Chat with PZ Myers HERE!

Rhinoqulous wrote

Hey PZ, what do you think of attempts to organize atheist into coherent groups, such as Dennett's "Bright" movement?

I don't like the term "Bright" at all, but otherwise, we must get better organized. We need the kind of structure that allows for a diversity of approaches, though...and the organization can only be nominal. But something where we're able to tell politicians that there is a constituency that will kick them to the curb if they kowtow to the religious is essential.

I prefer the umbrella term "freethinker" for the broad group of people who reject religion, and for my specific class I like the simple "atheist".

[Professor Chaos]

PZ Myers wrote

I don't like the term "Bright" at all, but otherwise, we must get better organized. We need the kind of structure that allows for a diversity of approaches, though...and the organization can only be nominal. But something where we're able to tell politicians that there is a constituency that will kick them to the curb if they kowtow to the religious is essential.

I prefer the umbrella term "freethinker" for the broad group of people who reject religion, and for my specific class I like the simple "atheist".

Indeed. The organization needed needs to share nothing except for the goal of lobbying in D.C. against church/state issues.

[Eva]

well, think about how many people believed the stuff Brown wrote about in The DaVinci Code....

whoneedscience wrote

Are there any scifi movies you can watch without cringing at terrible science content?

Only if they've got Kate Beckinsale in skin-tight clothing to distract me.

[Eva]

are Ellen Johnson and American Atheists that invisible?

Hell, Eva, there are people that belive in "Star Wars", for that matter. People are mostly just suckers that want to defer to someone else for their thinking.

Eva wrote

PZ, were you really scared with your recent lawsuit? that was big money...

No, not at all. It was too ridiculous. I took it seriously, but never had any doubt about the outcome.

[Professor Chaos]

Silly question, but just out of curiosity: Where do you stand on the historicity of Jesus?

[Professor Chaos]

Speak up, fuckers. Don't be shy. I can see you're all in this thread.

Professor Chaos wrote

Silly question, but just out of curiosity: Where do you stand on the historicity of Jesus?

Was there some crazy guy named Jesus running around in Palestine preaching miracles and prophecy? Sure. Probably nothing like the fairy tale Jesus we're supposed to worship, though. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if he were a composite of many babbling prophets of the time.

[Kamikaze189]

Do you meditate or do any of that other stuff to "become one with the world"? You know, all Sam Harris-like?

[Eva]

(were you dissapointed when raving atheist lost his groove?)

Kamikaze189 wrote

Do you meditate or do any of that other stuff to "become one with the world"? You know, all Sam Harris-like?

Crap, no.

Eva wrote

(were you dissapointed when raving atheist lost his groove?)

Yes. His was one of the first major atheist blogs I found on the web. He just went off in a weird and irrational direction with which I could not sympathize...it was too bad.

[Eva]

what a fucking waste of talent, innit? and pardon my french....

but i try to keep in touch with him. after all, he did have the best atheist blog, imho. he is brilliant...

oh well.