I did RTFA, and I take exception to the notion that anytime you disagree with people you can liken them to a lynch mob and plaster objectionable photos of public hangings on the web. Just a little extreme don’t you think?Read more comments by ropata

I think this comment by Matt Flanagan is germane here:In a letter made available to Galileo in 1615 Cardinal Bellermine of the Inquisition stated clearly that if proof of Galileo’s theory could be provided the Inquisition would change its position.The Inquisition was following a hermeneutical principle (which Galileo himself had defended in his letter to Chr […]

This ‘lynch mob’ allegation is not a constructive response to Harawira critics. It’s merely creating more heat.. since when did the people of New Zealand lose the right to criticise their elected representatives?!What a useless post.Read more comments by ropata

Ken, I hope you are equally indignant about Dan Brown’s distorted revision of history. Does that make him a Stalinist too?Read more comments by ropata

I do enjoy your thought-provoking essays Glenn! Sometimes the precise terminology you use escapes me, and I may disagree occasionally, but it’s very cool to have sharp, trained Christian thinking in the NZ blogosphere (and hopefully in the wider media).Read more comments by ropata

Software Developers usually have great confidence in their problem solving ability. But conversely knowing one’s limits, and when to ask for help, is a life skill that developers often lack.. Knowledge can be quickly attained. Wisdom comes via experience.Read more comments by ropata

In NZ, the most popular sport is \”race-baiting\”. It has a long and time-honoured tradition. The sport is played in a series of statements to the media in a game of one-upmanship. Players take turns fighting for the moral high ground, allowing them \”political points\”. Like soccer, a typical move is for one player to make an error l […]

Not trying to blame the ‘victim’ — just saying that the Catholic Church was wrong, but not the malevolent force that people imagine. This is an exaggeration.The story of Galileo marks an important turning point in the history of science: it was emerging from the influence of clerical and political interests, and establishing its own authori […]

Ken, that’s not too uncommon amongst a certain segment of the Christian community. To paraphrase Augustine: how embarrassing Shawn’s probably just listened to this horrible programme on radio Rhema. The recent broadcast (Sun Nov asserted an inerrant “literal” reading of the Bible, a young earth, and evolution is an evil conspiracy to […]

Hone has done a great service representing his core constituency of Maori separatists with Pakeha heritage who need sovereignty at NZ taxpayers expense, and first-class trips to Paris, and erstwhile Goff-shooters suffering from Tourettes and delusions of sanity.Read more comments by ropata

what, no link! now i have to type stuff in to google :PRead more comments by ropata

No it’s not a complete thought, it’s part of an extract from a lengthy blog article. The full paragraph is:What Žižek does here is to make atheism respectable again, after the onslaught of what Eagleton quite rightly calls ‘school-yard’ atheists, reactionaries like Hitchens and Harris as well as (slightly) better-informed critics of religion like […]

According to the Bible, God made day and night on the first day, but then made the Sun on the fourth day. Which pretty much doesn’t fit with anything proven by science.Michael E, that’s exactly why we can’t read Genesis as a scientific textbook, when it’s obviously a creation myth. Genesis precedes science by ~5000 years so it’s kind […]

Kris K, I wouldn’t base my faith on a literalist interpretation of Genesis, which is a minority opinion amongst Bible scholars (except fringe Southern Baptist inerrantists).Read more comments by ropata

Afterthought.. a couple of (made-up) definitionsStrong heliocentrism = The Sun is the ‘centre’ of the universeWeak heliocentrism = The Earth orbits the SunPerhaps this is the point of misunderstanding. I was arguing in favour of weak heliocentrism. Glenn was presumably arguing against strong heliocentrism. So maybe we need to clarify our terms be […]

Hi Glenn,I found your argument hard to follow. I still don’t understand why you want to ‘prove’ Galileo was wrong. I thought perhaps there was some other (theological) point you wanted to make about points of view or something; your blog is theological in tone after all. Human understanding of the cosmos has developed over time, sometimes b […]

I see huge parallels between dogmatic Christianity and dogmatic communism.Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn would not be impressed by that inflammatory comment. Marx wanted people to live in harmony and peace, and wealth to be distributed justly, so did Jesus Christ. That’s about the only parallel I can think of. Stalin instituted gulags, pogroms, and secret poli […]

Hi Ken,I agree that Plantinga has made a mistake. Plantinga’s ‘frames of reference’ stuff is a very small footnote to a wider argument… and clearly not very well developed. I’m not sure why Glenn is dissing Galileo… I think he’s trying to make a theological point based on relativistic reference frames but it’s […]

Ken,>There is a conflict – and it’s caused partly by apologistsThe Galileo affair was a clash of scientific orthodoxies, not religion vs. science. Also it’s not ‘apologists’ seeking to correct Dan Brown-style conspiracies, it’s mainstream historians!! But there’s a lot of money and fame to be had from perpetuating ahistorical […]

I have a lot of respect for the intellectual integrity and honesty of the turnip. It is also a healthy addition to a balanced diet, politicians aren’t so tasty. Read more comments by ropata