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Comment #192712 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Why would praying for you be offensive?
1502. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192709 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 11:40 pm
These worldly idols are a main cause in the degredation of our society.And what degredations would these be? Tell us - and make sure you are positive they are not the result of religious teachings.
1503. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192705 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 11:38 pm
So our founding fathers were all silly?
1504. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192703 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I believe for any society to sustain, it must adhere to an accepted set of standards. The Christian standard is it.
You are very offensive. I will not respond to you. But I will still be praying for your salvation.
1505. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192701 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 11:29 pm
First of all, there is no need for this language. Second, I told you no such thing. Your lack of confidence in your stand put you on the defense right away.
1506. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192698 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 11:25 pm
What do you believe should be the standards we have as a society?
1507. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192696 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Why are your responses so predictable?
1508. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192651 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Virus are not cells, just bits of protein.Pedantically speaking, more like DNA or RNA wrapped up in a protein coat...like a chocolate truffle :-)
1509. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192636 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 6:38 pm
From RtG
Please let me give you some advice.
Stop engaging them
I lift you up and will continue to pray for Jesus, to reveal himself to you
If one is so confident and positive of their knowledge, they would not feel so threatened...you have no idea at all about people. The word you were looking for was frustrated. And incredulous.
1510. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192600 by Goldy on June 13, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I think you misunderstood. I don't think that replication errors produces animals of any sort. That is your theory. You still don't seem to be in touch with the facts about mutations.Heheheheheheheh! The idiot tells me I don't understand! Priceless!
I assume you are referring to "junk DNA". If that is the case, I'm afraid you are out of date.No. I assume you just have no research to fall on.
Of course they do. Unbroken bends in sedimentary rock show that the deformation happened quickly while the sediments were still soft.Snigger, chortle....
So these are how sedimentary layers are formed? Which one of the things you list here preserves the fossils, like the T rex we've been discussing? Do you suppose it fell down and a continent ran over it?
Well, it seems to me that if very bright, educated and funded mortal men can't make life, or even supposed precursors of life as we know it, chances are like really slim that it formed on an accidental basis.Conjecture on your part, eh? You have nothing to show life as we know it has not been made - as your research has been shown to be incredibly lacking, you can't say that for sure, can you. And given your propensity to ignore completely anything that you don't like, I can also safely say if you have read it, you'll not admit it.
That's what I meant when I noted they didn't reference mutations in the quote.
1511. Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in Speech
Comment #192359 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 9:17 pm
I think you are failing to recognize that outlawing guns in America will only leave guns in the hands of those who shouldn't have them in the first place
1512. Report: Troubling texts at Va. Islamic school
Comment #192346 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Interesting facts Goldy...
1513. Report: Troubling texts at Va. Islamic school
Comment #192339 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Buddhists can be just as violent as anyone
1514. Report: Troubling texts at Va. Islamic school
Comment #192338 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 7:42 pm
But then the whole point is that most Christians are not fundies
1515. Report: Troubling texts at Va. Islamic school
Comment #192334 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 7:40 pm
But tomatoes and avacados are also considered a fruit even though it's not something that you would generally associate to the fruit group?Well, they are a fruiting body...and a carrot is also called a fruit by some (Wikipedia lists it under "simple fruit") though trust me I can't ever see it as one myself!
1516. Report: Troubling texts at Va. Islamic school
Comment #192327 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Goldy...lol true but buddhism is hardly considered a "religion".Ceremony, silly costumes, rules and regulations, mysticism, magic - yep, all there. It's a religion.
1517. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192326 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 7:10 pm
More for txtpiper
Theory gives stronger roots to the tree of life
Phylogenetic trees are similar to family trees: The top of the tree represents earlier times; a point from which two lines diverge represents a common ancestor for two species; and for species diverging from a common ancestor, it makes no difference which is on the left and which is on the right. For example, the diagram at top left shows the pig developing at an earlier time than the monkey or the mouse, with the latter two sharing a more recent common ancestor. The diagram to its right shows that the mouse predates the monkey and the human, with the monkey and human having a common ancestor. The only diagram for all four species that can represent this is that shown at middle left. Using similar reasoning, the middle right and bottom diagrams can each be constructed from the preceding pair.
Biologists now have powerful newtools for reconstructing the tree of life, thanks to a novel mathematical theory for combining evolutionary relationships.
The theory has been developed by Marsden researchers Associate Professor Mike Steel and Dr Charles Semple at the University of Canterbury's Biomathematics Research Centre, together with mathematicians in Germany and Canada.
Their results describe how trees that show the evolution of groups of species can be combined into an evolutionary "supertree" for all the species under study. Until now only ad-hoc methods have been available for this problem.
The figure illustrates some of the main ideas. Each of the four trees at the top shows how groups of three present-day species are believed to have evolved from ancestral species. Each of these four trees is constructed by statistically analysing DNA sequences in each of the species and, from the differences, working out how long ago the species diverged.
Dr Semple said the big question was whether these trees could together form a supertree. And if so, did they fit together in just one way?
"In this example, the first two 3-species trees fit together in only one way they 'force' the 4-species tree in the middle left of the figure. That is, each of the first two trees 'sits inside' this larger tree, yet none of the other possible trees of these four species does this.
"Similarly the last two trees on the top layer force the 4-species tree in the middle-right. As for the two forced trees in the middle layer, these in turn force the 6-species supertree at the bottom. So this is the only tree (among 945 possibilities) that accommodates all the four trees at the top of the figure.
"If you believe those four 3-species trees are true, and the evolution of species is described by a tree, then you are forced to accept the 6-species tree," he said.
While this is just an example, the group has developed techniques for combining more complicated trees into supertrees.
"This has led to new techniques and results in a series of papers in mathematics, computer science and biology journals," Associate Professor Steel said.
"So while some biologists can build up an evolutionary tree for their particular favourite group, others can start to piece together these trees for different groups ofspecies, to gain a larger and more accurate picture of the way species evolved."
For further information, contact Associate Professor Mike Steel, Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury Tel: (03) 364 2987 ext 7688 Fax: (03) 364 2587 Email: m.steel@math.canterbury.ac.nz http://web.math.canterbury.ac.nz/~mathmas/ Address: Private Bag 4800, Christchurch
1518. Richard Dawkins lecture at ASU's Tempe Campus
Comment #192310 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 6:29 pm
After the posts were removed, there are a series of Goldy saying: "Have a banana" "Have a banana", now that is funny
1519. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192308 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Something for txty
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/2000yearold-seed-grows-into-tree-of-life-for-scientists-846247.html
2000 year old seeds - and still viable.
Interesting line here...
...a preliminary genetic analysis has revealed it shares about half its DNA with three modern varieties of the date palm from Morocco, Egypt and Iraq.
1520. Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in Speech
Comment #192305 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Another British/US take...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2119950/RAF-pilot-refuses-US-order-to-trim-moustache.html
:-) Enjoy!
1521. Report: Troubling texts at Va. Islamic school
Comment #192301 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I was going to mention the Dalai Lama as not particularly dangerous, but the Chinese Communist Party would not agree with me...
1522. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby
Comment #192286 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Give me a call editor@christianstogether.netHow does one call on an email address?
I can't believe that those who so actively participate in the this on-line message board are all unwilling/unable to defend your viewpoint in live discussion
1523. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby
Comment #192283 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 4:37 pm
WeeF
As a Christian I teach that real faith is based upon truth and evidence
1524. Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in Speech
Comment #192268 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Believe me, the seemingly constant insinuations on this board of American backwardness drive me insane. I think at least 50% of my posts here are in defense of America and trying to explain that we really aren't run by evangelical psychos. That's not what I thought I'd be doing when I first joined this site.
1525. Intelligent people 'less likely to believe in God'
Comment #192189 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Also depends on the definition of intelligence. I am sure many of the cretinists are very smart - look how they can manipulate data and evidence to show the opposite to what we see as bleeding obvious.
Militant ignorance is not less clever - it is just intelligence going down a dead end ;-)
1526. Report: Troubling texts at Va. Islamic school
Comment #192185 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 2:27 pm
History_Junky
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/08/30/borob126.xml
Another view...
;-)
1527. Intelligent people 'less likely to believe in God'
Comment #192177 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Loved this
"Really clever people ?quot; .. Shakespeare .. ?quot; are big enough to believe in God"
Shakespeare's a bad example; he was Elizabethan and, if I recall correctly my school history lessons, the Christians who ran Elizabethan England had declared atheism a capital offence. If Shakespeare had declared himself an atheist, the intelligent, peace-loving Christians (those who believe "thou shall not kill") would have killed him.
Posted by Mike on June 12, 2008 4:09 PM
Watch, listen to or download this fascinating series of conversations between well-known broadcaster Kerre Woodham and six top academics from the Faculty of Arts. The eclectic range of topics includes New Zealand politics, the sociology of genocide, and whether Shakespeare believed in God
1528. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #192171 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Hmm. Suddenly I feel very very tired. I think Dostoievsky once wrote, when referring to his time in a Siberian labour camp where he spent four years breaking up stones and moving them from one random place to another equally random place, 'If you ever want to break a man's soul, give him an utterly pointless task to do, over and over again.'
I now know what he meant.
1529. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #191858 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 2:26 am
Billy, he'll fail. Maybe he's read this and been disheartened...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2111174/Intelligent-people-'less-likely-to-believe-in-God'.html
Probably doubly annoyed when he read this in the sidebar!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/2111096/Clever-people-could-live-15-years-longer.html
1530. Holiday in Hellmouth
Comment #191857 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 2:18 am
Just as I was starting to get irritated by the religous I come across here, I see this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2111174/Intelligent-people-'less-likely-to-believe-in-God'.html
Poor WeeF - must be hard to think he is a minnow in this sea of intellectual titans :-)
1531. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby
Comment #191856 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 2:16 am
Fanusi, I take it you're not overly familiar with the Telegraph's pages then....
1532. Holiday in Hellmouth
Comment #191855 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 2:10 am
You think that all answered prayer is a miracle? Who teaches that? The funds did appear by some naturalistic agency. That is normally how God works. When I buy my wife some flowers and they are delivered by the flowershop - my wife does not turn round and say that because they were handed over by a van driver I had nothing to do with it. Think about it.OK. A Sinophobe was cut up in traffic by an Asian looking driver. He utters a prayer suring all Chinese adn lo and behold, an earthquake occurs, killing thousands. This then is the fault of the Sinophobe? And by God's blessing?
1533. Holiday in Hellmouth
Comment #191849 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 1:52 am
Mordacious1, you will find that those of a religious bent tend to
A) call themselves something they generally are not. Clearthinker is a case to point.
B) enjoy the trappings of open fora but not allow it when they are in control. See how the Church, once it's evil claws were entrenched into society, actively supressed all other thought. Islamic countries are a good case to point even today.
I have to say the humourless WeeF did come up with one truth
Mordacious - you got me.....(weeps buckets)....I confess....I had and have no friends and just made up the God of the Bible out of my head.....please help me....thank God (if he exists) for your sheer brilliance and perceptiveness...
1534. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby
Comment #191845 by Goldy on June 12, 2008 at 1:42 am
Having only ever had one letter published (in the Torygraph), don't be surprised if a mightily fine example of penmanship is reduced to a soundbite ;-)
1535. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #191811 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I think this is more of an anomaly for you than me since to really do any explaining you have to imagine the sequence of DNA replication errors that produced these animals. I don't think the fossil record will be very cooperative either.
I'm not really avoiding it but I'll be honest and say I dread it. It isn't about lack of decent arguments or reasonable questions. It's that decent arguments don't count.
We live on a planet loaded with water and there are plenty of well-equipped laboratories staffed by people who have tried to coax life into existence. So far, despite all their applied intelligence, they haven't even gotten remotely close. Call me incredulous, but I don't think a shortage of water is the holdup.Because mortal men can't make life as you know it, other planets must be barren until God pops over? Can you tell us how you think men have not made life? Or indeed its constituents? Specualtion on your part, isn't it? Tell, then - if God likes life, where are the other life forms on other planets? He would have made then, wouldn't he...
It happens courtesy of the selection fairy, without reference to the mutations that have to be selected:And, pray tell, just what do you think were "selected" to enable this adaptation?
1536. Debating creationism in Louisiana schools
Comment #191805 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 8:37 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/opinion/l11evolution.html
I am astounded, really. Maybe we scientist should start making our presence felt in theology more.
1537. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby
Comment #191787 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 6:00 pm
On another note, I see your letter, Paula, has pride of place in the Independent!
Teenage suicide bomber was a victim of religious abuse
Sir: I hope that your article on the 14-year-old Afghan suicide bomber (10 June) has been read carefully by those desperate to claim Islamic terrorism is really about politics and not religion. This boy was told to die because it was what God wanted, not because it was what a political movement wanted, or what his country wanted.
His potential victims' offence? That they were fighting against Muslims (not Afghans). This boy is from Pakistan, so he wasn't putting his life on the line for his nation or for a political cause, but for his religion. What about the people who taught him such actions were virtuous and praiseworthy; who forced him to do as they said? Mullahs, Islamic religious leaders, not politicians, not campaigners.
And they were reaping the harvest of a whole childhood of religious indoctrination, during which this boy was taught that violence in support of Islam is good because it is God's will, that God looks with favour on martyrs, and that mullahs are able to declare God's absolute will.
Any religion that indoctrinates its young to believe that it is not only acceptable but actively a virtue to believe as absolute truth claims that cannot be substantiated by evidence, to accept as truth something that has merely been asserted on the basis of authority and tradition, is guilty of abusing its children, just as these mullahs are.
Paula Kirby
Inverness
1538. Tribute to a Beloved Mentor
Comment #191766 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Have a banana
1539. Tribute to a Beloved Mentor
Comment #191763 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Have a banana
1540. Richard Dawkins lecture at ASU's Tempe Campus
Comment #191762 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 3:58 pm
How can a cat or a young child disbelieve in god without first knowing about god?
People (and cats) are not born athiests either.
Atheism, as an explicit position, either affirms the nonexistence of gods[1] or rejects theism.[2] When defined more broadly, atheism is the absence of belief in deities,[3] alternatively called nontheism.[4]
1541. Tribute to a Beloved Mentor
Comment #191759 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Oooh, a chimp. Have a banana
1542. The 14-year-old Afghan suicide bomber
Comment #191736 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I have a thing about having racial slurs directed towards me
1543. New British Petition: Stop the Nightmares
Comment #191734 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Maybe I'm lucky - parents not too religious. But all the Goddites had nothing against what i got as a child.....Struwwelpeter!
http://www.bugpowder.com/andy/e.hoffmann.html
1544. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #191730 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 2:17 pm
The PRIDE they take in their rabid anti-intellectualism.
1546. The 14-year-old Afghan suicide bomber
Comment #191724 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 2:10 pm
The article was called "Stumbling towards Eurabia".
1547. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #191721 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I enjoy jousting with cretinists and IDiots becasue it makes me go out and look up things for my rebuttals. The fact that it can take all of seconds with Google to get a decent article speaks volumes to me - the evidence is there, the cretinists are just militantly ignorant and wish to drag all others to their level.
1548. The 14-year-old Afghan suicide bomber
Comment #191469 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 2:54 am
Actually, I was referring to Ayatollah Khomeini's wife (if it wasn't clear)!Ah - perils of not reading earlier posts! Ah, well. Arab News is full of young wives. A recentish one I read was about some 60-something divorcing his oldest wife to marry a 12-13 year old. It didn't seem too outlandish to the writer of the piece...
1549. Lying for Jesus?
Comment #191462 by Goldy on June 11, 2008 at 2:47 am
Something else regarding different species. But I guess a bird is a bird, eh, txty?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7446647.stm
1550. The 14-year-old Afghan suicide bomber
Comment #191405 by Goldy on June 10, 2008 at 9:18 pm
And here is the article link
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5§ion=0&article=23375&d=8&m=3&y=2003
I was wrong about her being 29 - she was, apparently, only about 19.