Comments by Frankus1122

Comment #159471 by Frankus1122 on April 12, 2008 at 8:54 am

But I am not sure if the very idea of a palace of reason,--the worship of "reason",--is that reasonable and rational at all.

Do you arrive at this conclusion by using reason?

552. Fleabytes

Comment #159468 by Frankus1122 on April 12, 2008 at 8:50 am

You can have an intellectual understanding of the world as you believe it really is based upon evidence that confirms your belief. 'Scientism' is flexible. If evidence appears that contradicts my current understanding of the world my scientist way of thinking will adapt to accept that new evidence and new understanding.
Science is committed to rational thought.

An authoritarian belief system is not.
There can be beliefs that completely contradict everything else we know and believe about the world but they must be accepted as truth because...well, because God said so. God's truth is beyond what we can rationally understand.
The problem with this is you need to have some rational basis for believing it.

My mind is not fettered by scientific thought. I can use patterns I see in the world around me and alter and combine them into fantastical creations. I do not believe the creations of my mind (or others as seen in works of fiction) are real.
There is nothing limiting my fantasy.
"Scientism' may limit my ability to believe my fantasy is reality.
I don't think that is cruel.

553. 'Expelled' ripped off Harvard's 'Inner Life of the Cell' animation

Comment #159446 by Frankus1122 on April 12, 2008 at 7:59 am

Comment #159280 by commonhumanity,

Thanks. I really enjoyed that.

I teach a class that tries to integrate visual art and media technology with other subjects such as history, geography, language, and science.

Could I use your poem for my class?

554. Fleabytes

Comment #159431 by Frankus1122 on April 12, 2008 at 7:25 am

Upon further research I find this:

Genethil Talenye
50th level Elf Enchanter
Savant

This is taken from some sort of game (?) The Dark Age of Camelot.

People here are weird.

I include myself in that characterization.

555. Fleabytes

Comment #159429 by Frankus1122 on April 12, 2008 at 7:15 am

I do learn a lot here.
Had to look up Albert Tatlock. I avoid Coronation Street. I've seen parts of it on the CBC but I am usually not that bored to sit through it.

As to 'genethilic', I also am stumped. My dictionary does not contain that word.
So I will abstain from using it in my birthday well wishes for Geoff.

EDIT: With a little further research- could be the case that Cartomnacer is wishing 'girlish'? birthday greetings?

556. 'Expelled' ripped off Harvard's 'Inner Life of the Cell' animation

Comment #159218 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 5:05 pm

Thanks Quine.

557. 'Expelled' ripped off Harvard's 'Inner Life of the Cell' animation

Comment #159195 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Dr. Benway,
Did you edit the second image?
I could have sworn they were identical a minute ago.
Also how do you embed an image in a post?

558. 'Expelled' ripped off Harvard's 'Inner Life of the Cell' animation

Comment #159087 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 12:29 pm

From Dr. Benway:

Note the emphasis in this thesis upon people rather than papers.

Good point. I made a similar one on some other thread (hence the praise).

IDers complain that no one will listen to them, that they are "not allowed" to have their ideas heard. But that is not the case from what I can tell. Any science they do (and there seems to be very little) has been shot down because it is bad science. I have read refutations of the irreducible complexity arguments that make sense to me.

They may have a point on some level however. It is like what happens here. Someone posts an opinion and is asked to back it up. They don't. They post more unsubstantiated opinion. We ask them to back it up. They don't. They post the same nonsense again and again. At some point you do refuse to listen. It is like the boy who cried wolf complaining that no one will listen to him. That may be true but there is a reason for that behaviour.

If any real science is done then the scientists can go through the process Dr. Benway listed above.

559. Reviews of Expelled

Comment #158969 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 9:07 am

Listen to the Mathis Podcast (thanks Frankus).

Thank Sossijj who first posted the link.

I am astounded by the singularity of purpose which blinds him to the truth of what he is doing.
If there is a case for Intelligent Design, make it.
As the SA guys said, that would have made a better film.
I don't think that ID has a case. It isn't even the case that they are being ignored. From what I have read all of their claims about irreducible complexity and the like have been answered. But there is a failure to see this on their part.
It is kind of like David Robertson posting on here that he has been banned from posting.
If we can hear you say, "You won't listen to us."
We've heard you. So instead of saying that tell us what your evidence of ID is.

560. Scientists take drugs to boost brain power: study

Comment #158963 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 8:53 am

Since this was an "informal online survey", who's saying these people are, in fact, scientists?

The survey shows only the behavior of those who answered it

This kind of thing really bothers me. Why are such surveys even conducted? The results cannot be considered accurate so what is the point?
People/news media pick up the 'results' and go from there. But the 'results' may or may not be accurate so they base opinions on ... what?

Maybe these scientists should take more performance enhancing drugs to actually design experimentts that will produce some worthwhile, accurate results.

561. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158955 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 8:29 am

but Nooooooo! He has to get complex.

I think Borges is taking the piss out of Christian certainty. Although it is hard to tell; he writes in a manner that leads you down paths only to double back and confuse you. (Well, me at any rate).

The certainty with which Christians claim the infalibility of their interpretations is shown up by Borges. There are multiple interpretations of the nature of Jesus from the thousands of Christain sects. He plops down a few versions of Judas; one of which is that he was/is God incarnate. The delightful thing is that he backs up his claims with scriptural reference and 'sound theological' reasoning.

I recommend a reading of this or any other Borges work.

562. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158947 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 8:00 am

I actually see Jesus as a very sympathetic figure, a man-god who betrayed genuine human emotions. In some way he was supposed to encapsulate the fate of man, with all his humanity and vulnerability.

Jorge Luis Borges wrote a short story called The Three Versions of Judas. The killer idea in it was that it wasn't Jesus that was the Word incarnate but someone who would suffer and be despised for the history of humankind; Judas.

563. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158942 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 7:55 am

Who wouldn't want to hang with him?

I mean 'hang' metaphorically, of course.

564. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158939 by Frankus1122 on April 11, 2008 at 7:50 am

As I said before, he had his good moments, but don't we all? He could also be a complete jerk. Again, so can we all. What I'm driving at is that many Christians (if I remember correctly, David Robertson is one) claim that it is the personality of Jesus that convinces them that he was/is God. I simply don't find that remotely persuasive. There is a myth that Jesus as shown in the NT was some sort of outstandingly wonderful character. I really don't find him that special.

Jesus,if you let him into your heart, is there with you 24/7.

Here is a quote from one of my favourite websites:

I've hung with too many people who want to give me this bunk that Jesus only hangs in the church, or when you petition him in prayer. They might think he shows himself in some really touching, special moment, like when your mom calls to tell you she loves you when you've been feeling lonely all afternoon. Or only sticks his head in when shit gets deep, like when you're gripping on some intense situation and whichever way you turn it looks like you're gonna get busted.
Well, that isn't what they taught me in Sunday school! Jesus is with me 24/7. There is no shaking the guy. Isn't that cool?

I posted this on another thread:
http://widerquist.com/hangnwithjesus/jesus.htm

There are some cool pictures of Jesus being a regular guy. Who wouldn't want to hang with him?

565. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158628 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 8:46 pm

Humans have a sex.

I have a friend who went out with an Italian boy named Massio.
His mother didn't speak English very well.
She called his home one day and the mother answered.
"Is Massio there?"
"Massio is a no homo."
"Yes, I know. I am his girlfriend. But is he there?"

That's it for me. I'm off to bed.

566. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158617 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 8:29 pm

Diogenes the First (400 BCE-ish) was a cantankerous provocateur but he wasn't an idiot.

Keep going D.I. Ogenes; you're halfway there!

567. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158601 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 7:59 pm

Comment #158595 by D.I. Ogenes,

Good. Now we are getting less troll-like.
You are beginning to use reason to lay out an argument.

However, others of groups will accept only those whom the consensus says will enhance the group.

So are you saying that if you use reasoned argument backed up with evidence you can stay in the group? I'll agree with that.

Those who become atheists do so because they lack any offering worthy of healthy minded folks of other groups.

Sorry, you lost it there. You can't join the group.

568. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158592 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 7:43 pm

Just for fun and because it is so easy:

The Shrewd know it well and profit from the Idiocy who fall for it

and

Richard:
But mum, I am so dumb. I get tricked so easily.

So our leader is both shrewd and dumb.
Good points. I see the logical consistency there.
Keep up the good work.

569. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158577 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 7:18 pm

"Diogenes syndrome, also known as senile squalor syndrome, is a behavioral disorder characterized by extreme self-neglect. It usually affects the elderly who live alone."

I hate the sin but feel sad for the sinner.

570. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158568 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 7:00 pm

Now I feel sad.

571. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158559 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 6:33 pm

I flagged this:

720. Comment #158506 by D.I. Ogenes on April 10, 2008 at 4:19 pm

572. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158557 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 6:16 pm

I flagged as a troll as well for the reason that nothing was offered.
No reason would get through.
Waste of time.

But I had fun eating him.
Who knew trolls could be so tasty?

573. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158546 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 5:43 pm

Murderous cannibalistic Atheist BASTARDS!

Jesus died for us.
Well, we sort of killed him.
Murder.
But he came back to life and we can eat him and drink his blood whenever we want if we just say the magic words.
Cannibals.

Hey! We're not so different after all.

574. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158539 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 5:29 pm

Thanks Goldy. My mouth is watering.
Besides being way more intelligent than IDiots we seem to be better in the kitchen as well.

575. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158538 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 5:25 pm

I suggest listening to the guys at Scientific America talking to Mathis after he took Expelled there for them to review.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-conversation-with-mark-mathis

They show him up for what he really is.

576. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158527 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 5:02 pm

lamb dhansak

I know what lamb is. New Zealand lamb can be found in my local grocery store.
What is dhansak?

577. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158523 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 4:58 pm

We can talk about him as though he does not exist. You know, ignore him even though we know he is there.

Just like we do with God.

(Look to my avatar if unsure about what I am saying).

578. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #158520 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 4:52 pm

Comment #158506 by D.I. Ogenes

No. No. No.
You are wrong at every turn.

Just a suggestion to others (which I know you will ignore ("Get in line cats!") but I'll say it anyway): ignore this guy.
He makes no attempt at any argument. He is a stupid, stupid ranter spewing nonsense.

579. Reviews of Expelled

Comment #158463 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Comment #158184 by Sossijj

I am listening to the link now. Pricelessly brutally good.
Mathis is weasely and the Scientific American guys are dead on sharp.
I am really enjoying this.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-conversation-with-mark-mathis

580. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #158408 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 12:57 pm

that's one less looney tune I'm sharing the country with :-)

Well, I'm not entirely sure abote that. A lot of people I know question my sanity.

581. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #158214 by Frankus1122 on April 10, 2008 at 8:16 am

To Steve and Zeke and Max and all:
Sorry. I was just joking around. It was late at night and I was a bit tired and feeling silly. I was assuming a 'voice' that obviously was not heard by all outside my head.
Steve, I do not think your marriage will lead to me marrying my non-existent goat. (Although I have friends who own a goat they call Frankie that I am rather fond of).
When the same sex marriage issue was first raised here in Ontario (and made legal) I got into discussions with my goat-owning friend's father. He was completely against same-sex marriage. We argued with him that it made no practical difference to our lives at all. It would not destroy our society but, in fact, make it better for all living in that society.
Witness the disapprobrium surrounding the MP whose 17 year old video tape where he denounces gays has received here; in marked contrast to the representative in the States who had 1000 backers and the Anti-Atheist representative from Illinois who felt she could freely criticize those without faith.
My point is that we are more apt to recognize and respect people in all their diversity as a result of things like legalizing same-sex marriage. It is now the norm here and I feel we are the better for it.

582. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #157933 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 7:13 pm

Comment #157930 by ZekeCDN

Incidentally, our society has not fallen apart and there's no sign of polygamy or marriage with animals being next on the agenda

Sorry Zeke.
Wrong.

How Long Before Polygamy (Formally) Comes to Canada?
http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2008/04/how-long-before.html

And:
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=8196bbd4-a140-43a5-a30d-bce23c146a1c&k=61964

"There's no point in criminally charging alleged abusers in B.C.'s polygamous community of Bountiful until the courts rule on the constitutionality of polygamy itself, a senior Vancouver lawyer has concluded."

We have the gay marriage and now the polygamy. It is just a matter of time before I can marry my pet goat.

583. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #157921 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 6:32 pm

What was with the man avatar standing in front of the building, then.

I sort of liked the old yearbook photo of the English school boy.
Now we get a tit's ass.

:) ?

584. The books that inspire me

Comment #157914 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 6:19 pm

I was going to post one of my favourite writers and, in particular, a story I just reread last night when I came across this:
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/mill1991/abc/004145.html
It is the Atheist Book Club.
Interesting.
My favourite writer is Jorge Luis Borges. The story I read last night is 'Three Versions of Judas'.
One of the posters at the above linked site says:
The three versions of Judas, by Sir Jorge Luis Borges, is Logic at its very best and thus challenge(s) the central belief of Christian theology and reveal(s) its incongruities.

In the story a theologian figures out that God could have chosen to become anyone as the 'Word'. The suffering of Jesus was brief; that of Judas is eternal. Therefore God as the Word was Judas.

As TomGoodfellow said of his choice: "lots of fun if not the lightest read you'll ever have." Very true of the work of Borges.

585. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #157895 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 5:34 pm

Hey! Mark Smith, I was going to say that I thought you were me posting in some alternate reality and you did it again.
Only other people here always express themselves so much better than me.

586. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #157893 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 5:32 pm

I'm not sure I should intrude here but what the hell:
I've just read the last 3 or 4 pages of posts.

Some weird stuff has been going on lately. Perhaps it is the influence of the moon or one or more of the planets.

You know when the police get a suspect they think is guilty and then do everything to try to prove him as such even though he may not be guilty in reality?
I think that may be happening here.
From a disinterested perspective I think mikejswalker is not guilty of the crimes of which he has been accused.
His explanations seem reasonable to me.
Dr. Benway, mike says he respects your opinions and I do too. You come off as a bit quirky which makes me like you all the more.
I think you are wrong here.
I hope you don't think me unchivalrous (is that a word? It is now), and MaxD please don't punch me but I did not take the meaning from mike's post that you did.

I haven't read right back to the beginning of this but I get the sense that some people thought it was funny that the guy tried to kill himself by bonking himself on the head with a log, and that they said they were sorry he didn't succeed.
If the guy is truly mentally ill then he needs some help.
But his chosen method of suicide is still funny.
As MaxD said: "ala Homer Simpson".

That's enough for now.

No. One more thing: Can we all kiss and make up?

587. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions

Comment #157730 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Comment #157713 by MPhil,

My father bombed Dresden. He said they used incendiary phosphorus bombs to ensure the city burned.
I do not feel responsible for the sins of my father but I do have a strong emotional reaction to the Dreseden bombings.
I used to hate my father when I was a youth. I was very anti-war. As I grew older I came to understand the necessity of what he did. I came to regard him as a hero. He was just a kid himself when he went on raids over Germany.
Things are not black and white always. Bombing Dresden was a shameful thing. Along with the Holocaust, it is something that should not be forgotten.

588. Fleabytes

Comment #157552 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 8:56 am

Shoot! I wrote up a post and it went away.
It was something along the lines of wondering why materialist atheists would worry about anything if we are all just dust. Why do we care if there is no ultimate meaning in our lives because we don't have God. I was taking a theist stance (perhaps setting up a strawman) to knock it down.
I don't know why we care but we do.
We regret things we have done (cringing at bad memories of past embarassments). Why? Don't know, but we do. Time tends to ease the pain of foolish things we've done. Friends with comforting words helps too. Humour helps me.
Things are important in the here and now because they are. We make it so.
Community is important. I'm sorry Richard Morgan did not find it here. Although I think it was/is here to be found.
For the record: I found Richard Morgan humourous - a 'character'.
I'm not an old man but I am not a young man. With age comes some degree of understanding; maybe even wisdom (although I am too young for that). Things are not always black and white, right and wrong.
I am rambling and perhaps not being as clear as I could be but it's my 2 cents.

589. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby

Comment #157512 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 8:04 am

Maybe the "walking with Jesus" guy meant something like this:
http://widerquist.com/hangnwithjesus/jesus.htm

590. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby

Comment #157444 by Frankus1122 on April 9, 2008 at 5:29 am

The man at the end who said he "walked with Jesus" and he was "annoited by the Holy Spirit" was summarily dismissed by Richard.
I can see why Richard did not want to engage with the man. They are not really speaking the same language.
What, exactly, does he mean by "I've walked with Jesus"? He cannot mean they literally walked down the street together on Monday, April 7, 2008. Jesus was wearing the traditional robes, sandals etc. So what does he mean? It must be a metaphor for some feeling he has.
I don't think the man is hallucinating as Richard said; he is deluded.

591. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157076 by Frankus1122 on April 8, 2008 at 2:37 pm

I think opinions and beliefs are subject to choice, so they can be exposed as false, in the hope the expressor of said opinions will gain a better level of insight and change their opinion for the better.

And yet the UN has declared that one cannot speak out against religious beliefs.

Religious belief is the one thing that really does seem to be a choice in the list of things that one is legally required not to discriminate against.

Not true: I think marital status is on the list as well.

592. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157062 by Frankus1122 on April 8, 2008 at 2:20 pm

Comment #157061 by Bonzai

I was just saying stuff to move on.
Yes there are kids who know more than a lot of adults. However, 13 year old kids were 6 when 9/11 went down. Barely aware.
The ubiquity of 'facts' can lead to a devaluing of them.
Are there certain things we should all know as part of a society?

593. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157056 by Frankus1122 on April 8, 2008 at 2:10 pm

yussell123,
Some of my students were discussing religion the other day in class. They were woefully ignorant of much of the facts about the world's religions. I tried to set them straight on questions they had (No, not all Buddhists are required to shave their heads).
When they asked me if I believed in God, I asked which one.
They didn't seem to understand what I meant.
Kids today are ignorant of a lot of stuff us older folk take for granted.

594. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157041 by Frankus1122 on April 8, 2008 at 1:57 pm

So I asked a question at the Cyber Bullying conference about legal issues regarding overlapping 'rights'.
Does the religious person who claims that homosexuals are deviants that need salvation in order to be healed free to express this opinion? Is it inciting hatred or discrimination? Am I free to say the religious person who holds such views stupid and deluded? I am inciting hatred or discrimination against them?

(Trying to move on here).

595. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157031 by Frankus1122 on April 8, 2008 at 1:50 pm

Whoever stops first wins!

596. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157007 by Frankus1122 on April 8, 2008 at 1:31 pm

I just got back from a conference on Cyber Bullying.
I was saying how this site was generally free of rants and mindless abusive name calling.

Ooops.

I suggested that the community can shape the environment in which they find themselves.
Could you guys stop this or take it to PMs?
I am sensitive and you are making me upset.
Have a nice day.

597. Get out of here, atheists!

Comment #156500 by Frankus1122 on April 7, 2008 at 5:00 pm

Saskatchewan MP Tom Lukiwski was the Canadian guy who said bad things about homosexuals. The funny thing is that he has been highly criticised all over the place and there have been calls for his resignation. This happened 17 years ago.
The Republican politician who said similar things recently had 1000 backers supporting her.
There is a world of difference between the USA and Canada.

598. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156391 by Frankus1122 on April 7, 2008 at 12:50 pm

Lately I've been wondering how many of my fellow Canadians are becoming concerned with the encrouching Christian fundamental movement that is migrating up across the 49th parallel

I am worried about the general lack of science based information getting to the PM; that and his Alliance roots.

I got this from a quick google search:

Re$earch Money reports that the Conservative government has fired Dr. Arthur Carty and closed the Office of the National Science Advisor. Carty was well-respected and took a strong stand for open access during his tenure.
You can get more here:
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/01/22/tech-science-advisor.html

On the question of YEC in schools: I have a friend who teaches in rural Ontario. The small school booked a person to talk to the students about dinosaurs. Partway through his presentation he started to tell the students the Biblical explanation for fossils. My friend was shocked and unsure about what to do as it was her first year teaching and many on the staff are fundy Christians. She debriefed her class after the presentation.
She said that there was no indication on the information sent out to the school about the ultimate nature of his talk. It was billed as a talk about dinosaurs and made reference to the appropriate curriculum links.

599. Fleabytes

Comment #156291 by Frankus1122 on April 7, 2008 at 9:00 am

MaxD, you just don't get it do you?

From MaxD:

Clearthinker avoids real discussion.

From clearthinker:

However I have tried to respond to every serious point.

There it is in black and white.
He said he responds to every serious point. He does not pick out the trivial and focus on that. The proof? Because he has just said so.
I really don't see what is so hard to understand about this.

Jeesh!

{sarcasm/off}

600. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156290 by Frankus1122 on April 7, 2008 at 8:50 am

Comment #156283 by MaxD

At some point simply believing something "important" made it almost impossible to critique,

And now with the proposed change to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it will be an enshrined part of the wedge.
This is why i am so very concerned about that issue.