1. Evolution: God as Genetic Engineer

Comment #49187 by severnaya on June 10, 2007 at 11:52 pm

Personally, I think that challenges on scientific grounds to Darwinism from religious believers should be welcomed so that they can be shown to be wrong in the light of reason and evidence. Such a dialog is in the nature of science and more fruitful than trying to argue with those who rely on revelation as their authority. Any scientific theory which survives such challenges is the stronger for doing so. For this alone, even though I may completely disagree with Michael Behe, I am grateful for how he chooses to exercise his academic freedom.

2. A hundred residents of a Russian village have refused to switch to new passports because they believe the documents' bar codes contain satanic symbols

Comment #27531 by severnaya on March 25, 2007 at 7:28 am

Life in Putins Russia is hard enough that I sympathise with these people who no doubt believe their immortal souls endangered by signs of the devil in the mafia state which rules them. Due to their irrational beliefs, they may misinterpret these symbols; but I am not sure they are wrong to see evil around them given the times they live in.