Clipmarks | Antara's clips

New Sam Harris :)

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:57:27 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: Sam writes about the recent "belief" surverys he conducted....

Clip Source: newsweek.washingtonpost.com

According to a recent Pew survey, 21 percent of atheists in the United States believe in “God or a universal spirit,” and 8 percent are “absolutely certain” that such a Being exists. One wonders if they were also “absolutely certain” they understood the meaning of the term “atheist.” Claiming to be an atheist who believes in God is like claiming to be a happily married bachelor. Rarely does one discover nonsense in such a pristine state. Still this hasn’t stopped many people from concluding that there is a schism in the atheist community.

Tags: sam harris, atheism, religion, belief, conclusions

Debate on Messiah and Origins of Christianity

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:01:09 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: very interesting

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Tablet Ignites Debate on Messiah and Resurrection

JERUSALEM — A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days.

If such a messianic description really is there, it will contribute to a developing re-evaluation of both popular and scholarly views of Jesus, since it suggests that the story of his death and resurrection was not unique but part of a recognized Jewish tradition at the time.

The tablet, probably found near the Dead Sea in Jordan according to some scholars who have studied it, is a rare example of a stone with ink writings from that era — in essence, a Dead Sea Scroll on stone.

Tags: artifacts, archaeology, religion, christianity, truth

Punished for not praying

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:36:15 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: via moonbattery

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Schoolboys punished with detention for refusing to kneel in class and pray to Allah

Two schoolboys were given detention after refusing to kneel down and 'pray to Allah' during a religious education lesson.

Parents were outraged that the two boys from year seven (11 to 12-year-olds) were punished for not wanting to take part in the practical demonstration of how Allah is worshipped.

They said forcing their children to take part in the exercise at Alsager High School, near Stoke-on-Trent - which included wearing Muslim headgear - was a breach of their human rights.

One parent, Sharon Luinen, said: "This isn't right, it's taking things too far.

"I understand that they have to learn about other religions. I can live with that but it is taking it a step too far to be punished because they wouldn't join in Muslim prayer.

"Making them pray to Allah, who isn't who they worship, is wrong and what got me is that they were told they were being disrespectful.

Tags: islam, uk, insanity, multiculturalism, education

Theodicy and the "Holiday in Hellmouth"

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:37:29 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: good read

http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/holiday-in-hellmouth/

Clip Source: www.samharris.org

For the lucky few, there is reason to hope that life will be a business of evenly rationed suffering: stern parents perhaps, a few humiliations at school, then a love affair or two gone wrong, maybe a marriage broken. Our parents will die, and farther off, ideally deferred, will come our own steady demise. Plenty of suffering for a life, certainly, but most of us subsist on the plausible expectation that fortune will draw a circle around that personal portion, and that the truly unbearable—murder, rape, dead children, torture, war—will remain outside the cordon. Norman Rush, in his novel “Mortals,” calls this “hellmouth”: “the opening up of the mouth of hell right in front of you, without warning, through no fault of your own.” Without warning, and yet always feared. Job, whom God places into hellmouth to test him, knew that paradox: “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”

Tags: sam harris, the new yorker, atheism, belief, faith, religion, theodicy

Good: Case Dismissed

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:47:11 GMT

clipped by: Antara

Clip Source: www.ctv.ca

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has dismissed a Muslim group's complaint against Maclean's magazine.

The Canadian Islamic Congress had argued the magazine published an article in October 2006 that would likely expose Muslims to hatred and contempt.

The article, entitled "The Future Belongs to Islam," by Mark Steyn claimed that Muslims are on the verge of dominating Europe and the West because of a demographic shift.

The article claims that their greater numbers will eventually allow Muslims to dominate Western countries. The article goes so far as to quote a European imam who allegedly said Muslims are reproducing like "mosquitoes."

While commentators have said Steyn's demographic claims are way off-base, the CHRC concluded the views in the article, "when considered as a whole and in context, are not of an extreme nature, as defined by the Supreme Court."

Tags: whew, politics, canada, mark steyn, macleans

Muslim lawyer earns £1m a year in legal aid from representing terror suspects

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:09:41 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: via moonbattery.com

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Abu Hamza's Muslim lawyer earns £1m a year in legal aid from representing terror suspects

A solicitor who specialises in representing terror suspects and tells them not to cooperate with police was paid almost £1 million in legal aid last year.

Muddassar Arani's firm represented Abu Hamza, dirty bomb plotter Dhirin Barot and three of the 21/7 bombers in recent years.

She has raked in £3.5 million in taxpayer-funded support to help defend extremist suspects in recent years, according to new figures.

In the seven years documented in figures released under the Freedom of Information Act payments from the Legal Services Commission have almost quadrupled.

In one month alone - May last year - the firm billed almost £400,000 for legal services.

The 44-year-old mum of two once boasted in a magazine that those accused of terrorism come to her first.

Tags: muslims, lawyers, defense, legal aid, terrorists, uk

Yay! More great material online for free!

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:47:50 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks:
As someone who really didn't take advantage of educational opportunities when I was young, I feel doubly grateful to have all these resources around me now

Clip Source: uk.news.yahoo.com

An academic service offering downloadable lectures via iTunes is to be made available to students at University College London, the Open University and Trinity College Dublin.

The move follows similar initiatives in the US where Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UC Berkeley and MIT are already making educational content available via 'iTunes U', a free section of the online music store.

European universities are joining their US counterparts in offering video and audio recordings of lectures from leading academics to students for use on iPods or computers.

"Our students will be able to revisit material presented to them in lectures, so they can learn anywhere and anytime," said Professor Peter Mobbs, of UCL.

UCL is promising downloads about neuroscience, the university's 'lunch time lectures' and a round-up of the latest news.

The Open University, meanwhile, will offer content relating to current courses through 300 audio and video files.

UK universities offer lectures via iTunes

Tags: education, itunes, podcasts, online education, free, europe

Happy 112th Birthday Henry!

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:44:53 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks:

Clip Source: uk.news.yahoo.com

RAF flypast for 112th birthday

Europe's oldest man is celebrating his 112th birthday with a flypast from the RAF.

Henry Allingham, who is also the last founding member of the RAF, has been invited to a VIP lunch at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to witness the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. It will be followed by a parachute drop.

Eight of Mr Allingham's grandchildren and great grandchildren and their partners have flown from their homes in the US for the occasion.

And later this afternoon, 40 pupils from Cranwell Primary School will present him with a birthday cake on what is the 90th anniversary year of the RAF.

Mr Allingham said: "I'm a lucky guy. I am looking forward to a wonderful day and to seeing the family. I just hope I don't let the side down. People ask me how I've done it, and I just say that I look forward to another tomorrow."

Mr Allingham is just one of three known UK survivors from the First World War.

Tags: birthday, oldest man alive, raf, europe

www.terrorfreeoil.org

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:42:32 GMT

clipped by: Antara

Clip Source: www.terrorfreeoil.org

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing."

Albert Einstein

Terror-Free Oil Initiative is dedicated to encouraging Americans to buy fuel that originated from countries that do not export or finance terrorism.

We promote those companies that acquire their fuel supply from nations outside the Middle East and expose those companies that do not.

We educate the American public about the oil-terrorism connection and press those in power to take the necessary steps to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.

Ask Shell to Stop
Doing Business with
Iranian Terrorist Regime!

First TFO Gas Station in Omaha, NE

Tags: action, solutions, oil, economy

DRILL NOW

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:46:37 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: just heard about this site.....

Clip Source: www.americansolutions.com

Solutions Lab

Share.

Rate.

Improve.

Click Here To See The 10 Most Recent Solutions

Drive Real Change In Your Community

New Research on Energy Security
81% of Americans Support Greater Use of Domestic Energy Resources. MORE>>

American Solutions is on Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn and YouTube. Learn how you can connect with us. Click here.

Tags: drill, oil, economy, urgent, solutions

Flock

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:20:37 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: I just downloaded this yesterday, lots to play with still. The only thing that sucks is there is no clipmarks tool
Hopefully soon? Unless I have missed the link to it?
I will still use FireFox for that.

Clip Source: flock.com

Flock - the browser for people who like to be connected

Get ready to meet your new favorite browser!

Welcome

People in the Browser

Discover and Know

Flock makes sure you don't miss a thing.

Be informed when:

Your friends post photos, videos or other updates
Your favorite sites update content
You have new messages and site notifications

Stay in Touch

Flock's features tell you when your favorite sites and people post new stuff.

Tags: browser, cool, toys

Fideism

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:37:09 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: I only learned about this "school of thought" recently Just passin on a link

Clip Source: plato.stanford.edu

Fideism

“Fideism” is the name given to that school of thought—to which Tertullian himself is frequently said to have subscribed—which answers that faith is in some sense independent of—if not outright adversarial toward—reason. In contrast to the more rationalistic tradition of natural theology, with its arguments for the existence of God, fideism holds that reason is unnecessary and inappropriate for the exercise and justification of religious belief. The term itself derives from fides, the Latin word for faith, and can be rendered literally as faith-ism. “Fideism” is thus to be understood not as a synonym for “religious belief,” but as denoting a particular philosophical account of faith's appropriate jurisdiction vis-a-vis that of reason.

2.2 The Usual Suspects

2.2.1 Pascal
2.2.2 Kierkegaard
2.2.3 James
2.2.4 Wittgenstein

Tags: faith, reason, religion, philosophy

The Devil's Delusion

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:28:00 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: More from the debates

Better to read the whole review...i could only clip a lil bit.

http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/dont-write-off-religion-just-yet/

Clip Source: www.samharris.org

Don’t write off religion just yet

THE DEVIL’S DELUSION

Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions

By David Berlinski

There is actually very little that is new in the so-called new atheism, whose claim to be based on science is as dubious today as it has ever been. A critique of the contemporary assault on religion is therefore much needed, and in The Devil’s Delusion, David Berlinski gives us a polemic that is powerful, erudite and often savagely funny. Berlinski - a mathematician and well-known critic of evolutionary theory, though not a proponent of “intelligent design” - has two targets in his sights: the conventional belief that religious thought is intrinsically superstitious and the materialist philosophy that Dawkins and his fellow “brights” - as members of the atheist community fondly describe themselves - mistakenly identify with science.

Tags: religion, debate, science, reason, www.samharris.org

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Gary Taubes

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:41:36 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: Interesting stuff, could be life changing info for some.

Clip Source: www.pbs.org

What made you go after this topic in the first place?

Two things. I'd been reporting on salt and blood pressure, which is a huge controversy, and some of the people involved in that were involved in the advice to tell Americans to eat low-fat diets, and they were terrible scientists. These were some of the worst scientists I'd ever come across in my 20-odd year career of writing about controversial science.

I literally called up my editor and said, "I just got off the phone with so-and-so, and he's [taken] credit for getting Americans to eat less eggs and less fat. This guy's one of the worst scientists I've ever talked to, and if he was involved in this, then there's a story there." And that was it. I didn't know what the story was. I just knew there was a story.

Tags: gary taubes, health, food

Low Carb Food Pyramid

Sat, 31 May 2008 16:48:08 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks: Yes yes I am still on the low carb happy trail, lol

Clip Source: lowcarbdiets.about.com

This illustration gives you a general idea of how much of which foods to eat, but the exact amounts will vary per person. In particular, each individual needs to zero in on his or her own optimal carbohydrate level.

For a discussion of each of the food groups and its place in the low carb diet, return to the Image Gallery Index and click on the corresponding photo.

Tags: health, low carb, sugar hounds

Clipmarks | Antara's clips

New Sam Harris :)

Debate on Messiah and Origins of Christianity

Punished for not praying

Schoolboys punished with detention for refusing to kneel in class and pray to Allah

Theodicy and the "Holiday in Hellmouth"

Good: Case Dismissed

Muslim lawyer earns £1m a year in legal aid from representing terror suspects

Abu Hamza's Muslim lawyer earns £1m a year in legal aid from representing terror suspects

Yay! More great material online for free!

UK universities offer lectures via iTunes

Happy 112th Birthday Henry!

RAF flypast for 112th birthday

www.terrorfreeoil.org

DRILL NOW

Flock

Flock, The Social Web Browser!

Flock - the browser for people who like to be connected

Flock makes sure you don't miss a thing.

Fideism

Fideism

The Devil's Delusion

Don’t write off religion just yet

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Gary Taubes

Low Carb Food Pyramid