I have yet to read anything about his church castrating young boys either to 'help' them against homosexuality or as a punishment for speaking out about abusive priests, as per the stories now coming out of the Netherlands, which also include the revelation that a former Dutch PM knew what his church was doing and help keep it secret.

[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/9153676/Dutch-Roman-Catholic-Church-castrated-at-least-10-boys.htmlAnd specifically on that story ...[/url

If ever there was a case of religion attempting to trump common sense, then these three should be thrown out of office on the grounds that if lunatics cannot vote, they should certainly not be allowed to serve in Parliament.

[url=http://www.totalpolitics.com/blog/314662/mps-plea-to-overturn-and39god-can-healand39-ad-ban.thtmlMPs demand ASA overturn ban on Healing on the Streets claim that god can heal through prayer[/url

They are now asking the ASA for scientific evidence that god cannot heal. They're even citing the case of Patrice Muamba

Why would the Archbishop of Canterbury kiss the Pope's ring ?

Can't the SAS just covertly bump them off and then they won't have to prove anything.

Now corrected

Now my post just looks silly, I can manage it all on my own without you helping out.

You need to use the quote facility if you really want to take the pis[is[/i

At the time the Muamba story was being reported, I was surprised by the number of references to God and prayer. The line from Owen Coyle (I think) about all the prayers working was particularly stupid. What 'worked' was the quick thinking, fast actions and profound expertise of the medical staff involved and probably the greater than average fitness of the patient. If God had wanted him to pull through, why give him a potentially fatal heart condition in the first place?

Surely it's up to the organisation making the claim to prove that god does heal?

That story is giving me a face palm moment.

Reading that just makes you want to





















What these dimwits should know is that the burden of proof lies with the person making positive claim, without that condition you can make up just about any $h1t you like and then challenge people to prove you wrong.

But, seeing as they are asking for empirical evidence, how about [url=http://www.templeton.org/pdfs/press_releases/060407STEP_paper.pdfthis[/url

Oh and a hurty hand getting better after someone has prayed over it is a ing anecdote not evidence.



What an egregious insult to the paramedics and doctors who worked for hours to save his life.

They are most certainly unfit to hold public office

Totally agree.

That entire episode, though, does make me wonder how many people genuinely believed that the prayers were having an impact. And also whether the country is going increasingly down this sort of route or whether that's just a perception?And is the whole issue of religion in the UK much different to anywhere else in Europe these days?

Many, many millennia ago, people used to light bonfires in the winter to encourage the sun to come back.
It worked every time.

Whaddya mean, it's not evidence?
It's as good as that which those MPs have.

I have this vision of God sitting there on his throne making Muamba incrementally better for each prayer received. Whilst presumably ignoring all the prayers on behalf of starving African babies.

He's not ignoring them, fool, it's all in his plan that they should die horrible lingering deaths. Why don't people understand these simple points?

That's what makes me laugh about the whole 'prayer works' hypothesis: everything that happens is supposedly part of God's divine plan, pre-ordained since the beginning of time - but if you ask him nicely enough he might change his mind.

... which would then suggest that God didn't get it 'right' in the first place when pre-ordaining things. Which wouldn't then say much about God's godlikeness.

He moves in mysterious ways...

As long as he doesn't move to Wincanton, I don't give a fook

Sometimes I can't help but feel RLFans would really benefit from a 'like' button.

Coddy's just supplied the latest reason

It's the staggering arrogance that gets me. These people will tell you that thousands of people being buried alive under mudslides or being washed away in a tsunami is all part of God's greater plan, and that we shouldn't even [itry[/i to second guess his reasons for committing such atrocities. But when [itheir[/i life (or that of their favourite footballer) becomes endangered, they expect God to drop everything and intervene. What makes them so special that they see fit to ask their 'infallible' creator to change his plans, when the rest of the time they're happy to glibly dismiss the untold suffering of others as being 'His will'?

Some people are just plain daft. Religion, like the monarchy is for nuts and fruitcakes, best summed up by Monty Pythons, The meaning of life. However, the rituals and beliefs involved do bring some sort of contentment to practitioners. The problem is, that if it's drummed into you early enough in life, some of the superstitions stay with you forever which is probably why I'm a daylight atheist.

Aye, Cod moves in mysterious ways too.

Thankfully not in the same circles as god