MarkCC may be an excellent computer programmer but he he clearly not a Mathematician. It does not matter whether or not the data you enter into a simulation is "real" or not. What matters is how closely the mathematical model reflects reality. Climate modelling is extraordinarly difficult. This is non-linear mathematics at it's most harrowing and any model must necessarily be freighted with assumptions in order to yield any results at all. Now I do not dispute the fact of global warming since we've been emerging from an ice age for the last ten thousand years but I find it very curious that anyone who questions the correlation between hydrocarbon emissions and global warming is automatically deemed to be some sort of luddite idiot. I guess we really shouldn't question authority.

re:militant atheism don't you think the author was a bit soft on his accusers? i've been reading about atheism, the "new militant"atheism, and the arguments of its' detractors on this blog for some time now, and i thought one of the most compelling arguments of the "new militant atheists" (dawkins, etc.) is not the expression of religious ideas (as this article suggests) but the acting upon those ideas, which has lead to so much bloodshed and misery for the human race for lo, these many years. (sorry, love that expression). the mere expression of religious ideas would fall under free speech, something i think most atheists, militant or otherwise, would support. of course, once such ideas are expressed they are fair game in the marketplace of ideas (in a free country, at least), but the specifically "militant" form of atheism needs a more robust opponent-namely, the actual carrying out of said ideas, like stoning adulteresses, or cutting off the hands of thieves, or stealing land from innocent palestinians in the name of religion, or whatever...:)

or blasphemy laws. or blue laws. or anti-gay legislation. or flying airplanes into buildings. or making murder illegal. or legislating for alimony. or gaurenteeing the rights of workers to be paid, or their right to have at least one day off per week. oh, i'm afraid i'm getting confused. there MUST be some kind of perfect thought system out there somewhere. oh, yeah- militant atheism. where do i sign up?

thats interesting about the greek religion. ive seen it described as a religion of many gods but no dogma. in that sense it seems a superior religion to some. the gods are merely the ones with the most power, they dont define morality or anything like that. for some reason i find that a lot more appealing.

jonathan, perhaps you are looking for humanism or some other philosophy? morality doesnt require commandments, as im sure you are aware. in fact i would say morality works better in the absence of commandments, then you actually need reasons.

Re. Militant Atheism...

PLEASE, stop using labels like "militant," "hostile" or "noisy" about atheism!

Militant means someone who is willing to apply military means to promote their views -- I am not, nor have I ever met an atheist who were. "Hostile" means someone who acts in a threatening manner -- and I have never done so in any religious debate (but I have frequently been threatened by the religious). And finally, noisy -- what does that label mean? Someone who is unwilling to keep quiet, and accept the religious dogma that is pushed down their throat?

The religious are frequently very hostile and occasionaly militant (and of course, rarely silent -- which is fine, of course). Atheists are not. The religious always attempt to accuse the detractors of the fault or sins they are so often guilty of -- for an atheist to use those terms about fellow atheists is to do yourself a disfavor.

I have been labelled all of these three, and also a fundamentalist atheist, and an evangelical atheist, aftering having been invited to a "bible study" group in college: They read something, and all went, "Ah, isn't that nice?! Praise Jesus!" I said, if you this is what you consider studying, you're gonna have a hard time in college... So we started discussing the bible. All civil like, for a while. And then a love-your-neighbour, love-your-enemy, follower of the Prince of Peace threatened to beat me up unless I kept quiet.

I've had a Jehovah's Witness beat his fists on my dining room table and scream at me -- in my own home. He came and rang the doorbell and wanted to talk to me he said -- this was his second visit.

The religious are militant, hostile and loud as hell -- and they label those who do not quietly accept what they say (and donate a few bucks to please Jesus, please) as militant, hostile and loud.

Don't buy it. And fer fuck's sakes, don't smirch each others with those inane and false labels.