1. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #150218 by APPlet on March 26, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Happy Birthday Richard, sixty seven trips around our local star would have been a journey not available to most of our ancestors, but here we are; thanks to rationalism and scientific rigour we eat better, we understand the benefit of sanitation, we are able to heal ourselves to a certain degree and therefore can reasonably expect you to join us all for many more day-star orbits.

2. Gay scientists isolate Christian gene

Comment #150210 by APPlet on March 26, 2008 at 3:12 pm

What Sally said, Comment #150172

3. Richard Dawkins on five of his favorite books

Comment #134339 by APPlet on February 27, 2008 at 3:56 pm

al-Rawandi said, "Foucault wanted to make the age of consent 12 in France did he not? 12 at least for young girls.....pedophile."

Jean Bertrand Foucault (Foucaults Pendulum) may want to sue you for libel for your perfidious claim. Michel Foucault is your man. I wouldn't want anyone here to sully poor Jean Bertrand's name for that particular heinous offence.

4. Richard Dawkins on five of his favorite books

Comment #134134 by APPlet on February 27, 2008 at 10:06 am

Sent2null, great posting! The Quark & Jag is now on my list.
A Brief History of Time was once described to me as the most popular book not read. I confess I do have a copy, (two actually as I also have the illustrated version). I found it a bit tough and after several tries have never reached the halfway mark.
Good to see Mr. King on the list as well, great brain candy!
**************************************************
For anyone left reading this thread.......have you read Foucault's Pendulum? Is it a fabuously intricate story of intrigue or some academic masturbating by Mr. Eco showing off his cranial capacity?

5. Richard Dawkins on five of his favorite books

Comment #132668 by APPlet on February 25, 2008 at 5:28 am

PJG, I forgot about The Chrysalids, that was the first SciFi book that really resonated with me.
gcuJimmy, glad to see 1984, loved it and hated the subject matter.
Fire1974, have you tried Jennings book on Marco Polo, I forget the name.
Good to see clockwork orange on here a few times.
Thanks all, I need to print this thread off and get over to eBay.

6. Richard Dawkins on five of his favorite books

Comment #132197 by APPlet on February 24, 2008 at 12:48 pm

Jiten: Demon Haunted World was a life changing book for me, it is a great read for any sensible human being and a MUST read for any non-sensible human being. I also happen to be a big fan of Steven Pinker as well. I was looking for fiction though even if it is Stephen King. :)
Cheers!

7. Richard Dawkins on five of his favorite books

Comment #132179 by APPlet on February 24, 2008 at 12:23 pm

Ah, five more books to add to my contiually growing stack. A stack that is growing faster than it can be consumed. Having said that I would like to risk further becoming hopelessly behind. I visit this site daily and have learned much from the people posting. I wonder what fiction books each of you would consider to be in your top five.
Without giving it a lot of thought I will offer (without apology), mine:

1984 - George Orwell
River God - Wilbur Smith
Aztec - Gary Jennings
Salems Lot - Stephen King (I know, I know)
The Old Man and the Sea - Papa Hemingway

8. Defying Gravity in Science Class

Comment #127829 by APPlet on February 15, 2008 at 4:27 pm

How foolish :)

9. Defying Gravity in Science Class

Comment #127752 by APPlet on February 15, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Mildly amusing at best, but I whole heartedly support the idea of using humour to portray the foolish things people are asked to take on faith (as opposed to directly mocking the person).

10. 10 cc of atheism

Comment #124530 by APPlet on February 9, 2008 at 5:47 pm

Gotta like House. I would find it hard to see him in an overtly comic role however.

11. Interview with Neil Shubin, author of 'Your Inner Fish'

Comment #112658 by APPlet on January 17, 2008 at 5:12 pm

"We are constrained by the data."
Beautiful!!

12. 'Letter to a Christian Nation' now available in paperback

Comment #111447 by APPlet on January 14, 2008 at 4:18 pm

Herding cats is easy........make a sound like a can-opener.

13. Why (Almost All) Cosmologists are Atheists

Comment #110493 by APPlet on January 11, 2008 at 11:00 am

I think my journey as an amateur astronomer certainly didn't hinder my conversion to atheism.

14. Richard Dawkins on The Late Edition with Marcus Brigstocke

Comment #110465 by APPlet on January 11, 2008 at 8:46 am

LeeLeeOne you are most welcome, I assure you however I receive more from this site by far than what I put in.
The Stetson Kennedy reference comes from Steven Levitt's frequently maligned book "Freakonomics" (Chapter Two specifically). Whether or not Levitt is totally correct and disregarding Kennedy's self-aggrandizement, there is a lesson here. Imagine the satirical opportunities the atheist has that the deist is without. The Life of Brian immediatelty comes to mind. I just don't see how the religious can fight back. They could caterwaul that we are disrespectful and that bannings/boycotts should ensue but that just feeds the public interest. They certainly have nothing to satirize on our side as we have no gods/dogma/funny pointy hats/etc to parody. The use of humour, although seemingly harsh to the recipient of the joke is seen as more palatable by third parties than cerebral bashings or outright hostility. Although some may feel that Prof. Dawkins doing the popular circuit demeans the man and his contribution I feel the slight risk is worth the potential mass appeal and hopefully subsequent acceptance.
My avatar reflects my love of off beat humour, seafood and slimey head massages......Cheers!

15. Richard Dawkins on The Late Edition with Marcus Brigstocke

Comment #110391 by APPlet on January 11, 2008 at 5:20 am

If reasoned argument is ineffective in clarifying the absurdities embraced by the religious then perhaps satire should be considered the weapon of choice. Consider the effects of Jonathan Swift and more recently the works of Stetson Kennedy in trivializng the rituals of "honoured institutions".

16. Carl Sagan's COSMOS begins airing on Jan 8th

Comment #104410 by APPlet on December 28, 2007 at 1:00 pm

"I haven't seen a scientific study of this, but I suspect that more Americans have adopted critical thinking and abandoned superstition because of exposure to Carl Sagan than any other recent personality." from Comment 6.

Carl Sagan inspired me to adopt a secular humanistic veiw, specifically "The Demon Haunted World". This book should be required reading in at least the Grade 9 level. I own the Cosmos DVDs, they are a little dated but hold up remarkable well...........beelyawns and beelyawns....

17. Girl, 16, dies after hijab dispute with father

Comment #97497 by APPlet on December 12, 2007 at 7:40 am

Teen death highlights cultural tensions
PATRICK WHITE AND HAYLEY MICK

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

December 12, 2007 at 9:40 AM EST

Every day, young Muslims seek out Munir El-Kassem with questions.

Questions about faith. Questions about love. But mainly, questions about clothes.

"It's a constant," said Dr. El-Kassem, a London, Ont., imam and chaplain at the University of Western Ontario who often finds himself mediating between young Muslims and their more traditional parents.

"But it is the same in any culture, any religion: you cannot impose any kind of dress upon a teenager."

Late Monday night, one of those many conflicted Muslim teens died, succumbing to injuries she received at the hands of her own father, if the police version of events is true.

Friends said the 16-year-old Mississauga teen, Aqsa Parvez, had enraged her parents by refusing to don a hijab, the Islamic headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

Canadian Muslims condemned the slaying, calling it an extreme and reprehensible perversion of Islam.

But some said the cultural clashes that reportedly precipitated the killing - a teenager's rebellion against her strict, devout father - are playing out within Muslim families across the country and must be addressed.

"This is a wake-up call for law enforcement to tighten its grip on incidents like this," said Farzana Hassan, president of the Muslim Canadian Congress.

"The atmosphere is unfortunately there for something like this to happen again. People from back home are coming to Canada with these very rigid notions of religiosity that makes them do these things - that enrages them to ensure compliance to such an extent."

Ms. Parvez's friends told reporters the Grade 11 student would wear a hijab on the bus to school and change into Western-style clothing after arriving at Applewood Heights Secondary School in Mississauga.

The family infighting over her dress had become so intense that Ms. Parvez temporarily moved out of their two-storey Mississauga home in September, friends said.

Ms. Parvez's father, Muhammad Parvez, 57, appeared in a Brampton, Ont., court yesterday, charged with murder. Her brother, Waqas Parvez, 26, is charged with obstructing police. Police have so far refused to say how Ms. Parvez died.

The tragedy appears to be an extreme case of the cultural and religious clashes that roil many families in Canada.

"So many girls are trying to live a faith-based life within a larger secular society," said Ausma Khan, editor-in-chief of Muslim Girl magazine. "They are trying to fit in with friends and stay true to Islamic values. It can be a struggle."

Frustrated parents often phone Saudia Azeez of the social services department at the Islamic Foundation of Toronto with issues that face all parents of teens: missed curfews, slacking grades, too much time spent with a boyfriend, or pregnancy, Ms. Azeez said. Other conflicts are more culturally specific.

"It's unrealistic expectations sometimes," she said. "Parents come to a country and there's really the illusion that their kids are going to be just like them."

Seeking help can be difficult, Ms. Azeez said, because parents may feel ashamed, or don't know what services are available. There's also a need for programs geared specifically to minorities to accommodate language and cultural needs, she said.

In the past, that shame has led to murder - sometimes called "honour killings" - in other countries, but cases are rare in North America.

A court in British Columbia convicted Rajinder Atwal of murder in the July, 2003, stabbing death of his 17-year-old daughter, Amandeep, who died shortly after she moved in with her non-Sikh boyfriend, whom she had been dating secretly.

There have been several high-profile cases in Europe, including the death of 20-year-old Banaz Mahmod, whose father and uncle were given life sentences in London this summer for killing the young woman whom they believed had shamed their family by leaving her marriage and finding another lover.

Tarek Fatah, the outspoken founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, said this type of violence against women will continue until certain religious leaders quit pressing young woman to wear headscarves.

"I put the blame straight at the feet of people who have made young Muslim girls feel that they are sinners if they don't cover their heads," he said. "How many more Muslim girls have to die before the liberal intelligentsia wakes up and the feminists wake up and say the hijab is a symbol of oppression?"

18. Girl, 16, dies after hijab dispute with father

Comment #97452 by APPlet on December 12, 2007 at 5:36 am

It seems as though the family somewhat backs the father as her father, Muhammad Parvez, 57, has been charged with her strangulation murder and her brother Waqas, 26, is charged with obstruction of justice.

19. An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins

Comment #96943 by APPlet on December 11, 2007 at 6:18 am

The girl in this story just died.....
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/284350

20. Orthodox Call on Sinners To Give Chickens a Fairer Shake

Comment #66727 by APPlet on August 31, 2007 at 6:49 am

If said pregnant woman is carrying twins must she then utilise three hens?

21. Hell is real and eternal: Pope

Comment #28037 by APPlet on March 27, 2007 at 4:44 pm

Hymn 42 from Monty Python's "Meaning of Life" springs to mind here....

Oh Lord, please don't burn us,
Don't grill or toast your flock
Don't put us on the barbecue
Or simmer us in stock
Don't braise or bake or boil us
Or stir-fry us in a wok ...
Oh please don't lightly poach us,
Or baste us with hot fat
Don't fricasse or roast us
Or boil us in a vat,
And please don't stick your followers
In a rotissomat ...