Dude, Dawkins is a fundy. He seems the kind of person ready to go to war over his belief, no, conviction of athiesm. But it takes all sorts for the world to function and even though Dawkins' crusade may not always be my cup of tea I'm certainly glad people like him, Hitchens and Harris are touring around kicking ass in the field of argument. All us non-religious types are better off for it.

PS: Theology makes great reading. Especially the really old medieval shit like how the entire Jewish race is cursed for turning their back on Jesus (that little argument was, oddly, used to ensure that they were not forced to convert and the only thing that allowed them to remain as an independent religious community in Europe). I always bust it out on anyone who tries to evangelize to me.

What on Earth's name are you talking about. Go to war? He's opposed to the Iraq war! What was is he planning on going? If by war you mean in the metaphorical sense I can understand that.

That should read: What war is he planning on going?

From Dawkins:

The nonbelieving choir is much bigger than people think

The Vatican says one main purpose of the pope's pilgrimage to Austria is to bolster a church plagued by sexual abuse scandals, apathy and declining membership. That goal is part of his larger agenda of protecting the church against a rising tide of secularism and Muslim immigration that dilutes what the pope considers to be the Christian identity of Europe.

Fear of acknowledging Christianity's certain truth "lies at the heart of the crisis of the West, the crisis of Europe," Benedict said during the Mass.

"So if we call [Jesus Christ] the one universal mediator of salvation, valid for everyone and, ultimately, needed by everyone, this does not mean that we despise other religions, nor are we arrogantly absolutizing our own ideas," he said.

"On the contrary, it means that we are gripped by him who has touched our heart and lavished gifts upon us, so that we, in turn, can offer gifts to others."

The pope also stressed the importance of promoting traditional Christian families as a vital component of ensuring the future of Europe. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pope9sep09,0,3013841.story?coll=la-home-center

Nope! Not a trace of arrogance!

Thanks for the bee story. I've been following this one for about a year and am surprised it has not generated more headlines. Anyone who likes to eat should be concerned about this one.

hitchens is the very soul of droll. a modern fucking oscar wilde. that is, someone you definitely invite to your dinner party, hoping he will expound for 10 or 15 minutes, during dessert, to the delight of all present, while confining himself during the rest of the meal to acid witty asides.

loved the dirty limericks. thanks erick and norm.

What a delight to see j b sharing his thoughts here again

you're very kind, jo ann. my access to a computer has been spotty lately. i still stop at 1gm whenever i get the chance.

Ha, you think Hitchens is droll, most of his opponents wouldn't be invited to said party because they are boring and yes, droll, in the extreme.

but you are right,your description of him is exactly why you would invite him to the dinner party. :)

I have a serious love/hate thing going on with Hitchens (though I'd totally invite him to the dinner party, just to see if I could drink him under the table); love him for his views on religion, for his Jefferson book, for his droll (and indeed Wildean!) wit; want to stomp on his balls for his opinions on the War On Terror™ and Iraq in particular. How such a smart, witty, erudite (and British, for Christ's sake!) man could be so totally wrong on such an important issue is simply beyond me.