1351. Evolving Mistakes

Comment #134081 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 8:10 am

Excellent article. This would be a good reference next time a creationist tries to argue that mutations only damage the genome.

1352. Fleabytes

Comment #134072 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 7:39 am

Billy-

Quetz, can we take one of those wafers and drive a stake through it? I remember hearing a story of a child who was punished once for puking up jesus.

1353. Fleabytes

Comment #134068 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 7:33 am

Epeeist-

Do they actually believe that the host is the transubstantiated body of Christ though?

1354. Fleabytes

Comment #134056 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 7:14 am

"Imneverwrong"

1355. Fleabytes

Comment #134052 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 7:06 am

Epeeist-

I don't know. My aunt's Moravian church has Communion, and so does the Pentecostal church I used to got to. Not sure if that's the same thing as the Catholics or not.

1356. Fleabytes

Comment #134045 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 7:01 am

Billy-

I agree with you there. Even if we did find Jesus' corpse, how would we prove it was him? It's not like there's a lot of his DNA around.

Of course, we could just go to mass and steal one of the communion wafers from a priest's hand. They're the Body Of Christ, after all.

1357. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #134033 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 6:46 am

Tyler-

stay calm. Think of your blood pressure.

1358. Fleabytes

Comment #134013 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 6:27 am

NMcC-

cheers.

PS- you can ignore the PM from me, it just says the same as my original reply.

1359. Fleabytes

Comment #133995 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 6:00 am

NMcC-

I apologise unreservedly. Believe me when I say that no lies or distortion were intended.

Having looked back, I was responding to what Robertson had said, and I made the considerable mistake of not checking the comments in question before making my reply. Given his "standards", I should have. I can only put that down to haste and carelessness on my part.

I misunderstood what was going on, and I am now very embarrassed by it. I hope you will realise that no offence was intended, and I withdraw my earlier comment.

Once again, my apologies.

1360. Fleabytes

Comment #133942 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 3:37 am

Brian-

a lot of us are now talking about him, not to him. But I take your point.

1361. Fleabytes

Comment #133923 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 3:09 am

Epeeist-

true. I'm trying to argue with him less as well. I do however reserve the right to point out things like his misquoting (although obviously you saw it first).

I seem to remember he said one of our creeds was materialism or scientific materialism. I can't honestly be bothered to trawl through his comments to find it.

1362. Fleabytes

Comment #133914 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 2:55 am

Epeeist and everyone-

Clearthinker said-

I was responding to the claim that " all of the scienctific and philosophical pursuits of the greatest minds in history" were on the side of atheism." (Lorien 936). Something that is demonstrably false

If you really tried to be an atheist, objectively considering the evidence, and you really think that the notions in your mind are greater evidence that all of the scienctific and philosophical pursuits of the greatest minds in history, well, what can I say, bring on the ad homs

1363. Fleabytes

Comment #133909 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 2:46 am

Rev (do you mind if I shorten your name to that?)-

RD is a professor at Oxford. Debates there can be brutal :)

1364. Fleabytes

Comment #133898 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 2:26 am

Paula-

thanks. Couldn't remember the country in question, so took a guess. Now corrected.

1365. Fleabytes

Comment #133892 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 2:19 am

Peacebeuponme-

Dachau was the name of a concentration camp in Germany.

1366. Fleabytes

Comment #133890 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 2:14 am

Epeeist-

I believe in Phlogiston, but in a transcendental sense! :)

1367. Fleabytes

Comment #133871 by Quetzalcoatl on February 27, 2008 at 1:53 am

Clearthinker-

just to say- Paula's article IS on the front page, under the "Latest News" column on the right. You probably have it on the "Featured" column. Click on "Latest News" to see it.

1368. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133643 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 1:03 pm

If I may interject here- I have some experience in this. My martial arts instructor is a fairly short guy, probably only a few inches above Anna's height. He could without question beat the crap out of the biggest and heaviest guy in our class. While the bigger guy will almost certainly have the power, he won't have the speed. The smaller guy will be more agile as well. And with a sufficient degree of skill, he can deliver blows with precision that will be more effective than the bigger guy's probably wilder efforts.

1369. Fleabytes

Comment #133586 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 11:56 am

Steve-

really? As one of the more erudite people on this site, I see it as more of an honour when YOU respond to something I'VE written.

But you are right. What would we do without him? And let's not even talk about Wooter...

1370. Fleabytes

Comment #133580 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 11:49 am

Just think how boring the site would be without him. Whatever would we talk about? I think it is fair to say that the site revolves around him, as so many other things apparently do.

EDIT- if that's true, I'm definitely glad I'm not going to Heaven.

1371. Fleabytes

Comment #133564 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 11:22 am

Diacanu-

keep those scalpels sharpened. He'll be back...

1372. Evidence can't shake your faith if your faith excludes it as evidence

Comment #133501 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 8:56 am

Frankus1122-

you'd better be......

1373. Evidence can't shake your faith if your faith excludes it as evidence

Comment #133494 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 8:41 am

Hmm. Challengers are coming from every quarter.

Time for some divine wrath.....

1374. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133486 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 8:34 am

Al-rawandi-

fair enough, I agree with that. Previous British imperialist policy has created problems, there's no doubting it. But in this specific case, the Falklands do belong to Britain, and the people themselves consider themselves British. When Argentina invaded, I don't think we behaved inappropriately in response. That's all I'm saying.

1375. Evidence can't shake your faith if your faith excludes it as evidence

Comment #133484 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 8:27 am

Kevin a Jones-

leave Juxtamonkey alone! I saw her first :)

1376. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133482 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 8:25 am

Sigh- everyone, let's stop apologising! At least to each other :)

1377. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133474 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 8:15 am

Steve-

the only one who should have apologised was Thermoturd.

1378. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133466 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 8:07 am

Al-rawandi-

a quick web search tells me that the British were the first to discover the islands in 1592, and claim them in 1690. Then there was the usual squabbling between us, France and Spain, the naval powers of the time. But from 1832 we controlled and settled them.

1379. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133458 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 8:01 am

Philip-

as I recall it wasn't just her intellect he attacked, the turd.

Anyway. I think stupid arguments like the ones this author is making are how they get books sold. It just taps into ignorance.

I guess if we want things to change we need to show them that atheists are just as decent and moral as anyone else, despite the fact that we don't believe in the invisible sky-fairy of choice.

1380. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133451 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 7:49 am

al-rawandi-

I totally agree with you about the bigotry issue, and as I said, I disagree strongly with the comment that was made.

I admit I don't know much about how England first acquired the Falklands. But the people there did consider themselves British, and Argentina attacked us. Under those circumstances, I don't know if it can be called imperialism.

1381. The Salamander's Tale

Comment #133447 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 7:43 am

If we're doing this-

Wooter-

everything I post is a lie.

1382. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133442 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 7:37 am

Al-

(incidentally I don't approve of Ashton's generalisation)

you raised the Falklands in a previous thread. The circumstances there were completely different, as I and others said.

1383. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133439 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 7:34 am

GROAN.

1384. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133430 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 7:20 am

Anna-

Oh yes, I forgot...back to fattening my self up...

Well, I am having mint tea...

Guess why?

1385. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133421 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 7:14 am

Anna-

Ummm....what was the topic again?

1386. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133413 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 7:08 am

Milk, and two sugars.

- Reads Al-Rawandi's comment -

Er, yeah, come on guys, back on topic. I blame Anna and Philip for this.

1387. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133403 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 6:56 am

Mikejswalker-

Are their ever any merits to keeping quiet or being more 'subtle' about oppression and injustice? I ask this seriously, as a point of genuine discussion

1388. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133399 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 6:51 am

I concur. Tea is a most Blessed Drink. I have just finished a cup, and it was delicious.

1389. Evidence can't shake your faith if your faith excludes it as evidence

Comment #133387 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 6:40 am

Why?

1390. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133381 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 6:35 am

Or possibly the weather. Might be a safer topic.

1391. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133373 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 6:28 am

Annabanana-

Yes, but unintelligibly. I would only know to what he was referring if he used my name

1392. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133370 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 6:18 am

I concur. Await a passing wooter

1393. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #133340 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 4:59 am

Scarlett Johansson? :)

1394. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #133331 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 4:29 am

Tyler-

alright, I admit the first one was ok.

But if you want to fight- bring it. I don't have a host of aging stars to back me up, but I do have in my favour some knowledge of a Proper martial art. I'd also like to upgrade the prize from Elisabeth Shue to Jessica Alba. I know she wasn't in the Karate Kid, but so what? Jessica's a much better prize.

1395. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #133318 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 4:04 am

Epeeist-

I would imagine so. However, TKD has a unique strategy to use against sabreurs. There are two options-

a) Lob something heavy at them then kick them in the head while they're still recovering
b) shoot them (a la Indiana Jones style).

That would probably work.

1396. Evidence can't shake your faith if your faith excludes it as evidence

Comment #133314 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 3:57 am

Richard-

four- I complimented it as well.

1397. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #133312 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 3:52 am

Pah, karate. What about Tae Kwon Do? We have much better reactions. Anyone who has seen the Karate Kid films will know how much that particular discipline sucks.

1398. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #133297 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 3:27 am

Rev Dark-

Confidence is a wonderful thing; but as I tell my students, no matter what, there is always someone smarter, tougher, stronger, faster, sneakier, meaner and more skilled out there, enter each fight with the assumption that you are facing that person

1399. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #133290 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 3:08 am

Wooter-

Quetzalcoatl
YOU ARE NOT MR DAWKINS, RIGHT AS YOU SEEM THAT YOU HOLD THE POWER OF CENCORSHIP

1400. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #133267 by Quetzalcoatl on February 26, 2008 at 2:09 am

irate_atheist-

But if it's true... chopped liver that can type... now there's a triumph of evolution.