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Comments by rod-the-farmer


251. Wicked untruths from the Church

Comment #149223 by rod-the-farmer on March 25, 2008 at 9:22 am

creeping up behind bishops and lifting their cassocks

Hilarious. Good thing my mouth was not full of something....

252. Sue Blackmore debates Alister McGrath

Comment #149111 by rod-the-farmer on March 25, 2008 at 6:07 am

I laughed & shook my head when Sue, towards the end, described the bible as a horrible book - meaning parts of the new testament, I suspect. Then McGrath complaining about Dawkins comments about this same sort of nastiness, said "That's not how christians read the old testament".

Gee, the same old stuff - "Not my religion". Perhaps these apologists could pick out one of the offending passages, and show us how THEY read it.

253. It looks like Man crucified

Comment #149032 by rod-the-farmer on March 25, 2008 at 2:15 am

Spinoza, do you have a source/link you can direct us to, with more of the same stuff you mentioned about the Quran and the "lewdness of women" ?? I found this, about contradictions in the bible

http://skeptically.org/bible/id6.html

and I would like to have similar points or analysis when discussing islam.

254. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #148712 by rod-the-farmer on March 23, 2008 at 4:24 pm

I tend to agree with MPhil. The use of the words "goon" and "Gauleiter" are slightly over the top, and for someone as articulate as the good Professor, I am sure he could have found words less demeaning/inflammatory. After all, we ARE trying to take the high road when debating with these characters.

255. Sci-fi guru Clarke to have secular funeral

Comment #147165 by rod-the-farmer on March 20, 2008 at 1:24 am

I should correct a small omission from my previous post about funeral arrangements. My wife tells me if I get really silly when I get really old, she will dispose of me (while alive, and despite any objections on my part !) in the Inuit fashion - by pushing me out on an ice floe, on Lake Erie, near our house. (Erie is one of the Great Lakes, and it sometimes freezes in winter.) That would neatly avoid any chance of prayer by those attending, unless of course my wife asks for an off-shore wind.

On the other hand, both she and her older sister have made the identical comment to their respective husbands, on observing their mother, who is nearly 90 years old, and to be frank, some of her marbles occasionally escape........"Shoot me if I get like that."

256. Sci-fi guru Clarke to have secular funeral

Comment #146868 by rod-the-farmer on March 19, 2008 at 1:52 pm

Driver said


I have requested to have my body donated to the local Health Sciences Center. My very religious mother refuses to do so. I tried to compromise by agreeing to a religious funeral.

Surely you jest. You have absolute control over your own funeral, and disposal of your body, after discussion with the people performing whatever "service" you choose. I suggest you enlist the assistance of both the local Health Sciences Center, and your chosen funeral home, to make sure your wishes are followed. You might also check with the local police, to determine if anyone interfering with the wishes of the deceased, is subject to penalties under the law. I am sure all this will only cause a rift with your mother, but she gave up control over you when you reached the age of majority.

I have given instructions that anyone praying at my funeral, will be booted in the rear, out of the room. This will be announced at the start.

257. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146851 by rod-the-farmer on March 19, 2008 at 1:41 pm

I think I will check into the requirements to become a charitable organisation, where the mission statement is to help fundies escape from their belief system. There are obviously a lot out there to "cure" homosexuality, non-belief in the xian Dog, etc. so why not me. I am currently not gainfully employed....this might be the start of a new career. Do you think I should offer to do house calls ? I can imagine needing a van to carry around all the science books, for a start. Recommendations welcome. Group rates available.

258. Flipping particle could explain missing antimatter

Comment #146828 by rod-the-farmer on March 19, 2008 at 1:17 pm

Gbile said


This Bs meson reminds me of the BS boson, named Dinesh D'Souza, who changes his argumentation about as fast as our flipping particle, when confronted in debate by an atheist.

Funny. The bullshirt boson. Comprised of one part strange, too. LOL.

259. Religion 'linked to happy life'

Comment #146423 by rod-the-farmer on March 19, 2008 at 4:34 am

Wasn't there an article in the news recently about Mormons ? Arguably among THE most religious people. Seems they are far more subject to depression or some other ailment needing psychiatric care. Not sure how this squares with the article we are shredding here. And of course, you can't ask a religious person in front of "their" group, if they are happy. If the person said "No", there would be a mass movement to envelop that member with offers to pray with/for them. Maybe even to help, with whatever caused the unhappiness. So any possibly unhappy religious person will say "Of course I am happy". Hopefully the survey was done anonymously, and in private. It is really easy to make me happy. Classical music on the radio while I work building a rec room. (Secret divulged - sometimes - like yesterday- I dance to Beethovens' Pastoral)

260. They prayed to cast Satan from my body

Comment #145508 by rod-the-farmer on March 17, 2008 at 4:57 pm

Cannot the local Oz authorities investigate this place for performing quasi-medical treatment without a license ? Surely there are real doctors who have seen the results of their treatment, and who can apply pressure to the appropriate levels of government ?

261. The Great Tantra Challenge

Comment #144652 by rod-the-farmer on March 16, 2008 at 2:10 pm

Ohhh, PLEASE will someone set up something like this in N. America and the UK. (How did it get started in India ? Surely there were people opposed ? Hats off to the people of India.)

Challenge those who preach the "power of prayer" to have all their followers pray for the recovery of someone with an amputated limb. Make that challenge PUBLIC, and promote the heck out of it. Surely there are TV people who have the courage to get something like this rolling ? Invite all those loony right wing political personalities to be part of the audience - supporting the preacher who agrees to the challenge. If no one will accept it, target the right-wingers to ask why no one will answer it. Oh, be still my beating heart, just thinking of something like this. Wait, a faint voice is whispering to me.....James Randi, and Christopher Hitchens..... We need a bit of funding to get this started, like buying the TV time slot. Then advertise the heck out of it, mentioning all those megachurch preachers who were invited to be the point man for prayer. Oooohh. I am all a-quiver. I have a PayPal account, if we need a place to collect donations.

262. 'Anonymous' takes anti-Scientology to the streets

Comment #144637 by rod-the-farmer on March 16, 2008 at 1:48 pm

I watched the long video posted by bnightm. Scary stuff. I had not paid much attention to Scientology before this, but the three guys hectoring the cameraman seem to me to have all the hallmarks of a cult. Multiple repetitions of a meaningless question, accusations of criminal bahaviour on the part of their target, etc. When one of them accused the cameraman of being a child molester I thought sure he would say "Right, now that I have you on camera saying that in front of my companions, you will be hearing from my lawyer re a suit for defamation of character". I thought maybe a ringer could have entered the event, whatever it was, with a tape recorder running in his/her pocket. I got the sense that newbies would be subject to a lot of pressure to join & buy a membership, or whatever they call it. It'd be interesting to hear all the sales pitch. But maybe they had airport scanners to detect that sort of stuff. How about cell phones with cameras ? With a long life battery, maybe you could be calling out to a tape recorder, and if caught, profess ignorance that it somehow got turned on accidentally.

I guess I better pay more attention to these guys.

263. The atheist delusion

Comment #144086 by rod-the-farmer on March 15, 2008 at 4:14 am

The many claims of this nut are enough to cause widespread headshaking. When he reports that Onfay claims


Many militants of the secular cause look astonishingly like clergy. Worse: like caricatures of clergy

I wonder what produced THIS idea. "Look like" ? In a physical sense ? Possibly, depending on your life experience. So what ? But sound like ? Not a chance. I never heard one of the Four Horsemen tell me what to think/not think, or especially what not to read. Or who I could marry, for that matter. This guy seems to want to attack atheists, because they are attacking religion. Pardon me for reading, but I didn't see much there defending religion. I got the impression he was ticked that he too was not, and should be getting some of the

enormous money-spinners

action.

264. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143653 by rod-the-farmer on March 14, 2008 at 9:17 am

"I am just SO much more traveled than anyone else, that I MUST be right ."

Well, whoop de doo. I venture to say his brain was left at home. As for me, off to watch those two debates.

265. Deadly Sins 101

Comment #143617 by rod-the-farmer on March 14, 2008 at 8:50 am

I am imagining a forthcoming announcement by a team of Christian archaeologists, digging up things in the Sinai. "We have found some ancient pottery, with early Aramaic writing - seven distinct lines. These may be the missing Commandments, 11 through 17. The writer was able to fit seven on a single teapot, compared to the usual five, as some took only a single line - Don't". Suspicions that the nearly unintelligible writing has nothing to do with Dog, but were deliberately mis-interpreted to support the Popes' latest announcement of new sins, were discarded by Father John Fitzpatrick and his assistant (who made the actual discovery) Father Patrick Fitzjohn.

266. Oklahoma: One Step from Doom

Comment #142567 by rod-the-farmer on March 12, 2008 at 6:40 pm

CBC News (Canada) had the following article recently on "Science and Creationism"

http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_savory/20080311.html

plus it contains a link to the full court ruling (139 pages !) on the Dover PA School Board case.

http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/kitzmiller/kitzmiller_342.pdf

I read the entire thing. Riveting. Surely any U.S. state thinking of inserting religion into classrooms should read this ruling in detail, and note how they plaintiffs were awarded costs. I seem to remember hearing the insurance company said their policy did not cover this sort of thing, so the costs came from the school board budget for books etc.

267. The ethics of mixing science and religion

Comment #142564 by rod-the-farmer on March 12, 2008 at 6:29 pm

$1.5 million from the Templeton Foundation ? Almost certainly. The same amount from Microsoft ? Hmmm.

268. Oklahoma: One Step from Doom

Comment #141997 by rod-the-farmer on March 11, 2008 at 2:32 pm

I just found another scary fundie web site. It has a series of videos with the most distorted stuff you could imagine, but to see more than the first two or so, you have to register. I do not plan to do that.

http://www.silencingchristians.com/

269. Seven new deadly sins: are you guilty?

Comment #141405 by rod-the-farmer on March 10, 2008 at 11:05 am

I like the part where he says

coveting your neighbour's wife

which seems to me to be firm proof that after installing Bible 4.50 (or whatever version they are at now) they are still thinking only of MEN. No mention has ever been given to women coveting their neighbours husbands. Since they have been so specific about the men doing the coveting, and failed entirely to mention the women, even at this latest version, 2000 and more years later, then it must be approved.

I am not sure if that was the original intent of the RD web site, but I must say I get more comedy out of this than any other web site I frequent.

270. Oklahoma: One Step from Doom

Comment #141077 by rod-the-farmer on March 10, 2008 at 2:19 am

(shakes head) I thought for a minute I had somehow clicked on the wrong link, and was reading The Onion. You Oklahomans have my deepest sympathy. You are, like Kansas of a few months back, about to become the laughing stock of the world. Not really fair, but watch the reaction of the worlds media to a few of your elected officials. It will be interesting to observe job interviews for Oklahoma students in the coming years, if this bill stands. On a slightly related topic....anyone have any info on home-schooled students success in getting jobs in high tech industry ? Or even admission to university ?

271. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #140405 by rod-the-farmer on March 7, 2008 at 9:00 am

Response to mdhutton1949 in comment #83

I don't like to see Palestinians injured or killed in "collateral damage", myself. But if you allow Hamas or others to launch dozens of rockets into Israel every day, you have to expect the Israeli military will defend their country by attacking the launch areas in Gaza. If those happen to be in residential areas then Hamas is the ones to blame. You can hardly expect the Israelis to sit there and take it. I am amazed they have not gone in and bulldozed everything out to 30 miles. Note that it is only Hamas-controlled areas launching the rockets. If Israel launched hundreds of rockets every year into Jordan, or Egypt, the world would be outraged.

272. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #140396 by rod-the-farmer on March 7, 2008 at 8:52 am

In comment #35, jshuey said


The news is even better than that: In this week's Republican Primary a pro-evolution Republican beat a Creation Science nutter even though he outspent her 12 to 1! IN TEXAS!

This sounds like good news. Can you post the link ? I for one would like to read all about it, as they say.

273. Crossing the Divide

Comment #140156 by rod-the-farmer on March 7, 2008 at 2:39 am

Wait a minute, I now remember an incident about 30 years ago, where a couple of JW's came to my door. I actually engaged them in a discussion for several minutes. Maybe 10 or more. But when I made the comment that "Everyone is entitled to go to hell in their own way" they left in a huff. Must have been my tone of voice. I did not intend to offend. That was back in the days when I respected people of strong faith. Ah, the good old days. Perhaps someone else can try this, and see if the reaction is the same...early departure.

274. Crossing the Divide

Comment #140152 by rod-the-farmer on March 7, 2008 at 2:34 am

The best response I ever saw, and I think it was here, was to ask JW's about blood transfusions. Apparently they only began objecting to it around 1945, but transfusion technology was essentially perfected 50 years earlier.

275. Crossing the Divide

Comment #140113 by rod-the-farmer on March 7, 2008 at 1:18 am

Thanks, SPS. Glad you enjoy my posts. I am notorious in my family for my puns, and have made a few here, which seem to have escaped notice. Of course, a local cringe may not cause a disparaging post. I am still considering if I am strong enough to come completely out, like Steve Zara. Real name, with a picture. I am easily recognisable from my picture, but only to those who know me. If I put my real name on as well, that pulls my trousers down in front of the world. I am a bit like the subject of the article....concerned that there are friends & relatives out there who will think badly of me for being such a vocal atheist. I can handle their disgust over my puns. What does that say about me ?

276. Crossing the Divide

Comment #139836 by rod-the-farmer on March 6, 2008 at 2:40 pm

Adam Morrison
I live in south west Ontario, in a really rural area. Right on the migratory bird path. Today about a dozen tundra swans flew over, honking a bit.

Anyone interested in birds will enjoy this site

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/

as it includes bird calls.

277. Contribute to science directly by volunteering some of your computer's processing power!

Comment #139785 by rod-the-farmer on March 6, 2008 at 1:45 pm

Devolution asked about BOINC being a memory hog. Nah. I have been running the SETI tool for many years, just about since if first came out. You can set the BOINC software to run ONLY when you are not doing something else. Pick a timeout of 3 minutes or more, and only when your PC is idle that long will it start crunching numbers again. It stops once you do anything, even move the mouse. My PC has a hyper-threading processor, so I can have part of it run SETI all the time. I agree that it will consume a bit more power. The figure someone gave of several hundred dollars a year seems way too high. Details please ?

I have my own SETI team, so I will continue using that. Not nearly so many members, though.

278. Crossing the Divide

Comment #139778 by rod-the-farmer on March 6, 2008 at 1:35 pm

Great article. As a long time (life long ? well, at least since about 10) atheist, I can sympathise with those who are reluctant to stand up in front of family and neighbours. Lucky for me, those of my relatives who are big bible believers, are at least willing to accept me as a nice person, notwithstanding my beliefs about Dog. The JW's came to the door a few months ago, and I said "Boy did you come to the wrong house, I am a militant athiest. Sorry my driveway is 1/4 mile long." My next-door neighbour, an elderly lady, has a lot of relatives in the area. I do what I can (plow her driveway, cut parts of her lawn) as a "good neighbour", to make up for the occasional profanity she might hear when I whack my thumb with a hammer, etc. Or maybe the JW's told this rural community about the devil living next door to her.

279. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #139760 by rod-the-farmer on March 6, 2008 at 1:17 pm

Big T said


all the remaining candidates seem to believe in evolution,

Easy there, big fella. There is a move afoot to have all the candidates debate science. Not sure that debate will ever happen. From what I have read so far, a number of them would NOT come out in favour of evolution, unless they were to say creationism/intelligent design should be taught along side.

It would be nice if they believed in evolution, but I think you are too optimistic.

280. How to abandon your God

Comment #139498 by rod-the-farmer on March 6, 2008 at 2:05 am

cowalker said


In America there is a small group of Catholics who consider themselves "traditional" who are constantly nagging the bishops and the pope to enforce Church law in their parishes. They want thunderous denunciations of contraception from the pulpit on Sunday. They want public condemnation of movies and TV shows and books. They want politicians who aren't constantly trying to get abortion made illegal to be publicly refused Communion. Instead they get tolerance and nuns who speak at Mass about meditations on god's feminine side based on walking the labyrinth.

Interesting. If this is true (and I have heard of a small instance with one elderly family member), then there would be a hard-core, more rabid group of RC's, still forming the centre of American Catholics. Immigration (according to the survey) is keeping the numbers relatively constant, so there must be a good-sized fringe of more moderate RC's leaving the church in large numbers. Any idea where they went ? To which church/sect ? What about the drying up of incoming nuns & priests ? I have read that is becoming a real problem. That would imply fewer parishes, but with larger congregations, no ? I do agree with many who say the questions did not clearly identify the core beliefs. Surely many just ticked the box they always used to, without detailed thinking about their actual, current beliefs (or lack of same).

281. How to abandon your God

Comment #139391 by rod-the-farmer on March 5, 2008 at 5:42 pm

I bet the Catholic Church was either aware of this trend through their own observations, or is trying to develop a strategy to deal with it now this survey has come out. But from my observations, the decline is almost totally due to general disgust with the number of child abuse cases laid at the feet of RC priests. How they will respond to this will be interesting to watch.

Another item perhaps worth consideration is that if the number of conversions (from one branch of faith to another) has gone up dramatically in just a few years, I would think that bodes well for us in the secular/atheist group. We are sort of the lowest common denominator. Once you start considering leaving one faith, it should be easier to abandon them all. Sort of a glass ceiling effect. Once broken, that scent of freedom from dogma may be intoxicating. Maybe we need some marketing snazz. Help get rid of the bad rep that atheists seem to have in some quarters. "Join the Atheists, and see the world (as Nature meant you to see it)." Get rid of all dogma.

282. Bulldozers tear down giant religious teapot

Comment #138795 by rod-the-farmer on March 4, 2008 at 7:36 pm

Another article on intelligent thinking - this one about the rights of women in Islam.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=247122

(shakes head)

283. Hebrew University researcher: Moses was tripping at Mount Sinai

Comment #138400 by rod-the-farmer on March 4, 2008 at 9:08 am

When one enters a jewish home, one is sometimes invited to "Have a nagela". This is the original name for a HHHHash brownie. Note the guttural HHHHH.

284. Church exhumes Padre Pio

Comment #138393 by rod-the-farmer on March 4, 2008 at 9:02 am

Ygern mentioned


a calendar of these 'miraculous intact saints' by a nun, you know the type, a different corpse for every month of the year (charming).

That sounds really neat ! I would pay serious money for a calendar like that, to show my friends. Not. Wait a minute, maybe they hand them out with the collection envelopes, or (heaven forbid) Girl Guide Cookies.

285. Survey shows Non-Religious Outnumber Those of Every Single Faith (But One)

Comment #137999 by rod-the-farmer on March 3, 2008 at 6:10 pm

Re Comment #137964 by markg

It is not well known, to be sure. Playing with only one arm made that arm stronger....since he was heavier on that one side, he did, in fact, have a list.

286. Survey shows Non-Religious Outnumber Those of Every Single Faith (But One)

Comment #137789 by rod-the-farmer on March 3, 2008 at 1:34 pm

I didn't see the survey tracking WHERE people came from/went to. I suspect a substantial number left the small, local churches, which tend to have shrinking congregations, and increasing trouble making the financial ends meet. So they try out a mega-church, which "sounds like fun", plus it offers day care for the little kids. Exposed and accustomed as they have been, especially in the U.S., to large scale events like rock concerts and big, splashy TV programming, it may be an easy flip between the two "channels". These people are looking to be entertained rather than hear a preacher with a thought provoking sermon.

Kind of like classical music or jazz. You have to be a bit (or a lot) educated to appreciate it. I of course am biased....Handel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt etc. are divine. I would give my left arm to be able to play piano like Liszt.

287. Survey shows Non-Religious Outnumber Those of Every Single Faith (But One)

Comment #137698 by rod-the-farmer on March 3, 2008 at 11:11 am

Some of us still use the wording of specific religions, even if we are no longer an attendee at services

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/74367

(snigger)

288. A natural phenomenon

Comment #137477 by rod-the-farmer on March 3, 2008 at 1:11 am

His legacy is such that I predict there will come a time where "Attenborough" will become a noun. People will say "So and so did a real Attenborough" or something similar. How can you/we not love him for his contributions and enthusiasm.

289. The Encyclopedia of Life, No Bookshelf Required

Comment #136916 by rod-the-farmer on March 2, 2008 at 3:05 am

Laurie Fraseer reported a creationists conference saying


that training in a field of science was no match for the enlightenment that comes with the inspiration one gets from a personal relationship with the Lord, to great applause from the audience. How do you argue with that?

I can think of a couple of ways.

(1) training in the medical field, versus reading the bible. Who do you want to treat you when you are ill ?

(2) training as a civil engineer, versus reading the bible. Whose bridge do you want to cross ?

(3) training in the aeronautics field, versus reading the bible. Whose aircraft do you want to fly in ?

I read your comment about the hostility you felt. If you hear of another such conference, please post the news here. You should not have to attend alone, without support.

290. Berlin gallery in Islam art row

Comment #136582 by rod-the-farmer on March 1, 2008 at 1:08 pm

Any one know if the single Danish cartoon that caused the most fuss, is copyrighted ? If someone wanted to, say, print T-shirts with it, or put a poster on the side of their truck, or otherwise display it prominently, would the artist object ? Maybe he needs the licensing money to pay for protection ! I am beginning to feel that the only way to stop this sort of protest is to flood the world with the "offensive" material. I think we all need to step up to this issue, and be part of the solution. Maybe then these overly-sensitive muslims can finally grasp that in western societies, free speech trumps their right to be offended. If they want to control the media in their home countries, that is their right. But once they emigrate, they have to adopt the mores of the host country, including free speech. Or go back home. Don't try to impose your beliefs here.

And besides, if pictorial representation of mohammed is forbidden to muslims, there is no way to determine if the Danish cartoon was of mohammed, unless it specifically said that on the image. Who could tell, if there is no history of images ? All it would show is a bearded guy with a head covering that represented a bomb about to go off. He could be Ali, or whoever.

291. America: slouching towards the Enlightenment

Comment #135673 by rod-the-farmer on February 29, 2008 at 7:42 am

Geoff you are really bad.

292. Taking evidence seriously

Comment #135664 by rod-the-farmer on February 29, 2008 at 7:36 am

Rather than do a study about the efficacy of homeopathic medicine, I think we should start spreading the rumour that antibiotics were developed by evolutionists, using evolutionary concepts, and are packaged in containers made by evolutionary companies. If the Roman Catholic Church can get many Africans to believe condoms have holes in them (and whatever other lies they tell), then maybe we can get fundies in the west to avoid modern drugs. It will take a while, but that may well get rid of many of them.

293. Dispatches: Holy Offensive

Comment #135652 by rod-the-farmer on February 29, 2008 at 7:21 am

I agree with Geoff.....pick as many of the Museums in London as you can. I also agree Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) was great. Fellow roadracing enthusiast. Funny, many of those I have met are athiests. I guess that is because you have to be, since so many of the events are either on Saturday, Sunday or both. We have no time to attend services ! That fits in with Christopher Hitchens argument, I think it was. "It (atheism) does not need constant re-inforcement ?"

I had to laugh at the protester who was invited into the church. When he spoke to the very calm actor who had a major role in "Jerry Springer", he accused the actor of blasphemy, yet admitted right up front he had not seen the play. So who do you think TOLD him the play contained blasphemy.....duh....his priest. No doubt about it. Sheeple, right there on screen, in a church not their own, but clearly identifiable, anyway.

294. Earth's Final Sunset Predicted

Comment #135604 by rod-the-farmer on February 29, 2008 at 6:14 am

the sun's gravitational pull will have weakened enough for Earth to escape final destruction


????? Pardon my lack of an advanced astrophysics degree, but how the HE!! will that transpire ? Where would all the mass go that creates the current gravitational pull of the sun ? Oh, later it says that some of the outer layers will blow off, thereby reducing the total mass of the sun. The exact percentage, the volume/mass involved etc. were not provided. Enough to reduce solar attraction that would allow the earth to escape, like cutting the string on a weight whirled around your head. I guess our "shields up" technology will be working by then, deflecting this enormous mass of the solar atmosphere from scouring the planet clean of all life. My un-educated guess is that the pressure of the blown-off solar atmosphere will push earth quite easily out of its' current orbit. And as for the pull of the earth causing a tidal bulge in the sun, geez louise, given the distance combined with the relative masses - I ha' me doots.

295. Are they running for President or Pastor-in-Chief?

Comment #134677 by rod-the-farmer on February 28, 2008 at 5:06 am

My favourite verse from the bible would be "The End"

296. The Encyclopedia of Life, No Bookshelf Required

Comment #134166 by rod-the-farmer on February 27, 2008 at 10:53 am

Sorry, gimlibengloin, but your link has no answers to the questions I raised about Noah's Ark. Your response claimed I raised questions about Genesis, and thus you directed me to a site addressing this question. Nope, not me. The Ark story was my target. In my opinion, posing the questions I listed reveals the problems with that story - common sense says that cannot be quite how it happened. And I did not raise ALL of them. Just the first level questions. Also, PLEASE do not conflate the origin of life with evolution. Two separate issues, but a common creationist attempt to confuse the question. Evolution assumes life already existed, then tries to explain the incredible variety of species.

297. The Encyclopedia of Life, No Bookshelf Required

Comment #134025 by rod-the-farmer on February 27, 2008 at 6:36 am

I would like to have been there when Noah said to his neighbours "I need (1) all your animals, (2) two of each of all the other animals on the planet, (3) all your feed crops for the next three years so I can feed them all, (4) all the lumber within a 500 mile radius, and (5) you have to transport all that yourself, because my family & I are busy building a boat (which we have never done before - we are farmers, not boat-builders). So....get a move on, it is starting to rain. And no, you can't come for a ride on it."

298. The Encyclopedia of Life, No Bookshelf Required

Comment #133891 by rod-the-farmer on February 27, 2008 at 2:15 am

It is now working. Go to the

http://www.eol.org/home.html

and click on the intro. I would suspect that anyone on THIS blog will end up with a big smile on his/her face, after seeing it, and understanding what they want to do with this.

It will be interesting to follow the evolutionary links function, and what the fundies say when this feature becomes common knowledge.

299. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133355 by rod-the-farmer on February 26, 2008 at 5:54 am

I recently went into a bookstore chain outlet, and while I did see a lot of religious books, I also saw many if not most of the Four Horsemen displayed as well. Mind you, I live in Ontario, Canada, so that means certain differences right there.

There is a DOUBLY interesting article in todays news, which I sent to Josh, but it may take him time to decide to post it.

Many In U.S. Drop Their Childhood Religion

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/25/national/main3873100.shtml?source=search_story

The above link comes from CBS, but ABC also had the same story. What was even more interesting is that BOTH news sites deleted this article from their "main page". Possibly due to the hundreds of comments they each received. I had to use the Search function to find it again.

300. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #133349 by rod-the-farmer on February 26, 2008 at 5:30 am

Several times in this and other blogs someone has raised the question of "Just how popular ARE these flea books, anyway ?". Is there anyone with knowledge or contacts in the publishing industry who can do the research and report back ? Of course, it is entirely possible that some fundie churches or their supporters are buying the flea books in quantity, to hand out to their flock. I suppose detailed questions may reveal that sort of "fiddling the books".

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