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Keep your facepalm images handy.

Quote from: "url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/06/oreilly-god-causes-tides_n_805262.html?ref=tw]HuffPo[/url]"]David Silverman, president of the American Atheist Group, went on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Tuesday to defend the billboard ads his group has put up around the country calling religion a scam.

O'Reilly began by telling Silverman that his organization is insulting religious people, an accusation Silverman denied, insisting that his message was simply the truth so how could it be offensive. The conversation then took a strange turn as the host played what he believed to be his trump card of the why God exists debate.

O'REILLY: I'll tell you why [religion's] not a scam, in my opinion: tide goes in, tide goes out. Never a miscommunication. You can't explain that.
SILVERMAN: Tide goes in, tide goes out?
O'REILLY: See, the water, the tide comes in and it goes out, Mr. Silverman. It always comes in, and always goes out. You can't explain that.

In fact, science has a very good explanation for the tides occur on such a regular basis:

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth.
Most places in the ocean usually experience two high tides and two low tides each day (semidiurnal tide), but some locations experience only one high and one low tide each day (diurnal tide). The times and amplitude of the tides at the coast are influenced by the alignment of the Sun and Moon, by the pattern of tides in the deep ocean (see figure 4) and by the shape of the coastline and near-shore bathymetry.

[youtube:28wu8oo5]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BCipg71LbI[/youtube:28wu8oo5]

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Quote from: "Bill O'Reilly"I'm not the smartest guy in town.

What do you know, I agree with Bill O'Reilly.

Stay tuned for Bill's next episode, where he tackles these other tough questions:

-- What makes them apples fall to the ground, anyway?
-- Sunrise, sunset prove that the Sun orbits the Earth?
-- The reason why sirens drop in pitch as they recede: GOD IS SLOWING DOWN THE PLAYBACK SPEED!!!11!

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The fact that one moron like Bill exists is a statistical certainty (I know that's an oxymoron but go with the flow) what gets me is the fact that millions(?) of other people watch him!  

Quote from: "Tank"The fact that one moron like Bill exists is a statistical certainty (I know that's an oxymoron but go with the flow) what gets me is the fact that millions(?) of other people watch him!  :eek:

Oh, I should've known Stephen Colbert (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/370183/january-06-2011/bill-o-reilly-proves-god-s-existence---neil-degrasse-tyson) or Keith Olbermann would respond to Bill...

[youtube:iqlwgq0k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTmQr5aWdU4[/youtube:iqlwgq0k]

.... and the religion pigeon!

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Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"Sunrise, sunset prove that the Sun orbits the Earth?

Actually, he really has said something similar before.  

[youtube:iqlwgq0k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q92duyCuZMM[/youtube:iqlwgq0k]

Uh... Riiiiiight...
/end Cosby

(great vids Sophus!)

I wish I was there when he said tide goes up, tide goes down so I could explain that to him. Wish Mr. Silvermen thought to do so, he would have made Bill look real stupid.

Quote from: "Ultima22689"Wish Mr. Silvermen thought to do so

I think it was Blair Scott (or some other well known atheist) who posted the interview on facebook, my comment on his post was something like how could Silverman not correct that?!  But those who are smarter than me as far as handling nuts like O'Reilly go said that in order to get your points across you can't follow rabbit trails (paraphrasing).

That pigeon has an opinion on everything.
I see, god is circling the earth attracting the water towards him.
So if a place has a big tide god is paying it special attention.
Would it be advisable to plan your sinning to coincide with low tide, so god doesn't notice?

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So that's what they look like without their makeup. I always wanted not to know that.  

This is still in the news. Bill is trying to redeem himself by asking "where did the moon come from?"

[youtube:1pg79k3q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyHzhtARf8M[/youtube:1pg79k3q]

QuoteOkay, how did the Moon get there? How'd the Moon get there? Look, you pinheads who attacked me for this, you guys are just desperate. How'd the Moon get there? How'd the Sun get there? How'd it get there? Can you explain that to me? How come we have that and Mars doesn't have it? Venus doesn't have it. How come? Why not? How'd it get here?

And why does Saturn have sixty, Bill? "I don't understand the scientific reason why moons exist, so - erm... Godidit... you pinheads!"

This imbecile is going to interview the President during the Super Bowl telecast. I can't believe that he gets a voice on tv. I'm pretty sure that my wife's 8th grade class knows where the moon came from and why the tides go in and out.

The fact that so many people take what he says seriously is disturbing.

Quote from: "hismikeness"This imbecile is going to interview the President during the Super Bowl telecast. I can't believe that he gets a voice on tv. I'm pretty sure that my wife's 8th grade class knows where the moon came from and why the tides go in and out.

The fact that so many people take what he says seriously is disturbing.

Agree. This just proves that being popular doesn't necessarily take a lot of intelligence.

Roughly, from Conan O'Brien's monologue tonight:

"Bill O'Reilly said the tides were proof of God before learning the moon caused them. Then he asked 'but where did the moon come from?' Yeah... in a related story Bill O'Reilly is a five year old boy."

EDIT: Colbert topped CoCo's little zinger. Big time.  lol

Quote from: "hismikeness"This imbecile is going to interview the President during the Super Bowl telecast. I can't believe that he gets a voice on tv. I'm pretty sure that my wife's 8th grade class knows where the moon came from and why the tides go in and out.

The fact that so many people take what he says seriously is disturbing.

Sometimes I wonder how many who tune in are taking him seriously or are watching the responses. He actually does get opposition to come on his show unlike Glenn Beck. I can't stomach much of O'Reilly but I guess I'll have to tune in for his SuperBowl interview with Obama. Which, by the way, Bill is predicting will be the most watched interview in history (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/04/oreilly-obama-super-bowl-interview-most-watched-history_n_818698.html). It's possible, but only because it's before the SuperBowl.

Quote from: "Sophus"

Quote from: "Stephen Colbert"You’re like St. Thomas Aquinas, in that your understanding of the world is also from the 13th century.

lmao.

Also:  "We don't float off into space -- we stick to the ground!  Therefore, God."

Guys like this are so popular because there are large numbers of Americans who feel like the America they know is slipping away.  These are Americans who are fond of keeping gay marriage illegal, making abortion illegal, and keeping religion in schools as an alternate theory to science.  They want to keep American language English, and culture conservative, with pants worn around the waist, teenagers not getting laid (since many of them didn't back then), and NO RAP MUSIC!  They see Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, religiously-neutral holiday displays instead of manger scenes, and men dressing like WOMEN!  Gay marriage, stem cell research, and condoms in the classrooms are coming!  The America they thought they knew is slipping away from them, and the people yelling loudest in their defense are people like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly.  While liberals, independents, and reasonable conservatives split their viewership among many different radio stations and tv news programs, these people all go to the same place for theirs.  That's why Fox News has the highest ratings.  It's also dangerous, because all these people watching it are being spoonfed stuff like this, and they vote accordingly.  The more guys like O'Reilly keep their following, the more people out there will be voting on their belief that god causes the tides, and the more possibility of stifling progress.

I think dogs and little kids have it right:  They don't know about tides, they just wanna play in the water.

QuoteGuys like this are so popular because there are large numbers of Americans who feel like the America they know is slipping away. These are Americans who are fond of keeping gay marriage illegal, making abortion illegal, and keeping religion in schools as an alternate theory to science. They want to keep American language English, and culture conservative, with pants worn around the waist, teenagers not getting laid (since many of them didn't back then), and NO RAP MUSIC! They see Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, religiously-neutral holiday displays instead of manger scenes, and men dressing like WOMEN! Gay marriage, stem cell research, and condoms in the classrooms are coming! The America they thought they knew is slipping away from them, and the people yelling loudest in their defense are people like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly. While liberals, independents, and reasonable conservatives split their viewership among many different radio stations and tv news programs, these people all go to the same place for theirs. That's why Fox News has the highest ratings. It's also dangerous, because all these people watching it are being spoonfed stuff like this, and they vote accordingly. The more guys like O'Reilly keep their following, the more people out there will be voting on their belief that god causes the tides, and the more possibility of stifling progress.

Yeah you pretty much just described the vast, and I mean VAST majority of the Florida Panhandle and most other parts of the south.

And it is these people which have caused me to take stands against Social Security, Medicare, Country Buffet/Golden Coral, Hoverounds and pretty much anything else which would prolong their miserable lives any further.  

Quote from: "terranus"Yeah you pretty much just described the vast, and I mean VAST majority of the Florida Panhandle and most other parts of the south.

And it is these people which have caused me to take stands against Social Security, Medicare, Country Buffet/Golden Coral, Hoverounds and pretty much anything else which would prolong their miserable lives any further.  

You leave Golden Corral alone!

Quote from: "fester30"

Quote from: "terranus"Yeah you pretty much just described the vast, and I mean VAST majority of the Florida Panhandle and most other parts of the south.

And it is these people which have caused me to take stands against Social Security, Medicare, Country Buffet/Golden Coral, Hoverounds and pretty much anything else which would prolong their miserable lives any further.  

You leave Golden Corral alone!

LOL

I must admit Golden Corral has some pretty tasty food for a buffet restaurant, and you really can't beat the price.

Quote from: "terranus"I must admit Golden Corral has some pretty tasty food for a buffet restaurant, and you really can't beat the price.

Besides, I think we can all agree the most dangerous restaurant to our cause is the Cracker Barrel.  That's where the fundamentalists go to eat and play the game that's a triangular wooden block with holes and pegs.  And if you leave four or more, you're "just plain egg-no-ray-moose."  They hang out at the gift shop for hours before and after dinner because they envision themselves sitting on the front porch in a wooden rocking chair drinking a sun-brewed lemon ice tea with the Oak Ridge Boys on the cd player putting Cracker Barrel Apple Butter on a piece of toast and playing a giant game of checkers while their wives churn butter in the yard.  All this stuff can be made possible by one visit to the Cracker Barrel gift shop.  Come to think of it, I think there may be a double meaning behind "Cracker" Barrel.  I never see minorities there.

Quote from: "fester30"

Quote from: "terranus"I must admit Golden Corral has some pretty tasty food for a buffet restaurant, and you really can't beat the price.

Besides, I think we can all agree the most dangerous restaurant to our cause is the Cracker Barrel.  That's where the fundamentalists go to eat and play the game that's a triangular wooden block with holes and pegs.  And if you leave four or more, you're "just plain egg-no-ray-moose."  They hang out at the gift shop for hours before and after dinner because they envision themselves sitting on the front porch in a wooden rocking chair drinking a sun-brewed lemon ice tea with the Oak Ridge Boys on the cd player putting Cracker Barrel Apple Butter on a piece of toast and playing a giant game of checkers while their wives churn butter in the yard.  All this stuff can be made possible by one visit to the Cracker Barrel gift shop.  Come to think of it, I think there may be a double meaning behind "Cracker" Barrel.  I never see minorities there.

You know what, you might be right. My super-religious Godfather goes there to eat dinner...um...religiously   . And so do my roommate's super-religious parents. Maybe Cracker Barrel turns into some kind of secret fundie meeting place at night after they close? Hmm...

Quote from: "terranus"Maybe Cracker Barrel turns into some kind of secret fundie meeting place at night after they close? Hmm...

They don't  have to have meetings; their indoctrination is getting reinforced subliminally while they sit awaiting their orders or browse through all the americana and other faux-nostalgic kitch.

Fucking Cracker Barrel cheese rocks.  

Also, would you make a joke about that DC alderman complaining about a "niggardly" government?  What's next?  Calling Mexicans "coconuts"?  Oh, never mind, that won't happen.  Mexicans are minorities, after all -- we can't slur them.  

But if the cost of enjoying great extra-sharp cheddar is suffering your little slings, fuck it.  That cheese is better that these stupid "jokes".

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"Fucking Cracker Barrel cheese rocks.  

Also, would you make a joke about that DC alderman complaining about a "niggardly" government?  What's next?  Calling Mexicans "coconuts"?  Oh, never mind, that won't happen.  Mexicans are minorities, after all -- we can't slur them.  

But if the cost of enjoying great extra-sharp cheddar is suffering your little slings, fuck it.  That cheese is better that these stupid "jokes".

Well now. Someone is in a bad mood. Didn't realize you felt so strongly about cheese, Thump. My apologies for offending you in such an awful manner.  

I feel as if I need to come to the aid of said Cracker Barrel ( :hide:
Though on Golden Corral, don't like it, the fundies can keep it, I'd rather have Ryan's or Quincy's and their big fat yeast rolls.  Shit I'd even take PoBoys, are they still open?  Can't remember the name of the road but I can drive straight to it, love their dumplings.  I'd even settle for Hardees or Waffle house, did you know the ones in Pace have my uncle's name on 'his' booth since he's there more than he's home?

Quote from: "KDbeads"I feel as if I need to come to the aid of said Cracker Barrel ( :hide:

Hmm..see that's pretty much the reason I never liked Cracker Barrel's food. Had no spice to it. I put hot sauce on damn near everything. Guess I spent too much time in Louisiana.

QuoteI'd rather have Ryan's or Quincy's and their big fat yeast rolls.

Ryan's was awesome...they used to have on here in town...not anymore though. I used to chow down on their rolls and cream of broccoli soup.

QuoteShit I'd even take PoBoys, are they still open?  Can't remember the name of the road but I can drive straight to it, love their dumplings.

PoBoys on 9th Ave is no longer open, unfortunately. They closed a few years back. Now it's a 4.99 All-U-Can-Eat Chinese Buffet!!

QuoteI'd even settle for Hardees or Waffle house, did you know the ones in Pace have my uncle's name on 'his' booth since he's there more than he's home?

I'll have to check that waffle house out for myself next time I drive through Pace.  

I do believe it's becoming an internet meme....

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fuw54Z.jpg&hash=0f27ab48c5c0eee435081c33c294472a8e215aa0)

Quote from: "Sophus"I do believe it's becoming an internet meme....

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Damn! God must exist, then.

Quote from: "terranus"

QuoteShit I'd even take PoBoys, are they still open?  Can't remember the name of the road but I can drive straight to it, love their dumplings.

PoBoys on 9th Ave is no longer open, unfortunately. They closed a few years back. Now it's a 4.99 All-U-Can-Eat Chinese Buffet!!

Ah, it was 9th, always got that mixed up with Nine Mile Rd...  Shame they are gone, loved the dumplings......

The Ryan's is gone too?  Pensacola is going to crap......

Uncle's name is Roger

Quote from: "Sophus"I do believe it's becoming an internet meme....

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I'll have to use that sometime. Btw, is Bill a juggalo?

Yup. It's officially a meme!

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Quote from: "terranus"Well now. Someone is in a bad mood. Didn't realize you felt so strongly about cheese, Thump. My apologies for offending you in such an awful manner.  

I've been testy lately, and apologize.  As a card-carrying redneck, I'll show up at a Waffle House for a flea-bitten summit of sorts.

Quote from: "Sophus"I do believe it's becoming an internet meme....

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Jesus please us, that is funny.  Saved for further spreading.

Ridiculous Tea Party Pictures (http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/bl-tea-party-signs.htm?PS=51%3A9) This one is religious.

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Crap.

My bad. I meant to post those in the Image Dump. Not sure how I ended up posting them here. Any one of the moderators want to move those previous 2 posts for me? Thanks!

Edit: Previous 3 posts. Sorry, didn't have my daily cup of coffee this morning. Been throwing me off all day.  :crazy:

Oh my fucking GOD. O'Reily needs his vocal cords ripped out. I saw this a few days ago, I think.

You don't hear Atheists complaining when we see signs that say "God is real. Says so in the book." or those cute little "I Love you. -God." signs. Why the double standard?

I'm fucking tired of people thinking it's against the law to be offended.

Also, typical O'Reily tactics. Making rediculous accusations, changing the subject, and talking over the guy he's interviewing.

QuoteIt's not a fact, it's what you believe.

And yet we hear religious folk asserting their beliefs every day as facts, but you aren't grilling them, are you?

Quote from: "ForTheLoveOfAll"Oh my fucking GOD. O'Reily needs his vocal cords ripped out. I saw this a few days ago, I think.

You don't hear Atheists complaining when we see signs that say "God is real. Says so in the book." or those cute little "I Love you. -God." signs. Why the double standard?

I'm fucking tired of people thinking it's against the law to be offended.

Also, typical O'Reily tactics. Making rediculous accusations, changing the subject, and talking over the guy he's interviewing.

QuoteIt's not a fact, it's what you believe.

And yet we hear religious folk asserting their beliefs every day as facts, but you aren't grilling them, are you?

We may be hearing another response to all of this from Bill if he chooses to take up Lawrence O'Donnell's challenge. During which he said

O'Reilly almost never has the capacity to outrage me, because he is just a joke to me most of the time. Most of what O’Reilly does day-in and day-out deserves nothing more than to be laughed at, which is how saturday night live treated him, what else can you do with someone who says he knows of no other explanation of why the tides go in and out. Then when told it has a little something to do with the moon thinks he can stump you with this question. "How did the moon get there?" ....He believes he can ask an utterly idiotic question like that and intimidate you, simply by using his faux Irish tough guy style. Billy boy, I know real Irish tough guys. They don’t look and sound like you. And none of them come from Long Island like you. And none of them go to work in makeup like you. Anybody who knows real tough isn’t fooled by your act, Bill.

Quote from: "Sophus"

Quote from: "ForTheLoveOfAll"Oh my fucking GOD. O'Reily needs his vocal cords ripped out. I saw this a few days ago, I think.

You don't hear Atheists complaining when we see signs that say "God is real. Says so in the book." or those cute little "I Love you. -God." signs. Why the double standard?

I'm fucking tired of people thinking it's against the law to be offended.

Also, typical O'Reily tactics. Making rediculous accusations, changing the subject, and talking over the guy he's interviewing.

QuoteIt's not a fact, it's what you believe.

And yet we hear religious folk asserting their beliefs every day as facts, but you aren't grilling them, are you?

We may be hearing another response to all of this from Bill if he chooses to take up Lawrence O'Donnell's challenge. During which he said

O'Reilly almost never has the capacity to outrage me, because he is just a joke to me most of the time. Most of what O’Reilly does day-in and day-out deserves nothing more than to be laughed at, which is how saturday night live treated him, what else can you do with someone who says he knows of no other explanation of why the tides go in and out. Then when told it has a little something to do with the moon thinks he can stump you with this question. "How did the moon get there?" ....He believes he can ask an utterly idiotic question like that and intimidate you, simply by using his faux Irish tough guy style. Billy boy, I know real Irish tough guys. They don’t look and sound like you. And none of them come from Long Island like you. And none of them go to work in makeup like you. Anybody who knows real tough isn’t fooled by your act, Bill.

Normally, I'd be laughing at him, too, but it's grinding on me lately. Every time I see my father he's usually watching Fox, and it's usually O'Reily or Hannity who's on.

My mother is a Beckaholic, too. Yeesh. Oh well.

Presenting... MORE THINGS BILL O'REILLY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/17/bill-oreilly-doesnt-understand_n_824611.html)

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Quote from: "Sophus"Presenting... MORE THINGS BILL O'REILLY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/17/bill-oreilly-doesnt-understand_n_824611.html)

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Not to divert from the revelry of Bill-bashing, but if we were to take his point to its ultimate conclusion, we might find that it somewhat resembles Aristotle's "Unmoved Mover" postulate. That is, "why is there anything at all?" Before the Big Bang, we have X, before that, we have Y, etc.  But at some point, we reach an inability to provide further explanation. This inability may ultimately be eradicated by science, or it may not.

But to jump to the conclusion that "God" did it, and that we know exactly who God is, what he wants, and what flavor of jellybean he prefers, is ludicrous.

Fact: The universe contains abundant mysteries yet.

From whence has the reality of material existence come? Why is there something, as opposed to nothing? Nobody has the answers to these questions (yet), if I'm not mistaken. But the pseudo-explanation of an androcentric God is not something that we need to complicate matters.

Okay! Back to the Bill bashing!  

Did anyone see this sign

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.....in this video?

[youtube:3o66yms2]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuT9Wgv218s[/youtube:3o66yms2]

Quote from: "dgmort19"Why is there something, as opposed to nothing?

I would say that the "why" question can be easily disposed of.  Why is there something?  Because if there were nothing, we wouldn't be here to ask such a question.  That may seem a flippant or trivial answer, but really I don't think it is. No more than the "why" question is flippant or trivial, anyway. (See "weak anthropic principle." (http://www.physics.sfsu.edu/~lwilliam/sota/anth/anthropic_principle_index.html)) I admit that I may be dismissive of this "why" question because it seems to me that if people want to take it beyond the weak anthropic principle it's only amenable to subjective answers. That's fine, but then people take their subjective answers and try to act as if they were objective. ("You can't explain that!"  The inference being; "I can: God did it!")

The answer to the question of "how is there something?" is beyond our current science. However I consider it a question that makes sense to ask, which is neither flippant nor trivial; the answer (if it's ever arrived at) would make an objective statement.

Interesting, but I do not find the question so easily dismissed.

QuoteWhy is there something? Because if there were nothing, we wouldn't be here to ask such a question.

While I accept the Weak Anthropic Principle's sound reasoning (indeed, were it not for our existence, we would be unable to remark on said existence), I do not find that it answers the question of why there exists anything at all. Using it in this way might be akin to answering the question,

"Why am I wearing clothes?"

with

"Because if you were not wearing clothes, you would not be in the proper state for asking the question."

Yes, of course I would not be asking the question, but this does not explain the reason that the clothes have been placed on my body. And while the question of how it happened may be solved, we may still be unable to understand why.

Science may discover the principles behind existence, but what old Bill might like to know is "why" these principles exist in the first place. Once again, on the note of my earlier post, one may find that the addition of God is an extraneous convolution.