Beliefs are not harmless if they are going to be used to harm people.
Science flies us to the moon
Religion flies airplanes into buildings
Today more harm is being done “in the name of the risen Jesus” to people in this country than good.
Keep your beliefs out of my Physics
Keep your beliefs out of my Chemistry
Keep your beliefs out of my Biology
@Patrick:
Without exception? Always? Including Joshua?
There are forms of atheism followed in Russia and China which involved the mass murder of people.
Would you be confortable to be classed with socialist Russia since both of you are “non-Religuous”.
Be a little rational when making sweeping generalisations.
I said more harm than good. A lot of harming going on which now exceeds the large amount of good going on. Harm > Good. Today. Chrisitanity can’t point to the past. Today’s world matters most to those living in it.
I agree he is not Scientist. However he has peddled his religious views as science quite consistently.As to social change… His contributions are yet to be seen.
Yes, and I am against it. Social change isn’t about atheism. You can be an atheist AND a good moral person with great purpose and meaning in your life. You don’t have to belief in God to lead a good life.
As an American, I don’t support Putin and what the Russian government does. Nor do I support the Russian Orthodox Church who is now in union with Putin oppressing other religions like Jehovah Witnesses in Russia.
Russia is not about freedom of expression. Look at the treatment of homosexuals in Russia. And look at Evangelical Christian groups going over to Russia to get support for going back to same sex marriage bans.
Since you as an athiest can be against Russia which is also athiest. I am sure it’s possible for you to understand how religious people need not agree with everything done in the name of religion.
He is not peddling his religious views. He is saying quite forcefully “Keep your religious views out of my social changes” He has contributed greatly to social change around the world. The God Delusion is has been translated into 40 languages and is given free in oppressed Islamic countries.
I wouldn’t be surprised if that is his reaction. The man is an arrogant discourteous boor… Do you admire that kind of behaviour in people… I.e abusing those who disagree with your view point?
Yes, that is why I think he is great.
Here is the link to Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (which I am a member of). Tell me what you don’t like about it.
We should engage with anyone who acknowledges the authority of reason, is willing to dialogue in a civil manner, and has an audience our size or larger.
Ah Richard Dawkins - the running man. William Lane Craig comes to Oxford and Dawkins legs it. Sad.
Well he banned me.
The book is full of crap and it proves that Dawkins is clueless and desperate.
Alright @JoeG, I’m going to need you to slow down. Your posts are now throttled. If you continue, it will be a suspension.
Get on Patrick too. He is the one attacking people. I am just responding.
I would say that The God Delusion showed a very poor grasp of history, religious studies, and philosophy. I have several atheist historian and philosopher friends who consider the book an embarrassment. (I’m trying to remember if Daniel Dennett wrote a negative review. Perhaps I’m confusing him with another atheist philosopher.)
Dawkins made many of the same types of blunders which we are all prone to make sometimes when we choose to pontificate (yes, I’ll use that word) outside of our respective fields of expertise. Dawkins reiterates a lot of popular Internet-amateur themes which were discredited long ago in the academy. That’s why so many atheist scholars found the book so lamentable.
Do not respond with anything other than kindness. Right now there are several people with a bad habit of responding to meanness with meanness, that just escalates things.
That depends on whose ox is being gored. I haven’t seen Joe be defamatory, but I have seen Patrick do it, without reprimand. Kindness is not an appropriate response for some things.