To be disappointed that Stephen Fry isn't....

[BertrandRussell]

....going to be tried for blasphemy? I was so looking forward to it!

yes, dd was confidently informed by her 6 year old class mate that the tooth fairy didn't exist, and that parents put the money under their pillows and I couldn't lie flat out to her so had to tell her that it was us. She was totally crushed. Maybe she is like me. Where are my sky fairies when I need them?

I don't think there are any particular bonus points to be had from figuring out anything magical is all a load of balls really early on. It just makes the world a slightly crapper place!

Wouldn't it be nice if FC really did exist?

Psolomon, he wasn't asked about Allah, he was asked about God, and that's the question he answered.

By the way, how does it feel to be so full of hate? What happened to loving your neighbour?

My apologies Bertrand. I accept Attenborough and Dawkins have the same views. So do I. I wish, but in my heart of hearts I know that my loved ones have gone forever and one day so will I.

Very few people, though I have not taken an actual survey, purport to be certain there is no god. I don't know of any such people, and I pretty much only know atheists. I think it's a common though mistaken perception that atheist means "certain there is no god".

I saw the Franky Boyle thing. If you don't understand why celebrities or people in general are outspoken about religion you have picked up a newspaper in the last 2000 years. We live in a country that privileges a particular religion legally and annoyingly, and this is one of the best countries for the non-religious. If religion were some personal non-consequential matter, he'd have a point, but it's simply not. And it's not religious. that's the silliest.

surely it IS a non-consequential matter here? Church attendance is minuscule - in what way do you feel oppressed by Christianity? I live in Scotland, I think there is sadly no God, I can find no faith in my heart and for most of my adult life other than ignoring the odd Jehovah's witness in the street I've been completely untouched by it.

Surely it is the definition of a personal, non-consequential matter.

Unfortunately other parts of the uk aren't as lucky - try living in ni where women are still denied access to abortion, there is no marriage equality and our politicians try to bring in laws that would allow christians to discriminate against who ever they feel like based on their beliefs - see Ashers bakery.

Is that because these matters have been devolved drbeverly?

I'm not religious and do not believe in an afterlife but really wish we could do without talk of sky fairies to describe people's beliefs.

It makes you Deranger01 and others sound a bit twattish.

Sorry Deranger I think I might have misread you

eh? I was satirizing myself limited by talking about sky fairies, I'd love to believe there was someone up there with all my lost loved ones, I have a lot of time for people that believe.

no worries - I've had a few g&ts so may have been even less coherent than usual!

surely it IS a non-consequential matter here? Church attendance is minuscule - in what way do you feel oppressed by Christianity?

there are parts of London and the UK you can't move to if you want to find a school for your children. You either risk being discriminated against and not getting a school nearby, or risk your child being preached at. Neither is ideal. We faced this problem moving to London. We turned down two places because we knew we couldn't get into to the local CofE or Catholic school. All taxpayer funded of course.

I'm not religious and do not believe in an afterlife but really wish we could do without talk of sky fairies to describe people's beliefs.

I'd agree that this isn't the most diplomatic way of putting it, but it does bring up a point. how do religious people distinguish between sky fairies and god? it's essentially the point behind the flying spaghetti monster. Satire wouldn't be as effective if it didn't provoke.