51. 'Frog from hell' fossil unearthed

Comment #129340 by HunterZolomon on February 19, 2008 at 1:48 am

"Your mind powers will not work on me boy!"

52. Cutting Edge: Baby Bible Bashers

Comment #129319 by HunterZolomon on February 19, 2008 at 1:30 am

32. Comment #129282 by RHR on February 19, 2008 at 12:31 am

"Is this really in the bible? A talking donkey?
EDIT: I googled it. There really is a talking donkey in there! Numbers 22:21-> "

Hmmm, I thought they'd been watching Shrek...

53. Cutting Edge: Baby Bible Bashers

Comment #129313 by HunterZolomon on February 19, 2008 at 1:27 am

GAAH!! It's Jesus Camp 2: Suffer The Little Children

This documentary certainly gives Dr. Dawkins child abuse argument credibility.

54. Archbishop's 8 March centennial message: Let Sharia Law govern women's lives, Amen!

Comment #129298 by HunterZolomon on February 19, 2008 at 1:13 am

63. Comment #128939 by Eric Blair on February 18, 2008 at 10:18 am

"Many people here seem to define "multiculturalism" based solely on their experience of various responses by governments or institutions to the fact of diversity."

Multiculturalism should be judged by what results it generates, not by your personal definition of it. So far, it has almost exclusively resulted in the exact opposite of what one would believe to be the desired outcome. The key is indeed "fairness", but treating people differently in order to accomodate their culture or belief systems simply leads to more segregation. How is that "fair"?

55. The argument from oranges

Comment #128870 by HunterZolomon on February 18, 2008 at 6:21 am

Probably the funniest thread so far this year.

Unbelievably smug fundie with a new fruity theory. The earlier banana theory has got competition it seems. :)

56. Archbishop's 8 March centennial message: Let Sharia Law govern women's lives, Amen!

Comment #128867 by HunterZolomon on February 18, 2008 at 6:10 am

55. Comment #128854 by minhuna

Where exactly is the verbal violence you speak of minhuna? Is it the "pompous postmodernist pricks" comment you refer to? I couldn't find any incitement to violence or violent language in the first five posts at all. Rather a few remarks from posters clearly letting off some steam due to the Archbishops cretinous proposal.

Also, if you do have any insights concerning the "understanding of the depth" of the article
or any "reasonable comments", please share!

57. Three Little Pigs 'too offensive'

Comment #115448 by HunterZolomon on January 24, 2008 at 7:57 am

It's as if these organisations are trying their damndest to generate antipathy and fear between different cultural groups.

"Asian community"? Really? Also, how the f**k are builders offended by it? They could at least be honest about their reasons, but that is the antithesis of political correctness I gather.

58. Colouring book warns kids of pedophile priests

Comment #95044 by HunterZolomon on December 7, 2007 at 8:18 am

"One image in the book features a guardian angel hovering over an altar boy with a priest lurking in the background."

HAHAHA!!! Priceless! Wonder if the priest has horns or cloven feet?

"For safety's sake, a child and an adult shouldn't be alone in a closed room together," the angel counsels.

And how exactly is this going to play out? Won't the kids be curious as to why they can't be alone with an adult? And how will this recommendation affect the kids relationships with their school teachers, or worse, their parents?

I can picture their next advertising campaign:
The Catholic Church, only 7% pure evil.

59. Fox News Discussion on 'The Golden Compass'

Comment #86137 by HunterZolomon on November 8, 2007 at 8:24 am

Being European, I reacted just like mikehicks55 in regards to the bias of this report, "ridiculous and stupid" indeed. So the catholics are upset children are being subjected to other beliefs than their own, and that they might actually start thinking, critically, for themselves. Can it get more transparent?

I also love the end, "out of respect, more than anything else" he lets the priest have the last word.

60. American kids, dumber than dirt: Warning: The next generation might just be the biggest pile of idiots in U.S. history

Comment #82507 by HunterZolomon on October 26, 2007 at 1:57 pm

47. Comment #82412 by Bonzai

"Well some people need background distractions to concentrate, it is neither a sign of laziness nor a character flaw. I have a friend who has a Ph.D. in math and he does exactly that, he writes his papers in noisy places such as coffee shops and often have his Ipod on. In the good old days of rigid discipline he would probably have dropped out from school long ago."

Ah, I think you might have misunderstood my post, sorry about that. What I meant was, quite a few of the other students were making such a racket, disrupting the class so much that the teacher couldn't manage a proper lesson at all. The only way the student I was referring to could learn anything was by shutting out the interference as best she could. It was basically like a roomful of monkeys on speed, proud of their ignorance.

61. Why do we ignore the plight of ex-Muslims?

Comment #82386 by HunterZolomon on October 26, 2007 at 8:09 am

8. Comment #81714 by Logicel
"Is this author implying that instead of tolerance, the politically correct squad is really tacitly racist?"

He's not implying it, he's stating it plainly.
The dogma of multiculturalism most commonly generates results that are the exact opposite of what was meant to be achieved.

62. American kids, dumber than dirt: Warning: The next generation might just be the biggest pile of idiots in U.S. history

Comment #82378 by HunterZolomon on October 26, 2007 at 7:46 am

While I also found the article a bit over-the-top, I must admit that the author is onto something. A friend of mine, 8 years younger than me, went to public school. During math, she had to sit in the back of the classroom with her Walkman cranked up to max volume simply to be able to concentrate on the problems in the mathbook. When I went to public school, 8 years earlier, that would have been unthinkable. There has definately been a change for the worse in our public school system.

To me, a great deal of it boils down to the general populations ever decreasing sense of personal responsibility. It is quite obvious in many other parts of society other than the schoolsystem. Taking personal responsibilty for your actions? For your life? For your children? Can't have that, that is someone elses job.

63. Atheistic Denomination Struggles To Fill Void Left by Founder's Death

Comment #79898 by HunterZolomon on October 19, 2007 at 1:41 am

Sounds ideal for those who need the comfort of tradition and ceremony sans the deity. Perhaps even the way of retaining the things a lot people are afraid of losing should they become atheists. Not atheists, but as the author paradoxically puts it: "Jewish nonbelievers". The opposite of "God-fearing atheists" I gather.

Could it be an intermediate state for people ridding themselves of theism or perhaps even the end result? We keep the cultural traditions but become honest in our beliefs. A lot of our traditions in the west aren't christian originally anyway, they were hijacked. Like Yule, which became Christmas.

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

Comment #78209 by HunterZolomon on October 12, 2007 at 6:59 am

"138 leading Muslim scholars"

Wow, that commands respect...

65. A problem for Israel's farmers: The seven-year hitch

Comment #73792 by HunterZolomon on September 26, 2007 at 7:49 am

22. Comment #73780 by EnsilZah

Thanks for posting!

"In the IDF-developed mice, telephones and electric gates, flipping the activation switch does not directly cause an electric circuit. Instead, internal electric scanners check the status of the switches every few seconds, and only when a change is identified a circuit is created, indirectly, and the operation is executed."

Imagine the frustration. If you hadn't replied, I would never have believed it. The term "Military Rabbinate" is what unsettles me the most in the article...

66. There Go The Dinosaurs

Comment #73728 by HunterZolomon on September 26, 2007 at 1:48 am

Gotta love Chick! There's a man who's not ashamed of being a barking fundie. I recall someone making a Lovecraft / Chick spoof way back, *googling* and here it is:

http://esr.ibiblio.org/index.php?p=135

As usual, it's hard to satirize but salvation through "being eaten first" is priceless.

67. Talking Action Figure Jesus

Comment #73475 by HunterZolomon on September 25, 2007 at 4:12 am

You think you've seen the ultimate in Christian entertainment? You aint seen nothing yet...

http://www.adultswim.com/games/biblefight

68. A problem for Israel's farmers: The seven-year hitch

Comment #73473 by HunterZolomon on September 25, 2007 at 4:06 am

4. Comment #73271 by EnsilZah:

Sabbath mice and phones? Really? Please share any pictures or links, I'd love to see it.

Of all the self-imposed bullshit...

69. Why are we Muslims so self-destructive?

Comment #73442 by HunterZolomon on September 25, 2007 at 2:24 am

"#28 Tell me, how many people do you admire who have always remained hidden behind a pseudonym?"

Well, there are lots of authors I guess. Lewis Carroll for instance. Obviously, successful authors using pseudonyms seldom remain anonymous for all time. Please don't confuse your dislike of insecure and annoying internet trolls with people using pseudonyms. Each to his own.

70. Why are we Muslims so self-destructive?

Comment #73418 by HunterZolomon on September 25, 2007 at 1:46 am

#25 Richard: Surely you recognize the value in allowing people to post behind a pseudonym.

"I have noticed that most (though not all) of the best posters on this site do NOT conceal their identities:"

"Best" posters? Eloquent posters or people with the same opinion as you? Evidence please. :) (That smiley is not a symbol of my age by the way.)

71. Why Christians should take Richard Dawkins seriously

Comment #72398 by HunterZolomon on September 21, 2007 at 1:32 am

So this is what the "sophisticated" and "intelligent" theologians have resorted to. The Incomprehensible God. The God whose greatness we cannot fathom, and whose existance cannot be defined nor explained in any coherrent way to any regular believer, much less an atheist. "...allow God to be God." God just is and that's that. And this is the part when it becomes comedy gold: They know this to be true.

A child would see through this rubbish.

72. Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god

Comment #70805 by HunterZolomon on September 17, 2007 at 12:52 am

One of my all time favorites already. What's next?

"Ladies and gentlemen this is the captain, we have a small problem with the engine. Would any virgins please report to the large gentleman with the cleaver in front of the plane. Thank you."

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

Comment #69349 by HunterZolomon on September 11, 2007 at 1:04 am

Excellent news, I hope this group gets as much media coverage as possible. Get the snowball rolling!

74. The Mix Tape of the Gods

Comment #68062 by HunterZolomon on September 6, 2007 at 12:43 am

Wonderful article! I may be an atheist, but it is when reading articles like this I get in touch with my spiritual side.

"At least one billion years", fancy that.

75. India to charge writer Nasreen with 'hurting Muslim feelings'

Comment #67597 by HunterZolomon on September 4, 2007 at 1:20 am

I recall a protesting muslim described in The God Delusion bearing a sign that said "Behead those who claim Islam is a violent religion". Still my favorite.

76. 'Jesus loves you' email

Comment #66135 by HunterZolomon on August 29, 2007 at 2:19 am

"...but his dad thinks you're a shit.
ps. Jesus is his own dad."

LOLOL!!!!

77. Anger over 'blasphemous' balls

Comment #66134 by HunterZolomon on August 29, 2007 at 2:09 am

Sad and pathetic, no surprise there really.

In response to Jonathan Dores comment, all kinds of disgruntled groups other than fundie muslims have employed the offended strategy for years now. The breathtakingly low threshold for taking offence you speak of, is rampant in our own western societies today. It's not something exclusive to Islam, even though they use it vigorously. I suspect it's at least partly a result of years of western sensitivity training, courtesy of certain political movements.

78. Hitler Was an Atheist Who Killed Millions in the Name of Atheism, Secularism?

Comment #56505 by HunterZolomon on July 16, 2007 at 4:46 am

I can't help but smile whenever I see Hitler invoked in the debate. Seems a lot of people really want to see Adolf on the opposing team. "We're still fighting the nazis!" justifies almost any belief doesn't it? :)

79. Police plea on genital mutilation

Comment #55460 by HunterZolomon on July 11, 2007 at 7:18 am

Rtambree: I don't think anyone is claiming that the left condones these horrid practices. Noone in their right mind would.
However, when multiculturalism is applied dogmatically (all cultures are equal), you are not allowed to even discuss much less criticize the cultural practices of so-called minorities. And if you do, the retort usually comes in the form of "But the U.S./West/Israel, they are truly evil!" Moral relativism and political correctness combined with the intense and often unbalanced hatred of the U.S. stifles any attempt to honestly speak on these matters. That I think is the reason the left is implied in these discussions. Not because they would ever defend these horrid practices, but because when some leftist philosophies are applied without common sense, the result is an effective ban of a sound debate.

Just as bad and dishonest as the "if you're not with us you're against us" right-wing policy you mentioned.

All cultures are not equal.

80. Police plea on genital mutilation

Comment #55424 by HunterZolomon on July 11, 2007 at 4:13 am

Comment #55414 by tieInterceptor:
Very apt comparison, she's the female version of Mola Ram.

81. Brainwashed children plead to die as martyrs in Red Mosque siege

Comment #54781 by HunterZolomon on July 9, 2007 at 12:56 am

And here's a few Youtube clips. I completely agree with Bonzais comment 16.

Girls of the Red Mosque 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T-ymf4iFvA

Girls of the Red Mosque 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ULps-Wp-oY&mode=related&search=

82. Don't Mince Words: The London Car-Bomb Plot Was Designed to Kill Women

Comment #54070 by HunterZolomon on July 5, 2007 at 7:28 am

At least please get your "quotes" right, Woody Allen did not say anything to "that effect":

"I think you should defend to the death their right to march, and then go down and meet them with baseball bats."

/Woody Allen on the KKK

...and then there was this other quote, which I assume contains the effect you are aiming for, as opposed to the rather aggressive contents of Allens version:

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

/Evelyn Beatrice Hall, "The Friends of Voltaire"

83. When is a bishop like a suicide bomber?

Comment #54048 by HunterZolomon on July 5, 2007 at 5:08 am

Goldy:
Thanks for the link. This description of Muslim paradise betrays a certain, ahem, frustration...

"Each time we sleep with a houri we find her virgin. Besides, the penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal; the sensation that you feel each time you make love is utterly delicious and out of this world and were you to experience it in this world you would faint. Each chosen one [ie Muslim] will marry seventy [sic] houris, besides the women he married on earth, and all will have appetising vaginas."

LOL!!!

84. Don't Mince Words: The London Car-Bomb Plot Was Designed to Kill Women

Comment #54034 by HunterZolomon on July 5, 2007 at 3:05 am

Brilliant move! Let's bring up Pizarro and his men and the brutal slaughter of 7000 incas...

Gordon: Yah, ve stil got da furry vests too, Heil Odin!

85. Don't Mince Words: The London Car-Bomb Plot Was Designed to Kill Women

Comment #54030 by HunterZolomon on July 5, 2007 at 2:45 am

I sense an unhealthy obsession with inherited guilt being projected in this thread. It never ceases to amaze me just how far some people will go in villifying the West when someone criticizes fundamentalist Islam. For example, how exactly are the Conquistadores pertinent to this subject?

Come to think of it, I most likely had viking ancestors who committed atrocities in England. I'm gonna ask my english friends for forgiveness next time I see them, I just can't live with the shame.

86. In Defense of Witchcraft

Comment #52479 by HunterZolomon on June 27, 2007 at 5:37 am

"Ridicule is the only weapon that can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them."

Thomas Jefferson

I love that quote and Sam effectively demonstrates its use here. Bravo!

87. The 'Is God...Great?' Debate

Comment #48225 by HunterZolomon on June 7, 2007 at 5:53 am

If only Hitchens could be slightly more civil. The overpowering bullying of his opponent doesn't help his credibility, even though I think he is right in almost all cases here. A measure of restraint on his part would give him an even more formidable position from where to verbally demolish his opponents.

88. Hamas Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony

Comment #47959 by HunterZolomon on June 6, 2007 at 6:21 am

Rtambree:
"If you look at the bodycounts that muslim fundies notched up over the last decades, and you compare that to the body counts that western powers notch up, then yes, it is worse, unfortunate."

So body count trumps all? No matter what the intentions. No matter who is the aggressor. No matter who is the target.

"If you deplore violence, then it should be all violence, especially when innocent lives are destroyed."

So the violence that saved Europe from the nazis was all bad? If only the allies had spread flowers in front of the german tanks we'd all be better off I suppose. Violence is ugly but unfortunately, sometimes necessary.

I'm sure everyone here agrees that both sides have behaved deplorably in this very infected conflict. However, your posts come across as if you feel that the west/Israel should take the brunt of the blame for muslim terrorism, and that is what I took issue with.

89. Hamas Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony

Comment #47896 by HunterZolomon on June 6, 2007 at 1:12 am

What I find remarkable about this thread is that a film depicting the muslim brainwashing of children has provoked some people to go on a tirade against Israel and the US! Some pointing out that it was an Israeli site that posted the clip in the first place. How is that important unless the poster is trying to insinuate that the jews are somehow partly to blame for this particular breed of religious insanity. As if the Israelis are wrong in showing the world what they're dealing with. It displays a revolting bias where the West/Israel is portrayed not only as bad as the muslim fundies, but worse! I would have hoped that this warped sense of morality would not make its way onto this site.

90. Hamas Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony

Comment #47693 by HunterZolomon on June 5, 2007 at 9:47 am

The Sam Harris quote in 21. above begs to be posted again.

"In their analyses of U.S. and Israeli foreign policy, liberals can be relied on to overlook the most basic moral distinctions. For instance, they ignore the fact that Muslims intentionally murder noncombatants, while we and the Israelis (as a rule) seek to avoid doing so. Muslims routinely use human shields, and this accounts for much of the collateral damage we and the Israelis cause; the political discourse throughout much of the Muslim world, especially with respect to Jews, is explicitly and unabashedly genocidal.

Given these distinctions, there is no question that the Israelis now hold the moral high ground in their conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah. And yet liberals in the United States and Europe often speak as though the truth were otherwise."

91. Hamas Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony

Comment #47663 by HunterZolomon on June 5, 2007 at 7:55 am

Some people seem to think that Palestinian authorities teaching their children how to hate and kill can mostly be attributed to western interference. While the West has a lot to answer for, the situation has been building up for a very long time, in many regards courtesy of neighbouring states other than Israel.

"The Arab states do not want to solve the refugee problem. They want to keep it as an open sore, as a weapon against Israel. Arab leaders do not give a damn whether Arab refugees live or die. The only thing that has changed since [1949] is the number of Palestinians cooped up in these prison camps."
Ralph Galloway, UN 1958 (Note: this was before Israel took the Westbank, Golan and Gaza.)

No matter what, the sad outcome of this horrible religious child indoctrination of hate and violence will simply result in more suffering for the Palestinians. They are immunizing themselves to peace.

92. Hamas Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony

Comment #47561 by HunterZolomon on June 5, 2007 at 1:03 am

"They're ALL fucked up, but if we think G.I. Joe or toy soldiers, or war re-enactments are okay for OUR children, then I really see nothing wrong with the above display."

You can't see the difference between western kids playing with toy soldiers and the brainwashing and indoctrination of hatred in these children? With all due respect, I think you need to get some perspective on the situation here.

93. Beggars belief: Robin McKie on The God Delusion

Comment #47288 by HunterZolomon on June 4, 2007 at 1:31 am

I suspect that people on this board have a lot more in common with each other than they do with certain members of their own political convictions. Rationality and the ability to question ones own beliefs seems to transcend politics. I agree with shade51, the rightwing evangelist loonies are making it very difficult for the rational right by hijacking the conservative political scene.

Also...

Comment #47178 by JesusH

Hitchens and Harris attracting "anti-Bush/anti-America Islam-apologists"? You're kidding right?

94. I Believe In Evolution, Except For The Whole Triassic Period

Comment #46335 by HunterZolomon on May 31, 2007 at 1:18 am

While I love the Onion as much as anyone else here they're up against some pretty serious competition nowadays. No satire can beat real life fundies. I mean, how do you even begin to compete with Ray Comforts banana proof?

95. Dawkins at the Hay Festival

Comment #46031 by HunterZolomon on May 30, 2007 at 3:37 am

"So what is the difference between the kind of delusion that someone is Napoleon and the kind that there is a supernatural intelligent being?
"

Number of people sharing your delusion is an obvious reply. Another reason is perhaps that "God" is a sort of replacement for the unknown for many people. What one cannot understand is probably also easier to be fooled into believing.

96. Comic in US 'hate speech' row

Comment #44656 by HunterZolomon on May 25, 2007 at 6:37 am

"Insulting degenerating racist hate speech" eh? Why am I not surprised...

97. Exorcism exercise for fired-up faithful

Comment #44568 by HunterZolomon on May 25, 2007 at 4:48 am

Well I'd certainly pay a few bucks to see a Tourettes syndrome case projectile vomiting on a few brave priests.

98. Dental healer finds share of faithful believers

Comment #43951 by HunterZolomon on May 23, 2007 at 4:47 am

Dreams of *easy money* and *hot chicks* troubled his sleep. Jones said he was told by Brother Connor, a toothless Georgia *con-man*, that teeth were *big bucks*. But it took him several years to overcome his reluctance to try and *scam people* in public.

99. Despite what the scholars say, God isn't dead yet

Comment #43941 by HunterZolomon on May 23, 2007 at 4:34 am

This is simply too easy a target so I'll refrain from the obvious replies...

100. Atheism in America

Comment #40347 by HunterZolomon on May 14, 2007 at 6:44 am

What a disgusting display of bigotry!

I'm very sad to see that a young girl has to pay this price for her intellectual integrity.