1. Richard Dawkins interviewed by John Humphrys on Cardinal Murphy O'Connor

Comment #177605 by Matt7895 on May 9, 2008 at 10:55 am

Star Spangled Eagle, you seem quite persistent in changing the subject to the American Revolution, but I'll humor you just this once. Search for 'Boston Tea Party' in a textbook on American history, or look for it on Wikipedia.

2. Richard Dawkins interviewed by John Humphrys on Cardinal Murphy O'Connor

Comment #177596 by Matt7895 on May 9, 2008 at 10:42 am

Getting a little off topic but I'm wondering why the admins/moderators are allowing a derogatory slur like 'limey' be thrown about willy-nilly like it has been in this thread?

Back on topic, Humphrey's refusal to hold religious people to account over their views may be frustrating, but it's the worst religion has to offer right now. Well, that and the opposition to embryo research :(

3. Richard Dawkins interviewed by John Humphrys on Cardinal Murphy O'Connor

Comment #177573 by Matt7895 on May 9, 2008 at 10:16 am

Diacanu: Let's not bring the American Revolution into this. I tend to think 'reason' as applying to peace treaties and agreements, not wars fought over tea.

4. Richard Dawkins interviewed by John Humphrys on Cardinal Murphy O'Connor

Comment #177563 by Matt7895 on May 9, 2008 at 10:03 am

By the way, to anyone who isn't sure who John Humphrys is... he recently wrote a book called 'Confessions of a Failed Atheist'. He is an agnostic.

5. Faith in Britain today

Comment #177456 by Matt7895 on May 9, 2008 at 5:58 am

If O'Connor believes that Stalin, Pol Pot etc were motivated by 'reason'... then to be quite honest, he's quite mentally ill. How could a sane person think those were reasonable regimes?

6. Research Volunteers Needed

Comment #175463 by Matt7895 on May 5, 2008 at 1:20 pm

I had a very big problem with the following question:

"Jesus Christ probably did not rise from the dead."

Since I am an atheist, I think that Jesus Christ DEFINITELY did not rise from the dead. 'Probably' doesn't come into it. 'Probably' suggests he might have. No such likelihood exists. Show me an animal that has been resurrected, and perhaps I'll concede that there is a chance Jesus could have done the same. But, there's no evidence such a thing exists. So, I answered 'Don't Know'. If the question was "Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead", I would have answered 'Agree Strongly'.

7. Bill Good Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #173284 by Matt7895 on April 30, 2008 at 3:16 pm

If you'll forgive the expression, Richard had the patience of a saint in this interview. There must have been about three Intelligent Design proponents in the Q&A, every question they asked has already been address countless times. As for the raving lunatic screaming about Hitler/socialism/North Korea.... ignorance is bliss for some people, isn't it? You don't need to know anything about evolution to know that everything he said was total rubbish. You only need to study history! Hitler was a Catholic, Stalin set up a Cult of Personality around himself and actually hated Darwinism, and the rulers of North Korea actually see themselves as gods, which is anything BUT atheistic!

8. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #173217 by Matt7895 on April 30, 2008 at 2:14 pm

I wonder how the creationists will spin this.

9. Pat Condell: Anthology DVD available now!

Comment #173035 by Matt7895 on April 30, 2008 at 8:56 am

It must really annoy you then, Steve, that so many people here like him, including the RDF since they are making a DVD of his excellent videos.

10. Pat Condell: Anthology DVD available now!

Comment #172747 by Matt7895 on April 30, 2008 at 3:28 am

Pat Condell is hilarious, and makes excellent points.

11. Orangutan attempts to hunt fish with spear

Comment #172257 by Matt7895 on April 29, 2008 at 11:57 am

This is INCREDIBLE.

Three cheers for orang-utans! Hip hip!

12. Interview with Dan Dennett

Comment #168156 by Matt7895 on April 24, 2008 at 4:03 pm

Just wondering. Will an audio/video version of that debate with Robert Winston we keep hearing about be made available any time soon? I really like the way Dennett very politely pulverizes his opponent in debates.

13. Interview with Dan Dennett

Comment #168002 by Matt7895 on April 24, 2008 at 1:16 pm

The bit before he interviews Dennett is insufferable.

Which bit? Why?

14. Interview with Dan Dennett

Comment #167819 by Matt7895 on April 24, 2008 at 11:03 am

Richard has described Dan as his 'intellectual hero' (AAI 2007) and they are good friends, so I don't think he'll mind.

Dan is a very funny, very warm, very intelligent larger-than-life character and I always enjoy hearing him speak.

15. Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda

Comment #164732 by Matt7895 on April 20, 2008 at 4:17 pm

A very good letter, Richard. I hope he has the decency to reply, and like you I can sympathise with his position. The exploitation of the holocaust in 'Expelled' is nothing short of outrageous and disgusting, and by the box office figures it looks like many people will see the film and many of those people may be drawn in by Ben Stein's lies.

I just hope they listen to the rebuttals from people like yourself and read the website by the NCSE, http://www.expelledexposed.com

16. Interviews with Richard Dawkins and Michael Shermer

Comment #164194 by Matt7895 on April 19, 2008 at 5:24 pm

Whilst he professed himself to being an atheist, he couldn't help but feel that there was someone looking over him, guiding his life. He reckoned it was the spirit of our grandad. I suppose it's human nature to hope that there is something out there watching us. I'd love to know the reasoning of that.

17. Interviews with Richard Dawkins and Michael Shermer

Comment #164175 by Matt7895 on April 19, 2008 at 5:02 pm

I forgot to comment on the interviews.

Regarding Richard's, it's heartening to hear how well the new tour went. I only wish I could share Richard's optimism regarding people 'coming out'.... in my experience, most people who are really 'atheists' (in the sense of not holding any religious belief) would actually describe themselves as apathetic or agnostic, and have no interest in outing themselves in any fashion. I know Richard has evidence to the contrary in terms of book figures, but sadly I know some people to whom I have recommended the book but who have still not read it through laziness/lack of interest, or read it but failed to come out because they still have some kind of respect for faith, or refused to read it at all because of that respect for faith.

It was also good to hear from Michael Shermer. He has a different outlook than Richard, and sometimes that is refreshing, even though I don't necessarily agree with everything he says. He hit the nail on the head with the whole 'miracles are not science' speech. I thought the analogy he used at the end, regarding 'picking up the ball and going home' was perfect too.

18. Interviews with Richard Dawkins and Michael Shermer

Comment #164150 by Matt7895 on April 19, 2008 at 4:17 pm

Layla - when I listened to the interview I thought it might be you! I never knew your faith was 'draining away', though that is excellent news! I hope you don't have too many personal problems resulting from it (family/friends, etc).

19. Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher

Comment #163156 by Matt7895 on April 18, 2008 at 3:18 am

Richard: he may not believe in the talking snake, but Collins still believes God made a waterfall frozen! To me, that's almost as silly.

20. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Comment #163151 by Matt7895 on April 18, 2008 at 3:09 am

'As a sex..... MANIAC!'

21. Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss

Comment #162331 by Matt7895 on April 16, 2008 at 4:06 pm

We have a holocaust denier here now?

New low.

22. Evolution fray attracts top scientist

Comment #162326 by Matt7895 on April 16, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Sir Harry Kroto is pretty much a genius. His lectures, particularly the ones he gave at the Beyond Belief conferences, are well worth watching.

23. Victims: Pope Benedict Protects Accused Pedophile Bishops

Comment #161505 by Matt7895 on April 15, 2008 at 10:58 am

"As a Catholic, I have to sadly conclude that he is not serious about ridding the church of corrupt bishops," said Anne Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a group tracking public records involving the bishops.

24. Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss

Comment #161289 by Matt7895 on April 15, 2008 at 5:57 am

A very interesting talk. Thanks for putting it up on the website.

25. Richard Dawkins' secular army must be stopped. God is behind some of our greatest art

Comment #160322 by Matt7895 on April 14, 2008 at 12:14 am

Richard has addressed this himself, many times, as have Sam, Christopher and Dan. Just another sorry example of a critic who hasn't read up on the man he blasts.

26. Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher

Comment #159380 by Matt7895 on April 12, 2008 at 3:58 am

Him reconciling his daughter's rape with God (because she can now help out in a rape crisis centre) is something I found particularly repugnant.

27. The books that inspire me

Comment #157429 by Matt7895 on April 9, 2008 at 4:48 am

I haven't read anything by Carl Sagan. Demon Haunted World is on my to-buy list.

28. Hitchens vs. Hitchens

Comment #157195 by Matt7895 on April 8, 2008 at 4:28 pm

How awful it is that Peter Hitchens turns out to be an Intelligent Design proponent. He's deluding himself when it comes to God, but on Intelligent Design he's either ignorant or he willfully ignores the evidence.

29. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby

Comment #157182 by Matt7895 on April 8, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Paula, you have a lovely voice. You came across as very pleasant and well spoken, and you didn't seem at all nervous! Well done.

Relieving to see Richard talking again, last time I saw him he was on the BBC's 'Big Questions' Sunday morning religious programme, and he wasn't allowed to talk much.

30. Protests no concern for outspoken atheist

Comment #155067 by Matt7895 on April 4, 2008 at 6:04 am

I hope Richard also told that woman that chimpanzees certainly did NOT evolve into humans.

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

Comment #153348 by Matt7895 on April 1, 2008 at 12:09 pm

Definitely manslaughter. Definitely a lengthy prison sentence for both of them.

32. My quest to get de-baptised

Comment #152456 by Matt7895 on March 31, 2008 at 4:50 am

I was baptised as a baby into the Church of England. That's just a fact of life. I can't pretend it didn't happen by trying to remove all historical records of it. That would just be silly.

33. Beware the Believers

Comment #152199 by Matt7895 on March 30, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Richard, if its any consolation, I didn't find it very funny either. I didn't really understand it.

On the subject of South Park, I'm actually quite a big fan of South Park when it's not focusing on toilet humour. But the episodes featuring you were obviously mean-spirited in nature, so I understand your objection to your depiction there.

34. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #149911 by Matt7895 on March 26, 2008 at 10:27 am

Happy Birthday Richard!

35. Expelled Overview

Comment #149793 by Matt7895 on March 26, 2008 at 8:25 am

I can't believe that they got permission for using 'Imagine' in the film. As far as I know, Yoko Ono owns the copyright to all of John Lennon's songs, and she is fiercely protective of it. She's an atheist like her husband was, so I think she would loathe creationism in all its forms.

36. Expelled Overview

Comment #149522 by Matt7895 on March 25, 2008 at 8:16 pm

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Josh.

37. Sue Blackmore debates Alister McGrath

Comment #149062 by Matt7895 on March 25, 2008 at 4:22 am

I wouldn't support that. Like Steve Zara, I don't find McGrath amusing, I find him irritating. And quite dishonest, he keeps bringing up the Stalin card when he knows Stalinism was anything BUT atheistic; plus he loves to misrepresent Dawkins as much as he can.

38. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #148676 by Matt7895 on March 23, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Bravo Richard, I've been awaiting your response to this piece of trash for a while now, and what a cracking response it is.

39. Discussion on PZ Myers being expelled from Expelled

Comment #148101 by Matt7895 on March 22, 2008 at 4:20 am

Oh man! This is 'Discussions with Richard Dawkins' Episode Two? If so, what a cracking episode to follow the Four Horsemen! PZ is a great guy.

Thanks RDF.

40. EXPELLED!

Comment #147676 by Matt7895 on March 21, 2008 at 5:42 am

Like PZ I find this whole debacle highly amusing.

I agree with others here though that a review by Richard would give the IDiots an ounce of credibility that they do not deserve. 'We got reviewed by Dawkins!'. They already laughed about having Richard ask them questions after the film, surely we don't want to give them anything more to be proud of.

41. In Britain, creationist theory is evolving

Comment #144681 by Matt7895 on March 16, 2008 at 3:21 pm

This is really frightening.

42. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #143810 by Matt7895 on March 14, 2008 at 12:54 pm

I seem to remember Alan Colmes being VERY reasonable when Richard was on his show last year. Some may remember it for featuring a few infamous callers, many refusing to accept evolution, one going as far to say if he didn't believe in a god, he would go out and kill people.

I'll listen to this new one with interest. Thanks.

Edit: Wow, I'm about half way through, I nearly splurted out my drink when Richard swore! The only other time I've ever heard him swear was at Beyond Belief 06, I think, and then he was only quoting someone else! Heh heh, was so funny though, swearing on Fox Radio!

Edit 2: Finished. It was a shame about the behaviour of some of the callers, but I guess the filtering people wanted to keep things interesting. Only one creationist though, so that's promising. And as for the woman who thinks Americans don't have a constitutional right to insult.... haha!

43. Beauty ad banned after Christian outcry

Comment #142416 by Matt7895 on March 12, 2008 at 12:58 pm

Can I ban 'Songs of Praise'? I find it offensive. Thanks.

44. Two More Fleas

Comment #142413 by Matt7895 on March 12, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Funny how the religious are still bringing up the sodding devil.

Who created the Devil? Who allows him to continue causing leukemia in children, paedophilia, and all the other wretched things in this world? Yes, the same god they claim is a loving and merciful one.

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

Comment #142406 by Matt7895 on March 12, 2008 at 12:54 pm

An odd title to the article. I'd have liked to have read some responses by the people who were there, although it was good that there was laughter at the 'ateapotist', which of course is meant to be a consciousness raiser.

Does anyone know if any of Richard's new talks are on the internet in video or audio? Thanks.

46. Special Guest: Richard Dawkins

Comment #142368 by Matt7895 on March 12, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Ah, I haven't heard anything from Richard in a while! This should be interesting. I hope his current book tour is going well.

47. Should Galileo's tomb be opened for DNA tests?

Comment #141677 by Matt7895 on March 11, 2008 at 4:38 am

I disagree. It isn't disrespectful at all, unless that person had only recently died, or his family/close friends were still alive. I don't see how opening up his tomb and doing a few tests on his remains is disrespectful. He doesn't give a damn. Nobody else does either, if they say they do then they are liars.

48. Should Galileo's tomb be opened for DNA tests?

Comment #141434 by Matt7895 on March 10, 2008 at 12:13 pm

I think Galileo doesn't give a damn if he is exhumed. And since all his loved ones are long since dead, I don't think they will care either. So what's the problem?

49. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #140180 by Matt7895 on March 7, 2008 at 3:23 am

Oh well, I'm only making a fuss because I'm English and I love German beer! I went to Germany for a holiday last year and was astounded to see it came in litres! Needless to say, I had a great time in Munich.

Vaal: Yes, the sleeping habits of the House of Lords have become quite a running joke ever since it has been televised for the whole country to see :) When it comes to House of Lords reform, I agree with many other people here when they say appoint more scientists and intellectuals to the upper house. As for making it into a US-like 'Senate', I'm not so sure. We don't live in a democracy, that's plain to see, and I think things work quite well the way they are. But the Lords does need a bit of change.

50. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #140172 by Matt7895 on March 7, 2008 at 3:10 am

Wait, you live in Bavaria and *don't* drink beer? Surely that IS blasphemy!