51. The Myth of Secular Moral Chaos

Comment #47715 by mintcheerios on June 5, 2007 at 10:53 am

Sam isn't addressing those people. He's addressing people who actually believe atheism will lead to moral chaos because it provides no moral basis.

52. Heliocentrism is an Atheist Doctrine

Comment #44866 by mintcheerios on May 25, 2007 at 12:23 pm

This stuff really is impossible to satirize.

53. Importing a slave class

Comment #44847 by mintcheerios on May 25, 2007 at 11:54 am

Robert nailed it on the head. The disengenuity of saying the "Democrats" held onto slavery is astounding. She knows many people don't know that the democrats of the time were right-wingers, and she is exploiting this to the max by banking on the ignorance of her readers.

54. Christian sports workers degree ridiculed

Comment #44819 by mintcheerios on May 25, 2007 at 10:42 am

On Fox it was Dr. Falwell, and here it's Mr. Dawkins. We must be living in topsy-turvey world.

55. Another Christian Science Fair embarrasses itself

Comment #44815 by mintcheerios on May 25, 2007 at 10:36 am

How can people still claim that religion doesn't conflict with science after this?

56. I Don't Believe in Atheists

Comment #44430 by mintcheerios on May 24, 2007 at 5:10 pm

Moderates are the worst.

57. Hitchens on Falwell, Part 2

Comment #43514 by mintcheerios on May 21, 2007 at 9:45 pm

"And why not a word now from the friend of Jack Abramoff".

Hah, take that Rex Reed.

58. Hitchens vs. Hannity on Religion and God

Comment #41148 by mintcheerios on May 15, 2007 at 2:50 pm

I think Dawkins is better at the soundbite game than Hitchens.

59. The New Atheists loathe religion far too much to plausibly challenge it

Comment #38279 by mintcheerios on May 7, 2007 at 11:34 am

The vocal atheists are simply urging people to have good reasons for what they believe. Harris is advocating that we have a conversational intolerance for religion. Most people do this in every other area of our discourse. This is why people who think the pancreas are located in the head don't become doctors. Sam could say this a million times (if he hasn't already) and we will still see crappy articles like this. It's truly depressing.

60. God Exists. A Formula Proves it.

Comment #37644 by mintcheerios on May 5, 2007 at 12:17 pm

If your formula has the word "quantum" in it, it must be right.

61. Christians and Atheists to Debate Existence of God in First-Ever 'NIGHTLINE FACE OFF'

Comment #37533 by mintcheerios on May 4, 2007 at 6:44 pm

I don't think any group out there has promoted atheism to more of society's youth than the RRS has. They reach out to the kids who would never read Dawkins or Harris. I just wished there was a group like the RRS when I was a kid to tell me that it's okay not to believe in God.

Comfort and Cameron are both fundamentalists. The arguments aren't likely to shift too much towards "but religion does good things" but rather "Christianity is true". Like Flemming said, I think the moderator will throw in some relgious moderate arguments into the mix if he decides to voice himself.

62. Are You There, God? It's Me, Hitchens

Comment #36291 by mintcheerios on April 30, 2007 at 8:36 pm

Saying you're an atheist when trying to get elected president in the US now is probably one of the best ways to lose. It's like saying you're gay and trying to be the next pope.

63. Scene Caused by Christian Group at NYC Stage Show

Comment #36000 by mintcheerios on April 29, 2007 at 8:28 pm

Those people ruined the show for the rest of the people in the audience. That makes them jerks.

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

Comment #34337 by mintcheerios on April 23, 2007 at 8:25 pm

Dawkins did well. Those few minutes of airtime will probably change the lives of many people.

65. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #26943 by mintcheerios on March 22, 2007 at 12:44 pm

MouthAlmighty, your #26875 was excellent. You should have entered that one into Sam Harris's contest, you probably could have won.

66. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #26560 by mintcheerios on March 20, 2007 at 12:23 pm

Harris responds.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/214/story_21446_1.html

67. A 'Sad First' in the History of the Congress

Comment #25819 by mintcheerios on March 15, 2007 at 10:20 am

It's funny to see these religious people get their panties in a bunch when they feel even the slightest threat towards their beliefs. It's sad though that this threat is merely reason.

68. 1986 Oxford Union Debate

Comment #25465 by mintcheerios on March 13, 2007 at 11:12 am

I'd like to have heard that.

69. US Congressman Holds No God-Belief

Comment #25462 by mintcheerios on March 13, 2007 at 10:01 am

This is some of the best news I've heard in awhile.

70. Atheists Take On Religion

Comment #24474 by mintcheerios on March 6, 2007 at 8:10 pm

Well you can be a deist without a religion. But I do think we are just afraid to come out of the closet.

71. Falwell says Christians shouldn't focus on global warming

Comment #23735 by mintcheerios on March 2, 2007 at 10:07 am

They also becomes presidents of super powerful countries.

72. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #22323 by mintcheerios on February 14, 2007 at 6:34 pm

If this debate runs long enough, I think Sam could just send it to a publisher and release "Letter to a Moderate Christian".

73. The God Delusion

Comment #21864 by mintcheerios on February 11, 2007 at 9:16 am

Why is everything in italics? Let's see if this does the trick.

And of course, even if religion were the best thing to ever happen to mankind and atheism caused the death and suffering of millions, it wouldn't prove that God exists.

74. The questions science cannot answer

Comment #21567 by mintcheerios on February 10, 2007 at 12:19 am

Maybe he's hoping to drown Dawkins with shitty arguments.

75. Sam Harris talks about 'The End of Faith'

Comment #21462 by mintcheerios on February 9, 2007 at 9:23 am

Harris never made any claims to the supernatural and admits that Buddhism has lead to violence before. He says that there are results of some eastern philosophies and practices worth studying scientifically and that it is now not uncommon for respected neurologists to do so. He is now paying for this by having to constantly take words out of his mouth.

76. 'Everyone Is Afraid to Criticize Islam': Interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #21053 by mintcheerios on February 7, 2007 at 12:23 pm

While she has put herself next to other religous people (mainly Christians), it may be a wise political move. Whether it'll work or not is up for debate. Islam is rampant right now and sadly the only groups opposing it with any political clout are the religious right. There are many groups that would fit her ideologies better, but she probably doesn't think she would have as much lobbying power if she joined an atheist group. Sam Harris once said that it's the fundamentalists, not the moderates, who can see the dangers of religion with moral clarity (albeit not their own). Even in the atheist groups as witnessed at Salk, there are the "I'm an atheist, but religion should be respected" battle to be won. People like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins are scientists and philosophers, not politicians. Kissing ass is not their forte. Even Dawkins admitted that his method may not be the wisest politically.

Pantore: Are you really not afriad to criticize Islam, or are you just not afriad to criticize Islam as long as you stay bunkered in your room disguised under an internet pseudonym?

77. Do stop behaving as if you are God, Professor Dawkins

Comment #21028 by mintcheerios on February 7, 2007 at 10:42 am

McGrath has created a holocaust of straw men in a single article.

78. Benny Hinn Faith Healing Scam - Burton and Tinkler

Comment #20694 by mintcheerios on February 5, 2007 at 9:28 pm

People who fall for Benny Hinn are not necessarily fools. Hopelessness and desperation make otherwise rational people vulnerable to ridiculous claims. If a pill that instantly cured AIDS came out and was $1.95 at any local pharmacy, there wouldn't be many AIDS patients lining up at a Benny Hinn crusade. Hinn is cleary taking advantage of people with chronic and terminal illnesses.

The problem is religion and the protection it gets from criticism. It is socially acceptable to a large extent to believe that Jesus can cure people through miracles. But because people will laugh at the idea of Zeus performing cures, it's no surprise that there aren't any successful faith healers who claim to get their powers from Mt. Olympus. If we could equate the absurdity of believing in Jesus to believing in Yoda, Christianity would fall apart like a stack of cards. The only way to do this is to open the doors to religious criticism.

79. Atheist Rap: Extian, The Verse from Atheist Nation Pt III

Comment #20653 by mintcheerios on February 5, 2007 at 1:10 pm

Nice.

80. What a Friend We Have in Dawkins

Comment #20426 by mintcheerios on February 2, 2007 at 10:22 am

I think horrible events more often tend to increase religious faith rather than decrease it.

81. Blashpemy Challenge Interview

Comment #20119 by mintcheerios on January 31, 2007 at 1:35 pm

The Blasphemy Challenge is getting people to talk about the issue. The fact that it has appeared in the media numerous times is a good sign. As a matter of fact, I think this group reaches an audience that Dawkins or Harris could never reach. Rejecting the notion of God doesn't have to be on such an intellectual plane. Five year olds have come up with arguments that Dawkins proposes such as "Mommy, who made God?". There just needs to be someone who tells that kid that he or she has got a good point. Most high school kids don't read books like The End of Faith or The God Delusion.

As for the secrecy they use, I can completely understand them. It doesn't necessarily have to be for physical saftey. I live in Texas where being an atheist can damage your career and social life as well. This is not surprising considering over half of the US population has a negative to highly negative opinion of atheists.

82. 'God Is Not a Moderate'

Comment #20089 by mintcheerios on January 31, 2007 at 10:09 am

To the remark about Sam using "James Randi" techniques:

I think that Sam was just demonstrating to Sullivan that there are ways in which Sam can and will change his mind. It seems he is also trying to demonstrate that this is not true for Sullivan with the last question.

83. 'Friends of God' Documentary

Comment #19879 by mintcheerios on January 30, 2007 at 12:48 pm

How is this not child abuse?

84. Benny Hinn examined

Comment #19855 by mintcheerios on January 30, 2007 at 9:52 am

Thanks for sharing that story. Maybe you can show her this documentary.

85. Blasphemy Challenge on FOX

Comment #19723 by mintcheerios on January 29, 2007 at 1:34 pm

Haha, Brian Flemming is the king.

86. CNN Sylvia Browne Fraud

Comment #19557 by mintcheerios on January 28, 2007 at 9:14 am

It should be noted that appearing on the Montel Williams show is also a great way to increase the awareness of a missing person however counterproductive Sylvia Browne may be. It doesn't mean that all her guests believe in psychics. But this isn't an excuse to going around with magic tricks claiming they are real.

Isn't Dawkins coming out with a documentary about this stuff? I think he said it was called "The Enemies of Reason" in an interview.

87. 12 Year Old Girl Prodigy Paints Pictures of God

Comment #19031 by mintcheerios on January 24, 2007 at 12:39 pm

God is older than that.

88. Zeus devotees worship in Athens

Comment #18541 by mintcheerios on January 21, 2007 at 4:36 pm

This must be where Sam Harris gets his Poseidon hate mail from.

89. Skyway to Heaven

Comment #18540 by mintcheerios on January 21, 2007 at 4:32 pm

Something like 44% of the US population believes that Jesus will probably or certainly come within the next 50 years.

90. Beyond the Believers

Comment #18117 by mintcheerios on January 18, 2007 at 12:05 pm

People like Atran are the reason why religion will continue to trample reason. It's amazing how many people will point out his research and area of study and follow up with an appeal to authority fallacy never stating why they think Atran is right. Where is the data? What data does Atran have that makes it so likely that deliriously happy mothers of their sons' deaths have nothing to do with Islam when those mothers will gladly recite verses from the Koran for you if you asked? I don't see why it is so difficult for people to call a spade a spade. When Dawkins asked Atran "what about those people whose own testimony talks about paradise?", Atran avoided answering the question with a straw man (no one does it for the virgins) and said that paradise is about love and terrorists in general are not filled with hate. This is continuous throughout his stay there. Pseudo-arguments and showing off lots of knowledge coupled with pronouncing foreign names authentically don't refute anything.

91. Pat Robertson: God told me of 'mass killing' in 2007

Comment #15941 by mintcheerios on January 4, 2007 at 12:14 am

To comment #15926: The problem is that not everyone thinks he's crazy. If everyone thought he was crazy, he would be in an asylum, not on national news heavily influencing America's political climate. Saying no one believes in what he's saying is turning a blind eye to a serious threat.

As Sam Harris often likes to point out, what if you changed all instances of 'God' in that article to 'Poseidon'? Not only would Pat Robertson lose all his credibility, he would no longer have a show.

"Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson said Tuesday that Poseidon has told him that a terrorist attack on the United States would cause a "mass killing" late in 2007."

92. 10 myths - and 10 truths - about atheism

Comment #14751 by mintcheerios on December 24, 2006 at 10:29 pm

Another roundhouse of reason from Sam!

93. Richard Dawkins on The Late Late Show with Pat Kenny

Comment #12410 by mintcheerios on December 11, 2006 at 6:35 pm

Richard Dawkins has great points and arguments, but in this debate (a rapid fire TV setting with armies of delusional people), he wasn't as articulate and eloquent as he usually is. As people have expressed before, there were many parts of the video where Dawkins could have brought up damning points but didn't. It must be frustrating.

94. Review of The God Delusion

Comment #2889 by mintcheerios on October 24, 2006 at 12:42 pm

In response to comment #2869:

Science can help and harm just like guns, fire, pillows, and faith. The difference between faith and the rest of those is that faith justifies actions without evidence. There is no scientific theorem that says

'ax + bx = you must stone your wife to death on her father's doorstep if you discover she isn't a virgin on your wedding night'

Science can give you ways of killing, but faith gives you reasons for it.

Also, the good that comes out of religion is the same way. If you do good because you're afraid of God or God said so, it loses a lot if not all of its moral value. It's like apologizing to your sister because your parents made you. She may feel better but that doesn't make a better person.

Atheism is not to be treated like religion because it is based on evidence, not faith. Not being religious is not a religion. Not being religious is also being rational. Mass murders or wars never happened because people were being too rational.

You say that the world would be a happier place if Christians interpreted the bible a certain way. But if you are picking and choosing only the good parts of the bible, doesn't that reveal your morals are not derived from it? The general atheist population is no less well behaved than the Christian or Muslim population. In many cases, people act worse in the name of faith ie. Westboro Baptist Church. Where did they get the idea to hate gays so much? Christians will be quick to point out the atrocities of Stalin, but I don't see the book on atheism that advocated killing people.

You imply that Dawkins is narrow minded for not having the capacity to believe in God. Does that mean you are narrow minded for not believing in Zeus or the flying spaghetti monster? Do you need to open a book on fairies before dismissing their existence? If you dismiss them without reading that book, are you narrow minded?

If you read the book, I don't think you understood it because Dawkins already explained everything I explained above.

95. Do We Really Need Bad Reasons To Be Good?

Comment #2682 by mintcheerios on October 22, 2006 at 4:32 pm

"I happen to agree with many of Harris's moral opinions. But I won't call them rational unless there are some real grounds to do so. Calling your opinion rational doesn't make it rational."

So you agree with many of Harris's moral opinions, but you consider them irrational. So why do you agree?

96. Atheists' delusions about God

Comment #2531 by mintcheerios on October 21, 2006 at 5:33 pm

"Professor Dawkins doesn’t want to have a discussion — he wants to convert people."

So?

"Well, I’m afraid it didn’t work on me."

Probably because you didn't read the book.

"I’m sick of theology done by cocky salesmen, atheistic or otherwise."

What atheist bases their arguments on theology? Read the book please.

"The root of the problem is that too many modern atheists adopt a position that is a photographic negative of a sort of Christianity believed only by the most conservative. God is X, says the modern atheist, giving a short definition that allegedly captures what all believers believe. This means that the God they reject doesn’t look anything like the God that most of us meet in our prayers."

That short definition of God that atheists give is exactly the type of God that people meet in their prayers. If you are talking to an invisible being by praying, that being probably looks exactly like the God that Dawkins is rejecting. Of course you wouldn't know that because you didn't read the book.

"Yet the one thing that we learn from the Hebrew scriptures is that there is no X that can articulate the infinite mystery of the divine. Again and again, the Bible puts us off trying to achieve definitions."

We're not allowed to define 'X'? What if someone defines that 'X' as an "infinite mystery of the divine". Oh wait, that was you.

"This is not the God who doubles as my best pal, or who fits a snappy one-line definition."

When did Dawkins define God in one line? I recall him dedicating an entire section on it just so people wouldn't accuse him of misdefining their God. Maybe your copy of the book didn't have that section.

"What is wrong is the attempt to force the unknown into declaring itself in the terms of our own limited imaginations."

No one is forcing the unknown into doing anything. Well maybe except for the people who pray to that unknown.

And what's up with all these people trying to be as vague as possible with their reviews? I had to read some of these sentences multiple times to see what they were struggling to convey. Photographic negative? Nobody says that.

97. Alan Colmes Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #2163 by mintcheerios on October 19, 2006 at 11:27 am

If the people around me are not murdering solely because of God, I don't know if I want them to turn atheist anymore.

98. Stephen Colbert Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #2071 by mintcheerios on October 18, 2006 at 2:03 pm

I think Dawkins came off much better than Harris on the Colbert Report. Dawkins understood the show before he went on (as noted in his journal) which prepared him to be cut off and showered with satirical irrational comments. Sam Harris on the other hand was too serious and tried to explain too much in the time allotted. Also Sam has often appeared on right-wing shows that just look for people with unpopular opinions to destroy which I hope Dawkins doesn't do.

It is exciting though that these people are making American national television shows.