Ray Comfort Gives “Apology” for the Banana Video

Ray Comfort is best known for embarrassing himself with his infamous “bananas are the atheists’ worst nightmare” video.

He actually makes another similar argument against evolution using a Coke can.

Just watch it here. It’s fantastic:

Now, Comfort is pesudo-apologizing for the banana video, saying atheists took it completely out of context. But in an effort to redeem himself, he sounds even more ignorant than before:

A bit of the transcript:

“Bananaman” is a reference to an illustration presented by Comfort in which he compared the complex design elements of a Coke can to the complex design elements of a banana in order to demonstrate that thoughtful design by a Designer is required for both examples…

…

… atheists removed the Coke can from the [banana video] and sent it across the Internet saying that Comfort believed that the banana was conclusive proof of God’s existence… missing the point of the illustration completely.

No no… we understood you completely the first time. The banana is proof that there must have been a designer. We got it. And you’re still ridiculous. We were mocking you for all the right reasons. And now you’ve given everyone more ammo.

Comfort later apologizes for not explaining clearly enough how the common banana has been modifed through hybridization. As if that were the biggest problem.

The video also praises Comfort for topping specific subcategories on Amazon the day his book was released. They say he edged out Richard Dawkins‘ The God Delusion… which isn’t saying much considering Dawkins’ book has been atop the charts for a couple years now. If Comfort’s book has that sort of longevity, we’ll all be impressed.

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Jeff

Of course Ray’s books are only for believers who want a (cheap) re-affirmation of their faith. Dawkin’s books are for thinking individuals.
David D.G.

If Comfort’s book has that sort of longevity, we’ll all be ~~impressed~~ depressed.

Fixed that for you.

~David D.G.
cassiek

Thank you, David
Chris R

Wow. That quote mining at the end has left me stunned.
James

God designed humans and endowed them with the ability and knowledge to modify the banana so that it is well designed for our hands. Good one, Ray. Now you are really thinking.
Reginald Selkirk

… atheists removed the Coke can from the [banana video] and sent it across the Internet saying…

Comfort is a flaming hypocrite! He complains about that, and then he carefully edits the footage from Expelled to make it look like Dawkins actually believes the alien panspermia bit.

For all those of you who had too much class to go see Expelled, Dawkins was merely saying that alien seeding, unlike “God did it,” would be a scientific hypothesis about how life formed on Earth, and could be explored scientifically by searching for evidence. He did not say such evidence had been found, or that he believed such a scenario.
Shane

If I never see, hear, or read anything about Ray Comfort ever again, it will be too soon.
Seriously, he is a stubbornly ignorant ****wad. Why do people keep talking about him? Especially people like Richard Dawkins?

Useless video. Misunderstanding what Dawkins was talking about regarding the “aliens”. What is Dawkins afraid of? Ray is a chihuahua barking at a Rottweiler… The sad part is that Ray won’t even realize it when he loses. He’ll just keep plodding ever onward in his impenetrable bubble of ignorance.
sam

Did Ben Stein actually interview Dawkins?
Reginald Selkirk

Did Ben Stein actually interview Dawkins?

Yes. In the movie, they built up to it as a big final confrontation. Ben Stein had learned how those horrid “Darwinist” scientists had caused the Holocaust, etc.; he was mad as heck, and he was going to do something about it. So what does he do? He meets Richard Dawkins and asks him some stupid and annoying questions.
«bønez_brigade»

So, with God’s help, man domesticated wild cats “so that they are perfectly fit for his wife.” *sigh…* Sexist Biblical patriarchy rides again. (methinks a triply redundant combo was just used)

Youtube user = TWotM = (Yikes*Yack)³.

Can you imagine the nationwide explosion of Xian persecution complexes if pulltheplugonchristianity.com were being used by an atheist group? It doesn’t look like said domain will fall into the hands of the godless anytime soon, though, because the same people that own pulltheplugonatheism.com also registered the former domain a few weeks after the latter domain:

http://whois.net/whois/pulltheplugonchristianity.com
http://whois.net/whois/pulltheplugonatheism.com

BTW, the former forwards to the latter.

————

Oh, and FWIW — speaking for themselves are the current Amazon ratings for the books mentioned:

Comfort’s <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Lead-Atheist-Evidence-Cant-Think/dp/1935071068/”You Can Lead An Atheist…
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,138 in Books
Popular in these categories:
#18 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Atheism
#52 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Apologetics

–

Dawkins’ God Delusion
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #297 in Books
Popular in these categories:
#1 in Books > Reference > Encyclopedias > Religion
#1 in Books > Science > History & Philosophy
#1 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Atheism
«bønez_brigade»

Jeez, I didn’t mean to take up a page like that; although, here I am adding to the damage.

Interestingly, in the time it took me to format the copy/paste job from Amazon and submit my comment, the book ratings have changed:
Comfort: #16,427 (1289 point drop), #18, #55
Dawkins: #301, #1, #1, #1

(previous link fail corrected)
Tony

The dishonesty in these creationist videos is truly staggering. It is frightening that we share a planet with a people so willing to break their own religions’ rules in order to promote them.
Dan Gilbert

There must be two banana videos because the one I saw was the one where Ray was sitting on a stool talking to Kirk Cameron. There’s no “editing” out a Coke can. It’s all about the banana and nothing else… and I saw the video on his “Way of the Master” website!

WTF, Ray?!
Kiera

The part about the dogs fitting in man’s car and cat’s for man’s wife made me think for a moment that this was satire… is Ray and his team really serious about that? The dogs fit in a car that was designed by man to be any size he wanted? *head explode*

I’ve never seen the coke can bit either, but that makes his argument more ignorant, not less….
Paulmond

When we saw Dawkins speak at OU last month, he mentioned the debate challenge from Comfort. He said that he declined the challenge but made a counteroffer that if Comfort donated $100,000 to the Richard Dawkins Foundation, he would do the debate.

So, this bumping up to $20,000 is stupid crap (surprise). Increasing the payment to Dawkins’ personal pocket isn’t what it will take. But does Comfort announce that? Of course not…
Michael

Am I the only one who thinks the red head in that video is hot?
Transplanted Lawyer

Once again, Ray Comfort proves Poe’s Law.
postsimian

Paulmond – I heard Dawkins mention that at Omaha, too. He said that way they’d have $100,000 less to spend on things like dinosaurs with saddles at the creation museum 😀
Turrboenvy

Michael – You mean KellyM78 of Rational Response Squad? No, you’re not. Not by a long shot.
Jeff

I’m waiting for Ray to hold his male organ and comment on how well it fits into the palm of his hand.
JSug

Why is it that creationists on YouTube feel the need to disable ratings and filter comments on all their videos? Can’t stand honest criticism?
Darwin’s Dagger

It is time for atheists to stop spreading the diseased thinking of Ray Comfort around the internet by reposting every ignorant thing this fool says or does.
«bønez_brigade»

[With no disrespect toward Darwin’s Dagger…]

If anyone wants an atheist laugh track with their Comfort, listen to Ray’s debate with Ron Barrier from the 2001 American Atheists convention. The banana rears its chewy, palatable, non-slip, non-squirting, tab-topped self at 4:00.

http://www.wayofthemaster.com/mp3/BCAD.mp3

That’s the earliest usage of the banana argument I’ve come across, but it sounded well-rehearsed then (like a veteran of the speaking/debate circuit); and I guess its video debut was the WotM show (s1:e7) from 12 May 2003. Anyone know of an earlier performance of said “argument”?
Steve

Jeff Says:
April 7th, 2009 at 5:37 pm

///Dawkin’s books are for thinking individuals.///

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Stop. No. I can’t….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

*Calls hospital*
Simon Dahlström

It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a
lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a
personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly.
— Albert Einstein
Vlad Tapas

I wonder if the carpet matches the drapes?
Joe

They can’t stand the vulgarity that spills out of the mouths of half the atheists who post there. See the comment above yours.
Tempdoom

Nothing he said was more than spam, other people would do it if it was for that reason.