51. There Go The Dinosaurs

Comment #74521 by HappyPrimate on September 29, 2007 at 8:37 am

I had never heard of this guy Chick before so I truly thought the cartoons were satirical in nature and looked for the punch line which never came. Then I realized this is supposed to be used to actually convert people to Xianity! The part about the flood burying the dinos in mud (along with the bad humans) is so incredible. Common knowledge is that no humans have ever been found in the same layers as the dinos. That sort of find would definitely put a crimp in science, but this has never been found. I can't see where this cartoon could stand credibility with anyone but the totally ignorant. Of course that is just the sort of people Xianity is looking for. The gullible ignorant who can be led to believe total nonsense with no evidence. So - guess this might be useful for their cause. So sad.

52. Talking Action Figure Jesus

Comment #73327 by HappyPrimate on September 24, 2007 at 6:41 pm

I sort of like this idea of bible characters as toys. I think this will backfire on the parents that buy them. It puts the notion in their dear little ones heads that these characters are play things and as we all know, when you grow older, you tend to put the toys away. Maybe the next generation will be able to put away religion itself easier and with less stress if it was all just something to play with as a child.

53. New Rules: A Religious Test

Comment #72747 by HappyPrimate on September 22, 2007 at 3:47 pm

Great clip. Bill says it all with such gusto. I like that the percentage is rising.
As for the question of what to put on a medical form, I always put NONE. Not sure if I have been treated any differently than other patients because of that, but I refuse leave it blank. Hopefully they will see more and more NONEs on these forms until the question itself goes away.

54. God Talk on 'The View'

Comment #71872 by HappyPrimate on September 19, 2007 at 8:14 pm

I agree with TheHardProblem. The conversation was leaning toward the truth of science not being able to be ignored. It is a small step, but a step nevertheless. I embraced evolution as a process directed by god before I was able to then drop the god. But I had to read and learn to do so. Most have to take it in steps. I liked that Barbara was positive about what science has to say. Overall, from where I sit now in what I've learned, it was disgusting. But never give up hope. They are at least talking about science as a truth-in-fact.

55. The Bili Apes Are in Trouble!

Comment #71434 by HappyPrimate on September 18, 2007 at 7:02 pm

USA_Limey - You may not be far off. An article on BBC.com tells of a metorite that hit in Peru and is causing severe illness in people and a bull has died. It appears there are gases coming from the impact site. Could there be more of those out there heading our way right now? Maybe, maybe not. BTW I'm with those who feel humans need more humility and empathy for our fellow creatures. But as long as most of us think we were special creations, it's not going to happen.

56. Larry King Interviews Kathy Griffin

Comment #71429 by HappyPrimate on September 18, 2007 at 6:50 pm

I'm sorry I missed the show when it aired. Kudos for Kathy and Sally. Don't be afraid to ridicule religion or unnecessary war when you are given a public platform. Kathy's remarks were so full of truth and it was so obvious that that is what upset Xians. People can be starving around the world but they want to believe a prayer will be answered for their every little whim. Funny as funny can be. Loved it! Great she is getting a lot of mileage out of it as well.

57. Open letter to YouTube video

Comment #70481 by HappyPrimate on September 15, 2007 at 5:22 pm

I am very disappointed in YouTube. What or who caused RichardDawkins.net to be banned?
Normally I do not listen to rap, but if the volume is low and the words are intelligent, it is not too bad.

58. The Atheists Interviews

Comment #69550 by HappyPrimate on September 11, 2007 at 5:12 pm

Being raised in a religion that tells you from craddle on that you will be tempted by the devil to betray your religious beliefs, it is hard to stand up one day and say I don't believe any of it. Like Julia Sweeney, I declared to myself my disbelief and then went back to religion and finally left for good about 30 years ago. I cannot say it was easy and my family has just recently been informed of my non-theist position to their horror. I've lost friends as well. However, I know I will now never go back into fantasy land and love reality and if people around me aren't happy about it, sorry. I've found new friends and am loving this website. It helps to know you are not alone. There are sane people in the universe. I look forward to reading all of the interviews and hope each person will feel welcome to share how and why they came into the light of reason.

59. The Rise of Atheist America

Comment #68971 by HappyPrimate on September 9, 2007 at 10:54 am

The author of this article refers to atheist beliefs as if we have a dogma or ideology which is competing against Xianity. That is misleading and just plain wrong. Claiming Dawkins, Hitchens et al are arrogant and angry is simply voicing what this writer feels as a result of having his fantasy unveiled. He is the one who is angry and arrogant at being confronted with those of us who have for far too long kept silent as his kind marched through demanding all bow down. The books he sites are not angry, they are in-your-face however and the author of this article has no good defense. You cannot defend a falicy, at least not well. So he tells us Dawkins and Hitchens are arrogant and angry. Ha!

60. Court bans Christian cross on private land in public park

Comment #68586 by HappyPrimate on September 7, 2007 at 5:03 pm

There are several private homes in my neighborhood that have religious symbols promiently placed in their front yard (or gardens as they call them in the UK) and I am perfectly fine with that. Also the numerous churches in my city have huge crosses on their property and signs avertizing their programs and services. Again, I'm fine with that. But when they post them on public ground or government owned property, I am NOT fine with that. Public and government property belongs partly to me and to other people who do not suscribe to the Xian religion and it is therefore an affront to us and our Constitution guarantees that we should not be subjected to such. I also must note that should I feel the desire to display an atheist symbol on my private property, I would have to suffer fear of having my house burned and/or bodily harm done to me. How's that for Xian Love!

61. We need a more intelligent religion debate

Comment #68582 by HappyPrimate on September 7, 2007 at 4:30 pm

That article was such utter nonsense, drivel and the most unintelligent thing I have read is quite a while. I hope he is not supposing to head up any sort of line of debate. My eyes are still rolling around in my head. Is he saying that atheists cannot argue their points because there are too many varieties of religion to fill any sort of hole in the falsehoods we explain? What? Has this man ever met a Xian fundamentalist or a Muslim? or an Orthodox Jew? or a Morman? or a Jehovah's Witness?

62. Christopher Hitchens on BookTV

Comment #67531 by HappyPrimate on September 3, 2007 at 6:02 pm

Watched the whole thing twice yesterday on C-Span. It was a very good interview and was truly in-depth on Hitchens. They talked about all his books, current events and his personal life.

63. The Flea Circus moves to your iPod!

Comment #67529 by HappyPrimate on September 3, 2007 at 5:58 pm

Simply the idea that one cannot read a book and decide for themselves what to make of the content without assistance from someone else is delusional in and of itself. If anyone buys this product, they should be committed to a padded room.

64. What do these atheists understand of religion?

Comment #67524 by HappyPrimate on September 3, 2007 at 5:39 pm

The thing I have noticed in these negative reviews are that they are attempting to turn a lot of the phrasing we have used back on us such as fundamentalism, ranting, ignorant etc. Just a case of them not really having anything intelligent to say. Just hope they are in fact reading Dr. Dawkins TGD. Too much to hope for? Maybe he should have written it in 17th century english? That accent seems to get their attention. Thou shall read TGD! Thou shall not take the name of science in vain! Ha!

65. Review of Darwin's Angel: An Angelic Response to the God Delusion

Comment #67067 by HappyPrimate on September 1, 2007 at 4:41 pm

I posted a comment on the website as well. I can only deduce that they are only showing a limited number of comments at any time. Fortunately, there are no comments showing of the current 12 comments that are positive in any way of this reviewer. I am very saddened that they at least do not lead with Dr. Dawkins' comment since he was so unabashedly attacked in her review.

66. Orthodox Call on Sinners To Give Chickens a Fairer Shake

Comment #66825 by HappyPrimate on August 31, 2007 at 4:54 pm

The part of this article that struck me as woozy was the Rabbi says that this ritual might be of pagan origin and they should rethink it. Geez - after better than 5,000 years now they might rethink it as having pagan origins? ALL rituals have pagan origins. Duh.

67. There is no God and Dawkins is his Prophet

Comment #66366 by HappyPrimate on August 29, 2007 at 7:59 pm

After reading the whole of the article, I found he finally says what he wants to say - Dawkins is not playing fair with the believers. Dawkins should be nicer and more reverent to those who believe. It is not nice to be so blunt just because we are so deluded we cannot see beyond our noses. We like being deluded so go away and let us get on with our make-believe lives because most of us are harmless.

At least it looks like the good Father actually may have read the book.

68. God's Still Dead

Comment #65541 by HappyPrimate on August 24, 2007 at 4:50 pm

I am old enough to remember when, I think it was Life magazine published an issue with a cover that said God is dead. It was around 1964. My parents went nuts. How dare anybody say such a thing? It all died down and things went back to what I called normal. Point is - We can never take for granted that reason and critical thinking has been successful enough to stick. Bertrand Russell got fooled into thinking religion was on its way out - obviously it would be gone soon he thought. It is not so much that people are inclined to fall into supernatural belief as is that they are fed it constantly like candy instead of good wholesome real education and reason. That's why I am so supportive of Richard Dawkins and the other scientists who are willing to put the really good stuff on the public table for everyone's consumption. U.S. students get virtually no education in classical literature either. Maybe a Shakespeare play or two. At 55 I'm desparately trying to catch up. It is truly sad all the knowledge that is available is not being consumed by the masses.

69. Send In the Clergy!

Comment #65535 by HappyPrimate on August 24, 2007 at 4:15 pm

As a Washington Journal, C-Span TV watcher there was a lively public discussion about the Executive Order Bush signed a couple of months ago saying that if some catastrophe should happen here that he could declare martial law and that his declaration of complete martial law would negate any authority the individual state governments have. Governors would be powerless.

That would indeed make him a whole and complete dictator. The miliary has been Xianized and would follow him blindly. So this news story seems to fit nicely in that scheme. Question is - is he planning on executing some sort of plan to stay in power? Guess we will find out in 2008 or sooner.

70. Poll: Which religion do you associate with?

Comment #65349 by HappyPrimate on August 23, 2007 at 6:04 pm

I also sent Larry an email asking for an interview with Christopher Hitchens.

71. Poll: Which religion do you associate with?

Comment #65348 by HappyPrimate on August 23, 2007 at 6:00 pm

I just voted also. Everyone on this website needs to vote. Atheists are making a really good showing! Main stream media needs to see we exist in numbers!

72. A Matter of Faith

Comment #65047 by HappyPrimate on August 22, 2007 at 6:00 pm

I noted that this was on U.S. CBS network TV and am happy to see Sweeney and Hitchens get air time. Of course I would have loved it if Hitchens could have rebutted the old stale Stalin arguement - he does it so well. But the network media just likes and wants the sensationality of the argument. That's their game, not truth. Just rile people up. However it could back-fire and really get more atheist out of the closet.

73. CNN Request for 'I-Reports' on religion

Comment #65031 by HappyPrimate on August 22, 2007 at 5:09 pm

Thanks for the link. Here is what I submitted.

No. I am not one of the faithful. I am one of the millions of U.S. citizens who rejects blind, unquestioning faith in supernatural entities. I am a non-theist. Born 55 years ago into a family of protestant faith, schooled in biblical stories, threatened by hell fire for years, I finally read the book from cover to cover and found it sorely wanting for any sort of belief or moral value. I have found in my study of the sciences of biology and astronomy all the elegance and awe I can handle. I adore being alive and I am not afraid of dying and returning to the universe as nothing more than atoms. I revere all life and appreciate my place as very fortunate evolved creature among many other types of evolved creatures. I am only fearful of the holy terror that Gods Warriors are reeking both politically and environmentally upon this our only place to exist in the solar system. Thomas Jefferson, without the benefit of Darwin, was able to foresee that this country would only survive and prosper if we separated out the faithful from the political. Richard Dawkins' book The God Delusion says it better than I can. So I ask - can we learn nothing from history? Let's please remove the scales from our eyes and see the REAL truth.

74. The Pentagon Sends Messengers of Apocalypse to Convert Soldiers in Iraq

Comment #64580 by HappyPrimate on August 20, 2007 at 7:10 pm

All I can see from the crusade effort will be blood, lots of beheadings and killing. Bet the Xians don't turn the other cheek on this one. Not that they ever have since Constantine turned it into a ruling religion. Just hope they keep all the ruckus over there cause it won't be pretty. Be interesting to see who screams uncle first.

75. Bill Maher Making New Documentary Movie, 'Religulous'

Comment #64575 by HappyPrimate on August 20, 2007 at 6:53 pm

BTW they are discussing Amanpour's documentary on Larry King Live (CNN) right now with several of the clergy. Interesting.

76. Bill Maher Making New Documentary Movie, 'Religulous'

Comment #64574 by HappyPrimate on August 20, 2007 at 6:51 pm

At least Maher's show might be shown in the U.S. We have never had Root of All Evil? shown here. We can get most of it on YouTube but you have to look for it. I enjoyed the DVD I purchased. Still Maher's show will make it funny and that could be more appealing for a U.S. audience. Got to dumb it down for most of us here in the good ole U.S.

77. Democratic Candidates on a Personal God

Comment #64571 by HappyPrimate on August 20, 2007 at 6:36 pm

My candidate is Joe Biden. All the candidates must take a stance that does not alienate the religious nuts who vote in droves. Senator Biden has the best temperament and experience to deal with the current situation and is a true statesman. Senator Clinton is also a great candidate who is carrying a heavy load of baggage of being a female and married to Bill Clinton. I liked Bill but many self-righteous Xians hate him. Although Bill can put-on the Xian shirt, in his autobiography, he states that when he was at Oxford, he and the group he hung around with there decided that god was an invention of men. If you listen closely to his speeches, he appeals to atheist views. He is a true politician and is really good at it but he also has a real human heart. That's not to say he is perfect. Neither is Joe Biden, but I really like what I hear from him.

78. Authors at Google: Christopher Hitchens

Comment #64315 by HappyPrimate on August 19, 2007 at 2:19 pm

CH's book tour seems to be going very well. I have enjoyed the posts of his various talks and the questions asked by his audiences. Although they are mostly repetitive, they are consistent.
I WOULD DISCUSS MY THOUGHTS ON THE IRAQ WAR - BUT THE FORUM WOULD BE A MORE APPROPRIATE PLACE - DON'T YOU THINK?

79. Can the rest of us have our planet back?

Comment #62935 by HappyPrimate on August 12, 2007 at 11:26 am

Marvelous! Who is this guy? He is very good. I want more from him please. We have George Carlin but I really like this Marcus fellow.

80. Believe it or not: the sceptics beat God in bestseller battle

Comment #62845 by HappyPrimate on August 11, 2007 at 8:42 pm

I was very pleased to see The God Delusion doing so well and hope it continues to sell. At first I was disappointed at the rise in sale of the bible but then I realized that maybe it is sparking people to actually read it and that by reading it they can understand why it should not be considered a book to live your life by. I had to read the bible twice because I could not take in the absurdies contained in it. After the second reading, I knew I was an atheist and could never go back. So I can only hope that the surge in sales of the bible will bring out more atheists.

81. Richard Dawkins and the New Age fakers

Comment #62844 by HappyPrimate on August 11, 2007 at 8:20 pm

My greatest hope is that RD never gives up the fight. By consistently putting his brilliant programs out to the public I think the house of cards just might start to fall. With each of his successes, more will join in and widen the cracks of this insanity. Just heard Mitt Romney's victory speech from the Iowa straw poll and felt sick. Can we get him de-bunked too!

82. Fossils in Kenya Challenge Linear Evolution

Comment #62445 by HappyPrimate on August 9, 2007 at 6:22 pm

Anthropology is still very young and I find no surprise that this confusion has arisen. It is not the first time we have had to shake out the kinks. Time will sort this out as more fossils are found. With the meager amount of fossils they have right now I feel the anthropologists have been brilliant. Best of all is that when something like this happens they do stand up and say - Maybe we got this bit wrong.

83. Curriculum for Baptist School

Comment #62440 by HappyPrimate on August 9, 2007 at 6:08 pm

While I find this curriculum highly offensive and utterly brainwashing, it is light stuff compared to what the Islamist do to their children.

84. Eight-million-year-old bug is alive and growing

Comment #62215 by HappyPrimate on August 8, 2007 at 8:44 pm

We have recently sent a probe to Mars to check out the ice cap there. I am anxiously awaiting to see what it finds. I just feel that due to what we know about that planet's history, that microbes really could have had a chance to evolve during the life of Mars before the core cooled and it lost atmosphere. Very exciting.

85. Interview with Michael Behe

Comment #62214 by HappyPrimate on August 8, 2007 at 8:10 pm

Stephen Colbert is priceless! That was such a good laugh and Behe actually didn't get it. What a hoot!

86. New age therapies cause 'retreat from reason'

Comment #61587 by HappyPrimate on August 5, 2007 at 10:43 pm

Dr. Dawkins doing his stuff again. Very nice.

87. Town Hall Seattle: God Is Not Great

Comment #57299 by HappyPrimate on July 18, 2007 at 8:25 pm

Very delightful and enjoyable talk by Mr. Hitchens. Some new stuff too.

88. Interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #57283 by HappyPrimate on July 18, 2007 at 6:34 pm

Great interview. Just finished reading her book and it was fabulous. Could not put it down til the end. I really admire this woman.

89. At a Theater Near You ...

Comment #54119 by HappyPrimate on July 5, 2007 at 12:42 pm

No change will occur in the devout Muslim community until they stop brainwashing their young from cradle to coffin. They do not give these kids a breath without shoving this crap down their throats 24-7. They have no capacity for critical thought. They are biological programed robots. The so-called moderates have somehow broken through a crack and breathed a bit but are still subject to being sucked back in. I see little hope for the situation. These people think nothing of killing their own. They cannot realize that they have just about lost their right to call themselves homo sapiens sapiens, not that they would anyway being formed from a clot of blood.

90. Science of the Soul? 'I Think, Therefore I Am' Is Losing Force

Comment #54108 by HappyPrimate on July 5, 2007 at 11:42 am

Rightly or wrongly, I define soul as a sense of myself, my individual thought process and maybe my ego. Are humans the only animal with soul? No. Will my soul continue after I die? No. Would it be there if I sustained a brain injury or illness which left me unaware of myself? No. Conclusion, soul is a word to describe self-awareness as a unique individual. Why do I have it? It was an ability I evolved along with some other animals. I need no deep thought about it. But thanks to Darwin and others, I can use it to understand it. Making it more than that is simply silly to me.

91. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #51165 by HappyPrimate on June 21, 2007 at 8:06 pm

Least anyone not realize it, the reference to the heart being the dewelling of the soul, etc. goes straight to ancient Egyptian belief that gave the heart organ the status we now give the brain. When anyone invokes their heart, that is ancient Egypt through and through. Over time, we have decided it meant emotional feelings, but those feelings really come from the brain. Knowing and feeling both come from the brain and the heart simply and wonderfully is just a pump.

92. My Road to Atheism, What Took Me So Long and The Aftermath

Comment #47872 by HappyPrimate on June 5, 2007 at 9:30 pm

I alway enjoy reading that someone has really seen the light - the light that shines so brilliantly in reason and science. I too took a while to fully disengage from the supernatural but it only took two full cover-to-cover readings of the bible and a reading of ancient mythology along with an intense interest in cosmology to reach full sanity. The relief was truly intense. That was decades ago but I am so thrilled with the current wave of authors who are giving me and others the courage to step up and speak out. Richard Dawkins is tops on my favorite persons list.

93. E.O. Wilson and Daniel Dennett

Comment #45031 by HappyPrimate on May 25, 2007 at 8:38 pm

I thoroughly enjoyed this article. Both of these men are truly inspiring. Their books are definitely worth a read.

94. Teachers rebel over atheism promotion

Comment #45021 by HappyPrimate on May 25, 2007 at 7:53 pm

Looks like it would be a fun place to go. I attended summer camp in my early teens (ages ago) and really enjoyed it. It was totally secular - just lots of fun. It would have been even better had they thrown in a bit of education on critical thinking. But, alas, I am looking backward. The teachers in public schools do not stick to secular values as they should. This should not have been an issue. Parents can discard brochures they don't like just like I discard those churchy ones left on my front door at home. I see no difference.

95. Al Gore on Reason

Comment #45014 by HappyPrimate on May 25, 2007 at 7:33 pm

I had entertained the idea of purchasing Mr. Gore's book until I read the above comments. Now I fear it would not be worth the time or money. However, if it can bring some of the yocals out of their stupor enough to actually think a bit for themselves and make a better decision at the voting booth, then I hope the book does well.
On the issue of being able to believe in evolution and theology, those who do are unfortunately under-educated in the actual science of evolution. I wish the scientific community would not use the word theory without fully explaining its scientic meaning. The general public uses theory as an idea - while hypothosis is the correct term for idea. The hair on the back of my neck always stands up and I grit my teeth when I hear someone say that evolution - well it is only a theory anyway. Grrrr.

96. The root of all evil?

Comment #43807 by HappyPrimate on May 22, 2007 at 6:08 pm

The thing I found shocking about this article is that it states the documentary Root of All Evil? was shown in the U.S. When? What network? I certainly never heard about it being shown here. I saw most of it on YouTube and then bought the DVD later when it became available. I was a bit disappointed in the DVD as it omitted the scene outside of Haggard's place where he was ranting at RD to get off his property. I did see that on the YouTube video clip but it was not on the DVD for some reason. In any event, it was an excellent program and I do hope it will be shown here if it has not already aired. I am waiting for the next one to come out he talked about that was in the works.

97. Christopher Hitchens to God: Drop Dead

Comment #42169 by HappyPrimate on May 17, 2007 at 6:41 pm

Since most people who claim to be religious have never read their holy books beginning to end and most go on whatever their local head guy says it says, they might not notice if it gets an update (reform?). Just please don't take it away cause we need our comfort (passifier (American), dummy (English), noonie (S.Louisiana), etc). Thing is they could re-write all their books to make them sound better - but a re-write doesn't make it right or true.

98. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73

Comment #41299 by HappyPrimate on May 15, 2007 at 8:18 pm

Poor old silly man. He may be stuck explaining to Zeus why he didn't believe in him and who is this Xian god anyway? Off to Hades maybe?
Really - It is sad he never saw the world or the universe for what it is and the majesty that science reveals of who and what we are.
The U.S. is much relieved of his passing. Do wonder of Junior Jerry will be as vocal.

99. Unintelligent Design

Comment #39991 by HappyPrimate on May 12, 2007 at 2:24 pm

I see the problem is that scientific knowledge is not being taken up by the greater mass of humans. Sure they will use technology which comes out of science, but not everyone can or will sit down and study biology, genetics, cosmology, physics, etc. So they are illiterate as to scientific knowledge. Fear rules their lives. Fear of death and even of life itself. They are as children who NEED a parent (big guy in the sky) to deal with these fears and lack of knowledge. Reason and rationality be damned as far as they are concerned as long as Big Daddy is looking after me and I will live forever in bliss. The job that RD is doing to reach more people with knowledge of science and what it offers is the job that needs doing and I would plead that more men and women of science take up that challenge to reach out to these people with the true wonders of the found knowledge and facts science has accumulated. It is not enough to just tell them they are delusional, they have to know why they are delusional. I don't think pandering to their insecurities is the answer even if it makes them happy. Knowledge is power and it should not be kept in the laboratories but put out on the streets for all humanity's benefit. I so much appreciate RD, Carl Sagan, Sam Harris and a good many more for doing their bit on this and hope more will join in very soon. Humanity is desparately in need of their acquired knowledge and wisdom. I fear Mr. Atran is too content to let the ignorant stay that way. I think that is a dangerous stance to take for the sake of our species and its survivial long term.

100. The Debate: Can We Live by Reason Alone?

Comment #39951 by HappyPrimate on May 12, 2007 at 11:26 am

I am always thrilled to see RD have the opportunity to speak to an audience of people who are not just fans like us but are possibly hearing from him for the first time. I thought the interview was fair and RD was excellent in his presentation. For myself, I enjoy his lectures more than interviews but know interviews are very important. The necessity of having THREE religious proponents to rebutt RD seemed over the top and their crawfishing around the points was rather amusing. It seems that at best they must agree that hardcore religion is bad and must be tempered by what they now believe should be a kinder, loving religion of peace and love instead of the stoning, burning at the stake and shove it down your throat kind. A wee bit of progress? Maybe. At least they aren't saying science is nonsense. I was amused at their faces and response to the results of the poll. Sort of like their ship got rammed.