bankrupt artist v.3 » atheism

Richard Dawkins in Toronto

xinit — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:34:45 +0000

We’ve only recently returned from the Richard Dawkins on the University of Toronto Campus. Had my phone still had battery charge remaining, I would have likely typed all this up while in the restaurant waiting for our meal afterward. Thanks to CFI Ontario for the last minute tickets to the talk; I now have a signed copy of “The Greatest Show On Earth” and that was worth the price of the family membership. Hopefully I’ll get to see Michael Shermer this friday when he speaks on “Why Do People Believe Weird Things” (thankfully, and not on his economic books, but that’s another story).

Become a member of CFI; it can be worth the price of admission.

Professor Dawkins spoke for a while, read some excerpts from his book, and then took questions from the audience. I can’t imagine how anyone could really think him as horrible or evil or imposing after seeing him on stage, and later in the book signing line in the lobby. He’s cordial, has a good sense of humour, and was all smiles. Sure, it’s only the start of the trip, but still.

The questions from the audience were not all as boring or predictable as I might have imagined. It seems that there was no contingent of creationists on hand, no signs, no yelling of “LIES!” from the audience. Not a bad first stop on the North American book tour (the only one in Canada; sorry Vancouver). Apparently he appeared on CBC’s The Hour, but that’s apparently not online yet. There was only one question from an un-moderated audience microphone that touched on the idea that perhaps god was using evolution as his method… I’m sure that’s a common enough question he has to deal with.

One questioner pointed out that tomorrow is International Blasphemy Day, and asked if Professor Dawkins had any tips. Dawkins was surprised; he hadn’t heard of it, and he was somewhat speechless at first, but he laughed and said that at least Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

Dawkins confessed a slight mishearing of another questioner’s point, believing at one point that the questioner was asking if there would be an armed conflict between the religious and the non-believers, rather than the intended point about the growing number of unbelievers in recent days. Dawkins commented (paraphrased) “I suppose it’s of limited consolation that were it ever to come to that, our side would have everyone capable of designing weapons.”

Asked about the plan of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron to hand out thousands of copies of “Origin of The Species” on college campuses, Dawkins made sure that everyone in attendance who may have missed the hilarious Banana Video by re-enacting a chunk of it; “You’ll notice how easily it fits in my hand…” and compared the video to Monty Python. This before stating that he couldn’t imagine that most people on university campuses would have trouble seeing through this thinly veiled attempt at spreading their lies. He suggested that many people would be happy to receive a free copy of “Origin” and all they’d need to do would be to rip out those first fifty pages and … put them to better use…

One older man stood up and asserted that the case for Evolution was so strong, and so beyond doubt, that were we one day to find an intact human skeleton fossilized in a layer of rock where it just shouldn’t be (perhaps squished in a foot print of a dinosaur?), that it would not be data to go against evolution. He said that with the case for evolution so well established, that that would be in fact proof of time travel. Not entirely serious, perhaps, but a good point, which may yet fuel a followup book from Dawkins, if I could judge by his favourable response to the man.

The Quotable Einstein

xinit — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:50:02 +0000

While Albert Einstein is not a final resource on the non-existence of God, this quote from a letter recently auctioned off should help to set the record straight when Einstein is claimed as a man of religion by Christians in debates.

“Das Wort Gott ist für mich nichts als Ausdruck und Produkt menschlicher Schwächen, die Bibel eine Sammlung ehrwürdiger, aber doch reichlich primitiver Legenden. Keine noch so feinsinnige Auslegung kann etwas daran ändern. Diese verfeinerten Auslegungen sind … höchst mannigfaltig und haben so gut wie nichts mit dem Urtext zu schaffen.” Albert Einstein, Letter to Eric Gutkind, 1954

“The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this. These subtilised interpretations are highly manifold according to their nature and have almost nothing to do with the original text.” translation by Joan Stambaugh, 2008

For Einstein, it is not that God does not play dice with the Universe, but rather about the awe that one can feel in the ineffable.

“What separates me from most so-called atheists is a feeling of utter humility toward the unattainable secrets of the harmony of the cosmos.” Albert Einstein, Letter to Joseph Lewis, 1953

It would appear that Einstein used God as little more than a metaphor in explaining the unknown to the masses.

Saint Norman Updates

xinit — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:22:31 +0000

“Mike” at Hyphoid Logic updates on his experiments into prayer.

Jehovah: 0
Ghost of Norman Fell: 3.732

According to AAA, the price of gas has hit its sixth consecutive record high. For something to happen once or twice might be coincidence, but for it to happen six times in a row is clearly the result of supernatural intervention. Inversely, for something not to happen six times in a row is clearly attributable to the failure of some other thing. Surely this is a miraculous sign!

This is one mycologist atheist’s answer to the ineffective pray-in that Rocky Twymann arranged to ask the Lord Almighty to intervene in something as important as the price of the gas that goes into the holy SUV.

“God is the only one we can turn to at this point,” said Twyman, 59. “Our leaders don’t seem to be able to do anything about it. The prices keep soaring and soaring.”

Norman Fell is an angry, jealous god, and you are apparently angering Him, Tinkerbell.

CreNu Two

xinit — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:27:47 +0000

I posted another response to Creationist Nutbar (CreNu) and he deleted that as well. I asked him to tell me where the alleged book was on that poorly designed site, because there wasn’t any mention of it…

Patrick G_____ Today at 12:55am
Stop whining! I gave you the website. It took me two seconds to find the book: http://www.doesgodexist.org/Catalog/Catalog.html

Keep in mind, that he’s READ the book that he ORDERED from that site that he’s a regular visitor to. Go, see if you can easily find the information on the book loan program and how to arrange it…

Richard Murray Today at 1:26am
You’ve been there before. I went to the page and saw nothing about books or borrowing or anything. Being a an arrogant dick because you’ve been to this website before and you saw the book before and you borrowed the book before doesn’t help your case. If you really want to help convert us to His Loving ways, maybe you’d make it a bit easier and try to walk in His steps more literally.

The website you linked to was www.doesgodexist.org – in case YOU missed it. I read the magazine, I checked the archives, and I went tot he Request Materials link and none of those had information on borrowing a book. Searching for “book” on the front page didn’t help…

Even then the info on borrowing isn’t the most straight forward. Thanks, I might consider it, though I am loathe to pay return shipping on a book I don’t plan to keep simply to refute it.

We’re the atheist whiners, we’re the pretentious ones, and this is the guy walking with Jesus?

Edited to add my ‘whining’ post? Found it in an old browser window;

Richard Murray wrote at 10:14pm yesterday
Patrick: I tried to find this book “The Source–Eternal Design or Infinite Accident?” on the site you linked, but I couldn’t find it, let alone the word “eternal” or “source”… Are you referring to the online journal, or do you have a more specific link on that page?

Christian Food Fetishists

xinit — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:40:44 +0000

I was shocked yesterday to learn that there are people on this planet that have not been properly introduced to the real meanings behind everyday produce that you find in your local grocery store. Peanut butter, bananas, kidneys and carrots are among the foods that prove to the vapid that God exists. No need of reality here, we’ve got Proof.

The video that brought about the realization in me (most recently… this happens all the time) that not everyone has seen everything on the internet. I present to you, The Atheist’s Nightmare starring Ray Comfort and his marionette, Kirk Cameron. Ignore that the modern ‘dessert’ banana was made by man through selective breeding, and try not to giggle when he shows how easy it is to insert it in your face.

Nick Gisburne is an atheist with a better suggestion of a Christian’s Nightmare object… THE PINEAPPLE!

Chuck Missler and Smarmy Woman with their story of how Peanut Butter proves Darwin was a poo poo head.

Also, I find from Pharyngula today a great representative sample of the amazing pool of awful that GodTube brings to the table. Check the Pharyngula comments section for some interesting information about how wrong the following video is.

Praise Be To Saint Norman!

xinit — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:21:25 +0000

A mycologist / atheist / fan of reason writing under the pseudonym Mike O’Risal at Hyphoid Logic has been conducting a scientific experiment in evaluating the quality and quantity of divine intervention.

I’m a relatively empirically-minded individual, so I think an experiment is in order. While Twyman is praying to the Invisible Man in the Sky to lower gas prices, I’m going to make supplications to the ghost of Normal Fell to raise them. Fell, who was most famous for playing Mr. Roper on the 1970′s hit TV series Three’s Company, died in 1998.

He has seen real, honest proof of the power of prayer in providing tangible, distinct evidence of divine actions here on earth. I’m amazed; this kind of thing could have me set aside my atheism and setup an altar to properly honour this divine entity that has shown His hand as being much more powerful than that of the God of Abraham!

Despite the pray-ins led by Rocky Twyman on both coasts involving multiple participants, my solitary (as far as I know) prayers to the Disembodied Spirit of Mr. Roper appear to be having a greater empirical effect. So far, the evidence (if we start from the assumption that praying to anything at all ever changes anything outside the mind of the supplicant) supports my Fell-is-stronger-than-Jehovah hypothesis.

Norman Fell is causing the price of gas to rise, fighting the prayers and powers of the Christian God! It’s amazing; this should prove to all Christians just how wrong they have been, and they will begin to study the holy scripture that is Three’s Company.

Sources:

Is God More Powerful Than the Ghost of Normal Fell? Let’s Find Out.

So Far, The Ghost of Norman Fell is Winning

I got your proof of intelligence right here…

xinit — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:47:50 +0000

I made a little quiz for the movie Expelled, but I’m including the whole thing here seeing as how not everyone has Facebook, or cares to have the Flixter application installed (it does steal your soul, but you get used to it). If you’d prefer to take the test on Flixster, just go to the page for the movie Expelled – it’s available right there.

I even left in my unintentional double negative… If you’re paying as little attention to answering as I did to writing it, I’m sure you won’t even notice.

Question 1

How does the movie define evolution?
1. As a belief system made up by crazy scientists
2. As a zionist conspiracy
3. As a plot by Christian hating secularists
4. They never define evolution

Question 2

“Darwinism also has not one meaningful word to say on the origins of organic life”. (Ben Stein, Darwinism: The Imperialism of Biology, on Expelled The Movie blog.) Why did Darwin never cover how life begin, aka abiogenesis?
1. Darwin was a follower of Hitler
2. Darwin wasn’t trying to explain the origin of life
3. It’s part of a larger coverup by the Biology Cabal

Question 3

Ben Stein says in Expelled, “Jonathan Wells is also making progress using intelligent design theory in his research on cancer.” How is Jonathan Wells incorporating ID science in his research?
1. He prays for 4 hours a day over petri dishes
2. He invokes Design when convenient, apparently to avoid further study

Question 4

“Intelligent design was being suppressed in a systematic and ruthless fashion” (Ben Stein, Expelled). Why does science not acknowledge the validity of ID data?
1. Science worships Satan, and they willfully ignore all the evidence ID has laid before them
2. Science is heresy. Vaccines cause autism. Ancient knowledge is best.
3. Scientists are scared, they cower before God and deny him
4. There is no data, and the film presented none

Question 5

What is the real issue?
1. Suppression of ID
2. lack of warrant for its scientific claims

Question 6

Referring to evolution, scientists “say the debate has been settled, that the issues are settled.”(Bruce Chapman, Expelled) Why do scientists hold so strongly to this?
1. They’re afraid of the Truth
2. They’re big poopie-heads
3. They worship Satan, and he commands it.
4. Scientists have been researching evolution for 150 years, and it continues to be well supported by n

Question 7

Intelligent Design deserves a place in academia: “What about academic freedom? I mean, can’t we just talk about this?” — Ben Stein, Expelled Which other topics should be added to the science curriculum?
1. Transmutation
2. Prayer
3. How about sticking to empirical fact

Question 8

How many Jews did Darwin kill?
1. None
2. One
3. Millions

Question 9

What does evolutionary biology lead to?
1. Eugenics, jack boots, and concentration camps
2. Godless liberals and their damned socialized medicine
3. More answers, more questions, and a furthering of total human knowledge about the world

Question 10

Why was Richard Sternberg fired from the NIH in 2004, as editor of Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington?
1. He was caught saying grace before a meal
2. They’re afraid of the Truth, obviously
3. He was not an employee, but an unpaid assistant until 2006. He was not fired.
4. He published a pro-design article in the magazine and then Scientists burned his house down.

Question 11

How is science a religion?
1. It isn’t; there is nothing that is not exempt from questioning
2. They accept orders from the Atheist Pope, Richard Dawkins
3. They perform human sacrifices in Atheist churches
4. I don’t know, but my pastor said it is.

Question 12

“First of all, if you take seriously that evolution has to do with the transition of life forms, and that life and death are just natural processes, then one gets to be liberal about abortion, euthanasia, all of those kinds of ideas, it seems to me, follow very naturally from a Darwinian perspective. The de-privileging of human beings, basically” (Steve Fuller, Expelled)
1. Atheists are killing babies! Won’t someone think of the children? The children!
2. Accepting evolution does not make one a murderer. Scientists are fully capable of being moral beings
3. My pastor says we should kill all the atheists.
4. I think science is always bad, including this computer I’m using right now

Question 13

Why was Iowa State University astronomy professor Guillermo Gonzalez denied tenure?
1. Science bullies! Everyone gets tenure; all you have to do is ask nicely, and maybe pray on it
2. Gaining tenure at a major research institution is never easy for someone with a weak academic record
3. Should have prayed harder
4. He’s Catholic, and they’re not real Christians, so why should I care?

Question 14

How is Intelligent Design different from Creationism?
1. It isn’t
2. You shut up, is too. Lalalalalala I can’t hear you!

Answers: 4 2 2 4 2 4 3 1 3 3 1 2 2 1

I call it Intelligent Falling

xinit — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:59:34 +0000

From Freethoughtpedia’s Gallery of Motivational Posters

Invisible Sky Wizard Juice in Short Supply

xinit — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:34:24 +0000

Quit your complaining about having to click on the image above to embiggen so that you can read the poorly chosen font. You don’t have it nearly as hard as those poor creation scienticians.

Comic ripped unceremoniously from Malfunction Junction thanks to Pharnygula pointing it out.

Wishing You a Stab-free Holiday Season

xinit — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 19:44:37 +0000

Wondermark on the real meaning of Christmas.
The Sexy Secularist checks Jesus’ horoscope for accuracy

and
Thanks for Christmas, from the atheists

Praise Saturn!

Okay, I need to lay off the Christmas posts now.