-out-string-theory.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/science/15string.html

30. Defenders of Marriage

Comment #40033 by ranjani on May 12, 2007 at 6:49 pm

He is advocating for gay marriage in the most vociferous way possible.

31. Beyond Belief 2006 Videos

Comment #39999 by ranjani on May 12, 2007 at 3:36 pm

_J_:
The download link has a big chunk cut off. However, if you click on the 'Watch' version it is complete. You can just pull the slider to where you left off. Hope that works for you.

32. Unintelligent Design

Comment #39993 by ranjani on May 12, 2007 at 2:37 pm

Logicel:
I absolutely agree with you about Atran. If you really want to get pissed off at him, you should listen to him needling Dr.Dawkins and Sam Harris at the BB series. Anyway, the whole article seems to have sparked off a lively debate which is the fun part.

33. Unintelligent Design

Comment #39983 by ranjani on May 12, 2007 at 1:49 pm

Contrary to many people's opinion, Scott Atran is a self avowed atheist. He waffled on about religion's stranglehold on humanity etc. in the beyond belief conferences. He also wrote a lengthy critique of the speakers to which Sam Harris and Carolyn Porco responded very eloquently, I thought, available at http://www.edge.org/discourse/bb.html.
However, I do hope people will read the whole article and take the salient points about unintelligently designed life as I presume Mr.Atran intended it to be.

34. Ted Haggard Is Completely Heterosexual

Comment #39859 by ranjani on May 12, 2007 at 5:50 am

Homo economicus:
Yes, he has several albums. They are available at
www.royzimmerman.com and at itunes. Of course, on itunes you can listen to a few seconds of each song. Also there are a few more of his songs on youtube. They are called "Dick Cheney", "Jerry Falwell's God", "The war on terror", "What if the Beatles were irish" and "Creation Science 101"(this one is in the archives somewhere on this website).

35. Lou Dobbs w/ Hitchens on Al Sharpton's Bigoted Remark

Comment #39483 by ranjani on May 10, 2007 at 9:18 pm

Bouwe:

Yes, I have seen a short video clip of Romney claiming that Battlefield earth is his favorite book. Mormon or Scientologist????!!!!!!

36. Anderson Cooper interviews Christopher Hitchens

Comment #39290 by ranjani on May 10, 2007 at 9:12 am

It is my opinion that someone who would bring a lot of information and insight to a conference like the BB series would be Steven Pinker. I hope they extend an invitation to him.

37. Cataloguing every species on earth

Comment #39283 by ranjani on May 10, 2007 at 8:57 am

This is a wonderful project. However, I cannot help but feel deeply saddened by the rapid extinction rates of flora and fauna. Does anyone here know the actual numbers? The more pressing question which seems unanswerable at this point, is how to stop the ravages of a human driven mass extinction. The rapaciousness of the human species seems to be limitless. Maybe, this project will contribute in some measure to stem the destructiveness of our species. Too much to expect???!!!!

38. An ecumenical contempt for religion

Comment #38351 by ranjani on May 7, 2007 at 9:09 pm

There is an interesting interview by hitchens

http://www.radaronline.com/features/2007/04/christopher_hitchens_god_is_not_great_1.php

Note the observation where he says he would prefer a pro war religious president to an antiwar atheist

39. Interview with Pierre Rehov

Comment #37929 by ranjani on May 6, 2007 at 10:19 am

In light of this article, is somebody interested in making a comment on Scott Atran's claim, that suicide bombers are seldom motivated by rewards bestowed on them in the afterlife? I was wondering if somebody saw his talk in the beyond belief conference which was followed by a lengthy series of exchanges with Sam Harris on this point. One thing that came across loud and clear in the beyond belief conference was his evasiveness when challenged by Dr.Dawkins and Sam Harris to provide the true motivation of suicide bombers. I am still puzzled by why he would not accept proclamations of these bombers to die for Allah at their face value.

40. An atheist's call to arms

Comment #37098 by ranjani on May 3, 2007 at 11:31 am

Before anybody accuses me of anti Hindu bias, I was born into a Hindu family. Obviously, do not give a rat's ass about that any more. Re the pacifism of Hinduism that has been mentioned a couple of times, I would suggest you look up recent history on the mass massacre of muslims by Hindus in the state of Gujarat in 2002. I am not dismissing the culpability of muslims in this matter, but the ongoing saga of hindu muslim violence in India should cause people to revisit and reexamine the really unsavory aspects of militant and fundamentalist Hinduism that looks very similar to fundamentalist aspects of other religions.

41. 4 Sermon for Matins: 'Dawkins and The God Delusion'

Comment #36525 by ranjani on May 1, 2007 at 12:19 pm

Heard it!! Heard it!! Got extremely bored.

42. A Brief History of Disbelief

Comment #35682 by ranjani on April 28, 2007 at 9:22 am

Does anybody know if this program is going to be broadcast as a Nova series, independent lens series etc. ??? Thanks

43. Answers To the Atheists

Comment #30284 by ranjani on April 7, 2007 at 11:58 am

Luthien,
Would it be permissible for me to borrow your logo for the purposes of printing it on one or two T-shirts. Thanks
Ranjani