I exorcise people everyday. I don't see what's the big deal.

You're a personal trainer, Wokkie?

"They banged their heads on the ground. The Swiss Guards watched them but did nothing,"

No surprise there, it's what the Swiss Guards are best at.......

"I am not Giovanni" in a voice that was not his own,

He must have been doing Brando from the Godfather......

If I try to imagine this actually happening, it always comes out like a scratchy B-movie in my head....I wonder why??

BTW, I'm surprised Indonesia hasn't banned facebook, youtube and other such websites, haven't most islamic hellholes already done that?

Metamag....I'm writing this from quasi-Wahhabi Qatar, so apparently not!

how depressing...I did my PGCE at Reading, one of the institutions signed up to this charade......

well, Larry, as da yoof say, 'You got told....big time'. Being so thoroughly deconstructed must be so deflating.......

I work in the middle east and this reminds me of how many Muslims let this kind of stuff go......where are the (relatively) moderate Muslim voices condemning KSA for this? There aren't any to speak of. I guess a combination of tacit approval because of the self-belief in Sharia and that maybe (other Muslims believe) KSA is interpreting it correctly...sounds a little ridiculous, but trying to understand the religious mentality and also that other Muslim states tends to have very controlled press and generally personal expression just isn't encouraged.......

Also, I've noticed among my students a fairly strong seemingly parallel belief system involving desert djinns and spirits, which I believe is somehow part of Islam, but it also seems like an animist, pre-islamic throwback...and this, like everything else must be exaggerated in KSA, which might go some way to explaining this pathetic, embarrassing and disturbingly irrational example of 'justice'.

Quote-mining again, let's not forget the Terry Gilliam character....'That's one big motherfucking bishop!'

I'd like something meaningful to write on the inside cover of my copy of 'The Magic of Reality' for my older daughter...she's only nearing 4, but interested in the illustrations and why not start them young?! I thought about that verse from 'Desiderata'...you know, this bit....

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

but with review, I don't really like the bit about 'you have a right to be here'.....the wording doesn't sit right. I'm sure i could formulate something relatively worthy and meaningful, but suspect it may sound clumsy...any suggestions welcome beyond 'Dearest daughter, with love, Daddy' x!

Frank Skinner can be very funny, but I didn't realise he was such a dedicated Catholic......amazing really that a sharp comedic brain can also believe in trans-substantiation.....

Muslim rules in a swimming pool? Definitely no petting and er, no bombing........

excellent...will pick one up in London in 3 weeks for my nearly 4 year old daughter....never too young I reckon..she'll certainly ask questions about the illustrations!

I've swum in Lake Toba in Sumatra, which was super-volcanic eruption about 10000 years ago I think....it's huge too...awesome to think of it as a volcanic crater

Hariseldonsays.....I'm in Doha too......is that the Virgin store in Villagio? That's quite amazing...I've always had a quick hopeful scan of what is really a pretty limited range for RD books, but that's got to be somewhat encouraging. I'm not going to hold my breath for Arabic copies of TGD there........!

This whole article is littered with troll-like statements that have been adequately debunked by the good minds above.....thanks all. It's almost like there has to be some kind of contrarian review after these events.....'How can I get the Torygraph to pay me a couple of grand for an article? I know, I'll create an absurd standpoint and defend the ridiculous and look at their position from some supposedly radical new angle....yeah, everyone {in their right mind} will be ridiculing these people, but I'll defend them.....that'll get the Editor on side!'

and imported beer isn't cheap in the US...awful Budweiser is though.

Surely only an unswerving belief in god and subsequent desire to force the peg into the hole at any cost could produce such twisted and depraved logic.....oh how I'd love to see Hitch respond to this insane 'logic' in debate with WLC.

Thanks for posting.

nanderson1, you have mastered the roundabout 'literary' vacuousness and flabbiness of a theologian so wonderfully......Christopher, the usual eloquence, thank you.

Birthday greetings and have a great day Prof Dawkins...I can't believe its a year since I last wrote a similar message!

It's a terrible mess indeed....and insane that this threatened man wasn't even provided with security for his commute, which leads one to some very realistic conspiracy theories about the Govt.and ISI.

I think Jinnah would have rather had no Pakistan at all then one like this.

hilarious christian fantasy torture porn

a wonderfully concise and lucid read Steve..many thanks.

This 'writer' would be well at home in that Antony Gormley installation....the fog-filled room one, this is so hard to read, the mental equivalent of running on heavy, wet sand.

Two theologians deep in discussion is like two bald men fighting over a comb.

Catholics love to invoke Aquinas in situations like this, the original father of their obscurantism.......

I find there's always something unconvincing about Rowan Williams in terms of his own beliefs, I always have this sense that he's going through the motions somewhat....this is an entirely predictable, if belated response. He was probably pressured by more 'radical' members of his church administration who actually believe all this junk!

there are some kid-friendly graphics in this great little vid on natural selection....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgca9bhLk78

All of potholer54s vids are worth a look if you haven't seen before......

that was fantastic..made my night, many thanks to the man himself and the compiler, and while I think Chomsky's intellect is also awesome, he certainly lacks the charisma, ability to put down and baritone beauty of the hitch!

Best wishes Sir, I find much of your writing inspirational and expect much more to come before your molecular re-distribution.

I think they should keep the open air beatification/mass thingy at Coventry airport, but also keep the airport open as usual, preferably with the popemobile and fawning bishops nicely positioned mid-runway.

I'm in Qatar and can write this, which is possibly progress of sorts. Or possibly ignorance on the part of the Qatari authorities.

Not having the religious mindset that assumes a god and nurdles around to be as accommodationist as possible, I find this article staggeringly ridiculous in its willingness to even indulge the idea of A&E being literal.....so glad about that. Imagine how many chin-stroking christians you could get to a 3-day conference on this matter, earnestly discussing the issue over limp sandwiches and crap coffee without a hint of irony or introspection, let alone a sense of absurdity.

A sea anenome is an animal and mushrooms/toadstools are fungi? The others are plants because they get energy and grow/reproduce using photosynthesis. Have I been caught out too?!