Beware the Believers

Check out 'Beware the Believers', a spoof rap video about Richard Dorkins is awesome, excellent production values. I like the fact that Dorkins himself doesn't know if it is an affectionate tribute or a piss-take. On the Dawkinsnet comments he says:

If anyone can understand a single word of this, don't bother to translate, just tell me whose side it's on. I get the feeling (same with South Park) that there are people out there who assume that something that is obviously MEANT to be funny therefore must BE funny, and they immediately shower it with accolades such as "Wow", "Hilarious", "Awesome" and, most side-splitting of all, "LOL".

Sorry, I seem to be showing my age. Enjoy yourselves LOLling away.

Richard

I'm guessing it is from the same folks who created 'Expelled', or fans of it. Whatever, they've captured the man's arrogance brilliantly!

Sue Blackmore debates Alister McGrath

Over on richarddawkins.net there is an mp3 of a debate between Sue Blackmore and Alister McGrath on the topic 'belief in God is a dangerous delusion'. What i found particularly wacky was Blackmore's use of 'meme theory'. I find the metaphor of memetics fascinating, and really love it as a way of looking at ideas. But the way Blackmore explains it, humans have no agency of their own or critical faculties when it comes to selecting the beliefs they hold. Religious ideas are seen as trying to take over our brains, so if one finds them compelling that is not evidence that there is any truth to them, but that they have 'evolved' to be more convincing.