1. In Defence of Selfish Genes

Comment #140519 by sauronlord on March 7, 2008 at 4:10 pm

@Spinoza:
That is an ELEMENTARY thinking skill. Three year olds understand that an analogy compares RELATIONS (often quite abstract ones), not the CONTENTS of the example used.

When have you seen a RELATION without CONTENTS?
What about CONTENTS without RELATION?

It's like differentiating between FORM and MATTER... yet neither exist on their own.

2. Vatican cardinal calls on Catholics to stop funding Amnesty

Comment #50014 by sauronlord on June 14, 2007 at 2:29 pm

I am so disgusted by the Catholic Church.

A bundle of cells takes precedence over the dignity and well-being of a victim.

They use intentionally misleading words like "child" or "baby" to try and make a point. This is not compassion but oppression disguised as such.

How dare they stick their dirty fingers and deny contraception, condoms, and expect poor helpless women to "live with" this horrible experience by carrying it through term.

Statements like these are hateful and AGAINST human rights. Shame on the Church and anyone that endorses such views.

Life is not about absolutes or sweeping generalizations like the Church keeps spouting off about.

Hell, the Ten Commandments are not even absolutes.
For everyone of the Commandments you can foresee a situation where it is Ethical to break it.
Think of Anne Frank (for lying), think about murder in self defense, etc...

3. Baptists Warned About Islam, Atheism

Comment #49619 by sauronlord on June 12, 2007 at 3:40 pm

Does anyone else get a little worried about a Christian group saying things like:

"Islam is a vicious, evil ... "
"Islamo-fascism is evil incarnate."

"... We are in a long war, a long struggle."

Or heck, ANY group talking like that? Islam in itself is comparable and just as violent as Christianity, and Judaism.

What is different is the decades of oppression at the hand of the western powers.

It does not excuse any suicide bomber, or anyone else ---but we can try to understand it.

I feel like the more we complain about Islam, the more we are being misled/deluding ourselves about the source of the current conflict.

I will not join on the bashing of Islam, because "ordinary" people will take up that scapegoat.

What's sickening is how another intolerant religious body can pretend suicide bombers exists only because "Islam is evil". (completely leaving the sociological, anthropological, psychological, and political influences into this phenomena aside)

They conveniently leave out the centuries of brutality in the name of the Christian God.

I ask fellow Atheists:
Please be mindful of giving "average folk" bad impressions. Islam is bad exactly as Christianity is bad, and what we are seeing in "suicide bombers" is not anything constrained to Islam, or even any (non)religious groups in particular...

comments please?

4. The Debate: Can We Live by Reason Alone?

Comment #45348 by sauronlord on May 27, 2007 at 9:26 am

Hey All,

Did anyone else notice that the interview is MISSING??

May 10th is not there, and no mention of Dawkins!

Help?

5. Goodness without Godliness

Comment #43180 by sauronlord on May 20, 2007 at 4:05 pm

I'm surprised Alan Watts rarely comes up in discussion.

I am an Atheist(in the negative sense, sometimes will go on the positive).

However there is something intriguing about Alan Watts and how he can make you suddenly aware of the "mysteriousness" of YOU. The Self. The Universe.

I'm not talking about religious mysticism, or any new-age religious perspectives, and neither is Alan Watts---it may take you a bit to realize it, but he speaks of nothing supernatural.

Here is a quote that he said, but he was quoting someone else I forget:

"Ask me if I'm religious and I'll ask you; If you say you believe in God, I'll say I'm an Atheist. If you say you are an Atheist I'll say that I believe in God"

This all gets to the magic of Zen, which is ultimately derivative of an particular form of Mahayana Buddhism.

I'm also very sick of all those that group Buddhism into 1 category. The different 'types' of Buddhism is NOT LIKE the different 'types' of Christianity...not even close.

#21 - Rokort points this out above.

Check out Alan Watts: http://www.alanwatts.com/

I have studied philosophy, sociology, evolution, physics, computer science, you name it. I came out as an Atheist a while ago, however Alan Watts brings back that amazing feeling that WE ARE THE UNIVERSE.
We are not IN the universe anymore than a leaf is IN the tree.

I remember watching www.beyondbelief2006.org and no one in the entire conference brought him up.
Now true that Sam Harris and others brought in Buddhism(although there was hardly any discussion of Zen, or a particular 'secular Buddhism') the ignorance of the other scientists labelled Buddhism as "reincarnation idiots", etc.
However Alan Watts touches on a way of thinking that is deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy that rings very sensible and refreshing.

I'd be interested in hearing what other Atheists(yes that includes you "Agnostics" ;) ) have to say with regards to listening to a couple of lectures by Alan.

Thanks

6. Pedal power takes Islamic shape in Iran

Comment #42055 by sauronlord on May 17, 2007 at 2:33 pm

As for @Jenin:

As far as I'm concerned -- those that believe in the inerrant word of a religious text that praises those that inflict violence on others for unjust causes deserve it.

Yes, that goes for Christianity and other belief systems that promote violence directly or indirectly.

7. Pedal power takes Islamic shape in Iran

Comment #42053 by sauronlord on May 17, 2007 at 2:30 pm

How about men use their self control to not look at the clothing on their legs and waists and just mind their own damn business.

Oh right, because Iran and like countries believe men are uncontrollable beasts (well we are animals afterall!)