51. Blasphemy

Comment #122501 by GBile on February 5, 2008 at 11:01 am

I find that we must do as much as we can to save mr. Kambakhsh from the fate that the Afghan religious court has condemned him to. And we must try to save the next victim, and the next ...

Of course we must also closely observe what is done (or is not done) in Pakistan, Saoudi Arabia, Alegeria, Egypt, the muslim communities in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and so on.
It could well be that, on basis of action or inaction in those places, we will one day have to judge the muslims of this world.

From experiences in the past, I expect that this judgment will be harsh.

52. Dusty Clues: Study suggests no dearth of Earths

Comment #122194 by GBile on February 4, 2008 at 10:31 pm

Just think of the millions of 'Holy Books' out there.

But then again: thousands of Carl Sagans ? Sounds good.

53. Atheists to celebrate at Darwin Day in Coconut Creek

Comment #121973 by GBile on February 4, 2008 at 12:36 pm

I do not see any harm in holding Darwin-days, Pi-days, E-days, Relativity-days or what have you. Put a lot of science in, have fun, bring the kids and grandpa.
The last thing I would do is worrying about ''what would the 'believers' think''.

54. God the psycho

Comment #121273 by GBile on February 3, 2008 at 6:33 am

Pats performances should be shown on the big screens in those mega-churches before every service.

That will really 'test their faith'.

55. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #120664 by GBile on February 2, 2008 at 8:53 am

Mr Myers, I came across this comment at antievolution.org about the debate:

DLH: I understood PZ to say that the details evolution of the brain were well known.

Myers is lying, of course. He can get away with lying in a public debate because he comes off as being knowledgeable. The fact is that evolution cannot explain why the hemispheres are crisscrossed. This is an extremely over-complicated architecture with no survival value. Besides, there are no missing links with a non-crisscrossed architecture. Heck, evolution cannot explain why animals need two hemispheres in the first place let alone why they are organized in such a weird manner. After all, roboticists do not design double neural networks in the brains of their robots. Finally, evolution does not explain why humans “evolved� their inordinate infatuation with music and the arts. There are so many aspects of the brain that defy an evolutionary explanation that it’s hard to fathom how anybody with a modicum of honesty would fall for this nonsense.

Like I said previously, we are not going to win this war with honest arguments. If arguments could do it, it would have done it already. The enemy is fighting a political war, not a scientific one. They will lie as often as they have to. They are well equipped for it. Myers is a skilled and consummate liar, in my opinion.

56. Sentenced to death: Afghan who dared to read about women's rights

Comment #118849 by GBile on January 31, 2008 at 4:26 am

..tried by religious judges without – say his friends and family - being allowed legal representation and sentenced to death.

Under the Afghan constitution, say legal experts, Mr Kambaksh has the right to appeal to the country's supreme court. Some senior clerics maintain, however, that since he has been convicted under religious laws, the supreme court should not bring secular interpretations to the case.

57. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116465 by GBile on January 26, 2008 at 2:57 pm

Do not cut things of boys and do not cut things of girls. It is a simple as that.

58. A Letter From Hell

Comment #115937 by GBile on January 25, 2008 at 4:41 am

So this is apparently what they KNOW:

1. After death you again have a body with normal functions (pain, smell etc.).
2. Once dead you wait in a line, formed in a tunnel with bright light at the end.
3. There exists a 'Book of life' where things can be looked up.
4. Angels do various kinds of work there.
5. There are holding cells for those destined for hell.
6. In these holding cells one can send (oral ?) letters to those left behind.
7. Sulfur and brimstone it is.
8. Angels actually do the final dragging.

Let us hope that GodTube will publish more of these incoming letters. We could do research on them and maybe get some insight into the organisational stucture of Heaven-Hell Inc. From the present letter I get the impression that Hell is a subsidiary of Heaven and not an separate company run by Devils.
Well, just a tentative conclusion.

59. Banned From Church

Comment #115359 by GBile on January 24, 2008 at 5:01 am

... included adultery, drunkenness and refusal to honor church elders

60. Top 10 Reasons to Believe Logic Over Religion

Comment #114863 by GBile on January 23, 2008 at 4:25 am

I consider perfect:

The US as a part of Canada and Old faithful spouting Kokanee.

61. Violence fear over Islam film

Comment #114002 by GBile on January 21, 2008 at 7:38 am

It is far too easy to call Wilders a hypocrite. There is no rule that says that when you criticize the random rantings of the prophet (SBUH) of one religion, you should also attack the other religions muddle-heads.

Threaths, like the ones from the Grand-Mufti (SBUH also), should be met with derision. It would have been wise for him and all the others threathening with 'uncontrolable anger' to first watch the movie and then ... make a counter-movie. I can't wait.

PS. Roland_F , I like your comparison between Michael J and Mohammad (SBUH).

62. How Evolution REALLY Works

Comment #113268 by GBile on January 19, 2008 at 7:00 am

First these scientists tell us we are just molecules and chemical processes and now they tell us we are only ones and zeros ?? How silly can they get ? Don't they know that Goddidit ?

Sorry, a little irony here. This video, 10 minutes for explaining the essence of evolution, is in my opinion only suitable for relative experts. So it will not work for almost all of the 'faithies'.

63. George Scales, War Hero and Generous Friend of RDFRS

Comment #111337 by GBile on January 14, 2008 at 11:49 am

Dear Mr. Scales,

Prof. Dawkins often compares us to a herd of cats, but I am sure we are all united in our wishes that your operation will go well and that you will recover swiftly.
The foundation is doing great things. Supporters are greatly thanked. But of course, the sooner it is no longer needed, that is when the world is flooded with reason, the better.

Regards, GBile

64. Mother Nature is Not Our Friend

Comment #106146 by GBile on January 2, 2008 at 12:28 pm

Just being practical.

The best thing to do, gene-manipulation wise, would be to introduce dwarfism on a global scale. This would have tremendous benefits. Less food needed, smaller houses, cars, well almost anything can be smaller. Of course we have to lower the height of the baskets, hurdles and so on proportionally. And we have to breed smaller pets, but that's easy. I expect that the average human length of, say, 50 centimeter (20 inch for the appropriate part of the world) would be nice.
Of course horse-riding will become pony-riding ...

This might take us to the next asteroid-impact, when it will all be over for us anyway. Then the 'little-ones' can restart the process again.

65. Photos from Center for Inquiry's November Conference in NYC

Comment #104397 by GBile on December 28, 2007 at 12:32 pm

Is there an 'anonymous' login possible ?

66. 2007, a bad year for God squadders

Comment #102529 by GBile on December 23, 2007 at 6:12 am

Frodo LIVES !!!

67. Abstinence Programs Face Rejection

Comment #100607 by GBile on December 19, 2007 at 1:26 am

Abstinence ! Good !! And no jerking off either , dumwits !!

68. This Week's Flea

Comment #100592 by GBile on December 19, 2007 at 12:44 am

I have no problem with all the 'flea books', they mostly show the shallowness of the theistic arguments. For example Haught sees the atheistic position in:

And whatever happiness Camus thought we could attain comes from the sense of strength and courage that we feel in ourselves when we shake our fist at the gods

But the conviction of the Abrahamic religions is that if ultimate reality were not at least personal -- at least capable of everything that humans are capable of -- then we could not surrender ourselves fully to it. It would be an "it" rather than a "thou" and therefore would not reach us in the depth of our being

69. Creationists plan British theme park

Comment #99345 by GBile on December 16, 2007 at 11:37 am

There is a relieve close by, in the middle of Amsterdam, Holland. A scientific themepark called NEMO.
http://www.e-nemo.nl/index.php?id=5&s=85&d=551

But there was also someone who built an Ark in that country ...

70. Happy Newton Day!

Comment #98966 by GBile on December 15, 2007 at 3:57 am

... public display of cribs and similar Christian symbols is outlawed for fear of offending Jews and others ( not atheists )

71. An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins

Comment #97359 by GBile on December 12, 2007 at 12:29 am

I once asked father Jonathan to end his 'sermons' with:

'I believe that there is a God and I hope that he will bless you'

He never did this (he didn't even answer). Apparently for him (and for many (most?) religionists) the existence of God is a 'fact'. So an atheist is someone who, for some reason, wants to deny the existence of God. Hence the 'atheist religion', 'atheist philosophy', 'atheist worldview' etc. Of course this way of reasoning is wrong.

Father Jonathan BELIEVES (and enjoyes the 'rich catholic life'). What he says is unimpressive.

72. Richard Dawkins - Science and the New Atheism

Comment #95946 by GBile on December 9, 2007 at 2:13 pm

ungodlystheist,

I thank you for your comment # 206. You very clearly addressed some interesting topics. Some time ago, on an other forum, I was asked by someone who called himself 'Evangelical' what my preoccupation was with 'mere' animals (I had written about the 99% of all living species, who already have gone extinct during the past billions of years) and about the in his view existing 'greater importance' of humans. My ideas and convictions in this matter resemble yours very much. Being an animal, seeing a distant relative in your cat or in the bird in your garden is uplifting, dignifying. Religionists seem to think the opposite. I hope krisking will read your comment carefully and rethink how a religious 'straightjacket' might warp his view on life.

73. Islam's Silent Moderates

Comment #95124 by GBile on December 7, 2007 at 11:52 am

Fanusi,

In discussions about Islam I always argued that the extremist muslims could only be 'stopped' my moderate muslims. In this I assumed that moderate muslims actually existed. Of course various events made me conclude that this group had to be smaller (and smaller ...) than I expected. By now it seems to be an 'empty' set. In your comment (#6) you very clearly explain why this is indeed so.

So it seems there is (almost) no one around to stop extremist Islam. This is a scary thought.

Your solution is to teach to muslims the 'language of enlightenment'. I am all for that. How do we do it? It should be our challenge to find a way achieve this goal.

74. Bad Faith Awards: Vote for the winner now

Comment #94526 by GBile on December 5, 2007 at 11:25 pm

'Kill a commie for christ'

Oh, nostalgia ...

75. Why Science Can't Save the Republican Party

Comment #93192 by GBile on December 2, 2007 at 12:05 pm

Science can not be rushed. Science never accomplishes a thing 'on command'. Especially in medical science this is regrettable because people suffer, and worse, from lack of progress. So it is even more despicable when politicians hamper possible progress in promising research because of their own 'agenda'.

I sympathize with the writer and share his frustration about this issue. We should not let these politicians, responsible for this mess, get away lightly. The voting booth should be the place to confront them.

76. Poll finds more Americans believe in devil than Darwin

Comment #93188 by GBile on December 2, 2007 at 11:52 am

In an other thread BONZAI was 'pissed of' by the suggestion that religious belief led people to other evidence-less believes. This poll suggests otherwise in my opinion. Although europeans and others are not immune to superstition, conspiracy-theories and the like, in the USA these delusions seem to be more widespread and persistent. There could be other factors involved (free press, TV), but this american dream might well turn out to be a nightmare.

77. Dutch lawmaker planning film criticizing the Quran

Comment #91669 by GBile on November 29, 2007 at 12:06 am

Already a member of a dutch 'Muslim Council' is predicting (threathening ?) that 'young muslims' will burn cars and revolt when this movie will be shown. He already 'knows' that this film will 'criminalize' muslims.

He could be predicting that young muslims will themselves make a movie with counter-arguements, but alas. The idea of 'freedom of speech' seems to be non-existent in the muslim world. Let us fight this all the way.

78. Rock of Ages, Ages of Rock

Comment #90681 by GBile on November 26, 2007 at 5:45 am

I don't think that first having an idea (hypothesis) and then, scientifically, find evidence for it, is bad at all.
But in the mean time, do not present your hypothesis as fact ('the flood did it' where it should have been 'it might have been caused by a flood and we are trying to find evidence for that').

The crucial point is, of course, that when you do not find any evidence (but in this case overwhelming evidence leading to other conclusions) you must abandon your initial hypothesis.

By the way I remember having read that in middle eastern regions 'sedimentary cones' have been found that point to a flood (tsunami) that occurred around 4000 BC. This event might have been the basis of the 'flood myth' in the bible. Investigating that would be 'real' geology.

79. New Ape Fossils Found in Africa

Comment #88899 by GBile on November 19, 2007 at 6:31 am

This beats Jeremia 2: 2-12 or Habakuk 5: 1-6 any time.

80. Why Science Will Triumph Only When Theory Becomes Law

Comment #88179 by GBile on November 15, 2007 at 4:36 am

We will really be in trouble if we would switch to the L-word.

'Law of evolution', 'Laws of Physics'?? Then there must be a 'LAWGIVER' !

Guess who that would be.

Let's not do it, it will not work.
'Scientific theory' has a well established meaning. Anyone who wants can understand this.

81. Losing faith in Quebec

Comment #86379 by GBile on November 9, 2007 at 5:43 am

This is a very good development in Quebec. I hope it will succeed and that it may serve as a model for education in my European country and elsewhere. I think that any first grade and second grade education should take place in 'public schools'. Yes, our children should learn things in a religion free context, and in these schools they could learn about religion in the way described in the article. Of course parents can try to bring their children up in their own religious tradition (if they still have one ...), but school-education should be 'religion-free'.

Only an narrow-minded 'Archbishop' could attack this with the objection that this would be 'a dictatorship of relativism'. Nothing is more dictatorial than religion.

82. I didn't know the FLEA CIRCUS was back in town!

Comment #85001 by GBile on November 4, 2007 at 1:17 pm

The Beattie-cover shows us some familiar faces, but also, intriguingly, between Dawkins and Dennett, our 'ancestor'.

Maybe the explanation for its appearance can be found in the book, but it reminds me of the 'conviction' I sometimes perceive in 'believers' that our ancestors could be apes, but that their ancestry certainly is 'higher'. They are created in the image of their God.

Poor monkeys.

83. The truth in religion

Comment #84198 by GBile on November 1, 2007 at 12:04 pm

The integrity of creation is a kind of package deal.

.. its creator is not a capricious magician.

84. The benefits of 80 million years without sex

Comment #78298 by GBile on October 12, 2007 at 11:34 am

Now I also understand why they have these freshwater pools at the entrances of the Catholic churches. Must be full of Bdeloid Rotifers.

85. Muslims tell Christians: 'Make peace with us or survival of world is at stake'

Comment #78182 by GBile on October 12, 2007 at 4:14 am

Pappa Ratzi I know, but who are all these Beatitudes ?

Anyway, the 138 Muslim scholars will protect world peace better when they would write letters to their fellow muslims, explaining that 'love your neighbor' also extends to sunni/shia neighbors in Bagdad, or to Afghan boys with a dollar in their pocket. Start writing these letters to be read in every mosque on fridays, esteemed scholars, and after they take effect come back to us.

86. Dawkins - what can't he be blamed for?

Comment #75201 by GBile on October 2, 2007 at 3:23 am

What about : Come on in, the water is refreshing !

87. Why Christians should take Richard Dawkins seriously

Comment #72215 by GBile on September 20, 2007 at 2:34 pm

Ok, let us try this: EVERY God is a straw-god.

88. The Nonbelievers

Comment #71172 by GBile on September 18, 2007 at 1:36 am

Basically my community is 'all of mankind' (and a lot of animals too).

Do I long for 'a building', 'singing songs together', 'rituals' ? No, No and No.

On the other hand, I have a sporting community, a work community, a neighborhood community, and most likely most of us have.

89. Young Muslims begin dangerous fight for the right to abandon faith

Comment #69334 by GBile on September 10, 2007 at 11:47 pm

She [Loubna Berrada] said: "I don't wish to confront Islam itself. I only want to spread the message that Muslims should be allowed to leave Islam behind without being threatened."

90. Interview with Francis Collins

Comment #69213 by GBile on September 10, 2007 at 2:55 am

Reading through the comments I was struck by the 'back-and-forth' between Henry Bergson and others.
My feeling about Henry's comments gradually went into the 'irritating' direction. This was unexpectedly underscored about one of his own comments, which followed his

"Why are leaves green?"

Oxytocin,

Sorry if I sound arrogant. It's just that I'm right... ;-)

The leaves?

91. Interview with Francis Collins

Comment #68913 by GBile on September 9, 2007 at 4:41 am

I always have the following problem with the 'supernatural'.
My reasoning goes like this: we live basically in a natural world, and we have, with scientific methods, discovered a lot of things. We can describe many phenomena with simple 'laws' which appear 'constant' through space and time. We found our 'stuff' to originate from a Big Bang, which occurred a long time ago. Life somehow started and evolved into many species, one of which are we.

Thinking about his existence, someone started to ask seemingly 'important' questions concerning 'meaning' and the like. The answer: a 'creator', necessarily being 'supernatural'. Why supernatural? Apparently because then it is outside the realm of our science, meaning that it cannot be proved (Collins admits this) or disproved. So nobody can make an objection against this.

Now my problem is, once you hypothesize that unprovable things 'exist', where do you end.
I can easily imagine a hypernatural realm, where the creator of 'our' creator resides, we could call her C2. Now C2 could very well be really nice and modest, so why not worship her rather than C ? But then again, what about C3 in its paranatural dwellings ....

92. Real Out-of-Body Experiences

Comment #67823 by GBile on September 5, 2007 at 12:28 am

Do we know why we, normally, have an 'in-body' experience ?

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

Comment #66995 by GBile on September 1, 2007 at 9:18 am

Mrs Vickers is writing about the antiGod squad. There might be such a group of people, but I am not one of them. Count me in for belonging to the ??????????????????????????????????????God squad, also known as the noGod squad.

It gives me such an angelic feeling.

94. There is no God and Dawkins is his Prophet

Comment #66478 by GBile on August 30, 2007 at 5:05 am

As to the problem with the infinite regress, other thinkers have already come up with alternative solutions, which Dawkins does not seem to be aware of. One is that God is unique inasmuch as he is his own cause and that God therefore is the very solution of the regress problem

95. Sikh girl will convert for a place at Catholic school

Comment #64496 by GBile on August 20, 2007 at 9:24 am

Schooling should be the same for every child and should be done in one type of school, so that the children sit next to each other and learn and play together. If parents want their children to learn about bowling a yorker, or playing the flute, or religion, they may arrange something outside the school.

Is this too idealistic to contemplate ?

96. Democratic Candidates on a Personal God

Comment #64490 by GBile on August 20, 2007 at 8:56 am

Drivel, please don't loose it yet, I think things have been worse and are improving a little. I hear most of these 'candidates' (luckily they will never preside over me) actually telling that their deity is incapable (or worse: unwilling) to avert hurricanes and disasters. If they only would also acknowledge their overall delusion.
What they admit is that they 'talk to themselves' in order to boost their moral, strengthen their convictions and the like. They call this 'prayer'.
Whatever.

97. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #63862 by GBile on August 16, 2007 at 12:55 pm

Danielos, where are you ? Darwin2 is calling.

98. Atheists and believers have got religion wrong

Comment #63591 by GBile on August 15, 2007 at 2:50 am

In fact everyone who ever lived up to about 1800, and most people since then have been stupid stupid stupid.

99. Church and State: Divided we stand

Comment #63575 by GBile on August 14, 2007 at 11:50 pm

What about 'separation of church from people' ? In Europe we have lots of that already.

100. These preachers of hate must be exposed

Comment #63470 by GBile on August 14, 2007 at 12:39 pm

Today a dutch Roman Catholic Bishop remarked that it might be a good idea to change the name of God to Allah ...

Off course not all religions should be considered 'the same'.

One religion could be unnecessary, stupid (just peek at what is presented at ChristianAnswers.Net) and ANNOYING, an other religion could be unnecessary, stupid and DANGEROUS.