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Comments by sidfaiwu


1. Judge orders La. school district to stop Bible giveaways

Comment #166853 by sidfaiwu on April 23, 2008 at 1:05 pm

82abhilash: "It is as if they can't get any sleep, unless they disturb or intimidate someone else."

Given their warped perception of reality, it's not that incredible to think that they might. They honestly believe that they might have prevented the eternal suffering of someone by passing out Bibles then they may feel guilt for not doing so.

2. Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions

Comment #163376 by sidfaiwu on April 18, 2008 at 8:58 am

The comments below the misconceptions on New Scientist's website are infected with IDiots! We need some people with actual knowledge about evolution to counter their IDioticy. I lack the knowledge to be effective in countering all the errors.

3. Science Debate 2008

Comment #160806 by sidfaiwu on April 14, 2008 at 12:14 pm

if you want to stop America's seemingly inexorable decline


Decline? I don't really see a long-term decline. If anything, the history of America is nothing but punctuated progress; economic, scientific, and social progress. It's all too easy to prey on people's natural insecurities about the future.

Despite the appeal to emotion at the beginning (which I find quite distasteful), I still like the idea of scientific debate.

4. Inadequate, private and late apology with grotesquely inadequate excuse

Comment #159041 by sidfaiwu on April 11, 2008 at 11:15 am

Bully for her for apologizing. Perhaps an incident like this is exactly what Representative Davis needed to reevaluate some false assumptions she apparently had about atheists.

I may be naive, but I try to assume the best about people. I think she is earnest in her apology and will take her at her word.

And telling CBS seems an odd way of doing something in private.


Not for a politician. A public apology helps her save, or even gain, some political points.

5. Did pre-big bang universe leave its mark on the sky?

Comment #158953 by sidfaiwu on April 11, 2008 at 8:27 am

crazy old man:

I'm puzzled. How in the hell is the universe supposed to contract to a "Big Crunch" (or "Big Bounce", as it were) if dark energy is accelerating its ever-increasing rate of expansion beyond the point of no return?


I'm skeptical about the dark energy hypothesis. It seems physicists have recently been giving names to phenomena they don't yet understand. Galaxies are spinning too fast to say coherent? Gravity from 'dark matter' must explain it! Oh shit! The dark matter hypothesis means that there's too much gravity in the universe to explain the accelerating expansion. It must be caused by 'dark energy'!

They don't seem to consider that their model for gravity may (one again) be incomplete. There could be small, non-linear gravitational effects that are not observable in the near-field but manifest in the far-field. The effects may even be time-dependent. Thus over time, these far-field effects my decay and cause a deceleration and eventual contraction of the universe.

Really, this speculation is beside the point. The Big Bounce hypothesis above only requires that the previous universe undergo a near Big Crunch. Though our universe may be similar, there's nothing in the hypothesis that guarantees that our universe must follow suite and collapse as well.

6. Did pre-big bang universe leave its mark on the sky?

Comment #158882 by sidfaiwu on April 11, 2008 at 6:29 am

JanChan:

Wait, if big bangs are hereditary, what's stopping natural selection to act upon them?


Mostly the fact that universes don't have environments. There is nothing 'outside' the universe that can cull the 'weaker' universes.

7. German Church admits aiding Nazis

Comment #157789 by sidfaiwu on April 9, 2008 at 2:30 pm

Great. Now if only we can get them to admit that their whole belief system is based on wishful thinking.

8. Beware the Believers

Comment #154582 by sidfaiwu on April 3, 2008 at 1:25 pm

Thanks, briancoughlanworldcitizen. That makes sense, but it didn't make me feel any better.

I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point recently, I started feeling sad and sorry for people like Beale more often than angry. They seem more pathetic than dangerous to me now.

annabanana:

They steadily dismissed my arguments on the basis that I am a woman.


I can't imagine your frustration, though that brought some of my anger back.

9. Beware the Believers

Comment #154570 by sidfaiwu on April 3, 2008 at 1:10 pm

Having never heard of Vox Day, I just Googled him. Holy shit, what an ass! I found the following on Wikipedia,

Theodore Beale [his real name] has called women's rights "a disease that should be eradicated" [10], suggested that the Holocaust proved that deporting millions of Mexicans from the United States was feasible, and that a woman who engaged in extramarital sex and was raped could not be considered a "wholly innocent victim". [11]


Is this true, Blacknad? If so, why would you even read his stuff? I can see why Dawkins wouldn't debate him. The man is repugnant. Any discourse with him lends him legitimacy that he simply doesn't deserve. I'm sorry I ever learned of his existence.

10. Beware the Believers

Comment #154564 by sidfaiwu on April 3, 2008 at 12:59 pm

Wow, Vox Day comes across as quite the sad character. He read through 400 comments looking for ways to insult Dr. Dawkins? Plus, he spins Dawkins's comments is aimed at making him seem less intelligent for the sole purpose of mounting a fallacious ad hominem attack. My guess is that Day suffers from obsessive levels of intellectual insecurity or jealousy.

I'd be willing to bet that every single successful game designer of my acquaintance has a higher IQ than him, in fact, I'd even bet that their average IQ exceeds his by a standard deviation.


As if IQ is the only way to asses intelligence let alone the quality of a person's work.

Dawkins betrays every sign of the 1SD-2SD IQ individual, who tends to think that because he is rather more intelligent than the average, he is therefore brilliant.


I haven't yet run across Dawkins ever describing himself as brilliant.

It's seems that not only do the authors of these lines not like Dawkins, they are obsessed with him. Sad.

11. CEAI Action Alert for Science Teachers

Comment #154431 by sidfaiwu on April 3, 2008 at 8:17 am

1) Have you ever been confronted, reprimanded, or given a directive, for criticizing evolution or presenting scientific evidence critical of Darwinism?

2) In light of the new dogmatic evolution standards recently passed by the Board of Education, ("Evolution is the fundamental concept underlying all of biology and is supported by multiple forms of evidence.") do you feel that you are free to give critical analysis of evolution in the classroom and not be confronted or disciplined?

3) Do you feel that there is a hostile environment generally in your school or district toward those who dissent or disagree with evolution or Darwinism?

4) Do you have legitimate fears about what would happen to you if you criticized evolution in light of the new dogmatic standards?


Translation:

"Please, please, PLEASE, let us be victims! We need to be victims to make our adhominem attacks more effective! It's easier to make scientists look like oppressors than it is to actually do science in order to test their theories."

12. Beware the Believers

Comment #154073 by sidfaiwu on April 2, 2008 at 2:09 pm

So we leave her
So we leave her
So we leave her,
Far from where her dusky comrades roam.
In the scarlet fever
In the scarlet fever
In the scarlet fever
Convalescent home.


I'm not sure why, Dr., but I found 'the worst poem ever' the funniest I've ever read. Then again, I am metaphorically-impaired.

And since everyone else has added their two cents, I feel I owe my own. I found the video funny because of the incongruous juxtaposition (like the football match between the philosophers), but think its lampooning the atheists.

13. Faith healing church parents charged over toddler's death

Comment #153418 by sidfaiwu on April 1, 2008 at 1:05 pm

Hello SweatyPalmSunday,

If I call myself pro-choice (which I do) then why should I be opposed to infanticide?


That's a very good question that I've thought long and hard about. I have an ongoing debate on abortion were I gave some thoughts about infanticide. Here's the relevant section:

...it is easy to see why a woman's prerogative does not extend to after the birth of the child, at least not in our modern society. The main suffering a postpartum mother would experience [would] result from the on-going care of the infant. Infanticide is not justifiable because our society provides an alternative that does not infringe upon the infant's interest in survival and does not require the mother to assume additional suffering; adoption or foster care.


For interested readers, the rest of the debate can be found here: http://www.sidfaiwu.com/blog/index.php/debates/abortion-debate-with-scott/

14. Who wants to kill the elderly?

Comment #153360 by sidfaiwu on April 1, 2008 at 12:21 pm

The odd thing is that I don't consider 'myth' to be a negative term. It's a special class of stories that hold particular importance to the society that has them. Thus 'myth' = 'extremely important story'. Implicitly, he is recognizing Christianity's importance in Western culture (good or bad, it certainly is of high historical importance).

Of course, the other implication is that the stories are not inherently true simply because it is that culture's myth.

15. Who wants to kill the elderly?

Comment #153268 by sidfaiwu on April 1, 2008 at 10:26 am

Who is it, of any significance whatsoever, who advocates the "killing of surplus old people"?


This guy: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/34122.

16. In His Name We Pray, Ramen

Comment #152556 by sidfaiwu on March 31, 2008 at 8:08 am

What about the rumors that the Church of the FSM is covering up that fact that some of their priests touched young boys with their, um, noodly appendages? The Church must be held accountable for their misconduct!

17. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #150178 by sidfaiwu on March 26, 2008 at 2:28 pm

Be reassured that as a matter of personal policy I never take time to reply to logical fallacies, I limit myself to point them out. It's nothing personal, I simply have no energy for that...

...I hope that this clarifies it to you.


Perfectly. Thank you, decius. Furthermore, you are right, it was a straw man. The temptation to set them up and knock them down is so strong that I apparently do so without noticing. I'm sorry. I'll edit my earlier comment and point out the fallacy.

I can understand the your policy as well. It is tiresome to point out all the fallacies tossed at atheists. I feel the wear as well. But please understand that I, like most free thinkers, would like to know when I make those mistakes. My goal isn't to eliminate them from my thinking (I believe that to be impossible), but to reduce them as much as possible and to admit when I've make them.

18. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #150139 by sidfaiwu on March 26, 2008 at 1:39 pm

Nice straw man, sidfaiwu. I won't waste my time in addressing it.


Ah, it's good to know that I'm beneath your consideration, decius. But if I did set up a straw man, I'd certainly like to know about it. I don't appreciate being denied the opportunity to clarify (or even retract) my statement based on rational argument. Would someone with either some common courtesy or a little humility please point it out my mistake to me? Thanks.

19. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #150115 by sidfaiwu on March 26, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Spinoza, I must disagree most vehemently with your cowardly suggestion. Appeasing the forces which want to drag us back to the Middle Ages to the point of pretending to be someone else and even joining them?


So your advice for atheists living under Islamic regimes would be 'speak up and die' because that's the brave thing to do? Furthermore, you'd despise them if they didn't? Personally, I can't fault anyone for wanting to hide their beliefs to stay alive.

EDIT: As decius points out in Comment #150169, the above is a straw man. I agree, apologize and retract the statement. /EDIT

I believe that Spinoza's point was that atheists may have to lie as they did in centuries past if the people attending this meeting have their way. I don't think he was suggesting it as a tactic given the current state of affairs in the free world. (Please, correct me if I'm wrong, Spinoza.) Let's make sure these religionists don't get their way.

20. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #150064 by sidfaiwu on March 26, 2008 at 12:27 pm

Hello Spinoza,

Does everyone see why Spinoza (and Hobbes) vehemently denied being atheists, and why in their great works they utilized the word "God"?

Perhaps atheists should pipe up and simply say that they DO believe in one God, but that God is the infinite natural universe (Spinoza's use of the term "Deus").


I sincerely hope that atheists never have to do that again. It would be the surest evidence that The Enlightenment has failed. No on should fear violence for proclaiming their atheism or other thoughts for that matter.

21. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #149953 by sidfaiwu on March 26, 2008 at 11:00 am

The nastiest bits of the Qur'an and Hadith are reserved for polytheists.


I wonder what they'd say to someone who worshiped Yahweh, Jesus, Allah as separate Gods. Would they welcome another believer into their club or would they exclude (or worse) the believer as a polytheist?

22. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #149884 by sidfaiwu on March 26, 2008 at 10:15 am

"We have lost sincerity, morals, fidelity and attachment to our religions and to humanity," Abdullah said Monday, deploring "the disintegration of the family and the rise of atheism in the world - a frightening phenomenon that all religions must confront and vanquish."

Abdullah's message of tolerance comes at a time...


WHAT?!? How is openly declaring that you want to eliminate a dissenting viewpoint from the face of the Earth considered a message of tolerance?!?

23. The science of religion: Where angels no longer fear to tread

Comment #148883 by sidfaiwu on March 24, 2008 at 12:56 pm

The idea that evolution can work by the differential survival of entire groups of organisms, rather than just of individuals, was rejected because it is mathematically implausible.


I am a novice when it comes to evolution but an expert in mathematics. Can anyone point me to the publication(s) related to the mathematical implausibility?

24. The atheist delusion

Comment #147472 by sidfaiwu on March 20, 2008 at 2:28 pm

I know I'm _really_ late to the game here, but I finally read this article and I have a question. How do you suppose Dr. Dawkins would respond to this portion:

"Human biology has not changed greatly over recorded history, and if religion is hardwired in the species, it is difficult to see how a different kind of education could alter this. Yet Dawkins seems convinced that if it were not inculcated in schools and families, religion would die out. This is a view that has more in common with a certain type of fundamentalist theology than with Darwinian theory, and I cannot help being reminded of the evangelical Christian who assured me that children reared in a chaste environment would grow up without illicit sexual impulses."

If religious belief is a biological in nature, as suggested in TGD, why would Dawkins suppose that education can overcome it?

If I remember correctly, it's that childhood credulity has evolutionary roots, not religion itself. It is this credulity that religion takes advantage of. But it's been almost a year since I read TGD and I'm starting to forget the details. Can someone refresh me?

Thanks.

EDIT: Oh, and I have to comment on this statement:

"the idea of free will that informs liberal notions of personal autonomy is biblical in origin (think of the Genesis story)."

No, the Judea-Christian tradition introduced the possibility of determinism via divine-foreknowledge. Free will as part of human nature was assumed a priori in the most of the philosophical traditions before that.

25. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146711 by sidfaiwu on March 19, 2008 at 9:49 am

"We're supposed to love the sinner so much that our hand shall be the first upon him - and we should kill him so that he gets to the loving father asap, now I remember. Sorry."

What's sad about that is that is pretty much how C.S. Lewis defends capital punishment in Mere Christianity.

26. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146706 by sidfaiwu on March 19, 2008 at 9:41 am

"What's that you're wearing? Polyester and cotton? May you burn in hell, sinner!"

No, no, no, no no. We're supposed to hate the wardrobe and love the wearer, remember?

27. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146605 by sidfaiwu on March 19, 2008 at 8:09 am

@Pathfinder

"Besides, homosexuality can be cured"

Well, seeing as homosexuality isn't a disease, It cannot be 'cured'. Can the behavior change? Sure, just as a heterosexual can abstain from sex. But I doubt that the attraction can be undone.

"As a Christian I take a love-the-sinner-hate the sin view and have no problem with gays."

If you want to deny same sex couples equal protection under the law then you do have a problem with gays.

28. The Atheist Apocalypse

Comment #146040 by sidfaiwu on March 18, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Quality stuff. I like how the Gideons are giving away free dictionaries in the last frame.

29. Over half of Britons claim no religion

Comment #131332 by sidfaiwu on February 22, 2008 at 9:06 am

I noticed that as well, Cartomancer. The article was very poorly written.

Now if we could only get this here in America.
It's always impressed me that the Brits have an official Church of England, but have maintained a very rational and secular culture. Yet here in the US, we have a separation of church and state but can't seem to even pass science standards!


That may not be a coincidence. Having no established religion enables all kinds of beliefs to spawn, thrive, and then subside. Usually, the most zealous religions are the new ones (or the new flavors denominations). Having an old, established one makes it dull and uninteresting.

30. The Lava Lizard's Tale

Comment #131007 by sidfaiwu on February 21, 2008 at 5:10 pm

Thank you, Dr. Dawkins. That was fantastic.

31. Don't blame Islam for terrorism, expert says

Comment #130888 by sidfaiwu on February 21, 2008 at 12:48 pm

It's definitely not cool to say anything that could be considered offensive to muslims, or anything that would threaten our "multi-cultural" values. I'm beginning to realize that multiculturalism in its present form isn't all it's cracked up to be.


I've noticed this trend as well. At some point, multiculturalism stopped being a means to integrate different cultures and started being a way to reinforce cultural differences.

32. US military accused of harboring fundamentalism

Comment #127543 by sidfaiwu on February 15, 2008 at 11:45 am

Let's see:

1. Unquestioning acceptance of authority
2. Suspension of free thought
3. Attempt at creating uniform thoughts
4. Having one's goals and purpose set by others
5. Belonging to a new 'family'

Is anyone surprised that fundamentalism is flourishing in the military?

I'm not too worried, though. This is nothing new. 'God and Country' have gone hand-and-hand in the US ever since the Cold War. Also, America doesn't have a history of military coups, unlike most theocracies. Of course, there always could be a first time...

33. Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

Comment #127515 by sidfaiwu on February 15, 2008 at 11:07 am

Hello annabanna,

sidfaiwu, as an American, I've never been under the impression that smart=unattractive. As a matter of fact, I've always had the impression that it was a double whammy! Of course, that's just anecdote.

Although, I will say that most people seem to assume that I'm young, naive, and stupid when they first lay eyes on me. Oh, the plights of being attractive.


I'm American as well (NC) and smart=attractive in the circles that I run. Unfortunately, my circles (and likely yours) aren't exactly run-of-the-mill. Most of my friends and acquaintances have post-graduate degrees. That's far greater than the public at-large.

34. Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

Comment #127413 by sidfaiwu on February 15, 2008 at 8:52 am

As long as you have enough people and enough time, anyone can collect a bunch of anecdotes of stupidity. The few actual stats offered in the article are about very specific pieces of information.

"only 23 percent of those with some college could locate Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel on a map."

What percentage could identify 3 of the 4? The book does sound a bit like a "kids these days" complaint book. The population is really quite diverse. There are large groups of young people who highly value intelligence, creativity, and high culture. They just get none of the press.

That being said, I do notice some anti-intellectual attitudes in America. It's especially bad for females who seem to be given the message that smart = unattractive.

35. Huckabee: Guns, God and rock'n'roll

Comment #107224 by sidfaiwu on January 4, 2008 at 9:46 am

I see, Obama.

Ok. Well if you want someone 3 years out of the state legislature of Illinois, then fine.


[sarcasm]Yeah, because we all know how much better career politicians are.[/sarcasm]

36. Huckabee: Guns, God and rock'n'roll

Comment #107212 by sidfaiwu on January 4, 2008 at 9:23 am

Hello al-rawandi,

Ron Paul would not legislate religion on a federal level.


You are right, Ron Paul would not legislate on the federal level, he'd legislate on the heavenly kingdom level. Once one puts the authority of their particular 'divine' superhero above human authority, does it really matter where one legislates?


By the way, according to Ron Paul's website (the issues pages, in particular), he follows libertarianism the same way a typical Christian is follows the rules of the Bible: buffet-style. If you want to read more, you can via my shameless self-promotion (my blog): http://www.sidfaiwu.com/blog/index.php/the-issues-according-to-pauls-website/

37. Huckabee: Guns, God and rock'n'roll

Comment #106873 by sidfaiwu on January 3, 2008 at 4:04 pm

Chuck Norris doesn't create conclusions based on evidence. Chuck Norris creates evidence based on conclusions.

38. Monkey, Business

Comment #105100 by sidfaiwu on December 30, 2007 at 3:01 pm

Is economic Darwinism akin to social Darwinism? The article highlights what seem like some useful observations - but I think the conclusions that it seems to be drawing about the utility of unfettered capitalism are just plain wrong.


I share your skepticism, Radesq. Evolution is such a successful theory, it is tempting to apply the theory where is it simply doesn't belong. However, there may be some useful parallels that Shermer may bring to light. But to extend his already labored analogy a little further, do we really want an economic system that creates a few, powerful apex predators and a vast multitude of largely disposable prey? I certainly don't.

I also have another reason to be skeptical of Shermer's underlying hypothesis: He is a dedicated (to put it nicely) libertarian. I'll be on the lookout for confirmation bias and selective evidence when I read his book. I certainly will end up reading his book. Other than his libertarian streak, I'm a big fan of Shermer.

notsobad, I don't think evolution says anything about economics. From my understanding, it's all about genetic inheritance with modification, random mutation of genes, and natural selection, largely through survival and reproductive success. It says nothing about supply and demand curves, derivative pricing, or the like. You are right about one thing, though: cola is a shitty drink regardless of the manufacturer.

39. Al Qaeda: We're open to questions

Comment #101414 by sidfaiwu on December 20, 2007 at 10:33 am

Bravo, 35bluejacket. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be 'kind' and 'nice' to my wife.

Joking aside, you do have a point. It's amazing the number of assumptions we make without even realizing it. I'm just glad we are able to honestly address those normal human shortcomings instead of appealing to 'faith' that we are correct in or biases.

40. Way of the Master Radio talks about Dawkins' Christmas Comments

Comment #100223 by sidfaiwu on December 18, 2007 at 11:53 am

This clip is up twice.

EDIT: Not anymore. Thanks for the fix.

41. Way of the Master Radio talks about Dawkins' Christmas Comments

Comment #100220 by sidfaiwu on December 18, 2007 at 11:52 am

Strange... just strange. They sound like a zany morning radio show. People take them seriously? I hope it's not that many.

42. This Is Not a Test

Comment #100074 by sidfaiwu on December 18, 2007 at 7:50 am

hayesky said,

The question is who can we vote for? They all seem so boring.


As if the entertainment value of a candidate is the best quality to run a country.

43. Protests Over The Golden Compass

Comment #98766 by sidfaiwu on December 14, 2007 at 8:31 am

In the kings court, the Jester was the only one permitted to speak the truth.

44. Creation vs. Reality

Comment #98763 by sidfaiwu on December 14, 2007 at 8:27 am

Very well done and quite enjoyable. I agree with TyKonderoga. The side by side comparison didn't seem to me to be the point. Casting creationism in business language and natural history in religious language was the real interesting effect.

45. What are your qualifications to question religion anyway? Just who are you?

Comment #98758 by sidfaiwu on December 14, 2007 at 8:12 am

What are your qualifications to question religion anyway? Just who are you?


The same qualifications that we all have to question public policy. We can question anything that effects us.

46. What is the role of free will to an atheist?

Comment #98755 by sidfaiwu on December 14, 2007 at 8:06 am

I'm sure atheists are united on their thoughts about freewill. I, for one, believe freewill is an illusion.

47. People who've experienced God KNOW that God exists

Comment #98754 by sidfaiwu on December 14, 2007 at 8:02 am

First let me counter the "I hate these debating points" commenters. Solution? Don't read them. They may not be entirely appropriate in the 'articles' section, but I like them very much.

People who've experienced God know that God exists.


So God singled you out as 'special' and gave you a direct experience. Are you certain it wasn't Allah or Vishnu, as Wiggy points out? Perhaps it was Satan. He's suppose to be really good a deception, you know. Perhaps you were temporarily ill or have been drugged. Considering these possibilities, how can you expect anyone else to trust your experience as genuine or that you've interpreted your experience correctly?

48. How can the Earth be so perfectly suited for life by coincidence?

Comment #98749 by sidfaiwu on December 14, 2007 at 7:35 am

How can the Earth be so perfectly suited for life by coincidence?


I have no idea. But ignorance in no excuse for assuming God did it.

49. How do you explain the lack of transitional forms in nature, the gaps in the fossil record?

Comment #98747 by sidfaiwu on December 14, 2007 at 7:31 am

How do you explain the lack of transitional forms in nature, the gaps in the fossil record?


I generally don't. I leave that up to the professionals.

50. If you don't have religion, where do you find your sense of community?

Comment #98746 by sidfaiwu on December 14, 2007 at 7:26 am

This is an important question. I think many atheists underestimate just how much most people value a sense of community. In the States, churches are the primary community-building institutions.

As Rational_G "Atheists are loners". Well, many of them are. This attitude may unwittingly be excluding much of the population from giving up their religion. We need to offer some kind of ready community to replace their churches.

For me, that is a Unitarian Universalist church. It's a dogma-free 'religion'.

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