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Comments by MarcusA


1. Bill Moyers interviews E.O. Wilson

Comment #54985 by MarcusA on July 9, 2007 at 3:12 pm

Wilson's book "Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge" is my all time favorite. It is a must read for anyone serious about the philosophy of science.

2. Freethinking Ruins All Things

Comment #42468 by MarcusA on May 18, 2007 at 9:06 am

Cow dung! Daniel Larison is chasing his own tail.

3. Better God-fearing than sneering

Comment #38656 by MarcusA on May 8, 2007 at 10:33 pm

At the risk of sounding sexist - Female religious apologists seem to write the worst rubbish. It's emotionally laden nonsense filled with smarmy condesending reasoning. (Hey, scientists! Let's puts curtains in the laboratory. Why? Because it'll make everyone feel better.) If you're going to act like Laura Bush, go and review Martha Stewart's latest book. But for the love of humanity, leave intellectual reasoning to real women. Doesn't science help the mentally ill, while religion "comforts" and masks serious symptoms? Stephanie Merritt, you're an embarrassment to strong women everywhere.

4. The Damned

Comment #36860 by MarcusA on May 2, 2007 at 2:21 pm

Do I get a tea bag with my boiling water?

5. The Empty Wager

Comment #32944 by MarcusA on April 18, 2007 at 7:23 pm

So according to Warren belief in God should be reduced to the same level as bad advertizing. "I believe in Cola Brand X because I can't afford not to". Sounds like a salesman telling shoppers that they can't afford not to buy the extended service warranty. I'll take the risk.

6. T. rex tissue shows they are related to chickens

Comment #31453 by MarcusA on April 12, 2007 at 6:15 pm

Darn... BMMcArdle got to the "tastes like chicken" comment before me.

"I really don't get how soft tissue could survive for millions of years in a fossilized bone. Could someone with more expertise in this area explain how that could happen?"

I suspect in a low oxygen environment decay would be very slow or nonexistent. Quick burial and massive bone size probably helped too. But I hope they publish more on the details of the fossil bones.

7. Pope says science too narrow to explain creation

Comment #31395 by MarcusA on April 12, 2007 at 10:06 am

"Pope says science too narrow to explain creation"

And religion is too wide to explain anything.

The Pope is just trying to prop up his power base, like an old time Republican politician visiting Bob Jones University. It's truly sad how the church manipulates its followers. Keep the people stupid, that's their goal.

The Pope is a waste of space.

8. The Dawkins Confusion: Naturalism ad absurdum

Comment #23572 by MarcusA on March 1, 2007 at 2:49 pm

God has created us in his image, and an important part of our image bearing is our resembling him in being able to form true beliefs and achieve knowledge.


If this statement is true then God must be as complex as we are. And therefore his existence is improbable.

Why is it that theists always argue against themselves?

9. The Dawkins Confusion: Naturalism ad absurdum

Comment #23543 by MarcusA on March 1, 2007 at 1:58 pm

"The naturalism that Dawkins embraces, furthermore, in addition to its intrinsic unloveliness and its dispiriting conclusions about human beings and their place in the universe..."

This quote sums up Alvin Plantinga's argument. He finds Dawkins' ideas emotionally objectionable. Therefore he must reject them. It's the typical theistic nonsense appealing to human emotion. If this was the 15th century Alvin Plantinga would be arguing that the Sun orbits around the Earth.

10. Fossils: The Devil's Handiwork

Comment #22290 by MarcusA on February 13, 2007 at 11:30 pm

"Creationism Is Dead" - A Darwin Day Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwdoUkuHYZ8

11. Guinness 'Evolution' Ad

Comment #22289 by MarcusA on February 13, 2007 at 11:29 pm

"Creationism Is Dead" - A Darwin Day Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwdoUkuHYZ8

12. Kansas science standards evolve again, becoming pro-Darwin

Comment #22288 by MarcusA on February 13, 2007 at 11:28 pm

"Creationism Is Dead" - A Darwin Day Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwdoUkuHYZ8

13. My critics are wrong to call me dogmatic

Comment #22286 by MarcusA on February 13, 2007 at 11:25 pm

"Creationism Is Dead" - A Darwin Day Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwdoUkuHYZ8

14. The questions science cannot answer

Comment #21654 by MarcusA on February 10, 2007 at 11:39 am

"Science has all the answers".

This is the ulitmate strawman argument used to setup scientists as arrogant know-it-alls.

We can safely say that science has uncovered more about the world than religion ever has.

Alister McGrath doesn't even attempt to counter any of Dawkins' points.

15. Believing In Things Unseen Is Not Delusion

Comment #20768 by MarcusA on February 6, 2007 at 11:21 am

"I decline to accept the assertion that because I believe, I am deluded"

This sounds like two layers of delusion. He's not only deluded about his religion, he's deluded about his delusion.

He used a lot of words to say absolutely nothing.

Here's a quote for him:

"Satan can cite scripture for his own purpose"
-Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

16. Letter From America: Atheists throw down the gauntlet

Comment #15854 by MarcusA on January 3, 2007 at 10:56 am

It's annoying to see Dawkins and Harris characterized as "militant". Where have they tried to incite violence like the christian right? "Militant" is a word I would reserve for extremists. Dawkins has NOT demonized individuals or spread hatred. These are the methods of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Look at the way the christain right has personally attacked Judge Jones in the Dover Intelligent Design case.