1. 'The Genius of Charles Darwin' DVD (PAL Region 2) Available Now

Comment #233962 by JonH on August 20, 2008 at 4:40 pm

In many books, Dawkins (and others) gives the answer to your question. Interspecies relationships typically have benefits to both species.

I don't really see why he would go into interspecies altruism, since the program was about our altruism to each other, not an elephants altruism to others species.

If you are curious as to why humans are altruistic to other species, it is hard to find altruistic acts towards other species in the first place, that aren't clearly beneficial to ourselves, but when you do, I would say Richards idea about are genes for helping kin extending to other humans (in this case other life forms) still holds.

In addition, just because something is not beneficial, does not mean it can not exist within light of evolution, especially when talking about behavior. Sometimes behaviors are not beneficial, but are there because some brain region evolved that supports multiple behaviors.

2. Richard Dawkins on The Late Edition with Marcus Brigstocke

Comment #109815 by JonH on January 9, 2008 at 8:10 pm

I found it rather amusing.

3. U.S. Congress Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith

Comment #97968 by JonH on December 12, 2007 at 10:53 pm

BAEOZ

We have a bill of rights and a supreme court for just that reason. They can pass a resolution all day long, but I don't think it really means anything. If a law is made that violates the seperation, then the supreme court will declare it unconstitutional.

4. Daniel Dennett Debates Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #93179 by JonH on December 2, 2007 at 11:31 am

How could anyone think Dinesh won? Or that he is even a good debater?

i think it's been pointed out his style (keep blurting nonsense so fast that the other guy can not catch up) but how on earth could someone come to the conclusion that he "won" the debate? clearly Dennet had better points than he did, and clearly Dinesh had plenty of fallacies. So how do you figure that Dinesh won? Or that Dinesh is even a good debater? He has not brought anything new, or original to the table. He has not brought forth ONE idea in support of christianity that has not been torn apart (most of them hundreds of years ago)so I just do not understand how anyone could say he beat Dennet.

You could say that Dinesh can talk more than dennet, and you can say that Dinesh can yell louder than dennet, but in no way, can you say that Dinesh presented his case better, argued better, or is smarter than dennet in any way shape or form.

5. When Congress Interferes With Science, Who You Gonna Call? (Hint: It's not Ghostbusters)

Comment #85972 by JonH on November 7, 2007 at 4:20 pm

Amen to that!

6. Sam Harris at AAI 07

Comment #82080 by JonH on October 25, 2007 at 4:42 pm

If anyones wondering who that dashing young man is, in the second question; It was me. :D

I agree with Harris. We should drop the Atheist tag, and if we HAVE to have one, it should be humanist.

Atheist has a lot of baggage, and I think it turns people away. I think proof of this can be seen with people who believe the same things we do, yet call themselves agnostic.

7. Hey Mom, I'm an Atheist

Comment #30960 by JonH on April 10, 2007 at 1:03 pm

As a teenager, I would just like to add that I am very knowledgable in my position as an atheist, and who are you EntropyGuardian to say that I am not just based on your own biaseness? Stop generalizing, until you've met every teenage atheist and know everything about them.

Sounds a bit holier than thou to me.