And atheists and agnostics? 4 Jun 2009 Obama has said, in his speech in Cairo: The Holy Koran tells us: “O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.” The Talmud tells us: “The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.” The Holy Bible tells us: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Applause.) The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God’s vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth. Now I know he’s appealing to a specific audience here, but: Reason tells us we can live better if we live in peace. You don’t need a holy scripture to tell you that. [Wilkins 1:1] Politics Religion Sermon
Administrative A new comment policy? 6 May 2011 From Barry Ritholz’s blog Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you… Read More
Censorship New Australian censorship stuff 11 Dec 2008 At the other blog here and here , the latter a plea for a Human Rights Act. Read More
Epistemology You and me, baby, ain’t nothing but mammals 7 Apr 2010 The song of the title of this post is a catchy and highly amusing piece that suggests that if we’re just mammals we should have sex. It’s sort of a low brow version of Andrew Marvell’s To his coy mistress. Instead of Time’s wingéd chariot, we should do what mammals… Read More
You open the Book of Wilkins with peace? No starting with the Big Bang, no prophets of Reason (St. Aristotle, St. Voltaire, St. Charles of Downe), no portents of the Coming? It’ll never sell.