And so. The thing that has happened.

1.5 cheers for Richard Dawkins

Steven Tomkins has written a review of The God Delusion on Ship of Fools. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to read the book yet, but Lydia discussed her thoughts with me after she read it. She was struck by the degree to which Dawkins' theories have no way to deal with people like her: i.e. those who didn't grow up in the church but were somehow foolish enough to buy into the whole farce as thinking adults.

From what Lydia told me, Dawkins has the same attitude as some other people I have met: anyone who is halfway intelligent and still a Christian just hasn't been lucky enough to have met their atheist savior, and he is happy to oblige. The possibility that a person might subject their faith to serious intellectual consideration and still come out in favour of it doesn't enter his thinking.

You can read the full review here.

My favourite section:

"He says that religion must be fought because of its attitudes to homosexuality, of which he offers a survey: the Taliban, the 1950s British justice system (not strictly speaking a religious group), Jerry Falwell, Senator Jesse Helms, Pat Robertson, Gary Potter and, you guessed, Fred Phelps. "This," we are told, "is the sort of morality that is inspired by religious faith." A slightly skewed sample, perhaps? You might as well list CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and GP Taylor and say that Christians tend to write bestselling fantasy novels. We who are many may be one body, but we sure as hell aren't of one mind."

Teehee. It's nice to know that Christians aren't the only ones who engage in clumsy one-sided proselytization attempts.

posted by annika fox @ 3:00 p.m. 2 comments

Earth Hour

Yes, it is kind of a ridiculous thing, and I'm under no illusions that it's going to change anyone's mind, let alone the world. But we had a lovely, electricity-free evening. We spent the first part of the Official Hour doing evening prayers, starting with the Blessing of the Light and it was really beautiful and moving. Ben's deer-in-headlights look here notwithstanding.

posted by annika fox @ 9:16 a.m. 1 comments

I see through your fog of lies and deception, people. The New York Post has opened my eyes.

"March 2, 2008 -- You won't be content with superficial answers to life's big questions this year. You will use your incisive mind to cut through the fog of lies and deception and get to the root of what is really going on. Then you must make it your mission to clue others in to the big secret you have uncovered."

I trust you all noticed that you must listen to me this year, no matter how crazily paranoid I may sound.

posted by annika fox @ 8:19 a.m. 3 comments

The ongoing record of my hair, which for some reason I feel compelled to document to a degree unseen in any other aspect of my life

What my hair looked like this morning:


What my hair looks like now:



This cut was definitely not as economical as my last one (I was a hair model in Feb 06 and got the best haircut of my life for free). Still, given the length of time since the hands of a professional touched my hair, this was probably justifiable/long overdue.

In other news, Ben is at a conference in Nelson this weekend so I have the apartment to myself. Thus far I have taken advantage of his absence to: 1)sleep with all my limbs outspread 2)eat beans.

That latter one I probably would have done anyways, come to think of it.

posted by annika fox @ 3:20 p.m. 2 comments