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
Politics Thank the fates! The RQF is dead 21 Dec 2007 The previous Australian government, in its ongoing quest to out-mediocre the rest of the world, had instituted a “research Quality Framework”, liberally taken from a failed exercise in Britain. Now, the new government has declared it dead. It will not be missed. Read More
Censorship It’s not censorship it’s, ahh… 4 Apr 20094 Oct 2017 Oklahoma lawmakers are singling out the visit by Richard Dawkins to talk about evolution on campus at OU, but they’re not censoring it, right? Just making academics fear for their funding, and perhaps jobs, but seeking all documentation about the visit. Just this visit, mind. Piers Hale, a historian of… Read More
Administrative Adaptationism for and against 30 Sep 2009 My passing comment on San Marco has triggered a really interesting debate at Larry’s place. Larry thinks I think nothing can be selectively neutral, however. This is wrong. I think that things can be at the same time, selectively neutral (in that there is no real selective difference between an… 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.