1. Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

Comment #166902 by Phaeonix on April 23, 2008 at 1:34 pm

This reminds me of the Wizard's First Rule from Terry Goodkind's books.

"People will believe a lie either because they want to believe it's true or because they are afraid it might be true."

In it, the First Wizard Zedd makes people believe they are missing their penises.

2. Rep. Davis: The Worst Person in the World

Comment #158156 by Phaeonix on April 10, 2008 at 6:44 am

Sherman has said that Rep. Davis personally apologized last night on the phone to him.

I still think she needs to make it public.

3. MySpace: No place for Atheists?

Comment #130013 by Phaeonix on February 19, 2008 at 10:38 pm

The Facebook Atheist group is the largest online group now...

4. Why do we believe in God? 2m study prays for answer

Comment #129697 by Phaeonix on February 19, 2008 at 1:25 pm

This is a dangerous study...

It's stated goal: "One implication that comes from this is that religion is the default position, and atheism is perhaps more in need of explanation,"

w.t.f?

5. Ayaan Hirsi Ali asks for protection

Comment #129694 by Phaeonix on February 19, 2008 at 1:20 pm

Not withstanding Ayaan, I have SERIOUS issue with the American Enterprise Institute.... =(

6. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #126439 by Phaeonix on February 13, 2008 at 8:53 am

I think Dr. Ramachandran would be an excellent candidate. He is a fellow at All Souls I believe...

I've heard him speak before, and I believe that he shares some of Richard's love and awe of nature required of the position...

Just my humble position. I would love to see anyone with as much passion as Richard though...

7. US scientists close to creating artificial life: study

Comment #116103 by Phaeonix on January 25, 2008 at 1:45 pm

Epic moment in history:

"Standing on Clinton's left was Francis Collins; on the president's right was Craig Venter. Collins, director of the government's National Human Genome Research Institute, had been looking forward to this day since 1993, when he had assumed leadership of the publicly funded international Human Genome Project. But he surely did not anticipate sharing the moment with Craig Venter, head of a private company called Celera Genomics. Two years before, Venter, one of Collins's grantees, had calmly informed the HGP leader that he was forming a private company to decode the human genome himself, and in just three years. At the time, the HGP, an often-querulous consortium of academic laboratories, had managed to assemble only a fraction of the code. Venter assured Collins that he was not trying to put him out of business--there were other mammals to do. While his company decoded the human genome, Venter told Collins, "you can do mouse.""

Francis Collins, Pseudo-Christian, pwned by Dr. Venter.

8. New attempt to end blasphemy law

Comment #109664 by Phaeonix on January 9, 2008 at 12:36 pm

If there were such a law on the books over here, I can't even begin to imagine the level of abuse...

9. Moderates Storm The Religious Battlefield

Comment #106601 by Phaeonix on January 3, 2008 at 7:35 am

"What's dangerous about the world today is not belief in God—or secularism or unbelief—but ruthless certainty."

I'm going to try and be as fair as possible in understanding this statement.

I personally can give about eight examples of hypothetical observations that would change my mind about god.

I challenge any of you to ask a believer for any number of observations or evidence that would change their minds...


Nobody is more certain than the believer. They are immovable.

10. Changing my Mind

Comment #106142 by Phaeonix on January 2, 2008 at 12:12 pm

Wow. This whole section in Edge is fascinating... I encourage anyone to read the other testimonials...

Absolutely fascinating. Goldstein, Pinker, Hauser, Atran, Randall, Harris, Dennett, Dawkins... the list goes on!

11. Christmas with Christopher Hitchens

Comment #103948 by Phaeonix on December 27, 2007 at 11:32 am

The man is a genius.

Sorry Britain, we really needed Hitchens across the lake... Thanks though.

12. Believe it or not

Comment #98278 by Phaeonix on December 13, 2007 at 12:16 pm

I've kept my cool about a good many things... anyone who says that an atheist should not have been offended by Romney's speech, should go back and listen.

It was the most dangerous speech I have ever heard from an American presidential candidate in my life. It was not only offensive, it was frightening...

Consider that this man asks us to not consider his faith, yet expouses that he must at least have faith...

The ability to attack the non-theists is insulting. Especially, when the FACT that Mormons do believe Jesus and Lucifer are brothers is brought up and they consider that an attack...

Since when is truth an attack?

Awhile back, Romney said we must have faith to be President, but he emphasizes that the variety doesn't matter. He asks that we forgive him his faith, the details... Does nobody else see anything wrong with this?

Willing to bring faith into the White House for decisions, but it is removed from the table in discussion... just be glad I'm not an atheist is what he is saying...

Everyone but the non-faithful are Americans. This was an insulting and offensive affront to Atheists in this country. Yes, I am that angry, I almost broke my tv.

13. U.S. Congress Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith

Comment #98274 by Phaeonix on December 13, 2007 at 12:06 pm

I disagree that Western Civilization owes that much to Christianity, as the resolution claims. Rather, I think we owe much to Hobbs and Locke, and in America, the very non-Christian Founding Fathers, Paine, Jefferson, Madison...et al.

The Enlightenment was not some sort of Christian extension of reality... So this resolution wasn't even historically accurate...

14. An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins

Comment #96952 by Phaeonix on December 11, 2007 at 6:43 am

This guy is a snake.
"The heroes of this movement are not real atheists because science is their God. "
http://www.secularcovenant.com/TSE/2007/11/06/by-any-other-name/

Read his other articles...

15. Atheists' sign sparks controversy

Comment #96951 by Phaeonix on December 11, 2007 at 6:41 am

Unholy FSM rustylix, that is a large cross.

16. Daniel Dennett Debates Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #94299 by Phaeonix on December 5, 2007 at 7:55 am

About 6 minutes into video #14 is the question that flustered Dinesh. Watch his response and then read what he said about his response:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DineshDSouza/2007/12/03/god_v_atheism_my_debate_with_daniel_dennett

The guy who asked the question (My roommate and Co-admin of AANR) was not allowed to answer, as Dinesh suggests. I found it extraordinarily odd that this stumped Dinesh in the way it did... in which his claim was to simply toss out the convention of the Principle of Parsimony.

I think the fact that Dinesh had to focus on this later in writing shows that he did in fact get caught up by the question.

Dinesh has also responded again to the comments on here: http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2007/12/04/why-atheists-are-so-angry/2#comments

17. Secular Fundamentalists: There is no such thing...and the AAI conference doesn't make atheism a movement, either.

Comment #88382 by Phaeonix on November 16, 2007 at 11:04 am

Good stuff Kelly.

No matter how "timid" these articles and essays are, we actively need to engage them. We are often the only barrier between distortion and reality, regardless of our world views.

18. A new website addition: Debate Points

Comment #81816 by Phaeonix on October 25, 2007 at 8:29 am

I think that the spirituality of Einstein needs to be a debate point. Einstein was clearly agnostic atheist, especially to the Christian God, but they somehow keep bringing him into a Christian sphere....

19. Harper's Index

Comment #74947 by Phaeonix on October 1, 2007 at 7:42 am

Source for this?

20. God Talk on 'The View'

Comment #72061 by Phaeonix on September 20, 2007 at 8:44 am

Hey C'mon now, we non-believers are giving a helluva fight over here.

21. I'm gonna be a MOVIE STAR

Comment #65293 by Phaeonix on August 23, 2007 at 1:48 pm

http://www.secularcovenant.com/TSE/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/expelled.PNG

22. Church and State: Divided we stand

Comment #63696 by Phaeonix on August 15, 2007 at 12:54 pm

Jeepyjay,

I agree with you, but keep in mind that in America, the normal voter does not see anything Barmy about claims from politician on whose side God is on... in fact, they mostly vote in accord.

23. Why Richard Dawkins is right on alternative medicine - but not when it comes to religion

Comment #62595 by Phaeonix on August 10, 2007 at 8:27 am

(Twinge alert)

Irony.

I'm on the first page of members to this page, having signed up days after it was created. I have always used the Bosch painting as my icon...

I have a very personal take on this... I am one of Einstein's "crusading spirits", "whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination."

I am from Cobb County Ga, deep in the mix of a swath of intellectual bullying of Christian apologetics. I was called Monkey Boy, having in middle school upon reading Maynard Smith's Evolution of Sex, and Ripley's Red Queen Hypothesis, been utterly convinced of the implications of sexual evolution, and the Universal Acid. By high school I was defending the basic core principles of evolution in an extremely hostile environment.

No, as an atheist activist who brings the fight to these people, there is a LARGE belligerent and organized group of conservative neo-fascist evangelical Dominionists, who have merely learned how to act in public, using the moderation of the lay Christian for their own ends... They are hateful, determined, and well beyond the reach of reason.

In the north, I see how someone could mistake the normal average person for the type of moderate Christianity that is prevalent in the everyday working of people... which in itself is sickening...

The notion of hellfire, the hell houses, the plays, the tricking people to go to churches, the yellow tags on science books, the rallies, the displays, the hateful fear mongering, the ostracizing... it all exists, it is all real. These people are real and they are a force, and we are but a national crisis in this country from realizing how big of a force...

I know Richard has asked us to be kind to Dominic, but nobody is going to convince me that these people have killed the dangerous parts of their religion, it is what keeps them intact. Maybe in England it isn't as bad... but I invite anyone to go down to Bartow County GA with an evolution fish on a ford truck.

Okay, I disagree with the point. Fundamentalist Christianity is far from dead people... believe a bible belt survivor on this...

Besides, Root of all Evil attacked the three major religions, and it attacked them fairly... I believed. Watching New Life in Colorado should be enough to cripple the rational person's belief that it is safe to not believe in the insanity in this country... I don't understand the criticism.

24. OUT Campaign Launched, 'Scarlet Letter' Shirts Now Available!

Comment #59752 by Phaeonix on July 30, 2007 at 2:26 pm

Like herding cats.

I'm buying one, and wearing it.

25. The New New Atheism

Comment #57415 by Phaeonix on July 19, 2007 at 9:07 am

IQHQ:

I want to agree with you, but keep in mind that the stagnation of reason, the drive to suppress does not come from the Atheist camps... If we do not change minds, your liberal theism will not save us from destruction at the hands of fundamentalists eventually.

26. The New New Atheism

Comment #57414 by Phaeonix on July 19, 2007 at 9:05 am

Wanted to point out a small error here, among bigger ones, albeit an important distinction.

Nietzsche did not regard the death of God as a catastrophe for the human spirit, insomuch as the loss of god and the lack of will to power, the inevitable nihilism that results as a catastrophe... he called for the Anti-Christ, to believe that for a second the "spiritualizing of the sensual" as love in a defeat of Christianity is a catastrophe has egregiously misread Nietzsche.

The man of the future will redeem humanity "not only from the prevailing [inadequate] ideal but also from what it was bound to lead to – from the great loathing, from the will to nothingness, from nihilism. . . ."

27. Evangelicals See Dilemmas in G.O.P. Field

Comment #54888 by Phaeonix on July 9, 2007 at 8:33 am

"The Bible says to be as innocent as doves and as sly as serpents," said John Phillips, 48, a member of the class. "You have to weigh things with your intellect but put it through the filter of your faith. That's what I'm trying to do right now."

What egregious manure. I can side with some conservative fiscal policies, I love social liberalism, I can understand most liberal fiscal policies, ultimately, it is the social conservatives who really piss me off... they alone, in their infinite biblical wisdom, seem to possess the ability to deform all that is good with the world. Is there room in England for a young professional?

28. PBS Revelation: Network's 'Wall Of Separation' Has Religious Right Genesis

Comment #49749 by Phaeonix on June 13, 2007 at 8:16 am

http://www.pbs.org/aboutsite/aboutsite_emailform.html

29. Atheism is pretentious and cowardly

Comment #48053 by Phaeonix on June 6, 2007 at 12:13 pm

Oh boy here we go...I don't know where to start...

"AC Grayling, who is presumably a competent professor of philosophy, but chooses to conceal the fact when in militant atheist mode."

The being a competent philosopher part is supposedly mutually exclusive to his conclusion that a god simply does not exist? Right.

"Atheism is the belief that the demise of religion, and the rise of "rationality", will make the world a better place."

A definition of atheism from Theo...

"For example there is surely something religious in the communal ecstasy of a rave, or a pop concert, or a play, or a sporting event, or a political rally."

Eh? A definition (argument for?) of religion from Theo...

I see where this is going.

"Religion, in the full and harmful sense, exists when people cringe under the illusion of a celestial being, and when people propagate teachings that are not true. This leads to superstitious ignorance, and to immoral actions, for example the persecution of homosexuals."

Is there really any other sense?! Has he completely neglected the supernatural aspects of religion, tied it in together with various secular aspects of society and stapled a brand on it that completely hides himself from critical analysis.

The breadth of this article, like most anti-rational arguments, attacks with the emotional feelers of the hard hitting, sore-leaving attack from rational atheism.

He is not saying anything.

"Never mind that plenty of manifestations of religion are simply not guilty of these charges. Evidence that doesn't fit the system is inadmissible."

Oh wait here we go...I think the point here is that MANY do fit the charges. Of course the "religions" that look like everything secular and don't include supernatural invocation do!

That's the real kicker, this guy has been left floundering after making moronic claims on reality, so just attack the attack... it is the only real defense left for them...

30. Why Do Some People Resist Science?

Comment #46744 by Phaeonix on June 1, 2007 at 11:00 am

Dr. Bloom is doing fantastic work at Yale, and the soon to be "Dr." Weisberg is one of the few Developmental Psychologists that I will enjoy following in her career, I think the work I have reviewed from Deena is influenced heavily by Dr. Bloom's studies on natural dualism, but with more of a twist against the reality of such a claim.

31. A Look at Regent University

Comment #46443 by Phaeonix on May 31, 2007 at 8:35 am

It is all true... they are forging an army intent on a theocracy.

I have changed my entire career path based on the last year, seeing what is happening to the WALL in my country has left me to leave my beloved science and research for a career in law...

I have officially given up pursuit of graduate studies in Evolutionary Psychology to pursue a law degree...

32. Diary of a Deserter

Comment #46440 by Phaeonix on May 31, 2007 at 8:23 am

I believe it.

I run the Facebook group for Atheists, and we are well over 8,000 extremely active members who have become somewhat like a family.

There are so many stories like this, and it is becoming more common...

We have "stolen" converts from the famous Christian Caps group: "I'M PROUD TO BE A CHRISTIAN!!!!!!"

over 178,000 members... most of the most active are the Atheist Evangelizers

^_^

33. Atheists: Get off of our country!

Comment #44811 by Phaeonix on May 25, 2007 at 10:32 am

Major gripe here. As one of the first members of these boards, not a single article I've emailed, (design@richarddawkins.net) has been published, and most of those are entered by others several days, and in this case months after the fact.

This article, in particular, I posted to my older blog and submitted to this site MANY weeks ago. I'm a bit peeved.

Anyway, at work I can't get to any blog site, but the original article and picture from the actual article is there, it is in fact a real thing. The review process for article submission needs to be revamped.

http://www.unmovedpaperweight.blogspot.com/

34. Another Christian Science Fair embarrasses itself

Comment #44808 by Phaeonix on May 25, 2007 at 10:24 am

Another comment left on that article:

" Mylzz Gossett May, 25 2007
Uhh....it appears so that those two people are evolutionist.
just to let you two know, evolution has been disproven
SO many times, I can swallow my own head.
did you know that the more and more Einstein studied
about space, the more he thought there was to be a god.
I mean, look how complicated space is.
Do you think that all of that happened by chance?
No. It didn't. Its like I put a nice watch in a bag, then
shook it for a couple of months and chances
are,I'm not going to get a perfect watch with all
of it's gizmos as if someone had made it.
No, it took a Creator to make that watch.
so, sorry evolution, but that's 2 to nothing in my opinion. "

If there were such a thing as a soul in me, I assure all of you, it just died.

35. The root of all evil?

Comment #43664 by Phaeonix on May 22, 2007 at 8:35 am

I love how it is now Dawkins who is said to be the benign atheist...

BaronOchs, when are you going to publish the Chuck Norris rant?

36. Scientists Draw Link Between Morality And Brain's Wiring

Comment #43409 by Phaeonix on May 21, 2007 at 9:49 am

You probably only needed to post that once arildno.

37. Pick of the Week: The God Delusion

Comment #43397 by Phaeonix on May 21, 2007 at 9:13 am

Harris and Dawkins are under my local bookstore's favorites section. God Delusion is in the Science section. Harris is current events, and Dennet and Hitchens are in the philosophy section. Having grown up in the south, THERE most certainly is a difference living the in north...

38. Christopher Hitchens Is a Treasure

Comment #43394 by Phaeonix on May 21, 2007 at 9:02 am

Another "Well, the GOD I know is BETTER.." polemic.

Another there is a GOD, and his name is Yahweh leap...

and most disconcerting, another attempt to portray this GOD as outside the understanding of humanity, yet perfectly revealed to certain people...

Stenger had this nailed on the head... this is a frustrating article, the language is meant for the intelligent theist and common atheist, but the undertones further enhance irrational mindsets... this piece is a anti-conscience raising one.

sigh.

39. Scientists Draw Link Between Morality And Brain's Wiring

Comment #43381 by Phaeonix on May 21, 2007 at 8:11 am

Every single time an article like this adds to the delicate kindle of religious faith, I think on the closing gaps and I sing to myself the opening and closing chorus of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.

"O Fortuna...."

40. Christopher Hitchens to God: Drop Dead

Comment #42591 by Phaeonix on May 18, 2007 at 1:52 pm

"How do you reform delusion?"

How derisively clever. Agreed.

41. Manufacturing belief

Comment #42578 by Phaeonix on May 18, 2007 at 12:55 pm

It was mentioned above, Wolpert would have a fun time explaining to me a scientific model for the staying power of language and certain aspects of culture without referencing anything the model of the meme addresses... I don't trust people who easily dismiss something they obviously seem to know nothing about...

42. The Fastest-Growing Religion

Comment #42505 by Phaeonix on May 18, 2007 at 9:59 am

anotherclinton,

Dead on my friend. I love to see any reference to the Red Queen tactics of sexual selection applied...
Ridley was more than right.

43. Is Christianity Good for the World?

Comment #39190 by Phaeonix on May 10, 2007 at 6:40 am

In person Dr. Plantinga is vulnerable. A class with him is like learning to speak Swahili from a Russian. I suppose this gives a good reason to be very weary of liveblogs, mostly because the point made earlier of one side ignoring uncomfortable points.

A good example would be the exchange between Harris and Sullivan... Those that followed that entertaining bit know which side ignored what...

44. The God Debate

Comment #29558 by Phaeonix on April 3, 2007 at 12:06 pm

NSJ:
if they said something like "We get heaven, you get nothing" then I think I could live with it (obvious nonsense though it is) but to actually wish damnation on someone signifies a level of basic imhumanity which astounds me.

45. GM mosquito 'could fight malaria'

Comment #27718 by Phaeonix on March 26, 2007 at 10:24 am

Malaria is still the number 1 killer in the world...

I'm not entirely sure about this yet, but I do fear that the more radical approach mentioned above, eradicating the species itself, is a serious risk...

46. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #27715 by Phaeonix on March 26, 2007 at 10:01 am

The easiest and most solid explanation of the Monty Hall Paradox, for those that have a problem with it is simply, you have 1/3 chance of picking the CAR in the beginning, which if you ALWAYS switch means that you have a 1/3 chance of LOSING...or a 2/3 Chance of winning...

To put my two cents in here, I wish I were a theist, just so I could see what my mind would be doing right now... if I were not already convinced, this debate would do it for me... Sam is nasty brilliant, and Sullivan has followed enough to know he has been beaten well enough that his own conversion should be imminent...

47. Was there ever dog that praised his fleas?

Comment #26053 by Phaeonix on March 16, 2007 at 9:35 am

This is an excellent thread.

I'd like to make a few comments regarding Analytical Theist Dr. Alva Plantinga.

I had the rare opportunity to study under Dr. Plantinga at the graduate level in the University of Notre Dame during my undergraduate psychology degree. Most notably the Fall 2005 Christian Theism & Philosophy Graduate Course.

Being an Atheist at a prestigious Catholic University was a challenge on its' own, being a vocal atheist in a class like this, was, without a doubt, trying and humbling.

There seems to be a tremendous amount of respect given to Dr. Plantinga throughout the theist camps (including *sigh* a creationist who uses some of Plantinga's modal twisted ontological argument).

The good professor is worthy of respect, but I hold off on the praise until I can effectively be convinced.

My biggest and most prevalent concern, throughout the entire course, and something I continue to argue my former professor on, is his Free Will Defense. The argument is against the Problem of Evil, specifically the one brought up by J.L. Mackie. Myself, not a philosopher, found a dismissive problem with the defense, something that many theists have used consistently, as has been expanded in some of their influential texts, specifically in the ID camps...

The argument is stated in a very simple form as "evil is consistent with God's existence, because there are some possibilities that even an omnipotent God cannot realize: e.g., God cannot make 2 + 2 = 5 or create a married bachelor."

I have brought up consistently, and exhaustively, not just the choice rebuttals of J.L Mackie in this field, but the very simple and easily expanded on notion that evil is only properly defined by the moral zeitgeist, and that a premise that defines evil outside of such ineffective modal logic as 2 + 2 = 5 is both required and acceptable. Theist work with absolutes, and any argument for the existence of god or a rebuttal on the problem of evil will attempt to define evil as an absolute. Such language is usually accompanied by appeals to emotion, (is it always wrong to rape a child?). When "evil" is placed where it belongs, in a dynamic conceptually definition of the reality of nature and biology, then Plantinga's arguments fail miserably. Evil is not a circle made into a square, and a GOD should have no problem deleting something that is merely a movable concept. The Problem of Evil, the expanded versions of modern Philosophers, is as strong as ever, and submitting to my lack of designation as an expert on the subject, the real experts on philosophy have yet to convince me of idealistic tendencies to define absolutes and apply them to what an unobservable, unmeasurable, unthinkable deity could or could not do with them...

Consider that this omnipotent GOD cannot create make a Square into a Triangle because we have define them as separate entities. If it were but the wave of a magical fist of fury that erased the definitions in our heads, than God most certainly could create a Triangle into a square...
[]=Triangle. See?

The other problems posed by Dr. Plantinga are not problematic to Evolution Scientists, as many will tell you, myself studying to become an Evolutionary Psychologist, because Dr. Plantinga is not an expert in Evolution. His arguments for the defeat of naturalism fail, and have been shown to fail drastically at the hands of Dennet in Freedom Evolves.

I find premise that some people who are experts in one certain field feel that they can undo the consensus and basic principles of an entire elite corps of specialists in a different unrelated field. When Dr. Plantinga expands on his version of the defeat of naturalism, and I mean no disrespect, he is but a fruit fly buzzing around a steel statue of a banana.

The point here is that the appeals to Dr. Plantinga are misguided. Anything can be rebutted, with enough wordplay and twisting...much of what the professor does is twist and redefine concepts in ways that most people will fail to understand or recognize. Piece together the most simple concepts and get back to rational discourse on the subject...even Philosophers can do that...

48. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #22732 by Phaeonix on February 21, 2007 at 12:59 pm

I am reminded of a fight between a mongoose and a cobra... each fighting till death, the tail becomes the last part moving for the animal that loses, and you can almost here the gentle "shhhh" as the animal dies...

Sullivan is losing this debate. It should be a matter of time, if Andrew is as intelligent as I think he may be...