1. New discovery proves 'selfish gene' exists

Comment #197291 by Ilovelucy on June 21, 2008 at 3:34 pm

Nothing including Genes is either selfish or unshellfish. Everything just does what it does.

2. A New Jack Chick Tract: Moving On Up!

Comment #174737 by Ilovelucy on May 3, 2008 at 11:42 am

Love it! In the same way that every Godzilla film needs Tokyo to be destroyed, every Chick tract needs someone to be cast into the lake of fire to keep the punters happy.

3. Fossil find could be Europe's first humans

Comment #150999 by Ilovelucy on March 28, 2008 at 1:17 am

Even though the reporter had the good sense to talk to Chris Stringer, he needs to get up to speed on the Out of Africa theory or the more refined Out of Africa Again and Again Theory. As far as I know Antecessor is thought of as a link between Erectus and Neanderthal and has less to do with the later arrival in Europe of Homo Sapiens from Africa. It is strange that the reporter also states that this is evidence of the earliest human occupation of Europe and then goes on to mention the older Georgian fossils. All the confusion seems to come from the use of the term "human", and the reporter seems to think that Erectus weren't human.
As for the rest of you, isn't this interesting enough to discuss on its own without having to mention creationism? Sheesh...

4. Jesus saves

Comment #146801 by Ilovelucy on March 19, 2008 at 12:20 pm

I thought this article was going to be about a Brazilian goalkeeper.

5. Richard Dawkins on five of his favorite books

Comment #132273 by Ilovelucy on February 24, 2008 at 2:34 pm

Why can't yanks spell "favourite"?

6. Springer opera court fight fails

Comment #94604 by Ilovelucy on December 6, 2007 at 3:35 am

Comment #94342 by Northern Bright on December 5, 2007 at 11:36 am
avatarYet what's the betting that a substantial proportion of these "Christian Voice" people thought the Sudanese response to the teddy-bear-called-Mohammed incident a ludicrous overreaction and were praying like mad for the teacher's early and safe release? ,

7. This Friday: Debate between Dan Dennett and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #91706 by Ilovelucy on November 29, 2007 at 2:30 am

Oh, more importantly, what scripted opening point will Dinesh use in his first rebuttal? You know the kind, the one that's meant to be spontaneous. Will he use the mosquito in the nudist colony line AGAIN or has he actually come up with a new one?

8. This Friday: Debate between Dan Dennett and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #91704 by Ilovelucy on November 29, 2007 at 2:26 am

Dinesh is very into "winning" debates, Dennett isn't. For D'Souza, "winning" means cramming as many non-sequitors into a few minutes that if the other debater follows the lead, they can never deal with each one in detail in the time provided. So for all those that care about someone mopping the floor with Dinesh, it aint going to happen. You can expect Dennett to give a clear and thought-out argument, and may just pick apart the game of ontological Twister that D'Souza likes to play when debating. But Dennett will be in this to make his point clearly, not to be the one to carp about his "victory" for the months to follow.

9. The New Atheists on Organized Freethought

Comment #83409 by Ilovelucy on October 30, 2007 at 1:00 am

Nurse, a satire gland for this young man right now! We're losing him!

10. Face to faith

Comment #82844 by Ilovelucy on October 28, 2007 at 2:36 am

Comment #82840 by irate_atheist on October 28, 2007 at 2:28 am
avatarThe only reason I buy The Guardian these days is that it fits perfectly on the floor-space under our cat's litter tray. Appropriate, I feel.

11. The New Atheists on Organized Freethought

Comment #82765 by Ilovelucy on October 27, 2007 at 1:50 pm

Ha, unfortunately for some people you cannot take out a copyright on Gods non-existence.

12. The New Atheists on Organized Freethought

Comment #82744 by Ilovelucy on October 27, 2007 at 1:00 pm

Man on the street? Reminds me of what Sid Vicious said when asked why he didn't make music for the man on the street "I've met the man on the street, he's a c**t."

Seriously though, Richard Dawkins must be doing a bad job as the Chair for the Public Understanding of Science if he's not appealing to the man on the street. I don't think RRS appeal to the man on the street. Their strategy seems to be focused on disaffected teenagers. Nothing wrong with that, but let's not try acting like this is some big class issue or that their critics are part of some academic elite.

13. The New Atheists on Organized Freethought

Comment #82629 by Ilovelucy on October 27, 2007 at 3:29 am

Sapient wrote:
To the rest of the haters, Kelly wanted you to have this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcTU-yGf9IE (I concur)

14. The New Atheists on Organized Freethought

Comment #82628 by Ilovelucy on October 27, 2007 at 3:26 am

Comment #82567 by upsidedawn on October 26, 2007 at 6:37 pm
avatarI apologize for the sort-of-off-topicness, but I just wanted to thank ridelo and cebolla for providing still other annoying definitions of "atheist." Does anyone have access to the OED? I'd love to know the OED definition.

15. Sam Harris at AAI 07

Comment #82537 by Ilovelucy on October 26, 2007 at 3:52 pm

Actually, all the best work has already been done by attacking the issue head on without the atheist label. Dover Pennsylvania anybody? The recent UK homosexual discrimination laws are another example. The atheist bandwagon has done far less than this with respect to real progress, apart from book sales and youtube traffic. While I doubt I'll stop referring to myself as an atheist personally I'd like to borrow a phrase from Francis Crick's views on consciousness and re-pitch it towards religion "Take care of the easy problems and the hard problem will take care of itself" I'm with Sam on this one.

16. The New Atheists on Organized Freethought

Comment #82520 by Ilovelucy on October 26, 2007 at 2:34 pm

heathen2, you don't think Spinal Tap are a real band as well do you?

17. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #81637 by Ilovelucy on October 25, 2007 at 1:40 am

I actually think Sam Harris is the ideal choice for debating D'Souza. D'Souza's main tactic is to try and rattle his opponent with spurious claims, Harris is a very difficult man to rattle in contrast to Hitchens and Dawkins.

18. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #81633 by Ilovelucy on October 25, 2007 at 1:38 am

After listening, I think Hitchens did just fine. The only way in which D'Souza looks better is because there is a largely Christian audience and that he had the good luck to be given the last word every time by a moderator that got his arse handed to him by Hitchens a few months ago.

19. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74959 by Ilovelucy on October 1, 2007 at 8:10 am

Hello Yorker, Sapient , Veronique et all,
Well, as promised, I went and found my inner Yoda, comment on the posts of the past 24 hours I will.

First off, let's remember that this is the official website of Richard Dawkins, and while the prof has definitely shown strong support and affinity with the RRS, his style is very different. Therefore I don't see why it is such a shock and scandal that enthusiasts of Dawkins should express their dissatisfaction with the style and method of the RRS, especially when the RRS are prominently featured in the RDF website's headlines.

Is the expression of distaste an unnecessary or negative thing? I don't think so, the expression of atheists turned off by the RRS will only echo the distaste of fence sitters with similar problems, people that are reachable but not by the RRS. Does this mean the Responders should change their style to accommodate this? Of course not, and yet the voicing of such criticisms may just inspire someone else, even the critic themselves, to take up that task ( perhaps we are already seeing such a beginning with the stirrings of the Coffee House Philosopher Atheists, or has it already split with the Public House Philosopher Atheists?)

The only way of reaching some people is to tap into their sense of outrage and revolutionary zeal, but that doesn't work for everyone. I myself was taken in by "A Devil's Chaplain". Sure, in that book Dawkins doesn't hide his disdain for irrationality, but alongside this is the poetic expression of his awe at the workings of the universe and ultimately a devastatingly beautiful letter to his daughter. Like all burly working-class men who've spent their life doing manual jobs, I'm a huge softy at heart and if it wasn't for this brilliant appeal to emotion as well as rationalism I would've remained in a pantheist-agnostic torpor. I've not seen anything of the RRS output that has the same effect, though I've not viewed everything they've put out so I'd be glad to be proved wrong on that. Once again, I'd like to re-iterate that I'm not from a well off academic background, but it's interesting that people of this persuasion are immediately assumed to be anti-intellectual.

As for being a coward, it's not hard to find out my identity, follow the link in my profile or even the one I've posted on this thread, my only need for a pseudonym is to show off my love of palaeoanthropology and cheesy puns. Why should I post my criticisms elsewhere when the RRS and their supporters seem perfectly able to visit these boards and express themselves, nothing is hidden, what's the problem? One thing I like about these boards is that the stand on ad-hominems means that you have to attack the point not the person.

Finally, I'd like to apologise for my snotty tone in some of the earlier posts in this thread. I have no problem with people responding in the same way that I responded to snotty critics of my first book of poetry: "Thanks for the critiques, I'll mull them over some time, but for now...go fuck yourself!"

Niall

PS. I see the current agreed title is the Coffee/Alehouse Philosopher Atheists' Club ("CPAC"), I was thinking of going for the Coffee House Atheist Philosophers (CHAP), or is that a bit sexist? Is it all getting a bit like the Judean People's Front?

20. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74741 by Ilovelucy on September 30, 2007 at 7:54 am

Well, I would be a hypocrite if I criticised someone else's methods and then went on to employ the very methods I was attacking. I need to go off and find my inner Yoda before replying. Reply concisely later I will. Hmmmm.

21. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74734 by Ilovelucy on September 30, 2007 at 7:22 am

Angry post deleted by poster who needs to calm down before he tells Yorker where his balls are

22. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74699 by Ilovelucy on September 30, 2007 at 2:53 am

The "style over substance fallacy" has been brought up a few times and I think the people that bring it up are missing the point. Logical fallacies are important and relevant within the confines of formal debate. The logical fallacies are legion and very tricky to avoid. But we are taking about high profile campaigning aimed towards the masses and when we operate on that level, style is everything. The RRS know this, being that they have heavily tilted their stylistic radar towards a certain generation of American teens, the incorporation of Greydon Square seems like an attempt to appeal to more African Americans but will probably end up snaring more of the white kids that make up the audience for "conscious" hip-hop. This is all to do with style. I guess the point being made here is the style of RRS as well as their eagerness to brand any critics as "haters" (Messiah complex anyone?) happens to annoy many atheists, who luckily have many more options for their support such as the Secular Society (founded 1866 lest we forget), even though many of the RRS supporters seem to think the RRS are the only people "doing something".

23. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74480 by Ilovelucy on September 29, 2007 at 4:50 am

I cant believe that this has descended from an engaging debate about the usefulness of the RRS to atheist causes to a spate of petty pimping for myspace profiles. It makes me so mad I feel like listening to a brilliantly gifted London-based spoken word artist do a one hour set in Berlin.

www.myspace.com/niallosullivanpoetry

24. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74350 by Ilovelucy on September 28, 2007 at 7:57 am

I'm with you _J_, I meant Derrida free in the same sense as caffeine-free, shoulda used the hyphen! Or de-derridanated...

25. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74349 by Ilovelucy on September 28, 2007 at 7:53 am

"Comment #74344 by LB on September 28, 2007 at 7:46 am
At the risk of being called a bastard and a wanker, I'm with steve99 on this one."

Far too British! It'll be "fucktard" or "hater", you might also have something nasty said about you on Youtube! Be afraid!!!!

26. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74345 by Ilovelucy on September 28, 2007 at 7:49 am

Coffee House Philosopher Atheists!! Now that's a herd I'd like to be part of! Mine's a triple espresso with a twist of Popper! Derrida free, of course.

27. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74325 by Ilovelucy on September 28, 2007 at 6:08 am

They do visit this site and they're very capable of defending themselves. I expect to be called a "fucktard" any day now.

28. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74315 by Ilovelucy on September 28, 2007 at 5:28 am

There seems to be a common misconception that criticism is the same as preventative action or destruction. It isn't. No-one here has made an attempt at stifling the expression of RRS. They've only made a pretty common criticism that their methods are sophomoric and actually provide a readily available strawman of the atheist as some stroppy teenager that has slammed their bedroom door in disgust but will one day grow out of it. And there are plenty of groups and societies already doing a great job of representing secularism, The National Secular Society has been doing so since 1866. The Atheist Community of Austin are pretty impressive too, Matt Dillahunty is a far more witty, compassionate and articulate spokesman than Mr Sapient IMHO.
There is a lot of talk also about critics of RRS being evasive cowards that are ready to be trodden on by the theist agenda. Utter bollocks. I have my own ways of making my opinion known and anyone trying to restrict my secular freedoms can come and have a go if they think they're hard enough.

29. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74106 by Ilovelucy on September 27, 2007 at 8:42 am

_J_

I don't see the humble border collie losing its job anytime soon ;)

30. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74100 by Ilovelucy on September 27, 2007 at 8:31 am

Hi Yorker,
as you can see I removed the webcam comment because I thought it was silly as soon as I wrote it. That's one greasy chip on my shoulder that has no bearing on the issue.
Niall

p.s. seriously, a "herd" of lions? A pride might number more than one, but not the vast number usually associated with the term "herd". I know....semantics...

31. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74093 by Ilovelucy on September 27, 2007 at 8:04 am

I feel that I'm in "a good position" to criticise RRS, though like many of their atheist critics I wouldn't dream of restricting their efforts one iota. More power to them, yadda yadda yadda. It's obvious they bust their arses in what they do.
I do a lot of public speaking and I've never smothered my views to avoid offending an audience. I've spoken out on many issues, most recently on the recent furore over hybrid embryos in the UK. Before that I got involved in protest against the attempts of religious institutions to become immune to the homosexual discrimination laws. However, criticism should be judged rationally on its own merit, not by the merit of the person that uttered it.
I am not "at war", I take things on an issue by issue basis and if religious or irreligious people want to join me on each issue, good on them. Right now my heart is with some monks in Burma. Anyone who has a problem with that is welcome call me whatever they like. That's a freedom you have a right to, no-one should try taking it away.

32. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74089 by Ilovelucy on September 27, 2007 at 7:42 am

So Yorker, where can I go to find these lion-herds? Their migrations must be terrifying.

33. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #73975 by Ilovelucy on September 27, 2007 at 1:14 am

I like the idea of not pulling punches too, but I'm not a fan of the sloppy, ambling punches the RRS throw. It is often pointed out that Hitchens is just as aggressive in his attacks as the RRS, but Hitchens' attacks are witty and eloquent, and always catch the opponent on the chin. It's like comparing Joe Calzage's calculated pugilism to some half cut, middle aged Leyton Orient fan throwing a badly aimed paw down the local Wetherspoon's.

34. Against the grain: There are questions that science cannot answer

Comment #71916 by Ilovelucy on September 20, 2007 at 12:08 am

Thirty years on after her original baseless rant, Midgley either still hasn't properly read the Selfish Gene or is deliberately misrepresenting it.

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

Comment #63072 by Ilovelucy on August 13, 2007 at 4:18 am

Richard Madley is a comedy god. We get two moments of greatness in this clip

1.Richard Madley- Do you believe that any palm reader, any gypsy rose, any of that lot...

2. Judy- We're losing our belief in God
Richard M- (gesturing towards Dawkins) Well, that's because of him!

Judy had a face like a smacked arse throughout the whole interview, her cross was very wonky by the end.

They finished the show with a segment about dancing dogs. Fantastic.

36. Public Debate on Complexity and Evolution

Comment #61184 by Ilovelucy on August 4, 2007 at 4:14 am

Monoape, you seem a lot more curmudgeonly than the lovable scamp in your avatar...

Ninth!

37. CNN Debate on Koran in Toilet

Comment #60206 by Ilovelucy on August 1, 2007 at 10:09 am

First!

38. Boxmind E-Lectures

Comment #35846 by Ilovelucy on April 29, 2007 at 3:49 am

Well, that was one big intellectual cock tease of a bulletin. Anything else?

The God Delusion 2 follow this link!!!!

After following the link a page comes up saying the dog's eaten it...

39. Two idiots get a forum

Comment #35637 by Ilovelucy on April 28, 2007 at 3:50 am

When i first saw that video I thought it was a spoof. I even thought that Comfort was actually being played by Harry Shearer of Spinal Tap/Simpsons fame.

40. The Archbishop whose words came from same hymnsheet as a Marxist

Comment #25069 by Ilovelucy on March 10, 2007 at 2:05 am

It's interesting to see that the Catholic church operates like any other political system, replace spin doctors, civil servants and speech writers with a feckless chain of anointed Vatican scribes and you get the same thing. Other priests researched reviews of The God Delusion, info was collated and the speech was written, proof read and edited, finally the Archbishop went through it with his advisers and decided which personal syntactic tweaks would best suit his own oratory style. The spirit of Nicea lives on.

41. Science, Faith, and Evolution

Comment #24868 by Ilovelucy on March 9, 2007 at 1:18 am

Anyone who remembers the relevance of Ken Miller's testimony in the dover ID trial will ultimately welcome Christians such as Dowd. If the quote about the human mind being a phenomena of the universe becoming aware of itself had been attributed to Carl Sagan, no-one would have said boo. That said, I agree with bruno's comments, perhaps Dowd is yet to fully shed the products of his indoctrination.

42. Why there are almost no genuine atheists

Comment #24563 by Ilovelucy on March 7, 2007 at 9:40 am

Atheists use the prefix "ought" when speaking. Shit! It must mean we have our own set of ethical values!!!! Yeah, that's right, atheists with ethical values!!!! Because it stands to reason that atheism means you eat babies and put chewing gum on public benches!!!! Ethical values, where could we have got those from? It must be God!!!! What amazing logic!!!! Hallelujah!!!

For f**k's sake....

43. James Cameron finds grave of Jesus & Son

Comment #23237 by Ilovelucy on February 27, 2007 at 4:13 am

I have to say, fascinating though this is, it seems to be missing a vital ingredient. Maybe James Cameron will pep it up a little with a poor boy/rich girl romantic plot device just in case us plebs get bored of all that history stuff...

44. Ancient boy's skeleton sparks evolution debate

Comment #21105 by Ilovelucy on February 7, 2007 at 3:12 pm

I don't see this pettiness as a problem. A new generation will get the opportunity to see a true wonder, a far more important artefact of human history than anything in the British Museum. Try telling a child not to do something, they'll do the opposite. Tell a child that the fascinating creature on view isn't an ancestor, the child will make up their own mind one day.