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Archive for February, 2009

An Evening with Michael Shermer: Why People Believe Weird Things

Shermer at the Great American God-Out in Manha...
Image via Wikipedia

If you live near Fremont in California, you might want to free up your evening on Friday 6th March, because Michael Shermer is going to give a talk there on why people believe weird things. Admission is only $10, and Michael Shermer is a great speaker. His talk covers the following topics:

  • Is ESP real?
  • Does “alternative” medicine really work?
  • What causes mass delusion?
  • What’s up with UFOs sightings?
  • Why are people so gullible?
  • What’s the evidence for Near-Death Experiences, Alien Abductions, Recovered Memories, Creationism, Holocaust Denial, Race, or God?

Should be very interesting! The talk is being organised by the Ohlone College Psychology Club.

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Children of Evolution

Great video, great song. Those Germans certainly know how to celebrate science!

H/T to Pharyngula

Debunking Ray Comfort’s Sidebar

Ray Comfort has jumped from the good ship “Atheist Central” to seek out his new fortune as the “Creationism Examiner” over at Examiner.com. He was originally the “Anti-Atheism” examiner but something tells me the site owners weren’t too pleased with that title. I wasn’t too pleased with it either; if anything, Ray Comfort has been one of the most potent forces for atheism in recent years. His arguments are so ridiculous and so full of blatant misinformation that I suspect they have caused more dissenters than followers. Anyway, he is still posting all his blog posts at Atheist Central, although comments are disabled. On the bright side, his comment moderation abilities on the Examiner site seem to be quite limited, so we can all finally tell him what we think of him.

Getting back to the topic in hand, I noticed that before he deserted his old blog, Ray had posted some interesting sidebar messages that just couldn’t escape my scrutiny. So here I present Ray’s sidebar, debunked.

An atheist is someone who believes that nothing made everything. He will deny that through gritted teeth, because it is an intellectual embarrassment. But if he says of his Toyota that he has no belief that there was a maker, then he thinks that nothing made it (it just happened), which is a scientific impossibility. So, to remain credible, he falls back on something made everything, but he just doesn’t know what that something was. So he’s not an atheist–he believes in an initial cause.

Let me mark him. No, no, no, no, and…no. Firstly, as I have previously debunked, an atheist is not someone who believes that nothing made everything. This is a straw-man argument. We don’t deny it through gritted teeth because it’s an intellectual embarrassment but because it simply isn’t true. His Toyota argument fails for the simple reason that if I don’t believe there was a maker, perhaps I have no opinion on its origins. I’d also like to take this time to point out the useless phrase “scientific impossibility”, which is generally used only by scientifically ignorant people to try and make a point. Due to the complex nature of science, and the fact that theories are being steadily built up and improved upon, it is rather silly to say something is scientifically impossible, and proving it is ever harder. For example, in 1895 Lord Kelvin stated “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible”, and then 7 years later the Wright Brothers proved him completely wrong. Scientists love getting their theories disproved, but they don’t like looking like complete fools at the same time, and so they don’t tend to state absolutes. Getting back to Ray’s quote, he is creating yet another straw-man argument by equating atheism to “disbelief in an initial cause”. In case you missed it the first time, this is not what atheists believe. Read a dictionary.

An atheist is someone who pretends that there is no God.

Not even close. If we knew there was a god, why would we willingly disbelieve in it knowing full well that such an action would cause us eternal punishment according to most religions. Ray is insinuating that atheists are not only lying, but are also painfully stupid people. My fundamentalist friend brought a similar argument up once, and I debunked it on this very blog.

The freedom to be an atheist is the God-given right of every American.

Well seeing as I’m not American I guess I have the freedom to be an atheist because a thing called freedom of religion and freedom of speech exists in all good democracies. Anyway, as clever American historians will tell you, the founding fathers put the separation of church and state clause into the constitution so that religion couldn’t fuck them later on. They did this to protect their new country from the political control that the church had in England, and judging by the state of the “secular UK” today, it was a very good call indeed. The US constitution prevents any religion from having control over the state, whereas the UK is now bowing down to fundamentalist Islam as they slowly invade our nation. I’m not against them being Muslims, but if they want to control the government and make sure nobody can offend them, we have a massive problem.

Atheism is the epitome of the sin of ingratitude.

Prove to me there is sin, prove to me the universe was created by a loving God, and prove to me that I should be grateful. I cannot fathom how a supposedly loving God would offer us a choice that involves either worship or torture, and then want us to be grateful for that choice. It isn’t a choice, it is bullying. Hey Ray, you can either give me all your money or be killed by forks slowly being poked through your eyes. Your choice, and remember, it’s a free choice so be grateful!

An atheist plays Russian roulette with fully loaded gun.

A theist plays Monopoly by buying a single property and refusing to add any houses or hotels. They just sit idly until they lose, and then claim that their go had a higher purpose. All the while, everyone else on the table has become financially successful, owning several hotels each. The wealthiest player buys the property the theist was using and makes a massive profit on it. The theist ends up fetching drinks for everyone still in the game.

Atheism is intellectual suicide.

Theism is the act of committing suicide every single moment of your life.

Evolutionists have done to science, what hypocrites have done to religion.

Indeed, both have furthered the pursuit of knowledge in their relative fields. Only whilst science is enhanced by the findings of Evolutionary theory, religion is systematically destroyed.

The human propensity to gullibility is evidenced by evolution’s many believers.

Says Ray “Banana Man” Comfort, the man behind the Crocoduck, Sheep-Dog (half sheep, half dog), and the Bull-Frog (half Bull, half…well, you can guess). The rejection of evidence over scripture is the evidence of the human propensity to gullibility.

An atheist has no scientific creditably, because his “nothing created everything” violates the basic laws of science.

See first point. I’ll also take this time to point out that prayer, miracles, and prophecies violate the basic laws of science.

An atheist is like a fish in the ocean saying that there’s no evidence that there’s an ocean.

The fish can see the ocean and it can feel the ocean. Atheists have never heard, seen, touched or smelt God. I hardly think they would be atheists if they had.

It is impossible for a Christian to convert to atheism because a Christian is someone who knows God.

Oooh, the no true Scotsman fallacy. Well done! Now are we talking absolute or relative knowledge here, because, y’know, it makes a big difference. *Knock Knock*, oh Ray? There are some angry ex-Christians out here who want a word.

We have men who call themselves scientists, when they should have instead got a job with Disney as “imagineers.”

We have men who call themselves followers of a man who preached peace, when they seem more like followers of Charles Manson.

If God didn’t exist, the atheist wouldn’t have something to not believe in.

There is a pink umbrella at the bottom of the pacific that controls time and space. The only way to survive death is to pray to it for forgiveness. What’s that? You don’t believe it exists? Well if it didn’t exist you wouldn’t have something to not believe in would you? Q.E.D.

The atheist says that he doesn’t believe God exists, but he uses His name as a cuss word. Go figure.

I’m back, I figured it out: People tend to use words their society also uses. Even ignoring that, how does using a name as a curse word automatically make you believe in it? I say “Oh fuck it” quite a bit. Does that mean I believe someone is going to fuck whatever “it” is? Don’t think so.

School children should have evolution explained to them, so that they can see how unscientific and crazy it is.

Luckily, school children are being taught evolution, and most of them have it explained to well enough so they don’t see the side you make up and lie to them about. Failing that, people who go to university to really study biology will have a hard time rejecting the evidence presented to them.

British Slang

Absolutely nothing to do with atheism, but I had this idea after watching a clip of Hugh Laurie on the Ellen DeGeneres show, and after finding the “List of British words not widely used in the United States” article on Wikipedia. Basically this is for my US readers, can you match up the British slang to the meanings? After you’ve attempted to match them all up, click the “Show Answers” button (JavaScript needed) and see how you did!

The Slang

manky
minger
chav
pear-shaped
bugger all
argy-bargy
throw a wobbly
higgledy-piggledy
take the piss
knackered
spot on
chuffed
jammy git
footie
fringe
boffin
rat-arsed
bob’s your uncle
witter
gobsmacked

The Meanings

to go drastically or dramatically wrong
it’s that simple
exhausted
in disarray
utterly astonished
scientist or engineer, geek, nerd
proud, satisfied, pleased
exactly
to make fun of somebody
to continue to talk trivially about a subject long after the audience’s interest has gone
to lose one’s temper
little or nothing at all
slob, someone who is unattractive
extremely drunk
typically a working class person of lowish intelligence who wears designer label copies and is a trouble-maker
football (soccer)
bangs, as in describing collective strands of hair covering part or all of the forehead
pushing-and-shoving or outright fighting
feeling ill, rough, out of sorts; filthy, dirty, rotten.
lucky person

manky – feeling ill, rough, out of sorts; filthy, dirty, rotten.
minger – slob, someone who is unattractive
chav – typically a working class person of lowish intelligence who wears designer label copies and is a trouble-maker
pear-shaped – to go drastically or dramatically wrong
bugger all – little or nothing at all
argy-bargy – pushing-and-shoving or outright fighting
throw a wobbly – to lose one’s temper
higgledy-piggledy – in disarray
take the piss – to make fun of somebody
knackered – exhausted
spot on – exactly
chuffed – proud, satisfied, pleased
jammy git – lucky person
footie – football (soccer)
fringe – bangs, as in describing collective strands of hair covering part or all of the forehead
boffin – scientist or engineer, geek, nerd
rat-arsed – extremely drunk
bob’s your uncle – it’s that simple
witter – to continue to talk trivially about a subject long after the audience’s interest has gone
gobsmacked – utterly astonished
Categories: humour, personal Tags: , , , ,

Carnival of the Godless #111

Welcome to the One Hundred and Eleventh edition of the Carnival of the Godless! This carnival was rather varied in content, and although I tried to arrange it into categories, everything just fell apart as the number of articles got lower and lower. The first two submissions are poems, so it makes sense to have them on first, but otherwise there is no specific order. It’s a carnival of chaos, folks!

ilavaluthy presents An Atheist’s God. An atheist’s god??? What in the name of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is this nonsense? I demand to know what the…oh, it’s a metaphor. Well that’s just fine and dandy then.

Digital Cuttlefish penned The Theist And The Blade Of Grass. When Ann Finch wrote “The Atheist and the Acorn” in 1713, it was probably debunked by the great thinkers of the time in a matter of minutes. Alas, it has taken almost 3 centuries for a good comeback to be written, and thankfully that comeback was provided for us through the always elegant writings of Digital Cuttlefish.

In the beginning, Ensign Rose wrote Keeping it holy, in which the author debunks the myth that the world was created in 7 days. It only took one fallen human being 20 minutes! Suck it, God!

(((Billy))) The Atheist explains how Noah’s Ark Will Be Found. Again. Really. Well, not “really”, but he does go into why so many people seem intent on finding it, and the lengths they will go to in order to prove their religion.

Paul Fidalgo comments on The Prayer Breakfast: Obama’s Subtle Understanding of the separation of church and state, whilst DWSUWF argues that Obama Embraces the Bush/Cheney Unitary Executive. Again and again and again. Is Obama reaching out to atheists, or is he simply being a hypocrite?

Chris Hallquist eloquently debunks Richard Lewontin’s anti-scientific review of the classic Carl Sagan book “The Demon Haunted World” over at The Uncredible Hallq.

steven germain argues that I Do Not Know If There Is A God But There Is A Devil…, and that devil is holocaust denier Bishop Richard Williamson.

Greg Perkins criticises TV host Glenn Beck over his attack on atheists in School Prayer Stupidity

M. Rundkvist presents Ola Wikander and Fictional Beings, saying, “A Swedish grad student looking at the strange similarities between Jahwe and Ba’al.” A bit like looking at the strange similarities of the biblical Jesus with every other god in history I suppose!

Seth Manapio writes how “JESUS IS LOUD!” and how he once shouted at him in a daze. He got over it of course, and proceeds to write a short essay on the dangers of faith based thinking.

A skeptical eye is cast at Eastern religions’ claims to non-violence after decades of civil war in Sri Lanka when SocraticGadfly exposes those non-violent Hindus – and Buddhists

“Why are you an atheist?” often gets a variety of different answers, and Andrew presents his personal Summary Case For Atheism.

Over at State of Protest, Procrustes asks the ethical question Would You Lie About Your Faith To Save Your Life?

Greg Laden has written a blog series on The Bible as Ethnography, and that is a massive introductory post. Read the whole series though!

PhillyChief goes In Search of an Honest Christian, and doesn’t find one.

Scott Hughes writes on The Clarity Of Amorality at Philosophy Forums, arguing “that we don’t need religious or metaphysical terms of morality to describe human behaviour.”

Martin freedman presents Anti-atheism and anti-theism, a comparison of atheist and theist reactions to one another.

Greta Christina argues that “Many of the most common arguments against atheists and atheism are essentially of the “Shut up, that’s why” variety This post shows exactly how these arguments are designed, not to respond to atheist arguments, but to shut them up.” – Atheism and the “Shut Up, That’s Why” Arguments

Jason writes about 1600: Giordano Bruno, freethought martyr who was executed five days and 409 years ago.

Andrew Bernardin goes over 2 Christian assumptions, that there is a Heaven, and there is a Hell – CCCA – 5: Heaven and Hell, Next Exit

Ron Britton explains how It Would Have Been Easier to Keep the Birds Away from the Engines and the survivors of the Hudson plane crash should be thanking the pilot and flight crew, not God.

Finally

The previous host of the carnival (The Greenbelt) submitted this review of the TV serial Quatermass IV, and how elements show the combination of reason and faith – Fight or flight

Rich Bordner is a Christian who offers a challenge to skeptics, saying

Hit me with your best shot, folks. Check back often in the next few weeks, as I will be answering the most common challenges I receive. Hopefully, a good and interesting dialogue will ensue.

So that’s all for this carnival. Remember to submit articles for the next carnival at State of Protest using this form!

The Atheist Blogger