When I die, I want to go peacefully like my grandfather did–in his sleep. Not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car.
Bob Monkhouse
Bob Monkhouse
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Quotes from Famous Freethinkers
- Thread starter Thumper
- Start date
Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.
Anon
Anon
There is a rumour going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Just erotic. Nothing kinky. It's the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.
Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Bob the Unbeliever
Well-Known Member
“A fire-breathing dragon lives in my garage”
I seriously make such an assertion to you. Surely you’d want to check it out, see for yourself. There have been innumerable stories of dragons over the centuries, but no real evidence. What an opportunity!
“Show me,” you say. I lead you to my garage. You look inside and see a ladder, empty paint cans, an old tricycle–but no dragon.
“Where’s the dragon?” you ask.
“Oh, she’s right here,” I reply, waving vaguely. “I neglected to mention that she’s an invisible dragon.”
You propose spreading flour on the floor of the garage to capture the dragon’s footprints.
“Good idea,” I say, “but this dragon floats in the air.”
Then you’ll use an infrared sensor to detect the invisible fire.
“Good idea, but the invisible fire is also heatless.”
You’ll spray-paint the dragon and make her visible.
“Good idea, but she’s an incorporeal dragon and the paint won’t stick.” And so on. I counter every physical test you propose with a special explanation of why it won’t work.
Now, what’s the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there’s no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists?
Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true. Claims that cannot be tested, assertions immune to disproof are veridically worthless, whatever value they may have in inspiring us or in exciting our sense of wonder. What I’m asking you to do comes down to believing, in the absence of evidence, on my say-so.
From Carl Sagan's A Demon Haunted World
I seriously make such an assertion to you. Surely you’d want to check it out, see for yourself. There have been innumerable stories of dragons over the centuries, but no real evidence. What an opportunity!
“Show me,” you say. I lead you to my garage. You look inside and see a ladder, empty paint cans, an old tricycle–but no dragon.
“Where’s the dragon?” you ask.
“Oh, she’s right here,” I reply, waving vaguely. “I neglected to mention that she’s an invisible dragon.”
You propose spreading flour on the floor of the garage to capture the dragon’s footprints.
“Good idea,” I say, “but this dragon floats in the air.”
Then you’ll use an infrared sensor to detect the invisible fire.
“Good idea, but the invisible fire is also heatless.”
You’ll spray-paint the dragon and make her visible.
“Good idea, but she’s an incorporeal dragon and the paint won’t stick.” And so on. I counter every physical test you propose with a special explanation of why it won’t work.
Now, what’s the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there’s no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists?
Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true. Claims that cannot be tested, assertions immune to disproof are veridically worthless, whatever value they may have in inspiring us or in exciting our sense of wonder. What I’m asking you to do comes down to believing, in the absence of evidence, on my say-so.
From Carl Sagan's A Demon Haunted World
"The universe is simply one of those things that happens from time to time." - physicist Edward P. Tryon
"Imagine how spectacular a book would be if it were authored by a deity who created the universe. Yet there isn't a sentence in any holy book today that couldn't have been written by someone from the first century, and anyone today could easily improve on any of the holy books that people still follow. If a deity exists, it would be far more intelligent that anybody who has ever lived. So what does that say when anyone can improve on the Bible and Qur'an, but very few can improve on a book by Stephen Hawking?" - anon
"There's no reason, in theory, why god's presence couldn't be measured or detected in some way. The only reason that believers claim that god "can't" be detected in this way is because god *isn't* detected, and so a vast and intricate rationale has to be devised to explain this vast, loving, eternal, all-powerful "something" which is, in every external, objective respect, indistinguishable from nothing." - anon.
"If there is a God, his plan is very similar to someone not having a plan." - Eddie Izzard
I don't know where this is from, just seen it on FB but worthy of posting here i think.
Nine Important Facts to Remember as You Grow Older:
Number 9 - Death is the number 1 killer in the world.
Number 8 - Life is sexually transmitted.
Number 7 - Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
Number 6 - Men have two emotions: hungry and horny, and they can't tell them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes, make him a sandwich.
Number 5 - Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day.
Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks, months, maybe years.
Number 4 - Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing.
Number 3 - All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
Number 2 - In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird.
Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.
Number 1 - Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers. What you do today might burn your *** tomorrow.
...and as someone recently said:
Don't worry about old age; it doesn't last that long.
Nine Important Facts to Remember as You Grow Older:
Number 9 - Death is the number 1 killer in the world.
Number 8 - Life is sexually transmitted.
Number 7 - Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
Number 6 - Men have two emotions: hungry and horny, and they can't tell them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes, make him a sandwich.
Number 5 - Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day.
Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks, months, maybe years.
Number 4 - Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing.
Number 3 - All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
Number 2 - In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird.
Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.
Number 1 - Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers. What you do today might burn your *** tomorrow.
...and as someone recently said:
Don't worry about old age; it doesn't last that long.
Bob the Unbeliever
Well-Known Member
Since it seemed to be skipped where I posted this in Jokes, I'll repost here:
Overheard in Heaven, the other day:
Gabriel, "Yo, Jesus. So, are you going back down there?"
Jesus, "Ahh, heck naw! Did you see what happened the last time? And look at it now-- there are forking crosses all over the place. They are definitely ready and waiting, if I should ever show up again. Eff that noise. "
Gabriel, "I hear ya, man. Wanna go watch some chick flicks and pop some popcorn?"
Jesus, "and some rocky road?"
Gabriel, "Okay--some rocky road. Do you want a roll of cookie dough too?"
Jesus, "yes, please. choco-chocolate chip"
Overheard in Heaven, the other day:
Gabriel, "Yo, Jesus. So, are you going back down there?"
Jesus, "Ahh, heck naw! Did you see what happened the last time? And look at it now-- there are forking crosses all over the place. They are definitely ready and waiting, if I should ever show up again. Eff that noise. "
Gabriel, "I hear ya, man. Wanna go watch some chick flicks and pop some popcorn?"
Jesus, "and some rocky road?"
Gabriel, "Okay--some rocky road. Do you want a roll of cookie dough too?"
Jesus, "yes, please. choco-chocolate chip"
It seems to me that Islam and Christianity and Judaism all have the same god, and he's telling them all different things.
Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
Bob the Unbeliever
Well-Known Member
Maybe it's selective hearing? <snerk>
That's certainly right with an element of bs based on mythology that became distorted in the telling
Talking about flicks, going to see guardians of the galaxy 2 in french on Monday. I think the kids will be doing a running translation for me while I fed them popcorn and m&ms
Bob the Unbeliever
Well-Known Member
I have yet to see the first one-- I kept watching my 3 streaming channels, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Netflix.
I fully expected a freebie by now--especially in light of the next in-series.
Oh well. I'm too cheap to pay for it... ha!
Not seen the 1st one myself. I'm only going to this one because of the kids
Simply enjoy life and the great pleasures that come with it.
Karolina Kurkova
"Religion has been around ever since the first monkey pointed at the sun and said to the second monkey, 'He just said to tell you that he wants you to hand over all your bananas to me.' " - anon
"They were allowed to stay there on one condition, and that is that they didn't eat of the tree of knowledge. That has been the condition of the Christian church from then until now. They haven't eaten as yet, as a rule they do not." - Clarence Darrow
"An infinite God ought to be able to protect himself without going in partnership with state legislatures. Certainly he ought not so to act that laws become necessary to keep him from being laughed at. No one thinks of protecting Shakespeare from ridicule, by the threat of fine and imprisonment." - Robert Green Ingersoll