Atheism Thread

But in that brief blurb of his here, it sounds like what he's saying is that anyone Christian is an uneducated, backwoods philistine...which is essentially the exact same thing I said about atheists being morons that you took such umbrage with and which spawned this thread in the first place.

But apparently it's OK to generalize negatively, as long as it's a generalization in favor of your point of view?

Agreed. The man is an arrogant turd.
 
But in that brief blurb of his here, it sounds like what he's saying is that anyone Christian is an uneducated, backwoods philistine...which is essentially the exact same thing I said about atheists being morons that you took such umbrage with and which spawned this thread in the first place.

But apparently it's OK to generalize negatively, as long as it's a generalization in favor of your point of view?

He didn't use the word Christian. But if he did, why would you be upset? You're Jewish. But anyhow, he didn't specifically call any group morons, idiots etc. Though I doubt he would hesitate to. But, he was simply stating a fact that his friends do not include religious folks. His reason for it was snarky, I agree. I said, he tells it like it is, as in, he doesn't sugarcoat his words. He doesn't censor himself because he is worried about offending religionists. But you are correct, I don't mind if Dawkins pokes fun at Christians but nobody better even think about making derogatory remarks about atheists. Kidding. I'm not big on being politically correct. Not much offends me. I wouldn't have even bothered remarking on the comment, atheists are morons, if I stumbled upon it on a different night, in a different frame of mind, and if it were made by someone other than you. So spank me for being a weentzy bit hypocritical. But, don't worry you will never hear me criticize Jews. I love them. This does not mean Judaism is beyond reproach. I just don't chose to toss bombs in it's direction when there are much bigger sharks to deal with.
 
He is arrogant. But so am I, that's why I adore him. :squiffy:

I don't find arrogance an appealing characteristic or something to be proud of. And it's certainly not helpful if you are trying to communicate something to people, which I assume he is.
 
He didn't use the word Christian. But if he did, why would you be upset? You're Jewish. But anyhow, he didn't specifically call any group morons, idiots etc. Though I doubt he would hesitate to. But, he was simply stating a fact that his friends do not include religious folks. His reason for it was snarky, I agree. I said, he tells it like it is, as in, he doesn't sugarcoat his words. He doesn't censor himself because he is worried about offending religionists. But you are correct, I don't mind if Dawkins pokes fun at Christians but nobody better even think about making derogatory remarks about atheists. Kidding. I'm not big on being politically correct. Not much offends me. I wouldn't have even bothered remarking on the comment, atheists are morons, if I stumbled upon it on a different night, in a different frame of mind, and if it were made by someone other than you. So spank me for being a weentzy bit hypocritical. But, don't worry you will never hear me criticize Jews. I love them. This does not mean Judaism is beyond reproach. I just don't chose to toss bombs in it's direction when there are much bigger sharks to deal with.

I'm not Jewish. I said that I was in an unrelated thread to a freak who accused me of anti-Semitic remarks.

In truth, biologically I am half-Jewish, in that my father was a Jew. That's the beginning and end of it; I was never raised with any instruction in the Hebrew theology or culture and I am largely ignorant of it besides what I've seen in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Woody Allen movies.

Dawkins didn't specifically say Christian, no, but as Christianity is the biggest and most blatant example of organized religion, he didn't have to.

The reason it bothers me is that I don't like what I perceive to be double standards on your part; however you've explained that in somewhat greater detail so I'm not gonna get into it. But moreso it bothers me on his part for -and granted, he didn't specifically call Christians morons- his implication is that he is no friends with Christians because he considers himself to be above them.

As for spanking you, we can discuss that privately. :D
 
I don't find arrogance an appealing characteristic or something to be proud of. And it's certainly not helpful if you are trying to communicate something to people, which I assume he is.

I agree. His arrogance may get praise from atheists, but it can and is a turn off to others. Arrogance may not be appealing to you, but it is to me when it is found in someone with the intelligence and wit to pull it off.
 
I agree. His arrogance may get praise from atheists, but it can and is a turn off to others. Arrogance may not be appealing to you, but it is to me when it is found in someone with the intelligence and wit to pull it off.

Arrogance is a indication of stupidity. You could be the smartest person in the building but only the truly intelligent realise that humility is the greatest display of that intelligence. A person who is intelligent doesn't need arrogance to make themselves feel superior. They already know it.
 
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I'm not Jewish. I said that I was in an unrelated thread to a freak who accused me of anti-Semitic remarks.

In truth, biologically I am half-Jewish, in that my father was a Jew. That's the beginning and end of it; I was never raised with any instruction in the Hebrew theology or culture and I am largely ignorant of it besides what I've seen in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Woody Allen movies.

I love a good Woody... film.


Dawkins didn't specifically say Christian, no, but as Christianity is the biggest and most blatant example of organized religion, he didn't have to. The reason it bothers me is that I don't like what I perceive to be double standards on your part; however you've explained that in somewhat greater detail so I'm not gonna get into it. But moreso it bothers me on his part for -and granted, he didn't specifically call Christians morons- his implication is that he is no friends with Christians because he considers himself to be above them.

You are correct. And you called me on it.

As for spanking you, we can discuss that privately. :D

If you need any tips, I recommend Fifty Shades of Grey. ;) PM me, maybe. Haha.
 
Arrogance is a indication of stupidity. You could be the smartest person in the building but only the truly intelligent realise that humility is the greatest display of that intelligence. A person who intelligent doesn't need arrogance to make themselves feel superior. They already know it.

Well, confidence combined with humility does trump arrogance.
 
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Bill Nye: Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children



Transcript: Denial of evolution is unique to the United States. I mean, we're the world's most advanced technological—I mean, you could say Japan—but generally, the United States is where most of the innovations still happens. People still move to the United States. And that's largely because of the intellectual capital we have, the general understanding of science. When you have a portion of the population that doesn't believe in that, it holds everybody back, really.

Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science, in all of biology. It's like, it's very much analogous to trying to do geology without believing in tectonic plates. You're just not going to get the right answer. Your whole world is just going to be a mystery instead of an exciting place.

As my old professor, Carl Sagan, said, "When you're in love you want to tell the world." So, once in a while I get people that really—or that claim—they don't believe in evolution. And my response generally is "Well, why not? Really, why not?" Your world just becomes fantastically complicated when you don't believe in evolution. I mean, here are these ancient dinosaur bones or fossils, here is radioactivity, here are distant stars that are just like our star but they're at a different point in their lifecycle. The idea of deep time, of this billions of years, explains so much of the world around us. If you try to ignore that, your world view just becomes crazy, just untenable, itself inconsistent.

And I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe, that's fine, but don't make your kids do it because we need them. We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need people that can—we need engineers that can build stuff, solve problems.

It's just really hard a thing, it's really a hard thing. You know, in another couple of centuries that world view, I'm sure, will be, it just won't exist. There's no evidence for it.
 
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The arrogance thing that people love to use against the like of Hitchens and Dawkins always winds me up. These men have spent a large part of their lives arguing the case, they are asked the same questions constantly, and must come to a point in life where you just want to scream at the top of your lungs, and if you don't and come over with an arrogant confident demeanor, because lets face it what your saying is so blatantly obviously correct who could blame you let alone use it against you? I see the "arrogant demeanor" in a different light,it's a positive thing, it's born of absolute conviction of knowing your right, and it's so obviously the correct position why do you continue to deny?
 
The arrogance thing that people love to use against the like of Hitchens and Dawkins always winds me up. These men have spent a large part of their lives arguing the case, they are asked the same questions constantly, and must come to a point in life where you just want to scream at the top of your lungs, and if you don't and come over with an arrogant confident demeanor, because lets face it what your saying is so blatantly obviously correct who could blame you let alone use it against you? I see the "arrogant demeanor" in a different light,it's a positive thing, it's born of absolute conviction of knowing your right, and it's so obviously the correct position why do you continue to deny?

I couldn't have stated it better.
 
Bill Nye: Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children



Transcript: Denial of evolution is unique to the United States. I mean, we're the world's most advanced technological—I mean, you could say Japan—but generally, the United States is where most of the innovations still happens. People still move to the United States. And that's largely because of the intellectual capital we have, the general understanding of science. When you have a portion of the population that doesn't believe in that, it holds everybody back, really.

Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science, in all of biology. It's like, it's very much analogous to trying to do geology without believing in tectonic plates. You're just not going to get the right answer. Your whole world is just going to be a mystery instead of an exciting place.

As my old professor, Carl Sagan, said, "When you're in love you want to tell the world." So, once in a while I get people that really—or that claim—they don't believe in evolution. And my response generally is "Well, why not? Really, why not?" Your world just becomes fantastically complicated when you don't believe in evolution. I mean, here are these ancient dinosaur bones or fossils, here is radioactivity, here are distant stars that are just like our star but they're at a different point in their lifecycle. The idea of deep time, of this billions of years, explains so much of the world around us. If you try to ignore that, your world view just becomes crazy, just untenable, itself inconsistent.

And I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe, that's fine, but don't make your kids do it because we need them. We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need people that can—we need engineers that can build stuff, solve problems.

It's just really hard a thing, it's really a hard thing. You know, in another couple of centuries that world view, I'm sure, will be, it just won't exist. There's no evidence for it.


 
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I couldn't have stated it better.
Hey realitybites, thank you for carrying the torch for rationalism on this thread. A question for you; I've always kind of resented the term atheism. 'Cos as I see it, all it means is a non-belief in a something others believe in. It is not a thing in itself, it is an absence. Should there be a word for not believing in fairies? People can believe in whatever they wish, no matter how outrageous, but I do not like being defined by my not sharing in that belief.
 
I don't find arrogance an appealing characteristic or something to be proud of. And it's certainly not helpful if you are trying to communicate something to people, which I assume he is.

This is why, this is why I like you, I like you, I like you.
 
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