For the truly open minded person who is not afraid nor too proud to take a look at the other side.
You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, But You Can’t Make Him Think: Answers to Questions from Angry Skeptics (Ray Comfort)
One Heartbeat Away, by Mark Cahill
Would appreciate any honest feedback on the above mentioned books.
Judging by his (mercifully short) book “Intelligent Design vs. Evolution - Letters to an Atheist” which I have read, Ray Comfort never actually answers any questions. He merely evades them.
'Luthon64
Hi OHA,
Have just read the first few pages of Lead an Atheist to evidence etc. etc., compliments of Amazon’s book preview. The author’s argument against evolution seems to hinge on the fact that at the moment when the first human drew breath, there was already air of a suitable composition available. This is then, somewhat predictably, chalked up to God’s thoughtfulness.
Please note that according to evolution theory, life will gradually, over several generations, adapt to its surroundings, not the other way around. In other words, the air composition would be an evolutionary driver, and the successive generations of organisms would adapt to the air composition over a very long period of time indeed.
This is an important point to grasp if you seriously seek to understand Darwinism.
Mintaka
Hi Everybody,
May I recommend the following book titles which I selected from my library:
Julian Jaynes - “The Origin of Consciousness in the Break Down of the Bicameral Mind”
Sam Harris - “The End of Faith”
Henrik Svensmark & Nigel Calder - “The Chilling Stars = A New Theory of Climate Change”
Paul Davies - “The Origin of Life”
Peter Atkins - “Galileos’s Finger - The Ten Great Ideas of Science”
Peter Atkins - " The Creation"
Barryl
Hi All and great to be on a SA site 
I would recommend to read an check out the following sites:
(Be sure to watch the video clip at the bottom of the page ;))
and also visit:
http://www.evilbible.com/Biblical%20Contradictions.htm
Promise to not be disappointed 
The above links a true eye opener!
(That is, if you didn’t visit the sites before?
Hi Mintaka,
Speaking of which, did you watch “Evolve” on History channel, Sunday 3rd May? I have recorded it and must say I got only half way watching it still, but according to them, the oxygen levels of earth approximately 260m yrs ago(according to fossils)
were approx 30% whereto it is only about 21% now. Because of the high oxygen levels, bugs grew MASSIVE :o Dragon flies ancestors with a wingspan of almost one metre! Darn I’m glad the oxy level went down lol
Just wonder if this mean, insects would shrink away much more in future??? Could do without flies and mosquito’s though lol
Oh yeah and apparently Humans will grow taller :o
Anyways, only a piece of useful interesting info (Love this Nat Geo’s and Evo recent programs)
Hello Jane and welcome here.
No, I’m afraid I only have access to those excellent dish channels when visiting the in-laws. Which is to say almost never.
The big bugs hypothesis makes sense because an insect’s growth is supposedly limited by its ineffective respiratory system. So if the atmosphere was richer in O2, they may get a bit bigger.
Funny that humans are getting taller though - always thought that there is more oxygen closer to the ground.
Mintaka
Humans growing taller, also amazed me, since so many people imply that humans get smaller, but
I suppose the reason for this could be the fact that food is so readily available?
If you apply the law of nature on it, then yeah I suppose us human could stretch over time. (Having some REAL Big foots one day)
Seeing that you don’t visit the in-laws that often :D, I saw a National Geo on human remains they found
On a Island (can’t remember exactly where) Anyway, according to the fossils and tests, these people
Lived on the Island approx 10 000yrs ago, but it seems like they over populated the Island and there wasn’t enough food for all. But the amazing thing is, that they Evolved within 3000yrs, from normal Size, to dwarf size adults, amazing!
Hi Everybody,
Just Received a copy of “Quantum Gods” by Victor Stenger http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Gods-Creation-Search-Consciousness/dp/1591027136/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242714884&sr=8-1[u]
Geoff Gilpin’s evaluation[/u]:
“Stenger confronts mainstream theologians and New Age gurus - anyone who tries to link physics to mysticism.He takes their theories seriously enough to examine them in detail and he finds that, so far, none of them live up to the standards of scientific truth…The world has needed a book like this for a long time. If you care about scientific literacy, Quantum Gods is not optional.”
He also wrote:“God: The Failed Hypothesis - How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist.”
Happy reading.
Barryl
I found a site (the online version of a dead-tree publication) which is a devastating de-construction of Christianity and the Bible. http://www.rejectionofpascalswager.net/ : Rejection of Pascal’s Wager.
BTW, how do I add a decorated URL, e.g. making the text “Rejection of Pascal’s Wager” into a hyperlink going to the URL?
Jane of the Jungle: It’s been my understanding that humans have become taller over the millenia due to improved nutrition, not evolution. After all, even 10ky is too short for definitive evolutionary traits to emerge. Unless you’re a fruit-fly, of course.
Probably best to keep those questions in the Forum Related section, but since I’m here 
[url=http://somesite/]descriptive link[/url]
More here: http://forum.skeptic.za.org/help/?page=post#bbcref
Guess which is my new favourite bookstore - Exclusive Books in Clearwater, JHB. I love browsing through bookstores to try and find books on skepticism, atheism and critical thinking. Usually, there are a few in the already too small science section - you can be sure the religion section is at lease 4 times the size! (Those books should be added to the myths and fantansy section, or maybe fiction?)
Anyway, I went to Exclusive Books in Clearwater and first under the counter where the cashiers are there was a stand that contained books by Hitchens, Harris, Russell, the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster etc. etc. 
(Sorry I didn’t get a photo)
The science section had some great books. Bought Ben Goldacre’s Bad Science, haven’t started reading it yet because I am only half way through GOD:The Failed Hypothesis by Victor Stenger. Anyway, on wondering through to the kids sections I stumbled across a section under philosophy and took a photo -
Great news, wandepac.
I always walk into book stores and then shudder when I see the “religious and spirituality” sections. Or the dreaded CUM (hie hie hie) bookstore, a monster of fearsome proportions in and of itself.
Funny you mention that. I walked past the CUM bookstore in the same centre and noticed they had a ‘Fiction’ section! ;D
Morning guys and girls
How are all of you this fine morning?
That is so true about the fiction part and just goes to show what double lives they live.
Aint it true?
Funny you mention that. I walked past the CUM bookstore in the same centre and noticed they had a 'Fiction' section!LOL ;D Wandapec, have you been to Exclusive Books Hyde Park? If so, how does it compare to Clearwater Mall?
I’ve just finished reading Bones,Rocks and Stars by Chris Turney and would highly recommend it. He gives basic explanations about the various methods of dating and gives examples of how they are used, citing well known examples such as the Turin shroud.
The epilogue is aimed directly at creationists and I particularly like the last few sentences of the book where Chris Turney says…
“Until creationism provides compelling evidence for it’s arguments rather than blithely discounting hundreds of years of scientific research, it will continue to be a belief and should be treated as such. To allow the distortion of time runs the risk of returning to a period where indoctrination becomes the accepted norm. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to vigorously challenge so-called creation science.
The past is the key to the future and we need all the time we can get to see it.”
Hear, hear!!!
mdg
If you stumble across a copy of The Canon - The beautiful basics of science by Natalie Angier (2007), do take it home with you. Not unlike Bryson’s Short history, the salient principles of science and scientific thinking are painlessly delivered with spoonfuls of fun and wit. A science book for anyone and everyone.
Mintaka
If you stumble across a copy of The Canon - The beautiful basics of science by Natalie Angier (2007)
Thanks for that, just ordered a copy from Kalahari.net
Norty rwenzori snaffled a copy off rapidshare.
She is most entertaining, and the book is fascinating for a non-scientist like me. I love this example:
The physicist Robert Jaffe of MIT cited the case of what might be called spire and brimstone. The cathedrals and churches of Christendom traditionally were built on the highest promontory in town and outfitted with the loftiest steeples parishioners could afford, the better to reach toward heaven and vamp for the neighbors. Unfortunately, those tall, wooden towers attracted more than envy: churches were regularly struck by lightning and burned to varying degrees of a crisp. "Every time this happened, there would be a wrenching dialogue about sin and the vengeance of God," said Jaffe, "and what the parish had done to bring the wrath of the Lord upon them." Then, in the eighteenth century, Benjamin Franklin determined that lightning was an electric rather than an ecclesiastic phenomenon. He recommended that conducting rods be installed on all spires and rooftops, and the debates over the semiotics of lightning bolts vanished. Nowadays, a fire in a church is less likely to be considered an act of God than of a tippling priest who neglected to blow out the candles.
I’m only up to page 40 or so, but looking forward to reading the rest. Thanks for the recommendation.
Jane, at 5’ 6", I could use that future evolution for another inch or two.One nephew and one grand-nephew are giansts!
Barryl, he and Quentin Smith are amongst our top naturalists-atheologians. I’m looking forward later this year to study his latest two books on the new atheism and those quantum-obfuscationists!
The supernaturalists have the supercilious Swinburne,Haught,Craig and Plantinga whilst we have these two plus Martin, Nielsen and Kurtzand the authors of the following:
" Logic and theism" for the very serious
“God, Freedom and Immortality”
‘Argung about Gods’
" Arguing for Atheism"
" The Miracle of Theism"
" Atheism Explained: from Folly to Philosophy"
’ The Problem of God: a Short Introduction," a deep one at that.
Finally, a president recognizes us atheists! Pres. Obama will rank with FDR!