51. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172054 by Szkeptik on April 29, 2008 at 7:27 am

Posted by bugaboo
"Of course, but information these days travels in the blink of an eye. We have to use this to educate and, as you suggest, as a matter of urgency."

It does travel faster, but people sure don't change their minds faster. Also I think that the effect of the western media will be much more damaging to cultural aspects of life then religious ones. Ultimately it seems much more probable that the fall of their culture will take their religion down with itself instead of the other way around.

52. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172003 by Szkeptik on April 29, 2008 at 5:51 am

Posted by bugaboo
"Dont see why not. its been happening in Europe and beyond since the enlightenment. What is it that we are trying to achieve?"

The enlightenment didn't happen in the blink of an eye. It took centuries to redefine the role of religion. And in the age of WMDs we don't have that kind of time. The change needs to happen as soon as possible. If we wait for somekind of enlightenment to happen we will have to deal with many more wars in the region. Cultural assimilation might be a radical move, but it seems to be the fastest way to achieve favorable results.

Posted by bugaboo
"No. what we have is a lot of human beings poisoned by religion"

I agree with this, but that doesn't change the fact that this poison turns them into barbarians. I wish I could share your optimism in healing this illness, but from where I'm looking at it there's not much to be optimistic about.

53. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #171968 by Szkeptik on April 29, 2008 at 3:42 am

Posted by [B]bugaboo[/B]
"I find this deeply disturbing. Destroy their religion fine but culture? i live in the uk and love the many of aspects of culture that other people bring here when they arrive: food, art, music etc (yeah even maybe McFood). But when it comes to religion thats a different matter."

You can try to peal their religion off the culture, but I doubt you would succeed.
Besides, the real arabic culture is longsince dead. Islam killed real arabic culture. What we have now in most of the middle east is a lot of barbarians hiding behind the ruins of a once great civilisation.

54. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #171876 by Szkeptik on April 29, 2008 at 1:05 am

The long term solution is quite simple. All we have to do is destroy their culture and replace it with our own.

This war will not be won by guns. It will be won by Burger Kings, Cola, Alcohol and hip-hop. We will flood them with our more liberal culture and the young people with raging hormones will bite. Open those discos and bars! Their centuries old traditions will die away with a single generation. This is the solution. Don't destroy them. Assimilate them!

55. Gunk in T. Rex Fossil Confirms Dino-Bird Lineage

Comment #169383 by Szkeptik on April 25, 2008 at 11:56 pm

The protein was a collagen fragment that was aquired from the bone. Not a soft tissue.

56. Mecca should become core to measure time zones: scholars

Comment #165258 by Szkeptik on April 21, 2008 at 9:12 am

"In a clear support for the call, Islamic scholar Yousuf al-Qaradawi said Islam, "unlike other religions, never contradicted science"."

Yousuf al-Qaradawi is eighter an ignorant fool or a liar or both.

"They also called the Arab governments to abandon the new world maps "because they are forged to serve Western interests." "

Obvious nonsense.

"She hoped that an Islamic country would adopt the project to strengthen the belief that Mecca was the core of the world, not theoretically but practically."

Clearly does not know what "core" means or what the shape of the Earth is.

Stupidity has trumped reason yet again. Well, what do you expect from the part of the world where nothing beneficial has come in over 1000 years?

57. Anti-gay Okla. lawmaker attracts 1,000 backers

Comment #154553 by Szkeptik on April 3, 2008 at 12:35 pm

"Studies show no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than a few decades,"

Umm... ancient Rome?

58. Saudi Arabia Leader Calls for Interfaith Dialogue

Comment #151144 by Szkeptik on March 28, 2008 at 7:43 am

I wouldn't count on this getting realised. They hate eachother too much to come together and talk. The king won't be able to handle the riots if christian a jewish clergy start crossing the borders.

59. New Atheists Are Not Great

Comment #145661 by Szkeptik on March 17, 2008 at 11:58 pm

"the Inquisition claimed 2,000 lives over three and a half centuries"

I just hate when they lie.

60. In Britain, creationist theory is evolving

Comment #144913 by Szkeptik on March 17, 2008 at 3:39 am

[quote from BBC news (2005)] the Evangelical Alliance has polled its members, which NUMBER ABOUT A MILLION.

ONE-THIRD of those surveyed believe Adam and Eve were created within six days of the start of the universe. Of the other two-thirds, some would accept evolution while others see Adam and Eve being created after six "ages" of creation, rather than six literal days. [end quote]

From this perspective it doesn't look like that evangelical=creationist nut like it's in the USA. I mean only ONE-THIRD of the EVANGELICALS is a young earther. That's not such an extreme case. Nor does it look like this fundamentalist branch of christianity is all that widespread in the UK. One million isn't a big number on a national level.

61. Seven new deadly sins: are you guilty?

Comment #141490 by Szkeptik on March 10, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Well, another kick in the side of the dead horse. Let's congratulate the Vatican for making laws that are not worth the paper they were written on. Again.

62. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #134324 by Szkeptik on February 27, 2008 at 3:34 pm

Well, It didn't contain anything new. The same boring old questions that always get asked.

63. Study: Religion colors Americans' views of nanotechnology

Comment #128427 by Szkeptik on February 17, 2008 at 1:47 am

-quill
That said, I am beginning to believe that the world would be a lot better off if the United States were not in it.-

Bad idea. Islam would take over the world.

I think though that this "immoral" thing should not be considered an objection to science. The only factor we should analise before introducing a new tech is "is it dangerous?". If it's not then put it on the market and those who have "moral" issues with it won't buy it if they don't want to.

-MPhil: Go to imminst.org and watch the first video on the list.

64. Inventor Doesn't Dare Say 'Perpetual Motion Machine'

Comment #124048 by Szkeptik on February 8, 2008 at 8:17 am

Perpetual motion is impossible. It would violate the most fundamental physical laws. This is complete BS.

65. Sharia law in UK is 'unavoidable'

Comment #123618 by Szkeptik on February 7, 2008 at 12:08 pm

Ok, so can I have a unique set of laws for myself? I'm not a Christian, nor a muslim nor a jew. I want personal laws!

I'm interrested what would he suggest when a non-muslim woman on the street offends a muslim man with her inappropriate clothing (by muslim standards)? Which law would apply for that?

66. A Letter From Hell

Comment #115900 by Szkeptik on January 25, 2008 at 2:27 am

Man sooooo cool!!! They have to make a movie out of this!

"This summer... Josh started his eternal torment in Hell... We thought it was over for him... We thought it was inevitable...but we were wrong! Cause when an M249 SAW misteriously appers in the lake of fire... things can get angry...
STARRING Vin Diesel as little Josh... HELL IS IN FOR SOME SERIOUS ASSKICKING!"

Oh yeah! I hope they do it! Diesel is my favourite! I'll write a letter to WB now!

67. Three Little Pigs 'too offensive'

Comment #115066 by Szkeptik on January 23, 2008 at 1:36 pm

It might be funny now, but if the time comes (and it will) when noone will be allowed to eat pork in a restaurant if there is a muslim guy inside than it won't be funny anymore.

68. Ethical storm as scientist becomes first man to clone HIMSELF

Comment #113538 by Szkeptik on January 20, 2008 at 12:45 am

I hate that ethical stuff. How can all these people cry about a clump of 100 or less cells when we are so near a whole bunch of medical breakthroughs with which we could heal real people?

PS: Cow hybrids FTW! Let's create useless stuff yay!

69. The New Theology

Comment #113231 by Szkeptik on January 19, 2008 at 3:54 am

This theistic evolution idea is a very good example for the ease of picking some verses from the bible and twisting and stretching them until they confort your views.

70. Huckabee Wants A 'Faith-based' Constitution

Comment #111885 by Szkeptik on January 16, 2008 at 12:30 am

Does he want an ammendment about stoning disobidient children? If he gets elected and starts the ammending, I will keep demanding the childrenstoning taken up too.

71. US 'doomed' if creationist president elected: scientists

Comment #108937 by Szkeptik on January 8, 2008 at 1:35 am

Yes! Yes! Everyone with the willingness to learn and use their knowledge to help society is wellcome in Europe! Come on, come all!

72. Researchers use neuroimaging to study ESP

Comment #108079 by Szkeptik on January 6, 2008 at 1:49 am

Come on! If anything like this ESP existed, than evolution would have surely selected for it, since being able to sense a predator outside your cave would be a HUGE advantage. If ESP was real than it would be a competely natural sense for everyone by now.

73. The Evangelical Rebellion

Comment #103294 by Szkeptik on December 25, 2007 at 2:12 am

I think we should try to push Huckabee in :)
I'd love to see the Republican party burn. Because they will, if Huckabee gets nominated. This might actually play off good for "us".

74. Priest who committed suicide for rebirth cremated

Comment #103210 by Szkeptik on December 24, 2007 at 1:45 pm

At least they gave up waiting after 72 hours.

Jesus said he would return while some of those who have seen him go would still be alive and look what's still going on.

75. 'Muhammad' teddy teacher arrested

Comment #90868 by Szkeptik on November 26, 2007 at 2:26 pm

Incredible.
Whenever something like this happens it makes me want to insult islam badly.