IntenseDebate - Fil Salustri

10 years ago @ Our Daily Train | A bl... - God bless Mayor Rob Ford · 0 replies · +1 points

Honesty? He was essentially forced to do it by the evidence after months of rank denial. That's not being honest. That's a joke.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Redditgate and How it ... · 1 reply · +1 points

I think it's a matter of balance. So long as there are misogynistic assholes (more generally, assholes of any sort), then we should also expect there to be people willing to get into the gutters with them and fight for what's right, even if the methods are... sub-optimal.

So I'm glad people like Rebecca Watson exist and act and write as she does.

I'm also glad there are people like vjack, who try to find a balance.

12 years ago @ 9 to 5 Mac | Apple Int... - Steve Jobs Book Excerp... · 1 reply · +7 points

What I like is how Jobs "experimented" till he found the right thing. Too many people are too scared to experiment.

12 years ago @ Google+ News - Google's Photovine for... · 0 replies · +2 points

I prefer burstn for sharing photos.

12 years ago @ - The God of Insufficien... · 0 replies · +3 points

As for the probability of chance formation of a protein, I suggest referring to http://www.evolutionfaq.com/articles/probability-... (among others). The flaw in the anti-evolution argument as shown at the top of this page is that there is no reason to assume that proteins just magically popped into existence. Or at least, no scientific reason. Proteins could have come into existence in stages, each becoming slightly more complex than the last, in which case the odds drop very fast.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Should I Post the Iden... · 0 replies · +1 points

I'm the one who made the original suggestion.

One thing that was not mentioned above, was my suggestion that the first step would be to announce that hate email would be published with "attribution." Perhaps publishing the hate mailer's email address is not necessary. I wouldn't want them getting hate mail from nutjobs who happen to be atheists.

So post the announcement that hate emails will be posted with attribution. Give it a few weeks to sink in. In fact, put in the announcement when the new policy will take effect. Once the grace period has passed, do it. You might also want to explicitly state that serious threats will be given to the authorities.

I think that giving everyone fair warning gives them the chance to hold their sick tongues.

I don't think it's will provoke anything directly, because you'll have made a clear statement of the posting of those emails, and just posting the messages - without commentary - and just let the emails speak for themselves.

Of course, if you get a really serious threat, then by all means contact the authorities without posting that email until the authorities have done their bit.

I really like the notion of the billboard campaign, but one must be careful to distinguish between those who just lost their cool once from the perpetual crackpots.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - We Can Make Being Iden... · 1 reply · +1 points

It's a reasonable argument that atheism is a subtraction of something. Many argue that atheists are without morality because morality comes from god. Perhaps we need to replace things rather than just deny them. Secular morality must exist, and in other forms besides what Sam Harris proposes. I like Sam's ideas, but it's always good to have a plan B.

Another approach might be possible from work like G. Paul's (http://www.epjournal.net/filestore/EP07398441_c.pdf) which shows that societies are healthier without religion.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - More Christian Email: ... · 0 replies · +1 points

I guess you can tell what I think. :) Assuming it's legal, I like the idea of people taking responsibility for the things they say.

In the interest of avoiding frivolous lawsuits, if you're inclined to start attributing emails, you might first post a "policy" that says any emails directed to you may on certain subjects may be at your discretion posted, with attribution, on this blog. Wait a few weeks for it to seep into the web, and then have on.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - More Christian Email: ... · 2 replies · +1 points

Is there a law or something preventing you from publishing the author of these hate mails?

12 years ago @ RagingRev - Popular Misconceptions... · 0 replies · +1 points

Well said.

Yes, it would be more productive to talk to theists. And I encourage my fellow atheists to do so. My own position is rather specific. I've tried to 'discuss' things - matters always go south, as in this discussion on LinkedIn: http://lnkd.in/VY3XKi. Instead, I've now reached the point where I'm becoming more 'militant' about it. Near as I can tell, anyone who accepts any one of the conventional gods of the major religions condones the horrors that religion has visited on man in the name of that god. And I will do everything in my power to undermine them at every turn. This includes the use of vulgarity and insult, as required. I would not advise others to pursue this approach as well. I'm just at a point where I've had it with the bullshit.

But talking to theists - the ones who need a good talking to - is painful to me. They're usually so ignorant, so uninformed, so unaware of their own motivations and how their upbringing influenced them, so blind,.... every once in a while, I need to talk to some atheists and cool down.

For that, I thank you.

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