religion
oracknows | February 2, 2008Thanks, PZ. Thanks a lot for posting what has to be one of the stupidest, most vile examples of an idiotic religious nut that I've seen in a long time. It was so bad that it has to be seen to be believed:
It hurt my brain just to look at this smug, smarmy twit gloat over his belief that Richard Dawkins (and Heath Ledger, for that matter) are now (in the case of Heath Ledger) or will be (in the case of Richard Dawkins) burning in hell for all eternity. It's guaranteed to raise your blood pressure--unless you're a hateful bigot as well. Thankfully, B-grade horror movie sound effects that…
pharyngula | February 2, 2008This is not going to be an "all debate, all the time" blog, but readers have sent me a few accounts of recent skirmishes, so I'll toss 'em up here. This one is a description of a debate between the ferocious Mr Hitchens and that smooshy gooey feel-good rabbi, Shmuley Boteach. It's like pitting a knife against jello, I'm afraid.
I attended the debate between Christopher Hitchens and Rabbi Boteach in New York City. I unfortunately missed the openings but made it for the actual debate.
The technical content of the debate was fairly predictable. Hitchens focused on the logical lack of any…
evolvingthoughts | February 1, 2008
A rather cute article at the Catholic News Service says this:
In commentaries, papal speeches, scientific conferences and philosophical exchanges, the Vatican has been focusing more and more on the relationship between God and evolution.
From the outside, this may seem a reaction to the U.S. debate over creationism versus evolution, but it really has as much or more to do with the pope's interest in defining the legitimate spheres of science and faith.
Pope Benedict has weighed in several times on evolution, essentially endorsing it as the "how" of creation but cautioning that evolutionary…
pharyngula | February 1, 2008I'm engaged in battle again this next week, on 7 February, on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. This one is going to be very different than that last one, though; the other side isn't some ignorant wacko, but will be Loyal Rue, a Templeton award winner, and someone who has a rather more nuanced (I'm tempted to say "fluffy") vision of religion. I suspect that it will be much, much less antagonistic, and more of an open discussion.
The questions we'll be debating discussing are:
Are the religious and scientific worldviews (or epistemologies) antithetical to one another?
Are…
gregladen | February 1, 2008Science ruins being a human, according to the Pope.
Speaking of cells, the Pope said:
When human beings in the weakest and most defenseless state of their existence are selected, abandoned, killed or used as pure 'biological material,' how can one deny that they are being treated not as 'someone' but as 'something,"
The pope belies that undifferentiated cells are people. Each one of them, I suppose, is a person. But he does not believe that a differentiated cell that is converted by scientists into an undifferentiated cell is a person. Nor, apparently, does he think of it as a monstrosity…
pharyngula | January 31, 2008I'm sure he will be looking forward to this: his funeral is going to be held tomorrow.
Since the teaser calls him "one of the most wicked and vile human beings ever to walk the face of this earth", and since they've already done a hack job on Heath Ledger (in which they build a crude dummy of the actor and set it on fire), I have a sneaking suspicion that this won't consist of a reading of
Dawkins' suggestion for his funeral. In fact, I don't think these hateful yahoos are capable of reading that; the examples on their website are less than eloquent. These are not your Southern gentlemen…
pharyngula | January 30, 2008Many people have been sending me links to the latest comments by our charming Catholic pontiff, and I don't know, I'm just finding the old boy increasingly irrelevant as he continues his reactionary slide into medieval thinking. More and more it's like hearing reports of what some random homeless man in a Philadelphia subway station ranted about — it's amusing and appalling, but it's hard to work up the outrage to care any more. Yes, you can argue that the Pope is influential, but even there, how many self-identified Catholics pay any attention at all to what he says about contraception, for…
gregladen | January 29, 2008You may not want to miss this (Feb 13th) episode of Wife Swap:
a theologically liberal high powered corporate executive mother with a stay-at-home husband swaps lives with a born again Christian mom who believes women are created to be men's help-mates ...
... the Childs are born-again Christians who interpret the bible literally and use it as a guide for life. In the Childs' family constitution, God comes first, husband Christopher comes second. The family have to serve God at all times with a cheerful heart, and they follow the words of scripture to the letter. Lee-Ann is a stay-at-home mom…
gregladen | January 29, 2008Lee Salisbury, a former evangelical preacher, comments on evolution and creationism.
He starts with this:
Creationism seems to be gaining credence far beyond its actual influence in the world of science. Even American presidential candidates, lest they offend the religious right, reject evolution in favor of creationism. Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson and Mit Romney endorse creationism.
And ends with this:
Creationists are quite explicit in their stated goals, and there is little room for doubt their true intentions. The true mission of creationism is theocracy. Thus exposed, the need to fight…
oracknows | January 29, 2008In nondescript dressing room in a nondescript studio in a nondescript office building in in a nondescript industrial park, a short, pudgy 63-year-old man with the stereotypical demeanor of a particularly boring economist was trying to squeeze into a pair of shorts.
"Why oh why did I agree to do this?" he muttered in a whining drone.
He continued to struggle to get into the black shorts, virtually identical to the ones worn by English schoolboys and still worn by Angus Young of AC/DC on stage. Even though Young is over 50, somehow he managed to get into them, and so will I, thought the man.…
gregladen | January 28, 2008The Twin Cities Creation Science Association Home School Science Fair, held each year in February, in Har Mar Mall, Roseville, Minnesota, will occur this year on Saturday & Sunday, February 16 and 17, 2008.
The Application Deadline is January 31st, 2008 ($5.00 entry fee)
You can register after January 31st at the door for only three bucks more!
Here are the entry guidelines:
This fair is open to all Home School students in the greater Twin Cities area.
Each student may enter only one project.
There will be only individual projects, and team projects will not be allowed.
Each exhibit…
gregladen | January 27, 2008"Counterknowledge," I would have thought, includes things like how a particular customer likes her eggs, or if another customer gets antsy if he does not get his refill right way. You know, like in a diner. Counter knowledge. But it turns out that Counterknowledge is stuff like creationism, creation science, Scientology, alternative medicine, and so on.
The Telegraph has a review of a book by Damian Thompson with the title "Counterknowledge."
A synopsis from the publisher:
We are being swamped by dangerous nonsense. From 9/11 conspiracy theories to Holocaust denial, creationism to…
pharyngula | January 27, 2008Thanks, Revere, for making me the point man.
I didn't even mention the crazy people whose faith was rejuvenated by an imperfect potato. Although I would agree with your policy of agreeing with me.
pharyngula | January 26, 2008It's getting to be about that time: science fair season. I'll remind you all that we have an infamous local event, the Twin Cities Creation Science Fair, in which real live homeschooled creationist kids will present their experiments at the Har Mar Mall, on 16-17 February. I'm hoping to make it this year, but I've got a lot of other traveling to do that week, so I'm not sure that I'll be able to make it…if I do, though, I'll let you know.
Because I have to deal with this all the time, I'll also remind everyone that the Objective: Ministries Creation Sciende Fair page is a satire, OK?
This,…
pharyngula | January 24, 2008So Heath Ledger, the young actor, is dead of unknown causes. I don't know much about him, I did not have any kind of personal interaction with him so I don't need to know much about him — I liked some of his movies, he was young, it's tragic to see a life ended so early.
Those demented ghouls at Westboro Baptist Church have a different point of view, though.
It's just a lunatic ranting his hate, but that last paragraph is fascinating.
Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there — beside which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential.…
pharyngula | January 23, 2008Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh, a journalist in Afghanistan, has been arrested and condemned for downloading articles on the internet that are critical of Islam.
Kambakhsh, a student at Balkh University and a journalist for Jahan-e Naw (New World), was arrested in October 2007 after material he downloaded was deemed to be offensive to Islam.
Shamsur Rahman, the head of the court, told Reuters news agency: "According to... the Islamic law, Sayed Perwiz is sentenced to death at the first court.
"However, he will go through three more courts to declare his last punishment," he said.
I would say right…
tqa | January 23, 2008
Over at the Discovery Institute's blog, Rob Crowther is playing up the "Dissent from Darwinism" list. Again. The list is nothing new. They've been working on it for several years now, and have managed to accumulate "over 700" signatures from around the world. Given the number of scientists on the planet, and the degree to which the DI folks have relaxed their definition of "scientist", it's hardly a stellar performance on their part. As much as I'd like to ignore the list for being the laughable public relations gimmick that it is, I'm not going to this time. Crowther managed to punch one of…
razib | January 22, 2008The always interesting Inductivist has a post up where he cranks through the GSS to figure out how belief that astrology is somewhat or very scientific relates to belief in God. Below the fold I've taken his results and turned it into a chart.
The further you go the right, the more one is confident of belief in God. Note that the frequency who accept astrology increases, but note the bump for those who accept the appellation atheist! There are two primary points. First, atheism does not entail scientific materialism. Sometimes we need to reiterate this. Second, there might be issues…