1. 2 fleas for the Christmas week

Comment #102970 by aodh on December 24, 2007 at 4:43 am

Can anyone tell exactly what a flea is?

2. What do these atheists understand of religion?

Comment #67357 by aodh on September 3, 2007 at 5:44 am

"Militant atheists have never accepted that evil comes out of their camp as well as ours…" Where did she get that from? I don't think you'll find an atheist anywhere who won't admit that non-believers are incapable of doing evil deeds just like believers — as both are also capable of doing good. We are talking here about survival enhancing actions towards your fellow man. In some religions one of the worst things you can do is not believe in god — even worse than killing; and a lot of the good that believers did was not in any of their manuals.
"Only, they would say, theirs is the only true path, and all other roads lead to damnation. " This misses the point. It's not about blind faith. We have brains to think with. I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure that you won't get into Valhalla if you die in battle although no-one's ever actually proven that.

3. Review of Darwin's Angel: An Angelic Response to the God Delusion

Comment #66983 by aodh on September 1, 2007 at 7:50 am

Perhaps once Richard has boned up on some serious godology he could get down to some serious astrology and alchemy as well.

4. Christopher Hitchens and Bill Donohue on Mother Teresa

Comment #66786 by aodh on August 31, 2007 at 12:10 pm

Sounds like MT had experienced episodes of depression (quite a common experience for Catholics — read the De Profundis)and as often is the case her religious beliefs could have exacerbated the condition. It's difficult to persuade yourself of something unbelievable like god and his mercy etc especially when reality screams for attention. She could have tied her mind up in knots.
As for the puffed up, little American claiming to be Irish — "An Englishman has to be quiet when an Irishman talks" — where did he get that from?

5. Another view

Comment #66220 by aodh on August 29, 2007 at 11:19 am

Isn't this similar to the phenomenon of ECT where no-one actually knows how it works but it produces good results. Would Richard Dawkins therefore be against the use of ECT?

6. Only secular schools will overcome sectarianism

Comment #65742 by aodh on August 26, 2007 at 8:27 am

I agree that schools in Scotland, and everywher else for that matter, should be secular, but properly secular. In the west of Scotland you have predominantly non-denominational schools and Catholic schools. There is one Jewish primary school and I think there are moves afoot to start a muslim one too. It may be only a matter of time before Buddists, Hindus, Pagans, Satanists etc are petitioning for their own schools! Although raised and schooled a catholic myself I chose a non-denominational school for my kids only to find that there was a Church of Scotland chaplain and end of term church services with some man of the cloth delivering social work lectures that were actually nothing to do with religion in my opinion. So I felt I had been misled by the term non-denominational. Here in west of Scotland the state should abide by the trades description act and remove any and all affiliations with religious groups. At least in the religious schools you get what it says on the packet.

7. God Bless Me, It's a Best-Seller!

Comment #64426 by aodh on August 20, 2007 at 3:41 am

Re an ethical statement or action that an atheist wouldn't do. There are loads of them. It depends on your definition of an ethical action. Whole communities of people would view giving up something for lent, fasting, going on pilgrimage, going up that mountain in the west of Ireland on you knees, holding a mass, memorial dedication, prayer meeting, lighting a candle as very ethical actions, but these, of course wouldn't count to atheists.