1. Porn pastor's wife vows to stand by him

Comment #237521 by goobeast on August 26, 2008 at 4:42 pm

Is it medically possible to have your tear ducts removed? Can this be mandated for evangelical preachers?

2. Porn pastor's wife vows to stand by him

Comment #237520 by goobeast on August 26, 2008 at 4:37 pm

The cycle of: self righteous finger pointing... hypocrisy...scandal...tearful apologies...promises of redemption is to the evangelical movement as: quick rise to stardom...substance abuse...tragic early death is to rock and roll.

I suspect that frenzied evangelical churchgoers get off on it.

3. We need to stop being such cowards about Islam

Comment #230118 by goobeast on August 14, 2008 at 9:50 am

I have always suspected that the vast majority of people who claim to observe a religion, really do not have strong beliefs but are simply paying lip service to the cultural norm.

Then there are the fanatics of various degrees. These are true believers that actually bother to develop some knowledge of the tenants of their faith.

Last, there are a small minority of enlightened individuals who have gone through mental gymnastics to reconcile their religion with a more rational world view.

There may be a majority of "moderate Muslims" but I suspect that they are "moderate" in the sense that religion has a low priority in their lives.

4. We need to stop being such cowards about Islam

Comment #230103 by goobeast on August 14, 2008 at 9:15 am

Islam needs a makeover. It does seem odd that that it embraces a Iron Age mentality when it is the fresh young thing on the block. It should revel in it's hip, youthful status, offering cocky assurance of mankind's salvation where the other two tired old monotheisms have failed. I suggest this slogan:

"Islam-third time's a charm."

5. An atheist plays God's advocate

Comment #227855 by goobeast on August 10, 2008 at 11:37 pm

The unwarranted criticism that Professor Dawkins attracts demonstrates the saying: "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down."

The cult of mediocrity that holds sway in the public forum has rendered most mainstream sources of news and information next to useless. Everyone has an opinion but not all opinions are equal and worthy of respect. Knowledgeable authority and a desire to communicate clearly should not be mistaken for arrogance. These opinions should be sought for and valued.

Being right IS helpful. More so than being afraid to give offense.

6. An atheist plays God's advocate

Comment #227446 by goobeast on August 10, 2008 at 12:07 am

The best cure for a hangover is too avoid it altogether. The best way to do this is to just stay drunk. I read somewhere that Winston Churchill managed to stay drunk for over 40 years.

7. Why Islam Is Unfunny for a Cartoonist

Comment #223678 by goobeast on August 3, 2008 at 6:10 am

A number of unrestrained demagogues, or hundreds of racist bloggers and public speakers, who can freely pump racist ideology and propaganda, fear of foreigners and people of different ethnicities into the public square are something quite different. We saw what unrestrained political rethoric can lead to, if the circumstances are right. Again, the historic precedent is the Weimar Republic. Or, to some extend, Rwanada.

This might be so, but the way to combat hundreds of racist bloggers is with thousands of other bloggers calling them on their shit. Placing restrictions on political discourse is impractical and self defeating. The first action a demagogue is likely to attempt is to silence his critics. This is made all the easier when a framework of prohibition on certain types of discourse is already in place. The argument "we are censuring x for the good of society" can be put to work for the benevolent and the malicious alike. Sure, there may be negative consequences to free speech but i believe that the consequences of restricting speech are worse.

8. Why Islam Is Unfunny for a Cartoonist

Comment #223667 by goobeast on August 3, 2008 at 5:12 am

We can debate the about the extend of the rules. We can disagree about how restrictive the rules should be. This would be a discussion about gradual differences in the restrictions to free speech. Your take on free speech, i.e. that it should be completely unrestricted, is simply not debatable because it's not even a valid option.

The issue here is that a man was arrested for drawing and publishing cartoons on his blog. I maintain that this should not be a crime, no matter the content of the cartoons. I would extend this to prose. If he wished to compile and publish these cartoons (assuming he could find someone willing to publish) and sell them (assuming he could find a buyer) I see no problem with this either.

Society should have rules, agreed. I am not suggesting that we create space for any hateful loon to foist his unsolicited views on the public sphere. Had this man been nailing his cartoons to mosque doors, it would be a different matter. I do believe that artists and writers should be given free reign as to the content of their work. Further, any audience that this work attracts should be free to view it.

9. Why Islam Is Unfunny for a Cartoonist

Comment #223648 by goobeast on August 3, 2008 at 2:55 am

85
Being mostly in favour of free speech is like being mostly pregnant, you can't be. It is either/or.

Once you place boundaries on free speech it isn't free any more.

Again, it is COMPLETELY irrelevant how offensive these cartoons are, the author should have the right to create them and we should have the right to see them. Those who find them offensive have the right to voice their opinion. Everybody wins!

Speech can be powerful, indeed it may one of the few instruments of power at an individual's disposal. This is why it is important that it remain free from censure. The right to express one's view should be upheld in a free society. It trumps one's desire to not be offended.

10. Why Islam Is Unfunny for a Cartoonist

Comment #223626 by goobeast on August 3, 2008 at 1:11 am

64 It does not matter in the slightest how racist or offensive these cartoons are the fact is..they are just cartoons. This is an example of the kind of work that tests the limits of those who claim to be in favor of free speech. If you do not defend this artist's right to create these cartoons and everyone else's right to to see them, then you do not support free speech.

11. Vicar supports Life of Brian ban

Comment #222600 by goobeast on July 31, 2008 at 3:14 pm

I can't imagine that continuing to support a ban on a 29 year old film will do anything but attract a curious new audience for it.

If the vicar didn't want anyone to see this film he should just shut his yap.

12. Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Thinking about Morality

Comment #222087 by goobeast on July 30, 2008 at 2:52 pm

Assuming someone did find themselves in this situation and smothered the baby to save everyone else, would they later be hailed as a hero or monster? Even amongst those whose lives were saved I do not believe that this persons actions would be praised (at least not out loud). I doubt that we would ever read a headline such as "Hero smothers baby and saves bus full of people".

13. Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Thinking about Morality

Comment #221971 by goobeast on July 30, 2008 at 11:40 am

13, To time yourself and see how quickly you can do it. Then beat that record the next time.

14. Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Thinking about Morality

Comment #221963 by goobeast on July 30, 2008 at 11:32 am

Wow that's a messed up scenario. Couldn't you just render the baby unconscious?

15. Catholics To Pope: Lift Birth Control Ban

Comment #220685 by goobeast on July 28, 2008 at 9:52 pm

22People have to be habituated and conditioned NOT TO have lots of sex, but they have to be habituated and conditioned TO use condoms.

True.

As much as I'd like to lay the blame for STD's and unwanted pregnancies at the Pope's feet, people who are educated and should know better can be frighteningly cavalier about using condoms. Decreeing condom use a sin and engaging in an aggressive disinformation campaign certainly doesn't help matters though.

16. Texas Fiction Science

Comment #219962 by goobeast on July 27, 2008 at 9:03 pm

Does anyone know if there are any proponents of ID that would posit anything other than the old testament god as the intelligent designer? I've got some cool candidates:

1)A time traveling computer from the end of time.

2)Galactus

3)Aristotle's unmoved mover.

4)A race of magic space dragons.

If ID becomes accepted as an alternative scientific theory, surely we should give equal time for theories regarding the nature of this designer.

17. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218810 by goobeast on July 25, 2008 at 5:55 pm

I would not be surprised to find that there is a large population of closeted gay priests. It makes sense that if you were gay, wished to stay in the closet, and wanted to blend in with other guys that were not pressured to court women this would be the way to go.

It's like when I was in high school and hung out with dungeons and dragons nerds. Nobody expected that they would be having sex with females either.

Closeted gay protestant ministers seem to have a rougher time though. They are expected to have families making it all the more scandalous when they are discovered to be doing meth with gay prostitutes.

18. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #217512 by goobeast on July 24, 2008 at 12:00 pm

I find religious teens depressing somehow. They should be out upsetting the establishment and pissing off their parents. God Rocks? Hardly, rock is the Devil's music. Christian rock is an abomination.

19. Postmodernism Disrobed

Comment #217107 by goobeast on July 23, 2008 at 11:05 pm

Ugg. This brings back bad memories of wasted time. Having to sit through a lecture on postmodern theory feels like you've fallen down a rabbit hole. Is it just chicanery, or do the proponents of this bullshit suffer from some form of aphasic brain disorder?