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

Comment #177500 by Ygern on May 9, 2008 at 7:40 am

The whiney lament about water bills had me confused at first. Water bills? What? Then I realised that they were moaning about the loss of their Special Exemptions & Privileges.

Why should the secular (or other religions for that matter) in Britain fund the maintenance of Church of England establishments?

I'm sure that some of them regard it as the work of the devil though. I just know I'm right :-)

I also predict that this article will be used in some pulpits as a scaremongering tactic to guilt some folk into going back to church next Sunday.

This is probably not just a British phenomenon. Here in Ireland most people enjoy a good lie-in and a leisurely brunch on a Sunday morning, even if they said on their census form that they were Catholic.
I'm wondering if this isn't similar in the USA too?

2. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #168545 by Ygern on April 25, 2008 at 7:38 am

With apologies to Monty Python

How sweet to be an IDiot,
As harmless as a cloud,
Too small to hide the sun
Almost poking fun,
At the warm but insecure untidy crowd.
How sweet to be an IDiot,
And dip my brain in joy,
Children laughing at my back,
With no fear of attack,
As much retaliation as a toy.

How sweet to be an IDiot, how sweet.

I tiptoed down the street,
Smiled at everyone I meet,
But suddently a scream,
Smashes through my dream,
Fie fye foe fum,
I smell the blood of an asylum,
(Blood of an asylum,
But mother I play so beautifully,
listen. ha ha)
Fie fye foe fum,
I smell the blood of the asylum,
Hey you, you're such a pennant,
You got as much brain as a dead ant,
As much imagination as a caravan site.

But I still love you, still love you,
Oooh how sweet to be an IDiot,
How sweet. how sweet. How sweet.

3. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #168505 by Ygern on April 25, 2008 at 7:16 am

Epeeist wrote

The one argument against it is that it doesn't really fit with the "Be Who You Are" theme for the day.

4. Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says

Comment #168484 by Ygern on April 25, 2008 at 7:07 am

Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago

5. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #168475 by Ygern on April 25, 2008 at 7:01 am

He should absolutely be allowed to wear it.

Let ignorant hate-filled bigots expose themselves for all to see.

However, when people tell him what a small-minded retard he is, I hope he will respect their freedom of speech.

6. Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

Comment #167539 by Ygern on April 24, 2008 at 6:38 am

The reason why these sort of wild rumours are able to get started are because of these rather horrific cases:
Tanzania
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7327989.stm
Botswana
http://allafrica.com/stories/200712050948.html
South Africa
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/lawrpt/stories/s1525543.htm
And even in England
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/1602477.stm

7. Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

Comment #167398 by Ygern on April 24, 2008 at 1:58 am

Much as this story is eliciting giggles and sniggers (and yes, it is in a way quite funny); it has a very serious and ugly side to it.

The concept of witchcraft is alive and well in parts of Africa, and among its victims are innocent children who are abducted, murdered and mutilated for body parts to be used in 'medical' concoctions; as well as innocent 'scapegoats' who are murdered by mobs who have decided that they are responsible for bad weather or crop failure or (insert natural phenomenon of choice here).

In short, ludicrous as it may be, it is the cause of some very real suffering & death in Africa.

8. Investigating Atheism

Comment #167379 by Ygern on April 24, 2008 at 1:19 am

Well, I'm not surprised that this exists. And on the whole, I can't see anything wrong with the idea in principle.

However, the tone of the site is far from neutral when they use phrases such as 'the strident atheist Sam Harris'. I think they are trying to remain objective.

I would like them to change this point under Atheist Goals

Religious education of children is 'child abuse'.

http://www.investigatingatheism.info/newatheistgoals.html


I think Dawkins et al have all said that children need to be educated about religion. It is religious indoctrination that is child abuse.

Maybe the Divinity Department cannot understand this distinction ?

9. A Conversation with Expelled's Associate Producer Mark Mathis

Comment #166471 by Ygern on April 23, 2008 at 9:05 am

Greyman wrote:

His defense for not seeking other sources being that, surely the Discovery Institute wouldn't lie about something like that, seems rather naïve

10. Pope's Views on Science Invoke Spirited Debate

Comment #166332 by Ygern on April 23, 2008 at 6:43 am

Its verdict against Galileo was rational and just, and revisionism can be legitimized solely for motives of political opportunism

11. Responses to 'Gods and Earthlings' by Richard Dawkins

Comment #166316 by Ygern on April 23, 2008 at 6:02 am

The simplest way to explain the Creationist/ID way of thinking - and why you usually can't ever get through to 'em is neatly encapsulated in Sidney Harris' brilliant cartoon 'Then a miracle occurs':

http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/gallery.htm

The vital bit that they do not get is that I don't understand it does not equal God did it.

12. If God Is Dead, Who Gets His House?

Comment #165655 by Ygern on April 22, 2008 at 1:44 am

Atheist Church ?!?

I am sorely tempted to hit my own head, but Reason prevents me.

*sighs*

13. Pope's Views on Science Invoke Spirited Debate

Comment #165653 by Ygern on April 22, 2008 at 1:39 am

Ugh. I can't imagine why anyone cares what this rather dubious man has to say about science.

I think Irate_Atheist somes it up rather succinctly.

14. A Conversation with Expelled's Associate Producer Mark Mathis

Comment #165646 by Ygern on April 22, 2008 at 1:20 am

I enjoyed listening to this.

I felt a tint twinge of sympathy for Mark Mathis being the only one in the room trying to defend the film in the face of the surgically-precise criticism of scientifically sophisticated adults.

I was also quite stunned by how many 'gaps' were exposed in Mr Mathis' knowledge - some of the things he said about things like the Dover trial displayed that while he may have read 'many' books, they have clearly all been written by one side, and a rather biased and not particularly truthful side at that.

I was also quite surprised at Mr Mathis denial that the film tries to pin a causal link between Darwin / evolution and the Holocaust. Perhaps someone will point him in the direction of the recent correspondence between Mr J & Michael Shermer.

15. Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions

Comment #163095 by Ygern on April 18, 2008 at 1:42 am

This is a very interesting collection of articles.

The comments section on New Scientist are a bit depressing. So many idiots rushed in to defend their various gods as if articles in a Science Journal were an affront to their dignity.

16. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Comment #163078 by Ygern on April 18, 2008 at 12:54 am

Just what I needed with my morning cup of coffee.
Hehehe!

Those dark glasses are a superb touch!

17. Evolution fray attracts top scientist

Comment #162439 by Ygern on April 17, 2008 at 1:28 am

If there is one thing I hope will come out of this seemingly endless scuffle with Creationists; it is that biology begins to be taught better at schools.

I always accepted evolution as fact when I was growing up, but I knew very little about it. Probably even my teacher didn't know much about it. I had to educate myself later on.

I hope that this sort of controversy makes biology teachers make sure they really know their facts, and make sure that their students learn them too.

If this happens, then the whole ID episode will ironically have benefitted science.

18. Victims: Pope Benedict Protects Accused Pedophile Bishops

Comment #161988 by Ygern on April 16, 2008 at 1:16 am

As an ex-Catholic, I have seen first hand how the Church covers up and protects criminal priests by removing them to a new parish and hoping the scandal would go away.

This incident was in South Africa where the local priest was arrested for shop-lifting condoms. To his credit, at least his tastes were for consenting adults. A trivial 'crime', but none the less, one he should have had to face in court.

I also listened to the sickening excuses of members of the congregation trying to justify what had been done by the Church.

I couldn't stick with an immoral organisation like that. I hope that other Catholics start to feel the same way in the US.

19. For sale: 13-year-old virgin

Comment #161373 by Ygern on April 15, 2008 at 8:16 am

Wendelin,

You're making it sound a little easy. This 13 year old may well accept this as normal. That doesn't mean she has had the opportunity to make an informed decision for herself, or that she has any other real options.

If you would like some more info on the issue take a look at some of these links

http://gvnet.com/childprostitution/India.htm

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/india.htm

http://www.street-children.com/pages/uk/experiences_inde.asp

http://www.jubileeaction.co.uk/reports/CHILD PROSTITUTION IN INDIA.pdf

There is no circumstance where an under-age girl has to consider selling her body should be regarded as acceptable or justifiable.

20. Science Debate 2008

Comment #161362 by Ygern on April 15, 2008 at 8:00 am

I think there's a fear on many people's part (including the candidates) that they are not smart enough to talk about science or follow a discussion about science.

However, this isn't about getting candidates to pretend that they are budding physicists or can elaborate on string theory the most. It's about more basic issues like how science is taught in schools, and what their thoughts are on issues like global warming, research etc.

Any lay person can have an opinion on this.

21. Science Debate 2008

Comment #161253 by Ygern on April 15, 2008 at 4:29 am

I'll link to the site from some other forums I participate in & try to raise some awareness about the debate.

I am disappointed in how few people care about this issue, even on this site of all places. It seems that we prefer the cheap and easy wisecracks about politicians' religious nonsense.

BTW, the last link in the article is wrong - could admin fix it.

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

Comment #160600 by Ygern on April 14, 2008 at 8:18 am

Hmmmm. Okay, he obviously didn't read the book he is criticising, or is too stupid to remember it very well.

Hint to Ravenhill: you are allowed to re-read sections of a book you are reviewing or commenting on. In fact, re-reading in highly recommended if you are hoping to sound like you actually know what you are talking about.

Also: Dawkins Army? Falling at His Feet?!

As one who has both read & understood & agreed with TGD, I honestly don't recall signing up for an army. Or engaging in Foot Fetishist Orgies. Unless I am missing whole chunks out of my life. Was there an invisible binding document appended to the copy I picked in the bookshop that went like this:

By allowing your eyes to fall on this book you are now a card-carrying member of the Dawkins Army and are required to present yourself on Mondays for Foot Worshipping Sessions. Mwahahaha.

23. Commentary: Democrats finally getting religion on religion

Comment #158121 by Ygern on April 10, 2008 at 5:13 am

This is a bit depressing.

How many of these candidates who fall over themselves to 'witness' to their piety are going to turn up here?

http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=21

As I'm not from the USA and we don't hear anything about it in Europe, could anyone tell me how much support the Science debate is getting - its happening pretty soon?

24. Hitchens vs. Hitchens

Comment #157417 by Ygern on April 9, 2008 at 4:26 am

Serdan, I think the point that Christopher Hitchens was making was that an atheist is no more a satanist, than a vegetarian is someone who enjoys a good steak once in a while.

Peter Hitchens is probably one of the more intelligent opponents that I've watched debating CH; however, he did trot out all the hoary auld non-arguments regarding atheism as well as make a lot of people fairly incredulous when he started advocating ID. After doing a bit of hunting it seems this is something he feels strongly about
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2006/11/fanatics_in_the.html
and
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2006/12/how_do_you_like.html

Even his fans couldn't believe it.

25. Whale 'missing link' discovered

Comment #155061 by Ygern on April 4, 2008 at 5:54 am

Aragorn2007

Your feelings?Your sense of existence?Your love for your family?

26. Protests no concern for outspoken atheist

Comment #154991 by Ygern on April 4, 2008 at 3:43 am

The problem is that it is a rather large and menacing idiot.

27. Protests no concern for outspoken atheist

Comment #154950 by Ygern on April 4, 2008 at 3:00 am

To my mind the real debate is between science and 'rational' Christians - whether one can really reconcile the two or whether the one flat out disproves the other.

Creationism is just a gibbering idiot frothing on the sidelines, it doesn't really belong in this debate at all.

28. Anti-gay Okla. lawmaker attracts 1,000 backers

Comment #154946 by Ygern on April 4, 2008 at 2:56 am

Cartomancer wrote

The only way this topic is ever going to die down is if we manage to do away with homophobia entirely, and I for one would be very glad if that were to happen!

29. Upside-down church sculpture on hit list

Comment #154930 by Ygern on April 4, 2008 at 2:06 am

I'm all for artistic expression, but this one is about as obvious as a spade.

Put it in a museum.

Epeeist - hehe! The Tart with a Cart, as she is affectionately known by some. Just pipping Dublin's other sculpture The Hags with the Bags
http://www.bermant.com/blog/uploaded_images/hags-with-bags-797435.jpg

30. Anti-gay Okla. lawmaker attracts 1,000 backers

Comment #154929 by Ygern on April 4, 2008 at 2:01 am

ThoughtsOnCommonToad wrote

The 72 virgins claims is bogus isn't it though? There is no mention anywhere in the Koran of the actual number of virgins available in paradise, and aren't the "dark-eyed damsels" available to all Muslims, not just martyrs.

31. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #154921 by Ygern on April 4, 2008 at 1:30 am

I feel a little bit of compassion for a clearly troubled and ill man [as a side note, isn't it getting really obvious to everyone that so many religious leaders are mentally unstable?] He seems so utterly lost.

I feel less compassion for the presumably mentally healthy twits who followed him. The police should have left them barricaded in their cave, what a waste of police time & resources. I confess to having had a good long giggle about their antics.

32. Anti-gay Okla. lawmaker attracts 1,000 backers

Comment #154459 by Ygern on April 3, 2008 at 9:58 am

I'm afraid the New Testament isn't much better when it comes to hate-mongering & bigotry & subjugation of (well, to be honest) just about anyone different - see the Rantings of Paul aka Epistles.

Al-Rawandi, seriously, ask anyone using the 'New Testament changes all that' argument how they reconcile Paul's teachings with the new enlightened soft-focus stuff they think is in there.

It saddens me that people would rally to show support for such an ugly hateful human-being.
Oh well, Jesus must be proud.

33. Vote on freedom of expression marks the end of Universal Human Rights

Comment #153770 by Ygern on April 2, 2008 at 3:43 am

I'm prepared to stop criticising religion AFTER all offensive hate-mongering and abusive passages have been removed from the Koran, the Bible and the Torah.

Until then, if it's ok for them to publish Holy Books that recommend violence, then its ok for me to say I think that's bad.

34. Supreme Court to consider Ten Commandments vs. 'Seven Aphorisms'

Comment #153758 by Ygern on April 2, 2008 at 1:59 am

How about a recommendation that people keep their religious graven idols wrapped in canvas & buried in a box under their bed where it belongs?

35. Vatican: Islam surpasses Roman Catholicism as world's largest religion

Comment #153232 by Ygern on April 1, 2008 at 8:53 am

Damn. Either they are going have to become a lot more rabid about their Faithful not using the Evil Condom, or else they are going to have to admit that they are not The One True Faith...

I know I don't care.

36. Vote on freedom of expression marks the end of Universal Human Rights

Comment #153090 by Ygern on April 1, 2008 at 2:52 am

I don't think anything has saddened me more in quite a while, reading this news this morning.

I feel like humankind has taken a giant leap backwards by about 500 years.


It makes Christopher Hitchens' comments here all the more poignant & chilling.
(Link to his Free Speech debate)
http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/2007/03/free_speech_6.html

37. Christian Founders 3D Adventure Computer Game

Comment #153051 by Ygern on April 1, 2008 at 1:21 am

How old is this game? Windows 98? 3D graphics?! Wow!

Anyway, as a gamer myself, I think I'm going to give this a miss.

*shudders*

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

Comment #151126 by Ygern on March 28, 2008 at 7:26 am

PJG wrote

If anyone should be punished, it is the peddlers of this crap, not the "users"

39. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #150524 by Ygern on March 27, 2008 at 4:09 am

Well, any dialogue is better than none.

I guess it makes sense that a nation informed by religious fundementalism would prefer to talk to those that they have something common with.

But perhaps good can come of it - it has to be better than Saudi Arabia remaining an insular nation. Allowing a Catholic church there would speak volumes about tolerating diffences - it could be in fact an important statement to the more extreme Islamic fundamentalists.

Baby steps, people!

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

Comment #149841 by Ygern on March 26, 2008 at 9:43 am

Only in America....where child abuse is defended on religious grounds

41. Gay scientists isolate Christian gene

Comment #149826 by Ygern on March 26, 2008 at 9:15 am

:-)

Makes perfect sense.

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

Comment #149825 by Ygern on March 26, 2008 at 9:11 am

There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see

43. Happy 66th Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #149680 by Ygern on March 26, 2008 at 5:35 am

Happy Birthday, Richard.

Your courage and eloquence are making a difference to the world we live in.

44. Wicked untruths from the Church

Comment #149202 by Ygern on March 25, 2008 at 9:01 am

I was arguing just this point with a group of friends this weekend.

One of the things that struck me was that my friends had no idea what the research was about or even what the research might entail.

Frankenstein & Island of Dr Moreau are exactly right, if I were to sum up my friends' views and 'understanding' (and I use the word sarcastically) of the subject.

45. The Emptiness of Theology

Comment #149040 by Ygern on March 25, 2008 at 3:04 am

A Religious Believer puts me in mind of a feral animal that has a thorn in its paw. No matter how much you try to help to remove the thorn, the animal will snarl and growl at you, mistrusting your intentions, and unable to rise above the pain that it is in.

Humans ought to fare better, being able to reason better than animals, but I rarely find this to be the case when it comes to the God-Issue. Sometimes I just have to shrug and let them go back to licking their paws.

46. Discussion on PZ Myers being expelled from Expelled

Comment #148162 by Ygern on March 22, 2008 at 8:15 am

The 'Expelled' team's rather dramatic persecution complex reminds me a little of the tactics used by the Scientologists a few years back where they deviously likened the negative press they were receiving to the persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany.

Pathetic, when a group resorts to soap-opera tactics, not to mention underhanded ones, to defend a rather indefensible position.

47. EXPELLED!

Comment #147661 by Ygern on March 21, 2008 at 4:57 am

@ Jaffas85
Freedom of speech. They must be allowed to make spectacular fools of themselves if that is their wish.

Lets face it : They got their slogan EXACTLY right

No intelligence allowed.

How apt, how fitting, how like scoring an own goal.

48. EXPELLED!

Comment #147629 by Ygern on March 21, 2008 at 3:05 am

The security stuff is so over the top, boy oh boy do these brainless eejits [Tr: idiots] have a persecution complex or what?!

You would think that this film was a brave expose of the dangers of some radical fundementalist group, rather than a bunch of misbegotten morons trying to infect humans with their plague of Anti-knowledge.

49. EXPELLED!

Comment #147622 by Ygern on March 21, 2008 at 2:18 am

Really? That is actually hilarious.

Still, I know I would have enjoyed reading a review by PZ Myers, so that is a shame.

50. Report: 32% Of Prayers Deflected Off Passing Satellites

Comment #147413 by Ygern on March 20, 2008 at 10:26 am

Quite.

Although, you have to understand that for many of the remaining Catholic clergy, the post-boom Ireland is a bit of a culture-shock. Where 25 years ago they would have wielded considerable power and influence, today they are ignored or despised - Ireland has a particularly shameful history of all kinds of abuse. Some of them (like the Archbishop here) clearly can't quite believe it yet.

And I suspect it also has something to do with the pique that some priests feel knowing that on Easter Sunday, like on Christmas Day, the pews will be filled. But no-one goes during Lent. Its wanton displays of wishy-washy faithlessness of this that make a grown priest cry. They are trying to let the people know that Churches are for Life, not just for Christmas. No wait, wasn't that puppies?

Nevermind. Probably at least 7 Irish children were forced to go to church last weekend because of it.