1. Commentary: Democrats finally getting religion on religion

Comment #158188 by nattyadams on April 10, 2008 at 7:34 am

Here's the even bigger scandal: They turned down Sciencedebate2008 in favor of this bullshit.

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/04/clinton-and-oba.html

Ygern - I work with Sciencedebate2008. We've had tons of support (just look at the list of supporters on our website,) and yet not only have the candidates chosen not to participate, they've consistently chosen not to discuss science at all in any other public venues and forums. It is very unfortunate.

2. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #139673 by nattyadams on March 6, 2008 at 11:38 am

Wonderful news! One step closer to keeping criticism of religion free from such stupid and misleading categorization as "hate speech."

But since when is professor Dawkins "professor of philosophical studies?" Fact check, m'lord?

3. Ayaan Hirsi Ali to get EU protection

Comment #136035 by nattyadams on February 29, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Wonderful news, although using the term "enjoyed" in the phrase "she enjoyed special 24-hour Dutch police protection" doesn't color the situation very accurately. The security hasn't done anything to make her life easier, just safer.

4. US Treaty with Tripoli

Comment #135679 by nattyadams on February 29, 2008 at 7:47 am

If I recall correctly, Hitchens has referred to the conflict with the barbary pirates as our nation's first encounter with Muslim terrorists. Interesting way of looking at it. The pirates did, in fact, attack civilian ships and when asked what justification they could possibly have for so gratuitiously flouting the rules of engagement, they declared, without missing a beat, that all the justification they needed for dealing with unbelievers was found in the Koran.

5. Hitchens V. Boteach

Comment #120074 by nattyadams on February 1, 2008 at 8:34 am

I was there, too! http://nattyadams.blogspot.com/2008/01/hitchensboteach-debate.html

6. Sentenced to death: Afghan who dared to read about women's rights

Comment #118938 by nattyadams on January 31, 2008 at 7:45 am

Anybody in the New York City area want to go to the consulate on Monday morning? Send me a message.

7. Happy Newton Day!

Comment #99605 by nattyadams on December 17, 2007 at 7:07 am

I was born on December 25th! Happy Nattymas!

8. A Call For a Presidential Debate on Science and Technology

Comment #96955 by nattyadams on December 11, 2007 at 6:49 am

Just to clarify for people: this debate isn't about quizzing candidates about their specific level of scientific knowledge. So there shouldn't be any reason for an "I dunno..." The idea is to find out how science will inform and be affected by their policy. Will they fund stem cell research? Will they take a serious look at climate change? These are the kinds of questions that people expect to be answered.

9. Interview with Christopher Hitchens

Comment #89282 by nattyadams on November 20, 2007 at 7:13 am

My question is why they have a banner ad for the Ben Stein anti-evolution movie next to the interview.

10. Richard Dawkins at AAI 07

Comment #85599 by nattyadams on November 6, 2007 at 11:04 am

Hey, who's that handsome young man asking the last question? Oh yeah, it's me!!! If only I'd been more eloquent and clear, I'd be an internet celebrity by now.

11. The Turning of an Atheist

Comment #85157 by nattyadams on November 5, 2007 at 6:55 am

These deathbed conversions always remind me of Brideshead Revisited. Of course Waugh made the Atheists out to be perfect jackasses, but I'm willing to forgive the man on the grounds of his wonderful writing.

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

Comment #81121 by nattyadams on October 24, 2007 at 7:16 am

I was there at the debate and I must say I did leave with a feeling that our side hadn't come out of it looking too good. I'm a great fan of Hitchens and he wasn't in top form that night. There were also quite a few factors that handicapped the debate against him. I've written a little about it here:

http://nattyadams.blogspot.com

13. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath

Comment #79403 by nattyadams on October 17, 2007 at 7:21 am

This is like watching Muhammad Ali fighting a newt.

14. Ayaan Hirsi Ali at AAI 07

Comment #78772 by nattyadams on October 14, 2007 at 9:48 pm

Yet another reminder:

the Petition to Protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali can be found at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/hirsiali


Thanks,

Nathaniel Adams

15. Ayaan Hirsi Ali: abandoned to fanatics

Comment #77464 by nattyadams on October 9, 2007 at 11:29 am

Yet another reminder, the petition is right here:

http://www.petitiononline.com/hirsiali

16. The Price of Freedom

Comment #77376 by nattyadams on October 9, 2007 at 6:47 am

Just a reminder to everyone who's interested, the petition is here:

http://www.petitiononline.com/hirsiali/

17. Response to My Fellow 'Atheists'

Comment #77100 by nattyadams on October 8, 2007 at 1:06 pm

More wonderful, lucid food for thought from Mr. Harris. I'm still not sure how I feel about what seems to be something of a labeling crisis amongst us non-believers, but I say bravo to Sam for articulating his position so clearly, especially in the face of opposition.

18. Hirsi Ali Returns to the Netherlands after Losing Body Guards

Comment #76541 by nattyadams on October 6, 2007 at 6:12 am

Having just finished the TV show Patty sent, I realize that this was the show Ali speaks about in her book "Infidel." In fact, she answers every single accusation made by that show in her book. She takes great pains to explain why that documentary is wrong.

19. Hirsi Ali Returns to the Netherlands after Losing Body Guards

Comment #76540 by nattyadams on October 6, 2007 at 6:00 am

Well, it now seems clear to me what the deal with Patty here is. That website she posted with what she considers to be the damning documentary of Ms. Ali has only one other documentary on it. Guess what? It's a "9/11 was a conspiracy" documentary! Need I say more? (By the way Patty, if you happen to take the position that 9/11 was orchestrated by the U.S. government, I will no longer be able to take anything you say seriously.) It would appear we have a very gullible person easily susceptible to propaganda here, who is willing to believe whatever she sees on television. Let's get one thing clear: this 40 minute TV show isn't evidence, and anyone who thinks George W. Bush is the BIGGEST terrorist in the world clearly isn't thinking straight (I'm not a fan of the guy myself, but the BIGGEST terrorist? Who's being naive?) You seem to have gotten all of your information from this one show, which looks to me like a very biased stitch-up job from a what would be considered a fringe-left company here in america.

20. Hirsi Ali Returns to the Netherlands after Losing Body Guards

Comment #76403 by nattyadams on October 5, 2007 at 6:06 pm

I thought we had established that it wasn't $6 million at this point. And even if it was that much, still less than a missle. And can one put a price on freedom of speech? I don't think so. $100 bucks a year to protect the life of a wonderful human being doesn't seem that high a price to pay...

21. Hirsi Ali Returns to the Netherlands after Losing Body Guards

Comment #76363 by nattyadams on October 5, 2007 at 3:49 pm

One more thing... Ms. Ali's security team costs less than a missile and she's far more likely to change people's hearts and minds.

22. Hirsi Ali Returns to the Netherlands after Losing Body Guards

Comment #76335 by nattyadams on October 5, 2007 at 2:32 pm

Hello everybody,

I started the petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/hirsiali) to ask the U.S. Government to bear the responsibility of keeping Ms. Ali safe. I encourage any of you who believe in defending a human being's right to freedom of speech against religious intimidation to sign it. Ms. Ali represents individual liberty, courage, and conscience and she deserves to be protected against fanatacism by a country which was founded on those principles.

Thank you,
Nathaniel Adams

P.S. As regards the utterly bogus and stupid claim that she's done nothing to help Muslim women, you're just plain wrong. Simply by speaking out and being a living example, she's provided inspiration to many women looking to escape religious oppression. In addition, she had tried to pass several bills through Dutch parliament (including one regarding female genital mutilation) which have been blocked by other parties on the grounds that they are culturally insensitive.