1. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #241983 by nunquam on September 3, 2008 at 9:15 am

After watching that video, I won't be surprised if we start hearing speculation that Bristol's pregnancy is an immaculate conception. And the governor says the due date is in December...
;)

2. Opponents of Evolution Adopting a New Strategy

Comment #188766 by nunquam on June 4, 2008 at 1:59 pm

I think this proves that anti-evolutionist arguments...are evolving! Yuk-yuk! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

3. Mecca should become core to measure time zones: scholars

Comment #165295 by nunquam on April 21, 2008 at 9:59 am

By the time they've settled this argument about Mecca-as-center-of-the-world, we'll all be speaking about it in Chinese.

4. Some non-Christians feel left out of election

Comment #121664 by nunquam on February 3, 2008 at 10:56 pm

It's a progression. In 2008, a woman and a black man are running for president, and one of them will be the nominee of the Democratic party. How long did it take for that to happen (or to be possible!) in the United States? Eventually, an atheist or agnostic president won't seem so shocking to the Dale Earnhardt commemorative plate crowd.

5. Loneliness Breeds Belief in Supernatural

Comment #116166 by nunquam on January 25, 2008 at 5:06 pm

The people who gave their pets "anthropomorphic descriptions" after watching "Cast Away" may have been influenced by feelings of empathy with the main character of that movie. He is shown giving a volleyball human characteristics, and forming a strong emotional attachment to it. (My cats love that part.)

I imagine the loneliness-religion connection was why so many "born-agains" would prowl my college campus and dorm, looking for lonely students (especially freshmen) they could invite to "bible study."

6. Heath Ledger Death: Baptist Group To Protest At Memorial

Comment #116016 by nunquam on January 25, 2008 at 9:50 am

From an interview with Heath Ledger about "Brokeback Mountain"

~~~~~~~~~~

Question: What kind of mindset does a straight person need to be in to see this film?

Heath Ledger: Just a regular straight male. Anyone who fears this...they are not going to come out of the movie and suddenly [become homosexual]...it's not a disease. It's not contagious. They should understand that it's a story of pure love. They don't have to be a hero. They don't have to be brave like us. I guess a little bit of maturity is being asked for because society has been immature in the past. That's about it.

~~~~~~~~~~

7. Three Little Pigs 'too offensive'

Comment #115516 by nunquam on January 24, 2008 at 9:25 am

Soon we won't be able to buy "muslin" at the linen store. When that happens, if I don't share my muslin would I be considered a niggard?

8. What's the evolutionary advantage of offering your place to an old woman on a bus?

Comment #83292 by nunquam on October 29, 2007 at 2:24 pm

I think it's depends on the particular culture. There are some human cultures that might not be so deferential or generous to the elderly or weak (I think the West was one of those cultures only a few hundred years ago). Also, I can imagine many women who might be more sexually interested in a male who wouldn't give up his seat when expected to by society...the notorious "bad boy" who appears more virile because he flouts tradition and rules.

9. Griffin's 'offensive' Emmy speech to be censored

Comment #69702 by nunquam on September 12, 2007 at 9:18 am

Why would the Catholics care? Jesus was a Jew, wasn't he? So, technically, it's Antisemitism. Since when have Catholics ever bothered to speak out against the persecution of Jews?

10. Arrogance, dogma and why science - not faith - is the new enemy of reason

Comment #61881 by nunquam on August 7, 2007 at 9:11 am

These trends are not just nutty but sinister. Thousands of cults now combine similar crazy beliefs with programmes to control people's minds and behaviour.

Their techniques include food and sleep deprivation; trance induction through hypnosis or prolonged rhythmical chanting; and 'love bombing', where cult members are bombarded with conditional love which is removed whenever there is a deviation from the dictates of the leader.