Comments by doodinthemood

1. Sam Harris debate with Rabbi David Wolpe

Comment #107686 by doodinthemood on January 5, 2008 at 1:37 am

Good moderator, which is odd in these debates. One thing did annoy me though, he interrupted the argument about different "beliefs" near the start when I was really interested in that.

2. Survey finds most Americans believe Jesus born of virgin

Comment #102479 by doodinthemood on December 23, 2007 at 1:52 am

About the 15%:
You need to know what the question was. A question like "was Jesus' mother a virgin when he was born?" could easily get a 15% 'yes' response from atheists, while they do not believe in it. As someone said above, "where does father christmas live?" would get an almost 100% 'lapland' from non-father christmas believers.

It's a shame we cannot directly access the survey to see the questions and answers given, and the justification for the 15% stat.

3. Merry Mithras 2007

Comment #96802 by doodinthemood on December 10, 2007 at 11:48 pm

This was from some 4 or 5 years ago, it's surprising it's only turned up now. But it's still great. I remember watching it with my Christian relatives. That was a tad uncomfortable.

4. Colouring book warns kids of pedophile priests

Comment #95383 by doodinthemood on December 8, 2007 at 8:17 am

Man, how unhelpful is that booklet? It puts out the message that all child molestors are people you don't know, your parents don't know, and go around smiling like lunatics. It has a "find a friend" bit with loads of non-threat people. IE. people who are drawn smiling, and have police officer's uniform or some such thing.

What if your brother molests you and you don't like it? Well, your brother is a friend, so that's fine. What if a priest keeps rubbing your belly and you don't like it? The bathing suit test does nothing!

I don't see the need for stereotyping in productions like this. Much better advice is just don't give people an undue amount of trust. And if something you don't like happens, draw attention to it.

5. Colouring book warns kids of pedophile priests

Comment #95043 by doodinthemood on December 7, 2007 at 8:15 am

I can't quote properly, so, nails said this:
"Surely they must look really hard into why preists are so much more likely to abuse children than the anywhere else in the population. There has to be a reason - is it the celibate lifestyle or are paedophiles more likely to seek out such work?"
There are numerous links if you think about it - paedophiles get put in solitary confinement when they go to jail and church provides a change of scene, paedophiles become priests deliberately to get close to children, paedophiles are so upset about their orientation that they go to a god for help...

It's not necessarily the fault of the church that these things occur either.

6. Sam Harris seems like a nice fellow, but very confused

Comment #77382 by doodinthemood on October 9, 2007 at 7:12 am

Hopefully this disagreement will dissuade the people who do little more than mirror everything the four musketeers say from taking everything they read/hear for granted, and actually analising critically, not just concepts they disagree with, but concepts they agree with.

I disagreed with much of "the end of faith" but it didn't change the fact that it was brilliant, thought through, well worded and logical.

Free-thought shouldn't be left for four men to be getting on with. Let each individual do likewise and end the platitudes once and for all!

7. Debate between Richard Dawkins and John Lennox

Comment #76252 by doodinthemood on October 5, 2007 at 8:36 am

Very easy question:

with very obviously illogical arguments, why isn't everyone an atheist?

Very hard question:

Satisfy the above without insulting humanity.

8. Youtube hater, I respect your right to free speech.

Comment #70558 by doodinthemood on September 16, 2007 at 3:51 am

Veronique,

I think you misread my post. Misread it horrendously by the looks of things, because you start by accusing me of being elitist, and then continue by doing little more than rephrasing what I'd said.
"RRS caters for a group of people who have no other voice" would have worked well as a summary line at the end of what I'd written.

9. Youtube hater, I respect your right to free speech.

Comment #70546 by doodinthemood on September 16, 2007 at 1:59 am

I think Brian Sapient is pretty good as a representative for, how should I put this, simpler minded peoples. It's easy to look at Dawkins and think "He knows so much about science it scares me" or Harris and think "He knows so much about politics it scares me" or Hitchens and think "He scares me". Sapient offers a bloke-down-the-street atheist philosophy.

10. RELIGULOUS: A Conversation with Bill Maher and Larry Charles

Comment #69966 by doodinthemood on September 13, 2007 at 11:55 am

"See Penn and Teller's "Bullshit" episode on PETA. You can find it on you tube. Judge for yourself."

I've watched that, now I present doodinthemood's "bullshit" episode on hospitals.

Hospitals claim to be healing people, but I've looked at their taxes, and it actually turns out LOADS of people die in hospitals. In fact, more than any other building. Does this sound like they're caring? I don't think so.

Bullshit makes good cases some times and just drones on and on with baseless propaganda other times.

11. Scientists' Good News: Earth May Survive Sun's Demise in 5 Billion Years

Comment #69965 by doodinthemood on September 13, 2007 at 11:51 am

I guess I'm the first poster who found the small crumb of science behind this buttered up writing quite interesting. How did a planet survive the expansion?

12. The Flea Circus moves to your iPod!

Comment #69188 by doodinthemood on September 9, 2007 at 11:46 pm

LordFenriz,

Apologies, I misunderstood where you were going. I agree with you about the arguments, but until one of these arguments is decent enough to gain some sort of populist or scientific attention, I feel pewkatchoo's reason for assuming the book is complete rubbish is a reasonable one. All the fleas before this one have lived up to expectations.

13. The Rise of Atheist America

Comment #68889 by doodinthemood on September 9, 2007 at 3:05 am

"arrogant denial of God and condemnation of religious people characterize today's popular atheist books...'breaking the spell' by Dennet"

WHAT??? It's an understandable, if irrelevant point to make about Hitchens, Dawkins and Harris, but throwing in Dennet just for good measure makes no sense at all. I cannot find one point in breaking the spell that includes either arrogant denial of God or a condemnation of religious people.

14. 'Incredibly lucky' find yields important fish fossil

Comment #68750 by doodinthemood on September 8, 2007 at 12:26 pm

"did god of the gaps lose another gap?"

come on, let's be realistic. God of the gaps is going "WTF is the Paraclupeidae? Sounds like something gays get infected with, LOL!"

15. Interview with Richard Dawkins and John Cornwell

Comment #68488 by doodinthemood on September 7, 2007 at 9:17 am

It's times like this that remind you just how much you love Alister Mcgrath. This attempt to counter Dawkins wasn't even that, it was some wild stab at a character that could only exist in a hypothetical asylum. The problem is, I can't help but think it's a very pursuasive wild stab for some people.

16. Honest Mistakes or Willful Mendacity

Comment #68230 by doodinthemood on September 6, 2007 at 12:39 pm

I wish both sides would stop throwing down pedophilia as an evil absolute.

17. The Flea Circus moves to your iPod!

Comment #68124 by doodinthemood on September 6, 2007 at 7:52 am

LordFenriz:
Yes, I would be more inclined to look at Philip Johnson's literature on ID than I would the literature produced by the priest of my local church.

(Your argument seemed to be based on me not doing, so I hope you don't mind such a short reply.)

18. The Flea Circus moves to your iPod!

Comment #67821 by doodinthemood on September 5, 2007 at 12:17 am

I think your likening of pewkatchoo's statements to criticisms of Dawkins are misplaced. Look at them:
"Dawkins knows nothing about theology, so cannot comment on God." - This is because God need not be a theological question. Whether or not there is a god can be answered through logic and reasoning. As a successful scientist, Dawkins shows that he is not just capable of logic and reasoning, but very intelligent logic and reasoning, and so it's worthwhile to hear his views.
"The iPod tutor knows nothing about anything past website design, so cannot comment on Dawkins." - Differing from the last statement that it gets likened to, a criticism of Dawkins would need knowledge of something past website design. A theologian could give a criticism. A theist scientist could give a criticism. An atheist could give a criticism of style. All these criticisms would be worth looking at, because they come from specialists of a greater understanding than myself of the respective stances. Had the iPod tutor done something on website design, it may be worth looking at, but this probably isn't.

19. The God Delusion One-Year Countdown

Comment #67656 by doodinthemood on September 4, 2007 at 7:25 am

Is there a typo, or is "freakenomics" still selling hundreds of copies a week after two years? Maybe NYT bestseller list calculation has a loophole that's been exploited somehow?

20. The Flea Circus moves to your iPod!

Comment #67605 by doodinthemood on September 4, 2007 at 2:00 am

I listened to the audio sample.
The flag point from page 1 went completely over me, and I assume that was intentional. It seems to have been included just so people get the tutor to find out what on earth any of those terms meant.
The flag points from page 5 were just weird. "Dawkins says he needs to justify his use of the word delusion, but then doesn't, he just gives the dictionary definition." - Pretty much the whole of the book is the justification. That's like saying the bible is supposed to give us guidance, but it doesn't, it just says the world was created in 7 days...

21. Christopher Hitchens on BookTV

Comment #67587 by doodinthemood on September 4, 2007 at 12:27 am

3 hours in ten minute chunks? Crucifiction sure works hard.

22. The Flea Circus moves to your iPod!

Comment #67447 by doodinthemood on September 3, 2007 at 1:22 pm

6. Comment #67425 by jonboy
What no Hitchens or Dennett flees?

How's about "God is not Gay: How Hitchens sooo is"

23. Cartoons from Evolution: a journal of nature 1927-1938

Comment #67241 by doodinthemood on September 3, 2007 at 12:18 am

I found the most striking one the "uninterested scientist" one. It actually seems to have taken him some 60 years to wake up.

24. Christopher Hitchens and David Allen White discuss the impact of Christianity on Western Civilization

Comment #63578 by doodinthemood on August 15, 2007 at 12:37 am

Such atrocious audio quality I can't really be bothered with it unfortunately. Why can't these shows get the guys in the studio with a mic rather than have them on the flippin' phone for that long?

25. Richard Dawkins and the New Age fakers

Comment #63455 by doodinthemood on August 14, 2007 at 12:11 pm

I would watch the show, it all becomes clear part way through. The reason Dawkins is so angry is because he's a Leo. You can't trust a Leo.

26. Interview with Richard Dawkins about 'The Enemies of Reason'

Comment #63331 by doodinthemood on August 14, 2007 at 12:19 am

How can those two be married? They come across like polar opposites on this.

27. Richard Dawkins and the New Age fakers

Comment #62734 by doodinthemood on August 11, 2007 at 4:23 am

It's rather strange. I read this and cannot help but think "Randi Randi Randi"

28. Charles Brooker's screen burn

Comment #62724 by doodinthemood on August 11, 2007 at 2:51 am

.... trippy. "but what would a rag doll do all day in a rag house"... *mice start dancing* "do do do doooo" And then came the line:
"no no no. You are not being serious, and this is a serious question."
Which has me convinced. Maybe Brooker has discovered where Prof. Dawkins got the idea for his look from...

29. Another Flea is Born

Comment #62716 by doodinthemood on August 11, 2007 at 1:19 am

Looking into it, the book approaches the subject from the perspective of "atheism causes atrocities"

I found this laughably horrific video by the same guy who wrote this book. It sums up the arguments nicely: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=12041302

30. Another Flea is Born

Comment #62505 by doodinthemood on August 10, 2007 at 2:08 am

An explanation of the cover:
Darwin - Nonconformist Christian to Agnostic. Understandable as he made atheism a much more logically supported position than it was before.
Sewell - What the heck? Sewell is a catholic who has written about how he considers the secularisation of British education to be a bad thing. The artist may have been aiming for Bertrand Russel and got it a bit wrong.
Marx - Finally an atheist. The fact that he didn't really further the cause of atheism at all, but concerned himself much more with politics, can be ignored. After 3 people, they finally get an atheist.
Stalin - Atheist, but even less important than Marx. Marx wrote about some philosophy, which could be considered an atheist stance. Stalin did absolutely nothing.
Mao - See Stalin
Harris - Actually does write about atheism and positively acts for atheism. The only guy on the cover who's really relevant, unless you accept the idea that Brian Sewell was actually Bertrand Russel drawn poorly, in which case there are two.

31. Eight-million-year-old bug is alive and growing

Comment #62133 by doodinthemood on August 8, 2007 at 9:48 am

Of course, the RDF is looking for a more broadened populist approach to science. I do find http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/ quite interesting sometimes, but this style of science cover needs to be replicated in news sources other than the internet.

32. Eight-million-year-old bug is alive and growing

Comment #62035 by doodinthemood on August 8, 2007 at 1:42 am

Fascinating, if rather dumbed down. ("Gene popsicles"...)

33. After Blair, Labour MPs opt for 'God Delusion'

Comment #61598 by doodinthemood on August 6, 2007 at 12:34 am

hehehe, is the last one in that list a joke?

And this is certainly promising. The recent UK petition to have indoctrination looked at by the government was met with a wishy-washy answer about how they felt RE was an important subject.

34. Response to the God Delusion

Comment #58013 by doodinthemood on July 23, 2007 at 1:57 am

The question is: Assuming this guy has read and understood Dawkins work, why did he remain this illogical? and, What would be able to make him think logically about the matter?

35. PZ Myers on Blogging Heads

Comment #57903 by doodinthemood on July 22, 2007 at 5:33 am

Anyone explain the George joke?

36. Can the rest of us have our planet back?

Comment #57788 by doodinthemood on July 21, 2007 at 2:55 am

When I heard this I just knew it would turn up on here. My favourite line was "stop pretending your celibate as a cover up for being a gay or a nonce"

37. Convict sues God for broken contract

Comment #56966 by doodinthemood on July 18, 2007 at 1:38 am

I swear this was the plot of a movie I didn't see...

38. Interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #56838 by doodinthemood on July 17, 2007 at 12:48 pm

People here have been watching too many Hicthens debates. She didn't thrash him, or beat him, or anything of the sort. This was an interview. He was asking feeder questions to give her a basis on which to explain her views and possibly iron out any problems the general public may see with them.

Interviews are not boxing matches where you beat the interviewer if you answer the questions well.

39. Interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #56817 by doodinthemood on July 17, 2007 at 11:52 am

Avi Lewis was great last time. Hope this is as good.

40. Butterfly shows evolution at work

Comment #56144 by doodinthemood on July 14, 2007 at 3:01 am

"And a very large and solid nail in the coffin of the creationists."

so much optimism! there have been things like this for a long while. Just think "god could have programmed butterflies to be able to do this. Now show me a crocoduck"

41. Won't anyone stand up for God?

Comment #54588 by doodinthemood on July 8, 2007 at 1:35 am

Read 7 paragraphs, got to "And atheism: the Nazi" then couldn't bare reading further. Did any of the rest of it stray out of ignorant rubbish?

42. 4 page German spread on The God Delusion

Comment #52462 by doodinthemood on June 27, 2007 at 4:27 am

Nobody else seems to have picked up on this but, why's everything in German, then "imagine no religion" the title?

43. The Stupidity of Fox News is Truly Beyond Belief

Comment #52459 by doodinthemood on June 27, 2007 at 4:25 am

hey, he's the first guy in a while who didn't say "I used to be an atheist". That's some improvement.

44. Hitchens vs. Hitchens

Comment #51249 by doodinthemood on June 22, 2007 at 4:26 am

For the record, Peter Hitchens did a documentary on David Cameron in which he interviewed Cristopher who agreed that they both dislike him, so they don't disagree on everything, quite :)

45. Richard Dawkins: Atheist

Comment #51000 by doodinthemood on June 21, 2007 at 1:54 am

Avi Lewis was really very good, especially in the audience debate. He seemed reasonably pressing and didn't come down too heavily on either side, allowing the relative rationalities of every view to shine, or be exposed as void.

46. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #50787 by doodinthemood on June 20, 2007 at 1:46 am

"It is true. I read it."

Unfortunately, that may possibly be the only thing I remember from this.

47. The Great God Debate

Comment #50143 by doodinthemood on June 15, 2007 at 8:32 am

The audio links by CanadAdam should be editted into the top of the post.

48. The Future Forum Presents: Christopher Hitchens and Marvin Olasky

Comment #49902 by doodinthemood on June 14, 2007 at 3:37 am

That's the first American I've ever heard say "Y'all"...

49. Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath

Comment #46495 by doodinthemood on May 31, 2007 at 1:13 pm

also "The way I would respond would be this"... It's an interesting catchphrase but it gets a tad annoying after a while :)