Scientists Create Life - God Not Required

An elegant experiment has quashed a major objection to the theory that life on Earth originated with molecules of RNA.

John Sutherland and his colleagues from the University of Manchester, UK, created a ribonucleotide, a building block of RNA, from simple chemicals under conditions that might have existed on the early Earth.

The feat, never performed before, bolsters the 'RNA world' hypothesis, which suggests that life began when RNA, a polymer related to DNA that can duplicate itself and catalyse reactions, emerged from a prebiotic soup of chemicals.

"This is extremely strong evidence for the RNA world. We don't know if these chemical steps reflect what actually happened, but before this work there were large doubts that it could happen at all," says Donna Blackmond, a chemist at Imperial College London.

Now of course this doesn't necessarily mean this is exactly how it happened, but it does prove one thing; It proves that for a self replicating molecule - life - to form a magical man in the sky is not required. You just need the right chemicals, the right conditions and they can do it all by themselves.

So i wonder what dark corner the peddlers of the god of the gaps fallacy will relegate their god to now?

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Bishop Of Aston Demands We Abide By His Religions Rules

"waa waa, stop playing football on our special zombie man day" was the demand coming from numerous religious fanatics intent on forcing everyone else to abide by their rules this easter.

In a letter sent to Richard Scudamore, CE of the premiership, the Bishop of aston said

In rearranging this fixture in this manner you show disdain for the religious traditions of this country, and the sensitivities of many employees and football supporters.

Well, bish, listen up and listen carefully. shove your traditions and shove your sensitivities. If you don't want to watch football on easter then don't, but don't you dare try to prevent me, or anyone else, from doing something based on your primitive cults rules and your imagined laws. YOUR RULES APPLY ONLY TO YOU.

the bish tried to veil his demands in the guise of a soggy "won't somebody please think of the elderly!" plea by claiming

Often the elderly or infirm, who make a special effort to attend church on Easter Sunday, are placed at risk due to the crowds.

well which is it? Should we not have football because of "religious sensitivities" or should we not have football because the elderly don't like crowds? Or is it, as i suspect, that you think we should just do as your religion demands and are now looking for a reason to make us?

Church Tells Flock To Sit In A Cupboard

Recognising that their flock mostly consists of socially inept, mentally ill loners the church of England has published a book telling it's followers to create a "prayer den" in the cupboard under the stairs and instructs them (adults!) to sit in it when life gets too much.

In the book called Love Life Live Lent, which gives worshippers ideas for how to mark the 40-day period before Easter, believers are told about the "stress of modern life" and given ideas about how to create a sanctum of solice. Three of the suggestions are sitting in the cupboard under the stairs (which is probably the creepiest thing i have ever heard), Sitting on a shelf or creating "prayer den" using "furniture and blankets" (something which i believe 5 year olds refer to as "a fort").

Followers are also instructed to decorate them with "pebbles, shells and feathers" (why?)

A part of my loves the idea of going round someones house and seeing them get in a cupboard, sitting on a shelf or peeking out of their little fort, Just for comedy value.

Tell me I'm not the only one who finds this infantile and creepy.

MPs Want To Ban Atheist Bus Advert

I woke up today thinking i had been transported to Iran as i read the news that British MPs are trying to have the atheist bus poster which says "there's probably no god" banned on the grounds that it may make christians and muslims feel "embarrassed and uncomfortable" (grow a pair and deal with it you sniveling cry-babies).

I thought Britain prided it's self on it's freedom of speech? I thought we lived in a country where people were allowed to have different views, and voice those views. Or is it as i suspect, and how it usually is with the religious, that people can only voice views if they are the same views as the religious.

Here is a list of MPs abusing their position in order to censor descent.

Gregory Campbell - campbellg@parliament.uk
Bob Spink - spinkr@parliament.uk
Sir Nicholas Winterton - mcatory@btconnect.com
Jim Dobbin - Unknown
David Drew - Unknown
Ann Cryer - Unknown
Marsha Singh - Unknown
Lee Scott - scottle@parliament.uk
David Simpson - davidsimpson@upperbannd.u.p.co.uk
Ann Winterton - annwintertonmp@parliament.uk

The time when religious views are given specials concessions has to come to an end. If christian groups can advertise a website which states that disbelievers will burn in hell why on earth can't atheists have one that says it probably wont happen?

A part of me wants the atheist bus advert banned, Either by the advertising standards authority on the grounds that the claims can't be proven or by wishy-washy MPs on the grounds that it may offend - Imagine the leverage that kind of president would give us. We would practically be able to outlaw religion overnight.

People opposing this advert are treading on very thin ice and they should be very careful when it comes to their reasons for opposing it, Or they may find the same logic coming back and biting them on their arse.

Thanks to nullifidian

Christian Refuses To Drive Atheist Bus

Ron Heather, a 62 year old christian driver for the First bus operator, Downed tools and went home this week after flat out refusing to do what he is being paid for and drive a bus which happened to have the atheist bus poster declaring "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" on the side.

He told his managers that the bus advert went against his faith. Shame his faith plays a bigger role than his work ethic or sense of duty.

Mr Heather, While no doubt stamping his feet and foaming at the mouth, said "There would be no way buses would be able to drive around with an anti-Muslim message like that on the side mentioning Allah. There would be uproar" while being completely oblivious to the fact that allah is included in this message and it is in no way specifically about his particular god. Why do the religious always assume atheism singles them out?

The watchdog is now considering whether to investigate the campaign on the grounds that it is offensive, or that its central claim about God's existence cannot be substantiated, Which would be absolutely brilliant as it would allow atheist groups to challenge religious posters on the same grounds. I would love nothing more than religious organisations to be prevented from advertising on the grounds that their claims have no basis in reality.

The atheist bus campaign set out aiming to raise £5000 to put posters on a few buses in London, but after receiving great support and donations totalling £140,000 they were able to vastly scale up their efforts to raise awareness.

Hanne Stinson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, which is running the campaign, said "I have difficulty understanding why people with particular religious beliefs find the expression of a different sort of beliefs to be offensive."

Non-Muslims Told Not To Eat During Ramadan

All members of Tower Hamlets Council in east London, where 36 per cent of the population follows Islam, were sent an email asking them to abide by the restrictions observed by strict Muslims during the holy month.

They have also been told that the town hall's business agenda will be reduced throughout Ramadan to accommodate Muslims, with only seven committee meetings scheduled and special prayer breaks included in the evening events.

Tower Hamlets Council has previously insisted that staff call their Christmas meal the "festive lunch" and replaced Bonfire Night celebrations with a show based on a Bengali folk tale.

Some councillors on the Labour-run authority claim it is favouring one religious group over the others.

Cllr Stephanie Eaton, leader of the Lib Dem group, said she would be ignoring the new Ramadan regime and added: "I was rather disconcerted to see that the arrangements put in place for Ramadan, which we support for Muslim colleagues, have been imposed upon all councillors.

source

Perhaps they should also be told to cover their wives, Mutilate their daughters genitals and kill some gays, You know, so the muslims aren't offended by people who have the nerve to do something not permitted by Islam.

Or perhaps instead Tower Hamlets could concentrate on some real problems they have, Like the 12.7% unemployment, The highest unemployment rate in Britain. But who has time for work when they have to pray 5 times a day and find time to beat their multiple wives, Multiple wives which the rest of us apparently have to support.

I am all for people inflicting whatever imaginary laws they want upon themselves, But your religions rules apply to you and you alone. If i was a councilor in Tower Hamlets i would go out of my way to eat during Ramadan, I would order pizza, have bowls of crisps on the table and ensure that it all contained pork. Know why? BECAUSE YOUR RELIGIONS RULES APPLY ONLY TO YOU.

Even Moderate Islam Is Fanatical

How many times have we heard from pity seeking, professional victim muslims that "moderate Islam" doesn't condone terrorism and that any connection made between violence and islam is a result of "islamophobia" because, after all, islam is a religion of peace.

This is of course the party line when they are defending their religion publicly. But what do they say when they are afforded anonymity? They say quite the opposite. A recent YouGov poll for the Centre for Social Cohesion found that almost a third of British muslim students believed killing in the name of islam could be justified. That is 33% of muslim students, Living and studying in Britain, a country most of them were born and raised in, Believe killing for their invisible sky daddy could be justified. These aren't people living in caves, They aren't nomadic desert dwellers cut off from civilisation, They are British citizens.

The poll has received criticism from Britain's largest muslims student body, But that is to be expected. Any time anybody uses a muslims own words to expose how inherently violent and bloodthirsty islam is it is going to receive criticism. They never refute the results found though, They only criticise that someone had the cheek to investigate the truth and the audacity to expose it.

Of course, this isn't the first time the fanaticism of British muslims has been exposed. Earlier in 2006 a survey found that 40% of British muslims wanted sharia law introduce. This is a law which hands out the death penalty for the crimes of adultery and homosexuality, amputations for the crime of theft, and flogging for fornication or public intoxication.

So i ask you, How moderate is moderate islam really? Believing that moderate islam could exist is as ludicrous as believing moderate Nazism could exist.

Sexism And Bigotry Still Strong In Christianity

More than 1,300 clergy have written to the Archbishop of Canterbury saying they will defect from the Church of England if women are consecrated as bishops.

Members of the group, which includes 11 serving bishops, say they will take decisive action if two votes are passed this weekend to allow female bishops.

The move comes as the Anglican community is divided over the issue of homosexual clergy.

The letter, sent to Dr Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York John Sentamu, comes before the meeting of the General Synod, the Church's governing body, in York on Friday.

gays and women having equal rights? That isn't very "christian"!

Another Apology To Fragile Muslims And Their Precious Feelings

England is a nation of dog lovers, We always have been and we always will be. Yet because in Islam dogs are considered "haraam" (apparently their paedophile prophet was frightened of them) Tayside police were forced to issue an apology for a recent postcard campaign which depicted a dog because they didn't "seek advice from the force's diversity adviser".

The campaign used an image of a puppy called rebel to promote a new phone number for non-emergency calls.

Mohammed Asif, a Dundee City councillor who sits on the Tayside Joint Police Board, said "My concern was that it is not welcomed by all communities". Well, Mohammad, Maybe some things you do aren't welcome by the British community.. Maybe if something as inoffensive as a dog on a postcard is not "welcomed" you should in future try getting over yourself and realise that we can't be expected to make sure you aren't exposed to harmless depictions of animals which you may find offensive.

But yet again the British people roll over, cater to petulant assholes with precious feelings and apologise, Like groveling fucking simpletons.

At what point is someone going to say "it's a picture of a dog, grow up and get the fuck over yourself".

Ken Livingston Campaigner Is Wannabe Suicide Bomber

As the race for London mayor heats up ken Livingston may find himself fighting an uphill battle after one campaigner for the group muslims 4 ken has been exposed as a Hamas supporting potential suicide bomber.

Dr Tamimi, director of the London-based Institute of Islamic Political Thought and campaigner for ken Livingston, Has previously praised suicide bombers and even said he would volunteer personally for a suicide mission in the Middle East. In a BBC interview in 2004 he said: "If I can go to Palestine and sacrifice myself I would do it. Why not? Sacrificing myself for Palestine is a noble cause. It is the straight way to pleasing my God and I would do it if I had the opportunity."

In 2006 he was the main speaker at a London conference which had the backing of Mr Livingstone and was held the day before the anniversary of the July 7 terror attacks. It was Dr Tamimi who invited the radical Islamic preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi to speak at a conference in London in 2004. Al-Qaradawi, who has defended suicide bombers and the persecution of homosexuals, was welcomed to City Hall and embraced by Mr Livingstone.

Inbreeding Muslims Increase UK Birth Defects

A government minister has warned that inbreeding among immigrants is causing a surge in birth defects - comments likely to spark a new row over the place of Muslims in British society.

Phil Woolas, an environment minister, said the culture of arranged marriages between first cousins was the “elephant in the room”. Woolas, a former race relations minister, said: “If you have a child with your cousin the likelihood is there’ll be a genetic problem.”

The minister, whose views were supported by medical experts this weekend, said: “The issue we need to debate is first cousin marriages, whereby a lot of arranged marriages are with first cousins, and that produces lots of genetic problems in terms of disability [in children].”

Woolas emphasised the practice did not extend to all Muslim communities but was confined mainly to families originating from rural Pakistan. However, up to half of all marriages within these communities are estimated to involve first cousins.

Medical research suggests that while British Pakistanis are responsible for 3% of all births, they account for one in three British children born with genetic illnesses.

Creationist Liars Come To Europe

Thanks to Max for emailing this one in.

After the Sunday service in Westminster Chapel, where worshippers were exhorted to wage "the culture war" in the World War II spirit of Sir Winston Churchill, cabbie James McLean delivered his verdict on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

"Evolution is a lie, and it's being taught in schools as fact, and it's leading our kids in the wrong direction," said McLean, chatting outside the chapel. "But now people like Ken Ham are tearing evolution to pieces."

Europeans have long viewed the conflict between evolutionists and creationists as primarily an American phenomenon, but it has recently jumped the Atlantic Ocean with skirmishes in Italy, Germany, Poland and, notably, Britain, where Darwin was born and where he published his 1859 classic.

Luckily for Europeans we have far less fundamentalist evangelicals than America willing to make utter fools out of themselves, So i don't expect this lie based movement to make much ground over here. It is something Europeans need to keep an eye on though, Especially since the UK creation theme park was announced.

UK Blasphemy Law To Be Abolished

A law which see it's last imprisonment 80 years ago is set to be removed from the statute books in a move surprisingly backed by the archbishop of Canterbury.

MP's have been debating the abolition of the blasphemy law and yesterday Downing Street suggest they were on the verge of abolishing it.

For a long time the legal community has looked upon the blasphemy law as a "dead letter", Meaning that although the law does exist it is about as likely to be used as is the law prohibiting MPs wearing armour in parliament or the law allowing farmers to walk sheep over tower bridge on the way to market.

That of course was before Christian Voice, A UK Evangelical organisation, Tried to take the BBC to court for their screening of Jerry Springer - The opera, A play in which Jesus is depicted as a nappy wearing lover of poo, under the blasphemy law.

So thanks Christian Voice. Thanks for highlight how important it is to remove any legal protection you have against parody and ridicule.

My only worry is that similar laws, More likely to be used, Will be brought in to protect all persons of all faiths from being criticised.

Britain To Get Creationist Theme Park

The latest salvo in creationism's increasingly ferocious battle with evolution is about to be fired in Lancashire [England]. Not in a fiery sermon preached from the pulpit, but in the form of a giant Christian theme park that will champion the book of Genesis and make a multi-media case that God created the world in seven days.

The AH Trust, a charity set up last year by a group of businessmen alarmed by the direction in which they see society heading, has identified a number of potential sites in the north west of England to build the £3.5m Christian theme park.

[1] This is excellent news. It will be the biggest failure creationists have had since they invented "super evolution" as a bizarre rationalisation to explain how Noah got so many animals on the ark and since Ray Comfort thought the modern banana was designed by god.

The only people we can expect to go to a "creationist theme park" in the UK are atheists who have nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon and are in the mood for a bit of a giggle.

I look forward to laughing at their humiliating failure, And i look even more forward to potholer54 ripping them a new arsehole after his inevitable visit.

The Difference Between America And England

As a British citizen, And more specifically an Englishman, I can't help almost constantly being reminded of the differences between America and England, Especially when it comes to religion. In America religion is an important part of society, Even for those who don't believe in it due to the influence it has on public policy and education. In England however we have a comparatively relaxed approach to religion and our motto seems to be; "say what you like about religion, We all know it's bollocks. But try not to piss of the Muslims, You know what they are like".

The differences between the institutional approach to religion can best be summed up in the following picture.Can you imagine if in America they too celebrated someone who so fully and concisely proved a key aspect of christian doctrine to be false?

Extra information.
£5 note: Elizabeth Fry, Worked to improve conditions in prisons.
£10 note (above): Charles Darwin, Naturalist.
£20 note: Edward William Elgar, Composer.
£50 note: John Houblon, First Governor of the Bank Of England.