So you would suggest that WBC should just be able to keep doing what they do best, victimise and harass people and families during the time of their greatest despair? I guess this is okay seeing as they are just a "tiny (just one family I believe) group of fringe fanatics that everybody laughs at"? At what point does anyone have the balls and the decency to stand up and say "heaping so much hatred and stress to bereaved familes because it's freedom of speech is a crap excuse for being a worthless human"? Well regardless of their good or bad intentions as some say, Anon have done just that. I'm sure the families victimised by Jennifer Petkov (seriously google it) could just "brush off" the torment they received as Jennifers right to free speech! The right to free speech ends when it is war or hate mongering as in WBC, and/or targets people in a victimising or harassing way, again as in WBC. So to all those who think WBC has every right to continue their harrassment, instead of it being some unknown individual copping it, just picture it being YOUR mum or dad, or sister or brother, being on the receiving end, and then see if you still think "free speech' is fine?

Although a lot of UNI/higher ED can be insanely boring, I kinda tend to think that at a minimum there should be a list of run of the mill social networking sites, among othes, that shouldn't be able to be accessed from wi-fi during lectures/classes. ACL's should be able to be implimented quite easily based on registered MAC's and class schedules. Although the MAC's being registered presents ethical and legal problems itself. Don't really know what the answer is here, but I know myself when I was at UNI the dopes that were there only to avoid having to work for the dole were very distracting and annoying. If they had also had laptops in class it would have been murder listening to "check this out maaaate" constantly during lectures.

No, not really, they are right up there with my other favourite (literal) fictional books, the Illiad, the Golden Fleece, and of course "Christine by Stephen King. Btw, do some research on how the church refused dissemination over the decades on the contents of the dead sea scrolls as initial discoveries indicated it contradicted the modern churchs teachings and standing. It's quite interesting.

The second part of your comment is indeed correct, and is kinda given in big letters by the title "Primary Programming"! It is therefore quite reasonable, and scientifically testable, to argue that anyone indoctrinated into religion very early on WILL have their ability to logically reason affected, with the religious arguments against evolution being just one perfect example of this programming pattern.

Dammit, GOD's been messing with my keyboard, should have read "Therefore it's NOT at all a stretch that he found liable.

Didn't the bible state "GOD created everything"? Therefore it's at all a stretch that he found liable.

Except that the "centuries of theologians" were generally brought up in the equivalent of the dark ages when it came to anything approaching critical understanding and sciences, so your silly little argument is invalid! Anyone who generally showed rationality and common sense towards the bible and religion, tended to be, you know, tortured, mutilated, outcast, etc, which was kind of a disincentive for people to speak their mind. It's only in very recent history that there has been enough freedom from the threat of death/torture that people can openly speak their minds and express their beliefs one way or another. I shall now throw a cow at you!

The OP's remarks were quite clear and dead right so I don't understand what trouble your having with needing clarification? He/she never stated anything about the impossibility of being converted as you seem to be trolling. All he/she's done is affirm the very well acknowledged and established practice, that churches via religion get their hooks into kids during their most critical ages, before the age of about 7-8 where their personalities and attitudes are formed, and become a firm part of their nature and belief system. Personally, anyone who can argue that for some extremely bizarre reason a ridiculously petty and teasing God filled a garden with fruit that we couldn't eat, AND had a talking snake (who could fly according to Gervais :-) ), and then argues that man roamed the earth with the dinosaurs, if they ever existed anyway, and that evolution is crap, really does lack higher cognitive function!

Only if it's God's Will to be an evil fuck-wad! Or would that be "Holy evil fuck-wad"?

The talking snake kinda did it for me early on, also the stupidity of putting trees with fruit on that man (with a childlike innocence and therefore CAN"T be blamed for eating them) wasn't allowed to eat! A search for "gervais on genesis" is an hilarious part of the Ricky Gervais Animals tour that explains the bible and genesis beautifully!

But he is responsible for everything, seeing as it's God's Will! ;-)

The only difference is that people like Richard Dawkins are actually very talented and educated people, but unlike the majority of religous fanatics who espouse "creationism" and "intelligent design", they are also very intelligent and rational in their thinking and present effective arguments. As opposed to Creationists arguments being based on "everything you believe is rubbish because the Bible says so!" I think the best quote I have ever seen is "Arguing over religion is like fighting over who has the best imaginary friend!". I'm not saying there is or isn't a GOD, but I do wholeheartedly believe that the bible (created by MEN centuries AFTER the supposed birth of Christ) is nothing more than a means to an end for the established churches and religions around the world to exercise and justify torture, among other things, and complete control over people.

If this is just one-offs in judgement as indicated, big deal! There's a vast difference between people like the completely useless bozo I unfortunately work with who spends the entire day alternating bewteen MSN, and Facebook, and people who might access the odd online shop or whatever inbetween work. It's funny how the OZ Gov can blow billions on wasteful projects, (the insulation scheme of death comes to mind, along with Myki), but they worry about a number of people who might have used internet for a non-work related issue?