Re the death penalty this essay http://www.dabase.org/p9rightness.htm was written in response to the execution of the former bad-guy leader of Iraq - who we were all taught to hate.

Re christians, and especially "catholics" and the nazis why not check out the contents of this truth-telling site: http://nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm

And do a search on the psychotic murderer AntoN Pavelic. Pavelic murderous activites were given explicit support by the "catholic" hierarchy in both Croatia and the vatican.
After the war Pavelic and his murderous henchmen was given sanctuary in Rome courtesy of the vatican.
The vatican also set up and financed the rat-lines by which known nazi war criminals were given save passage to numerous other non European countries, especially in South America.
All of this was also given explicit approval by the "blessed saint" pope John Paul II. All of the relevant details are given in the book by David Yallop titled The Power and the Glory: Inside the Dark Heart of John Paul II's Vatican. The book also describes in foot-noted details the dark (even murderous) applied politics promoted by John Paul during his papacy, including his DELIBERATE aggravation of the situation during the Kosovo crisis. Aggravations directly intended to target the "orthodox" Serbs and inflame the centuries long antagonisms between the "catholic" and "orthodox" churches.

Raised a Christian, without my informed consent. Attended mass/confession, regularly till just after my 12th B'day. Stopped altogether, aged 18.

The reason? Books and the difference between evidence based facts and the alleged Church an alleged Messiah (Constantine?) founded?

All theory has holes. None more so than the theory of evolution; which to be persuasive would have left vast deposits of nitrogenous coke behind, from the alleged primordial soup we allegedly (bong, bong) sprang from, abracadabra!

Although we've had a very thorough search over time, of the accessible crust. Nowhere have we found a glimmer of a speck of a grain of a scaric, of said nitrogenous coke anywhere, especially in that part of the crust, yet to undergo mantle folding! That might have proved the existence of said coke?

Evolution happening before my very eyes? Bah humbug.

All that is happening before my very eyes is adaptation! Only due to environmental changes that force or promote it, along with natural mutation.

Only possible due to intelligent design!?

Without which the organism any organism, simply succumbs to the changed environmental (frog in slowly heated water) circumstances.

As ever with fanatical environmental fundamentalists, their evidence free theories, founder on the rocks of, first principle foundations. i.e., one celled organisms and life came out of a billion long year ice age and slime, slime that begat bacteria that begat one cell organisms, abracadabra? What?

So where did this magical slime come from? Mars?

So, from whence it came? To arrive ever so conveniently at comfort stop, Mars?

Simply put, one just does not have to be Christian or a bible/book bashing fundamentalist to think, we just don't know enough facts! But especially the glaringly missing ones, to arrive at a plausible theory on life, the universe (unified field of energy) and everything in it!

All one can say with any measure of surety. We know we just don't know enough? To know anything for sure and for certain.

But dissemble and share known evidence based facts? And see where that leads?

Merry Christmas to one and all.
Alan B.

Merry Christmas Alan B. :)

Life after death. Seems to happen often enough to be paid attention to, even if it is rare. Thank you for sharing yours.

The folk on Mindino, having a brilliant Christmas this year aren't they?

Some very dear friends, celebrating their good fortune, their humble hovels reduced to rubble, others counting lucky stars, they're not also buried under tons of mud, like some of my dearest friends/family?

I could thank the resident Nazis for changing the rules/the goal posts after the decision/kick had been taken.

Marriage, sham or real, would've saved the taxpayer, around $20-$50,000.00 a year Care the government pays $40,000.00 for would've been replaced by dutiful, to death do us part, wife, for half that!

Moreover, the two extremely bright twins, who'd topped their class in English, would've been an instant asset.

But no. Instead I hold nicknamenick/his like minded "green" friends personally responsible for every life lost, every humble hovel flattened.

Why?

Because this depopulation event, while obviously excluding them, is part of a long range goal hidden agenda!

And why this creature, dogs my electronic trail! Trying to bury thorium, along with my friends and family! Well done Putin's puppet.

Imagine the catastrophe, Nick's, that could have ensued, if thorium, rather that trees were cooking the rice and fish?

And manmade endlessly sustainable alternative fuels, fertilizer plastics, been sourced from seawater, the promise of clean, cheap, safe energy!

Plus, would've provided plus the almost unlimited economically boosted outcome, that would've meant, fewer people needing large families! Their only real insurance against abandonment in old age/ill health.

Without question climate change, the carbon atmospheric load now in uncharted territory; extreme weather events are inextricably linked!

Can only be addressed by base load, carbon free, affordable electricity, even the third world can afford!

UNDERSTAND YET GENIUS?

Not everything we need or use, has to generate economy killing profit! But sometimes supplied in a cooperative capitalism, social compact!

You all have a nice Christmas and remember to dig deep when they pass the hat around for my dead or homeless CHRISTIAN Filipina friends/FAMILY!
Alan B.

. Dear Tristan, . You wrote at the outset of your article : « I will argue that there are philosophical reasons still to take Christianity – and religion more generally – seriously » Whether anyone likes it or not, Christianity and “religion more generally”, exist, and I don’t think that any reasonable person would not take them seriously. That is just plain common sense. . Then, before “exploring some broad philosophical questions”, you ask : « how to explain free-will ? » and « how to explain consciousness ? ». You declare that « most atheists (most likely philosophical materialists) have no answer for the questions ». The term “free will” has a moral or religious connotation. I prefer the term “autonomy”. If you accept that “free will” means “autonomy”, then all life forms dispose of a certain amount of autonomy or “free will”, without exception. It is a defining feature of life itself and evolves and develops as such. As for “consciousness”, the OED definition is « the state of being aware of and responsive to one's surroundings ». Without consciousness, no life forms could survive. As Darwin observed, even earth worms have a well-developed sense of consciousness because, based on his close observations, they have to make judgments about the kinds of leafy matter they use to block their tunnels. Plants, shrubs, trees and other vegetation also deploy quite sophisticated strategies with their environment in order to accomplish various vital functions such as pollination, self-defence, and capturing food. Carnivorous plants are known to trap and feed on insects, spiders, lizards, sow bugs, tadpoles, and frogs, and even small mammals such as rats and rabbits. Although lacking an immune system comparable to animals, plants have developed a stunning array of structural, chemical, and protein-based defences designed to detect invading organisms and stop them before they are able to cause extensive damage. It is the mechanism that triggers these elementary biological functions that I consider to represent a form of consciousness. . (Continued …) .

. (Continued …) . And, unless I am mistaken, the range and sensitivity of consciousness varies from one species to another, from one individual to another, and even varies within the life span of each individual. In its more sophisticated, cognitive form, consciousness permits the perception of mental states, or so-called “qualia”, such as taste, smell, colour, feeling (the physical sensation) as well as the sense of movement produced when visioning a series of fixed images in rapid sequence – which appears to have permitted the subsequent development of the faculties of imagination and conceptualisation. It is this perception of movement that we are capable of deriving from a series of static images that, in my opinion, pleads in favour of the hypothesis that, just as there is no “movement” in reality, there is no “mind” in reality that produces thought - simply physical matter. Even robots such as modern “automatic” vacuum cleaners may be said to possess a basic form of “consciousness” as they detect and avoid obstacles they encounter whilst vacuuming the floor. . If you don’t mind, I’ll leave it at that for the time being and get on with my Christmas feasting. Merry Christmas, everyone ! .