The Hall of Fire

They're doing The Hobbit?

Cool.

Every (natural) disaster has some religious type saying it's God's judgement on an immoral society. It's a worldwide thing - even in the UK.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... shops.html

"The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial," added Obama, who has visited Japan twice as president. "The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as t...

I remember there being a philosophy professor who, in the first year course posed the question of "What is the meaning of life?". In the last year he posed the question ""What is the meaning of "What is the meaning of life?"?" Here is a nice summary of what (famous...

I've always been bemused by the (fundamental) religious right. In terms of being vocal at least they are in the majority and are the better funded. And yet Republicans have far more of a Darwinian 'survival of the fittest' approach to their fellow man, whilst Democrats are more of the 'help thy fell...

Ignore health benefits for now. What may or may not work in Niger is not applicable to the rest of the world. Forget FGM as everyone seems hung up on the clitoral removal which GBG is not talking about. OK, how about this. A (religious) culture adheres, and has done for 3,000 years to the principal ...

GBG,

There is a little known fact among men that the clitoris is a very important part of a woman's body. I only just found out because I looked it up on Wikipedia.

For women, forced removal of (some of) the labia, or even the hood of the clitoris for cosmetic or cultural reasons must be OK if you are OK with male circumcision. No lasting damage, no memory of pain. Of course, it's only OK on babies, just not older people. Removal of the clitoris is not OK, for ...

It really is. JS, I'm saying that any surgical procedure for cosmetic or religious purposes, even an ear-piercing, should under no circumstances be made by anyone to anyone else without that person's consent. Even if it's a 3 year old begging for an ear-piercing, that's OK, so long as the child is a...

The drops they put in newborns eyes to protect against bacteria and the heel prick they do to test for a number of abnormalities hurts more. That's for health reasons. Babies don't remember these, either. So much for circumcision being a covenant between that person and God. Didn't realize you didn...

Ner, I agree that 18 would be better, but by Jewish custom a male hits adulthood at 13, which is what bar mitzvah is all about. If the Jewish faith has faith in itself... But certainly 18 is a better alternative to a 13 yo's "painful medical procedure, with all the dread that it lay ahead, and ...

Agree with Ax. When I see a six-month old with ear piercings, I mourn for the child and despise the parents. When I hear that because of an ancient tradition a boy's foreskin has been removed, often without anaesthetic, I also mourn for the child and shake my head at the parents. The Jewish circumci...

I've always found it strange that the RC church are happy with using maths and biology to avoid pregnancy, but don't like the idea of physics or chemistry.

Yes, it's very clear in the bible. If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:13 So basically active homosexuals should be put to death. Anyone subscribe to that...

Excellent stuff.

I saw it on my computer. Comedycentral.com streamed it live.

If only the news networks would take note in the long term, but at least the point has been forceably made.

I had to endure Latin (compulsory) for two years. It is said it teaches you to learn, but then again so does any subject. And so what if it helps you understand the derivation of a word, really! The mental effort of remembering the complex cross-section of tense / gender, and whether it was accusati...

Ghân-buri-Ghân wrote:I want the names of the guilty broadcast loud and clear. Why should they enjoy such largesse?

Guilty until proved innocent?

Wikileaks is an anorexic version of what should be in place, but for now I'll take it.

So long as no individuals are identified with these leaks, then I am wholeheartedly in favour of them. Military and Government tend to massage individual data points and statistics as a whole, and if anything, if these leaks show the real picture of the cause and effect, of the debit and credit, of ...

I'm going to be lazy on this one. You all know my views here (hi vison!).

I'll let this clip sum up my views. Imagine me as Bill Maher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKqqGX0D ... re=related

Acquitted.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... 038945.htm