Interesting Links for 15-02-2012

[andrewducker]

• When will experiences replace movie theaters?
  I think people enjoy passive entertainment a lot, so I don't expect movies to go anywhere. It would be nice to see more "experiences", but I suspect that their cost is going to remain a chunk higher than a movie ticket.
  (tags: movies experience life fun museums culture )
• Some detail on what people who identify as "Christian" in the census actually believe
  (tags: religion uk census poll )
• Dutch government calls for loosening of copyright law. Could the tide be turning?
  (tags: copyright netherlands law government )
• Online RPGs WILL DESTROY YOUR RELATIONSHIP. Unless you play together, of course.
  (tags: relationships mmorpg )
• Some common sense on prayer and councils.
  What occurred to me, when reading someone else's journal, was that atheists are merely going to be irked by compulsory Christian prayers - but think about the effect it has on a Muslim, Sikh, etc. that in order to represent their constituents they have to sit through the prayers of a different religion.
  (tags: religion politics uk )
• Game of Thrones Valentine's Day cards
  (tags: gameofthrones valentines_day )
• The UK devolved rights to Antarctica to Scotland - by mistake. Now they want them back.
  (tags: scotland antarctic uk oil )
• The BBC replaces the word "Palestine" with the sound of breaking glass. No, really.
  (tags: bbc palestine israel censorship )
• Firefox Roadmap for 2012
  (tags: firefox web 2012 )
• This video is genius. Horrific, hilarious, genius. I can't say more than that without spoiling it.
  (tags: horror funny nsfw video )
• What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died?
  (tags: cats )
• Chocolate + Apple = best valentine's present evar.
  (tags: valentines_day apple chocolate ipad )
• Shitstorm 'best English gift to German language'
  (tags: english german language )
• Being left/right-handed affects your preferences
  (tags: handedness psychology )
• Game Developer Gives 7-Year-Old Best Birthday Present Ever
  (tags: awesome children computer_games )
• 9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn
  (tags: children development )

Comments

[andrewducker]

You still haven't said what makes you a Christian then. It's a self-applied label, so it clearly means something to you - but so far you haven't corrected me from "I believe things that it makes me feel happy to believe.", which is surprising, as I'd have thought that you wouldn't be happy with that label.

[steer.livejournal.com]

I picked my definition of Christian from Bertrand Russell's essay "Why I am not a Christian." It's excellent and part of the reason I stopped being an atheist. You can find it here:

http://users.drew.edu/~jlenz/whynot.html

but so far you haven't corrected me from "I believe things that it makes me feel happy to believe."

Then let me take this opportunity to do so.

[andrewducker]

I'll go and read that now - I may be a while in responding to this one, as I also have dinner arriving momentarily, and possibly also a shopping delivery :->

And please don't take this as me trying to wind you up. It's not often I get a chance to talk to someone about their religious beliefs, and actually try and understand what they really believe, and why.

[steer.livejournal.com]

I find talking about religious beliefs pretty uncomfortable. People tend to assign you with all kinds of bonkers opinions afterwards... it's as if you've admitted to thinking that gravity is wrong. For some people it gives them an automatic "oh, they only believe that because" so I don't actually tend to mention it too much because in my experience it only ever reduces people's opinion of you.

[andrewducker]

That's understandable - especially if you're surrounded by sciency geeky types, who pounce on things and try to tear them apart.

If it helps, I'm appreciating the discussion, and it's not lowering my opinion of you :->