101. Highway to hysteria

Comment #94083 by USA_Limey on December 4, 2007 at 6:13 pm

I'm not too familiar with the geography, is there a stop over at the garden of eden in Missouri?

102. Fear of censure deflects The Golden Compas

Comment #93853 by USA_Limey on December 4, 2007 at 10:24 am

In Science fiction where space travel is a theme I am very fussy. The 'wrong' kind of method of getting from A to B can ruin a book / TV show / film for me.

I always hated the Star Trek concept of 'warp speed', especially firing weapons in warp and having conference calls and the like.

The hyperspace concept in Star Wars was better; though it was never really fleshed out much. I like the Babylon V approach with fixed 'gates' creating artifical wormholes that get you from place to place most of all. Seemed like the most 'realistic' approach!

103. Fear of censure deflects The Golden Compas

Comment #93826 by USA_Limey on December 4, 2007 at 9:14 am

Sigh...

I know I'm late to the party but just have to echo Steve99. I had no intention of reading these books but now I bloody well have to don't I!

Will I end up agreeing with Brian or with Northern Bright?

I was always going to see the film but that's because I am movie buff.

104. Sudan demo over jailed UK teacher

Comment #92668 by USA_Limey on December 1, 2007 at 5:54 am

Comment #92651 by briancoughlanworldcitizen was:

I found the article you mention thought provoking and disturbing. Interesting. Secular first, democracy after.

Yes, I found the article interesting, and concordant with some other things I have read that suggest that part of the problem in the 'the west', is too much democracy.

This was the most interesting part for me:

In China, at the moment, every member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo, the central bastion of power, is a trained engineer � every one. There is not a religious figure in sight

Meanwhile, you can't seem to have a hope at election to a senior political position in the US without paying lip service, (at a bare minimum), to religion. And when was the last time the USA, or Britain had a trained engineer or scientist as a head of state? I can answer that for you: it was Margaret Thatcher.

105. Interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #92257 by USA_Limey on November 30, 2007 at 6:36 am

Dave Gilbert:

There have been a number of articles posted about this story on the RD website.

Here is the first:

http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,1909,Muhammad-teddy-teacher-arrested,BBC

Second:

http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,1922,Pupil-defends-teacher-in-Muhammad-teddy-furore,Guardian

Third:

http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,1927,Teddy-teacher-jailed-in-Sudan,CNN

Come on dude, get with the program!

:-)

106. Mitt the Mormon

Comment #91986 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 4:50 pm

Comment #91759 by Dr Benway was:

Libertarians are too focused on "government bad" in my opinion

I know, I know - but Doc I just can't help it. When I was a small child in the playground I was repeatedly beaten up by the Department Of Transport.

Kinda leaves a scar, you know.

107. Banishing the Green-Eyed Monster

Comment #91967 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 4:12 pm

Comment #91920 by chuckgoecke was:

Monica was the aggressor in this situation, she knew what she was doing

That's right, she was just asking for it wasn't she. That Slut.

**Un-Fucking-Believable.**

108. Banishing the Green-Eyed Monster

Comment #91959 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 4:05 pm

Comment #91913 by briancoughlanworldcitizen was:

Except to practically everyone in Europe. This american obsession with prudery and Clintons penis!! Let it go.

Brian, Come on your better than that. It really has nothing to do with prudery.

Won't you conceed that a national head of state philandering with the staff was bad form? Are you sure there was no abuse of power here?

I have been happy though, as you suggested, to 'let it go' for many a year now. I only bring it up in the context of this article and consider it extremely ill advised of RD to use it to make his argument.

109. Banishing the Green-Eyed Monster

Comment #91901 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 2:20 pm

Comment #91893 by Matt7895:

But isn't the White House the President's house? Why exactly couldn't he have sex in his own house?Are you in favour of banning people having sex in their homes?

You've got to be joking right? Please tell me you're joking.

110. Fear Is Stronger Than Hope When It Comes To Fitness

Comment #91888 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 2:04 pm

Utterly pointless.

I want my 5 minutes back - why is this here?

111. Banishing the Green-Eyed Monster

Comment #91884 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 1:57 pm

Comment #91878 by ubermensch was:

I agree that Clinton's sexual escapades were no business of the press or the public

Wrong, wrong, WRONG

These weren't some past indiscretions by Bill when he was a freshman at college, like the whole 'I smoked but I didn't inhale' fiasco - I agree that was nobody's business. He was POTUS, in a position of extreme power and the EMPLOYER of Ms Lewinsky, (and others - there were others). He screwed around ON THE JOB and IN THE OFFICE.

He should have been fired no question.

112. Banishing the Green-Eyed Monster

Comment #91874 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 1:37 pm

Comment #91870 by Lana:

Are others also unsettled by this article?

Frankly yes. As i said in my first post above, I thought the first few paragraphs were terrible and even - I have to say it - bizarre.

I'm going to put this down to an off day for the good prof.

113. Banishing the Green-Eyed Monster

Comment #91866 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 1:26 pm

Started terribly but got better. Defending Clintons lying about his philandering on the American tax payers dime in the whitehouse is not the way to go Prof. Also, there are serious unanswered allegations about the level of coersion used in a whole string of 'encounters' by Bill.

I know you hate Bush RD and that's ok - but Clinton was despicable.

114. Mitt the Mormon

Comment #91749 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 6:16 am

On the subject of Huckabee, this is front and center in the 'issues' portion of his website:

"My faith is my life - it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. For example, when it comes to the environment, I believe in being a good steward of the earth. I don't separate my faith from my personal and professional lives."

I find the last sentence the most chilling. If JFK had said this about his catholicism he would not have been elected. What happened to America?


[EDIT}

On the other hand, Hukabee does say this:

"I am running to completely eliminate all federal income and payroll taxes. And do I mean all - personal federal, corporate federal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment."

An end to the inland revenue service and the introduction of the fair tax. A libertarian dream! For that maybe I can overlook the God stuff....

....hmmm... no, the God stuff is just too stupid to overlook.

115. In the name of God: the Saudi rape victim's tale

Comment #91745 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 6:07 am

Comment #91717 by briancoughlanworldcitizen:

Turn off and unplug appliances at night.
Heat with renewable wood.
Get a smaller car or use public transport.
Pester your representative to endorse green solutions.
Install small scale solar or wind power (if you can afford it).
Buy locally grown, organically produced goods

All good stuff Brian, but can we build nuclear power stations. Can we pleeeeese.

116. In the name of God: the Saudi rape victim's tale

Comment #91715 by USA_Limey on November 29, 2007 at 4:08 am

Absolutely nothing will change whilst western governments prop up the odious regime running Saudi Arabia.

Apologies for the depressing doom and gloom but I'm calling it as I see it.

117. This Friday: Debate between Dan Dennett and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #91643 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 7:38 pm

Comment #91617 by ChrisMcL:

YES! This is a debate that really needs to be shared with the world

Chris, Love your optimism, but man are you in for a big let down.

118. Mitt the Mormon

Comment #91614 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 4:55 pm

Comment #91491 by bhima:

Seriously though, A devout Libertarian would not be cool with a government subsidized school system

Well, you are correct on this and your other points of course.

But then, I am rather liberal libertarian. ;-P

119. Dutch lawmaker planning film criticizing the Quran

Comment #91549 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 2:28 pm

Comment #91541 by JemyM:

Consider me sceptic against them who aggressively attacks the Quran but not dare to take on the Bible as well.

Jemy, with respect I think you have things the wrong way around. We have been taking on the bible for a very long time. Our aggressive attacks on the Quran have yet to begin.

BrianCoughlanworldrenaissancedude is correct; we must heap such piles of shit on their faith they have no choice but to get used to it or piss off.

If we all do it, safety in numbers will be our best defence. They can't murder us all. That's one of the reasons I have settled on the avatar of the bomb on the head Mohammed. One day soon when I am brave enough I'll start posting my real name. I'm not ready yet - I want to be up front with my own cowardice there.

120. Pupil defends teacher in Muhammad teddy furore

Comment #91534 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 2:08 pm

Fanusi,

Come on FK, you know better than that. We must respect their culture.

In return they will show us the same respect.

See how that works? It's great isn't it. Give peace a chance man. Yeah. That's it.

Got to go; I just made myself puke.

121. Pupil defends teacher in Muhammad teddy furore

Comment #91519 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 1:37 pm

There's a guy round these parts who made the news because he renamed all his farm stock Mohammed.

He's a pig farmer.

I can't see the Jihadi's coming for him any time soon. As a rural Pennsylvanian farmer he has as much access to weapons as a small third world country.

The United States has its problems, but the second amendment is not among them.

122. This Friday: Debate between Dan Dennett and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #91493 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 12:58 pm

D'Souza with his bombastic self righteous style against the mellodious self effacing and calmer approach of Dennet should make for an interesting comparison.

Having said that, I think Dennet has made a mistake here agreeing to this one. He's just too 'nice' to take on D'Souza. You need a hitchens to handle a creep like him.

123. Megachurches Add Local Economy to Their Mission

Comment #91490 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 12:52 pm

In the USA, religion is a business.

They should be treated as such. That they enjoy tax exempt status is a national disgrace.

124. Dutch lawmaker planning film criticizing the Quran

Comment #91482 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 12:30 pm

Comment #91475 by Fanusi Khiyal:

Finally we are seeing some pushback. Good for this man.

My view is that the pushback will come from the level of the people; governments will be dragged kicking and screaming behind them.

I'd be interested in your opinion on this FK.

125. Three Articles on Evolution

Comment #91474 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 12:12 pm

Great articles.

I enjoyed the second on Brain evolution the most. This quote got me thinking:

"Thus began a bitter debate between Dr. Falk and Dr. Holloway."The basic question was how far back you can trace the beginning of humanity,"

Always good to hear of genuine scientific disagreements on the details of a particular theory. It makes the ID debate seem so childish, no wonder RD et al won't even sit down in the same room with them. There are genuine questions to be asked and debates to be had. No time wasters allowed.

126. Dutch lawmaker planning film criticizing the Quran

Comment #91471 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 12:02 pm

The Dutch are leading the push back against these Islamic thugs.

I predict that under Sarközy the French are likely to be next.

They had to expect a reaction, we are just seeing the beginning.

127. 'Muhammad' teddy teacher arrested

Comment #91420 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 9:14 am

Comment #91408 by irate_atheist was:

It's enough to make one nostalgic for the days of gunboat diplomacy.

Here's a bit of nostalgia for you:

"We don't want to fight,
But by Jingo if we do,
We've got the ships,
We've got the men,
And got the money too."

And my favourite, shorter but pithier:

"Whatever happens we have got,
The Maxim gun, and they have not."

:-)

128. Turkey probes atheist's 'God' book

Comment #91389 by USA_Limey on November 28, 2007 at 7:49 am

The wider point is that under no circumstances should Turkey be given membership to the European Union if this nonsense goes ahead.

It is simply incompatible with freedom of expression and the EU charter.

129. Mitt the Mormon

Comment #91198 by USA_Limey on November 27, 2007 at 2:48 pm

Comment #91175 by Diacanu:

Hell no. Nip him in the bud now, says I.

He needs to get nipped alright no argument there. I'm only saying it's perhaps better to keep the powder dry on any attacks on his mormonism so that if he does become the nominee you can take him out then.

I'm talking to you democrats out there. Rudy would be a real threat to Hilary or Obama, but alot of Republicans have real problems with him. If you want a Democrat in the Whitehouse you might want Romney to be running against the Democrat. Then you can take out his legs over his cult beliefs and the Christians, idiots that they are, would vote for a third candidate.

Just saying. I can't stand any of them but I'm an atheist libertarian so what can I say I'll have to travel back in time and vote for Jefferson because that's the only chance I'll ever get of getting my kind of guy or gal as a candidate! ;-)

130. My life under a fatwa

Comment #91194 by USA_Limey on November 27, 2007 at 2:40 pm

Ayaan is truly my heroin

Help groups are available for those with this chemical addiction to Ayaan.

131. My life under a fatwa

Comment #91165 by USA_Limey on November 27, 2007 at 12:55 pm

Ayaan is my heroin.

... And my Cocaine

:-)

132. Monotheism was a con from the beginning

Comment #91161 by USA_Limey on November 27, 2007 at 12:51 pm

Comment #91116 by black wolf:

No argument regardless of how well founded it may be will give a believer pause

For the skull fucking nutters I agree that's true. But alot of people of faith can and do loose their faith. Many of them post on this very website. They can be reached, and there is hope.

__________________________________________________
"Carousel is a lie! There is no renewal!"

~Logan

133. Mitt the Mormon

Comment #91151 by USA_Limey on November 27, 2007 at 12:18 pm

Whilst I agree with Hitchens that Romney must be asked these questions, I don't agree he must be asked them now.

Let's see if he gets the Republican nomination. If he does, that will be the time to stick the boot in.

The Christians will even help us out I'm sure.

134. Monotheism was a con from the beginning

Comment #91063 by USA_Limey on November 27, 2007 at 6:12 am

Comment #91050 by Rtambree:

Luckily no religious debater has been astute enough to pick up on this and put it to him.

They won't do it Rtambree because they will never admit that the people you reference are/were atheists. So I think Hitchens is safe.

It is a good point though. I think a good answer would be that the question of being an atheist/theist is not as important as the point that these people are acting fraudulently and actively living a lie to deceive others.

It is their deception that makes them immoral, not their atheism.

135. Monotheism was a con from the beginning

Comment #90926 by USA_Limey on November 26, 2007 at 5:08 pm

Excellent, excellent article.

I have consistently stated on this web site and anywhere else I can that the best way to bring down the shaky house of cards that is religion is to chip away at the foundations of its origins.

Whilst scientific arguments on evolution, cosmology, geology etc are all helpful I truly believe nothing is a more effective weapon against religion than educating believers about the shady history of their own faiths.

I urge all atheists to arm themselves with a good understanding of the demonstrably fraudulent origins of Christianity and Islam for a start.

__________________________________________________
"Carousel is a lie! There is no renewal!"

~ Logan

136. 'Muhammad' teddy teacher arrested

Comment #90923 by USA_Limey on November 26, 2007 at 4:59 pm

It's times like these I want this bomb on my head to go off.

137. Rock of Ages, Ages of Rock

Comment #90763 by USA_Limey on November 26, 2007 at 9:48 am

There are actually two levels of mental gymnastics / duality of mind going on here.

Firstly, the obvious conflict between their scientific training/knowledge and their belief in a young earth.

This in itself alone would make for an interesting case study in compartmentalization of the mind. However, what I really find fascinating about this bunch and others like them are the internal conflicts it creates with their own beliefs and source material: the bible.

Think about it. They have a disconnect going on between their science and their belief in a young earth because of their claim in the TRUTH and INNERANCY of the bible. But it follows that they must therefore have a disconnect and compartmentalization going on at a whole other level when it comes to the bible itself.

I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they don't support slavery or public stonings for the adulteroous. Yet both are fully endorsed by god in the bible.

How do they square that circle? They will put into conflict accepted scientific knowledge on the age of the earth with their scriptural truth on the earths origins, but they WON'T take a stand against modern society and modern law even though the same innerrent bible tells them they should? Wow.... That is more levels of mind bending mental contortions than I can get a grip on. So, like i said. Just fascinating.

Can we put all these people in a lab and run them around a maze and run tests on them? Think what we might learn..... :-)

138. Rock of Ages, Ages of Rock

Comment #90710 by USA_Limey on November 26, 2007 at 7:29 am

We still have so much to learn about psychology and how the human mind works.

Fascinating.

139. Onward Science Soldiers

Comment #88015 by USA_Limey on November 14, 2007 at 6:37 am

Comment #87875 by briancoughlanworldcitizen

It is intolerable how the entire world is basically marking time, in limbo, looking to the day that the reeking excrement that is the Republican "president" George Walker Bush, be finally scraped from the heel of history.

Brian, stop equivocating and tell us how you really feel about the Bush administration.

On a more serious point; don't be so sure you will be rid of him in 2009.

If New York disappears in a mushroom cloud sometime next year he'll do an FDR and be a third term president before you can say, 'internment camps for muslims'

Have a nice day!

140. Onward Christian teachers?

Comment #87578 by USA_Limey on November 12, 2007 at 2:12 pm

I am not concerned about the church of bloody england or C of E schools and teachers. I and millions of others went through that system and came out the other side with no faith whatsoever.

I am concerned about the Wahhabi Mosques preaching all kinds of hate up and down the land.

Let's focus on the real threat.

141. Excerpt from 'The Portable Atheist'

Comment #87449 by USA_Limey on November 12, 2007 at 6:48 am

The Prophet Hitch (may peace and blessings be upon him, his family, companions and descendants), has once again shown us the way.

142. Richard Dawkins at AAI 07

Comment #85411 by USA_Limey on November 5, 2007 at 6:53 pm

Zarcus...

It's still uploading. Must have done part two first.

It'll be there soon enough. :-)

143. The truth in religion

Comment #84896 by USA_Limey on November 4, 2007 at 4:43 am

I much prefer the honesty of a filthy islamic throatcutter than the hand wringing duplicity of these wishy washy christian idiots.

At least I can plainly understand the former.

144. AAI 07

Comment #83943 by USA_Limey on October 31, 2007 at 6:31 pm

by steve99,

I agree with you that is what Chapman was saying. I don't think I misunderstood.

I was just commenting on how the thread started, (am I really so badly mis reading the intial dozen or so posts? I thought it was about the merits of the cause taking a policy stance?) and why I thought it morphed. It's late where I am, a bit tired plus a glass of red wine and didn't want to get into an argument so I thought I would just muse out loud about the way the thread has gone.

145. AAI 07

Comment #83937 by USA_Limey on October 31, 2007 at 5:32 pm

What began as a discussion on the merits of the atheist movement aligning itself with a particular policy stance has obviously morphed into something much bigger here.
I just re-read the whole thread to date and it seemed to shift quite early , around posts 23 through 33 indicating to me we all had the same subconscious thoughts lurking at the back of our mind. Chapmans comments were just the tinder required, because don't we all secretly think, dream, how wonderful the world would be without religion, how great the possibilities because why then things would be so much better the world could be...XXXXX. Aye there's the rub.

It turns out that XXXXX isn't the same for everyone and we aren't really sure or in agreement about alot of things except perhaps that on balance religion in bullshit and has to go.

Tempers have flared and we do not have recourse to a preacher to come in and tell us who is right because it's Gods will.

Let's be thankful for that!

146. AAI 07

Comment #83929 by USA_Limey on October 31, 2007 at 5:05 pm

Comment #83925 by steve99:

Has anyone considered the possibility that scooter and notsobad may actually be theist trolls on this site, planted so as to boost the stereotypical 'heartless immoral atheist' stereotype so necessary for theist arguments?

... Do we all need to don our tin foil hats now?

147. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #83823 by USA_Limey on October 31, 2007 at 12:06 pm

Excellent article and underlines the importance of asking a theist what they actually believe if you engage them in debate.

Forget arguments about what caused the big bang or the first cause of life. Get down and dirty with the dogma; ultimately it is their weakest card.

148. AAI 07

Comment #83762 by USA_Limey on October 31, 2007 at 7:04 am

Comment #83754 by keith:

I really was having a 'peachy time' reading the comments. Sometimes they can become a bit mutually congratulatory and I can't see the fun in that.

Well I agree, I have 'enjoyed' this thread and it makes a change to the orgasmic theist bashing we mostly, (and quite rightly), go in for.

I have to say that in the end Scooter spoiled things a little, at least for me, by turning out to be completely insane

He's not afraid to stand his ground that's for sure but I don't think that makes him insane.

Of course, 'verbally abusive' is a very subjective term

I would argue there is no such thing as abusive language in the written form. If you are spitting bile into someones face up close and personal then that has a physical component to it. But words on a screen? I don't think its necessary, but I am not offended by it.

149. AAI 07

Comment #83669 by USA_Limey on October 30, 2007 at 8:42 pm

Diacanu.. (OFF TOPIC)

Is your avatar from the V for Vendetta series or some kind of Japanese style Anime? Or neither?

Just curious...

150. AAI 07

Comment #83666 by USA_Limey on October 30, 2007 at 8:35 pm

Comment #83528 by briancoughlanworldcitizen:

Do you deny the common sense element completely? That is to say, when some of the uncertainty is removed from life, the capacity for religion to get its hooks in falls. It simply has less purchase.

No denials here on that score Brian. I agree with this point absolutely. We know religion evolved, as Hitchens would say, 'in the infancy of our species' when real scientific explanations for why things happened were not so readily available. So, I would contend it is our increased knowledge that has removed many of the 'uncertainties of life' which has led to the drop in religiosity in literate nations. I'm still not convinced free healthcare would make much difference; though I will acknowledge that better education, (publicly funded, YES - I said that!), would make a difference. Maybe we just need to shift the debate from healthcare to education and you'll get me onside :-)

As for Sweden, I accept by all reasonable social indicators Sweden is light years ahead of the USA, (and most everywhwere else). I don't need to be curious about how it is all managed, as you say, because I know as well as you do: they pay alot of tax and are mostly it seems happy to do so. Good luck convincing Americans to follow that model, remember the whole enterprise kicked off because they didn't want to pay a little tax on some tea imports!

I'd still rather be in the USA. Yes, it has levels of poverty that can be depressing. The levels of ignorance in a fair percentage of the population are astounding. BUT, it is also the nation that produces the wealth and drive necessary to send robot explorers to Mars; that still produces world class scientists, artists and thinkers of all kinds. You can excel fabulously in America or you can fail horribly. It is indeed a nation of some extremes. But some people should be allowed to fail; if that makes me cold hearted - well I don't like the label but I'll have to take it. I know, I'll get slated for being naive and buying hook line and sinker into the American dream. Maybe I have; lots to think about!