Comments on: shaky

By: JoJo

JoJo — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:44:13 +0000

Indeed – rockets are fine for Israel, but when it comes to London buses the explosive is usually delivered in person by one of the faithful.

By: Simon

Simon — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:34:56 +0000

That’s the worst cartoon depiction of mohammed firing a rocket launcher at a london bus that I have ever seen. Shame, Author.

By: Toast in the machine

Toast in the machine — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:19:35 +0000

http://www.simulation-argument.com/matrix.html
‘…we should accept as true at least one of the following three propositions:

(1) The chances that a species at our current level of development can avoid going extinct before becoming technologically mature is negligibly small

(2) Almost no technologically mature civilisations are interested in running computer simulations of minds like ours

(3) You are almost certainly in a simulation.

Each of these three propositions may be prima facie implausible; yet, if the simulation argument is correct, at least one is true (it does not tell us which).‘

By: Shoaib

Shoaib — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:02:58 +0000

ann4,

He looks pale? Jesus looks pale? He’s white, for crying out loud!

Is he white? That depends on how you define the term. But if he is, then so is
Mo along with Osama bin Laden.

yabutnoweh,

That does sound rather cool. It sure would make all those, “I’m not an Atheist because I believe in myself” bumper stickers quite popular.

By: theholyllama

theholyllama — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:58:57 +0000

@yahbutnoweh – how could we be AI creations of people in the future when we exist now, ie not in the future? Other than that, plausible theory.

By: ann44

ann44 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:55:11 +0000

He looks pale? Jesus looks pale? He’s white, for crying out loud!

XDXD

By: John The Geologist

John The Geologist — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:49:22 +0000

Mo wouldn’t be the first jihadist to blow up a London bus, would he.

I like the Italian advert but would suggest changing it to “Religion is a load of bollocks. There is no sky fairy. Try living your own fucking life”.

By: yabutnoweh

yabutnoweh — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:05:21 +0000

Shoaib, funnily enough my pet “God” theory – we are all AI creations of people in the future, ancestor sims. The probability of that is infinitely greater than there being a conventional God :- (time x computing power x ….)

By: yabutnoweh

yabutnoweh — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:01:54 +0000

Blinding! I am addicted. I have become accustomed to pointing people to the relevant strip to make a point as I always come across as a bigotted atheist – subtlety not being my strength. J&M should be on the bus ads.

By: Toast in the machine

Toast in the machine — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:31:56 +0000

Poor Richard – I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I haven’t mentioned agnosticism.

By: GlenAffric

GlenAffric — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:09:59 +0000

@ Benjamin Geiger

“the core of the Earth ‘could’ be made of creamy nougat”

You Atheists think you’re SO damn clever don’t you! I can’t believe you can doubt that FACT. Well answer me this! Where else do you think creamy nougat comes from?!

HA!

I rest my case!

By: Shoaib

Shoaib — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:03:08 +0000

Poor Richard,

Firstly, let’s leave out the stereotypes, shall we? Agnostics=wimps is kind of, well, puerile. Also, it smacks of a my-way-or-the-highway sort of thing, something which most religions have been criticised for!

Secondly, there might, just might, be a creator. Maybe the probabilities are minuscule but, as a certain Mr. Russell has shown, it’s impossible to prove that the probability is zero.

Of course, when I say ‘creator’ I’m using it in a literal sense–as maybe we might one day be creators for AI or something along those lines.

The danger lies not in leaving space for doubt for a creator; the danger lies when you give that creator the label of God hence giving birth to religion. He now becomes a moral creature as opposed to just someone who facilitated us being here. You make Him an absolute. That, as is very apparent, is an extremely dangerous thing.

Regards,

By: Adam Tjaavk

Adam Tjaavk — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:58:00 +0000

Don’t know why you’re addressing me; maybe ‘poor’ means in comprehension; you appear to have grasped the wrong end of the stick firmly in both hands.

_____

By: Poor Richard

Poor Richard — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:36:43 +0000

Adam, Benjamin, Toast, et al. Quit waffling–only wimps are agnostics. 1. There is no “God.” 2. There is no “Satan.” Both are very old relics of the evolution of mind. Both, and all their attendant myths, have been thoroughly and convincingly documented to be superstitions. Psychologically, they seem functional, but the harm these delusions cause is massive and irreparable. We shall have war, atrocities, overpopulation and starvation, hate crimes and genocide, until we learn to see the wonderful reality we live in and how we might flourish without religious lies. Who needs Satan when the evil lives inside our own hearts, where it needs no help? Faith seems inevitable given the odd wiring in our brains, and we love to cling to those little hopes that are so clearly products of fear and wishful thinking. If we must worship, let it be our Mother Earth, before we have killed the rest of her.

My favorite example, now. If the world could rid itself of the superstitions governing procreation, we could get the population down to about half in a short enough time to save us. Rule: One couple, one child. Period. No argument. Boy or girl, it’s yours, and that’s it. No more. Of course we will never do this. We prefer to die like spawning salmon, rotting while rutting.

In short, Mo doesn’t know his bazooka is plugged with withered heads and will explode in his face when he fires it. As Poor Richard might say, “Keep your powder dry and your bore squeaky clean.”

By: Toast in the machine

Toast in the machine — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:48:23 +0000

Mmm… I think you’re right Jim, it seems to bring together two different topical stories. Not sure how you’d differentiate a ‘hardcore atheist’ from any other kind of atheist though, nor ‘who started it’.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:16:06 +0000

I hope he’s got enough ammo – as he’ll wait for one then at least 3 will come at once.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:52:00 +0000

I need some clarification… is this meant to allude to the conflict in Gaza, or is it just discussing the animosity between hardcore atheists and harcore theists?

By: Joe Fogey

Joe Fogey — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:31:59 +0000

The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
All day long.

By: Benjamin Geiger

Benjamin Geiger — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:17:45 +0000

I’m technically agnostic because there *could* be a deity.

Then again, the core of the Earth *could* be made of creamy nougat.

And I’d say they’re both about equally likely, so I’m a de facto atheist.

By: Anthony Mercer

Anthony Mercer — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:43:59 +0000

Yeah, the Italian one’s better…