301. Pope's exorcist squads will wage war on Satan

Comment #105014 by PJG on December 30, 2007 at 10:31 am

The Catholics are really getting their knickers in a twist at the moment aren't they.....?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,2233423,00.html

This just takes the biscuit....

O'Donoghue said it was 'absolute rubbish' that what he was advocating was indoctrination.

302. What We Believe: Atheism

Comment #105008 by PJG on December 30, 2007 at 10:23 am

Re: The Life-Raft

I think it would be most reasonable to point out to the religious survivors that, as atheists believe they only have this life, it is clearly more important to him/her than to those who only see Earth as a waiting-room for the real stuff. It would only be fair, therefore, for those who were looking forward to their eternal life to sacrifice themselves so that others might live. Even if death is inevitable, at least those relishing a meal of "long pig" might enjoy just one last sunset.

303. Archbishop of Canterbury Praises Richard Dawkins

Comment #104750 by PJG on December 29, 2007 at 10:50 am

The Church has always denounced greed .... they have been rumbled by everyone who hasn't been caught up in the con.

In the words of Monty Python's Vice-Pope Eric, "... Of course people accuse us sometimes of not practising what we preach, but you must remember that if you are trying to propagate a creed of poverty, gentleness and tolerance, you need a very rich, powerful, authoritarian organisation to do it."

304. Russia prohibits denial of Santa

Comment #103954 by PJG on December 27, 2007 at 11:37 am

I was never told there was a Santa.

I was told there was a game that everyone played where they pretended there was a Santa, and no-one ever let on that there wasn't one really. I enjoyed the game and felt I was part of it. I never "found out" that my parents had lied to me and never felt belittled because they had made me the butt of an adult joke. This article leaves me cold.

305. Man and God

Comment #103525 by PJG on December 26, 2007 at 4:45 am

It is remarkable how people assume atheists "know not of what they speak". I was never raised to be religious but I WAS raised to question. Because of this, I was fascinated by what made people believe in a God that I could see no evidence of. I felt that everything was exactly as I would expect it to be if there were no "higher power", it was only when you put the idea of a God into the picture that questions started to flow!

Because I was interested in what made people believe, I read.... a lot... and talked to people... a lot. Most of the people I have ever discussed The Bible with know far less about it than I do and know virtually nothing of its history, contradictions and errors.

Apparently, it is necessary to know a great deal more in order to be capable of rejecting God and religion than it does to accept them!

306. Priest who committed suicide for rebirth cremated

Comment #103299 by PJG on December 25, 2007 at 2:41 am

This is so sad.

At least the chap put his money where his mouth was. Better than the Immams who tell gullible, testosterone filled youths that they should martyr themselves for the cause. Maybe, like this man though, it is better for the world that this happens before they pass on their genes... Darwin Awards notwithstanding. Anyone who would go along with this one can't have more than two braincells firing otherwise they would surely ask the question,"If paradise is so fantastic and the virgins are real - and not a handful of white raisins as one possible translation says - why don't YOU go?"

I WOULD be interested to see what happens now and whether any of the followers have had their faith shaken. If not, the contorted reasoning about WHY he failed to be resurrected would be fascinating... maybe it was because it was the wrong day of the week... it generally only happens on a Friday!

307. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #102018 by PJG on December 21, 2007 at 12:00 pm

Wooter.

It would appear that the people on here have tried, politely, to answer your questions by pointing you in the direction of good books or videos, as I have myself.

If English is not your first language, then maybe that is the cause of much of the misunderstanding. However, if you were English speaking, your questions, behaviour and style on this thread would appear to be that of an attention-seeking toddler who throws a tantrum every time he doesn't feel he is getting his own way. In view of this, I think people have been very kind and patient. If we have tried to "lighten the mood" a little by making the occasional joke at your expense, then maybe you can understand it is from frustration... just as people get frustrated with tempestuous toddlers sometimes.

You have all the information you have asked for - it is all there at your fingertips. However, just to prove you are not an attention-seeking toddler, it might be a good idea to make the effort to educate yourself about evolution, rather than expect other people to make it easy for you. Getting information in your first language would probably make it easier.

Regarding my question to you.... you don't need to answer it. I never expected, or really wanted, an answer. I asked it in an attempt to get you to look critically at the book you have so much faith in. You see, once you see the Bible as a work of fiction, based on hearsay and vague historical inference, the idea that God used his magic powers to create man in his image becomes laughable. What God may or may not have said to Adam in the Garden of Eden is irrelevant to me.

308. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #101337 by PJG on December 20, 2007 at 8:49 am

Billy Sands

I wanted to start at the beginning (!!!) From Genesis on, in my opinion, God's moral judgment goes downhill and the other lies (whether through a spirit or in the words he "wrote") are irrelevant. He clearly can't be trusted.

Wooter seems to think The Bible is good guidance for morality. I am just interested to see if he has read, understood and/or thought about this book that he regards so highly. I doubt he has (he certainly hasn't read, understood or thought about a science book) and if it is true he's teaching...

*shakes head... speechless*

Geoff. You are right... I shan't bother anymore either. Waste of time.

309. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #101273 by PJG on December 20, 2007 at 7:05 am

Comment 83 by Wooter

....4.How is possible that sin has been heating us like a heater for million years without any gas or coal? Who designed the helium etc in it?
....

310. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #101269 by PJG on December 20, 2007 at 6:57 am

Re: comments 61 (Wooter), 64 (me), 69 (Wooter) and 73 (me)

Has anyone noticed that Wooter has replied to most people but has STILL not answered my question regarding Genesis and God lying to Adam, day one?

311. Borders Tags Atheist Book with 'O Come All Ye Faithless' Cards

Comment #101253 by PJG on December 20, 2007 at 6:37 am

*Sighs, holds head in hands*

Then they wonder why we think they are immature and insecure.


Arcturus - I can't think of anything that would offend me "to the core". However, it bothers me that religious people think that atheists have no morals. I am not offended as I know they are wrong but it bothers me because of what it says about them. It would suggest they need fear of punishment or promise of reward in order to be moral.

I think it is only possible to really offend someone if they think what you are saying is true. e.g. If someone were to say, "Your mother is a whore", to me, I would laugh and say, "you clearly never knew my mother!" I wouldn't be offended and I certainly wouldn't feel the need to defend my mum's "honour". I can only make the assumption that our religious friends have a sneaking suspicion that there is no God so "Your God is a myth", becomes deeply offensive!

312. Jesus ad angers church groups

Comment #100608 by PJG on December 19, 2007 at 1:36 am

Oh thank you Sossijj. What a wonderful start to my day!!!

One for Dr. Benway - COMPLETELY off topic, but I think you'll like it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8

313. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #100604 by PJG on December 19, 2007 at 1:22 am

Wooter

You didn't answer my question about God being a liar. This does not surprise me as whenever I ask the same question, I would say that 98% of the time, the person ignores it - normally by changing the subject to "How do you explain the human eye then?" or something like that!!!

The other 2% have to contort God's words to the point of making them meaningless.... "a day is not a day", "death is not death".... making God into a liar by his deliberate and deceptive use of the words. As God is omniscient, I assume he knows the difference between a day and a year, for example.

So far as the eye is concerned, some VERY basic reading will tell you about that - even Michael Behe has dropped that one as an example of his "irreducible complexity"... mind you, I think he has pretty much dropped that whole idea after his humiliation in Dover.

If you don't want to read about evolution and eyes, these might help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stb9pQc9Kq0&feature=related

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ybWucMx4W8&feature=related

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEKyqIJkuDQ

Watching all three of these will take you less than 15 minutes, far less time than it would take for me to write out the details - and I assume you would like diagrams too. Please watch them. I am not going to get into a private email discussion about evolution and God when all the information you ask for is out there already if you really want to understand it.

314. Jesus ad angers church groups

Comment #100597 by PJG on December 19, 2007 at 12:58 am

How to double an advert's exposure. Lesson One

Make a funny advert near Christmas time depicting something that a religious nut/humourless twerp would find offensive... because laughing at anything religious is just NOT the done thing... wait for said religious nut to complain...

Voila!

The ad gets talked about and advertised twice as much.

Very, very good marketing.

P.S. Dr. Benway... sorry about your pusscat.

315. What Your Brain Looks Like on Faith

Comment #100113 by PJG on December 18, 2007 at 8:56 am

If this were to show "belief" and "non-belief" in a sort of lie-detector test way, it would be interesting to see who would be prepared to take it...

Would Mother Teresa have taken it?

How about asking The Pope, Pat Robertson or even GWB who, after all, says he has a direct line to God?

Heh heh... I wait with bated breath!

316. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #100070 by PJG on December 18, 2007 at 7:41 am

I take back everything I just said... I just took out some ingredients and they evolved into a king prawn stir-fry.

Admittedly, I did intervene but, there you are, proof if it were needed, I am a goddess after all!

317. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #100046 by PJG on December 18, 2007 at 6:10 am

Wooter.

I didn't want to clutter this thread so I was going to send this privately. However, it appears that you (Wooter) do not exist so I will post it after all - (to the rest of you, I know, I know, but sometimes it is entertaining to waste a bit of time!)

I have read many, many books on religion, history, science, psychology and philosophy (and other books too!) and have come to conclusions based on common sense, reason, study and observation.

Most of the questions raised by reading the Bible can be answered by the simple assumption that it is a work of man (you might like to read, "Misquoting Jesus" by Bart D. Ehrman which, if you haven't read it, is a well written history of biblical translations and representations) However, one thing that I can't understand is that EVEN if someone believes that it is a book written by God, why would anyone believe it to be true? God admits to being a liar in the first few pages. It is something that every religious person I have ever asked has skirted around in one way or another. I'd like to ask you ....

Could you tell me why you would believe anything in the Bible when you know that by his own admission, the supposed author, God, is a liar?

He tells you this within the first few pages, and admits that one of the first sentences he spoke to man was a lie (Gen 2:16-17)

God lied, the serpent told the truth (Gen 3:4-5)

Adam and Eve did not die "on that day".

Please don't give me the nonsense about "God didn't mean REALLY die, he meant their souls would die", because God doesn't have any problem making it clear that it is the soul that suffers in other parts of "his book". In the same way, he doesn't have a problem with calling a day a day and a year a year elsewhere - when people tell me a "day" in Genesis means an epoch, I wonder if it means that Jesus was crucified in the "epoch" before Passover - or after Passover - depending on which Gospel you read!

Personally, I avoid liars and I particularly wouldn't look to one for moral guidance.

Your lack of understanding of evolution makes debate futile.(The ingredients of lasagna "evolving" into lasagna shows such monumental misunderstanding that it beggars belief)

The "Evolution made easy" videos on YouTube may help you but maybe they are too complicated.

318. Dawkins: I'm a cultural Christian

Comment #99957 by PJG on December 18, 2007 at 1:14 am

A teacher friend of mine was telling me that they no longer have a traditional nativity play at their school for fear of offending the non-Christians.

Instead of the Virgin Mary arriving at the stable and giving birth to the baby Jesus - Son of God, three wise men following a star to a specific building and angels singing "Hallelujah", the children will be performing a nice play involving a talking camel and a number of kind and considerate rabbits....

....the story has a good moral to it and, overall, is a little more believable than the Christmas story... so that is ok.

319. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #99554 by PJG on December 17, 2007 at 3:38 am

Wooter

There is no argument that bad people do bad things regardless of religion (though, of course, the soldiers who raped and murdered the Iraqi girl and her family can't have been atheists as "there are no atheists in foxholes"... PLEASE note that this is said sarcastically!)

The point is that religion gives people ADDITIONAL reasons to do bad things which they are able to "justify" in terms of their adherence to the word of God when they would see non-religious reasons to do the same thing as insane, criminal or both. We want to reduce the number of excuses people have to do bad things... surely something any rational person would want? You are right... people are the real problem but some are more of a problem than others!

320. Creation college seeks state's OK to train teachers

Comment #99535 by PJG on December 17, 2007 at 2:21 am

Of course, the dinosaurs died in Noah's flood and so did humans.

Noah and his family must have been soooo busy, once the flood waters subsided, burying the dinosaurs and humans in separate graveyards... were the rabbits and horses that died at that time buried in their own spots too?

Bonkers.... just bonkers.

321. Creation college seeks state's OK to train teachers

Comment #99534 by PJG on December 17, 2007 at 2:18 am

Double Bass Atheist

You may like to look at this information**.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scalzi/1969214405/in/set-72157603091357751/

See, the Christian Geologist may be onto something!!!

**(from the Creationist Museum)

322. Do the laws of God trump those of man?

Comment #99521 by PJG on December 17, 2007 at 1:15 am

The laws of God have superseded those of man for years...

In the UK the laws regarding the slaughter of animals have been disregarded so far as Halal and Kosher meat is concerned.

I have never understood this... the message it sends is that the law of the land does not apply if God says different... why is anyone surprised when some twisted religious nut applies this to how s/he should deal with members of their family?

323. Creationists plan British theme park

Comment #99315 by PJG on December 16, 2007 at 9:49 am

Northern Bright. Re. Comment 99311

I hope you are right.

I do think you have a point about them getting the planning permission. However, if the plans for the largest Mosque in Europe (in London) go through, they may get permission for this... just to be "fair"!

324. Creationists plan British theme park

Comment #99303 by PJG on December 16, 2007 at 9:31 am

I would like to think that the posts suggesting there would be no taste for, or patronage of, such a theme park were right but I am not so sure.

There are plenty of people in Britain who would take their children to a theme park who would not concern themselves with what the theme WAS.

This article is just too depressing for words.

325. Creationists plan British theme park

Comment #99298 by PJG on December 16, 2007 at 9:21 am

Oh....oh Britain, I'm so sorry.

*Tight hug with back patting*

Shhhh....shhhhh....easy....shhh...I know, I know...

The trust also says it plans to apply for government grants and European funding to help it realise its dream of turning the television studio into 'an international leader in promoting family-oriented Christian programmes'.

326. Creation college seeks state's OK to train teachers

Comment #99259 by PJG on December 16, 2007 at 6:10 am

A quote from the Creationist Theme park article:

Peter Jones, one of the Lancashire theme park's trustees, said the emphasis would be on multimedia rather than the costume re-enactments of famous biblical scenes favoured at Holy Land. 'It will be a halfway house for youngsters,' Jones said. 'Today all they do is binge drink. We will be able to offer them an alternative.'

327. Creation college seeks state's OK to train teachers

Comment #99247 by PJG on December 16, 2007 at 4:57 am

Yes, Geoff, it is heartening that Wigan Council slammed the door.

The people on Wigan Council's Planning Committee may have some integrity and intelligence.... but money talks. Some councillor or MP somewhere, from some run-down area, will probably use the same argument that they did for the super-casinos... regeneration!

Also, once bankers (spelling mistake, sorry!) get involved... anything can happen.

328. Creation college seeks state's OK to train teachers

Comment #99228 by PJG on December 16, 2007 at 1:43 am

In the UK, we shouldn't laugh too much at this sort of thing. There are moves afoot to bring us our very own Creation Theme Park.See here: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2228201,00.html Aaargh!

329. Creation college seeks state's OK to train teachers

Comment #99082 by PJG on December 15, 2007 at 1:07 pm

.
http://www.icr.org./article/3268/199/

is a really good one. I haven't laughed so much for ages!!!

She finds these trees with the incredible infrared detector/feelers God has given her. Secular scientists state these feelers are just "modified mechano-sensors," but the creation scientist would say these are tools created for the job.

Frank Sherwin, M.A.*

*Frank Sherwin is a zoologist and seminar speaker for ICR.

330. Creation college seeks state's OK to train teachers

Comment #99043 by PJG on December 15, 2007 at 10:27 am

I suddenly feel incredibly tired.

I expect the bad astronomy and bad archaeology will be taught as alternative "theories" too.

I only hope that the UK will have the sense to prevent any of these "teachers" from coming to work here. Maybe if they are banned from teaching anywhere except in the USA (preferably anywhere EXCEPT Texas) the US will get the message and stop this nonsense and see what a laughing stock they are becoming to the scientifically sophisticated world.

331. Jumbo shrimp, creationist astronomy

Comment #98671 by PJG on December 14, 2007 at 2:37 am

.
.
.
And what if the universe WAS created by a big explosion? Then the rest is garbage.... well, ok... the rest is garbage anyway, but at least they do SAY it could all be wrong.

This is SO reminiscent of the "If the theory of natural selection is wrong, the only other explanation is GODDIDIT".

Watch out for the court cases regarding the demands for the "alternative theory of astronomy" to be taught in science classes.

The creationists have been pretty much beaten on the evolution front... this is the next one.

Also, is the implication supposed to be that the chap at the beginning is a scientist? It is laughable, the whole thing. A good sign in a way, they are clearly grasping at straws.

332. Jumbo shrimp, creationist astronomy

Comment #98643 by PJG on December 14, 2007 at 1:21 am

If this were a spoof, it would be very funny. The fact that it is supposed to be "science", and will be seen by some as true, is REALLY scary.

What ARE children being taught in schools if there is a single person, of any age, who falls for this crap?

There is a great comment on the YouTube version of this....

Applemask
"What the Herman is wrong with you people? All planets must be identical to the sun? And each other?

You're making Jesus cry. Leave teaching to people who know things".

333. Ayaan Hirsi Ali versus Timothy Garton Ash

Comment #98155 by PJG on December 13, 2007 at 6:44 am

29. Comment #98105 by Nefrubyr on December 13, 2007 at 4:41 am

24. Comment #98085 by MilitantAgnostic

PJG, the wisdom of the Koran that you cite refers only to unbelievers, not apostates.

Surely apostates are unbelievers - unless the term "unbeliever" is reserved for those who never believed.

334. Ayaan Hirsi Ali versus Timothy Garton Ash

Comment #98102 by PJG on December 13, 2007 at 4:37 am

Thanks Rtambree.

Oh dear... if any nut reads that, does it mean censoring it on the website will have been a waste of time?

335. Ayaan Hirsi Ali versus Timothy Garton Ash

Comment #98092 by PJG on December 13, 2007 at 4:22 am

Sorry MilitantAtheist, you are right.

336. Ayaan Hirsi Ali versus Timothy Garton Ash

Comment #98072 by PJG on December 13, 2007 at 3:33 am

Are there any good lip-readers amongst us who could translate the TGA censored bit? :)

337. Ayaan Hirsi Ali versus Timothy Garton Ash

Comment #98011 by PJG on December 13, 2007 at 1:42 am

Why was the word "paedophile" censored the first time AHA used it but not the second time? I can only think it is because the first time she "accused" Mohammad of being a paedophile and the second she just said he was one by today's standards. Strange.

338. Ayaan Hirsi Ali versus Timothy Garton Ash

Comment #97984 by PJG on December 13, 2007 at 12:34 am

Yes IPV4

"Remember the Lord inspired the angels (with the message):
'I am with you: give firmness to the believers: I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: Smite ye above their necks [behead them] and smite all their fingertips off them.'"
(Koran 8:12)

339. The empty myths peddled by evangelists of unbelief

Comment #97438 by PJG on December 12, 2007 at 4:54 am

Incredulous

Agree with you. I think it is completely hilarious - ribs, talking snakes, humans not on Earth for five minutes before they've damned all humankind for all eternity - but it is so easy to get believers tied up in knots, often using their own book. It doesn't change their beliefs (which in itself is unbelievable) but it can be quite entertaining, if you have a spare half hour!

340. The empty myths peddled by evangelists of unbelief

Comment #97406 by PJG on December 12, 2007 at 3:17 am

One of the Jehovah's Witnesses that visited me yesterday....

"If evolution were true, we would have evolved an eye in the back of our head and an extra pair of arms ... because we really could do with them"!!!!

I am kicking myself... I was just so gobsmacked by that one that I didn't ask her why God hadn't given her the required eye or arms... Damn, damn and double damn!

341. Secret Swami - About Sai Baba

Comment #97386 by PJG on December 12, 2007 at 2:17 am

Does Sai Baba claim to see women/girls as equal to men/boys and, if so, do young girls ever get private audiences with him?

If not, why not?

If no girls have made allegations of sexual abuse, doesn't it make the ones made, all by boys, more likely to be true (if it is about attention seeking, girls would be making accusations too)

342. The empty myths peddled by evangelists of unbelief

Comment #97081 by PJG on December 11, 2007 at 11:23 am

dr12

What I get from the Genesis story is "Knowledge and reason = bad. Stay stupid."

343. Atheists' sign sparks controversy

Comment #97071 by PJG on December 11, 2007 at 11:07 am

gr8hands

Well done!

344. Atheists' sign sparks controversy

Comment #96944 by PJG on December 11, 2007 at 6:20 am

You should see the leaflet that came through our door from the local church. It is a helpful and jolly "Christmas message" entitled "The Colours of Christmas" which makes various comments, quoting the Bible of course, warning of the dire consequences of non-belief in Jesus and ends up - the final comment - ".... whoever does not believe stands condemned already... John 3:18"

As you may imagine, I am not quaking in my boots. However, I do wonder what a Christian's reaction would be if I popped a leaflet through their letter box which condemned their beliefs in a similar vein ... I would probably end up in court for "inciting hatred" or some such nonsense.

345. An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins

Comment #96933 by PJG on December 11, 2007 at 5:56 am

.
.
Just an aside....

I was just reading comments on here when the doorbell rang.

It was a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses - clearly a case of God moving in a mysterious way!

I would just like to say that, after a lifetime of non-belief, I have decided there MUST be a God... how could I otherwise explain the sport I have just had for the past hour? I'll admit to having a quiet day and so the time to indulge myself in mindless (and boy do I mean MINDLESS) entertainment. Such fun... and free too!

I think the younger one might read "Misquoting Jesus" but then again, maybe not. The older one... IQ approximately 7... says OT no longer relevant as Jesus says there are only two commandments "Love they neighbour" and "do unto others...." PJG points out Matthew 5 18-19, young one takes out Bible, looks it up.... changes subject.

Oh, the joy!

346. An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins

Comment #96828 by PJG on December 11, 2007 at 1:46 am

Here's my proposal, Richard. Now that you rightly have earned yourself the title of leader of the neo-atheist, secular activists, I think you would do a great service to humanity to reject, as John Paul II did for Christians, the evil actions of a tiny percentage of atheists who have, in your opinion, acted in a way that poorly represents your belief system, in particular your common denial of the existence of God.

347. Is Infant Male Circumcision An Abuse Of The Rights Of The Child?

Comment #96137 by PJG on December 10, 2007 at 3:43 am

Hungarianelephant : If I may be so vulgar as to quote a former girlfriend:

"People say how great an Irish Catholic education is. It's rubbish. I was 17 before anyone told me I had a clitoris."

348. Is Infant Male Circumcision An Abuse Of The Rights Of The Child?

Comment #96107 by PJG on December 10, 2007 at 2:29 am

Of course it is child abuse, we just need a test case. One of you circumcised chaps needs to sue your parents and church for actual bodily harm and child abuse(physical and sexual)- or whatever the equivalent is in your part of the world.

So far a suggesting that the clitoris has no anatomical and functional importance, I suggest that most women would disagree rather vehemently and, personally, given the choice, I would rather lose an arm or leg!

349. Former Evangelical Minister Has a New Message: Jesus Hearts Darwin

Comment #94895 by PJG on December 7, 2007 at 1:10 am

Maybe he watched this and had a change of heart...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaEj3g5GOYA

Enjoy!

350. Sherri Shepherd needs to go away now

Comment #94870 by PJG on December 6, 2007 at 11:07 pm

Almost as scary as her ignorance is that she has a CHILD!

Actually, no, that is MORE scary than her ignorance.