101. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157075 by righton on April 8, 2008 at 2:36 pm

al, PM

102. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157045 by righton on April 8, 2008 at 2:00 pm

done, sorry

103. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157033 by righton on April 8, 2008 at 1:52 pm

al, check your PM

104. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157013 by righton on April 8, 2008 at 1:38 pm

I also think RM is a decent man. I very much enjoy his posts on this website.

The posts in question were definitely offensive and I dont think it was a miss use of english at all. These were obvious.

Al called him on it a long time ago and I have not seen any more offensive posts from RM since. Unless I am missing something. I dont think this needs to be brought up any more as long as the problem is gone.

105. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156995 by righton on April 8, 2008 at 1:18 pm

I dont want to get in the middle of this but...

I definitely remember the exchange between RM and al. RM did make all of those comments which were kind of offensive. I dont know if I would call him a pervert but I do think something needed to be said.

Women should be welcome on this website, of all places, without these kind of comments.

106. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156317 by righton on April 7, 2008 at 10:19 am

I also do not like the terms "Darwinist" and "Darwinism". Creationists use these as a tool. They hold up Darwin as a strawman and point out that some of his ideas were completely false.
I think they use "Darwinism" (a lot in Explelled) because it sounds more like Creationism, implying that these are similar faith based belief systems.

107. Pastor attacks scientist's talk

Comment #154901 by righton on April 3, 2008 at 11:45 pm

epeeist

"Artful_Dodger" does that a lot.

Robot,

That video of Robertson made me sick. Same old stuff. That book of his looked very small for a response to TGD. Im not sure he covered everyting.

108. Beware the Believers

Comment #154213 by righton on April 2, 2008 at 10:17 pm

@449 by kardashovel

In his time Mohammad was a great feminist, in shrewd support of his crusade to reduce worship to one god, for whom he graciously interceded. Sadly, (((he didn't realize that girls just want to have fun.)))

You are an a-hole. Why do you post here?

109. Faith healing church parents charged over toddler's death

Comment #153715 by righton on April 1, 2008 at 11:13 pm

Eventhorizon-
I have thought about this question for a few years. I haven't found a good reason why, say, an abortion one day before birth is perfectly legal and accepted by the pro-choice crowd (myself included), but an "abortion" one day after birth (i.e., infanticide) is a capital offense which nearly all modern-day people find abhorrent.

WHAT???

This was not a real post, no one is that stupid.

110. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #152660 by righton on March 31, 2008 at 10:02 am

Here is an update on the story in Oregon, just saw it this morning.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_033008_news_faith_healing.1742971c.html

111. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #152658 by righton on March 31, 2008 at 9:56 am

Thanks Geoff,

That was very sad and disturbing. I am wondering if I should bring this to the attention of the media. I would like to see this church have at least some kind of pressure from the public on it.

112. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #152392 by righton on March 30, 2008 at 11:47 pm

Apparently this just happened again, in my own state! This time it was a fifteen month old that died of a "curable disease", the parents are members of the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City, Oregon.
"Right now, the infant's parents are not facing any charges but they could still be arrested."

Unbelievable

http://www.kptv.com/news/15737201/detail.html

113. Beware the Believers

Comment #151975 by righton on March 29, 2008 at 8:12 pm

So no one knows who made this?

114. Beware the Believers

Comment #151860 by righton on March 29, 2008 at 3:15 pm

Dennett looks like a pirate.

I thought the video was funny and definitely pro science.

115. Sue Blackmore debates Alister McGrath

Comment #151337 by righton on March 28, 2008 at 2:14 pm

"Abortion should be legal until the fetus is viable on its own."

When is that?

116. Fleabytes

Comment #151333 by righton on March 28, 2008 at 2:11 pm

Wow, that video was disturbing

[edit]The fitna movie

117. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #151274 by righton on March 28, 2008 at 11:13 am

I really hope some kind of legal action is taken. They have two more kids, what if this happens again? It seems like the general public and the law enforcement are taking the stance of, theres nothing we can really do because it is a religious matter. Another example of people giving way too much respect to others religious beliefs.
I think this is blatant child abuse from mentally ill parents. They are not suitable parents and the other two kids should be taken away.

118. Fleabytes

Comment #150794 by righton on March 27, 2008 at 12:27 pm

Um, on the beers topic. I live in Portland Oregon, id argue we have the best microbrew beers in the world.

119. Fleabytes

Comment #150746 by righton on March 27, 2008 at 11:27 am

What, that wasnt intellectually stimulating?

120. Fleabytes

Comment #150744 by righton on March 27, 2008 at 11:23 am

If evolution created man, then who created evolution?

121. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #149912 by righton on March 26, 2008 at 10:27 am

Happy Birthday Richard!!!

Thank you very much for this great website.

122. Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled'

Comment #148907 by righton on March 24, 2008 at 2:37 pm

You are a giant douche.

123. Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled'

Comment #148886 by righton on March 24, 2008 at 1:19 pm

Lagamort wrote:

"Please give me an example of Dawkins debating a creationist publicly in a successful manner. Just one will do..."

Show me evidence that Mathis let in Dawkins because he knew he could kick his butt, any will do.

This is all just speculation on your part. If thats what you think then fine, thats not what I think. Dont act like its "so obvious" Its actually not obvious if you read the accounts from Beth and from Dawkins himself.

124. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #148687 by righton on March 23, 2008 at 3:41 pm

Thank you Richard. Well said as always. I think this clears up a lot of confusion that has been going around. I would give anything to have been at that movie theater.

125. Does God answer prayer? ASU research says 'yes'

Comment #148666 by righton on March 23, 2008 at 2:59 pm

What a waste of time and money this is. Who the F___ funded this?

126. Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled'

Comment #148662 by righton on March 23, 2008 at 2:45 pm

Lagamort,

I think you are half right.

Saying that Dawkins is not a good debater and cant think on his feet is wrong. This is a subject he has devoted his life to. He does know the ins and outs of every argument and has already heard all the arguments on this topic. Saying that they let him in because he cannot debate this topic seems completely stupid. A QandA session is not even a debate. Do you think mathis would want to debate dawkins? Also this was a fairly small, untelevised event that had a lot of atheists attending. Saying that mathis premeditated these "tactics" for such a small event seems a little conspiracy theory to me. You really think mathis planned to let dawkins in because he KNEW he could make him look stupid.

If you want to say that they let him in because they knew he wouldnt go out of his way to cause problems then thats fine, although given the personal accounts of the event by RD and others, including Beths comment above, this seems highly unlikely.

127. Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled'

Comment #148657 by righton on March 23, 2008 at 2:31 pm

Thanks Beth!!!

Very entertaining review of the events. I cant even imagine how exciting that would have been to see Dawkins stand up and ask that question. Awesome!

128. Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled'

Comment #148329 by righton on March 22, 2008 at 4:33 pm

Laughed at about what? What was said?

Im just curious im not trying to disprove your conspiracy theory.

129. Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled'

Comment #148323 by righton on March 22, 2008 at 4:18 pm

"They set Dawkin's up to look foolish in front of the crowd"

Can someone please tell me how Dawkins looked like a fool? I think I missed something.

130. EXPELLED!

Comment #147564 by righton on March 20, 2008 at 10:27 pm

"But in what world is he more noticeable than Richard Dawkins???"

Doesnt PZ live in Minnesota?

131. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146773 by righton on March 19, 2008 at 11:48 am

"at least they don't have the watered down, distilled nonsense of McGrath."

"watered down" and "distilled"

Can these go together? One decreases concentration while the other increases concentration?

132. Religion 'linked to happy life'

Comment #146738 by righton on March 19, 2008 at 10:33 am

Richard Morgan

Caipirinha!!! Oh yes, very good drink. I have perfected the art of making caipirinhas.

133. Religion 'linked to happy life'

Comment #146099 by righton on March 18, 2008 at 3:51 pm

Irrelevent!

I remember Steve Z making the point sometime ago, and sorry if someone already mentioned this above, that an atheist living in a community of religious people would tend to be less happy because they would not fit in. I wonder if this was taken into consideration, doubt it.

This kind of study seems to show up every few months. For me, knowing the truth makes me happy.

This reminds me of those people that would not want to know if their spouse cheated on them because they would rather be ignorant to it and stay "happy".

134. Fleabytes

Comment #145648 by righton on March 17, 2008 at 9:57 pm

Cartomancer what is the pepsi overcoat trick?

135. Fleabytes

Comment #145559 by righton on March 17, 2008 at 5:53 pm

"This is even better than when Jerry Falwell died."

LOL!!!

136. The Great Tantra Challenge

Comment #144668 by righton on March 16, 2008 at 2:49 pm

This was very surprising to me. I didnt know that a lot of people really believe in this stuff. It sounds like a good majority of people in India think that this black magic stuff is real.

137. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143767 by righton on March 14, 2008 at 11:18 am

al

"when the occupation predates suicide bombing by 25 years."

When did suicide bombing start?

138. Fleabytes

Comment #143194 by righton on March 13, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Quetz,

Where will clearthinker give a talk?

139. Fleabytes

Comment #142471 by righton on March 12, 2008 at 2:35 pm

Richard has been patiently waiting for that one.

140. Seven new deadly sins: are you guilty?

Comment #141966 by righton on March 11, 2008 at 1:32 pm

Interesting robot,

If you are sexually attracted to someone, is that lust?

141. 12 Year Old Girl Prodigy Paints Pictures of God

Comment #141965 by righton on March 11, 2008 at 1:29 pm

Kenny loggins? LOL, Priceless

Countrygirl/wow21,

Please tell us your evidence that god talks to people. I think that is my favorite discussion of all time.

142. Fleabytes

Comment #141535 by righton on March 10, 2008 at 3:07 pm

Is it possible to be straight and have a crush on Cartomancer?

Good posts, very entertaining.

143. The Salamander's Tale

Comment #139891 by righton on March 6, 2008 at 4:06 pm

"Your posts are diarrhea."

Yes. Good description. Love it.

144. The Salamander's Tale

Comment #139889 by righton on March 6, 2008 at 4:04 pm

Wooters post

"It is a flight of fantasy to think that undirected processes could generate this huge amount of information, just as it would be to think that a cat walking on a keyboard could write a book."

"Undirected processes"

This long post can be disregarded because of these two words. Nice try

145. Fleabytes

Comment #138492 by righton on March 4, 2008 at 12:42 pm

Steve Z wrote:

"Before Darwin, people thought: "Hey, that looks like a mind has done that" when they looked at what seemed like design. It was common sense. Darwin showed they had fooled themselves. It was a general lesson, about the way we think about all reality."

I think a lot of people dont realize this important point.

146. Fleabytes

Comment #137878 by righton on March 3, 2008 at 2:40 pm

al-rawandi : asmahlak....ok?

Whats that?

147. Fleabytes

Comment #137864 by righton on March 3, 2008 at 2:36 pm

This thread should be made available in book form.

148. Fleabytes

Comment #137667 by righton on March 3, 2008 at 10:23 am

"Richard is doing a US swing."

He is forgetting to come to Portland or Seattle. :(

149. Fleabytes

Comment #136621 by righton on March 1, 2008 at 1:54 pm

"I quite liked my analogy with gravity, that i provided earlier, and as someone pointed out if you jump out of a plane from a great height you would be defying gravity............ I guess this would constitute (at the very least) unwise use of gravity."

stop

150. Fleabytes

Comment #136189 by righton on February 29, 2008 at 2:01 pm

Epeeist

"Accepted - it was such a ludicrous assertion that it needed a response. I should have left it to someone with a bit more clue."

Didnt mean to nitpick but of course creationists would love to here that we have no idea about how intelligence came about.