Comments by krisking

Comment #126166 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 2:21 pm

Drinking keeps me from having to cope with difficult emotions. Does that make drinking good? Because when drinking (like when believing in God) people make poor and violent decisions.

Well, you already know I agree with you.

102. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126159 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 2:10 pm

Let's get back to what matters. Do you have some problem with Darwin, or can you provide evidence for the existence of God?

I don't think I do have a problem with Darwin. Interestingly, according to the Guardian articles at the weekend, the greatest opposition to Darwin came from other scientists. I suspect most Christians in this country are perfectly happy with the Darwin explanation.

I did a comment about something one of the writers in the magazine had made (see earlier....there has been an answer)

On the question of the existence of God. I am not here to convince any of you.

I think that if having some kind of belief helps people cope with life as it hits them, then maybe that is not such a bad thing.

Not everybody has enormous reserves of self-sufficiency.

103. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126148 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 2:00 pm

My jury is still out on how "genuine" he is in his search

How genuine am I?

I am genuine. That doesn't mean that I am going to be easily convinced of atheism. I am not convinced either that only the physical is what counts.

And Steve is quite right that some of my questions are simple, and information available easily elsewhere, though not all it of on the internet takes the same view of things.

But where else can one get such lively conversation with convinced atheists? My only other spheres of potential discussion are my workplace where even the atheist head of science simply shakes his head. Actually, he a really kind bloke....and some mates in the local pub.

..and if one cannot indulge in a little gentle ribbing!!

104. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126140 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 1:46 pm

Anna's right, sorry for lashing out, Krisking, guess I still got wooter's crap on my mind...

No problem. I find the behaviour of some christians reprehensible too.

105. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126136 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 1:42 pm

The problem with the theist mind has generally been, the mind is open to children's Sunday school stories, but closed to difficult theories such as evolution, relativity, and logic.

I disgree with this comment too. It was theists who led the charge against the stranglehold of the catholic church when they risked their lives to bring the bible to the common people in their own language so that they could read it for themselves....and discover how the church at the time had been deceiving people.

I agree that there are plenty of church with bigoted and closed minds. Indeed there was a time when being a churchman was a handy and lucrative little number, not requiring any kind of true piety.

You seem convinced that that Jesus may not have existed. There are scholars who would offer strong arguments against this proposition. Regrettably I am not the person to do so (nor is this really the forum for discussing this)

My reference to Jesus's miracles was in response to the suggestion that Christians would oppose the possibility of allowing us to re-grow limbs if that ever becomes possible.

106. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126105 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 1:09 pm

We should probably ignore science.

I disagree. We should always keep an open mind.

I would also like to point out it was the Church that supported the Ptolemy model of the universe because there was plenty of room for heaven and hell.

Well, I didn't know that. Which church was it and when did they do this?

107. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126102 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 1:03 pm

Do we have to bring you back?

You might like it there too!

108. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126100 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:59 pm

the idea of blasphemy?

How is that then?

109. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126099 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Yet refuse to listen to evidence. How productive your search has been!

You don't know how productive my search is proving. Actually, I've learned a lot of new things in the last few minutes.

After all, it's not so long ago that scientists thought that the universe was eternal and had been in existence since for ever.

110. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126094 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:53 pm

sort of like you coming here and telling us heathens the way, the truth and the light.

Me? Since when have I tried to tell you anything? I'm on a discovery mission. Take me to the moon.

111. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126085 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:51 pm

Then why does his fanclub need to keep blathering at us?

Well, we're all looking for truth, surely!

112. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126072 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:45 pm

. This, to me, implies miraculous things are in God's domain. If man can perform miracles, where does that leave God?

Well, if man can do it, it will be because he has worked out how to do it....so it won't be a miracle any more.....

I'm sure God is perfectly capable of looking after himself.

ps. i love the story about the man and his "horse"!

113. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126063 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Of course, this'll be by scientists and it will be against god's laws, blah, blah, blah...

Why would that be? After all, Jesus is reported as having healed a man with a withered arm......sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

114. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126062 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:34 pm

I assume you're implying that lack of human limb regeneration is a point against evolution.

Now why would you assume that? I actually like the idea of evolution.

Actually, it's because humans are so complex, that such regeneration is impossible.

You mean we are so highly evolved that we have actually lost some useful attributes! That's a bit of a bummer......

Can't we help evolution along a bit?

115. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126055 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:24 pm

Ain't it nifty how creationists demand every gap be filled down to the quantum level for Darwinism to be true, but for creationism to be true, all they need is a crummy book of fairy tales that half of them haven't read all the way through?

Great stuff.

That sounds like 1 all!

116. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126052 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:23 pm

And God has yet to grant an amputees prayers for new limbs

Yes, you would have there would be at least one tribe of people that could grow new limbs......like some creatures can!!

Now that would be quite an advantage.

117. Why Darwin matters

Comment #126040 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 12:05 pm

people would get quickly lost using Sat Nav systems!

I thought they did anyway. Hence, the notices in certain places exhorting drivers NOT to follow their Sat Navs!!!!

...and coach drivers getting stuck down country lanes.

118. Why Darwin matters

Comment #125923 by krisking on February 12, 2008 at 9:11 am

I think it's the "bodging together" bit that puzzles me.

Natural selection does that all the time; that's one of the many indications that life wasn't designed intelligently.

One well known example is the mammalian ear, but there are thousands of others. It's important to understand that evolution has no "foresight" and no intended "end product" that it aims at.

No, that's not what puzzled me. The writer seemed to be giving the impression that different bits of stuff from different places had been pushed together to make something. I had understood that the process relied on mutations from one generation to the next, rather than taking bits from different organisms.

119. Exploding black holes could expose hidden dimensions

Comment #125553 by krisking on February 11, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Does anyone know how big the universe it? and whether there is anything beyond it's edge?

120. Why Darwin matters

Comment #125433 by krisking on February 11, 2008 at 11:03 am

Well, I have been reading the Guardian booklet and I am finding it very interesting and informative.

I found it a bit surprising that James Randerson was happy to have published this comment "What's more, many of the components of the flagellum have turned up doing separate jobs elsewhere in bacteria. (okay so far) So the notion of natural selection bodging together the tail using bits already present in bacteria is plausible."

I think it's the "bodging together" bit that puzzles me.

121. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124471 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Atheism is simply a lack of belief in gods. It says nothing else about anything

Maybe so, but it will shape and colour your views on everything.

122. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124468 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 3:10 pm

Does your view remain unchanged that atheism is an article of faith?

I think it could easily become an article of faith. I think faith is an inevitable part of life.

123. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124466 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 3:04 pm

On the other I could see this as a monstrously egotistical revelation of your mindset

No, I personally have no answers. It is from my point of view an honest answer. We will see, but I don't know what we will see.

I am still not convinced that the atheist position will be helpful in the long run.

124. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124422 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Here Here - what's the betting we won't get anymore replies from Krisking now.

I bet he's thinking - 'damn i went and made one of those phallacy thingies again, damn it. Better not show my face round there again for a little while until everyone has forgotten about it'.

Or will he?

Hmmmm..... I thought Darwinism was supposed to help you predict things!!!

125. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124418 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 11:57 am

And atheism is not a religion. It is, to paraphrase Sam Harris, "mearly a statement of the obvious."

Well, we shall see. I find little problem with the ideas of evolution and natural selection. Perhaps I'll have an even better understanding once I have read today's Guardian newspaper and booklet. I still think there is more to living beings than biology, but no doubt the scientists will get us closer to understanding that too in due course.

Given that so many people in the world believe in some sort of deity, shows that it is not at all obvious.

126. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124342 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 5:57 am

I have to ask ... do you actually read what Dawkins writes before you comment, or are you simply making things up?

No, I don't ... I think it's far more informative to find out what a leader's followers think he has written to find out what the whole movement is about. After all, they are the ones who are going to do something about it (or not).

127. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124341 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 5:53 am

How difficult was it for him to shake off his inculcated beliefs? "

he was brought up within the Anglican movement and is essentially English. Therefore no problem at all.

My point exactly. Dawkins likes to make out that children are brainwashed by religious parents.....but he didn't find it difficult to escape....any more than millions of other people have done!!

128. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124282 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 2:39 am

The age-old formula for uniting people is to give them a common enemy.

Good point....precisely what Dawkins and his atheist mates are doing......lump all religions together and call them evil!

129. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124281 by krisking on February 9, 2008 at 2:36 am

I see that "Darwin" and "Dawkins" have now become one and the same person according to krisking here

How do you figure that?

Are you a lazy reader?

130. Richard Dawkins talks about The God Delusion

Comment #124178 by krisking on February 8, 2008 at 3:22 pm

Can a scientist believe in the resurrection?

http://www.jamesgregory.org/tom_wright.php

131. Richard Dawkins talks about The God Delusion

Comment #124174 by krisking on February 8, 2008 at 3:19 pm

Does TGD actually contain any positive statement that there is no god?

Why should it? He has only every gone as far as to say that the existence of God is extremely improbably. In one of his talks he even gave his own score on a scale of 1 - 7....but it wasn't the extreme score!

132. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124172 by krisking on February 8, 2008 at 3:14 pm

"Nor must we overlook the probability of the constant inculcation in a belief in God on the minds of children producing so strong and perhaps an inherited effect on their brains not yet fully developed, that it would be as difficult for them to throw off their belief in God, as for a monkey to throw off its instinctive fear of a snake." (pp. 77-78).

Is this a quote from Dawkin's writings? If so, I find it astounding that he can make such a statement, given that he himself was brought up in christian church-going family, and claims to have had a personal religious conversion/experience as a teenager. How difficult was it for him to shake off his inculcated beliefs?

133. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #123186 by krisking on February 6, 2008 at 3:00 pm

The qualiy of my life sans religion is superior to when I was still trying to be a faithful Catholic. Part of my impetus to abandon religion and faith was due to the (piss poor) quality of the relationships I had with other Catholics.

I've no doubt that what you say is indeed true. Even Jesus in his day had plenty to say about the religious authorities of his day who were oppressing the poor and disadvantaged whilst supposedly honouring God and upholding his laws. Simply being part of a religious system, does not make you a true christian.

134. Richard Dawkins talks about The God Delusion

Comment #123131 by krisking on February 6, 2008 at 1:41 pm

risking,

Post Christian British society:

Guesses from a non-brit:

-Still drink tea
-Stuffy sense of humor
-Play cricket and rugby
-A democracy
-Queen might be gone *fingers crossed*
-Less foreign intervention
-In tune with the global economy
-Children with healthier psyches
-Amy Winehouse will still be alive

Any questions?

less foreign intervention? how is that relevant? (or even true? - europe, usa, foreign owned water companies in britain etc etc)

Children with healthier psyches? have you met any recently? or been into our essentially secular schools?

Rising drink problems among young people and attendant street violence..

parents accused of poor parenting....

etc

135. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #123099 by krisking on February 6, 2008 at 1:06 pm

Riley

If you can't rid yourself of "religion poisons everything" dogma, please at least stop the hypocrisy of blaming religion (in general) for a particular human massacre and then getting indignant when someone returns the favor by blaming anti-religious movements (in general) for another particular human massacre.

I couldn't agree more. I have to say some of the quite extraordinary abusive comments that appear in these forums are not in the slightest attractive.

Atheists should remember that what attracts non-christians to become christians is often the quality of life and relationships that true christians have.

136. Richard Dawkins talks about The God Delusion

Comment #122977 by krisking on February 6, 2008 at 9:59 am

They have changed my life.

Really?! That's quite a statement. How have they changed your life?

137. Richard Dawkins talks about The God Delusion

Comment #122914 by krisking on February 6, 2008 at 9:16 am

I think there should be a way for people to get a copy of TGD for free the way people can get a copy of the bible for free.

Well, how do you think Christians do it?

138. Richard Dawkins talks about The God Delusion

Comment #122911 by krisking on February 6, 2008 at 9:13 am

As for the morality issue - well, I am about as bored with this as the Prof must be in having to constantly address it.

Well, it will be interesting to see where post-christian british society will go in the future.......any guesses?

139. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #122904 by krisking on February 6, 2008 at 9:07 am

LDmiller

Interestingly enough, the people who place the most "faith" in the sciences are generally the least qualified to judge their veracity. Generally, if I have a problem with an argument put forth by the Big Four (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Hitchens) it is long these lines. They take things "as read" in sciences outside their expertise that are not at all settled fact.

Nicely made point. I see noone has challenged you on it. I think most of us in society take an awful lot of science and medicine in this way.

How many people take medicine without really knowing what is in them or what they actually do or may do? We just assume the doctors have got it right!

140. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #122567 by krisking on February 5, 2008 at 1:24 pm

keith

Theology doesn't try to explain why people are religious

What do you think does?

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

Comment #121545 by krisking on February 3, 2008 at 3:51 pm

Until quite recently in the history of life on Earth, there were

really? how recently? and why aren't there now?

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

Comment #121544 by krisking on February 3, 2008 at 3:50 pm

Scep

Why do evolutionary biologists know so little about evolution..?

Good question..... I keep asking the scientists in my school to give me a description of evolution....and they don't seem to be able to ....and none of them believen in God....

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

Comment #121541 by krisking on February 3, 2008 at 3:41 pm

Did anyone see Derren Brown on telly last night with his fool-proof system for betting successfully on horse-racing?

Turns out there is no system....and the only way to get anywhere is to bet on all the horses.......just they didn't tell you that at the beginning when that woman was winning all her races......until the last one......

Hmmmmm.....wonder where all the other worlds are......that didn't succeed as well as ours.........

....and why aren't there more varieties of humans on the earth......closely related but unable to breed with each other......?

144. It was a bad year for God.

Comment #109233 by krisking on January 8, 2008 at 4:01 pm

CJ22

That bit about Dawkins having worshippers etc.

You don't believe me? Just watch this woman talking about Dawkins!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-808547712754338659

145. It was a bad year for God.

Comment #109227 by krisking on January 8, 2008 at 3:46 pm

The issue has been raised before, and it has been rationalised by myself

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze

146. It was a bad year for God.

Comment #109214 by krisking on January 8, 2008 at 3:23 pm

So I put in an Amazon order for 10 copies of TGD in paperback to hand out.

Congratulations. Has Richard Dawkins finally elevated himself to the status of God?

.......with atheists as his worshippers!

147. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #108445 by krisking on January 6, 2008 at 11:03 pm

Help? No! Sympathise? Yes - languages were my first love, academically speaking. What language(s) do you teach?

French and Spanish....the easy ones!

148. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #108317 by krisking on January 6, 2008 at 1:25 pm

Ah, but might you be here mistaking the effect of their belief in God for the actual existence of God?

Indeed, maybe so. You can be sure that I continue to ask myself the questions.

I know I am in danger of attempting to avoid the questions, but tomorrow's activities call when I have to think about persuading groups of english-speaking, anglocentric young people that it may be worthwhile learning a foreign language in a world where english is the vehicle language! Perhaps Paula can help with that one!

Regards to everyone. Thanks for chatting, and I am pleased that I have met some atheists who respond in a reasonable fashion.

149. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #108302 by krisking on January 6, 2008 at 12:42 pm

Why do you assume God is?

I am not sure, has to be my honest answer. As some people here say, it may be because of my upbringing, but it may also be because I have met some Christians who are the most amazing individuals.

150. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #108299 by krisking on January 6, 2008 at 12:23 pm

Can you expand on this a little? What makes you unwilling? What question does the existence of God answer that non-theistic answers don't?

I am not sure that it is about answers to questions. If God is, then the questions become "can we know him?" and "how can we know him?" It's the other way round...not us asking the questions, but us answering the questions.

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