Robot parrots? At least my hobbit stands a chance of existing.. Robot parrots cannot exist as I would determine the term "robot" to denote made by other beings, (humans normally as my dog hasn't got past the opposing thumbs dilemma yet, although he can lick his own balls, which puts him on a higher plane of existence than me in that respect.)

If you are made by others to carry out their function, ergo you don't exist. It is a bit like a company setting up a department, as opposed to contracting to another company.

All this of course has little to do with religion and its standing in law. Of course, it is a dilemma when you try to make a case or agree with a stance, knowing that touchy buggers will get all self righteous and upset that by not agreeing with their superstitions, you are aggressive towards them personally. In my case, not true. I don't begin to understand stamp collecting or Morris Dancing but so long as laws don't exist to make me put penny blacks in wallets or wear bells, I have an infinite live & let live attitude. I even allow a good friend to keep telling me what a great time you have Morris dancing, keeping you fit whilst drinking beer from a leather tankard. Heady stuff...

But if he told me there should be a law preventing me from taking the piss out of him, I draw a line. And that is the situation I have with religions. A bloke with a dog collar once told me I should be arrested for blasphemy. So I told him that if I was around 2,000 years ago and saw a bloke we could blame for the Spanish inquisition, Crusades etc., I would get my hammer and nails out and do the job myself.

Didn't go down too well. I am barred from his crummy church and he is not welcome in the pub until he apologises to the landlord for provoking and upsetting his regulars. So you see, religion and I don't even get the chance to to exist.

Anyway, ability to process information is just the start, you need to analyse and assess before you spout. In any case, metaphysical considerations make circular arguments, which makes me have to reboot the old brain.