1. Rapture site sends unbelievers their last chance ... via email

Comment #194964 by Bertybob on June 17, 2008 at 1:19 pm

Dumb shits...

2. Scientists rally against creationist 'superstition'

Comment #186968 by Bertybob on June 1, 2008 at 1:47 am

I agree. 40% seems like someone playing fast and loose with numbers.

Something like.... In the 2001 Census 40% of the population answered the "religion" question seriously (although a high number answered "Jedi" - I did!). Impose on that 40% their own "Church" doctrine and there you go.... 40% of the UK believe in Creationsism.

Hardly anyone in the UK goes to Church / Mosque / Synagogue, so I don't see how 40% can be brainwashed in a decade.

The fundies are starting to bleat a bit more about their "rights" though.

3. Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour

Comment #177514 by Bertybob on May 9, 2008 at 8:10 am

Of the 1.7 million (not necessarily unique) visitors per month to Church, how many are visiting as part of a Wedding, Funeral or Christening Service??

Even I go to Church for those as you have to be a real grumpy guts to say "Sod off, I'm not going to Uncle Joe's funeral cos I'm an Athiest".

I just say "Rahmen" at the appropriate times.

So even I am contributing to the headcount occaisionally.

I notice they do have a guy with a "clicker" at the door. I suppose I could say "Excuse me, can you take my click off the count as I am an Athiest".

4. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions

Comment #156977 by Bertybob on April 8, 2008 at 1:01 pm

I watched this "live" whilst decorating the hallway.

It always makes me cringe. Nicky Campbell does not help, generally a condescending arrogant tw*t.

Did anyone spot how Tom Butler expertly sidestepped the question about Exorcists in each Diocese?

I loved the jeer RD got when he said there was no evidence for God. Obviously the God botherers think there is. I'd love to just see the retort of "If you have any evidence I suggest you publish it as you will be having a jolly to Sweden to pick up your Nobel Prize for Physics".

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

Comment #154333 by Bertybob on April 3, 2008 at 5:46 am

In the UK an abortion can be carried out up to 24 weeks gestation, after that things have to run their course, unless required medically to save the life of the mother.

24 weeks is considered as an ethical boundary in the UK given the progress of the feotus, development of it's nervous system and the likelyhood that it could survive without the mother at that stage.

An abortion 1 day before term will be as abhorrent to most people as infanticide 1 day after.

6. Iowa county board gives initial OK for ghost hunters to investigate asylum

Comment #151586 by Bertybob on March 29, 2008 at 3:00 am

I hope the citizens of Iowa are not going to be paying for any of this?

Getting the "legal papers" (as mentioned above) drawn up is in itself costing taxpayer dollars. Some Iowa citizen needs to call the board on the matter.

We have a complete charletan "paranormal" investigator over here in the UK called Derek Ancora. Everytime I see him on TV or listen to him on the radio I want to vomit! http://derekacorah.org/

7. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #149769 by Bertybob on March 26, 2008 at 8:12 am

The girl's parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, attributed the death to "apparently they didn't have enough faith," the police chief said.

8. Full house captivated by atheist Dawkins' take on religion

Comment #142432 by Bertybob on March 12, 2008 at 1:33 pm

Keep up the good work RD.

9. Dispatches: Holy Offensive

Comment #135621 by Bertybob on February 29, 2008 at 6:35 am

Was it just me or did anyone else get a spooky feeling when looking at the junior minister in her pink top.....

It was just like Umbridge from Harry Potter, the sweet tongued viper doing the work of the ministry.

10. The Encyclopedia of Life, No Bookshelf Required

Comment #133611 by Bertybob on February 26, 2008 at 12:35 pm

Can't wait to read the page on Homo Sapiens!!

Will Creationists get their own page as a seperate species??

11. Inventor Doesn't Dare Say 'Perpetual Motion Machine'

Comment #124011 by Bertybob on February 8, 2008 at 6:46 am

Mmmmm. Call me Mr Sceptical!

There have been lots of wrecks along this road before. Still it seems like the guy is being open with his ideas.

I am sure we would all love it to be true, but I won't hold my breath whilst it is tested. Often once the covers are pulled back it is found to be errors of reading and calculation and the thing is sucking in energy from other sources. If those sources were free and plentiful and does not involve carbon, then who cares if it is perpetual or not!!

12. What should a scientist think about religion?

Comment #118908 by Bertybob on January 31, 2008 at 6:44 am

Here, here....

Slaughter the bastards with science I say!!

There is no better rant, than the passionate rant of a scientist, eulogising their specific field of knowledge and the bredth and depth of human knowledge accumulated in science and advances science has brought to humankind.

Whenever I see it (and not often enough) I can see the religious bigots crawling back under their stones and into their caves.

I think RD should polish up a 20 second soundbite to use on the shows he goes on to show the majesty of just what we know in genetics, medicine and physics and then compare it with the bronze age mythology of scripture.

13. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116431 by Bertybob on January 26, 2008 at 1:20 pm

How do you circumcise a whale??

Send down four skin divers.....!!!

Boom, boom, I'm here all week..

14. A Letter From Hell

Comment #115947 by Bertybob on January 25, 2008 at 5:37 am

I hope Zack saved the stamp, it'd be worth something.

15. Questions Delay Creationist Master's Degrees

Comment #112769 by Bertybob on January 18, 2008 at 4:15 am

Sad thing is I get the whiff of all this drifting across the pond to the UK. If the IDers or Creastionists come over here, I don't see the UK government having the balls to stop it.

Reg Vardy and his funding of City Acadamies means you can buy your own curriculumn, curtesy of god botherer Blair. Pay £2m per school, appoint your own governors and then the tax payer gives you £25m per school to finish the job. Sweet!!

I have no problem with teaching Creation, it just needs to stay in the Religious Education class, not in the biology lab.

16. George Scales, War Hero and Generous Friend of RDFRS

Comment #112369 by Bertybob on January 17, 2008 at 1:37 am

George,

I wish you a speedy and full recovery.

We owe such a debt to you and your generation which I hope will never be forgotten.

Rational, free, uncluttered thought needs all the allies it can get.

Rob.

17. Three wise men just legend: archbishop

Comment #101840 by Bertybob on December 21, 2007 at 2:44 am

Forgot to add...

I'd like to ask the Bish, "What do you have to believe to join the CofE as a minimum entry level??"

This interview is the best Christmas present I could of wished for...

18. Three wise men just legend: archbishop

Comment #101834 by Bertybob on December 21, 2007 at 2:37 am

I am glad to see he is doing his bit for Atheism and chipping away at the foundations.

Some of what he says may be "old hat" in religious circles, but you have to remember that most of the "faithful" can't be bothered to go to Church.

So when up pops the Bish and says "actually you can't take this literally and most of it is bollocks", then I think he has probably just tipped a fair few more people in our direction.

If all that can be "agreed" on is the names, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, then I think a lot more people will suss out that you can't rely on any of the indoctrination we all grow up with.

Three cheers for the Bish! Hip, hip....

19. Abstinence Programs Face Rejection

Comment #100716 by Bertybob on December 19, 2007 at 7:31 am

Why are the fundies so hung up about peoples sexual behaviour?

There is a difference between staying on the right side of the law (UK age of consent is 16) and sex before marriage.

One is about child protection, and one is just being a busy-body and worrying that someone else might be having some fun!!

It is immoral not to teach teenages proper sex education, even if under the age of consent. It is for their own health and also not to create a drain on the state.

20. Believe it or not

Comment #97465 by Bertybob on December 12, 2007 at 6:23 am

I like "realists".

What are we for - "Reality"!!

21. Mitt Romney's Faith In America address (as prepared for delivery)

Comment #94903 by Bertybob on December 7, 2007 at 1:30 am

A nice long diatribe on how to pitch to US "patriots", but does not seem to answer any of the issues of his Mormon faith.

In short - "trust me, I'm a patriot, being a patriot I do not have to answer for my religious beliefs".

He does not answer the questions about how, if he is sincere in those beliefs, they contradict with the political office of President.

22. Papal encyclical attacks atheism, lauds hope

Comment #93759 by Bertybob on December 4, 2007 at 6:25 am

Technology is probably our only hope to save this planet (at least save our existance on it), the planet will go on without us and will recover over 100,000 years or so.

Renewable energy, bio-technology, medical advances are probably our only ticket to continue as a species.

"hope for a better future in God" - Phuh!! Cross your fingers, shut your eyes and mutter to yourself, in the hope God turns up to put the planet right.

If you want to pray, pray to the scientists to come up with new ways to allow us to use electricity to maintain the way of life we know and love.

23. Fear of censure deflects The Golden Compas

Comment #93755 by Bertybob on December 4, 2007 at 6:05 am

Lovely to see Oxford in a film. How I miss Inspector Morse!!

24. Daniel Dennett Debates Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #93750 by Bertybob on December 4, 2007 at 5:41 am

This is the first time I have managed to listen to D'Souza.

Wow!

What a jumped up little turd. I know it's purile and I shouldn't but I can't help myself.

All that shouting and raised voices, the slights of hand and duplicitous arguments. Snake Oil Salesman is all I could think of.

I kept shouting "god of the gaps" at the little turd.

I thought Dan did OK. I got the message, although a bit of honing of the presentation skills wouldn't hurt.

25. Ofcom backs Channel 4 over mosque probe

Comment #89234 by Bertybob on November 20, 2007 at 4:30 am

I am glad about the outcome, but have some sympathy for the plods.

For the West Midlands Police, they end up damned if they do and damned if they don't.

If they had "fobbed off" the complainant and said "we are not investigating" they get castigated for not investigating a racial complaint. If they do investigate, they get mauled for support of extremists and violation of freedom of speech.

Post the Stephen Lawrence debacle, any racial complaint will be given undue weight by the Police.

My local force Staffordshire, recently got a mauling for confiscating a "golly" (best not use the full term) off a vehicle after a complaint of racial hatred. The golly has since been returned.

The best approach would be a swift investigation followed by "no case to answer". It is also not the role of the Police to "go public" and announce referrals to Ofcom, that is out of order.

26. Losing faith in Quebec

Comment #86354 by Bertybob on November 9, 2007 at 3:38 am

Sounds similar to RE lessons in the UK.

It's not as good as removing religion entirely, but once the kids get their head around "hang on, why am I right and they are wrong", or "well someone must be wrong", it is not a very big step to "this is all bo**ocks".

Go Quebec....

27. Jury Awards Father $11M in Funeral Case

Comment #84004 by Bertybob on November 1, 2007 at 1:43 am

With "rights" also come "responsibilities".

I have "free speech" in the UK, but that does not extend to being able to incite racial hatred or violence.

We also have a common law offence of "breach of the peace". If my conduct is likely to give rise to unrest or potential violence, then I can be arrested and prosecuted.

It is a fine line to walk, but I would hope that if this happened in the UK, the Police may have arrested the protestors and brought prosecutions for "breach of the peace".

28. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #83877 by Bertybob on October 31, 2007 at 2:10 pm

Excellent article. As crisp and clear as anything RD might have written.

If "New Atheism" is as potent as "New Labour" was after the Conservative Government, then religion should be afraid, very afraid.

Although Sam may wince at the term, I think it could soon develop as a "badge" of rational, critical and non-respectful people. It may get "respectability" in it's own right.

29. Why do we ignore the plight of ex-Muslims?

Comment #82350 by Bertybob on October 26, 2007 at 5:58 am

I don't think the US are in any place to lecture Europe and the UK over gun laws.

Look at your homocide rates, and the number of innocents killed each year by "law abiding citizens", who are law abiding right up until the moment they "loose the plot" and decide to take 30 people out with them.

I live in a quiet part of the UK, where gun crime is not a problem. I am glad though that if I were to have a row with my neighbour, or be involved in a road rage incident, then the chances are that my neighbour or the other driver will not have a gun to express themselves with.

30. You can't prove that you love someone, so don't expect proof of God

Comment #81734 by Bertybob on October 25, 2007 at 5:41 am

"Love does not ask me to send money to a man on Television"

31. Pascal's Wager

Comment #81726 by Bertybob on October 25, 2007 at 5:23 am

If I "go through the motions" just to hedge my bets against eternal brimstone, won't God the omnipotent being see through my shallow belief and send me to Hell anyway for taking the piss??

Another retort - "So is that why you go to Church, you don't really believe you just want to cover your backside?"

32. If you don't accept the supernatural, you obviously think life is depressing, meaningless and cold

Comment #81721 by Bertybob on October 25, 2007 at 5:11 am

The purpose in my life is to be as good and loving husband and father as I can be. To accept my failings and to hopefully leave this world slightly better than I found it in. To enjoy myself while I am here without trampling on others enjoyment and then to "shuffle off this mortal coil".

I have no God, but my wife, family, friends and dog give me all the meaning and enjoyment I need.

33. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. were atheists, and they were terrible! Answer that!

Comment #81673 by Bertybob on October 25, 2007 at 2:51 am

Even if we concede that Hitler, Stalin and Mao were Atheists, they did not kill in the name of Atheism. They were brutal dictators, who killed to get political power. To be a dictator you cannot have a rival controlling "power" to direct your people against your bidding. That rival power for the minds of your people would be the Church, hence you must officially disband and remove the Church from your State all together.

"Religion is the opium of the masses".

Another good retort:-

"Those deaths are in the past and we must learn never to let such a thing happen again. They were not committed in the name of Atheism or because of any Atheist dogma.

Whilst we are sitting here debating this point, at this very moment millions of people are still dying in Africa and South America as a result of the religious dogma of the Roman Catholic Church through AIDS that using a condom is a SIN for which you will spend an eternity in Hell."

34. War in Heaven: Hitchens Meets D'Souza on Home Turf

Comment #81090 by Bertybob on October 24, 2007 at 3:42 am

Let's not forget that Religion is still killing people in their millions every year through AIDS.

When AIDS first appeared in the UK, the Government slogan was "Don't Die of Ignorance".

Many people are still dying of ignorance, caused by religious doctrine.

We cannot do anything about the Hitler, Stalin or Inquisition body count, but we can about the millions who are still dying in religions name.

35. Catholic condom ban helping AIDS spread in Latam: U.N.

Comment #80899 by Bertybob on October 23, 2007 at 12:01 pm

It's too sad and pathetic to contemplate. If I do contemplate it, it winds me up something chronic.

Religion killing another 500,000 or so a year in Latin America and many more in Africa.

36. Prejudicial concerns

Comment #80898 by Bertybob on October 23, 2007 at 11:56 am

Excellently pointed out, and almost exactly the sort of things I was shouting at the radio when I heard about it. My version had more expletives though!!

I wish the UK were more like France in this respect and church and state are totally separate and kept secular.

37. Letters: Theology has no place in a university

Comment #74915 by Bertybob on October 1, 2007 at 5:39 am

My employer once sent me on an "effective writing" course. The ABC was "Accuracy", "Brevity", "Clarity".

This one hits the nail on the head.

38. Why are we Muslims so self-destructive?

Comment #73869 by Bertybob on September 26, 2007 at 12:09 pm

Courtesy of the The Life of Brian....

BRIAN
Brothers, brothers. We should be struggling together!

FRANCIS
We are!

BRIAN
We mustn't fight each other! Surely we should be united against the common enemy!

ALL
The Judean People's Front !!

BRIAN
No. No. The Romans!

ALL
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes.

FRANCIS
Yeah. He's right.

SOMEONE
Look out!

NO ONE
Careful...

--[A Roman guard crosses the hall verrrry slowly.]

DEADLY DIRK
Right. Where were we?

FRANCIS
Uh, you were going to punch me.

DEADLY DIRK
Oh yeah.

--[The fight breaks out again. More Roman guards approach to find all members of both groups except Brian basically killing each other. They walk up to the surprised Brian, and all goes black...]

39. Polygamist Leader Convicted in Utah

Comment #73855 by Bertybob on September 26, 2007 at 11:13 am

I think this illustrates the controlling nature of religious "leaders" to "control" their flock.

I thought in TGD that RD let religion off lightly in that department.

I can imaging various Popes and other denominations leaders bending and interpreting the "good book" for their own personal gain / wealth / status etc.

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

40. A problem for Israel's farmers: The seven-year hitch

Comment #73501 by Bertybob on September 25, 2007 at 5:53 am

Barking, absolutely barking.

41. Root and Branch

Comment #73499 by Bertybob on September 25, 2007 at 5:47 am

but an intelligent designer would let chance and natural selection do the work. In other words, in the light of our present knowledge, we can only suppose that the most intelligent designer (I do not say there is one) would have to be a "neo-Darwinian" who achieves the extraordinary variety of living things by chance.

42. New Rules: A Religious Test

Comment #73120 by Bertybob on September 24, 2007 at 7:13 am

Guys,

Technical question -

How do you get your quotes in the posts nice boxes?

43. New Rules: A Religious Test

Comment #73119 by Bertybob on September 24, 2007 at 7:00 am

In the UK 2001 Census a question on Religion was inserted for the first time.

I went for "Jedi" and for my 2 year old son "Baby Jedi".

Purile I know... But hey, made me laugh a little.

44. Why Christians should take Richard Dawkins seriously

Comment #72462 by Bertybob on September 21, 2007 at 7:07 am

"it is no bad thing regularly to be reminded that all images of God fall far short of the reality encountered and witnessed to by Moses and the prophets, and by Jesus and the apostles."

Did it strike anyone else as odd that he pitches in at the end with "the reality encountered..."?

Who's reality and on what evidence that he was there, seen, knocked up a few commandments etc, etc?

I was at least warming that he was sane enough to push God back into his gaps and then low and behold he pops back up with the smiting vengeful god who sends us to hell if we masturbate.

45. Religious education

Comment #71270 by Bertybob on September 18, 2007 at 9:05 am

I can't vouch for RE now, but when I did it at High School in the 80's in the UK it was pretty lame stuff and was dropped as soon as we could.

We did more "academic" study of the world religions, Abrahamic, Hindu, Buddism, Shintoism etc.

It was this which pushed me into teapot agnosticism as I thought "well you can't all be right, which means most of you are doomed to hell or at least one large disappointment".

TGD then liberated me from my fence sitting.

Give kids a break, in the UK the only people who take RE seriously are RE teachers and kids under 9. Even in CofE and Catholic Schools I would bet on most kids having no real "faith" as such, they just mouth the words until it's time for the bell and a few swift tinnies in the park.

I don't remember the Atheist viewpoint coming up in RE and I think it should (assuming a fair representation), just for balance.

The current government drive for more faith schools as a way of raising standards and preventing trouble does scare the willies out of me more than the RE curriculum. In the words of Enoch Powell, "rivers of blood" come to mind, but not on race grounds this time it will be faith.

46. Religious education

Comment #71217 by Bertybob on September 18, 2007 at 4:14 am

"Would children have drowned in the flood? Why did all the other animals die?"

#1 - Yes (see also answer to #2)

#2 - Because God is a bastard.

It gives me a bit of hope reading these questions.

Any half intelligent child is going to start questioning what all this stuff is about and I would reckon on most starting to think - "this is all bo**ocks".

47. The Atheists Interviews

Comment #69512 by Bertybob on September 11, 2007 at 2:36 pm

Spinoza...

I don't think we are all "Teapot Agnostics". I was one, then I read TGD and now am proud to be a "weak Atheist". Not 100% certain, but leaning very heavily to "that God dude don't exist".

I cannot disprove God, but probability (and available evidence) pushes his likelihood well in the direction of not existing.

A "teapot agnostic", puts the probability of existence or non-existence in equal measure.

They can neither prove nor disprove the teapot floating in space so they must be "agnostic" as to it's existence. Same goes for the FSM and little pink unicorn, santa and anything else you wish to add in that vein.

I don't think the majority of visitors to this site can be classed as "teapot agnostics".

Regards,

Rob.

48. Review of Richard Dawkins' new book 'The Fascism Delusion'

Comment #69249 by Bertybob on September 10, 2007 at 6:58 am

Pauliej.

Thanks.

Ooops!!! / Doh!!!

Regards,

Rob.

49. Review of Richard Dawkins' new book 'The Fascism Delusion'

Comment #69233 by Bertybob on September 10, 2007 at 5:41 am

Very funny!

I went into Waterstones Bookshop today and went to the Religion Section. Both TGD and "God is not Great" were in there with the Religion books which was an interesting position for them.

I picked up McGrath's "Dawkin's God" and read about 6 pages.

I think I could fairly summarise the arguments in these pages as:-

a "you're wrong RD"
b "you're wrong RD"
c "you're wrong RD"
d "you're wrong RD"

I know it's not fair to judge on 6 pages, but it was enough to stop me buying the book to see if there were any excellent retorts to TGD.

I did not find one rebuttal argument from McGrath in those 6 pages, in which he attempted to explain the Theist faith and why there is a God.

I might have a go at writing my own "flea" to TGD so as to make a few bucks (not really). Although I know how to do it now!!

Regards,

Rob.

50. Polling Data on Science and Religion

Comment #67127 by Bertybob on September 2, 2007 at 3:50 am

Devolved #67103

What you describe (or quote) is not surprising. It is largely the "Scientific Method".

Scientists do develop hunches and gut instincts, they make an hypothesis and then set off and use experiments to support their view / understanding with evidence. This evidence is then peer reviewed and accepted or rejected.

No matter how devout to the hypothesis the scientist is, he or she will get nowhere with other Scientists until they can set out their evidence. It is peer review and setting out evidence which makes Science as strong as it is.

The laws of gravity and motion did not just pop into Newton's head when he was hit on the head by an apple. He saw the apple fall which gave him the idea (if you believe the story), then the hard work starts to show by evidence (some only found after his death) that what he supposed to be true actually was.

If you make the hypothesis "God Exists", then set out on the journey and find some evidence to support this. I would not laugh at you or any scientist who wishes to do so, if you came back with some then you would be world famous.

Personally I doubt you would find any evidence of God's existence, but I would be happy to look at anything produced.