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Richard Dawkins replies to Sloan Wilson

John, the only discussions you want to have is about how Dawkins is wrong, wrong, wrong and scientists are keeping others from hearing your amazing theory as some part of some conspiracy-- and TA is your number one cheerleader and the only one who gives credence to your cell-as-replicator hypothesis and anti-Dawkins, anti-meme, rhetoric.

Just because I dismantle your Dawkins bashing and Behe-esque theory proffering and give others the heads up regarding the delusion you hide behind, doesn't mean I don't engage in sensible discussions. All the "sensible discussions" you seem to be engaged in are centered around the above and you dodge and weave to avoid acknowledging it. And TA follows you like a puppy supporting your unsupported hyptothesis and your piddly ire at Dawkins and those evil others who repress your claims to genius.

Your hypothesis would be used and discussed if it was comprehensive, useful, or true, John. There's no conspiracy to make facts the domain of certain people. Scientists spend millions to analyze stardust. How you've convinced yourself that they are failing to give your notion fair play is beyond me.

You and Von Neuman and Mijo and, even Kleinman are all fairly smart guys who avoid the term "intelligent design" proponent and know just enough science to get some cheerleaders-- You all have a bee in your bonnet about Dawkins and it's mostly because no one takes your alternate claims and explanations seriously even though you are all convinced you are the next genius in explaining how life arose on this earth. To me, you are sad old men like Behe (your hero).

All your supposed deep conversations are all about just that. All your piddly little comments about others are on par with your comments about Dawkins. You're just pissed because you think you deserve the praise he receives. And you stick up for TA, because he's the only one who gives your alternate scenario the notion of plausibility. It's hard to convince yourself that you are a hidden genius with higher truths, if you haven't got sway over an audience. And you're pissed with Dawkins for driving the point home.
 
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Oh the irony... he accused me of making a baseless accusation when he entered this thread and the other one with a baseless accusation. Irony. Creationists are so bloody good at it!

My Bat Irony Meter kept going off so I was forced to track down the signal.

;)

-H "they keep subbing your for you're" S
 
Nowhere have I defended religious lies. My position, from the start of this thread, has been that religion is not all bad, nor even mostly bad.

Then you are defending lies. Religion is a lie. It is all made up with not a shred of evidence to support it. All Lies = All Bad.

Actually, that's completely wrong - the TAM comments aren't insults, just the impression you give in person.

You can pretty much say anything you want when you never have to prove it. So, you won't mind if I ask for the names of the people who said this so I can verify it..

And don't attempt the old evasion of refusing to give the names to protect a confidence. You have already violated any confidence these people had in you. If they really said it, they shouldn't be afraid to confirm it.

I eagerly await your response.
 
Arti. You must be the only person who ever went to high school who wrote her own "KICK ME' sticker.

For the final time, I'm going to explain exactly why and where it is that you prove yourself to be the perfect example of your favourite cliche - moses.

I know it won't make the slightest bit of difference to how you think you're going, but you've just passed my "not lucid enough to bother with" function. I'll make the odd comment and I'll never put you on ignore, but in terms of efforts to engage you, this is it.

I can even be perfectly civil while doing it.

Sorry TA-- you are going to have to get someone else to translate...

Coming from someone whose posts are littered with grammatical and spelling errors (as opposed to simple tyops), I won't even start to question what level of self-delusion might encourage anyone to start a post to me in that fashion.

Irony didn't even make the top five.

Demonstraby absurd.

... you are sounding as crazed as Herzblut now... how's that imaginary battle you are winning in your head going?

Let me see...

One ad hominem to me, and a quick uppercut to Herzblutt.

*Quick note to Arti: nice to see you get Herzblut's name right, it's a lot more difficult than QAYAK's and they've been posting for about the same time, although qayak has far more posts.

And I know this is going to be hard to hear, but I actually get quite a lot of positive feedback and pms from both this forum and TAM. And it's from some really smart and cool people who actually know stuff! I don't have communication problems with people in general.

Obviously. I wouldn't expect you to have communication problems with people in general. Given the average standard of communication, I'd say you'd be well above it. The problems always seem to stem from when someone questions something you have: A) learned by rote, and B) believe to the point of fury when questioned.

Your argument with me in this thread is entirely about me refusing to accept that all religion is bad.

Now explain which one of us is the zealot, please.

My eight-year old daughter knows some "really smart and cool people who actually know stuff" as well. Congratulations.

I have heard one person say a positive thing about you (andyandy) and heard tons encouraging others to put you on ignore.

Yep, I've spoken to Andy about that, but he's a Pom and they're quite forgiving. I agree with the ignore feature, though, more people should us it on me, because if they keep coming back to me on positions I take, I'll fight for those positions, and as I repeat after repeat after repeat. I have no interest in who are what is right, just that it is right.

Again, how lovely it is to see Unter leaping to your defence. Last week, someone took my defence of him to mean that I was some kind of CFLarsen fan, despite that being demonstrably wrong. Since this started, you have classed me as a religious apologist, because I refuse to accept that all religion is bad.

How silly is that?

I constantly see people demanding skepticism and critical thinking, only to see it fly out of the window when someone kicks a sacred cow. I kick sacred cows just for the hell of it. Just to see whether they kick back, and if so, whether they kick back with a vengeance of facts or a peurile and cowardly attack.

Let's see.

Inbetween the pair of brackets immediately following this sentence, I have listed all of the facts you brought to this discussion showing why all religion is bad: ( )

Hmm. Not much, is there?

I suggest you put me on ignore promptly then, because what you're getting at the moment is me being nice. Frankly, you sicken me. It bugs the hell out of me that I'm perceived as being "on your side" by christendom and apathetic agnostics. Much as I despise christians for being deluded, I far reserve the worst invective for people who are smart enough to know better but act the same way, just minus god.

I don't even dislike you...

That's nice to know. Let's have a look at the evidence, shall we?

I just think you only make sense in your own head most of the time.

Promising start.

I don't really seem to have trouble communicating with intelligent people on this forum or in life. I try to see if someone like you ever has a point--but when I read your old posts they are the same as now. Some are decent... but most are tangential, insulting of those you might learn something from, amusing only to you as far as I can tell, and they show a profound lack of understanding of both evolution and anything Dawkins says as well as evolution in general. Those who you quote in your sig are people I find much more coherent and intelligent than you. So, naturally, I've concluded the problem is you--not me.

Not even worth challenging on your totally baseless allegation about my understanding of evolution. At no stage have I challenged any conventional thinking, beyond supporting John in a theory which has by no means disproven. I commented from my very first defence of John that I did not necessarily agree with his theory, but felt it is worth exploring. Personally, I find it incredible that anyone wishing to be called a scientist would dismiss it out of hand. No evidence has been forthcoming to refute John at any stage.

My defence of him, and my refusal to admit that all religion is bad has led to your "not disliking" me.

In fact, Paul Provenza jokes that he's met dumb theists and smart theists, but he's never met a dumb atheist. And I always think to myself, that's because you haven't met TA. :)

Quick ad hominem on the way through.

Ah prolly wooda larfed myslef iff'n Ah'd a-knowed who thet fulla wuz.

You'd really like me in person. I love letting people think I'm quite stupid before I utterly destroy their credibility in an instant. Unfortunately, you appear to be a n00b at it.

Quick rule for you: when slinging ad hominem, don't make them ones which are so obviously flawed from any angle. Really good abuse should be true, funny and hurtful. 0/3.

And I don't think I called you a Christian, did I? I called you a religious apologist... or maybe a Christian apologist. Heck, even the Christians can't agree on who is or isn't a Christian.

Either or, I'm quite happy, since you have now clearly defined "christian apologist" as a person who will not publicly state that all religion is bad.

Defintely comfortable in that group. That probably rates about 99.999% of English-speaking people.

On that basis, the attempted ad hominem of "christian apologist" is disallowed, because it's now an accurate description, under your meaning.

No worries. Equally happy with "religious apologist", because I constantly fail to state, and will not accept, that all islam is bad, either.

Mea culpa.

I just think it's creepy and sad and weird that people continue this indoctrination because they think it's necessary for morality or to save their kids from hell or because it will lead to salvation.

I think that's creepy, too. Again, the brackets enclose the entire evidence you have posted to date which shows that all christians teach their kids about hell: ( )

Thanks for your hard work.

There's no good reason to think that any of this is true. And I think it's part of the indoctrination that people defend the practice without being aware they are doing it... they've learned not to ever say the emperor is naked and to shush those who say as much.-- like you.

Again, I agree. Another attempted ad hominem falls by the wayside now that, all deluded people cannot state that all religion is bad.

Sorry, I know this all looks a little repetitive, but this is my last reply to you and you will keep making the same [incorect] point, over and over, and over again. (again)

If people wish to insult me, I hope they do it to my face, because it livens my day when I piss off creationists and religious apologists and nutters.

That's nice, but not anywhere near as revealing as this next bit:

I can't help it... It makes me feel empowered. It keeps me on my toes.

Now, you'll get no argument from me that those three groups often contain the three most-useless sectors of humanity - especially the first and last. In any case, apart from me, Andy, John and our hardcore cadre of JREF apologists, there aren't many about.

You're telling us here that you are empowered by arrogantly showing how intelligent you are against people who are clearly less-intellectual than yourself!

What on earth does that say about your personality? "Empowered!"

My word.

Gosh, I hope John's up to the intellectual challenge! Let me see; a research scientist PhD bloke against the biology teacher. Tough one; I'll get back to you on that.

Besides, I might just get over-confident if all I get is praise. It allows me to accumulate info. about whom to ignore and then I can warn new posters that I like so that the wackos don't give them the wrong impression of the forum community.

Was that another ad hominem? Including me in the "wackos"?

Just to clarify, please: if all people who fail to publicly state that all religion is bad are now "wackos", I'll deduct the ad hom - cheers.

Crikey, quite right. Wouldn't want those n00bs to get the impression that the forum was full of hot-heads who are incapable of changing a hard-held opinion, despite having no evidence to back it up.

You should start posting in the "Welcome n00b" thread - I often post in there and they may well get that wrong impression if they read my apologist crap.

Plus, when I piss the wackos off, their true colors show for all to see. It makes for a nice instant character assessment for anyone dropping by, you know-- it allows people to see who shares their views, who's worth reading, who's totally wacked, etc. Plus, it gives people who were once timid, as I once was, to courage to sound off to the blowhards on line.

I think the same ad hominem rule applies to the first one, or even two: I await the "wacko" and think the "totally whacked" could be covered there, but the "blowhard" is definitely ad hominem.

Thanks for helping me develop a thicker skin, TA.

Hell, Arti. As you know, no matter how worthless I think a person is, I'm always glad to help them in some small way.

Oh, and if you can't bear to read me, then there's always the ignore button.

Not a feature I ever have or ever will use in a forum. I just get to a stage where I cease replying because a person has proven to me that he or she is beyond reason. As I said at the top - I may still occasionally even respond, just to let them know they aren't on ignore - I wouldn't ever put someone on ignore. Even the dumbest fundy says something funny every now and then. And I repeat the case of Unter - a bloke with whom I would disagree with on principle - I still found it impossible not to state that he was right about something, no matter how distasteful it was to say so.

I heartily encourage its' use for those who want to avoid my words. I use it myself. I tend to enjoy more intelligent dialogue with my peers than these silly little skirmishes most of the time. But these can be fun too. (I must say, I find myself amusing at times even if nobody else does.)

Interesting way to finish. I suspect that somewhere, deep down, you are actually honest with yourself.
 
John, the only discussions you want to have is about how Dawkins is wrong, wrong, wrong and scientists are keeping others from hearing your amazing theory as some part of some conspiracy-- and TA is your number one cheerleader and the only one who gives credence to your cell-as-replicator hypothesis and anti-Dawkins, anti-meme, rhetoric.

Arti. I was wanting to make this comment separately to you:

I'm finished with you, and as I've said many times, I wouldn't ever report a post, no matter what gets said to me.

John, however isn't me. I don't know who he is from a bar of soap, but he is a respectable, intelligent and articulett [sic] member of this forum. I very much doubt that John's personal code would allow him to report you for incivility and the downright abuse you heap on him. Mine does.

If you persist in attacking him with ad hominem, I will report you.

Just letting you know, thanks.
 
My Bat Irony Meter kept going off so I was forced to track down the signal.

;)

-H "they keep subbing your for you're" S

We have much irony here at the JREF forum... and we needn't curb our enthusiasm for indulging in highlighting it, I might add. And you know how these forums are... the woo are blustery and omnipresent, but they ARE fun to toy with-- and there is so much variety! And there are a wealth of really smart, fun people here too.

Look at this... you can insert the irony meter of your choice (or most anything else) right in your post.
 

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Evidence? any person with an IQ of 5 or less would know that frightening an innocent child with a hell that doesn't exist or a satan that is not there if they don't do as you say is abuse,

Do you regularly call the proper law enforcement agencies and report such people?

Why not?
 
Great meter effects!

Thanx Art.

;)

(Meet T'ai--a young earth creationist who has been posting for over 4 years and still hasn't got a clue-- he has me on ignore, so I can say that. Oddly enough this thread was about Dawkins... but it's nice to get the woo and blowhards all together on the same thread forced to stick up for each other... maybe I can get them all to put me on ignore... I'm having too much fun to do the same for them--yet)
 
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Then you are defending lies. Religion is a lie. It is all made up with not a shred of evidence to support it. All Lies = All Bad.

Believe it or not, I'm a reasonable bloke.

I'll even make it easier for you by putting my arse on the line:

Go vote now!

Make sure you do read the spoiler before voting!

I'm happy to abide by the majority opinion in this forum, it's full of mostly reasonable people and I'm confident enough to stake my name on the outcome. We'll see. I call this, putting my money where my mouth is. But will you take any notice of the result?

You can pretty much say anything you want when you never have to prove it. So, you won't mind if I ask for the names of the people who said this so I can verify it..

You won't mind me having a quick chuckle and no more. Use that "critical thinking".

And don't attempt the old evasion of refusing to give the names to protect a confidence. You have already violated any confidence these people had in you. If they really said it, they shouldn't be afraid to confirm it.

I haven't violated anything. Nice ploy, though. Poor use of your critical thinking skills, however. If Articulett really wants to know, I would possibly tell her. A third party? I don't think so.

You just concentrate on finding as many buddies as you can to vote "True".

You, Arti, Imaginal Disc, Thaiboxerken, definitely Unter, after last week.... there should be plenty. In fact, according to the eloquent case you and Arti put, it should be a shoo-in.

I'll get my PM to Darat ready to go.

Edit: In fact, I'll even change my sig for a while to get the maximum possible vote.
 
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;)

(Meet T'ai--a young earth creationist who has been posting for over 4 years and still hasn't got a clue

Hi T'ai.

-- he has me on ignore, so I can say that. Oddly enough this thread was about Dawkins... but it's nice to get the woo and blowhards all together on the same thread forced to stick up for each other... maybe I can get them all to put me on ignore... I'm having too much fun to do the same for them--yet)


W(h)oo boy! I have much reading to do. Preliminary research will be required to categorize the membership into serious selections vs those to engage for entertainment purposes, etc.
 
I'm happy to abide by the majority opinion in this forum, it's full of mostly reasonable people and I'm confident enough to stake my name on the outcome. We'll see. I call this, putting my money where my mouth is. But will you take any notice of the result?

Sorry, I thought you were a critical thinker. Moral questions are never decided by popular vote. I will abide by a poll that decides if your dress looks flattering though.

You won't mind me having a quick chuckle and no more. Use that "critical thinking".

I haven't violated anything. Nice ploy, though. Poor use of your critical thinking skills, however. If Articulett really wants to know, I would possibly tell her. A third party? I don't think so.

Are you so desperate to finally get a point on Articulett that you will stoop to any level? If you were not willing to give the names out to a third party you should not have posted the information in a thread. You are dishonest and now apparently a liar.

It is fitting that you try to use imaginary people to support your belief in your imaginary god.

You just concentrate on finding as many buddies as you can to vote "True".

That's the other reason I don't allow popular votes to decide my morality for me. Religious freaks like yourself just love to stuff ballot boxes and plug phone-in polls.

I wouldn't ask anyone to vote "For Me" because this is an issue they need to decide on their own. Religious people like yourself are used to being led around by the nose, so I am sure your friends will be voting.

Are these the same imaginary friends who supposedly said the nasty things about Articulett?
 
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Sorry, I thought you were a critical thinker. Moral questions are never decided by popular vote. I will abide by a poll that decides if your dress looks flattering though.

Well, I've tried showing you 100 ways why your position is idiotic and I thought a poll might encourage you to re-think it. As it happens, it looks as though a majority agree with you. Shame on me, I guess, for assuming a majority of posters weren't that shallow.

As to moral questions being decided by popular vote, try asking yourself how they are decided then. We live in democracies which impose moral standards, so we certainly do abide by majority vote. Hell, in New Zealand, we've had referenda on several highly sensitive moral subjects, which is about as majority-decision you can get. You're not even thinking straight, you're so worked up. I don't get it. If I'd advocated teaching children that they will go to hell and burn for eternity if they so much as blaspheme, I could understand it. That a seemingly rational person is foaming at the mouth because I will not agree that all religion is bad, quite astounds me.

Are you so desperate to finally get a point on Articulett that you will stoop to any level?

If you think there's even a nanobit of desperation over here, you are sadly misguided.

You are dishonest and now apparently a liar.

You're by no means the first person to sit safely behind a PC and state that and I have no doubt at all that you won't be the last. I'm sure you managed to so bait my old buddy the Huntster that he wanted to beat you up? That was you, wasn't it? Wasting your time with me. I feel rather sorry for you than angered by it all.

Cute.

It is fitting that you try to use imaginary people to support your belief in your imaginary god.

So, in the space of few posts, I've gone from a christian apologist to actually being a christian. (MY imaginary god)

Cuter.

That's the other reason I don't allow popular votes to decide my morality for me. Religious freaks like yourself just love to stuff ballot boxes and plug phone-in polls.

And even further along the scale to "religious freak"!

Cutest!

Has the phrase "angry atheist" ever been uttered in your presence? Or, maybe you should check out "anti-theist".

I wouldn't ask anyone to vote "For Me" because this is an issue they need to decide on their own. Religious people like yourself are used to being led around by the nose, so I am sure your friends will be voting.

The only word I can think of to describe that, is to borrow off my kid, "lame". As if I'd bother. (p.s., as arti or someone will point out, I have no friends. Check my "friends" list. Not one.)

Are these the same imaginary friends who supposedly said the nasty things about Articulett?

I repeat - you can stow that. If you don't like what I said, report it, just as I will if someone attacks John. Other than that, she can ask for herself - she's quick enough to throw it. Something about heat and kitchens? Not really your business.

This entire thread should go to forum spotlight.
 
Let's see, his strawman poll is failing to show the results he intended... hmmm... do you think he's going to learn anything or change his mind...

Hell no... he's not only sure he's right. He's sure his poorly worded poll actually means something. In fact, he's decided that it's because he's more moral than all those who disagree with him. As my sig reveals, the most incompetent are the most over confident. And look how he's threatening to report people... as if he doesn't realize that he's so much more offensive than all those supposed immoral people who say such horrible things to him or speak less than fondly about his beloved, John.

Thankfully, he has me on ignore, so I can tell you that his poll is the inane question as to whether all religions are harmful or not. It's like they can't hear what anyone is saying once they hear a critque of religion-- suddenly it becomes about whether ALL religions are harmful. It's madness, I tell you-- madness.

But they do that to Dawkins and Harris all the time. It's the best way to avoid the real issues. That's the thing about religion... nobody knows that they are acting as protectors and apologists for the paradigm even though it's blatant. Pharyngula has some commentary about this phenomenon:

http://richarddawkins.net/article,1...godly-are-merely-metaphor,PZ-Myers-Pharyngula

So much nothingness to avoid the big question--the topic... the BIG LIE
Dodge, weave, spin, toss in straw mans, ad homs, threats... same ol', same ol'....
 
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Shame on me, I guess, for assuming a majority of posters weren't that shallow.

You know, you are such a F'ing jerk. You set up the poll, you asked people to vote, you thought it was a good idea. And now everyone who disagrees with you is shallow?

You were not even honest about the poll. In fact, you expected everyone to agree with you because you are you. You didn't allow that they would make up their own mind.

Don't worry, I would never hold you to change because of the poll. It is a popularity contest and that is no way to decide a moral issue.

As to moral questions being decided by popular vote, try asking yourself how they are decided then. We live in democracies which impose moral standards, so we certainly do abide by majority vote.

The natural conclusion to this is that slavery, when it was supported by the majority and legal, was moral but suddenly became immoral when 51% of the people disagreed with it. Wrong! Slavery was always immoral.

Hell, in New Zealand, we've had referenda on several highly sensitive moral subjects, which is about as majority-decision you can get. You're not even thinking straight, you're so worked up.

Are you sure your not a sock puppet for Herzblut?

"The quality of moral behavior varies in inverse ratio to the number of human beings involved." (Aldous Huxley)

Just because a lot of people vote for something doesn't make it moral. To be moral a decision must be based on sound reason and not on whether it won a popularity contest. Were there lobby groups for each side of the referenda in NZ? If so, how do you know the the vote was given to the most moral choice and not to the one with the best marketing strategy?

If I'd advocated teaching children that they will go to hell and burn for eternity if they so much as blaspheme, I could understand it. That a seemingly rational person is foaming at the mouth because I will not agree that all religion is bad, quite astounds me.

You flatter yourself. I spent a glorious day out kayaking and never gave you a thought.

I find it ironic that you are wrong and you think I am angry.
 
It's funny, because I thought that all those comments in his sig was his way of warning people that he could be a jerk at times... but he thought that he was deriding the comment makers.... Irony. He just doesn't know it's him.
 
(p.s., as arti or someone will point out, I have no friends. Check my "friends" list. Not one.)

That makes us about even.

I repeat - you can stow that. If you don't like what I said, report it, just as I will if someone attacks John. Other than that, she can ask for herself - she's quick enough to throw it. Something about heat and kitchens? Not really your business.

Sorry, I have never once in my 15 years on the internet complained to a moderator.

You have reach the height of desperation. It is my business. On a skeptic's list, dishonesty and fraud are everyone's business. You made the information public in an attempt to damage the reputation of Articulett. You thought you could get away with your dishonesty. You can't

I will simply denounce you as a liar and continue to do so until you either reveal your sources so they can be verified or offer an honest apology to Articulett.
 
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...Thankfully, he has me on ignore,

You just cannot help yourself can you? I've told you that you won't be being ignored. Do you ever make an honest comment?

So much nothingness to avoid the big question--the topic... the BIG LIE
Dodge, weave, spin, toss in straw mans, ad homs, threats... same ol', same ol'....

Hint: given the ad hominem attacks you've been carrying out lately, that may be just a little ironic itself.
 

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