851. Sam's Flea!

Comment #34373 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 10:49 pm

And if morality is just made up as we go along, two questions. What is to prevent us from regressing or veering off into anything we please, just so long as we please to?

Five million years of ingroup evolution, and a healthy dose of empathy? But buckle up Dorothy, because this ride is going to get bumpy for the rigid moralists.

Prepare for group marriages, group sex therapy, and any and every variation on the theme among consenting adults. Check out those chimp cousins, benoboes?, for an idea of just how sticky it is going to get. Anything will go, as long as it doesn't harm some other person. I say great!!

So do us all a favour, and take your objective standard and shove it up your puritanical, racist arse. Heck, you might even be doing yourself a favour:-)

852. 'The Day They Kicked God out of the Schools' & Rebuttal

Comment #34363 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 10:02 pm

However I find the second video just as bad and for precisely the same reasons. It too will only appeal to those who share the faith and presuppositions of the author - and it too uses the tragedy in Virginia for partizan purposes.

You know, what is cool about how the debate is shifting, is how often the theists now say "You're as bad as we are!!". I consider that progress:-)

Weefree, taking advantage of people when they are at their weakest and most vulnerable, is one of religions primary operating principles, and a key vector in transmission of the virus.

Leave us alone, and I guarantee you, we'll leave you alone. Insist on promoting the baseless cosmic pyramid scheme of religion, and we'll be in your face.

853. Sam's Flea!

Comment #34352 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 9:15 pm

228. Comment #34349 by Douglas Wilson on April 23, 2007 at 8:56 pm

I think Burly Gates has made it plain -- you guys don't have any basis for objective morality, and yet you still want to reserve to yourselves the right to moral indignation (over budding theocracies, say).

No Dougie, we simply disagree, and with good reason. The platonic objective standard is simply made up nonsense, which I might add, has done nothing for us as a species. Humans everywhere and everywhen have always to a lesser or greater degree made it up as they went along. Simply because you insist it must not be so, is insufficient.

Whats more is we will continue to make it up as we go along, until we coalesce around a common core of agreed planetary values. I'm willing to take the risk that these core values are unlikely to include gang rape, child sacrifice or murder as acceptable practices, although I grant you it's galling that reality TV may continue to be legal.

The religious drugs of "absolute truth" and "absolute certainty" are a receipe for disaster, as we already see graphically illustrated in Iraq and elsewhere.

The religious mindset balks at the freedom on offer here, because it is a slave mindset, desperate for a master to obey.

In the words of the immortal Morpheus.

FREE .... YOUR .... MIND.

854. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #34351 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 9:08 pm

Actually it washes very well. Asking why a God whom you don't believe exists, does not do something about the Phelps (or indeed every other problem in the world) right now, is really a dumb question.

Its a perfectly legitimate question, which you of course can't answer. It simply serves to further underscore the point, there is no God, certainly nothing with the properties you claim. Your inability to articulate an answer to this conundrum is not my problem.

Using the Phelps response to the Virgina tragedy as another stick to beat Christianity is a disgraceful cheap shot which shows the lenghths to which some people will go in order to use anyone to advance their own fundamentalist ideology.

Sorry. Work to get your own house in order, rather than whining about how unfair life is, is my advice. We wouldn't be metaphorically beating the shit out of you with this stick if you would deal with assholes like Phelps. Don't want to be beaten? Stop handing us sticks:-)

855. Sam's Flea!

Comment #34210 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 2:05 pm

As for the slavery thing ... well. You have some reading to do. I could post these quotes all night, but a chapter or two in Exodus should do.

21:4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

21:5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

21:2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

22:3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

Please, for our amusement start whining about how God is bipolar, and He's nice nowdays.

856. Sam's Flea!

Comment #34205 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 2:01 pm

But to continually work yourselves up into a lather about something that doesn't exist would be, well, foolish wouldn't you say?

The problem is that YOU think he exists, and will insist on killing people, blowing stuff up and generally being a pain in the arse "in his name".

So sure, God doesn't exist, but unfortunately you and your shuffling demon spawned ilk do. See the problem?

857. Sam's Flea!

Comment #34198 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 1:43 pm

And if you don't like the raped girl analogy, how bout we make it a gang bang. This will most certainly result in Net Pleasure

Now you are exposing more of your personality than I really care to see. This would not result in "net pleasure" because of that little evolutionary tweak called "empathy", which most humans, even males in heat, have. You should try engaging it, even when creating hypotethical situations. Just a suggestion.

Laws are enforced if required by violence, that is how we would deal, and in fact how we do deal, with your gang of punks. Society is a constant balancing act of "free wills" and how those interact. I should also add that human police forces in developed societies, do a vastly better job managing that balance and creating durable, peaceable societies than any sky fairy ever did.

The perfect standard you insist is required simply doesn't exist, and it isn't required. The only reason theists trot this carnard out and consider it profound is because of that goofball Plato. It's impractical and pointless naval gazing at it's worst.

The closest thing we have to your standard is the ingroup, and that is pure evolution. I'm comfortable living with that uncertainity, of deciding moment to moment what is and isn't right, and discussing moment to moment with others what is and isn't right, and lobbying my fellow citizens to see my way of thinking for what I think is right.

Life IS a crapshot, and even the continued existence of humanity is a crapshot. There are no absolute certainties. A black hole could barrel through the solar system tonight and sterlise the Earth from pole to pole. Still I'm comfortable with the uncertainty, and living is enough for me, and 95% of the human race. Why don't you join us:-)?

858. 'The Day They Kicked God out of the Schools' & Rebuttal

Comment #34182 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 1:10 pm

Hi Guys. What a cool 2 days it's been:-) Anybody with powerpoint, and some modest recording software can do this stuff on their laptop, it especially helps when you have someone (rtambree thx:-) for the Epicuris suggestion) to bounce ideas off, and a horde of godless infidels to call on when the commenting gets intense.

This is the way forward I think, we can make ourselves felt in the virtual public space, and combat the nonsense at source.

We are engaged in a global conversation about our future as a global people, and atheists need to be at the coalface of that discussion.

Anyway, thanks everyone, and kudos to Josh and RD for being good enough to give our modest community video that extra lift:-)

859. Sam's Flea!

Comment #34142 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 10:39 am

Given the sociopath's noted difficulties, why is it wrong for him to rape women to get his (very real, biological) needs met?

It isn't wrong in any cosmic sense. It's wrong for society because it has negative outcomes. Despite your trite homily, the family of the raped girl will kill, or at the very least insist he makes reparation. Depending on convention.

But more fundamentally, how can the moral sentiments of society be the thing that's "emerging" and "refining" and the standard by which this progress is measured *at the very same time*?

There is no problem here, it's exactly how law and convention has emerged in every society. No thanks to the slavery promoting Bible I might add.

Look, just because you say "There ought to be a perfect platonic penis, curved to perfection to generate the perfect platonic orgasm for the perfect platonic clitoris" doesn't mean that these things ARE.

To cut to the chase, my ideal is that all humans should be considered part of the same ingroup, subject to the same laws, agreed among global citizens, fairly applied. This is the logical trend of a planetary human society. We decide, and we generally decide not to kill, rape or force reality TV upon people in our ingroup.

The golden rule beqeathed to us by a wise and beneificent evolution, but applied to ALL humans equally, not just those in your immediate tribe. Crazy huh?

Your "cosmic moral standard" is just Plato's horseshit dressed up in religious livery.

Does that answer your question?

860. Sam's Flea!

Comment #34135 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 10:21 am

Hi Guys!

Score one for atheists:-) The video myself and Rtambree put together has exceeded all expectations.

It has clocked over 9000 views, and is currently number 2 in it's category, and 11 overall in best rated videos in the last 48 hours on youtube. That means it's on the front screen of "best rated all".

It has generated a blizzard of commentary, mostly positive, which has simply served to push it that much higher in the rankings.

Thanks to all the posters, especially Veronique who joined the commenting fray when I headed off to bed last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

This little firework is waning now, but it made a difference. Thousands of people who have never dreamt picking up a book on philosophy have heard the words of Epicuris, and we pushed back publicly against the abuse of the vulnerable and hurting by the religious.

Here is it is on the front page of "Top Rated (Today)", it's the picture of the choclate cake!!!

http://www.youtube.com/browse?s=tr&t=t&c=0&l=

Thanks all:-)

861. Atheists split on how to not believe

Comment #34133 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 10:18 am

Hi Guys!

Score one for atheists:-) The video myself and Rtambree put together has exceeded all expectations.

It has clocked over 9000 views, and is currently number 2 in it's category, and 11 overall in best rated videos in the last 48 hours on youtube. That means it's on the front screen of "best rated all".

It has generated a blizzard of commentary, mostly positive, which has simply served to push it that much higher in the rankings.

Thanks to all the posters, especially Veronique who joined the commenting fray when I headed off to bed last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

This little firework is waning now, but it made a difference. Thousands of people who have never dreamt picking up a book on philosophy have heard the words of Epicuris, and we pushed back publicly against the abuse of the vulnerable and hurting by the religious.

Here is it is on the front page of "Top Rated (Today)", it's the picture of the choclate cake!!!

http://www.youtube.com/browse?s=tr&t=t&c=0&l=

Thanks all:-)

862. Sam's Flea!

Comment #34114 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 9:04 am

I think that's kind of the point-- given materialist premises, it can only ever be "addressed" and never actually "answered."

Morality is an emergent property that is built on a biological substrate of empathy and group cooperation, refined in the interactions between child and parents, and further expanded in the social dynamics of the peer group and the rest of the culture. We have morality because being able to imagine yourself in someone else's position is a fast track to learning, because we discover quickly that we're dependent on others for food and warmth, and because as social animals we desire to be accepted by the group, and following shared rules is a good strategy for doing that.

There's also an element of selection involved. Sociopaths have a harder time getting laid and do a piss-poor job of raising children.

Nobody "decides" what is moral. Get that primitive, simple-minded authoritarianism out of your head.

I plagarised this lock stock and barrel from a PZ post. He says it so much better than I could:-) consider yourself vicarously p'wned.

863. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #34088 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 23, 2007 at 7:25 am

It is a cheap and pathetic ad hominem tactic to post this kind of article and ironically is as guilty of using the tragedy to push atheism as some religious groups use it to push their own agenda.

No I'm afraid that won't wash. You claim that the all powerful, all knowing, all loving creator of the universe, whose thoughts you appear to be privy to, is not represented by the Phelps. Well why doesn't He do something about them?

We poor mortal atheists are simply objecting to your claims that religion has anything to offer, that normal human empathy doesn't. We think it's a fraud, and given the evidence, I think we have a pretty compelling case.

You are claiming something that not only can't be proven, but that is made even more absurd by the existence of the Phelps.

Even an atheist Phelps type group wouldn't undermine our position, we're not making any extraordinary claims, we're just humans. What's Gods excuse?

864. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33895 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 1:49 pm

It is obvious that you have a bone to pick with this guy, but your backlash against me is seriously misplaced.

A lot of the "left" whoever they are:-), have a bone to pick with Hitchens. He really did weigh in heart and soul, on the side of the Bush Regime as regards the Iraq war.

I've begun to warm to him, having seen him in a few debates discussing atheism. This is my take, for what its worth.

Hitchens really bought the idea of the threat of Islam and acted accordingly, and I think sometimes disingenously. He realises now that he was wrong, that the threat was (and continues to be) hysterically overblown, and now he isn't really certain how to disengage and retain credibility.

865. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33892 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 1:24 pm

Heck if you can't keep the discussion civil, just go away.

Fuck you is really the only appropriate response to that. You want to crank it back a notch? Too late!!

If it weren't for us Americans and our 2nd Amendment fanatics and their guns, you people elsewhere would be speaking German (Hitler), Russian (Stalin), Japanese (WW2), or Chinese (Mao Zedong) today. Care to pick your favorite?

Do you recall this statement? Does this strike as "civil"? Not only is it not "civil", but it's also utter nationalist horseshit. For starters, what has the 2nd amendment got to do with dropping bombs on Germans? Incoherent much? Jesus, read some stuff on WWII for goodness sake.

"oh we got to ban guns, then the world will be perfect."

Ensuring that the general public does not have access to guns will not make the world perfect. Only an idiot would make such a comment, or infer that someone else was suggesting it. Besides, the US has a lot more things wrong with it than a simple gun ban would cure.

Lets give you a shot to redeem yourself though, shall we? You are a rational person right? You must have a molecule or two of rationality bouncing around in there, otherwise you wouldn't be an atheist, yes? So empirical evidence, even if it challenges cherished bullshit, has to trump the bullshit, correct?

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir_percap-crime-murders-firearms-per-capita

Why is the US number 8 on this list? Sandwiched between Costa Rica and Uruguay? While the rest of the developed world doesn't appear until number 19? It's a complete fucking mystery isn't it? A real Agatha Christie class stumper. I bet not even Colombo could crack this one.

Have a look through that, it's a wealth of information. Maybe something will click.

I was in the military for 10 years and never had shootouts on base with all the other guys even though we had access to big bad guns in the armory.

Anecdotal. Means ZIP.

And just because you don't agree with gun use doesn't mean you have to label those who do fascists.

I'm sorry, if I offended you, rest assured it was entirely intentional:-) Don't be such a BABY.

May Cho and the church loons rot in Hell if there is one.

See now, we can't even agree on that. Now it's not just political distaste, but personal dislike I'm feeling. This relationship is going downhill darling.

Listen up. No one deserves to be tortured for eternity. I bet you just luv the whole Iraq war and all the tasty torture of the nasty muslims. Doncha?

See I was letting you off lightly ... now I'm annoyed. Produce some more 5th rate Bush telegraph for me to debunk. I love doing that.

866. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33882 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 12:39 pm

90. Comment #33854 by MorituriMax on April 22, 2007 at 8:22 am

I'm not in the mood, and you're a fellow atheist so I'm letting you off lightly.

This fascist gung ho slop, "we've got the right to guns", and "were like really super special" and "we saved your asses any number of times" is so tiresome when it comes from some semi evolved red neck republican primate. However, when it comes from a fellow atheist it really pisses me off. One expects fellow atheists to have the critical faculties to separate the bullshit kind of republican propoganda, you've been dumb enough to spew in the forum, from reality.

While I couldn't comfortably endorse everything ghostbuster has posted, his view is somewhat closer to reality. Read some Noam Chomsky or something.

This kind of thing really makes it hard not to step over the line from anti current regime to anti americans generally.

Get a grip.

Oh ... I didn't go so lightly after all. Well, you were asking for it.

867. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33881 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 12:29 pm

Hey guys, that video did pretty well, we must be closing in on 3000 hits, and 150 comments. The flying monkeys of fundamentalism have descended on the thread however, and I could use some commentary backup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

868. Street Evangelist Saves 300 Souls From Enjoying Park

Comment #33880 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 12:27 pm

Hey guys, that video did pretty well, we must be closing in on 3000 hits, and 150 comments. The flying monkeys of fundamentalism have descended on the thread however, and I could use some commentary backup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

869. Answers To the Atheists

Comment #33878 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 12:11 pm

Hey guys, that video did pretty well, we must be closing in on 3000 hits, and 150 comments. The flying monkeys of fundamentalism have descended on the thread however, and I could use some commentary backup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

870. Street Evangelist Saves 300 Souls From Enjoying Park

Comment #33824 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 3:30 am

The Onion has done some good ones over the years.
Here's one I like...

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/51849

That is superb stuff, funny, moving and sad all at once. Brilliant stuff.

871. Street Evangelist Saves 300 Souls From Enjoying Park

Comment #33818 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 2:19 am

Congratulations Brian, on your video response. The fact that these people would invade upon people's grief really shows how sick - and deluded - they are.

Thanks. It's cracking along quite nicely, 1300 views and nearly 90 ratings putting it between 4 and 5 stars. Still a drop in the ocean compared to the 300K views that gasthly trash received, but hey baby steps right?:-) Thanks all!!

872. Street Evangelist Saves 300 Souls From Enjoying Park

Comment #33808 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 22, 2007 at 12:54 am

It's excellent, but it needs to link from the original. All the "related videos" there seem to have "God" in their titles, but maybe "god" in the keywords would help. Looks like the best reponse to any video would be "[original title] - a response"

Just discovered this myself, no the rebuttal appears alongside the original, as I've synced up the tags. Still learning:-)

(All the ones "related" to this one are about puppies... what is that?)

Ah yes. That. Long story. We finished this at about 14:00 CET yesterday, but for some reason the video after uploading would not go live. In a fit of conspiracy paranoia, I suspected it was being blocked because of the tags. So I reuploaded with the tag and subject "puppies", reasoning this was so innocous as to slip through the net.

It worked!!! Not sure what the real reasons where, and I've changed the tags back now:-)

873. Street Evangelist Saves 300 Souls From Enjoying Park

Comment #33767 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 4:58 pm

Good idea. I'll jump in and do it now.

874. Street Evangelist Saves 300 Souls From Enjoying Park

Comment #33760 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 4:13 pm

Look at this awful stuff posted about Virginia Tech : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

Please remember to rank the video, and comments are also welcome to try and push it up the ladder so that it gets broader attention. Thx:-) All.

875. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33757 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 4:01 pm

comments also help:-)

876. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33756 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 4:01 pm

59. Comment #33750 by Bremas on April 21, 2007 at 2:23 pm

Brian post 56
Nice job.

Thanks. Rtambree suggested the Epicuris quote, somewhat the heart of the message. A pithy summary of the absurdity of God.

If you can, please rank, the ranking is the easiest way to percolate into the view of the general public. If they like it, we get the whole viral thing going and maybe get a few thousand hits. The gasthly AFA video had hundreds of thousands last time I looked, but they aren't getting much of a rating.

877. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33755 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 3:55 pm

54. Comment #33724 by nogod42 on April 21, 2007 at 11:47 am

A portion of this message board being dedicated to designating a "trinity" for atheism is embarrassing. Who cares who are considered the preeminent atheists throughout history.

The "trinity" is a running joke between myself and Rtambree, may his Dennett loving name be blasted by the sands of time and expunged from all human memory. It's not serious:-)

Still, it has sombre side. The potential for faction, and the creation of in and out groups lurks in every "movement" and human institution.

I think atheists are better prepared than most to combat it, but we are human, and humans BLOW it. The humour is just my way of reminding people of how ridiculous such an idea would be.

878. Dinesh D'Souza says I don't exist: an atheist at Virginia Tech

Comment #33747 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 2:02 pm

please rank the video, honestly of course, if the rankings are good it may percolate up to a level where it gets noticed by the general public.

879. Dinesh D'Souza says I don't exist: an atheist at Virginia Tech

Comment #33746 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 2:00 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

I also, included a lengthy quote at the end from the Virginia Tech professor.

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

880. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33737 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:35 pm

Just looking to the gun bans in place in other countries seems like a superficial approach to the problem. Discussion?

I think you are right, there are other variables. However, availability is a massive problem.

881. Flea Circus!

Comment #33733 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:21 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

882. The Empty Wager

Comment #33732 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:20 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

883. Richard Dawkins interviews the Bishop of Oxford

Comment #33731 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:19 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

884. Where Is Atheism When Bad Things Happen?

Comment #33730 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:18 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

885. Dinesh D'Souza says I don't exist: an atheist at Virginia Tech

Comment #33729 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:17 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

886. A debate on people who profess no religion

Comment #33728 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:17 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

887. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33727 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:17 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

888. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33726 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 12:16 pm

Virginia Tech being used and abused by the faithheads. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!!

A few of us co-operated online to make the following response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_z9WgV5jkQ

If you think it is a good one,
please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent.
We should not have to sit idly by, while this juvenile drivel is spouted as truth.

889. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33710 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 10:07 am

"Oh darn, the sign says I can't bring my gun with me." Does anybody really think a mass murderer is going to obey gun laws if he doesn't obey "Don't murder people?"

Shooting deaths are orders of magnitude lower everywhere else in the developed world. Ban guns and stop having this stupid, and now very public conversation.

Christ knows, you people don't need anymore bad press.

890. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33703 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 8:06 am

Hi guys ... I've got the video completed and uploading now. Rtambree thanks for helping out, cool to do some networking we should all do more of that:-)

Once it's uploaded I'll post the link, if you think it is a good response, please help to promote it in whatever other fora you frequent. We should not have to sit idly by, while this bullshit is spouted as truth.

891. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33688 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 6:01 am

Please join my meeting at
https://www.gotomeeting.com/join/702326683

I've got an online tool that allows networked co-operation. Anyone care to join me, I'm working on something now. I am PISSED off at how these bastards exploit tragedy to promote their sky fairy.

Follow the instructions if you want to log in and help.

892. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33685 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 5:48 am

maybe a bunch of us could co-operate on something, and get Josh to promote it, for the click throughs? Dodgy though, looks like RD is endorsing something that might be dubious.

893. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33684 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 5:45 am

Look at this SHIT : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uNtvFSxYM

No comments, no video responses!!! Wish we could answer this tripe:-( Any ideas?

894. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33682 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 5:25 am

71. Comment #33678 by Mikado on April 21, 2007 at 4:44 am

70. Comment #33675 by scottishgeologist

I do not like to say this, but from much of what is written on this Forum one could easily draw the conclusion that hating those with a different opinion than your own is a common human trait regardless of belief or not.

You are absolutely right. The same ingroup outgroup drive that permates all of human history is operating here.

The key difference? We know it, and no one will get away with suggesting the mass murder of the religious as a "final solution" to the faith problem.

Expect lots of verbal effrontery though.

895. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33677 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 21, 2007 at 4:36 am

33. Comment #33668 by Spinoza on April 21, 2007 at 2:39 am

I really hope Brian is joking.... really really hope...

Too much? Was the black women thing too tasteless? Just finding my humour boundaries:-)

896. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33660 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 20, 2007 at 11:56 pm

30. Comment #33659 by Roy_H on April 20, 2007 at 11:44 pm

At this rate 'The Three Musketeers' will soon become 'The Twelve Disciples!' ( of Russell? )

This is getting out of hand. We have the trinity people. Dawkins-Harris-Sagan. Thats IT. No seductive santa clones, no drunken ex commies, and absolutely, unequivocally NO black!!! women.

The UAU most hold the line against this sort of corruption.

897. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33655 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 20, 2007 at 11:25 pm

65. Comment #33653 by ButteryAtheist on April 20, 2007 at 11:10 pm

Am I the only one who thinks the WBC *may* just be undercover atheists doing covert ops to undermine the Theist cause? ((shudder))

I've considered this, but it seems unlikely. The kids are totally involved, and "gramps" has a track record decades long.

However, I agree with you they are a boon to Atheists everywhere. A more bigoted, repellant and biblically sound message does not exist. I especially love the "we are the only ones going to Heaven, and the rest of you are going to Hell" angle.

I you still beleive that stuff, you need to consider their reasons, and with a little luck, you might end up examining your own reasons in detail too.

I hasten to add, this is "silver lining" thinking, it really is objectively horrible what they do and say to people.

898. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33652 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 20, 2007 at 10:45 pm

In short, WBC may purport to represent the views of its deity, but what it does not do is provide a representative sample of what Christians in general are like.

Course it doesn't, and it is galling to be associated with such assholes isn't it? That's not my point though, it is simply this : They claim to represent God and God does not straighten us out that they are full of shit, it follows then that God straightens no one out, regardless of the crap those claiming to be his representatives "preach".

Thus even if God did exist, unlikely because of her utter failure to take exception to the Phelps, we are still screwed because her message is so hopelessly degraded by the noise made by Phelpsian and similar interference.

Join us ...... Bizarro ..... joinnnnn ussssss.

899. NEXT MONDAY: Bill O'Reilly interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #33580 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 20, 2007 at 4:09 pm

111. Comment #33579 by krogercomplete on April 20, 2007 at 4:06 pm

"Richard strikes me has having little charm and even less sense of humour"

He charms the pants off of me, and I laugh while he is doing it!

I have to agree !!! My fav Dawkins quote : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2xGIwQfik

900. Dinesh D'Souza says I don't exist: an atheist at Virginia Tech

Comment #33577 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on April 20, 2007 at 3:56 pm

74. Comment #33575 by Janus on April 20, 2007 at 3:52 pm

When does lying become immoral?

We all fudge the truth, tell white lies, omit to mention things and generally engage in activities that take the rough edge off social intercourse.

I really have come to the conclusion though, that religion perpetrates such a persistent fraud on people that it should at the very least carry a health warning.