Skeptic Project

Quotes from Douglas Adams don't feed people.

If you can't accept that religion does positive things for people then its because you don't want to.

"It also threatens to reduce people to ash under nuclear haze."

Ah hyperbole, the last desperate grasp of a fanatic.

Is that why the Soviets massed nukes? Over religion?

Think hard before you answer.

Did someone say Cold War history? I might know a thing or shitload about that ;]

While it's true some Evangelicals in America view the world being destroyed by fire to mean a nuclear war is coming, that's not the reason behind the rise of nuclear weapons in America or the USSR.

The atom bomb was rushed in the US because it was believed the Germans were going to get it first, but as it turned out because they exiled or killed most of their scientists (because they were ZE JEWZ) they fell behind the US in research and ability in that specific arena. The atom bomb was demonstrated as a feasible and powerful weapon in Japan, as we all know.

After some reverse engineering and stealing of scientists (among other things) the USSR managed to create their own. Then fear set in that the USSR might try to use them to either start a war with the US to destroy them, or use them as a threat to take over the US. The Soviet view, however, was that the US hated them so much, they'd just annihilate them before ever asking any questions -- shoot first.

Thus set in MAD, where each side understood that if war were to break out, that'd mean the end to not only the US and USSR, but probably most of the world. You also have to remember the fear mongering that went on in the early to mid 1980s amongst neo-conservatives, that the USSR were building even more weapons in order to destroy the US, even though the USSR basically couldn't create shoe laces by this point.

Religion played really no role in the Cold War, other than being a weapon against the USSR, claiming that because we allow freedom of religion we were far more superior (in God we trust, changing of the pledge, etc.) Essentially religion's role was only that which could be used by either power to show weakness or hostility in the other.

That was really an oversimplified version of the Cold War, but it talks about the most important details. There are a few proclaimed Evangelicals in the government, but not many in at all in the military, and none to my knowledge in real positions of power. Even Evangelicals that do have some power, tend to be full of shit, because I've heard the same people talk about ending abortion for years, but haven't done a single thing to do it. So, if they honestly don't care about ending abortions, just getting votes, any beliefs they may have that the world need be destroyed by the fire of nuclear weapons would likely also be bullshit.

You're right.

But I just can't believe how most people will refuse to acknowledge this particular train of thought towards religion.

Whatever. Fuck it. Life goes on.

There's an interesting article about Religulous here:
http://www.tektonics.org/religuguff.html</p>

It shows some of the tricks Maher used to ambush his subjects.

For example, Maher told Francis Collins that he was going to interview him about the human genome project and reconciling science and faith, which are Collins' areas of expertise. But when they got together, Maher instead asked him about other issues entirely, like about the historicity of the Gospels, an area where Collins is not an expert. So, obviously, Collins came across as someone who has no idea what he's talking about.

Also, when Maher interviewed Ken Ham, Ham had no idea he was meeting with Maher, but was told that a religious documentary crew called "First Word Productions" would be meeting with him about a pro-Creationism documentary. The "crew" shows up, and one of them props open a door so that Maher could sneak inside (the museum was closed at the time). Maher basically went out of his way to make sure that Ham wasn't prepared for the interview. Ham claims that he actually handled himself very well, and challenged Maher to release the entire uncut interview, and Maher refused, releasing only the portions that made Ham look bad.

David

Have this DVR'ed... going to give it a spin later but not expecting anything great.