1. Richard Dawkins: An Exclusive Profile

Comment #284049 by Ai Deng on November 14, 2008 at 7:21 am

epeeist,

Thank you. I'll be sure to check out the blog you mentioned.

2. Richard Dawkins: An Exclusive Profile

Comment #284023 by Ai Deng on November 14, 2008 at 6:23 am

I invite all of you to check out a pseudo scientist I recently discovered. He has published several blogs with a church in Michigan. Some of the things he is saying is grossly misleading, and quite disheartening, while other just prompt me to laugh.

He has listed several threads with different pseudo proofs as to why the Universe is just 6,000 years old. He attacks evolution, claiming even that those churches which have accepted it are "infected". He is also using his position to discount the impact of global warming caused by humans, essentially concluding humans have no impact.

I know this pseudo scientist is typical, and there are probably many out there like him. But I wanna fight this, and the only way I can think of to do that is to try and bring his lies into the open environment.

http://www.woodsidebible.org/blogs/what-is-the-“bible-science-guy”-blog/#toc

3. In a Novel Theory of Mental Disorders, Parents' Genes Are in Competition

Comment #283177 by Ai Deng on November 13, 2008 at 8:35 am

I agree with what has been said in the previous pages, notably the 1st and 2nd of this blog thread. I have a difficult time seeing autism and schizophrenia on opposite sides of a spectrum. Perhaps I'm wrong, but right now I just don't see it.

Speaking of self-analysis, I would be glad to hear what any of you have to say regarding your self-analysis of your feelings toward religion. I'm trying to better understand my own feelings, which are often anger at what I see is an obvious denial of logic and truth, followed by acts of complete self contradition. I can't respond immediately following this posting as I have to go to lunch, but I promise to look at whatever whoever writes in response.

4. Obama will move to veto Bush laws

Comment #281426 by Ai Deng on November 10, 2008 at 10:09 am

al-rawandi,

I don't know the intricacies of the relationships and law that would give the US any control over the Iraqi oil supply. Perhaps there are none, I'll give you that. But it certainly stands to reason that a government setup by the US would more likely refuse a cartel driven oil embargo against the US than the old government. Perhaps this is a ridiculous scenario, that the Oil Cartel would forego profits to destroy the US economically, perhaps not.

Another potential reason for the Iraqi War; Another country where the US can have permanent military bases, which is stragetically located in central Middle East.

5. Obama will move to veto Bush laws

Comment #281371 by Ai Deng on November 10, 2008 at 8:27 am

Paceetrate,

Reasons for the war;

1. Oil
2. Getting back at Saddam for trying to kill Daddy
3. Plant a seed of western Democracy in the middle of an unstable region

Any others?

6. Obama will move to veto Bush laws

Comment #281324 by Ai Deng on November 10, 2008 at 6:34 am

I can't tell you how happy I am to hear Obama is taking these actions. If all the Christians I met could be so reasonable in their religion, I would breath a big sign of relief. That said, the dangerous element remains strong in voice and has a very big population. I fear its future actions. These people apparently cannot be reasoned or swayed. The best I can see hope for is that their stubborness dies with their generation and is outweighed by the reasoning of the newer generations.

7. Japanese researchers make brain tissues from stem cells

Comment #280176 by Ai Deng on November 7, 2008 at 5:28 am

Speaking of the passage of Proposal 2 in Michigan for Stem Cell Research. I'm in Michigan and I can tell you all first hand that the number of commercials I saw on TV telling us to vote against the Proposal was amazing. During some TV programs I would see the commercial every commercial break. I can't imagine how much it cost. I heard that the Catholic church funded it. The commercials by far our numbered the commercials in favor. I'm really happy that it passed, and I have to say it had me worried.

Oh, by the way, there tactics were not to say they oppose it for the same reason they oppose abortion, but rather it would cost the tax payers money for funding and that it was allowing absolutely unrestricted research. Yeah, "this is not a cow".

8. President Obama: Bad News For the New Atheists and Other Fundamentalists

Comment #279120 by Ai Deng on November 5, 2008 at 3:00 pm

If Obama is bad news for the New Atheist, then what in holy hell do you call Sarah Palin?

9. Gay Marriage Outlawed in California

Comment #279098 by Ai Deng on November 5, 2008 at 2:34 pm

I'm straight and somewhat younger, in middle to young adulthood. I have always been surprised at the number of people who feel there is a need to define marriage exclusively between a man and a woman. My father is not religious, has no problems with allowing gays to have civil unions, but also feels it is the explicit definition that marriage is between a man and women. My only answer to this is perhaps it is a generational meme.

In debating this with those who oppose the ban, I find myself always at the same end. They say the definition of marriage is between a man and a women. That is what it means to them, or more likely that is what they want it to mean to them. But my question remains why? And all I can get in response is 'just because, that's the definition'. And I retort, but why?

We changed the definition of Pluto as a planet not long ago, it held some sentimental sway among some, and there were those who refused to consider it otherwise. Perhaps there's an element of this in people's minds, coupled with ceaseless homophobia.

10. Citizen Enforcers Take Aim

Comment #263176 by Ai Deng on October 10, 2008 at 11:10 am

Swordmaiden,

I agree, there is absolutely a tendency to feel the need for retribution, and yet in reality I do not believe there is any. Like you said, bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people, and karma though sometimes self fulfilling, is generally just the manifestation of hatred.

Recently I tried describing in a christian chatroom what I believe is a two-fold purpose of hell. First, to serve as a deterent. Second, it is form of hope for people who feel they have been wronged and can do nothing else about it. They crave vengeance. Unfortunately I didn't get a response.

11. Scientists confirm shark's 'virgin birth'

Comment #263075 by Ai Deng on October 10, 2008 at 8:10 am

A question popped in my head from this article...Does anybody know, or has there been any study related to how and why asexual reproduction was evolved out of more complex life forms? Any ideas?

12. Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess

Comment #260974 by Ai Deng on October 6, 2008 at 8:56 am

Hey Border Collie,

Are you an appraiser? I am, and in addition to the absolutely blatent fraud you described above in the mortgage industry, there are some other issues I would like to point out from personal experience. First, I'm an appraiser involved in commercial real estate. Our company has not done any work for banks in about five years now. 20 to 25 years ago, a bank job that would cost $5,000, a bank will only pay $2,000 today. This is the Detroit market, and this is no joke.

Appraisals often require in depth analysis, which can't be done for a profit with the current fees unless so much analysis is removed.

I said earlier I wanted to raise an example of the not so obvious fraud. Consider you are an appraiser, and you get all of your work from a bank. There is a strong element of, 'if I don't hit the value, I will be out of work'. So alot of appraiser are pushed into inflating values. Plus, there are alot of appraisers out there who do absolutely shitty work. To alot of lenders, its not about quality, its about timing, lowest fee, can I get the loan, lets get this meaningless appraisal out of the way so I can make my commission.

13. The Holy Laughter Anointing

Comment #248507 by Ai Deng on September 16, 2008 at 10:50 am

Who saw the child in the video? So I guess he is expected to feel the holy spirit rush thru him, and then won't daddy be proud.

14. The Holy Laughter Anointing

Comment #248505 by Ai Deng on September 16, 2008 at 10:46 am

NormanDeoring,

I agree, the problems can be a mixture of the method of the church itself, and/or human behavior. If the problem stems from human behavior, then religion is the tool. Nevertheless, I don't think this makes Richard Dawkins statement false, not that you said that it was.

15. The Holy Laughter Anointing

Comment #248499 by Ai Deng on September 16, 2008 at 10:31 am

Robert Maynard's post seems appropriate and accurate to me. Bottom line, she was put in place to draw on these voters bias, as well as that of the Hillary crowd.

16. Pope condemns 'pagan' love of money, power

Comment #247929 by Ai Deng on September 15, 2008 at 9:46 am

Hi severalspeciesof,

I had to look that up, Doctor Who right?

17. Pope condemns 'pagan' love of money, power

Comment #247919 by Ai Deng on September 15, 2008 at 9:25 am

So what's up with the streets in Heaven? You can't tell me they aren't paved in gold for any other reason other than materialistic desires.

18. Anthropologists Develop New Approach To Explain Religious Behavior

Comment #245348 by Ai Deng on September 10, 2008 at 2:36 pm

seanpboyd,

I wish I had more time to respond, but I don't, so this has gotta be short and end here for me. Your argument seems to imply that political philosophy is religion, and that the non-religious are in fact religious. Do you also believe that atheism is a religion? I would like to think that I could do something in life, say something emotional and caring, without religion swooping in and stealing my cake.

19. Anthropologists Develop New Approach To Explain Religious Behavior

Comment #245329 by Ai Deng on September 10, 2008 at 2:05 pm

"They found that the clearest identifiable effect of religious behavior is the promotion of cooperative family-like social relationships, which include parent/child-like relationships between the individuals making and accepting the supernatural claims and sibling-like relationships among co-acceptors of those claims."

I wonder if the book points out that religion is unnecessary for the promotion of such social relationships. A couple examples sharply in my mind include African American's in the 70' and 80's with the term "brother" or "sister". Second example, I've spent alot of time in China and know first hand the use of words like "little brother", "big brother", "big sister", "little sister", "paternal uncle", "maternal aunt", etc. Such terms can be used talking to complete strangers and have no religious basis.

20. Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial Worldview

Comment #241924 by Ai Deng on September 3, 2008 at 8:08 am

Of all the Republicans who ran for candidacy, MaCain was the less of alternative evils in my mind. His choice for a VP however, quite honestly scares me.

21. Museum in censorship row over Darwin sign

Comment #238661 by Ai Deng on August 28, 2008 at 12:57 pm

I'm sorry, if that was the 3rd paragraph in its entirety, I can't see where the offence was taken, which leads me to agree with the accusations that this is pandering.

22. Free Will vs. the Programmed Brain

Comment #233835 by Ai Deng on August 20, 2008 at 1:00 pm

I think Janus has it right in that

"I don't see how my not having free will changes anything. If I steal 10$ from my employer, that I couldn't have done otherwise doesn't change the fact that I stole 10$ from my employer."

Whether there is free will or not we still appear to be stuck in the same time line, and will still be faced with the same consequences. We still know that if we commit a crime, time marches on, and soon we will likely be facing unpleasant circumstances.

Wasn't there a similar topic in the movie K-Pax!

23. After Bibles seized, U.S. group won't leave Chinese airport

Comment #233129 by Ai Deng on August 19, 2008 at 6:57 am

Politically, I agree with Bonzai when he/she said "it is well within China's right as a sovereign nation to restrict what may enter its border." By "China's right" I take this to mean an accepted right. Realistically, there are no inherent rights, rights are fought and died for.

Philosophically, obviously it would be preferable not to have to ban anything, and to let those negative materials fall by the weight of their own doctrine. But consider for the sake of argument that you knew release of a document would result in a catastrophe. I know this example is extreme, but lets say someone created a cookbook which precisely illustrated how someone could create a nuclear weapon with common household materials. Is a country obligated to allow the distribution of such material under the pretense of 'freedom of speech'? Now you could poke a lot of holes here, saying someone will just sneak the material in, or you can hardly make a comparison between material A and material B, however the point is that a country has an obligation to protect its citizens.

24. After Bibles seized, U.S. group won't leave Chinese airport

Comment #232683 by Ai Deng on August 18, 2008 at 1:32 pm

In my experience, the lack of religious freedom in China is somewhat lacking. The religious freedom certainly doesn't exist to the extent it does in the western world, but the people are pretty much free to worship in the same ways. Its where organization comes into play that the differences appear, where the government feels the organization poses a threat to the country or government, and in some cases it may well be justified.

I'm really uneasy about the idea of missions and conversion. There is a lot of talk of Culture War here in the United States, but isn't it just the same thing going into a foreign country with a culture of their own and trying to convert them?

My wife, who is Chinese, expressed that her experiences with Christians in China were not bad. She said they taught her songs and other such things. But she thought the idea that she was born guilty or born into sin was ridiculous. She also told me about an experience she had with an old women practicing Falun Gong. When she was a youngster, like many she slipped and fell on her knees. An old woman approached her practiced in Falun Gong and told her to sit still. With her index finger pointing to my wife's knee from a distance of around 2 inches, she began to twirl her finger in a circular motion in an attempt to heal the wound. When it was over the old woman asked my wife if it still hurt, and being really scared about what this crazy woman was doing she responded "Yes!".

25. Camp Offers Training Ground For Little Skeptics

Comment #226709 by Ai Deng on August 8, 2008 at 2:27 pm

"As soon as someone mentions faith in an argument, the argument is over," says 15-year-old Ryan Lee, who skipped high school and is entering his junior year of college in Arizona. "Faith and the scientific method can't be combined in the same argument."


And the reason being has nothing to do with NOMA but rather that one side is just being intellectually dishonest.

26. Darwin's bulldogs

Comment #226463 by Ai Deng on August 8, 2008 at 5:48 am

Beautifully written Cartomancer. Its reminiscent of a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Aeroplane", 'I like pleasure spkied with pain....that mother#&%#@&# always spiked with pain'. Anyways, the song may have nothing really to do with the topic, I have no idea, just what I thought when I heard it long ago.

27. Pascal's Wager

Comment #215241 by Ai Deng on July 21, 2008 at 2:26 pm

I would like to highlight two points in response to Pascal's Wager. The first is covered by several of the previous posters here, being 'which faith do you choose?' Assuming equal probabilities of outcome, just for the purpose of argument, the chances are 50/50. Add a third possibility and your chances fall to 30/30/30. Furthermore, as a 'gambler', if you were wrong and choose the wrong faith, now you go to hell as well.

My second angle has to do with something Pascal's Wager ignores. If the believer is wrong, then they will never know they were wrong and 'no harm done'. But is this the case? Would this be true for someone who refused medical treatment to one of their children on religious grounds, and as a result the child died. Is this true for the masses of people who struggle to pay their bills while funneling their money to religious figureheads, only for the figurehead to use it to fund their own lavish lifestyle. Is this true of those indoctrinated into becoming suicide bombers, those who commit themselves to a abstinent life of celibacy or those who refuse to eat pork and shellfish on the grounds that the 'book' says it is unclean. Is this true when you consider the blockade those in the name of god are putting up against scientific research, reason and the advancement of society. I don't think so. Rather, the believer is essentially trading some aspect of the life they already have, for the 'hope' of another. From a certain point of view, one might argue that they have given up a part of the very thing they wished to be saved, that being their 'soul'.

28. Surgeon General Nominee Dismisses Homosexuality Paper

Comment #215238 by Ai Deng on July 21, 2008 at 2:23 pm

CocoCantare,

I completely hear what you are saying. Besides losing the chains of belief, what would be the reward or benefit your new friends are never going to accept you. His past should certainly certainly be a factor to consider in our judgement of who he is today, but we must allow for the idea that "people can change". That said, as you alluded to earlier, Bush supports him, and that is reason alone to bring out the microscope.