The Enemies of Reason, Channel 4, Monday 8pm

[Huguenot]

Aha! A faith based philosophy traced back to a messiah from a far off land... whilst ultimately sourced from the stars we are fortunate that there is a 'book' detailing knowledge otherwise lost to mankind.

We are lucky to have both apostles and gospels. There are 'versions' and 'translations' and open to 'interpretation' but not unlike the treaties of Nicea they are currently being rewritten to meet the needs of the modern world...

[mockney piers]

I can't wait for a great schism, a reformation and the heretical burnings!!

Huzzah!

[MadWorld74]

MADWORLD has left the building.

[Alan Dale]

And gone down to the job centre I hope...

[Asset]

I am sympathetic towards some complementary therapies.

I did once meet an extremely grumpy miserable sour-faced woman in Ibiza who reckoned she was a reiki healer - wouldn't have wanted her bad vibes man.

do you write jingles *bob*?

[*Bob*]

That is indeed one part of my important remit, Asset.

Though I think you'll find that, these days, they're known as 'advertising soundtracks', darling (*mwah! mwah! let's do lunch!*)

[Keef]

I guess shiatsu would count as an alternative therapy, and I'm all for that. Used to share a house with a girl who practiced it, and I was her very willing test subject! Never felt so relaxed!

Couldn't afford to pay for it though damn it!

[Brendan]

Yeah why do they cost so much if they are complimentary?

[Brendan]

Hmmm I feel like peanuts.

[capt_birdseye]

It's on in 6 minutes! Getting soooo excited.

[citizenED]

having just read all the skepticism on this thread - I don't need to watch the thing.

citizen

[scor46]

I say to doctors who use homepathy: if you can identify this you'd have discovered a whole new force in physics. either there is no effect, in which case you shouldnt be charging people money, or there is an effect, in which case you should prove it and win the Nobel Prize.

Richard dawkins - God Delusion

[MadWorld74]

I took one look at Richard Dawkins, assessed his tone of voice and switched over to watch something else.

[mockney piers]

To be honest so did I.

Surely if he's such an intellectual heavyweight, picking on some chanters and a couple of rubbish mediums should be well below his station.

Panorama following a couple of lads in Newham trying not to avoid gang culture was much more interesting and a little heartbreaking.

[*Bob*]

Whatever that 'thing' on at 8.30 on Mondays on BBC1 is, it isn't Panorama

[MadWorld74]

why do you say that *Bob*?

[Brendan]

Like I said before he is a complete wanker. I met him when he spoke at Rhodes University in SA in 1997 (ish ?) and took an instant dislike to him.

He has valid arguments and has done some very good work but so do/have many people who don?t feel the need to go bullishly shoving their beliefs down other people?s throats.

[*Bob*]

I just plain hate it.

Apparently, we're all too stoopid to concentrate on an hour-long programme (on one subject) at 10.35pm, and have to be spoon-fed an half-hour multi-story magazine-style effort earlier in the evening. We've already got a shedload of programmes like 'Inside Out' for people to ignore whilst they're doing the crossword.. why do we need another one?

And they mucked-about with the theme music - sacrilege.

[MadWorld74]

yes the theme music...like taking the bongs out of the news. B*stards.

[mockney piers]

True, we've both had a pop at panorama before, and yes, last night's could easily have been fronted by Fiona Bruce. But it was monday, I wasn't in a reading with music mood and there was nothing else on at all!!

[MadWorld74]

Britains Next Top Model. Clearly better viewing....

[mockney piers]

Well I suppose ther was always big brother, but if ever there was an enemy of reason..

Maybe that could be Dawkins next tour de force project, "Reality TV. It's sh!t" That should get him that nobel prize.

[david_carnell]

Personally I like the man. I think his assuredness and confidence in his own beliefs is a welcome antidote to the mindless drivel spouted by the types of people he interviewed. His is sure of these due to them being based on science and rigorous testing.

Not all mumbo-jumbo is harmless. The awful persecution of the attendees of a spiritualisty church by a "vicar-medium" who purported to be in contact with the dead was nothing more than exploitation. These people should not merely be dismissed as loons who are to be ignored in the vain hope they will go away. They undermine everything 21st century civilisation should stand for and Dawkins should be applauded for taking the fight to them.

[MadWorld74]

Anything to do with the church and scaring people into belief is vile in my eyes.

Is that all he focused on? I mean he taked to people who talked crap all night? I thought he was going to talk to actual medical practitioners, Reiki, Homepaths, Alexander Technique, Bowen, NLP, EFT....etc....great he talks to some religious nut and we're all lumped into the same pot.

[david_carnell]

That's next week! This week he did psychics, mediums, tarot readers, spiritualists, aura-readers etc etc. The type of people who have stalls at "new-age fayres[sic]" and sell magic crystals for ?10 quid a pop.

Next week we get the juicy stuff. Charlatans proclaiming to cure the world's ills through homeopathy/reiki/crystals/hot stones etc etc. Try telling that to the third world whilst they wait for innoculations against TB, malaria, polio, typhoid and river blindness.