Atheist knowledge

[Litespeed]

vaccine ? anyone?

Not sure about a vaccine yet but current cure is 15 grams of lead- self administered

 

 

[M61A1]

They always want go to heaven and live with god, but never seem keen to get there.

 

 

[M61A1]

Cant vouch for the accuracy, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were close to the money....

 

[ATTACH]47959._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

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And in Oz...

 

Churches reap the benefits of belief: $500 million in tax exemptions - National

 

[Bruce]

Gnarly, I have just noticed that you don't believe in global warming. Does that mean you will take me up on my bet?

 

Here's my bet: Every day the temperature is UNDER the long-term average, I will donate $10 to a charity of your choice, which could even be Gnu retirement. Every day it is OVER the long term average you will donate $9.50 to this site. We total the results after a year and the loser forks out the difference.

 

If, as you say you believe, there is no global warming, you will on average gain 50 cents every other day and get $182 from me for the year.

 

Every time I offer this bet, the previously hairy-chested warming denier has turned into a wimp and said things like how the measurements are dishonest.

 

I'm hoping you are made out of sterner stuff. And I reckon you would have done well this last month for Adelaide... gosh it's been cold.

 

 

[facthunter]

They really are on a winner. Tax free in this world and a certain future in eternity at the right hand of god, in the next. You really would have to be stupid to not go for it. How come there are still atheists?

 

 

[turboplanner]

Gnarly, I have just noticed that you don't believe in global warming. Does that mean you will take me up on my bet?Here's my bet: Every day the temperature is UNDER the long-term average, I will donate $10 to a charity of your choice, which could even be Gnu retirement. Every day it is OVER the long term average you will donate $9.50 to this site. We total the results after a year and the loser forks out the difference.

 

If, as you say you believe, there is no global warming, you will on average gain 50 cents every other day and get $182 from me for the year.

 

Every time I offer this bet, the previously hairy-chested warming denier has turned into a wimp and said things like how the measurements are dishonest.

 

I'm hoping you are made out of sterner stuff. And I reckon you would have done well this last month for Adelaide... gosh it's been cold.

This is a bit of a worry; the CSIRO has been a rock on GW facts: Why on Earth did the CSIRO sack oceanographer John Church?

 

 

[facthunter]

Because the Gov't installed a new CSIRO leader who changed the direction to ameliorating the effects rather than understanding and assessing the process. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Telling the truth can be a bad career move.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I would go further than that. Because the government suffers from chronic short-termism and listens to the barking-mad conservative Right who think that cutting government spending without considering the consequences is good policy.

 

If they wanted to save much more without any consequences at all, perhaps ditching the $50 billion subs and the F35 program would be a good start.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I would go further than that. Because the government suffers from chronic short-termism and listens to the barking-mad conservative Right who think that cutting government spending without considering the consequences is good policy.

If they wanted to save much more without any consequences at all, perhaps ditching the $50 billion subs and the F35 program would be a good start.

 

I generally agree with that Marty but please note that unchecked Government spending is not good just because it is in an area that you might agree with. We only have limited funds to go around to everyone and spending in areas that happens to suit the more vocal groups to appease them is wrong.

 

Here's my bet: Every day the temperature is UNDER the long-term average,

Out of interest BT, who's "averages" are you using?

 

 

[Bruce]

Yes Bex, but I reckon they should give a few million to Jabiru as compensation for the harm done.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I would go further than that. Because the government suffers from chronic short-termism and listens to the barking-mad conservative Right who think that cutting government spending without considering the consequences is good policy...

Has there ever been an independent costing of the impact of sacking experienced public servants and replacing them with private consultants? Methinks neither side of politics would like the results.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Has there ever been an independent costing of the impact of sacking experienced public servants and replacing them with private consultants? Methinks neither side of politics would like the results.

Yes, quite a few PPPs work very efficiently, but when the good old boys get together with dodgy government entities it can go terribly wrong.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

You're no doubt right Turbs, but have there been any independent studies done?

 

 

[turboplanner]

You're no doubt right Turbs, but have there been any independent studies done?

Not unless some Unit student has done a thesis on a few. There are thousands of them; Councils will often have several. The ones in my orbit are State Water and Electricity and Roads, all PPPs and all way less efficient and more expensive than the previous government entities, although roads within the urban area of Melbourne have generated millions which is being re-invested to make more millions building more roads, and trip times are looking promising in the medium term; just can't stop the politicians trying to get the roads to go through their favoured electorates.

 

 

[Bruce]

Yes Bex, we would need to agree on a mutually acceptable measuring system. I reckon the Australian BOM would be ok but I would entertain an argument to the contrary.

 

There was an amusing story from Rutan about how in Siberia under the communists, you got extra heating oil if you got really cold temperatures, so they started to get these amazing record cold reports from Siberia.

 

But that is not the general situation these days, so I would not be too hung up about if the figures were rigged.

 

 

[Bruce]

Getting back to atheist knowledge, here is something that has made me wonder...

 

How can you tell if somebody actually believes what they say they believe?

 

My best attempt at this is the old "money where your mouth is" but that has limitations with gods.

 

Most of the religious people I know are rewarded in this world by the camaraderie of their group or even more, so you can't tell if they really believe their own stuff. Only sometimes, in evidence like the popemobile, could you see their lack of belief shining through.

 

I'm not saying that they are honest in their lack of belief, gosh its not something they would even think about, but when offered bulletproof glass instead of relying on the Archangel Gabriel for protection, they sometimes choose the bulletproof glass. ( not the current pope apparently)

 

Anybody got a good test of how to tell if somebody really believes their religion?

 

 

[M61A1]

For some, you only need to watch them for a few minutes, for the other end of the scale, you may need to observe them for a few years, like a proper psychiatric assessment.

 

I used to work with a Mormon, who a few seconds after the moment he was spouting "cleanliness is next to godliness" to a manager, then swept the pile of dirt under the wheel cover of the 737 in maintenance. After working with him for a few months, most had established that he was a complete hypocrite or liar.

 

I've met quite a few people who use their religion to hide behind and manipulate scripture to cover whatever it is they're doing.

 

 

[facthunter]

IF there is a god He /she/it knows EVERYTHING so how could one hide it from the god?. "Not a hair of your head will be harmed but... " Gross hypocrisy is evident wherever you look. Under stress, bad scenes, war, slaughters etc some lose their faith. Why would any God allow this to happen? etc Some may be genuine. I've met some very well intentioned people of faith. It might be news to you that I was once very religious, in my teens and late teens. It's not easy to get years of indoctrination out of your head if you decide it's not sincere enough or involves too much mammon and not enough god. Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

Only sometimes, in evidence like the popemobile, could you see their lack of belief shining through.I'm not saying that they are honest in their lack of belief, gosh its not something they would even think about, but when offered bulletproof glass instead of relying on the Archangel Gabriel for protection, they sometimes choose the bulletproof glass. ( not the current pope apparently)[/quote

 

I haven't seen it written anywhere in the ancient texts that God will protect you if you don't take due care, so why wouldn't a cautious pope use bullet proof glass?

[hihosland]

PPP

 

Past

 

Parlimentarians'

 

Perks

 

 

[turboplanner]

PPPPast

 

Parlimentarians'

 

Perks

Ironically, these Public Private Partnerships are usually entered into when the government of the day is short of cash.

 

 

[M61A1]

It's not easy to get years of indoctrination out of your head if you decide it's not sincere enough or involves too much mammon and not enough god. Nev

Been there too.....And that is why I am so very against it. Like porn, drinking and voting, it should not be allowed to expose minors to it. If this god thing is so great, why do they need to pump into the heads of kids? Surely by the time they're 18, they will just be flocking to it, if it is worthwhile.

 

 

[Yenn]

What I can't understand is how the religious have to have church services andglorify God when there has been a disaster. When Christchurch had the earthquake and the cathedral was knocked down, nearly the first thing done was to have a church service to get over it. I would have thought that an earthquake was a work of God and he, it whatever should be the last person, thing to glorify and pray to.

 

The old saying that you can fool some of the people all of the time or all of the people some of the time. Religion falls in the former category.

 

 

[turboplanner]

What I can't understand is how the religious have to have church services andglorify God when there has been a disaster. When Christchurch had the earthquake and the cathedral was knocked down, nearly the first thing done was to have a church service to get over it. I would have thought that an earthquake was a work of God and he, it whatever should be the last person, thing to glorify and pray to.The old saying that you can fool some of the people all of the time or all of the people some of the time. Religion falls in the former category.

An atheist who doesn't know what religious people are doing, or why, the equating his made up description of what he didn't understand to fit the wrong part of an Abraham Limcoln quote - priceless!