Q&A - Opening Parliament with the Lord's Prayer

[jcw3032]

Simply put - "The probability of life originating on Earth by accident is no greater than the chance that a hurricane, sweeping through a scrapyard, would have the luck to assemble a Boeing 747." That, my friend, takes a large amount of FAITH. If you wanna believe evolution, fine. But don't try and say it's part of science.

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 Faith? Faith is what you have when there is no evidence. I am smart enough to know that thousands of scientists have devoted their lives to this field and know far far more about it than you or I ever will. For you to say that they are wrong based on a high school education is utterly laughable! I trust the scientists, not a youtube theist.

[jcw3032]

Do you honestly believe that the first life form was able to access a sufficient food source? That when it somehow acquired consciousness that its body was able to survive in the harsh conditions apparently present in that time? That it was able to, against unbleievable odds, find another similar creature who also miracioulosly evolved - at the same time - and both were developed enough to reproduce?!

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 Yes, I believe it. Are you slow or something?

[jcw3032]

@Moppy1988 Well if you can believe that then I can't help you. Learn to think for yourself.

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 Oh the hypocrisy! Where do you get your views from?

[atrophyfilms2012]

*opinions change.

[atrophyfilms2012]

@Moppy1988 The Bible doesn't encourage genocide; it is simply the written history of the Hebrews and other ancient people, and later on the early Christians. It's not saying genocide and slavery were cool; it's just saying that at one time that kind of stuff happened. It's just a book.

[Moppy1988]

@atrophyfilms2012 Buy unfortunately, many people don't take it as just a book. If everyone did, it wouldn't be a problem.

[atrophyfilms2012]

@Moppy1988 no one is forced to follow The Bible's teachings. Everyone has a choice. Not every Christian follows The Bible to the letter. I'm bisexual. Shouldn't I be the kind of person to denounce The Bible. No. Because look at it in the context of the times. Times change, oponinos change.

[atrophyfilms2012]

Saying the Bible shouldn't be followed because it was written two thousand years ago is as ridiculous as saying we shouldn't read The Iliad because that is thousands of years old. Racism? There's more racism in old Looney Tunes cartoons. Sexism? Mary, a woman is one of the most revered figures.

[Moppy1988]

@atrophyfilms2012 wow, what an ignorant comment... The Iliad doesn't tell people how to live their lives, the Bible does... see the difference? No one would care if the Bible was treated as literature rather than a "how to" book. I can't recall a Looney Tunes cartoon advocating genocide. Reverence of one woman =/= equality

[atrophyfilms2012]

The Bible doesn't advocate racism. It mentions homosexuality only a couple of times. Lol @ the question asker. Cultural sensibilities. Fucking lefties.

[jcw3032]

The bible has said for over 2000 years, in the last days scoffers will come. People who mock the bible and christianity are only to be expected.

[smaugfrost]

@jcw3032

Yes. People tend to mock ridiculous belief systems that are based on no discernible evidence. Just like the belief in Santa Claus or Bigfoot.

[jcw3032]

@smaugfrost True. Belief in evolution, big bang, etc is so ridiculous. Its based on wild imaginations and fantasy.

[smaugfrost]

@jcw3032

Wow. People as willfully ignorant as you appear to be cannot be intelligently debated with.

"Wild imaginations and fantasy". Heh.

This from a person who believes in men walking on water, women turning into pillars of salt, a million species of animal living on a single boat for 40 days, with 8 people to take care of them, all without adequate food and toilet facilities, talking snakes, magic fruit, and people returning from the dead after three days.

[jcw3032]

@smaugfrost It takes far more faith to believe that we arrived here by some random explosion of nothingness (yeah that's real bright) that we evolved from some goo, into fishes, to dogs, to apes - all who somehow accessed food sources and were able to reproduce with their own kind - and now here we are! Than to believe god created everything and worked those miracles in the bible. Talk about willfully ignorant.

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 faith is no longer faith when there is evidence supporting it

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's wrong bro

[jcw3032]

@Moppy1988 There is no indisputable evidence supporting evolution. And i do understand the big bang and the evolution process, I've done entire studies on the subject. 

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 Pro tip, if you're going to do studies on evolution and the big bang, don't do them through the church. If you think the evidence supporting evolution is disputable, then you clearly don't understand it.

[jcw3032]

@Moppy1988 Actually smart one, I learnt/studied evolution in a public school which is about as anti-religious as you can get. Anyone with half a brain who can think outside the box can see the glaring flaws in the theory. And your comment just shows how ignorant and illogical believers in evolution really are.

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 What you learn about evolution in school is ridiculously dumbed down, of course you are going to find holes in it because they don't teach you the whole thing... there simply isn't enough time. Name one glaring flaw in the theory. Just one.

[jcw3032]

@Moppy1988 So you're saying that schools teach such a simplified version of a theory that it becomes flawed, to the point where lies are included? That's illogical reasoning. Thats what all evolutionists do to make their theory seem not so stupid - tell the person they don't fully understand it. And i wasnt going to bother telling you a flaw but maybe you honestly dont know how ridiculous evolution really is. Let's imagine for a moment that life could have miraculously appeared by chance.

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 Point out a lie bro.

[jcw3032]

@Moppy1988 And that, by some miracle, this first life form was able to reproduce and sustain a growth in population. Then from there, produce an incredible diversity of life forms with completely different habitats and food requirements including creatures on land, sea, air, earth and eventually humans?!? The human body of staggeringly immense complexity which modern science is still learning from. Finally, a single cell cannot be formed by chance according to scientific reasoning.

[Moppy1988]

@jcw3032 oh dear, someone never did high school biology. Of course I believe it, there is a shitload of evidence supporting it. Do you believe the bible?

[Leehamism]

@OzInfoWarrior We all know the religious are more likely to be insecure about their beliefs than are the non-religious. '

[666plb]

allah is bullshit too you nauseating attention seeking non entity

[shandcunt]

@Rafdaganga What do you mean "efties take these terms and dissect them into their literal meaning rather than intended meaning"

and how did you come to understand the "Intended" meaning and why do you think so many disagree with you?

I mean on the face of it your claiming to know things that you do not / could not possibly know, you know, like the "Intended" meaning, whose intent as well?

[OzInfoWarrior]

Hahaha.... she must be really insecure about her beliefs.

[UnoriginallyInclined]

Catherine Deveny is a nasty, attention-seeking troll. And I say that as an atheist. Her feminism belongs to the testicle-kicking school. It can be summed up thusly: men are evil. Everything men do is just to control and manipulate women. Her position on religion is pretty much the same, just substitute the word men for Christians, and the word women for various minorities. She's the Andrew Bolt of the left, and she doesn't do atheism any service talking like that.

[Rafdaganga]

We must keep the Lord's prayer... I rather the Lord's prayer than Alah wo Akbar in the beginning of parliament. Please don't let Australia become an Islamic nation.

[irishgodfatherchris]

@Rafdaganga you Liberal moron, no prayer should be used in Parliament as Australia is a consciously secular nation all you've shown in your intolerance that is endemic in your right-wing view of the world and all who subscribe to that.

[Rafdaganga]

@irishgodfatherchris Intended secularism means a nation that is non-demoninational. Just like intended Multiculturalism has always been about integration and assimilation. The problem is lefties take these terms and dissect them into their literal meaning rather than intended meaning. Tony Abbott Will become PM, and we will get the PM that Australia deserves.

[irishgodfatherchris]

@Rafdaganga Tony will be challenged, you clearly don't pay attention to party politics he will not be there next election,Tony will also fuck up the economy by sacking the Public Service (great for making money in the short run, disastrous in the long run) he will drive us into recession an we'll have at least a 8% unemployment rate because he does not care about the average person he cares about big business which makes him and the rest of the party very rich whilst other people are broke.

[666plb]

@Rafdaganga Absolutley, I am an athiest, but would hate to see christianity diminished, because of what would fill the void. There is 2 types of athiest, those like deveny and large lady in audience who asked the pointless question, who are opposed to christianity. And those who don't believe in any god, its easy to shit on Catholics, the pope doesn't issue fatwa

[irishgodfatherchris]

@666plb no he issues Papal bulls

[Moppy1988]

@Rafdaganga was that a serious comment, or are you on the wind up?

[LeobonThalan]

What a stupid woman! She clearly hasn't read the Bible, and has an axe to grind against Christians, just because she has nothing better to do...

[LeighJones9001]

Mathew 6:9+ How to say the words of the lord's prayer

Four verses earlier:

Mathew 6:5-8 Instructions to the effect of: Don't pray in public, that's what the hypocrites do, they have received their reward. Instead you should pray in your home where nobody can hear you (except God)

So its pointless for everybody! The non-believers because its nonsense, and the believers because their own book, 4 verses earlier, says they're doing it wrong, it will have no effect but to demonstrate their hypocrisy

[Moppy1988]

@LeighJones9001 winner winner chicken dinner

[Clembo]

"I find it offensive" you lost me on that one. This cunt hides behind popular opinion as if ignorance multiplied makes any difference when it comes to morality. 20 million times zero is still zero.

[BonesTheCat]

Banning it for freedom of belief? lol rightio.

[MamaMario13]

i have respect for christians and their beliefs as long as they leave me alone and dont go around saying god hates fags and blowing up abortion clinics. but why cant religion stay out of politics?

[rienzied]

she is soooo pathetic, she'd be better off living in the middle east

[MrPoxman]

Go girl and fuck you to the religious assholes who fail to remember it was their members burning witches and killing atheists for thousands and thousands of years and are still doing so in the middle east and Africa you evil pricks.

[harmonykrieg]

@nonameisacat As in fear of sin? According to wikipedia sinophobia means fear of chinese people or chinese goods! There are some words for fear of sin none seem very well known:

Fear of sin: Hamartophobia or Peccatiphobia.

Fear of commiting sin: Enosiophobia or Enissophobia.

I prefer sinophobia but unfortunately it already means something else :/

[nonameisacat]

@harmonykrieg Yeah, Sinophobia would be fear of things Chinese (Sinology, Sinophile, etc.), though pronounced SIGN-ophile. But it sounds like that was was was said, an off-the-cuff portmanteau or neologism or whatever. I wouldn't overestimate the intelligence of Catherine Deveny, even if I agree with the spirit of what she's saying.

[harmonykrieg]

At 0.47: "Sexism, homophobia, racism, something-phobia."

What was the last one?

[belindasaurus]

@harmonykrieg i think she said 'xenophobia' as in a fear of foreigners

[dangerics]

@harmonykrieg xenophobia

[alexgabr]

@harmonykrieg xenophobia

[akadaka69]

@harmonykrieg xenofobia

[fionafull]

well catherine , you are considerably offensive. i think you are being discrimitive , i would rather be following god than your ignorant opinion

[fionafull]

well catherine , you are considerably offensive. i think you are being discrimitive , i would rather be following god than your ignorant opinion

[jamadeybigtits]

i agree with her, the lords prayer should not open sittings of parliament, isnt that obvious...

god is bullshit

[xxhotsexymamaxx]

Tony abbott = decent man with beautiful family and high morals

Catherine deveny = athiest= disgusting woman who hopes 12 year old girls get laid .

I'll go with the christians and leave her to the gutters she calls home. I feel sorry for her kids

[nonameisacat]

@xxhotsexymamaxx

Lawrence Murphy = Christian = Child Rapist and Reverend.

Therefore Christians are child rapists!

[xxhotsexymamaxx]

@nonameisacat im a deist

[genxtargetmarket]

@xxhotsexymamaxx

An entirely irrational spewing of emotion! Well done.

[MamaMario13]

@xxhotsexymamaxx morals such as: Leviticus 20:13- Homosexuals should be stoned to death? Indeed that is morality

[j0noStrIk3r]

@xxhotsexymamaxx Mate, what you have just said is very much true! I fully support you and thankyou for putting this out there! Thumbs up mate!

[Moppy1988]

@xxhotsexymamaxx ...a decent man with beatiful family and high morals that openly discriminates against several demographics within the country he wants to run

[xxhotsexymamaxx]

an absolutely disgusting person with sick sense of humour. What she said about Roves wife was horrid and the age sacked her for the talentless disgusting person she is ... God is bull shit ?? He got you back ...didnt he ! I think I saw you lining up outside the centerlink the other day ..... KARMA

[savas1212]

Dumb, ignorant bitch

[Lobonsky]

What a boring little shit.......Bag the present situation.......but have something in order to replace the fuckup..........Don"t replace it with a self centered mouth peice!!!!

[HairyBogTrotter]

Deveny is an awful piece of haggis.

[blackynth]

What?? Catherine Deveny got sacked by The Age???? There is a God!!!!

[andreturner22]

@blackynth Maybe there is a God - Deveny,s ability to be heard just went through the roof not to mention job offers. Thousands of people have been Googling her over the last few days to see what she has to say. Thanks to her sacking she is reaching more people than ever and making more of society think about and debate the issues she raises. Discussion about taboo topics is a good thing.

[blackynth]

@andreturner22 I'm not surprised you defend her if you measure the quality of what she says by the number of jobs and internet hits she gets. What issue was she trying to raise with the Belinda Emmett comment?

[Riyun72]

She finds opening with prayer offensive but making sick comments about someones dead wife and hoping an 11yr old girl gets laid is not. What a fucked in the head person is this.

[imowtflol]

@Riyun72 Anyone who beleives in god are fucked in the head. Why is parliament opening with a fairytale. You attack her for making a few off-colour jokes, but say nothing about the crimes committed against children by the lord's preachers.

What a fucked in the head person you are.

[Riyun72]

@imowtflol Where did I write that I think parliment should be opened with pray or supported the abuses done to children by preachers? Where? You have made up things I never said or pertained to. Also tell me where I insulted you? So why insult me? Maybe you ought to read what is written rather than making shit up.

[mooneepondskid]

The Bible wasn't written on stone Catherine. Even an educated atheist should know that...lol.

[germanicelt]

Catherine Deveny is an empty vessel. A dumb, vacuous mono log.

[ondaskateboards]

Catherine Deveny a walking goal post.

check those teeth out, you can kick a field goal thru them.

[skepticoz]

The empty space between her teeth, is not as bothersome as the empty space between some peoples ears.

[ondaskateboards]

@skepticoz

Guess you can't kick a goal. It must bother you aye!

[skepticoz]

@ondaskateboards

Actually I'm quite happy if I can get 'one in' for a behind. XP

[1GOD1JESUS]

God bless the stupidity of Australia

[MRMILO57]

Catherine Deveny is definately a pedophile.

[RDKF13]

I watched this last night, Peter Dutton's a fuckwhit.

[C3H8E30]

Deveny is a loud mouthed, smug, bigoted, narcissistic, intellectual lightweight!

[skepticoz]

@C3H8E30

And that was a conservative, subtle, diplomatic, humble, intellectually profound comment d'ya think? Hello pot. This is kettle speaking...

[C3H8E30]

@skepticoz

She is:

Loudmouthed - tick

Smug - tick

bigoted - tick

narcissistic - tick

intellectual lightweight - tick

Debate that, not me. If you can't refute those things, STFU.

[skepticoz]

"She is:

Loudmouthed - tick"

You are welcome to your opinion, but having a "loud mouth" is not an objective quality, unless you literally mean volume in decibels. Her audible volume, is controlled by adjustable electronics. By blurting out such opinionated ad hominem, you too are being a loudmouth. While I don't actually care about how loudmouthed you are, you might like to reconsider stating opinion as fact & the hypocrisy aspect of indiscreetly loud mouthing your own strident criticism.

[skepticoz]

"Smug - tick"

Just your opinion.

"bigoted - tick"

More of your opinion.

"narcissistic - tick"

Yet you sound so humble and demure. Did god give you the poetic license to redefine subjective opinions as objective tangible facts, or did he simply die and leave you in charge? What units of measurement can we now look forward to, for quantifying the tangibility you've conveniently assigned, to the objectified quality of narcissism? Again, we may only proffer subjective qualities by opinion.

[skepticoz]

"intellectual lightweight - tick"

Heres the funny bit. Besides your appearing to have absolutely no capacity to distinguish between subjective opinion and an objective fact, you have also comprehensively failed, even the feeblest attempt, to substantiate your (in my view), arrogant, self indulgent, ad hominem, character assassination. If I wanted to bend over backwards to understand how you believe any of your criticisms can be justified (even as opinion), I can't. They are so devoid of reason.

[skepticoz]

Before I leave the "intellectual lightweight" issue, I might point out that Cathrine Deveny is a comedian and a columnist, not a philosopher or a scientist, but I have no doubt she needs no defense from your glib, unsubstantiated, baseless, opinionated, rhetorical ad hominem. I try to avoid giving my personal evaluations of the intellectual prowess of others (unless they are obviously deluded), Yet you offer yours without any substantiation, even as you lambaste her smugness and narcissism. WOW.

[germanicelt]

@skepticoz - speaking great volumes of verbal diarrhea does not aid Catherine in her accusations. If you agree with her, then just state why.

[skepticoz]

speaking great volumes of verbal diarrhea does not aid Catherine in her accusations.

A) I wasn't aware she made any "accusations".

B) I wasn't attempting to defend any of her points or opinions.

C) What I did do, was criticize your empty rhetorical ad-hom, and if anything deserves to be called empty, vacuous, verbal diarrhea, it's that. Look at everything you have said here. Is there anything which qualifies as reasonable, intellectual criticism, that enlists reasoning skill in deployment?

[germanicelt]

@skepticoz - What the hell are you talking about? How could you be criticizing anything I said when I hadn't left a comment???

She was making accusations about Christianity. If you can't see that your blind.

[skepticoz]

On the other hand, since you have responded to my criticism of C3H8E30's ad-hominem (you might like to look that up), with nothing more than more opinionated ad-hom i.e."verbal diarrhea" which fails to consider and address any specific thing I said, then you might as well actually be C3H8E30. Perhaps your assholes and mouths are also interchangeable with each other. In any case, you've gone and done the very same thing,. You criticize her intellect, without giving any reasoned basis. Nice one.

[skepticoz]

Despite having previously pointed out the hypocrisy of delivering a slur on somebody's intellect, without showing any example or justification for it. You have a) not responded to the point itself, b) Only addressed my comments with the ad-hom that it was "verbal diarrhea" (again no reason or justification) and c) you have done the same thing. Another prior point you have ignored in your slur on Cathrine is, "that Cathrine Deveny is a comedian and a columnist, not a philosopher or a scientist, "

[skepticoz]

"She was making accusations about Christianity. If you can't see that your blind."

Usually it's not standard practice in balanced, well reasoned discourse, to refer to a 'claim' or a 'statement' as an accusation. Accusation implies blame or malicious wrong doing and it usually applies to an individual not a whole sector of society such as a religion. Cathrine is generalising here, but the statements she makes critical of Christianity are meant to challenge the ethics of it's social privilege.

[skepticoz]

"If you agree with her, then just state why."

In constructive intelligent discourse, nobody need be called upon to state their agreement with another person. Provided that the person has made a fair point that stands to reason, it may be dully noted and left for the intellectual criticism of those who might disagree. If it is unfair or doesn't stand to reason, then anybody is entitled to cry foul. YOU need to point out why YOU DISagree with Cathrine (if you do). Name calling isn't reasoning.

[skepticoz]

"If you can't refute those things.."

Finally, I reiterate that the assertions you have made are neither amenable to objective analysis and could not sensibly be the sort of ideas that are possible to confirm or refute. In any event you can't seriously think it makes any sense to expect others to refute your assertions, in absence of any reason or rhyme to explain how YOU have reached such inspired heights of critical insight. I tire of repeating this. The burden of reason is on the claimant.