IntenseDebate - ignored

13 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Another Reason to Avoi... · 1 reply · +2 points

If their high-calorie, artery-clogging, cholesterol-laden, deep-fried, processed food with very little nutritional value doesn't turn you off...

13 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Questions for Those Ra... · 1 reply · +5 points

My son in now 16 but yeah it was a problem. His mother however does believe in the christian god. She isn't nearly as concerned with it today as she once was but I think she would still consider herself a believer. This makes it difficult. I do believe that if you want any sort of control over how you raise your child be sure the child's mother has a similar world view. I say this because, and I know it isn't something you ever want to think of when you love someone, but there may come a day when she leaves and takes the child with her. You'll then find that as the non-custodial parent you have just about zero say in the child's upbringing, religious or otherwise.

in the end, it was out of my hands. I think my son's strategy, at least when he was younger and more subject to peer pressure was to just play along, he may still do this to some extent for the sake of "live and let live". It is a peace-keeping strategy but if push came to shove he would stand up for what he actually does believe. I have in the past questioned the way he deals with this but I don't have to walk in his shoes and to say anything at all critical of christianity would be more than I could muster at his age.

13 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Responding to the Acco... · 0 replies · 0 points

Not that I agree with them and not that I have any desire to "help" but I think "you're not helping" is a reference to a general state of good relations between theists and non-theists. Answering the unspoken question: "Why can't we all just get along?"

13 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - We Don\'t Need The Huf... · 3 replies · -1 points

I agree with you in principle but not in practice. Do you have any idea how much traffic they get? It is the same issue I have with product boycotts. I have often wished I could influence the actions of a large corporation with the actions of myself, friends, and family but even the entirety of the agreived is but a drop in the proverbial bucket and is almost certain to go entirely unnoticed.

Also, to be intellectually honest you would need to also boycott those that support the site (advertisers) which would eventually have you living in a cave somewhere.

13 years ago @ TechCrunch - TechCrunch Friday Give... · 0 replies · +1 points

What about those of us who have sworn off the evil facebook?

14 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - The Question Christian... · 0 replies · +1 points

Yes, I think Dan Dennett hit the nail on the head with this bit from "Breaking the Spell"

"some people who consider themselves believers actually just believe in the concept of God. … They … think that their concept of God is so much better than the other concepts of God that they should devote themselves to spreading the Word. But they don’t believe in God in the strong sense. (p. 216)"

I think this goes even farther, most Christians actually only profess belief. This is obvious because, as you have said, if it were otherwise you would surely be able to tell the difference. If I believed every word of the bible were true surely you would be able to differentiate me from the average guy on the street. However, if I only profess belief, you would expect to find that I lived my life in a manner that is not significantly different than those that profess belief.

In fact, you could almost call it Dennett's postulate: A person with a true and real belief in a god could could be expected to behave and appear differently than one who does not believe.

This would, of course, be true for belief in the literal truth of the bible as well.

14 years ago @ Exsisto Sane - Holding Deities Accoun... · 0 replies · +1 points

I'll leave your straw man to the side for now and allow you another go at it. I made myself very clear. Why don't you? Better yet, show me that you know what you are talking about and stop insulting everyone's intelligence. Come back when you can be intellectually honest.

Correction: Actually there was no blatant equivocation in Arcanus' post, however, I still stand by the claim of straw man. The author is clearly aware that my argument is not meant to be read with such specificity but chooses to ignore it in an attempt to bolster his/her own argument. This is also an evasion of the real question which, once again, is why did your god let little Will get acute myloid leukemia?

14 years ago @ Exsisto Sane - The Nook · 0 replies · +1 points

On the contrary, from what I've read these devices are great for low-vision readers. You can adjust the type size on the fly and the devices are designed to be easy on the eyes. e-ink displays mimic the printed page and aren't like any of the displays to which we are typically accustomed. See e-Ink display information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eink

14 years ago @ Deep Thoughts - What normal sounds like · 0 replies · +1 points

Now that wasn't so hard was it? I'm militant? Not hardly, now who is making the assumptions? Now if only the country's religious leaders would publicly take the same step you did today.

14 years ago @ Deep Thoughts - What normal sounds like · 0 replies · +1 points

Ok, apparently you aren't going to answer the question. It isn't a difficult question or a trick question and your evasion is evidence enough that you do not believe the actions of Roeder to be domestic terrorism, you just don't have the guts to state it publicly.

For future reference, the only acceptable answer is a definitive "YES" with no hesitation.

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