201. Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath

Comment #46497 by Jiten on May 31, 2007 at 1:22 pm

Why do the interview standing up? Surely it would have been more comfortable sitting down.It made me uncomfortable!

The Stalin problem again.Theists like to blame Stalin's atheism for the deaths of millions.Which is absurd.But atheists in turn like to blame Stalin's "dogmatic Marxism" (as said by Dawkins in the interview).This is passing the buck.The buck's gotta stop somewhere! But where? We need to turn to psycology,especially the psycology of bullies,tyrants and psycopaths.

202. Groundbreaking Research Has Scientists Talking With Apes

Comment #46427 by Jiten on May 31, 2007 at 7:19 am

This is just rubbish.The language of a human 3-year-old far exceeds what these chimps and apes can do or can possibly achieve.Sure the chimp points to egg when you say egg.What about when you say fried egg?Or a fried egg sandwich?You see how human language is recursive?

203. Dawkins at the Hay Festival

Comment #46208 by Jiten on May 30, 2007 at 3:04 pm

At the end the reporter asks RD about what's next.I know what I'd like: an autobiography.But alas I've read that RD probably shall not write one.In that case get Matt Ridely to write a biography.He's just done a fine one on Crick and I enjoyed his The Red Queen.

204. Dawkins at the Hay Festival

Comment #46117 by Jiten on May 30, 2007 at 9:19 am

Why does RD shy away from calling the Archbishop deluded?This is the second time.The first was when the lady in the tent "put the question with merciless clarity".

Is he being polite to the "distinguished"? I thought we were not meant to be polite anymore.I thought we were not going to take it anymore.

205. Observer Diary 27th May 2007

Comment #45580 by Jiten on May 28, 2007 at 10:06 am

Gateway to Galapagos is the infamous airport of Miami

206. I Don't Believe in Atheists

Comment #44409 by Jiten on May 24, 2007 at 2:45 pm

Listen Mr Hedges,does god exist or doesn't he?If you believe he does then where is your evidence? No need for all this claptrap.What humans do is explained by human biology.And nothing makes sense in biology without Darwinian natural selection.

207. A Bunch of Monkeys

Comment #38416 by Jiten on May 8, 2007 at 3:50 am

To all those literal-minded,pedantic dullards who keep harping on about this: We fucking know we're not monkeys.Just allow some poetic licence.Who on this site do you imagine doesn't know this?

208. A Bunch of Monkeys

Comment #38410 by Jiten on May 8, 2007 at 3:30 am

You're wrong Bergson.It's Nee-che not Nee-chu.Get yourself a PROPER education!

209. Brian Lehrer interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #34548 by Jiten on April 24, 2007 at 1:01 pm

Did anyone else notice Brian Lehrer mention that RD won the Lewis Thomas prize?

Let me be the first to say Congragulations!!

210. Even non-believers must recognise the moral necessity of Christianity

Comment #30712 by Jiten on April 9, 2007 at 1:24 pm

In the EU's capital, Brussels for the last five years the most popular name for newborns has been "Mohammed".

211. U.N. Draft Cites Humans in Recent Climate Shifts

Comment #29949 by Jiten on April 5, 2007 at 4:56 pm

Well andyinsdca,have you taken it upon yourself to decide that EVERYTHING on this site has to do wholly with atheism?

philos don't be so patronising.Has everyone here really bought the package deal that goes with atheism? Really? How do you know?

212. U.N. Draft Cites Humans in Recent Climate Shifts

Comment #29901 by Jiten on April 5, 2007 at 12:00 pm

Fedler You're probably right about the US but my worry is that land in developing countries will be given over to these cash crops and not just land already planted but new land obtained by deforestation as has happened in Brasil with the Soybean crop.Moreover countries that would have been self-sufficient in foodstuffs will now have to import much of it.And the hardest hit will be the poor.

Why go down the ethanol route when we only need to harness 1/100th of 1% of the sun's energy that falls on the Earth for free? We could cover for example the Empty Quarter of Arabia in solar panels and that would provide the WORLD'S energy needs.But we know what happens when we rely on the Saudis for our energy needs,don't we?

213. U.N. Draft Cites Humans in Recent Climate Shifts

Comment #29889 by Jiten on April 5, 2007 at 11:01 am

Biofuels are not the answer to our energy needs.They'll create problems of their own.Instead of land being used to grow crops to feed people it'll be used to grow crops to produce ethanol.This single fact will cause unimaginable social strife and will do nothing for the environment.And that's ironic isn't it?

214. Is this another Sokal Hoax?

Comment #28981 by Jiten on April 1, 2007 at 2:33 am

What a beaut! A parody of this article would be identical to it.One thing is clear though-only an educated person can write like this.

215. Richard Dawkins at The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival

Comment #28392 by Jiten on March 29, 2007 at 4:07 am

I wonder if Richard Dawkins isn't sometimes tempted to say,"Oh for fuck's sake isn't anything going in you dunderhead?".Of course he's far too polite and patient to actually say it.And he'd be right not to be rude in a public debate,but surely the temptation is there?

216. Richard Dawkins: Author of the Year!

Comment #28371 by Jiten on March 29, 2007 at 2:05 am

Excellent! Well done Professor Dawkins.Richly deserved.

217. If only gay sex caused global warming

Comment #27086 by Jiten on March 23, 2007 at 5:35 am

padster you said

Why did he choose, out of everything in the world, that?

218. If only gay sex caused global warming

Comment #27067 by Jiten on March 23, 2007 at 4:16 am

padster You have completely got the wrong end of the stick.All he means when he says if only global warming were caused by gay sex is that it is not a moral issue for people llike gay sex is for some.

219. Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior

Comment #26716 by Jiten on March 21, 2007 at 9:22 am

What is it with the constant use of Dr this and Dr that? It spoils the flow of reading and anyway doesn't the writer realise that this is an honorary title to be used only to address someone.Little things like this annoy me.

220. Non-believers can be bigoted too

Comment #25850 by Jiten on March 15, 2007 at 12:55 pm

What astounding inanity from such an experienced writer!

denoir What you say is sooo right.People have faith in many things other than religion.Is it so hard for people to ask for evidence before they believe something?

221. Mrs Darwin's diaries go online

Comment #25553 by Jiten on March 14, 2007 at 4:41 am

NMcC Dawkins has never maligned Marx's reputation by saying that what Stalin did he did as a result of Marx's writings.I agree with you that nothing Stalin did can be supported on the basis of the writings of Marx.You know that,I know that and I'm sure Dawkins certainly knows that.

222. Mrs Darwin's diaries go online

Comment #25469 by Jiten on March 13, 2007 at 1:20 pm

jonecc According to a recent biography of Marx by Francis Wheen he wasn't such a bad guy at all.Well worth reading for a fuller picture of a great man.

223. Kansas science standards evolve again, becoming pro-Darwin

Comment #22354 by Jiten on February 15, 2007 at 4:01 am

Bizzaro,I'm an atheist and this is my position also:

"I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I'm not absolutely sure of anything..."

Richard Feynman (Theoretical Physicist)

What's fallacious about that?

224. Is God a Delusion? Atheism and the Meaning of Life

Comment #21986 by Jiten on February 12, 2007 at 4:25 am

I couldn't listen to the whole of this drivel.Same old tired rubbish.Wouldn't he be embarassed saying this in front of Dennett,Harris and Dawkins if they were in the audience?

Perhaps he SHOULD dedicate himself to writing detective novels from now on.

225. [Warning: Graphic] Children's foreheads slashed in Muslim saint's name

Comment #20155 by Jiten on January 31, 2007 at 4:04 pm

Dostoevsky in The Brothers Karamazoff said that without god all is permitted.Well it's exactly the opposite.With god all is permitted.

226. Noam Chomsky Interview on Faith

Comment #18528 by Jiten on January 21, 2007 at 3:05 pm

Well said wallace.

Many atheists here need to go one delusion further and overcome the Capitalist Delusion.

227. Christian Shrine Needs Two Exits, Israel Says

Comment #17841 by Jiten on January 17, 2007 at 2:08 am

Chris Davis wrote

You'd expect a church to be more intelligently designed.

228. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #17792 by Jiten on January 16, 2007 at 12:36 pm

Sancus Your comment made me smile!

229. Sam Harris's Faith in Eastern Spirituality and Muslim Torture

Comment #16516 by Jiten on January 7, 2007 at 4:38 am

A question on torture and the ticking-bomb scenario: Is torture the only way of getting the information about the bomb's location? This seems to be assumed by everyone.

230. How Old is the Grand Canyon? Park Service Won't Say

Comment #15339 by Jiten on December 30, 2006 at 1:38 pm

nine9s: Just a small comment to your post.It is this:The poor will not always be with us.And they haven't always been with us either.In hunter-gatherer societies of the pre-neolithic and indeed in todays foragers(for example in Borneo) there are no poor.For there are no rich.There is no money at all.True egalitarian societies.

Let's co-operate to build a just post-industrial society free from superstitions.

231. How Old is the Grand Canyon? Park Service Won't Say

Comment #15291 by Jiten on December 30, 2006 at 7:28 am

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

232. Woman beaten on Jerusalem bus for refusing to move to rear seat

Comment #15127 by Jiten on December 29, 2006 at 4:00 am

Here we have one religious nutter badly treated by other religious nutters.

If you're pious and your religion goes in for separation of the sexes then you've got to go along with it,don't you?After all this woman is quite happy to be separated in the synagogue.But not on the bus.What's the difference?She's no Rosa Parks.

This woman wants the best of both worlds.She wants to be pious and to be treated according to Enlightment values of equality for all.

233. 10 myths - and 10 truths - about atheism

Comment #14968 by Jiten on December 27, 2006 at 2:37 pm

Good post Steven Mading.Thanks!

234. The Komodo Dragon's Tale

Comment #14943 by Jiten on December 27, 2006 at 3:04 am

Surely this is an error : ...one haploid cell splitting into two,...

A haploid cell cannot split into two.Shouldn't that read ...one diploid cell splitting into two...?

235. The Komodo Dragon's Tale

Comment #14416 by Jiten on December 22, 2006 at 11:09 am

A very interesting tale.

236. The problem with secularism

Comment #14396 by Jiten on December 22, 2006 at 9:16 am

AcesUp:Brilliant!!

237. The problem with secularism

Comment #14387 by Jiten on December 22, 2006 at 8:40 am

"Barely literate" said of Richard Dawkins!!! This takes my breath away.I've not come across a more exquisite user of the English language.

Just imagine if I was as barely literate as RD then I too would be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature!!

238. I love the commercialisation of Christmas

Comment #14325 by Jiten on December 22, 2006 at 3:09 am

Edutheria,if I had said to someone else the short answer is natural selection and the long answer has been more than adequately provided by Darwin (and later eloquently refined by Dawkins and others) what would have said? Would you have made the same spurious analogy? I think not as you would have rightly pointed out that theirs was a reasoned argument backed up by evidence.Do you then believe that Marx's arguments are not reasoned arguments backed up by evidence?

If I had regurgitated Marx in my own less elegant words would you have then taken my argument to be 'inteligent',one worthy to be in a 'clear thinking' forum?

kcjerith and cholmondeley there is a mighty,big elephant called the US Military following you.Have you not noticed it maintaining order in the world?

239. I love the commercialisation of Christmas

Comment #14230 by Jiten on December 21, 2006 at 2:54 pm

Edutheria : the long answer has been more than adequately provided by Marx and I wouldn't be able to match his eloquence.His critique of Capitalism is still very relevant today.The evidence is all around you.

Why do you assume that any alternative to Capitalist society will result in an erosion of economic freedom or for that matter the freedom of ideas? Is it because of what went on in the former USSR?

240. I love the commercialisation of Christmas

Comment #14145 by Jiten on December 21, 2006 at 9:14 am

Edutheria asks what is wrong with commerce.The short answer is Capitalism.It is destroying this world.

241. Christmas Present to Defenders of Darwinism

Comment #13401 by Jiten on December 17, 2006 at 12:35 pm

Bill Dumbski boy you've sunk low!

242. The Panel with Richard Dawkins

Comment #12549 by Jiten on December 12, 2006 at 2:28 pm

BTW what is a troll? Sorry to ask such a basic question but you don't learn if you don't ask.

243. The Panel with Richard Dawkins

Comment #12546 by Jiten on December 12, 2006 at 1:48 pm

I think the reason Dawkins used the word "codes" rather than "replicators" is that it's all about information that's actually surviving and replicating and there is no need to mention the actual physical entity that embodies the information in the current generation.

244. Sunday Sequence with William Crawley

Comment #12163 by Jiten on December 11, 2006 at 3:04 am

I'll sign any petition to get that preposterous fool of a professor out.He is an outrage.

245. A man who believes in Darwin as fervently as he hates God

Comment #11802 by Jiten on December 7, 2006 at 12:39 pm

He's best ignored as he is a know-nothing,scientifically illiterate,dunderhead.

Dawkins shouldn't allow such fools into his house.

246. I'm an atheist, BUT . . .

Comment #8162 by Jiten on November 20, 2006 at 2:43 pm

maryhelena seems to have wilfully misread what Dawkins wrote in TGD.He drrew a distinction between an Einsteinian god and the god as a personal god,one who answers prayers etc.,and nothing about Einsteinian religon and "ordinary" religon.

Please go back to the book and read what is actually written and not what you want to read.

247. I'm an atheist, BUT . . .

Comment #7843 by Jiten on November 19, 2006 at 4:10 pm

Thanks to Niels and sweetsunray for such quick responses!

248. I'm an atheist, BUT . . .

Comment #7825 by Jiten on November 19, 2006 at 2:36 pm

Could someone tell me what "ad hominiem" means please?

249. I'm an atheist, BUT . . .

Comment #7669 by Jiten on November 19, 2006 at 2:29 am

Jonathan Dore wrote : 'The facts are observed first. The theory comes later."

Not always.Sometimes scientists have a hunch,make a theory and then check to see if it is backed up by observation or experimental evidence.

250. My God Problem

Comment #7142 by Jiten on November 17, 2006 at 10:18 am

Another: Ted Haggard "On Humility"