With the thirst on the continent for a closer fiscal union to ‘address’ the problems of the common currency, don’t discount the possibility that the EU would latch on this constitutional expedient to eject their troublesome and powerful member. For those who dream of transaction taxes, and tax harmonisation, it is the only way to fulfil their dream, and the believer will sacrifice anything for the greater good.

Well from an animal welfare perspective, the lather should be pretty obvious.

FYI I’m from a rural area, herded a few cattle in my time, and eaten more than a few too.

Indeed, look at bees or Ethiopian wolves – only the dominant female breeds, so are the rest ‘abnormal’? Do they fail to support the next generation?

“Similarly homosexuality cannot rationally be desirable from the standpoint of propagation of the species, the individual just does not count here.” Neither is contraception, yet pretty much everyone to doesn’t take their perspective on life from iron age myths views reliable contraception as a great advance, and boon to the species. There’s more to life than banging out hordes of children.

"As far as I can tell though, people pay as much attention to Will Young as they do to Rev Mann. And rightly so. "

Bravo!

“The scientific method only applies to objects you can manipulate.”

Try selling that to an astronomer. Do they go out and poke stars?

Or I could use the scientific method to investigate the inverse correlation between faith in religion, and understanding of science, without manipulating either.

But shouting and feeling righteous is an essential part of the student experience.

How many of todays leaders didn’t indulge?

I’d say the operative word was “is”.

There were great theological minds who used the best tools then available to explore the mysteries of creation. They died with the scientific method, and there will never be another of their like. Now anyone of intellectual rigor is biased strongly against quoting ancient texts for anything other than historical interest.

Well there have been some rather impressive attempts to square the doctrine of iron age myths, with observed reality. Even Hitchens gave a nod to the Mormons solution to “What about the souls of those who died before God gave us ‘our’ revelation.” – they’re industriously going through historical records and swearing in everyone they can identify after the fact.

Not on a par with evolution by natural selection, but at least not as vicious as catholic enthusiasm for eternal punishment for the blameless.

Will Israel survive? To my mind the decisive factor will be the incompetence of their enemies. Contrast Mossad’s anti nuke assassination campaign, with Iran’s attempted counter assassination.

Every person I know who has encountered Arab / Persian armed forces has come away laughing at their incredible ineptitude. Can you see this happening in Israel http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9...? Or the Iranian Energy minister seriously suggesting that they harness the energy of desert djinns?

The demographic changes in Israel will certainly alter the culture, and Nuclear fire could wipe Israel off the map, but I cannot conceive of any conventional attack accomplishing the job until their enemies manage to read more than one book.

Assuredly the Israeli’s have their own ultra orthodox lunatics with a similarly circumscribed reading list, but their institutions remain capable of implementing policy (whatever Jenny Tonge may think of it).

Because they watched the sickening images of the intifada at a formative age. The camera said “guys with tanks blowing up guys with rocks”. That made for a simple and emotive argument, that quickly became de rigueur with todays trendies.