701. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #102594 by Richard Morgan on December 23, 2007 at 9:20 am

Eekie :

I celebrate it because that's what my culture does.

Kind of the traditional thing, huh?
"Les traditions permettent d'éviter de réfléchir."
"Traditions enable you to avoid having to think."
So, yes, I guess you're being coherent.

702. Blair converts to Catholicism

Comment #102585 by Richard Morgan on December 23, 2007 at 9:10 am

decius :

Could then Blair actually turn down Bush's demands, no matter how senseless?

Darn it, when didn't I think of that? Of course, Blair had to come to Bush's aid in defending the USA against the threat of being attacked by Iraq.
What did you say?
The USA weren't being threatened by Iraq?
Well, George W.Bush though they were, so that's the same thing.
Isn't it?
I mean, Saddam might have had weapons of massive destruction, mightn't he?
And Blair did have some sexed-up intelligence reports indicating that...

703. Blair converts to Catholicism

Comment #102476 by Richard Morgan on December 23, 2007 at 1:34 am

I think we need to respect personal choices - like converting to Catholicism, or helping the US invade Iraq. You know, these things are nobody else's business. Are they?

704. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #102475 by Richard Morgan on December 23, 2007 at 1:24 am

Eekie :

The actions of modern Christians aren't that offensive compared to it's peers such as Islam.

It's kind of reassuring to have proof that the Fundies and extremists do NOT have the monopoly on crass idiocy...

705. Synthetic DNA on the Brink of Yielding New Life Forms

Comment #102240 by Richard Morgan on December 22, 2007 at 6:27 am

The adorable Steve Zara :

If you don't want to be associated with Creationism, then don't use its phrases.

Exactly.
If you don't want to be associated with Christians, don't sing carols.
Sorry - I know it's the wrong thread, but what the heck...
Post, and be damned, is what I say.

706. Do our leaders believe in God?

Comment #102238 by Richard Morgan on December 22, 2007 at 6:14 am

But in 2007, observing North America, parts of Europe, the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent, our confidence is faltering.

If religion has one great enemy, it is education. On a global scale, people are getting a better "education" and amongst the educated, religion is receding. But it is a long, slow and often bloody business.
The religious, feeling (justifiably) threatened, are lashing back with all the weapons that 21st century technology makes available to them.But there is still a feeling that these extremist atrocities are a sort of last ditch death spasm.
When all Western leaders realize that building schools is more effective than dropping bombs (with God's blessing!) civilization will have taken a great step in the right direction.
This can be of little comfort to the bereaved - be they in New York, Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever. I understand that, and I weep with them. (Members of my wife's family are amongst the victims that come to mind...)
But I suspect that if Parris takes a step or two back to observe the wider picture, he will see that he can keep confidence in the way things are evolving.
I doubt that he or I will live to see the day when "monotheistic religion" has become part of history, but I do believe that nothing will stop the forward march of Reason. In spite of the Fundies, the extremists and MacDonalds.

707. CBC News: Sunday - Richard Dawkins

Comment #102225 by Richard Morgan on December 22, 2007 at 4:30 am

ridelo :

his patience is close to godlike. Is he only human?

This is called "force of habit" - nothing more.
Please, let us not get into the "hero-worship" thing about RD.
(Believe me, if you had the same earnings through royalties, you'd be capable of "godlike patience" too!)

708. CBC News: Sunday - Richard Dawkins

Comment #102007 by Richard Morgan on December 21, 2007 at 11:35 am

Copernic :

although the sexual lust is a good parallel.

I've just left the "For the Love of Christ" thread. So I was just wondering where masturbation would fit into this comparison...
Or is it just a misfiring of my need to make babies?
Any ideas? (I love working metaphors to death!)


Woody Allen : Don't knock masturbation. At least I'm having sex with someone I love.

709. For the Love of Christ

Comment #101769 by Richard Morgan on December 21, 2007 at 12:17 am

Work-outs AND masturbation cured me of frustration! Until I got married - at which point I had to eliminate the work-outs.
I never cease to be amazed at what people will do to get on television. Does he know there are specialised private clubs in Paris where he can get whacked with chairs (or anything else) whenever he wants? Heck, for a dollar and a kiss, even I would whack him with a chair.
When do we get our "Wankers for Jesus" t-shirts?
Give a new meaning to "the laying on of hands?"
(Ha! My spell-check didn't recognise the word "wankers"! Among all the words it suggested was "bankers". I'll go for that!)

710. 2007, a bad year for God squadders

Comment #101621 by Richard Morgan on December 20, 2007 at 3:27 pm

That God would choose to come among us in such a way is so strange, so inexplicable, so unbelievable, it compels us to believe.

The unbelievable compels us to believe? Really? I must be the odd one out here then : for me, lack of evidence kind of compels me to NOT believe. Am I that weird? (Don't answer that, PK!!!)

711. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #101607 by Richard Morgan on December 20, 2007 at 3:04 pm

Anyway, in the interview RD said he hadn't been in a church for years, and then only for a wedding or funeral.

And in neither case did he say whether it was his own or not.

712. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #101593 by Richard Morgan on December 20, 2007 at 2:41 pm

Frankus 1122 :

That's kind of a dumb scenario.

If you take it out of the context of my reasoning, something we usually accuse Fundies of doing.
Pity you didn't read my post in its entirety - like - to the end.
"If not, why not?"
Since you need me to spell it out for you, I will do so without malice aforethought.
JOINING IN THE SINGING WOULD LABEL YOU AS A CHRISTIAN and would earn you a second mouth-hole further down your neck.
So if you insist on carol-singing as an atheist don't push your principles too far, or at least learn to sing very pianissimo in certain situations.
I am terribly sad for Annabanana. I have never lived in a country where I risked real persecution for my beliefs. You say that it is not a "war" but you then go on to describe a "pre-war" situation.
Be sure that here you can find friends who will support you as best they can. RD only risks a few insults and jeers at best by admitting he sings carols. I understand that your situation is infinitely more dangerous.
But I replied to your "harmless fun" remark. Please understand that.

SARA :

If you sang "Bess, you is my woman now" would that make you heterosexual-black-guy sympathizer?

If you sang "All fags deserve to die, trala -lala -laaah -lela le la." would that make you a homophobic?

713. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #101505 by Richard Morgan on December 20, 2007 at 1:04 pm

Steve Zara :

Enough from me, I think.

Never!
Got it?

714. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #101502 by Richard Morgan on December 20, 2007 at 12:59 pm

annbanana :

Therefore, I will not cause myself any mental anguish by not being able to participate in mostly harmless things that I enjoy.

You sound like a lovely girl. But the "mostly harmless" in this last sentence is saddening and a little worrying.
As in : "Go on, just one more... Really, just one more won't do any harm...."
I'll let you imagine the kinds of situations in which this has been said with sometimes fatal consequences.
Yes, this is a war, and we do need to stand up be counted.
You know, I would not wear a swastika, even if it was tiny, cute, in solid gold with little diamonds and couldn't possibly offend anybody.
It is simply adult and responsible to recognise the fact of human nature - sometimes we need not only to "avoid evil" but "avoid the appearance of evil."
Can you honestly be aware of all the atrocities committed in the name of the (fictitious)Christian god and still sing "Praise God!" ? I personally do not have this schizoid faculty for putting "the evils of religion" in one part of my brain, and a "jolly sing-song knees-up in the other".
If you don't belong to the enemy camp, don't wear their uniform and don't perpetuate their rituals. If you ignore this advice, don't expect to be taken seriously - however lovely, innocent (and naïve) you may be.
Let me put it even more brutally : If you were with a group of carol-singers, and masked men arrived brandishing long, sharp sabres and announced they were here to slay all the Christians they could find, when the singing started up again, would you still join in?
If not, why not?
Get it?
Joyeux Noël.

715. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #101264 by Richard Morgan on December 20, 2007 at 6:52 am

Tintern :

A published author really should know better.

Quite. A person who sets himself up publicly for a cause has greater responsibilities than the rank and file wallahs like myself.
In fact all this fuss is not over the fact that Richard Dawkins sings songs in praise of the fictitious Sky-bully; it's because he announces it publicly. He does want to influence the way people think about religion, he makes no secret of the fact, and when you're actively working to influence the Zeitgeist you do have to be careful about what you say in public.
I've said it before - carol-singing is for consenting adults in private... if you're a public atheist.
So come on Richard D. - none of us would think the less of you if you publicly back-tracked on this one.

716. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100891 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 2:29 pm

bujin :

I, as an atheist, can say "God is my saviour and I worship him".

Where and to whom?
And if you are happy to say meaningless things (my ex-wife's mother positively revelled in it!) how do we know when to start giving credibility to what you say?
Please re-read Northern Bright.

717. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100887 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 2:22 pm

Northen Bright : very sincerely, thank you. What a relief you are there.
I know I owe you. Do you accept American Express, or are you going to ask the impossible, like asking me stop being snide, cantankerous, supercilious and sneering?
Well, believe it or not - if you ask me, I'll try.

718. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #100875 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 1:56 pm

wednesdayguevara :

It's obvious a strong hand is needed to guide us plebes towards the light of ideological purity. Why not yours?

If the price is right, and Dr Benway approves...

sanctimonious old stuffed-shirts who, when not extolling their own moral and intellectual superiority, told everybody what they could and could not do. Good thing we have none of those around here, what?

How can you have forgotten about me so quickly?

719. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #100782 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 10:24 am

Northern Bright - thank you for putting your finger on the real problem here. In a way - you have said it all. So I won't try to add to it.

Irate atheist - yes, your intuition concerning my past experiences with moderates is spot on. Thank you for saying that.

720. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100715 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 7:22 am

When many intelligent, reasonable people tell me I am wrong, I have this weird reaction - I tend to believe them. I go back over all my previous assertions in the light of refutations and insults received. And, unlike many who post here (and nearly ALL Fundies) I am able say, "Yes, in fact I was quite wrong on that point. Thank you for putting me right."
This time I am asking you to point out the errors in my reasoning. This is one case where I would be relieved to be proved wrong. (Yeah, in a way I would be relieved to be proved wrong about God, but I'm not holding my breath.)
Point by point, then:
The horror of 9/11 happened;
Richard Dawkins published The God Delusion;
Amongst other points he was trying to make in a very heartfelt way was this: "God does not exist so stop the slaughter in his name."
He has described the Abrahamic god of Jews, Christians and Muslims in very unflattering terms (genocidal, amongst others).
Let us, for practical purposes call him SKY DICTATOR.
SKY DICTATOR is a fiction. Believing this fiction to be a reality can cause good men to do evil.
Dawkins et al have published long catalogues of atrocities committed in the name of this fictitious SKY DICTATOR.
BUT it is harmless to sing "Christ by highest heav'n adored, Christ the everlasting SKY DICTATOR."
It is innocent fun to sing "SKY DICTATOR rest you merry, gentlemen."
It is inoffensive to sing: "And praises sing to SKY DICTATOR the King."
I can be an atheist and sing "Silent night, Holy Night, Son of SKY DICTATOR, love's pure light."
If I have failed to make my point, let us take things a step further: if you can sing them, can you say them?
If you can't say them, what transformation takes place when you put the words to music to sing them?
Seriously - if there is flaw in my reasoning, I would be happy and relieved to have it pointed out to me.
Even by AllanW (whose reasoning powers and command of the English language are largely superior to mine, even though he has a tendency to sulk, and see trolls where there is only a cantankerous old Welshman.)
But preferably by Northern Bright whose calm reasoning is always balanced and perfectly refreshing to read (though it costs me to admit it, as she knows!)

721. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100703 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 6:41 am

AllanW: your failure to see is just that - a failure to see.
Your "Bye" is a sad (and surprising) cop-out.

722. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100680 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 5:20 am

Diacanu :

The Fundies are chortling today...

Screw 'em.

Do you realise what you are saying here? Have you any idea how difficult it is to find a good-looking Fundie you can screw? Man, you and I do not live in the same world.
Or perhaps I just don't have the right technique. Any hints?

723. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100678 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 5:15 am

Allan W:

'Hypocrisy at best, double-talk at worst'; have you any idea how muddled this is?

Yes.I was unhappy about that when I wrote it. I realise that I am losing my grip on the English language. Thank you for pointing that out to me.

I guess your point is that it might be thought hypocritical to fail to believe in sky fairies if you then enjoy songs about them.

Allan, stop being silly. Are you doing this on purpose? If people started slitting throats (on a massive scale) in the name of sky fairies I could not enjoy songs about them.

don't take it all so seriously.

You must be very young if you can make that kind of remark in this context.

Thanks for the lesson; you have nothing of value to teach.

Hey - I recognise this kind of language! Behind the pseudo "AllanW" are you my ex-wife? Or her mother?

724. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #100664 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 4:40 am

Oh dear, once again I need to point out to so many of you guys the sloppiness, the imprecision of your reasoning.
For those of you who have forgotten, or who prefer to ignore, this debate is about singing Christian songs with Christians (moderate, Anglican/agnostic or whatever.)

This debate is NOT about listening to the Saint Matthew Passion, admiring the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
It IS about actively participating in the perpetuation of a Christian ritual.
Of course RD and anybody else is free to sing all the carols he wants. And in the same breath condemn religious education as child abuse.
But please, do not expect to be taken seriously if you are prepared to be seen singing "Oh come all ye faithful" and then publicly declare the dangers of moderate christianity, not to mention "faith"-heads.

OK - so there are pleasant feelings associated with singing carols (but don't forget to wear your Atheist t-shirt at the same time in case people get the wrong idea.)

But if you do not have the moral integrity to say, "I enjoy carol-singing, I don't believe in the words I'm singing, but maybe I'm sending the wrong message, so I accept to deprive myself of the joys of carol-singing ON PRINCIPLE." then clearly you expose yourself to accusations of hypocrisy at best or double-talk, at worst.

Since we live in society, sometimes we do need to "not only avoid evil, but also avoid the appearance of evil."

Without forgetting that today the spectacle of Richard Dawkins singing Christmas carols is a wonderful Christmas present for Christians the world over. The Fundies are chortling today...
I hope Richard Dawkins has the moral fibre to say publicly, "OK I got it wrong on this one. If I need to sing in the future, I'll stick to Jingle Bells until people start flying open sleighs into skyscrapers in the name of Santa. Then I will also stop singing "Jingle ALL the way".

725. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100661 by Richard Morgan on December 19, 2007 at 4:39 am

Oh dear, once again I need to point out to so many of you guys the sloppiness, the imprecision of your reasoning.
For those of you who have forgotten, or who prefer to ignore, this debate is about singing Christian songs with Christians (moderate, Anglican/agnostic or whatever.)

This debate is NOT about listening to the Saint Matthew Passion, admiring the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
It IS about actively participating in the perpetuation of a Christian ritual.
Of course RD and anybody else is free to sing all the carols he wants. And in the same breath condemn religious education as child abuse.
But please, do not expect to be taken seriously if you are prepared to be seen singing "Oh come all ye faithful" and then publicly declare the dangers of moderate christianity, not to mention "faith"-heads.

OK - so there are pleasant feelings associated with singing carols (but don't forget to wear your Atheist t-shirt at the same time in case people get the wrong idea.)

But if you do not have the moral integrity to say, "I enjoy carol-singing, I don't believe in the words I'm singing, but maybe I'm sending the wrong message, so I accept to deprive myself of the joys of carol-singing ON PRINCIPLE." then clearly you expose yourself to accusations of hypocrisy at best or double-talk, at worst.

Since we live in society, sometimes we do need to "not only avoid evil, but also avoid the appearance of evil."

Without forgetting that today the spectacle of Richard Dawkins singing Christmas carols is a wonderful Christmas present for Christians the world over. The Fundies are chortling today...
I hope Richard Dawkins has the moral fibre to say publicly, "OK I got it wrong on this one. If I need to sing in the future, I'll stick to Jingle Bells until people start flying open sleighs into skyscrapers in the name of Santa. Then I will also stop singing "Jingle ALL the way".

726. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100504 by Richard Morgan on December 18, 2007 at 6:41 pm

Goldy - thanks for that information. How silly of me not to have thought of that.
So, let me get this straight - if God says "Kill 'em all" then it's not genocide. In fact it's OK. In fact, God will help you get every last one of those little bastards.
And it's also OK if Richard Dawkins sings hymns/carols which were written to praise/glorify this non-genocidal God-wallah, because he doesn't believe He exists.
Like it would be OK to chant racist slogans because you're only doing it in order to have a healthy family experience? (because you're not really racist, of course!)

727. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100495 by Richard Morgan on December 18, 2007 at 6:07 pm

da1nextdoor2no1 - you should read what you quote : there's the word "genocidal" in there.

728. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #100488 by Richard Morgan on December 18, 2007 at 5:55 pm

CJ22 - you're right. The professor is wrong this time. But he's been right so often that his fans will prefer to overlook this untypical lapse.

729. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100482 by Richard Morgan on December 18, 2007 at 5:30 pm

Goldy - which "Richard" are you addressing please? Morgan or Dawkins?

730. Interview with Richard Dawkins: On Christmas

Comment #100466 by Richard Morgan on December 18, 2007 at 4:50 pm

"...Christianity is not that offensive."
"It is fiction, it's harmless..;"
You heard Richard Dawkins say it.
The same Richard Dawkins has said:

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it, a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."
Richard Dawkins has correctly pointed out the fact that the OT or Abrahamic God is the God of Christianity.
Not that offensive?

Please pass me my cognitive dissonance migraine pills...

731. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #100080 by Richard Morgan on December 18, 2007 at 8:19 am

I've just been e-mailed by someone in England who apparently heard Richard Dawkins on Radio 2 call Christianity a "harmless myth".
Can anyone substantiate this scandalous rumour?

Please, someone, anyone, tell me it's not true.

732. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #100066 by Richard Morgan on December 18, 2007 at 7:35 am

I've just been e-mailed by some-one in England who apparently heard Richard Dawkins on Radio 2 call Christianity a "harmless myth". Can anyone substantiate this scandalous rumour?
Please, someone, anyone, tell me it's not true.

733. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #99990 by Richard Morgan on December 18, 2007 at 3:03 am

Once again, most of you are missing the point when you compare pop songs and fiction written as fiction with religious rituals. If that doesn't give you a cognitive dissonance migraine then you need to go back to Philosophy 101.

So, let's try to define our limits using your reasoning:

Singing Christmas carols? OK.
Saying grace? OK
Attending Midnight Mass with the family? OK.
Saying prayers before going to bed? ...errr
Partaking of Holy Communion with the family? ...errr
Baptizing baby to give him a name, with god-parents and the whole caboodle because "it's the tradition in our family"?...um
Can you really justify all of that with "Well, we don't actually believe it, so it's OK?"
(Thankfully I haven't yet heard, "We slit the throats of miscreants because it's a tradition in our family.")
Somebody has asked for an Atheist Etiquette list. Good idea. (Something else to argue about endlessly.)

May I ask my RD friends where THEY would "draw the line" in perpetuating christian rituals please? (I'm not clear myself, and I freely admit it. But I do hate hypocrisy.) At what point does "harmless" become "harmful"?
Over to you.

734. Dawkins: I'm a cultural Christian

Comment #99891 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 6:44 pm

Cartomancer - I love your last sentence.
Having read that and wiped my eyes, (I think you just out-Benwayed Dr Benway) I can forgive you all the rest! Let me give you a big hug.

Mwah!

There.

735. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #99888 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 6:36 pm

My last word in this ridiculous debate : Thank heavens for Dr Benway.

736. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #99881 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 6:19 pm

Ok, skepticato, that is a reasonable question. I am not "against" songs or music or art that come from ANY religious tradition. And I most certainly don't despise them, though I admit my language is often of a spiteful nature. (Thank you for pointing that out to me.) My problem is with the (apparent) hypocrisy of those who violently condemn what they call "moderate religion" but in the name of culture and tradition (and good nosh, booze and a family knees-up)actually take part in the rituals, thus perpetuating them.

I have never said "Bah, humbug" to Christmas - rituals and festivities are vital to healthy civilizations.

But as to singing "Oh come all ye faithful" with the faith-heads, well I have a problem with that.


EDIT : Poor ol' Cartomancer. Getting everything mixed up again. Fiction is written as fiction. Religious texts are written as religious truths.
You cannot compare the two.
Could you justify singing Nazi songs in the same way? ("Of course, I don't really mean it, but it's a nice tune, and culturally interesting and I am distancing myself from it.")
Aw, come on...

737. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #99870 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 6:01 pm

You guys (RD included) really don't see the hypocrisy in all you're saying about "cultural Christianity", do you?
So - let me get it right:
Fundamental Christianity bad;
Moderate Christianity is bad (leaves the door open for the extremists);
Cultural Christianity is OK (doesn't leave any doors open for the moderates).
I rest my case.

I'll ask my local priest if he wouldn't mind putting on a special Midnight Mass for Atheists. Book your places now.


EDIT : Goldy :"As it is, all the words of the carols are of good news" And what, pray is the good news referred to in these carols? It sure ain't Ronald Macdonald...


(Oh shit, wrong thread...oops!)

738. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #99865 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 5:51 pm

Goldy - I don't thinking people are throwing bombs at each other over the tenancy rights of female senior citizens living in over-sized Reeboks...

739. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #99859 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 5:45 pm

Chispita : I still do it and will probably continue to enjoy it for as long as I live.

But will you teach your children to sing "Away in a manger" and "Once in Royal David's City"? If so, how will you explain the words to them?

740. Dawkins: I'm a cultural Christian

Comment #99852 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 5:24 pm

So, Cartomancer, you need Christmas to lift you from the "monotonous depths of disappointment" (your brother's girlfriend? your drunken parents? what else?)
But what do you have to say to people who need their God lift them out of the depths of anguish and despair?
CHRISTmas is OK but CHRIST isn't?

And perhaps you should go back to your psycho-analyst to talk about your compulsive record-keeping and cataloguing.

741. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #99846 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 5:09 pm

So the sneering critic of "faith-heads" is happy to sing "Oh come all ye faithful?"

Shouldn't it be : "Oh, come on, all ye faithful"?
Would he teach carols to children? Or is carol-singing to be restricted to consenting adults?





Cartomancer :
I hope to make a career denouncing popular misrepresentations of the Middle Ages. Does this mean I am forbidden from finding Monty Python and the Holy Grail funny?

No. It means that you've had lousy career counselling.

742. Dawkins: I'm a cultural Christian

Comment #99837 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 4:51 pm

Let me get this right - the keenest critic of moderate religions and "faith-heads" is happy to sing:

"Oh come all ye faithful?"
"Hark, the herald angels sing?"
"Most highly flavoured gravy?"
"Gloria in excelsis Deo"

Would he do it in front of small children, or just with consenting adults?

Madonna's Starbust:
they must have felt like the earth was dying and they had to have some way of "bringing the sun back"

And it works!!! That's a relief, at least...

743. Highway to hysteria

Comment #99666 by Richard Morgan on December 17, 2007 at 9:20 am

I've seen this kind of stuff in the UK. It's kinda fun, and doesn't give you a hang-over. I've even spoken in tongues and had "words of prophecy" which turned out to be true.
I have healed by the laying on of hands, fasting and prayer (OK - more prayer than fasting). I have had dreams and visions... all in the UK.
I have seen the power of the Holy Ghost cast out demons and Income Tax Inspectors.
Oh - excuse me, my nurse is here telling me it's time to take my Abilify and then go down-stairs to continue my basket-work.

744. You can't prove that you love someone, so don't expect proof of God

Comment #87436 by Richard Morgan on November 12, 2007 at 5:52 am

Another asinine subject. Unless you're saying that God and my ex-wife are on the same level? You are? OK - I can go for that.

745. Science can answer how questions but only religion can answer why questions

Comment #86971 by Richard Morgan on November 10, 2007 at 7:14 pm

"Love is the answer - but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions." - Woody Allen

I'm surprised that this asinine question has even been proposed as a subject for discussion here. Unless I've inadvertently stumbled onto the page for the under-nines. Now they can give some pretty good answers. Once, in a class discussion (9/10 year-olds) a pupil asked this same question "Why does everything exist?" The answer came from the back of the class-room "What's to stop it?"

That'll do for me.

I'll get back to looking for the serious pages on this site.

746. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78581 by Richard Morgan on October 13, 2007 at 4:35 pm

He urged atheist writers to better understand religion.

OK. As long as you don't mind my starting with Catharism and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Are you ok with that, Bish?

747. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78571 by Richard Morgan on October 13, 2007 at 4:17 pm

Thanks for pushing up the book sales figures, Bish.
Beckham couldn't have done better!

748. Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath

Comment #78569 by Richard Morgan on October 13, 2007 at 4:08 pm

Lauregon-but-not-forgotten :

What a friend we have in cheeses.

Brilliant.And now for:
"Roquefort of ages"

749. Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath

Comment #78482 by Richard Morgan on October 13, 2007 at 6:43 am

The intellectual rough'n'tumbles engaged in by DG and steve99 have become for me an amusing spectator sport. A long game that has no winners and only ends when one or the other antagonists leaves the arena.
But I am getting a little tired of reasonable arguments, philosophical parrying and thrusting, verbal pillow-fights and the like.

Veronique(and this is typical of her) has brought humanity back into this thread.
She has brought in words like "suffering" and "compassion", strangely absent from our intellectual hanky-pankying thus far.
Why should the religites have exclusive rights on the access to human feelings - things like "love", "tolerance", "sympathy", "despair", "hope", "joy","understanding" and all the rest? Religion has taken root in hearts, but atheism is attacking minds.

People don't care how much you know,
Until they know how much you care.

You will have noticed that in the expression "the winning of hearts and minds", the heart comes before the mind. (Yes, I know where this expression was popularised, and, no, I do not approve of the context, but that is not the point here.)

At least in these discussions, most of you guys come across as:
humourless,
unfeeling,
cynical,
supercilious,
semi-lobotomised word- and idea-processors.
Before the the knickers set a-twisting, no, not everybody and not all the time.
Thank you Veronique.
From the bottom of my heart (which isn't very far to go, I'm afraid.)

You remind me of that old ditty:

He drew a crcle,
That shut me out.
"Heretic! Rebel!"
A thing to flout.
But love and I
Had the wit to win.
We drew a circle
That took him in.

Probably nobody will react to this post. You will all say "Oh, it's that prick Richard Morgan again - nothing interesting there."
Well that's ok folks. I realise that many are far too busy trying to appear smarter than the previous poster - not always an easy task here.
Religion poisoned my life for many, many years. Richard Dawkins helped "set me free". I will never deny that.
But where are the "nice guys"?
Are they mostly on the "wrong side"?
Once again, thank you, Veronique.
Thank you,Corylus, for calling me "cariad" (a nice touch that went straight to my heart!)
Thank you Dr Benway - I will always admire a guy who can talk about corroborative evidence and the length of his penis in the same thread.
Thank you Danielos (all of you!) - if I had to share a bedroom in the psychiatric hospital with you or a rabid atheist, I'd choose you every time!
Thank you Stanyard and IanG - yours is a gentle intelligence.
To most of you I would say, not "Get yourself a life" but "Get a heart." Or rather "Give your heart a chance."
Give meditation a try - you might need less beer and/or cigarettes.
Thank you Veronique for opening your heart to us.
I'll send you my new T-shirt : "Atheists have hearts too."

750. Why Christians should take Richard Dawkins seriously

Comment #78274 by Richard Morgan on October 12, 2007 at 10:44 am

DG

On the other hand one cannot reason while doubting one's own basic cognitive capacity.

...God is not only a person but also the whole of reality, which of course cannot be fully captured by our limited cognitive capacity...

Eureka! The ultimate proof that DG is not one individual, but a small committee doing shift-work. However, I think it would be wiser not to change authors in the middle of a post.
I'm sorry for all you DG (Delusional God?) haters, but you've gotta love these guys. Even though I have a slight preference for the evening shift. They're generally funnier, don't you think? For me, they're way up there with Bill Bailey, Bill Maher, Rowan Atkinson, Monty Python, the Grimethorpe Colliery Brass Band and the Chesterfield Junior Granny-Hurling team. Good family entertainment - as long as you don't have children.