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Comments by Peacebeuponme


751. Why Darwin matters

Comment #129791 by Peacebeuponme on February 19, 2008 at 3:20 pm

If you ever feel like going through the Monty Hall problem with my by e-mail or PM,
Now that is something I'm going to have to do! But I'm now scared that you find it a problem when I don't! Too many glasses of wine tonight, but will have to take this up with you again.

752. Why Darwin matters

Comment #129782 by Peacebeuponme on February 19, 2008 at 3:13 pm

when they are counter-intuitive (which most of them are
Interesting.
Yes, they certainly are. Even the well known mathematical problems such as the Monty Hall problem and the Boy Girl problem are truly interesting. I greatly enjoy taking an uninitiated person through those.

753. Why Darwin matters

Comment #129775 by Peacebeuponme on February 19, 2008 at 3:04 pm

No offense to krisking, but I don't find his views that interesting,
What do you think he is here for though? For me, he will no more change his mind than Wooter. I agree that the views of, say, Pastor Phelps, are more interesting, because they are more unusual, but it is mildly interesting for me to consider Krisking's motive. Just posting smug rubbish (if he is doing the former as well as the latter) must get boring after a while.

At the very least the responses are being read by other theists, so its good that you provide cogent argrument even though it may not affect KK.

754. Why do we believe in God? 2m study prays for answer

Comment #129769 by Peacebeuponme on February 19, 2008 at 2:58 pm

They will not attempt to solve the question of whether God exists
Dagnab it! Cos there's us thinking chucking £2m at the millennia old problem will solve it.

Though, for my money, the project couldn't proceed unless it assumed God did not exist?

755. Fleabytes

Comment #129761 by Peacebeuponme on February 19, 2008 at 2:50 pm

I'll read the article soon. Paula's prose is something I enjoy reading. All I'll say for now (in the best of spirits) is that that's along way of writing "they're all full of shit".

I tried to read some theist apologist stuff a while back, but between McGrath, CS Lewis and Francis Collins, I'm not sure I can stomach any more obfuscation.

756. Why Darwin matters

Comment #129754 by Peacebeuponme on February 19, 2008 at 2:41 pm

If it you are interested, you will be pleased to hear that I have finally cracked and I have today ordered a copy of "The God Delusion" . I hope it's as exciting as commentators here suggest.
I enjoyed the book, obviously, as an atheist. I think its power was maybe a bit lost on me though since it was preaching to the converted. A better book for me though is The Blind Watchmaker. I would say that will have more power to deconvert because of the fabulous way it describes biology and evlolution. His best book that I've read, though partly that's because it made me realise I hadn't fully understood evolution before.

757. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #129353 by Peacebeuponme on February 19, 2008 at 2:22 am

Steve - Stop bashing The Bishop.

(Sorry, know it was done by Johan Hari recently, but couldn't help myself)

758. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #129350 by Peacebeuponme on February 19, 2008 at 2:18 am

A designer's intuition inserted each an animal to do their duties best to serve human beings.
Like E. Coli, the Brown Recluse Spider and the Box Jellyfish.

759. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #128859 by Peacebeuponme on February 18, 2008 at 5:42 am

How about:

Flag as [Offensive] [Troll] [Spam] [Wooter]

?

760. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #128856 by Peacebeuponme on February 18, 2008 at 5:31 am

I did have another idea, which was to keep track somehow of who has asked what and when.
The "Other comments by..." helps a bit in this regard, but it is still a pain to track it all though. It would be good if you could flag your comment as a response to another comment, as in some others websites.

761. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #128850 by Peacebeuponme on February 18, 2008 at 5:11 am

At some point last year I suggested setting up a resource which would contain quick rebuttals.
Isn't this what Josh tried to do with the debate points section? Maybe tidying that up would be a good idea. I would have liked each item to be labelled as "Argument from..." and then just contain the best 2 or 3 responses from the hundreds that were made.

762. Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

Comment #128496 by Peacebeuponme on February 17, 2008 at 7:44 am

why can we no longer edit or make 2nd posts
I have to hit the refresh button to post another comment. Editing seems to still work.

763. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #128489 by Peacebeuponme on February 17, 2008 at 7:03 am

("How did the universe come into existence?" or something like that)

Okay let me parapharase the question again lowering to your intellectual level: Who painted the paintings in the art exhibition center"
a. Black colour evolved into other colours and mixed all together by chance.
b. the artist.
I'll go for b. Your move.

764. Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

Comment #128478 by Peacebeuponme on February 17, 2008 at 5:20 am

annabanana

As I admitted earlier, I think it is my achilles heel.
Lots of women without your looks may not appreciate that! But I do know what you mean.

I think most heterosexual males here can cope with both enagaging you in respectful debate and thinking "she's fit" (even airing these thoughts in bolder moments, testostrone and all that). I wouldn't make too much of it.
I suppose it doesn't help, either, that I sometimes engage in less-than-intellectual, silly chit-chat depending on the thread.
Bollocks. I like silly chat. It lightens the mood and people should allow for both. Irate_Atheist's posts are something I always look out for (I think he actually is Ardal O'Hanlon sometimes).

765. Ben Stein Wins Intelligent Design Money

Comment #128270 by Peacebeuponme on February 16, 2008 at 4:40 pm

Lying for Jesus seems to be a common phenomenon.
Extremely common: 100% of Christians do it.

766. The argument from oranges

Comment #128238 by Peacebeuponme on February 16, 2008 at 3:31 pm

How to people like this manage to pass the bar?

767. Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

Comment #128230 by Peacebeuponme on February 16, 2008 at 3:23 pm

annabanana

EDIT: If I had a dollar for every time I'd gotten called naive on this site...
I think almost everybody on this site has been called naive at one time or another. Mostly as a result of the antagonist losing the argument as well it would seem.

768. Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

Comment #128228 by Peacebeuponme on February 16, 2008 at 3:16 pm

I've always said that without people like me, who actually make/do useful things for a living, all the chair-bound, middle-management, bureaucratic paper-pushers would still be living in caves and shitting in their own water supply.
And another arrogant tosser shows up. Yes, tooltroll (great name by the way, right on both counts), clearly all those who work a desk job should prostrate themselves at your feet for that you do to help them out.

Such astonishing generallising is an insult to this site.

769. Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

Comment #128225 by Peacebeuponme on February 16, 2008 at 3:10 pm

Even having an American friend is something people keep to themselves, in fear of ridicule.
Complete tosh.

I've found the Americans I've met in Britain to be nothing but courteous, intelligent and a pleasure to be around. Jocularity aside, I can’t imagine being so pathetic as to be embarrassed by the nationality of my acquaintances.

770. A match made on RichardDawkins.net?

Comment #128220 by Peacebeuponme on February 16, 2008 at 3:00 pm

Yorker, Veronique

Many congratulations to you both. I made a throw-away remark about a "Dawkins Dating Agency" after some banter on a thread a while back. It seems like there's some truth in that now!

771. Debate between Richard Dawkins and Madeline Bunting

Comment #127027 by Peacebeuponme on February 14, 2008 at 5:29 pm

Diacanu - 'sup?

772. Earliest bats did not 'see' with sound

Comment #126483 by Peacebeuponme on February 13, 2008 at 10:41 am

And two more created. Sigh.
Unfortunately while dumb creationists do not understand evolution, there will be an infinite amount of these 'gaps'.

773. Council pays psychic for exorcism

Comment #126477 by Peacebeuponme on February 13, 2008 at 10:22 am

The council is sending out the wrong message by tolerating this nonsense.
Yes, the council is effectively affirming the existence of poltergeists. As a government department this is crazy.

774. Why multiculturalism must be abandoned

Comment #125772 by Peacebeuponme on February 12, 2008 at 3:00 am

Would that be called reverse fascism?
Ha! Perhaps. I enjoy being facetious with people like David from time to time.

775. Why multiculturalism must be abandoned

Comment #125758 by Peacebeuponme on February 12, 2008 at 1:49 am

The Britons have their own culture of which they can be justly proud
be proud to be British
What a queer way of thinking. I'd like to see DavidJMH list these "British qualities" of which he is "proud" (for reasons I can't fathom), to see whether:

i) they are valued by all Britons; and
ii)whether they are exclusive to Britain.

Almost every country has nationalists who claim that their "great" country is being eroded by foreign influence. There is even a sort of multi-party EU group of nationalist parties who want to get out the EU!

I say this to you Dave - get off my Island and take your backward thinking with you.

776. Bill Maher on Larry King Live

Comment #125753 by Peacebeuponme on February 12, 2008 at 1:39 am

As someone (similar to Maher) whom believes the vast majority of diseases are due to lifestyle (and by this I do not mean simply what we eat, but how we live, i.e., vastly overpopulated and processed, unnatural foods, etc.)
Yes, you are correct. Disease is a totally modern phemonenon. As the bible says, they used to live for several hundered years back before Christ. The Romans, Carpathians, Macedons, Huns and Incas never had any trouble with disease until meddlesome western "scientists" came along.

777. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #125252 by Peacebeuponme on February 11, 2008 at 6:25 am

the salary will look considerably more attractive to Americans than would have been the case in the past.
Was Richard working for chump-change? ;)

778. What he wishes on us is an abomination

Comment #125218 by Peacebeuponme on February 11, 2008 at 4:40 am

Whilst I appreciate the article I was left with one dominant thought: Yasmin if this is all so abhorrent to you why the hell are you a part of it? Just get OUT and renounce the whole rotten filthy barrel.
Exactly my thoughts on reading the article.
I have often admired the Archbishop's lofty thoughts, his intellectualism, the passion for human rights, his guts when the Government needs to be chastised.
The Archbishop should not have a special place to chastise the Government. He does not speak for the people.

779. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #125146 by Peacebeuponme on February 11, 2008 at 2:56 am

Is it a case of: "materialists only need apply"? If not, I'm sure that many non-materialist candidates would be more than eligible in every other respect.
Rowan Williams perhaps?

780. Why multiculturalism must be abandoned

Comment #125145 by Peacebeuponme on February 11, 2008 at 2:54 am

The young Hari talks a lot of sense, presenting his arguments with clarity and useful information.

I have moaned somewhat about the recent Condell video on this subject, posted on this site. I feel strongly that this is the way to do things: Hari has it right.
Excellent point. Hari's columns in the Independent are always a pleasure to read. Condell makes me cringe more often than not.

781. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124983 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 3:05 pm

It is our collective position that intelligent design has no basis in science, has not been tested experimentally, and should not be regarded as scientific
And it would be so easy to get it into science. Let it make some experimental predictions. Let these predictions be supported by experience, then I will be an ID fanatic.

I'm listening to Nine Inch Nails right now and the line "Dress up this rotten carcass just to make it look alive" seems wonderfully applicable ti ID.

782. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #124973 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 2:25 pm

He's sort of a cross between Batman, Lestat, and Clint Eastwood's the man with no name.
?He looks cool enough.

Tom Cruise fucked up lestat for us all, prefer the vampires in oblivion.

783. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124969 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 2:16 pm

You are not the first to wonder about this.I would not be so naively arrogant as to think that!
When I feel pain, instead of just experiencing it and letting it pass, seeing it for what it is, I attach all kinds of meanings to it. For instance, I could say "I can't STAND THIS!" or "WHY did this happen to me??? This should not be happening!"
Wow! now you have me interested! Excellent stuff! My question here is: When I feel pain, I think "ow! why did I feel that pain? What it is about me that gets me into these painful situations". A monkey just thinks "Ow, what gave me that pain?" (is that right?) Agency is a big part of our mindset and it makes our thoughts fabulous. Without that, I think people would soon forget about getting raped or beaten without too much anguish.

784. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #124959 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 1:43 pm

diacanu

He's shining you all on.
All he cares about is hearing his own blather.
He's a blackhole of narcissism.
You're not going to get through to some core fleck of human conscience, or whatever you think is going to happen arguing with him.
There's just a bag of self-absorption, ego, bullshit,and greed where a human being used to be.
He's gone.
All Randroids are gone.
They're Borg assimilated.
Lost cause, move along, folks.
You need to be less coy about the word "cunt" It doesnt describe the female genitalia, its describes a few site parasites.

btw - your avatar. explain. witch, samurai, what?

785. Sharia fiasco

Comment #124954 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 1:25 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1in5dDCGL1E&feature=related

786. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124947 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 1:12 pm

To reply to your comment on ecstasy: I've tried LOTS of different kinds of illicit drugs. In fact, my first real interest in "spirituality" or altered states of consciousness involved an exploration of psychedelics. I have tried ecstacy, mushrooms, acid, ketamine, dextromethorphan, pot, cocaine, heroin, various pharmaceuticals, jimson weed etc etc. I find meditation to be extremely different. We simply do not have drugs that produce the same state at this point. Granted, on acid, I have had similar kinds of experiences. I have felt a sense of oneness, a loss of "self," a recognition that the self is an illusion etc. I am not against using drugs to explore altered states and "spirituality." I guess in my case, I just went overboard and the exploration became self-destruction.
Fun though!

I don't want to press the drugs thing (your list is impressive, and I've not done quite all on it): they are a good laugh and have their benefits when done properly and not excessively. I brought it up more because I wanted to think about whether even if meditation led to certain wonderful mindstates, elightenment, whatever, it was useful outside of the experience. Whether it was in fact just fun for the meditator. I'm still not sure about that.
You are not developing a skill of concentration and awareness when you take a drug. At least, not in my experience and research with the current drugs available.
I agree. You are just living life.

787. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124944 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 1:02 pm

I don't think the unqualified term "Buddhism" is really very useful at all.
Ok. We should should then learn to say "Soto Zen Buddhism" or "Theravaddin Buddhism". We also then need to be careful that this is much more distinct than "Calvinist Christians" and "Anglican Christians".

788. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124933 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 12:43 pm

Forgive me, I have lost track :)

What was your point again?
You answered it in the same post. Regarding the cult of personality angle. I have not heard him use the example in another sense, but if he has, I agree it is generalising (with the caveat of the issue over where the "cut-off point" should be when it comes to legitimate generalising).

789. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124929 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 12:33 pm

Pure consciousness is difficult to experience. I think it is possible as I have had times when I had small glimpses of a deep level of awareness and peace while meditating. I refuse to claim that I ever experienced anything like enlightenment, though. Those glimpses give me confidence that there is something real there, though. There is a real, different, amazing experience to be had in the practice of meditation.
Though I agree with you I just find talking like this uncomfortable, because its only one slight wrong turn before it gets all religious. If you haven't experienced "enlightenment" and knowing that its impossible to desctibe, how do you know its there?

btw - I would recommend a pile of ecstasy if you want to experiment with consciousness. Not in the most intense stages, but the peace while its wearing off. I doubt its anything like your meditative experiences, but its...interesting.

790. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #124921 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 12:24 pm

There is no "mantle". We all have our talents.
"Some have greatness thrust upon them" ;). But seriously you are appreciated and I wanted to give a shout out to the Doc.

Actually, I could merge our other disussion now - if we started Zaraism, would it be religous or merely a Buddhist philosophy or way of being?

791. Sharia fiasco

Comment #124917 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 12:19 pm

Well, fundamentalist islam is flat out incompatible with liberal democracy
But its not flat out incompatible with democracy. Being that democracy is not perfect, we need to make sure that we educuate and lead people away from dogma.

792. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #124912 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 12:14 pm

Steve Zara is one of the reasons why this site is such a joy to me. His posts are consistently educational and incisive.
What ever happened to Dr Benway by the way? I think she was my first "site hero" back when Steve Zara was Steve99 (I think Benway just shaded Steve back then). Her posts seemed to cut though the shit, being succinct, witty, elegant and insightful. Since he has become Steve Zara he has clearly taken on the mantle, but a good word from the Doc now and again would be brilliant.

793. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124904 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 12:05 pm

If you want a brief overview of Buddhism, a widely recommended book (recommended by Buddhists and many university East Asian Studies departments), read What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula.
Actually I read a book about Buddhism at university (back in the mists of time), which argued strongly from the "non-religious" side, and forcibly for the doctrine of no-soul. For some reason it put me off Buddhism though, possibly because (and this is going to sound terribly childish) I found the Buddha to be quite arrogant. Maybe it is time to investigate more.
If a religion, such as Japanese Soto Zen Buddhism, is at its core not based on dogma, but instead philosophy/exercises and the members happen to start treating it like other religions (e.g. being worshipful of Zen Masters), is it the religion that is the problem or the members of it in that case?
An interesting question, and one I think I'll have to ponder.
the English is bad
It is nothing of the sort. I think you are clear to me.

794. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #124886 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 11:46 am

When a person behaves a particular way, consistently, again and again, then observation, as in science, leads to conclusions of facts that the person has the propensity to do it again and again.
And that's why I'm now wondering whether use of the "troll" button would be fair.

795. Sharia fiasco

Comment #124876 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 11:38 am

What about George Carlin?
Or Stuart Lee.

796. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #124868 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 11:31 am

This isn't an attack, this is a statement of fact. There's a huge difference.
Let me see if I have this right then, because it sounds to me that you are claiming as "fact" that a man who you only know through this website, who lives several thousand miles away from you, who has a PhD and is generally regarded as highly intelligent by most others on this site, is "not smart". Something you cannot actually know. I might ask you for the back up to your claim (which you are so fond of asking others), but let me see if I can play the game your way:

I claim as fact that you are thick as pigs-shit, but have that horrible affliction of thinking you have a brain. Thats not ad-hom, thats just fact.

797. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #124859 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 11:21 am

that personal attacks become the dujour of the thread
Such as:
Sorry, but you are not smart enough for me to engage in a conversation about determinism. I save those transactions for those with greater capacity.

798. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124851 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 11:14 am

That is just what some Buddhists have done. The texts of Theravaddin Buddhism are quite different from those of the Mahayana school.
Was actually doing the kiddies-wiki-research ealier today. As I say, I think Buddhism can be classed differently to "religions" and have to agree with what you say there. I feel I must just defend Hitchens though...
It is even more open to the claim of generalising. For example, the Dalai Lama is the leader of only one group of Buddhists - the Tibetans. Theravaddin or Zen Buddhists would not recognise his authority on anything.
But he wasn't making claims about Theravaddin or Zen Buddhists. He was making claims about the Dalia Lama and the Tamil Tigers.

Do you agree with my point about the birth myth?

799. Christopher Hitchens on Books & Ideas

Comment #124846 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 11:09 am

The same is true of social issues for which people make sweeping statements, as their beliefs, with no facts or evidence to back it up.
Well, that appears to be your position. We have "Wooterism". We may now also have its cousin, the "Scooterism".

800. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124842 by Peacebeuponme on February 10, 2008 at 11:02 am

It is part of the tradition of what one might call "fundamentalist Buddhists", but not generally.
Where have I heard something like that before?!

btw - Steve, I do think you are making too much of Hichens' position. As I said, he was merely including it in a list of other virgin-birth myths to make a point about the cult of personality. Is that so bad?

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