Renegen on 13/1/2007 at 04:14
The question is, why does it matter if God exists or not? I listen to some of my truly spiritual friends and they make just as much sense as this scientist's arguments.
Muzman on 13/1/2007 at 04:15
Quote Posted by Scots_Taffer
But considering as he's inviting people to discuss it (believers, no less), surely he should approach it a little more tactfully - especially if he doesn't want to encourage a shit-slinging approach.
Dawkins is very much the agent provacateur type about what he believes. He's merely practicing what he preaches to some extent. As an evolutionary scientist and inventer of the notion of memes, he wants to confront and battle to the death competeing ideas by whatever means available.
Shoshin on 13/1/2007 at 04:20
Quote Posted by Strontium Dog
No, he's one of the most brilliant thinkers on this planet who deserves respect for standing up for atheists like me in the face of increasingly vile hostility.
No, he's just another fundamentalist who won't be happy until everyone agrees with his opinion.
SD on 13/1/2007 at 04:21
Quote Posted by Renegen
The question is, why does it matter if God exists or not?
You're kidding, right? As Dawkins puts it:
Quote:
Imagine a world with no religion. Imagine no suicide bombers, no 9/11, no 7/7, no Crusades, no witch-hunts, no Gunpowder Plot, no Indian partition, no Israeli/Palestinian wars, no Serb/Croat/Muslim massacres, no persecution of Jews as 'Christ-killers', no Northern Ireland 'troubles', no 'honour killings', no shiny-suited televangelists fleecing gullible people of their money, no Taliban to blow up ancient statues, no public beheadings of blasphemers, no flogging of female skin for the crime of showing an inch of it.
God
matters.
Quote Posted by Shoshin
No, he's just another fundamentalist who won't be happy until everyone agrees with his opinion.
Yeah, how dare he try and enlighten people with science :rolleyes:
Kolya on 13/1/2007 at 04:21
Quote Posted by Strontium Dog
So, umm, who created God? And why are people fools for endeavouring to solve the mysteries of the universe?
Because it's not a mystery of the universe. It's a question of faith/psychiatric disorder and any fool knows that.
Renegen on 13/1/2007 at 04:24
Oh you want to get on that higher battleground level STD? humans have found 200 different reasons to start wars, the least of which is religion. Yeah GREAT argument that IF, theoretical if(coming from a scientist ironically) religion did not exist all those events would be prevented. Great fucking reasoning.
The question is what does STD have to validate his beliefs just as much as anyone else? Expressing your opinion is what got people into wars not being spiritual or religious.
Kolya on 13/1/2007 at 04:26
I thought it was more keeping others from expressing their opinion that got people into wars.
Renegen on 13/1/2007 at 04:31
Ya.. angry answer to hearing someone's opinion ;) But you know carrying that atheist or cross proudly on your shoulder or saying any faith but x is false is kinda of asking for it.
It's true people want and have the right to an opinion and to be heard, but don't you see less adults than teens participating in dumb arguments? I get that impression. Caus adults know the art of diplomacy.
SD on 13/1/2007 at 04:34
Quote Posted by Renegen
The question is what does STD have to validate his beliefs just as much as anyone else?
My beliefs about the Universe, the Earth and the origins of life are based upon empirical, observable, testable data. That makes them inherently more valuable than those which have nothing to back them up.
Laser Eyes on 13/1/2007 at 05:13
So you wannt talk science eh?
Then answer these two questions.
1. How did Isaiah know in the eighth century B.C. that the earth was round when everybody else on earth thought it was flat? Isaiah told us that God "sits above the circle of the earth." - Isaiah 40:22
2. How did Moses know in 1,500 B.C. that the best day to circumcise a baby is on the eighth day? "Every male of yours eight days old must be circumcised." - Genesis 17:12 Medical science only recently established that the eighth day is the optimum day for to conduct this procedure. Was it just a good guess?
