richard dawkins (1 Viewer)

[piratecore]

i cant take this guy. he is so patronising and snide i would love to batter him. he makes me wish there was a god so i could argue with him.

 

[jonah]

He properly, properly annoys me. I got the God Delusion from someone at Christmas (irony, o ho!) who for some bizarre reason thought I would enjoy it... agh, he makes me want to pull my hair out, patronising is right.

 

[Goff]

The Cult of Dawkins is as bad as the Cult of God. I'm all for everyone having their own opinions and beliefs. Don't need it rammed down my throat, no matter what side of the fence they sit on. Science is not going to save us. Neither is "God". It constantly amazes me how people take everything he says as a way of defending their lack of beliefs.

I'd rather they made their own mind up based on their own analyses. Still, whatever eases the soul, I suppose.

 

[quackster]

the cult of dawkins isn't quite as bad as the cult of god

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

So on one side, we have organised religion, the pope, jihadists, theocracies, born-again nutbags, religious wars, God Hates Fags, systematic and institutionalised child abuse, ritual beatings of women etc. etc. etc.
And on the other side, we have Richard Dawkins using science to dispel the foundation for this craziness, and he's the one you go after?

You can despair at Dawkins all you like, I despair at a world that needs his like.

 

[Vinnie]

His biography of Gene Simmons was amazing

 

[Lefty Frizzell]

The fabulous life of Richard Dawkins.

 

[binky]

So on one side, we have organised religion, the pope, jihadists, theocracies, born-again nutbags, religious wars, God Hates Fags, systematic and institutionalised child abuse, ritual beatings of women etc. etc. etc.

Most of the above would all be dicks with or without organised religion. Most religious people are perfectly nice and the basic tenets of most organised religions are a pretty decent blueprint for living a relatively happy and peaceful life that doesn't adversely affect the lives of others. Pat Robertson isn't jesus' fault etc..

And hey, at least God Hates Fags aren't patronizing...

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

So religion only makes people good?

Great news.

 

[magicbastarder]

i'd echo what 7 - not tomorrow said.

also, dawkins didn't start out as a religion-basher. he started out as an advocate for evolution, and given he was probably the best known one, became a target for nutjob religionists. which obviously hardened his attitude to religion. you'd probably have serious issues with religion if you were constantly getting hate mail from those nutjobs.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

i'd echo what 7 - not tomorrow said.

also, dawkins didn't start out as a religion-basher. he started out as an advocate for evolution, and given he was probably the best known one, became a target for nutjob religionists. which obviously hardened his attitude to religion. you'd probably have serious issues with religion if you were constantly getting hate mail from those nutjobs.

I forgot that. People who run the gammut from not believing the fundamental truth about existence, denying its teaching to others to wanting to hurt you for telling the greatest truth there is.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

I find the trailer for that Bill Maher film more annoying.

The God Delusion is a bit clumsily written though, isn't it? It's a not a pleasant read.

 

[snakybus]

i'd echo what 7 - not tomorrow said.

also, dawkins didn't start out as a religion-basher. he started out as an advocate for evolution, and given he was probably the best known one, became a target for nutjob religionists. which obviously hardened his attitude to religion. you'd probably have serious issues with religion if you were constantly getting hate mail from those nutjobs.

With respect, this is simply not true. Dawkins's earlier books, while strong on evolution, also made a point of targetting religion. There are plenty of evolutionary biologists out there writing books. His gig has always been the anti-religion thing, and it's probably why he's more famous than the rest of them.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

With respect, this is simply not true. Dawkins's earlier books, while strong on evolution, also made a point of targetting religion. There are plenty of evolutionary biologists out there writing books. His gig has always been the anti-religion thing, and it's probably why he's more famous than the rest of them.

Fair play so.

 

[Cryptid]

Problem I have with Dawkins is that he is as didactic as the religions he bashes. If he came across as less dogmatic and inflexible he would probably not turn people off his message, which is basically sound. I find myself looking for reasons why religion could be a good thing whenever I hear him.

I think the moral codes of religions are not a bad thing per se. The fantasy elements are a waste of time. Has atheism or humanism or whatever alternative belief system produced similiar moral codes? That said, not all of the morality of the religions I would agree with. Some of it helps to maintain social status quos.

 

[maims bond]

I think the original post was having a bash at his delivery and how he comes across as opposed to his ideology. I'm almost 100% behind him on his views on religion, but his delivery can appear aloof and sneering. I like him though.

And Snakybus: maybe you know more about his books than I but i read the selfish gene and i don't remember many references to religion. There may have been a few barbs but i think they were used to illustrate a point rather than have a dig.

 

[magicbastarder]

Has atheism or humanism or whatever alternative belief system produced similiar moral codes?

well, i would have thought that humanism would decree that you treat any other human as you would like to be treated yourself.

 

[pissypants]

Has atheism or humanism or whatever alternative belief system produced similiar moral codes?

Moral codes existed before Christianity, and exist outside of religion. Can't remember who originally made the point, but society wasn't tolerating raping, murdering, cheating and theft without consequence even before Moses brought the 10 commandments down from the hill...

Also Dawkins himself made the point that helping and looking after others is innate in human beings because helping others originally meant helping our "pack", and increased the survival rate of the DNA of those that were more altruistic.

 

[robitusson]

i cant take this guy. he is so patronising and snide i would love to batter him. he makes me wish there was a god so i could argue with him.

Indeed. Dick Dawkins' world is a machine that will eventually be understood and quantified in its entirety. People are merely humourless, sexless vehicles for DNA. Annoying short-sighted twat.

 

[snakybus]

I think the original post was having a bash at his delivery and how he comes across as opposed to his ideology. I'm almost 100% behind him on his views on religion, but his delivery can appear aloof and sneering. I like him though.

And Snakybus: maybe you know more about his books than I but i read the selfish gene and i don't remember many references to religion. There may have been a few barbs but i think they were used to illustrate a point rather than have a dig.

yeah it's been a while since I read them but I think the Selfish Gene might have been light on the bashing. The Blind Watchmaker was more pointed.