1. Prediction: self-promoting hype meets interdisciplinary ignorance

Comment #282832 by MatthaiNazrani on November 12, 2008 at 7:46 pm

"What we have found is that certain kinds of biological structures exist that are able to steer the process of evolution toward improved fitness," said Rabitz, the Charles Phelps Smyth '16 Professor of Chemistry. "The data just jumps off the page and implies we all have this wonderful piece of machinery inside that's responding optimally to evolutionary pressure."

Ironically, this should prevent and retard further evolution rather than cause it, right?

2. Convert or we will kill you, Hindu lynch mobs tell fleeing Christians

Comment #273599 by MatthaiNazrani on October 29, 2008 at 1:04 am

I'm an Ex-Eastern X'tian from the southern state of Kerala in India.

The dead swamy mentioned was apparently killed by (surprise!) maoists.

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=474149&archisec=NAT

Christianity in India is hardly militant. Islam is. Now Hinduism is sinking to that level, fed by backwardness and xenophobia.

Another thing to note is that this rioting affects only a state or so in India. Do not judge the whole of India by this ass-backward state. In my state for instance, Communists are ruling and not even moderate Hindu nationalists (BJP) get elected.

eta: I probably did moderate muslims a disservice by that comment. Also, muslims clearly haven't raped and pillaged like this, although some have blown up a few people now and then.

eta: Christians in Orissa may have been no saints, but there is simply no comparison to be made between murder or rape on one hand and being arrogant/using their free speech/bribing for jesus/whatever else christians usually did on the other hand.

3. Why albino monks won't conduct stem cell research

Comment #260260 by MatthaiNazrani on October 5, 2008 at 3:29 am

What? St Josemaria Escriva of Bolvangar's people start a biotech facility? Will Nicole Kidman be involved?

ps. I think that "lay people" refers to people not in holy orders, not non-religious people.

4. Richard Dawkins on Talkback Radio

Comment #243684 by MatthaiNazrani on September 6, 2008 at 8:40 pm

I've gotten as far as the Anthony Flew part. Just thought I'd mention that Roy Varghese's name should be pronounced as (var [short 'a'] - ghee - ss). It is a south-Indian (Malayalam) variation of George, even though it looks Italian.

5. Review interview: Richard Dawkins

Comment #224079 by MatthaiNazrani on August 4, 2008 at 4:56 am

Comment #223955 by J Mac:

Memes are an interesting concept, but they aren't all that useful. The idea is essentially a tautology: those ideas that are good at getting transmitted and remembered are transmitted and remembered.

Is it? Is natural selection ('those who survive are the fittest, and the fittest survive') a tautology? Your alleged tautology is more like an observation, and it is the implications of that observation (variations in allele frequency or change in religious demography) that give us information and predictions. It is irrelevant whether an observation is phrased as a tautology or not.

But what makes different ideas good at being remembered or transmitted. That is still the wiring of the brain of the individual organisms.

And all that makes, say, a tree good at living and reproducing is it's environment. Or is it? Why was the christian idea more powerful than the pagan Norse one? The environment was the same, wasn't it?

6. Escape or betrayal.

Comment #218363 by MatthaiNazrani on July 25, 2008 at 10:05 am

Btw, Nesrine's article is spot on. I'm in southern India with an Eastern Christian background, but the same pattern exists here. It probably applies to women somewhat more forcefully, but as she says, men are also bound by the family/cultural pressure. I know that I feel it.

7. Escape or betrayal.

Comment #218343 by MatthaiNazrani on July 25, 2008 at 9:32 am

Comment #218021 by Black-Mamba:

Women have much more rights in islam today than they ever had. They can leave whenever they want.

The ones in the West, I suppose, because I don't see any of that around me.

I'm tired of people only focusing on the beliefs of the radicals. The majority of muslim people do not find the behavior of radicals acceptable.

Again, you must be referring to the West. I even knew a young woman who celebrated 9/11 by distributing sweets.

You just want to fit it in your own little box so that you have an excuse to be atheist or whatever other religion you follow.

So to reverse that suggestion, I suppose that your excuse for believing in Islam is all the violence done in the name of other religions and atheism?

...you godless blasphemic heathens.

I won't blaspheme, I swear by Muhammad (paedophilia rap be upon him).

Oops.

8. VOICES OF SCIENCE: PZ Myers - Buy it now on DVD

Comment #218156 by MatthaiNazrani on July 25, 2008 at 12:54 am

I theink they should veer far away from a "Theory of everything". Its obvious that the reason that they havent found it is because maybe this creator (obviously a creator), want to keep a secret.

Is it "obvious" or is it "maybe"?

It sounds as though you realised that your statement is an unfounded speculation half way through the sentence.

9. VOICES OF SCIENCE: PZ Myers - Buy it now on DVD

Comment #218152 by MatthaiNazrani on July 25, 2008 at 12:46 am

I once shared Dawkins' surprise at the mention that Jesus created the world. Is it an American thing? I mean, in my Eastern Catholic background, it sounds very strange to say that Jesus created the world rather than say God did it, even though I suppose it's all the same. We (and Anglicans or the rest of Christianity apparently) must have a sort of division of labour between God and Jesus.

I wouldn't mind these videos so much if they wouldn't act so dismissive twoards religion.

Hmm. I'm sure that they are equally dismissive of Fairyism and the finer points of fairiology. I think somebody should complain.

10. Antony Flew reviews the Index of The God Delusion

Comment #216305 by MatthaiNazrani on July 23, 2008 at 12:50 am

The God Delusion should perhaps have a disclaimer:
'Please be advised that this book deals primarily with a personal god who answers prayers. If you believe that believers in a personal god are defining the word "god" incorrectly, you are in a very obnoxious vocal minority to whom this book may not be targeted. If so, for a change, please grow some spine and try pointing out to ordinary (and car bombing) believers that they are wrong. Thank you.'

11. Taking a Cue From Ants on Evolution of Humans

Comment #214232 by MatthaiNazrani on July 20, 2008 at 3:04 am

Applying cues from ants to humans? I don't think that the author gets it. Ant colonies have few reproductive agents. They share more DNA. I should think that any observation of an entire ant colony applies to a single human, not a group of them, because of these basic differences.

Dr. Wilson, changing his mind because of new data about the genetics of ant colonies, now believes that natural selection operates at many levels, including at the level of a social group.

Bah, cut the drama. There can be no individual selection in an ant colony, those workers are sterile for chrissakes. The ant colony is an individual, isn't it, and not a proper social group? Humans cannot possibly form such superorganisms because (1)they will not be sufficiently genetically related, (2)individuals can breed with outgroups, (3)genes for extreme self sacrifice (as in bees) will go extinct extremely fast for obvious reasons.

Such traits are difficult to account for, though not impossible, on the view that natural selection favors only behaviors that help the individual to survive and leave more children.

Dawkins is right to feel misrepresented. Really, natural selection favors only behaviors that help the gene to survive and leave more copies.

"Groups with men of quality" brave, strong, innovative, smart and altruistic" would tend to prevail, as Darwin said, over those groups that do not have those qualities so well developed," Dr. Wilson said.

Well, I thought that Evolutionary Stable States prevail, not universal bravery and innovation. Does his statement take Game Theory into consideration? If we are the very evolved products of such "men" of quality, why do we have cheaters and liars amongst us? If Wilson is bullsh!tting, it is truly dangerous BS.

I still do hope that the reporter has misrepresented Wilson.

12. Degrees of religion

Comment #209754 by MatthaiNazrani on July 13, 2008 at 7:23 am

#209742 by Bonzai

Sorry, I do find that rather sexist and racist (why can't the boyfriend be a nonbelieving Indian?).

Perhaps she did include Indian-Europeans.

13. Degrees of religion

Comment #209739 by MatthaiNazrani on July 13, 2008 at 6:30 am

#206297 by ridelo

I wonder if in the Islamic community do circulate some jokes like the catholic ones during my youth. We told each other Life-of-Brianesque jokes during the fifties. Like this one: After Jesus fell for the third time on his way to Golgotha one of the guards shouted: "OK! One more fall and you're out of the parade!"
And the curious thing is that catholic priests were the experts of these jokes.
Wonder if in Islam they have a similar subculture going. Would be very liberating.

Given how protective of their symbols(idols?? the Quran comes to mind) and prophets they tend to be, I cannot see that happening here in India, let alone an Islamic theocracy.

#206543 by squinky

Now a Muslim is quoting the Bible? Well, this little apostate gets better and better. Doesn't the Koran have a parallel passage something like: 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone unless the apostate speaks a Biblical passage whereby they should be gang-raped, disemboweled, and then stoned.'

Jesus (Isa Nabi) is their prophet, so they'll object to any bad reporting only when it conflicts with their own holy book.

14. Degrees of religion

Comment #209734 by MatthaiNazrani on July 13, 2008 at 6:13 am

#206261 by Steven Mading:

She at least deserves a lot of respect for the fact that she phrased what she is doing honestly as cherry-picking, and admitted that doing this is not technically allowed by her religion, but she thinks it's okay to do it anyway. Most religious moderates do not admit that they are doing this.

I would guess that if Kia claimed instead that her's is the real Islam, as christians tend to do, she'd be looking at protests and even assassination attempts. She really may have no choice.

#206265 by Corona Dave:

Changing to summertime to make it easier!? If that doesn't show how absurd and meaningless the whole thing is...

You're an idiot for doing it and ought to be ashamed of yourself.

I think that this is due to the lunar calendar that they follow.

Who is an idiot?

15. Jesus and Mo on Militant Atheists

Comment #202243 by MatthaiNazrani on July 1, 2008 at 5:49 am

Stephen:
"I'm all for satire of religion...if it's funny, which this isn't."

Not a fan of irony, eh?

16. Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in Speech

Comment #192661 by MatthaiNazrani on June 13, 2008 at 9:32 pm

"Earlier this month, the actress Brigitte Bardot, an animal rights activist, was fined $23,000 in France for provoking racial hatred by criticizing a Muslim ceremony involving the slaughter of sheep."

I didn't know there was a genetic component for both skin colour and wanting to slaughter animals in a cruel way.

I'm troubled by this equating of religious and racial hate speech.

17. British Airways takes beef off the menu to avoid offending Hindus

Comment #178419 by MatthaiNazrani on May 11, 2008 at 11:35 am

My first post.

The Hinduism issue is a nice smoke screen.

Here in Kerala, India, I never have a problem eating beef with hindu friends--all the non-vegetarians among them eat beef themselves! I can't say anything similiar about pork and muslim friends though.

That said, many northern states have laws banning cow slaughter, and there people must have beliefs quite alien to me.

(btw, I'm ex-Eastern Catholic.)