Richard Dawkins

[harveybirdman]

How is it dumb? dont you get it? funny how its a famous quote from big ol einstein. gronk.

If that's an Einstein quotation, it's butchered worse than a pig in a slaughterhouse and yes, it's still stupid. Human beings don't need religion for moral guidance and science doesn't need religion at all. In fact, science and religion are incompatible since one is based on verifiable facts and the other on faith in something that can't be tested.

[ric_vidal]

Dawkins on religion is shit, because, er, he's a scientist & knows f**k all about it.

Yeah but does it matter?

Well you would hope it made some difference.

You don't need to know too much about Santa to prove he doesn't exist.

But perhaps he did in some guise St. Nicholas of Newport?... not the nasty one You’d think it is fairly safe to say Jesus existed once too, beyond that who knows what happened during his lifetime. Son of God is an interesting concept beyond my belief system but... read The God Code and get a different perspective of what that might mean. Surely something big must have happened during the lifetime of Jesus to have such an impact. What religion has done with or in the name of their different deities is often questionable and I don’t think anyone would dispute that.

Really, whats the difference?

Bit of an over-simplification don’t you think brain-Damage? Neither Dawkins, or anyone else for that matter, can prove one way or another the existence of something that many people just refer to as God. There are many other names with VERY different conotations.

[Grooter]

In line with the Tool visit (for those of you who own the Third Eye version off Salival) I thought it was apt to quote this old acid head:

"Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities, the political, the religious, the educational authorities who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing, forming in our minds their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable, open-mindedness; chaotic, confused, vulnerability to inform yourself." --Timothy Leary

Anyway that's my "cool" quote for the month to show how smart I am

[ric_vidal]

But i really do beleive buddhism is a mile ahead of all other relgions.

......says the angriest, most intolerant and judgemental person on these forums.

he didn’t say he WAS Buddhist

[sydney]

There would be countless thousands of Christians and Jews (can't speak for Muslims) who couldn't give a rat's about whether God is out there, whether Jesus came back from the grave or whatever. Their religious faith rests on biblical teaching about social justice, they're the kind of people who run soup vans for the homeless or spend their Saturday nights picking up pissy drunks out of the gutter for Missionbeat. They're happy to leave theology to the theologians. But as far as Dawkins is concerned, they're all raving fundamentalist lunatics.

Can't say I agree there smnmntl. If someone sdoesn't belive in God, then they're not part of the religion. it's one of the main corner stones of Christianity. The other being that Jesus was the son of God, and was ressurected.

What's the point in being a Christian, if you don't believe in it's name sake? Can't speak with the same knowledge of Judaism, but I would assume it's the same.

I'm not disagreeing that there are people out there that have similar morals to that portrayed in the bible, but there's a fundamental flaw in saying someone's a Christian who doesn't care if God exists or not...

As for Islam, the main belief all muslim's must have is that there is one, and only one God.

[yanks r us]

calls me an idiot then suggests i let it lie learn to back up your words you dumb fuck

No you are an idiot, its just that i dont want to e-warrior all day better things to do mate. Back up what? Its people like you who get fired up by one little thing that may be misinterpretated. reminds me of the mohammend cartoon. Get over it.

[oldman]

I just listened to Richard Dawkins doing a bit over an hour of Q and A with a university audience in good ole USA. (see http://richarddawkins.net/home)

In spite of some silly questioning from a cabal from a nearby fundamentalist christian university, he was uniformly polite and quite humble in his delivery.

Which goes to show that pomposity is in the eye of the beholder, and you see what you want to see (me included). I wonder if the message is being separated from the messenger, or is the message so difficult to refute that the personal attack on the messenger becomes the only available means of defence.

[Frin]

If Dawkins is too much - try Sam Harris' "Letters to a Christian Nation" - its in the same vein as "The God Delusion", less verbose and more humourous, but still provides a fairly savage rebuttal of the core beliefs of the fundamentalist Christian.

[Damage]

Well the guy is trying to sell something after all.

ps. ric you have some serious objectivity issues. we can all tell.

[ric_vidal]

> the concept of a god is a conceit and a manifestation of human delusions of grandeur

You’ll have to expand on that one ignasius

Move on from the concept of some human-like figure sitting up there casting judgement on we sinners, there’s no heaven or hell, you live that during your lifetime(s). Enter the world of Dawkins if you will and envisage something that brought about this universe, we’re all part of the whole somehow. It’s not something you have to pray to or appease mind you.

It’s all energy... our tiny minds are holding us back.

[ric_vidal]

ps. ric you have some serious objectivity issues. we can all tell.

And you just love me for it. Can’t I have an open and honest opinion? If not, no one is objective.

[yanks r us]

Back up what?

I ain't fired up mate, partly baiting you and partly just confused about your whole argument. you make no sense and seem to back flip as soon as you realise this.

explain to me why:
1. disagreeing with your mangled quote of ae makes me a gronk when I've clearly and logically explained my opinion
2. how you think I didn't "interpret it right"

the insults started with you .. if you would prefer I'll refrain from returning the favour so that we can have an intelligent discussion .. or is that passed your comprehension?

Well firstly you called it dumb, without no reasoning or interpretation. I mean its a pretty vague little sentence, his dead. Im sure if you asked him exactly what he meant by it it wouldnt be what you said. :?

And on the video, The Q/A at the 49minute mark hahaha

[Kunji]

Dawkins on science is great, because he's a scientist & knows what he's talking about. Dawkins on religion is shit, because, er, he's a scientist & knows f**k all about it.

:?

Have to correct you there Simon. He grew up in a very religious school and upbringing. His wealth of knowledge about most religions is quite vast. The man is a genius, no doubt.

I am on my second read of the God Delusion right now. Its an amazing book. He respects religions (not just the Abrahamic ones) and some of his favourite quotes and teachings are from religious texts.

If you have any doubts about his factual book about the delusion of a God, feel free to pick up a copy. He states that there almost certainly is no God. And does this with logic and science. The evidence is overwelming to say the least.

I have come from a Christian in my teenage years to Agnostic and over the past few years a passionate Atheist. The God Delusion didnt change any of my veiws, just has given me even more confidence that i am on the right track.

God bless Richard Dawkins.

[Nappy]

How come one rotation of the earths Axis takes 24hrs??? lucky? What if it took like 72hrs and we were plunged into darkness 36hrs a day.. How come the earth revolves around the sun in the 365 days??? The seasons are perfect not to long or to short.

The earths seems so perfect is it luck or something more???/
Sorry i got to lay of the weed.