51. Hitchens vs. Hannity on Religion and God

Comment #41222 by Bremas on May 15, 2007 at 4:35 pm

re phasmagigas
"Why is it that in the US the tv interviewers seem to debate from the believer viewpoint as seen her rather than ask the interviewee questions from a neutral standing point??"

Americans would rather debate than question. It's not just television interviewers.

52. Hitchens vs. Hannity on Religion and God

Comment #41217 by Bremas on May 15, 2007 at 4:24 pm

I have my new response for when asked why I don't believe in god.

"I wouldn't want to live in a world with a god."

Not an exact quote of Hitchens, that I know of, but I give him credit for it.

53. State Darwin museum

Comment #41063 by Bremas on May 15, 2007 at 12:50 pm

Never thought I'd be jealous of the Ruskies.
That's too funny.

54. Christopher Hitchens Explains It All for You: Move over, Sam Harris; another atheist wants the pulpit

Comment #41054 by Bremas on May 15, 2007 at 12:32 pm

Lionel A post 7

Beat me to it.

Same old shit here.

Got caught up in a conversation about supernatural the other day. Someone actually defended reincarnation with the argument that hypnosis was real. They thought they had proved they're point when I agreed that hypnosis looked real to me.

I call for a world-wide day of Sagan reading.

55. Christopher Hitchens is Not Great

Comment #41049 by Bremas on May 15, 2007 at 12:23 pm

discipline post 2
"The time for being polite is over." Yea

I've been engaging people every chance I get on these issues. I continuously hear the same bullshit out of people that I otherwise like and get along with. We had to come from somewhere... This country was founded.... Because I do....

Blah

56. Apocalypse Of The Honeybees

Comment #39385 by Bremas on May 10, 2007 at 1:18 pm

"And the wild honeybee population is down a staggering 90 percent."

Um.....the sky is falling?

Don't really know what else to say.

57. The Encyclopedia of Life

Comment #39368 by Bremas on May 10, 2007 at 12:27 pm

The link now sits in my Science favorites folder. This is pretty cool. And I agree with supporting it in any way possible.

58. Atheist offers to send letters post-Rapture

Comment #38831 by Bremas on May 9, 2007 at 9:17 am

Luthien

My laughter started slow and then just kept building as I thought about the fact that someone actually went through the trouble of getting a website to do this.

59. Hitchens, Sharpton and Faith

Comment #38795 by Bremas on May 9, 2007 at 7:55 am

John Phillips post 3... laughing
An article on this is now headlined on both Fox News and CNN websites. I'd send it in, but opening outlook slows this computer. Maybe someone else will.

60. Hitchens, Sharpton and Faith

Comment #38788 by Bremas on May 9, 2007 at 7:39 am

>>>But Mr. Sharpton, in a jab at Mitt Romney (and the Mormon religion, which Mr. Hitchens had criticized because it once endorsed racial segregation), added, "As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyway, so don't worry, that's a temporary situation."

This is creating quite a stir.

61. Review of The God Delusion

Comment #38577 by Bremas on May 8, 2007 at 4:34 pm

Oh yea... that is you Russell.
Nice Job.

Gees this site is loaded with smart people.

62. Christopher Hitchens and Al Sharpton: A Debate God Is Not Great

Comment #38570 by Bremas on May 8, 2007 at 4:20 pm

Off Topic
Luthien post 3
That's interesting. My grandfather was born in 1898 and lived his childhood in the western plains and rocky mountains of the U.S. I remember him parroting a phrase from that timeframe. I heard him say it several times. I'm close to 100% sure that he didn't mean it and was just being obnoxious, but it was obviously a common phrase. "The only good Indian is a dead Indian."

63. Interview with Christopher Hitchens

Comment #38566 by Bremas on May 8, 2007 at 4:08 pm

Haven't read the interview yet. My take is that he is not a peace at any cost type guy. "Slaves are made that way"... name the movie. :-)
But now we've got some good discussion going.

64. The moment a teenage girl was stoned to death for loving the wrong boy

Comment #37968 by Bremas on May 6, 2007 at 2:02 pm

Fanusi Khiyal post 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 (:-)) wrote "You destroy an idea with a stronger, better one." Bingo...... but sometimes you have to defend that idea with guns.

For those that have not watched this video. And I'm still recovering from it. It appears to take place in the street of any downtown section of any mid east city that I've ever been in. Hundreds of men in western style clothing.

New comment about Fanusi Khiyal's comments.... she had a better idea.

65. The moment a teenage girl was stoned to death for loving the wrong boy

Comment #37857 by Bremas on May 6, 2007 at 3:20 am

I just got drunk enough to watch the video from this thing. I think there might be several different videos.

I don't have any comments.

66. The moment a teenage girl was stoned to death for loving the wrong boy

Comment #37813 by Bremas on May 5, 2007 at 7:59 pm

I know that a lot of people on this thread are opposed to the death penalty, but I think you have to round up anyone who threw a stone, tie them to the nearest post and put a bullet threw their head (or worse, like leaving them there to die of exposure).

67. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37801 by Bremas on May 5, 2007 at 6:45 pm

Check the link for results

The God Delusion and Short History made the list... as are a few of the fiction books mentioned.

68. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37800 by Bremas on May 5, 2007 at 6:39 pm

No particular order

Demon Haunted World
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Ancestor's Tale

69. The moment a teenage girl was stoned to death for loving the wrong boy

Comment #37774 by Bremas on May 5, 2007 at 4:39 pm

I haven't been posting because I have seen a lot of new posters here and have "backed off" to give them room.

I tend to enjoy reading the comments more than the articles themselves in most cases. So, on this one I ended up reading the majority of comments before even glancing at the article.

I feel like puking. I don't know if I could bring myself to watch the original video.

70. Archive Hour: BBC and Religion

Comment #35731 by Bremas on April 28, 2007 at 3:53 pm

Remember to vote in the Time Magazine top 100 poll.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100walkup/article/0,28804,1611030_1610841_1610286,00.html

RD currently at number 7. Top 4 easily within reach.

71. A Brief History of Disbelief

Comment #35707 by Bremas on April 28, 2007 at 12:45 pm

Everyone in the US....contact your local PBS station.

72. Kennedy lectures on challenges facing K-12 science education

Comment #35309 by Bremas on April 26, 2007 at 8:22 pm

@Sword

Make the money and then fund the math. :-)

Do what makes you happy.

73. Kennedy lectures on challenges facing K-12 science education

Comment #35307 by Bremas on April 26, 2007 at 8:10 pm

I'm going to respectfully disagree on this one. I believe the problem is a little more complicated.

The comment was made on another thread a while back that as a creationist you can be a good scientist, but you will never be a great scientist.

I'll have to think a bit more about it, all I know is that something is nagging me on this one. I agree at one level but I feel that there is more to it.

74. New Planet Could Be Earthlike, Scientists Say

Comment #35262 by Bremas on April 26, 2007 at 6:30 pm

Have a friend that always ends his emails with God Bless. I asked him about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. His response..."I'm of the opinion that this is going on in a lot of places and that we all have a little piece of the puzzle"

So the meaning of life is a treasure hunt?

I like the guy, but in the end it's simply about people wanting to believe.

I don't get it.

75. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #35247 by Bremas on April 26, 2007 at 5:25 pm

Wanted to highlight this again.
Currently sitting at 10 in the middle of a large pack of 75 ratings.
Don't know when this thing is supposed to close out, but a push could put him up to 6.

76. Sam's Flea!

Comment #35246 by Bremas on April 26, 2007 at 5:18 pm

Just had to come take a look as to why this thread hasn't died....Oh, you've got a bible thumper here. Or possibly several.
Have fun guys and gals. I'm tired of arguing with irrational people.

Luke 19:27... I'd like to see more of that one on posters at sporting events.

77. The Video: Bill O'Reilly Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #34652 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 7:16 pm

rabadi 102
Thanks

"O'Reilly replied that you can as long as you accept the United States was founded on the Judeo-Christian beliefs"

Sadly, this meme has a lot of pull here. Ugh.
American culture...indoctrinate early and often.

78. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #34645 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 6:52 pm

For shits and grins, I just voted 5 times in a row. It looks like they all took.

I say stuff the ballot. Yea, I know, it might seem a bit beneath us.....but

edit. James Carroll you beat me to it.

79. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #34638 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 6:36 pm

Canuck#1 (24)
For my money it matters for publicity.
Most people in the US have never heard of him, and I mean most. I majored in geology and didn't know who he was until there was an article about him in Discover magazine a few years ago.

And yes, this time thing is a popularity contest.

80. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #34632 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 6:27 pm

Nice job, that's about 400 more votes in the last hour.

Like 6000 more for Colbert. I think someone has his automated.

81. The Video: Bill O'Reilly Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #34624 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 6:08 pm

Harlon57
I missed it. Were any positive? (towards RD)
Just wondering if the O'Reilly staff would show them.

82. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #34609 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 4:48 pm

Roughly 4000 votes. If we are all submitting 100s, that would mean about 1000 bible thumpers are throwing out 0s.

You would think the Colbert nation would throw some our way, but they don't seem to be helping Jon Stewart that much either.

83. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #34607 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 4:42 pm

Colbert will take this. The Colbert nation will make sure that Rain (who?) doesn't.

Was going to make a comment about the picture, but those before me have done a much more poetic job.

My vote is in.

84. The Video: Bill O'Reilly Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #34422 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 2:35 am

"(I didn't get O'Reilly's putdown of Apollo - can someone explain it?)"

I'm not from NY, but I was assuming a reference to a statue somewhere, possibly at the Apollo Theater.

"Are all Americans as rude as this chap?"
:-).....most of us.

85. The Video: Bill O'Reilly Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #34418 by Bremas on April 24, 2007 at 2:26 am

I've now watched this about a dozen times. I'm liking it more and more everytime. I am so tired of the founding fathers arguement.

The look on Prof Dawkins' face when Bill repeats "44% in Great Britain" is classic. I was ready for a fight. And yes, I did almost yell at the tv a couple of times when I watched it the first time.

Bill's comment about "controlling the people" is exactly right. Unfortunately he doesn't see why.

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

Comment #34276 by Bremas on April 23, 2007 at 5:40 pm

Dawkins' opener was great..... which pissed Bill off. Bill then proceeded to throw out all the classic arguements.... in Bill style. Good job Richard at holding your temper. I wanted to yell at Bill also.

Hopefully this will bring in more converts.

The belief that the US was somehow founded on christianity by christians is the ultimate sticking point. I see it all the time. My daddy can't be wrong.

87. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33914 by Bremas on April 22, 2007 at 4:13 pm

I don't want to turn this into a gun thread, but I just have to tell one classic story that always seems to turn peoples heads.

Spent a christmas with the family of a buddy of mine in east Tennessee. At 10am on christmas morning I was chewing tobacco, drinking moonshine, and shooting his pistol all at the same time. Now that's a christmas I will never forget.:-)

88. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33908 by Bremas on April 22, 2007 at 3:36 pm

ghostbuster (93)
"The U.S. did not need to drop those nuclear bombs since Japan had agreed to surrender under all conditions months before--the bombs were dropped for other reasons."

Jesus, you gotta lay off the Oliver Stone movies.

Fond memories of sitting by a lake drinking beer on a Friday night in high school. More than once a strange truck would pull up and all I had to do in order to get a warm fuzzy feeling about the situation was ask one of my buddies if he "was wearing it". Licensed, legal, concealed 9mm. (yup, old enough for a concealed weapon, but not old enough to drink...change the drinking law)

When someone can tell me why I was wrong to get that warm fuzzy... then we can talk. I don't currently own a gun. But, as soon as I have something worth protecting I will.

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

Comment #33894 by Bremas on April 22, 2007 at 1:42 pm

Logicel (126) wrote
"This stance is very odd. You would think that if he is able to see the dangers of not respecting evidence, that he would not encourage people to believe without evidence, especially something as wonky as the supernatural. O'Reilly presents his rationalizing a desire into acceptable reality as being logical. Very sad."

If you can figure it out, you can figure out the US. I'm still working on it.

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

Comment #33891 by Bremas on April 22, 2007 at 1:16 pm

I'm still excited about this.

O'Reilly represents one side of a mindset that has split the US since vietnam. After reading some of the other posts here, I am convinced that O'Reilly is one of the gate keepers of religious thought on the right, with similiar people doing the same on the left. They themselves are not religious zealots, but they are who we are debating. If anyone can do this, my money is on Dawkins.

91. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

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

Brian post 56
Nice job.

92. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33634 by Bremas on April 20, 2007 at 7:40 pm

Bizarro!!!!!
You still with us?
Convert. You know you want to.

Oh yea... and read a book.

93. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33622 by Bremas on April 20, 2007 at 6:20 pm

Thanks to djmagaro (25) for bringing this to my attention. It's eye opening as to what is going on behind the scenes.

http://blank.org/addict/

Seriously, seriously, seriously fucking abusive stuff.

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

Comment #33612 by Bremas on April 20, 2007 at 5:43 pm

Sitting here amusing myself with a thought from The Empire Strikes Back.... "but if he could be turned, he could be a powerful ally."

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

Comment #33606 by Bremas on April 20, 2007 at 5:32 pm

post 115 aaronf
Agree. I've got O'Reilly on one tv and Oberman on another right now.

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

Comment #33586 by Bremas on April 20, 2007 at 4:37 pm

Roach post 106
My personal belief is that O'Reilly is an atheist (after seeing that clip). But, can't admit it to himself for whatever reason. (He admits that he had a mentally abusive father) He talks openly about the need for spirituality (not god).

I think that Bill could easily be goaded into stating that the YECs are a bunch of loons.

edit.. After thinking about it, I want to state that I believe Dawkins' The Ancestor's Tale really is the best book to counter act this top down thinking. It was, after all, the book that hooked me.

97. The Genetics of Brain Wiring: From Molecule to Mind

Comment #33574 by Bremas on April 20, 2007 at 3:51 pm

hightrekker
Thanks. Have read The Agile Gene..very good.
Had forgotten that I have Genome floating around here somewhere also. Gotta find it. :-)

98. Gay hate church to picket VT gun rampage funerals

Comment #33391 by Bremas on April 20, 2007 at 2:21 am

Okay, I'm done with this shit.
I had a long diatribe. Just go there and talk to these women who want out. It can be done.

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

Comment #33296 by Bremas on April 19, 2007 at 7:53 pm

Post 68
I read that far.
Cheers Robert
and I agree with you.

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

Comment #33260 by Bremas on April 19, 2007 at 6:20 pm

I can't stop thinking about the possibilities here. If RD got O'Reilly to take a stand on his feelings towards YECs either way it would be amazing. Can you imagine the firestorm if Bill said that he thought YECs were wrong?

Of course he won't because a sizable portion of his viewership would backlash.... The thought though, oh the thought.

Do we know if this will be taped or live?
As others have suggested, big difference.