tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27635196.post1054839056954709747..comments2023-11-02T08:15:22.860+00:00Comments on George Bristow's Secret Freezer: A reader writes...Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05618863147387955196noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27635196.post-61510147713678734042008-03-27T17:37:00.000+00:002008-03-27T17:37:00.000+00:00Is the Swinhoe's Pseudorobin another name for Rufo...Is the Swinhoe's Pseudorobin another name for Rufous-tailed Robin? Hadn't heard that one before.<BR/> On another topic, my own problem with Dawkins is that, in his diatribes against religion, he is as much a fundamentalist in his own way as bin Laden's bunch, Bible-belt preachers or people on some small Pacific island who worship Terry Wogan as a god (well, if there's that crowd who think that Prince Philip, of all people, is their god made man, surely Our Tel must have his worshippers). Hardly good objective science...<BR/> That, and he's married to former <I>Doctor Who</I> companion Lalla Ward, who's still too good-looking for the likes of him.<BR/> BTW, surely the Richard Dawkins who posts bird pics on <B>Surfbirds</B> is a different person?Harryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04534554869387375467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27635196.post-65626183575061582342008-03-26T22:11:00.000+00:002008-03-26T22:11:00.000+00:00it isn't so much religion that is poison, as the i...<I>it isn't so much religion that is poison, as the interpretation that a given group can put on the teachings of said religion: for every religious nutcase,</I><BR/><BR/>That might very well be true... but I don't think it's what our glorious Chairman meant! Now, on the whole I regard Richard Dawkins as being a bit of publicity-seeking media -ite whose popular influence is not justified by the quality of his work. They say that we all have one good book in us, and that is also true of Richard Dawkins. Unfortunately he wrote it in 1976... and then went on to write several more! So I don't normally quote him, but I will this time. Actually I can't remember quite what he said, so I'm going to mis-quote. He said something like... 'in a World without religion, good people would still do good things, and evil people would still do evil things, but only religion makes good people do evil things.' I think that's what he was saying. And it's clearly wrong... as the example of Chairman Mao's career would testify, *anyone* who has a fervent fundamental belief in something they believe to be right, whether it's a fairy story about God loving us or a belief that an enormous diverse country can be run by the dictatorship of the agrarian peasantry, is capable of murderous deeds. Actually Chairman Mao used the clandestine chocolate-poison technique to purge 20 million of his political opponents' dogs and turned them into saucepans, although I may have made that last bit up. I'll take a pair of Mugimakis (No. 21), a Chestnut-eared Bunting (no. 2), a handful of Swinhoe's Pseudorobins (No 54) and a Gray's Gropper (no. 3) please.Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05618863147387955196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27635196.post-11335693998057634362008-03-25T20:12:00.000+00:002008-03-25T20:12:00.000+00:00'Religion is poison, but chocolate is not'It is to...'Religion is poison, but chocolate is not'<BR/><BR/>It is to dogs, apparently (chocolate, that is)...<BR/>I would also argue that it isn't so much religion that is poison, as the interpretation that a given group can put on the teachings of said religion: for every religious nutcase, intolerant hate-mob or would-be martyr, there are people inspired to great deeds by their faith.Harryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04534554869387375467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27635196.post-54752903948319107772008-03-25T19:27:00.000+00:002008-03-25T19:27:00.000+00:00Dear Martin, Thanks for your advice for this per...Dear Martin,<BR/> Thanks for your advice for this person with regard to visiting China. I am sure that it will cheer him up no end to be taking a stand against British imperialism, though he stresses that he has nothing but the highest regard for many British birders...it's more some of the decisions and actions of past administrations. We're all Europeans now, however, except for those browsing here who aren't, and let's put the past behind us, while learning lessons from it.<BR/> I am sure that I..I mean 'this person'...will enjoy all those lovely Sibes in China, and will, in due course, post some crappy pics on his blog.<BR/><BR/>P.S. Psst! Want me to bring back a consignment of Mugimakis? One free one at Newtonhill for every batch purchased...<BR/><BR/>P.P.S. The above is not admissable as evidence in courtHarryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04534554869387375467noreply@blogger.com