It's a trip. Dawkins will be dead soon t's Unfortunate. God is simply the Existence of Love. Everyone Believes Love Exists. Atheists Unnecessarily Overcomplicate it
I am also a life-long atheist, but unlike Tony Brenton here I resent the intrusion of religion into everyday life and the undue influence it has on policy making and attitude in general. To me it seems a god-belief allows people to think they are somehow entitled, either to extra input from others or to special consideration, or just the fact that their belief will excuse any behaviour (in the final countdown). This does not benefit the human race.
I absolutely agree. When I mention things that concern me, whether its about overpopulation, refusing to use condoms or other contraceptives or teaching religion in schools, most of what I hear is something about how god gave us this earth, he's in control, he would never let it get bad, its just my negative view on the world because I can't find god. It hurts so bad. The world is dying, and I don't know how to get them to understand we all need to take responsibility. Religion is a drug, providing a nice safe relaxing haven and bedtime story, free of the responsibilities we all have to face. Prayer just isn't good enough.
Yes religion is very annoying with all its Michelangelo, Bach art and music, it's Dante, Homer, Virgil literature, it's monumental churches and temples all around the world you are gonna visit as a tourist when you travel, it's sense of universal peace and love, it's consequence based attitude etc. There is no special consideration and no excuse to any behaviour and black sheeps are black sheeps, always and everywhere.
Simon Montanaro, what sense of universal love are you referring to? The one that says kill the infidel? The one that allows pedophile priests to operate unrestricted? All religions encourage a sense of entitlement that is really destructive, so all religions are harmful to humanity.
Julie Paterson You do not know religion very well, you just know what the scandal driven news tell you: Last day they found a group of politicians being pedophiles, the other day they found a bricklayer killing his wife, the day before they found a kindergarden teacher beating up kids just for fun... are politicians pedophiles? are bricklayers misogynysts? are teachers violent? Everyone of them? Thinking that by wiping out one certain class of people (religious people) you solve everything is very ridicule. Did the Jacobins succeed? Did the commies made the world a better place? Were Jews in Nazi Germany the real problem? Do you really think that religion kills people? Isn't it rather greed? Thank you for your comment :)
@@ozfizface thats true here in the philippines catholic church is against it Our president fought against the catholic church And a win from the supreme court and a loss from the catholic church
I too was brought up in a Christian household and it was while studying the Bible before Confirmation that I realised there was an amazing delusion going on! The Lutheran Minister (PhD) teaching me suggested, after I had questioned everything he was teaching that "religion was not for me". Some years later, as a "confirmed" Athiest I had the opportunity to once again speak with the minister. He too was an Athiest but stuck with the church for the guaranteed income!
Lifelong atheist here. Looked into a lot of religions, none convincing so despite the best efforts of early Christian schooling I have only ever been an atheist. Normality is very much dependant on point of view, so I am as abnormal and normal as every other atheist, Christian, Muslim, Jew etc. I have done stupid things for stupid reasons and smart reasons and smart things for both too. I have enough respect for people of other faiths to have stood up in a church reading a passage written by a Christian friend who was too nervous to do it himself and knew I would convey it well. The congregation loved it and applauded him, something I was very happy about. Some atheists I knew were shocked that I would do this but I saw it as helping out another human being in a building that means nothing to me except a gathering house. I would have been just as happy to help one of them so felt it would be inappropriate to refuse help for another based on religion, most of the atheists I knew understood this but most were once theists so would not have wanted to do it. The fact I am so ready to help others has confused many Christians I have known but the more intelligent understand that morality doesn't require religion. My desire comes from time I spent travelling. You do good things to help others in the hope when you need help someone will, and in fairness this has worked better than most would expect. I am not relying on reward or fearing punishment after death, I am decent to people because I want to be treated decently by them, I don't harm others because I don't want to be harmed, morality isn't that difficult a concept really is it? I have a family I put above all else. This is selfish and I know it, I also don't care and worry about those with family who don't put them first. I work for a living, keep fit for fun and live what to most would be a pretty dull and boring life. I absolutely love it which makes me very boring too, again I don't care. When I look around at most people in different faiths (not using the word religion so this includes atheists) many of them are just as boring and the lucky ones just as happy being so, we are far more similar than different and it really is about time all sides grew up a bit and accepted this fact, and I would say the more intelligent people I have encountered already have.
Thank you RD for your wise comments and mild-mannered politeness. Thank you for your wisdom, and for giving us hope there will one day be an end to foolish religion, as the ranks of atheism grow. Thank goodness for people who have brains, instead of allowing themselves to be brainwashed. Thank you RD for all the valuable information your research has uncovered and will keep uncovering. Thank you, you and all your friends, for the common sense which is always your companion, in any debate.
I think, and I cannot speak for anyone else. That it's okay to have whatever religious status you want. We live in a country that allows people to choose what they want to believe in. I will respect that and I will fight for any persons right to have that. However, I will not sit there and allow that same person to push their religion onto others. And when someone (usually a christian) in the US tries to force their beliefs into government they are causing harm. They are lowering the standards that work and opening up the chance for religious persecution. So "are cherry picker christians harmful?" Sure, they most definitely can be. But, so can any other sect. or religious person and even non-religious people. What you believe directly impacts how you act toward others and in your everyday life. I live in a secular nation which only goal is to assure the same equal treatment for every human being. And by accepting the claims of religious teachings; many in the US go against this concept. Secular societies work for the common good of all its citizens. While christian leaders in the US try to remove the rights and freedoms of some. This is not a hard situation to understand because it happens all of the time. Do some research, inform yourself and don't shy away from information just because it disagrees with a book.
Daniel Cummings Excellent comment. Genes seek to replicate themselves simply because it is beneficial to them to do so, and can be called 'selfish' as a metaphor. We are survival machines programmed by genes. Genes determine the decisions we make for a given environment. Free will is an illusion. The only reason we communicate and cooperate with each other is because it is beneficial for us - we manipulate each other for our own selfish ends. Love for our family and friends is an illusion. We love our family because they share our genes; we love friends because we are manipulating them for our benefit. Love does not exist. There is no such thing as 'good of the group', only individuals. Altrusim is selfishness in disguise. Does that mean that society will never work for the common good of all its citizens?
Daniel Cummings First because I always reserve the right to be wrong I will state I have only limited knowledge of what the church is doing in the US, though what I have seen looks to agree with your declaration. If some of what I say is way off, please correct me it will be ignorance through lack of knowledge not lack of desire to learn. I would say selective readers in general are harmful, Christian or otherwise. I will give an example here using the well know encourager of war, death and violence heavy metal. I will use the theatrical version of One by Metallica as my evidence, one of the to the song being 'Hold my breath as I wish for death' showing how they are trying to encourage suicide. One of the film exerts is a Colonel stating 'Death has a dignity all its own' evidently encouraging death in battle is a good thing. those who haven't seen the video or film it was based on (Johnny Got His Gun) please do, they are both brilliant. One of the films I have seen with weak acting that still hit me hard. The song is totally anti-war and used the book which was so influential in turning people away from the idea of war during Vietnam that the book was banned in the US. Yet I have been able to prove the opposite with selective and genuine quotes. The US have implanted the one nation under god section into the pledge of allegiance, totally against the wishes of the founding fathers who wanted overall religious tolerance regardless of belief. Which tells us a lot about how much power the church wants and obviously has in the US. Living in the UK, another predominantly Christian country, I attended a Christian school and said the lord's prayer every school day during primary school, even when it had become clear I had no belief in it whatsoever. It meant nothing to me at all, which may seem like I am saying it's OK in the pledge but in fact means the opposite. The pledge is supposed to mean everything to the people saying it and is to make people want to be part of the nation and be proud of everything it represents. By having a part in it that will mean nothing to a growing number they risk the entire thing meaning nothing to the whole nation over time. If they want a pledge people get behind they need one all care about. Outside the church in the UK, only our military have to swear allegiance to God, interesting to choose the people you will train to kill (especially the chefs) as the group for whom this is mandatory. The have to swear and sign to defend God, Queen and country and the wording is in that order. Of course now they are just defending oil rights but if God decides he doesn't like oil anymore they will have to respect this in accordance with their contract. There is an expression that I like which has two versions. What is a good reason to deny someone a gun licence? The fact they want one. What is a good reason to deny someone the right to be a politician? The desire to be one. Common theme there. The same could be said about the Christian church imposing their will upon the US through political means. Why should we not have the section added to the pledge of allegiance referring to god as the church say? Because they want it. In fairness the Christian religion, along with all others, encourage conquest of minds to increase their following. So they can argue they are doing what the book says. However it doesn't at any point say that they should use political might to accomplish this, it says go door to door spreading the word of the lord and welcome followers, not make them worship whether they believe or not. This is why I am always polite to Jehovah's witnesses when they come calling, they are doing what their scriptures say, and whether I share their faith our not I respect their commitment to doing so and their acceptance when I say I'm not interested shows respect for my belief as well. I actively seek people to prove me wrong, more is learned when this happens. As such I have read a lot of things declaring proof of various deities and that there are none. I have yet to read one that doesn't have holes I could drive a bus through so I declare myself atheist by faith. There is no empirical proof so it cannot be classed as knowledge but I believe it to the very core of my being and time and study only makes this conviction stronger.
JESUS IS LORD and HE LOVES Richard very much. He has a wonderful plan for Richard. Did you know that He paid in FULL the price for Richard's sins at the cross? Past, present and future. WHY would we want to pay for what JESUS already paid for? Saul of Tarsus was like Richard, but Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus and He became Paul, the most powerful disciple in the New Testament. I believe that God has an amazing plan and will make himself known to Richard. Life is good, isn't it?
Prove it... All your comment contains are Christian cliches and bumper sticker slogans. Basing your life around a book written by ancient people from about six thousand years ago until about two thousand years ago is foolish at best. In fact the only reason why you're a Christian is because u were born in a country where Christianity is not only acceptable, but it is encouraged and reinforced by popularity. Popular does not equate to truth.
I see your point, but what about all the miracles? What about the fact that He was raised from the dead? You'll see Him because He is alive. God is love.
***** I don't think anything I said implied that I think I am "the creator." You'll find I said that _we_ are stardust and stars died so that _we_ could have life, and again, _we_ are beautifully evolved great apes. We is you, me and every other homosapien. I don't profess to have any devine or supernatural knowledge and my beliefs are based on evidence. Have a nice day.
I never left any religion. I never had one. I was forced to go to "christian education" class (afterschool kinda thing) and I hated it. I hated it for childish reasons - I had less time to play, but as I gradualy learned about "things" it dawned to me that religion is just not true. That all said, I don´t consider myself atheist because it kinda sorts people into same group with religions (kinda like - are you christian, budhist, hinduist, atheist? etc.). I call myself a rational person, which in principle is incopatible with any sort of belief, whether it be in faeries or god.
Rationality is a big part of religion. I repeat it once and for all: ration and believe are in no twist but part one of the other. It's not Scully vs Mulder.
I'm an Atheist and I'm VERY nice. I donate plasma weekly, help with my neighbors, and volunteer for lots of things to help people. I'm civil, cheerful, ethical, 100% faithful to my wife, and drive courteously. There is one person who sounds positively awful, though. He/she is spouting all kinds of hateful drivel. is/her screen name is boliussa.
Richard Dawkins seems like an absolute gent! I'm a Christian and would love to have a genuine discussion with an Atheist or two on what it is you actually believe. Please note, I am not looking for an argument (unlike a lot of people on here), nor is my intention to 'convert' anyone. I just think questions are good, especially when answered in a non-argumentative manner, as they help develop our understanding. I WANT TO LEARN!!
Julie, Thanks for your comment. The difficulty arises in the question of the ability of randomness to create complex structures. We usually see that only simple structures can arise but we don't find this as systems become complex. It is to "assume the answer" to say "we see evolution" (which by the way I don't have a problem with only that I see intentionality in the products of evolution) and therefore there is no Design involved.
A bit aggressive and unnecessary to call religion childish. I’m an atheist but, I think that you should tone it down a bit and have a more relaxed attitude towards religion. And, at least where I’m from, I don’t think that people will think that being an atheist is a big deal, if you don’t make it out to be. Nobody ever even asks my religion nowadays, and I’m not going to bring up the subject, if nobody else does.
Michael, One drawback about TH-cam posts is we can only say so much at a time. You speak correctly about what mankind as done to produce variations in plants and animals. This was actually something I spoke of and affirmed when I mention micro-evolution. The point I was making was that micro-evolution is only assumed to lead to macro-evolution. It hasn't actually been witnessed. With this in mind, a scientific approach seeks not only to support theories but also disprove them. Thank you.
It was a simple request I made. I made no insults. That is one of the problems of trying to discuss these types of things. Instead of dealing with facts, people choose to attack character.
Also... To those of faith: Please do not be misled by those who would tell you that Science is opposed to your beliefs. It is not. Evolution is not the enemy of god. Science is not the enemy of god, either. You do not need to fear it. You do not need faith to understand it. Science is simply a method of investigating the world and the universe in an attempt to learn things about it. It is not at war with your religion.
Your feelings are not reality, nobody's are. I was talking about the reality we all interact with on a day-to-day basis, things like the weather, and earthquakes, and whether we have enough food or not, and disease etc.etc. These are the things we need to know about, not whether something makes us feel good or not. Like I said, feeling good is purely subjective.
I was a Muslim once, but I thought: If God is so powerful, why does he need us to take him on faith? Why doesn't he show himself instead? And what is the point of testing us if he knows everything already? And as for your evidence from the Qu'ran, how can you use a book for evidence for itself?
As a social scientist and an expert with a dowsing pendulum, people will soon learn that our conscious awareness is an Extra Terrestrial being from another dimension and it is the destiny of everyone of us to qualify and return to that dimension of our origin will a human memory as our identity and if scientists want to discover the secrets of the universe - believing in the existence of Almighty God and Reincarnation is a must for everyone on this planet.
It says in the Bible, "Surely you are a God who hides Himself, O LORD," and "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, the glory of kings to search one out."
It is irrelevant what "it says in the bible".. The bible is a collection of nonsense scribbled down by bronze and iron age goat herders who knew nothing about the natural world they lived in.. The bible is proof of nothing.. It is meaningless to me as the rest of the world's holy books are meaningless to you.. See where I am going? Why would you base your opinions on what primitive humans thought?
I personally prefer that ancient myth/story/poem, Odyssey. Remember, there was no one who wrote these stories down when they were fresh and true (If they ever were). They were sung and told across a journey of Chinese Whispers to become extravagant myths, maybe only partly based off of true events. The biggest piece of evidence against these stories are the amount of 'similarities' between other stories. Odysseus was a carpenter like Jesus, and he wanted to return home just as Jesus wanted to be welcomed in his native home and later to God’s home in Jerusalem. Odysseus was plagued with unfaithful and dim-witted companions who displayed tragic flaws. They stupidly opened a magic bag of wind while Odysseus slept and released terrible tempests which prevent their return home. These sailors are comparable to Jesus’ disciples, who disbelieve Jesus, ask foolish questions, and show general ignorance about everything. Jesus' story doesn't have Drugged up lotus eaters, sexy sirens and a cyclops though, so its as believeable but less awesome.
Have no fear on our account. If an atheist has no fear of hell, neither should you. A belief is just a belief. Believing something does not make it true.
to any athiest who see this GOD is real GOD loves you and wants you to be saved GOD came to earth as a man named JESUS He died for your sins then rose from the dead He wants to save you all you need to do is believe in him GOD bless
If they are merely breathing and their heart is pumping blood, they are alive. You cannot say a person who is sleeping is any less alive than when he is awake. He may be less aware but he is not "less alive".
From understanding that all actions have consequences. From understanding I have no more right to do harm to others than they to me. From intelligence. No gods required!
"I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist when considering Zeus, Apollo, Amon Ra, Mithras, Baal, Thor, Wotan, the Golden Calf and the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I just go one god further." - Richard Dawkins
I am a Christian and I only wonder why athiests try so hard to prove God is not real. What do you think will happen to you when you die? Is there no hope in your future after death at all? I am only trying to understand athiests better.
When did I say Hitler was Christian? I merely said Christianity played a strong role in the Holocaust, due to the fact Hitler used it in his writings and speeches, where he made many references to God and such, and managed to even gain the support of the Pope and Vatican. I never said he himself believed it.
What happens when I die? My bodily functions will shut down, my consciousness will cease to exist. The knowledge of that, means to me that I have only got one chance. One chance at living life fully. One chance at trying to better this world for its newcomers. That's some of it.
I dont think most religious people hate atheists. Most of the time, we religious people feel threatened by atheists because we fear people going to hell-not because we dislike atheists, but we are concerned for them and humanity. We dont think we are better, and it is not intentional to put anyone down. I do think that both atheists and theists need to learn to have peaceful dialogue instead of harmful dialoge that doesnt help anyone. People with good intentions would agree.
The problem is that nearly everyone agrees that there is no evidence that the early earth had such a “reducing” (rich in hydrogen compounds, esp. ammonia and methane) atmosphere. Volcanoes today emit mostly carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), and water vapor, but no ammonia or methane. With no hydrogen to react with, CO2 and N2 cannot make HCN, which is crucial for the production of the most interesting prebiological molecules.
I too am an atheist and try to engage people of faith in debate. I do sometimes question my motives. Why should I attempt to take away someone's comfort and hope? I struggle with that. I try to justify it because I know religion is the cause of a lot of pain, persecution, prejudice, repression, cruelty, corruption, ignorance etc in this world and tolerance of the mild allows the more unpleasant aspects to exist. But should we leave the mild alone? Let them have their comforts? Thoughts?
A: life occurs by random chance B: life expands rapidly P(A) might be very low, but it says nothing of P(B|A). Once life actually has established itself, no matter how unlike such an establishment was, further development can go on at a very probable level. I think the vast genetic variation mixed with the probability that at least some of these variations will be beneficial is what makes life unstoppable. But there's no additional "magic" to it, unless you think of maths as magic.
Here is another point to consider: Imagine that you find a newspaper with an apartment ad circled and scrawled across the page are the words, "That's one cool pad." Anyone reading would conclude that someone really liked the look of that apartment... but how would it be translated in 2000 years if our language were to go extinct. Let's analyse how we make translations now...
Darwin wasn't a theist, it was only mentioned in his autobiography that he "deserve to be called a Theist." And even that is taken out of context. If you read the next paragraph he says "and I for one must be content to remain an Agnostic."
You don't see cattle doing battle with one another. Watching how other animals behave is watching reality. Religion has muddied the waters for we human animals.
"I ought to call myself an agnostic; but, for all practical purposes, I am an atheist. I do not think the existence of the Christian God any more probable than the existence of the Gods of Olympus or Valhalla. To take another illustration: nobody can prove that there is not between the Earth and Mars a china teapot revolving in an elliptical orbit, but nobody thinks this sufficiently likely to be taken into account in practice. I think the Christian God just as unlikely." - Bertrand Russell
Don't ever let it get you down. A belief is just a belief. If, like a lot of us, you don't believe, that is no one else's business. It is a great worry that religious beliefs become life determining, against all reason, rationality and logic. The worst thing though is that religious beliefs cause people to lose their humanity.
I think Dawkins point about "thinking things out" needs to be magnified. I don't mean to put us on a pedestal, but atheists today have all fought battles; any atheist you know is a veteran of religious persecution and propaganda - even the "grew up atheist". It takes a unique mind to understand and accept the things atheists today do: having a single life is okay, preferring reality to superstition is okay, thinking for yourself is okay. So, and I hope you'll let me, I'd like to thank and congratulate all of you atheists on the internal - in some cases, external - wars you have fought.
Obviously we cannot communicate directly, but we can observe their self preservation and their ability to distinguish themselves from peers, prey and predators.
If it was all instinct, New York pigeons would not be able to use the trains to travel across town, our ape cousins wouldn't recognize themselves in a mirror. There are 1000s of examples displaying the ability to learn from experience. Instinct alone would prohibit learning.
Funny thing though, the Apollo 12 crew discovered bacteria inside a camera left on the moon that had survived for 33 months. My point was that if something can vaguely be called "alive", then it might not be so improbable that it can arise from dead matter, because the difference between the two isn't that great.
"Doctors can be wrong" yes, and they can also be right. I mention this man assuming you would respect the opinion of a fellow atheist. As for amputees, there have been cases about people growing new limbs. Also, there is one case about a child who had he infected bladder removed and who was given a short time to live. The mother took the child to a popular holy man and sometime later noticed the child was looking better. It was later discovered by doctors that she had grown a new bladder!
The problem for Dawkins is that evolutionary biology hasn't refuted the argument for design at all. It just gives us a natural explanation how life may have evolved but says nothing about 'design'. Biological evolution deals with bio-physical realities, 'design' in nature is a metaphysical category. Biology can't' prove that biology is all their is. On the contrary: biology gives many hints for intelligence, order, purpose: things that point to 'higher' realities than nature alone. The fact that atheist are quite normal people has to do with the simple fact that they are humans. Their kindness and intelligence can be explained by the biblical notion of being 'created in the image of God'.
everyone should love everyone...it doesnt mean we have to see eye to eye...emotions run strong when people talk about destinations and eternity...and disagreements can be sharp...but...it doesnt necessarily mean that people hate you...sometimes..they might be worried about you...often..many of us dont handle worry in the way we should
Well said. Believing in some of these gods, with their brutality and evil, gives the believer the right to act in the same way in his/her eyes. An excuse for inhumanity, with the sanction of religion.
You may have confused the two different sets of 'being Catholic' and 'Catholicism' in your analogy, hence coming to a paradoxical conclusion. Proper use of 'words' instead of 'sets' requires exact phrasing; otherwise, it will result in error. Being Catholic = A. Being Pope = B. Catholicism = C. C ⊇ B ⊇ A. The set of Catholicism contains all Catholics including the Pope but also contains other 'types' of elements such as conditions, etc. Recall that set A is not the same as 'the Pope' himself.
"I'd Really Rather You Didn't Go Around Telling People I Talk To You. You're Not That Interesting. Get Over Yourself. And I Told You To Love Your Fellow Man, Can't You Take A Hint?" - Flying Spaghetti Monster
So because rich people hold too much power and abuse it, we should just disown everyone and sacrifice freedom for collective ownership? That's an interesting line of thought, really.
I am an atheist, and I don't try hard to prove a god is not real. I question the basis for the claim that a god is real. There is no evidence. When we die, we go back to the state we were in before we were born. Nothingness.
Julie, Think of a deck of cards and efforts to build a house of cards. The first few structures can be assembled quite easily but as the complexity grows, the system instability grows exponentially. Usually after two or three levels, the the requirements to maintain the structure are overwhelmed by the tendency of all arrangements to move towards random decay (entropy). Without the influence of intelligent intervention, systems fall apart if left unattended.
Further to my previous comment, there are lots of examples of chance mutations that have proved to be beneficial. A white moth produced purely be chance a black specimen in Industrial England when the air and everything else was black with industrial pollution. The black specimen survived and reproduced because it was less easily detectable by it's predators. The white version became rare. When the air cleared, the white specimen once again became more successful.
Keep up the good fight, RD. Don't stop with the uploads. Your polite good sense is a breath of fresh air, polluted too much by the frenetic ravings of the superstitious.
Trying to prove what exists seems to be somewhat challenging, I've heard... but, to respond to your comment: I do not consider Atheism as a religion. I do, however, consider it a belief system. From Wikipedia: "A belief system is a set of mutually supportive beliefs. The beliefs of any such system can be classified as religious, philosophical, ideological or a combination of these.
(part 2) To make your comparison more analogous to life, let's imagine an auto assembly line that assembles new assembly lines (AL) which, in turn, will make new AL as well. A code which describes how to assemble AL is passed down from parent-AL to the new AL. There are 100,000 AL working simultaneously, and the AL collect parts and components from a limited pool that gets refilled every once in awhile. Initially, there are three types of AL: T1, T2 and T3.
I agree. Everyone has choices. If the only thing stopping someone from doing something harmful is the threat of hell, then that person is a very sorry specimen indeed.
Perhaps a point could be made of how even the most sturdy theories may seem false at times, like the way Einsteins theory of relativity fails to explain singularities, but that, however, doesn't invalidate the theory at the levels it does explain.
God fits perfectly in the dictator role. He is even more menacing because he is eternal and he can listen to people's minds even whilst they sleep. This puts 1984's Big Brother into shame. And no, he wasn't there before us. We invented him...and put ourselves into prisoners of this dogma that has so embarrassed mankind for so long, been such a burden. I'm not the one who needs help, you do.
How has your life and the lives of others improved since you decided to no longer believe in God? Did you have a close relationship with Jesus when you decided to no longer believe in Him? What questions did you start to ask and who did you get to answer them? Just curious, thanks in advance.
Bahahaa. I held out no hope that this yahoo would follow anything I was saying. I just find it fun to engage with people like him. I write more for the people who will be reading this afterwards, than for him anyway. Glad you enjoyed the show! XD
cont. Take, for instance, the probability that one should randomly find a married bachelor, an invisible pink unicorn, a sphere with edges, or anything else that is inherently self-contradictory is zero. No matter how much intelligence you put into searching for any of those things, the probability of actually finding it is, and always will be, zero.
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I am sure this message is lost on so many people.
We are Atheism, we are all humans
and that's all there is.
Go Richard! Yes, I'm nice person. I have reached a point in my life where I am no longer stressed. I am happy and deep love life .
It's a trip. Dawkins will be dead soon
t's Unfortunate. God is simply the Existence of Love. Everyone Believes Love Exists.
Atheists Unnecessarily Overcomplicate it
I so thankful for people like Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens. We need more.
This speech gave me the nicest smile I've had in weeks because, yes, some of us are quite nice, ordinary and thoughtful people.
Dearest Sr. Richard Dawkins ~
You are a true inspiration
Gracias!!!
It's funny to think of Dawkins as a young boy/teenager. He's just so articulate and rational!
Richard, you are truly my hero!
I really wish that every one wasn't a coward like Richard. But hey, we all can't be winners.
Aki79
By coward, you mean what exactly?
@@Scorn268 atheist who are afraid to say speak about atheism fearing being judged by other people
"I'M SHOUTING! THAT MAKES ME RIGHT!"
- john Doe
Richard Dawkins is a Highly Intelligent and intellectual individual!
I am also a life-long atheist, but unlike Tony Brenton here I resent the intrusion of religion into everyday life and the undue influence it has on policy making and attitude in general. To me it seems a god-belief allows people to think they are somehow entitled, either to extra input from others or to special consideration, or just the fact that their belief will excuse any behaviour (in the final countdown). This does not benefit the human race.
I absolutely agree. When I mention things that concern me, whether its about overpopulation, refusing to use condoms or other contraceptives or teaching religion in schools, most of what I hear is something about how god gave us this earth, he's in control, he would never let it get bad, its just my negative view on the world because I can't find god. It hurts so bad. The world is dying, and I don't know how to get them to understand we all need to take responsibility. Religion is a drug, providing a nice safe relaxing haven and bedtime story, free of the responsibilities we all have to face. Prayer just isn't good enough.
Yes religion is very annoying with all its Michelangelo, Bach art and music, it's Dante, Homer, Virgil literature, it's monumental churches and temples all around the world you are gonna visit as a tourist when you travel, it's sense of universal peace and love, it's consequence based attitude etc.
There is no special consideration and no excuse to any behaviour and black sheeps are black sheeps, always and everywhere.
Simon Montanaro, what sense of universal love are you referring to? The one that says kill the infidel? The one that allows pedophile priests to operate unrestricted? All religions encourage a sense of entitlement that is really destructive, so all religions are harmful to humanity.
Julie Paterson You do not know religion very well, you just know what the scandal driven news tell you:
Last day they found a group of politicians being pedophiles, the other day they found a bricklayer killing his wife, the day before they found a kindergarden teacher beating up kids just for fun... are politicians pedophiles? are bricklayers misogynysts? are teachers violent? Everyone of them?
Thinking that by wiping out one certain class of people (religious people) you solve everything is very ridicule. Did the Jacobins succeed? Did the commies made the world a better place? Were Jews in Nazi Germany the real problem? Do you really think that religion kills people? Isn't it rather greed?
Thank you for your comment :)
@@ozfizface thats true here in the philippines catholic church is against it
Our president fought against the catholic church
And a win from the supreme court and a loss from the catholic church
I too was brought up in a Christian household and it was while studying the Bible before Confirmation that I realised there was an amazing delusion going on! The Lutheran Minister (PhD) teaching me suggested, after I had questioned everything he was teaching that "religion was not for me". Some years later, as a "confirmed" Athiest I had the opportunity to once again speak with the minister. He too was an Athiest but stuck with the church for the guaranteed income!
Richard I agree with you 100%. Thank you for your comments
Lifelong atheist here. Looked into a lot of religions, none convincing so despite the best efforts of early Christian schooling I have only ever been an atheist.
Normality is very much dependant on point of view, so I am as abnormal and normal as every other atheist, Christian, Muslim, Jew etc. I have done stupid things for stupid reasons and smart reasons and smart things for both too.
I have enough respect for people of other faiths to have stood up in a church reading a passage written by a Christian friend who was too nervous to do it himself and knew I would convey it well. The congregation loved it and applauded him, something I was very happy about. Some atheists I knew were shocked that I would do this but I saw it as helping out another human being in a building that means nothing to me except a gathering house. I would have been just as happy to help one of them so felt it would be inappropriate to refuse help for another based on religion, most of the atheists I knew understood this but most were once theists so would not have wanted to do it.
The fact I am so ready to help others has confused many Christians I have known but the more intelligent understand that morality doesn't require religion. My desire comes from time I spent travelling. You do good things to help others in the hope when you need help someone will, and in fairness this has worked better than most would expect. I am not relying on reward or fearing punishment after death, I am decent to people because I want to be treated decently by them, I don't harm others because I don't want to be harmed, morality isn't that difficult a concept really is it?
I have a family I put above all else. This is selfish and I know it, I also don't care and worry about those with family who don't put them first. I work for a living, keep fit for fun and live what to most would be a pretty dull and boring life. I absolutely love it which makes me very boring too, again I don't care. When I look around at most people in different faiths (not using the word religion so this includes atheists) many of them are just as boring and the lucky ones just as happy being so, we are far more similar than different and it really is about time all sides grew up a bit and accepted this fact, and I would say the more intelligent people I have encountered already have.
well put! thanks :-)
Amanda W. You are very welcome, and of course thank you.
Richard Dawkins we love you. Thank you for being so brave and telling the truth. It's time people stopped believing in magic.
"ANYONE who believes something without proof is doing so without evidence." Thanks, genius.
Thank you RD for your wise comments and mild-mannered politeness. Thank you for your wisdom, and for giving us hope there will one day be an end to foolish religion, as the ranks of atheism grow. Thank goodness for people who have brains, instead of allowing themselves to be brainwashed. Thank you RD for all the valuable information your research has uncovered and will keep uncovering. Thank you, you and all your friends, for the common sense which is always your companion, in any debate.
What do you say to a christian, who dont do anyone harm, who says "you should respect my religious status"?. Are cherry picker christians harmful?.
I think, and I cannot speak for anyone else. That it's okay to have whatever religious status you want. We live in a country that allows people to choose what they want to believe in. I will respect that and I will fight for any persons right to have that. However, I will not sit there and allow that same person to push their religion onto others. And when someone (usually a christian) in the US tries to force their beliefs into government they are causing harm. They are lowering the standards that work and opening up the chance for religious persecution. So "are cherry picker christians harmful?" Sure, they most definitely can be. But, so can any other sect. or religious person and even non-religious people. What you believe directly impacts how you act toward others and in your everyday life. I live in a secular nation which only goal is to assure the same equal treatment for every human being. And by accepting the claims of religious teachings; many in the US go against this concept. Secular societies work for the common good of all its citizens. While christian leaders in the US try to remove the rights and freedoms of some. This is not a hard situation to understand because it happens all of the time. Do some research, inform yourself and don't shy away from information just because it disagrees with a book.
Daniel Cummings Thank you Daniel.
Daniel Cummings Excellent comment.
Genes seek to replicate themselves simply because it is beneficial to them to do so, and can be called 'selfish' as a metaphor.
We are survival machines programmed by genes. Genes determine the decisions we make for a given environment. Free will is an illusion.
The only reason we communicate and cooperate with each other is because it is beneficial for us - we manipulate each other for our own selfish ends.
Love for our family and friends is an illusion. We love our family because they share our genes; we love friends because we are manipulating them for our benefit. Love does not exist.
There is no such thing as 'good of the group', only individuals. Altrusim is selfishness in disguise.
Does that mean that society will never work for the common good of all its citizens?
Daniel Cummings First because I always reserve the right to be wrong I will state I have only limited knowledge of what the church is doing in the US, though what I have seen looks to agree with your declaration. If some of what I say is way off, please correct me it will be ignorance through lack of knowledge not lack of desire to learn.
I would say selective readers in general are harmful, Christian or otherwise. I will give an example here using the well know encourager of war, death and violence heavy metal. I will use the theatrical version of One by Metallica as my evidence, one of the to the song being 'Hold my breath as I wish for death' showing how they are trying to encourage suicide. One of the film exerts is a Colonel stating 'Death has a dignity all its own' evidently encouraging death in battle is a good thing. those who haven't seen the video or film it was based on (Johnny Got His Gun) please do, they are both brilliant. One of the films I have seen with weak acting that still hit me hard.
The song is totally anti-war and used the book which was so influential in turning people away from the idea of war during Vietnam that the book was banned in the US. Yet I have been able to prove the opposite with selective and genuine quotes.
The US have implanted the one nation under god section into the pledge of allegiance, totally against the wishes of the founding fathers who wanted overall religious tolerance regardless of belief. Which tells us a lot about how much power the church wants and obviously has in the US. Living in the UK, another predominantly Christian country, I attended a Christian school and said the lord's prayer every school day during primary school, even when it had become clear I had no belief in it whatsoever. It meant nothing to me at all, which may seem like I am saying it's OK in the pledge but in fact means the opposite. The pledge is supposed to mean everything to the people saying it and is to make people want to be part of the nation and be proud of everything it represents. By having a part in it that will mean nothing to a growing number they risk the entire thing meaning nothing to the whole nation over time. If they want a pledge people get behind they need one all care about.
Outside the church in the UK, only our military have to swear allegiance to God, interesting to choose the people you will train to kill (especially the chefs) as the group for whom this is mandatory. The have to swear and sign to defend God, Queen and country and the wording is in that order. Of course now they are just defending oil rights but if God decides he doesn't like oil anymore they will have to respect this in accordance with their contract.
There is an expression that I like which has two versions.
What is a good reason to deny someone a gun licence?
The fact they want one.
What is a good reason to deny someone the right to be a politician?
The desire to be one.
Common theme there. The same could be said about the Christian church imposing their will upon the US through political means.
Why should we not have the section added to the pledge of allegiance referring to god as the church say?
Because they want it.
In fairness the Christian religion, along with all others, encourage conquest of minds to increase their following. So they can argue they are doing what the book says. However it doesn't at any point say that they should use political might to accomplish this, it says go door to door spreading the word of the lord and welcome followers, not make them worship whether they believe or not. This is why I am always polite to Jehovah's witnesses when they come calling, they are doing what their scriptures say, and whether I share their faith our not I respect their commitment to doing so and their acceptance when I say I'm not interested shows respect for my belief as well.
I actively seek people to prove me wrong, more is learned when this happens. As such I have read a lot of things declaring proof of various deities and that there are none. I have yet to read one that doesn't have holes I could drive a bus through so I declare myself atheist by faith. There is no empirical proof so it cannot be classed as knowledge but I believe it to the very core of my being and time and study only makes this conviction stronger.
I admire your work
I know one thing all of Us can definitely agree on, is that evil is real!!!
"It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." Carl Sagan
JESUS IS LORD and HE LOVES Richard very much. He has a wonderful plan for Richard. Did you know that He paid in FULL the price for Richard's sins at the cross? Past, present and future. WHY would we want to pay for what JESUS already paid for? Saul of Tarsus was like Richard, but Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus and He became Paul, the most powerful disciple in the New Testament. I believe that God has an amazing plan and will make himself known to Richard. Life is good, isn't it?
Prove it... All your comment contains are Christian cliches and bumper sticker slogans. Basing your life around a book written by ancient people from about six thousand years ago until about two thousand years ago is foolish at best. In fact the only reason why you're a Christian is because u were born in a country where Christianity is not only acceptable, but it is encouraged and reinforced by popularity. Popular does not equate to truth.
I see your point, but what about all the miracles? What about the fact that He was raised from the dead? You'll see Him because He is alive. God is love.
***** Fuck Allah.
***** I don't think anything I said implied that I think I am "the creator." You'll find I said that _we_ are stardust and stars died so that _we_ could have life, and again, _we_ are beautifully evolved great apes. We is you, me and every other homosapien. I don't profess to have any devine or supernatural knowledge and my beliefs are based on evidence. Have a nice day.
***** I don't believe in Allah thus your fallacies are incorrect.
his whole childhood story is what is happening to me right now! im 15 and if always seen one side of a belief. now im seeing the other side...
I never left any religion. I never had one. I was forced to go to "christian education" class (afterschool kinda thing) and I hated it. I hated it for childish reasons - I had less time to play, but as I gradualy learned about "things" it dawned to me that religion is just not true. That all said, I don´t consider myself atheist because it kinda sorts people into same group with religions (kinda like - are you christian, budhist, hinduist, atheist? etc.). I call myself a rational person, which in principle is incopatible with any sort of belief, whether it be in faeries or god.
Why would you feel the need to say that?
NOBODY CARES
Rationality is a big part of religion. I repeat it once and for all: ration and believe are in no twist but part one of the other. It's not Scully vs Mulder.
I'm an Atheist and I'm VERY nice. I donate plasma weekly, help with my neighbors, and volunteer for lots of things to help people. I'm civil, cheerful, ethical, 100% faithful to my wife, and drive courteously.
There is one person who sounds positively awful, though. He/she is spouting all kinds of hateful drivel. is/her screen name is boliussa.
Richard Dawkins seems like an absolute gent! I'm a Christian and would love to have a genuine discussion with an Atheist or two on what it is you actually believe. Please note, I am not looking for an argument (unlike a lot of people on here), nor is my intention to 'convert' anyone. I just think questions are good, especially when answered in a non-argumentative manner, as they help develop our understanding. I WANT TO LEARN!!
Julie,
Thanks for your comment. The difficulty arises in the question of the ability of randomness to create complex structures. We usually see that only simple structures can arise but we don't find this as systems become complex. It is to "assume the answer" to say "we see evolution" (which by the way I don't have a problem with only that I see intentionality in the products of evolution) and therefore there is no Design involved.
A bit aggressive and unnecessary to call religion childish. I’m an atheist but, I think that you should tone it down a bit and have a more relaxed attitude towards religion. And, at least where I’m from, I don’t think that people will think that being an atheist is a big deal, if you don’t make it out to be. Nobody ever even asks my religion nowadays, and I’m not going to bring up the subject, if nobody else does.
Richard is getting nicer than he used to be, I do like that he id kinder, he's a likeable guy
Michael, One drawback about TH-cam posts is we can only say so much at a time.
You speak correctly about what mankind as done to produce variations in plants and animals. This was actually something I spoke of and affirmed when I mention micro-evolution.
The point I was making was that micro-evolution is only assumed to lead to macro-evolution. It hasn't actually been witnessed.
With this in mind, a scientific approach seeks not only to support theories but also disprove them.
Thank you.
It was a simple request I made. I made no insults. That is one of the problems of trying to discuss these types of things. Instead of dealing with facts, people choose to attack character.
It is not about religion, it is about the fact that objects cannot make you, without being directed.
Also... To those of faith: Please do not be misled by those who would tell you that Science is opposed to your beliefs. It is not. Evolution is not the enemy of god. Science is not the enemy of god, either. You do not need to fear it. You do not need faith to understand it. Science is simply a method of investigating the world and the universe in an attempt to learn things about it. It is not at war with your religion.
As a waitress i would be honored to buy him a meal :)
Keep up the good work mister Dawkins :)
Your feelings are not reality, nobody's are. I was talking about the reality we all interact with on a day-to-day basis, things like the weather, and earthquakes, and whether we have enough food or not, and disease etc.etc. These are the things we need to know about, not whether something makes us feel good or not. Like I said, feeling good is purely subjective.
As our surroundings change so will we. And our surroundings change all the time.
I am atheist from Iraq
EXMUSLIM 😊
Are you Kurd or Arab?
I was a Muslim once, but I thought: If God is so powerful, why does he need us to take him on faith? Why doesn't he show himself instead? And what is the point of testing us if he knows everything already? And as for your evidence from the Qu'ran, how can you use a book for evidence for itself?
As a social scientist and an expert with a dowsing pendulum, people will soon learn that our conscious awareness is an Extra Terrestrial being from another dimension and it is the destiny of everyone of us to qualify and return to that dimension of our origin will a human memory as our identity and if scientists want to discover the secrets of the universe - believing in the existence of Almighty God and Reincarnation is a must for everyone on this planet.
It says in the Bible, "Surely you are a God who hides Himself, O LORD," and "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, the glory of kings to search one out."
It is irrelevant what "it says in the bible".. The bible is a collection of nonsense scribbled down by bronze and iron age goat herders who knew nothing about the natural world they lived in.. The bible is proof of nothing.. It is meaningless to me as the rest of the world's holy books are meaningless to you.. See where I am going? Why would you base your opinions on what primitive humans thought?
I personally prefer that ancient myth/story/poem, Odyssey. Remember, there was no one who wrote these stories down when they were fresh and true (If they ever were). They were sung and told across a journey of Chinese Whispers to become extravagant myths, maybe only partly based off of true events. The biggest piece of evidence against these stories are the amount of 'similarities' between other stories. Odysseus was a carpenter like Jesus, and he wanted to return home just as Jesus wanted to be welcomed in his native home and later to God’s home in Jerusalem. Odysseus was plagued with unfaithful and dim-witted companions who displayed tragic flaws. They stupidly opened a magic bag of wind while Odysseus slept and released terrible tempests which prevent their return home. These sailors are comparable to Jesus’ disciples, who disbelieve Jesus, ask foolish questions, and show general ignorance about everything. Jesus' story doesn't have Drugged up lotus eaters, sexy sirens and a cyclops though, so its as believeable but less awesome.
You know what would be absolutely amazing? If God decides to save you and you'll finally understand. I'll pray for you.
Have no fear on our account. If an atheist has no fear of hell, neither should you. A belief is just a belief. Believing something does not make it true.
to any athiest who see this GOD is real GOD loves you and wants you to be saved GOD came to earth as a man named JESUS He died for your sins then rose from the dead He wants to save you all you need to do is believe in him GOD bless
Manny thanks your feed back will be appreciated.
If they are merely breathing and their heart is pumping blood, they are alive. You cannot say a person who is sleeping is any less alive than when he is awake. He may be less aware but he is not "less alive".
From understanding that all actions have consequences. From understanding I have no more right to do harm to others than they to me. From intelligence. No gods required!
"I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist when considering Zeus, Apollo, Amon Ra, Mithras, Baal, Thor, Wotan, the Golden Calf and the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I just go one god further."
- Richard Dawkins
I am a Christian and I only wonder why athiests try so hard to prove God is not real. What do you think will happen to you when you die? Is there no hope in your future after death at all? I am only trying to understand athiests better.
When did I say Hitler was Christian? I merely said Christianity played a strong role in the Holocaust, due to the fact Hitler used it in his writings and speeches, where he made many references to God and such, and managed to even gain the support of the Pope and Vatican. I never said he himself believed it.
What happens when I die? My bodily functions will shut down, my consciousness will cease to exist. The knowledge of that, means to me that I have only got one chance. One chance at living life fully. One chance at trying to better this world for its newcomers. That's some of it.
I dont think most religious people hate atheists. Most of the time, we religious people feel threatened by atheists because we fear people going to hell-not because we dislike atheists, but we are concerned for them and humanity. We dont think we are better, and it is not intentional to put anyone down. I do think that both atheists and theists need to learn to have peaceful dialogue instead of harmful dialoge that doesnt help anyone. People with good intentions would agree.
The problem is that nearly everyone agrees that there is no evidence that the
early earth had such a “reducing” (rich in hydrogen compounds, esp. ammonia and
methane) atmosphere. Volcanoes today emit mostly carbon dioxide (CO2),
nitrogen (N2), and water vapor, but no ammonia or methane. With no hydrogen to
react with, CO2 and N2 cannot make HCN, which is crucial for the production of
the most interesting prebiological molecules.
I too am an atheist and try to engage people of faith in debate. I do sometimes question my motives. Why should I attempt to take away someone's comfort and hope? I struggle with that. I try to justify it because I know religion is the cause of a lot of pain, persecution, prejudice, repression, cruelty, corruption, ignorance etc in this world and tolerance of the mild allows the more unpleasant aspects to exist. But should we leave the mild alone? Let them have their comforts?
Thoughts?
A: life occurs by random chance
B: life expands rapidly
P(A) might be very low, but it says nothing of P(B|A). Once life actually has established itself, no matter how unlike such an establishment was, further development can go on at a very probable level.
I think the vast genetic variation mixed with the probability that at least some of these variations will be beneficial is what makes life unstoppable. But there's no additional "magic" to it, unless you think of maths as magic.
Here is another point to consider: Imagine that you find a newspaper with an apartment ad circled and scrawled across the page are the words, "That's one cool pad." Anyone reading would conclude that someone really liked the look of that apartment... but how would it be translated in 2000 years if our language were to go extinct. Let's analyse how we make translations now...
Darwin wasn't a theist, it was only mentioned in his autobiography that he "deserve to be called a Theist." And even that is taken out of context. If you read the next paragraph he says "and I for one must be content to remain an Agnostic."
Being an atheist in Norway is normal. Calling them "just ordinary people" is odd, of course they are. Being a non-believer is not a priviledge indeed.
It was an honor sir.
Its sad that we (in 2013) have to inform the non Atheists that we are nice and ordinary people.
May God have mercy on our souls. :)
You don't see cattle doing battle with one another. Watching how other animals behave is watching reality. Religion has muddied the waters for we human animals.
"I ought to call myself an agnostic; but, for all practical purposes, I am an atheist. I do not think the existence of the Christian God any more probable than the existence of the Gods of Olympus or Valhalla. To take another illustration: nobody can prove that there is not between the Earth and Mars a china teapot revolving in an elliptical orbit, but nobody thinks this sufficiently likely to be taken into account in practice. I think the Christian God just as unlikely."
- Bertrand Russell
Oh yes, and I'm an atheist, humanist, free-thinker
Don't ever let it get you down. A belief is just a belief. If, like a lot of us, you don't believe, that is no one else's business. It is a great worry that religious beliefs become life determining, against all reason, rationality and logic. The worst thing though is that religious beliefs cause people to lose their humanity.
I think Dawkins point about "thinking things out" needs to be magnified. I don't mean to put us on a pedestal, but atheists today have all fought battles; any atheist you know is a veteran of religious persecution and propaganda - even the "grew up atheist". It takes a unique mind to understand and accept the things atheists today do: having a single life is okay, preferring reality to superstition is okay, thinking for yourself is okay. So, and I hope you'll let me, I'd like to thank and congratulate all of you atheists on the internal - in some cases, external - wars you have fought.
***** Shut up, you tinfoil hat-wearing, deeply misguided tool.
I must apologize... I came off as a bit harsh... after poking around your channel I must applaud your dedication to your faith.
Obviously we cannot communicate directly, but we can observe their self preservation and their ability to distinguish themselves from peers, prey and predators.
Saying it's a prophecy doesn't make it one. There is nobody that can see the future. period.
If it was all instinct, New York pigeons would not be able to use the trains to travel across town, our ape cousins wouldn't recognize themselves in a mirror. There are 1000s of examples displaying the ability to learn from experience. Instinct alone would prohibit learning.
my mom was religion when she was 20 but then she stopped .. and tought me that i shall think of my own..
Funny thing though, the Apollo 12 crew discovered bacteria inside a camera left on the moon that had survived for 33 months.
My point was that if something can vaguely be called "alive", then it might not be so improbable that it can arise from dead matter, because the difference between the two isn't that great.
"Doctors can be wrong" yes, and they can also be right. I mention this man assuming you would respect the opinion of a fellow atheist. As for amputees, there have been cases about people growing new limbs. Also, there is one case about a child who had he infected bladder removed and who was given a short time to live. The mother took the child to a popular holy man and sometime later noticed the child was looking better. It was later discovered by doctors that she had grown a new bladder!
The problem for Dawkins is that evolutionary biology hasn't refuted the argument for design at all. It just gives us a natural explanation how life may have evolved but says nothing about 'design'. Biological evolution deals with bio-physical realities, 'design' in nature is a metaphysical category. Biology can't' prove that biology is all their is. On the contrary: biology gives many hints for intelligence, order, purpose: things that point to 'higher' realities than nature alone. The fact that atheist are quite normal people has to do with the simple fact that they are humans. Their kindness and intelligence can be explained by the biblical notion of being 'created in the image of God'.
Dawkins is the Messiah, rock on Richard
everyone should love everyone...it doesnt mean we have to see eye to eye...emotions run strong when people talk about destinations and eternity...and disagreements can be sharp...but...it doesnt necessarily mean that people hate you...sometimes..they might be worried about you...often..many of us dont handle worry in the way we should
Well said. Believing in some of these gods, with their brutality and evil, gives the believer the right to act in the same way in his/her eyes. An excuse for inhumanity, with the sanction of religion.
You may have confused the two different sets of 'being Catholic' and 'Catholicism' in your analogy, hence coming to a paradoxical conclusion. Proper use of 'words' instead of 'sets' requires exact phrasing; otherwise, it will result in error.
Being Catholic = A.
Being Pope = B.
Catholicism = C.
C ⊇ B ⊇ A.
The set of Catholicism contains all Catholics including the Pope but also contains other 'types' of elements such as conditions, etc. Recall that set A is not the same as 'the Pope' himself.
"I'd Really Rather You Didn't Go Around Telling People I Talk To You. You're Not That Interesting. Get Over Yourself. And I Told You To Love Your Fellow Man, Can't You Take A Hint?"
- Flying Spaghetti Monster
So because rich people hold too much power and abuse it, we should just disown everyone and sacrifice freedom for collective ownership?
That's an interesting line of thought, really.
I am an atheist, and I don't try hard to prove a god is not real. I question the basis for the claim that a god is real. There is no evidence. When we die, we go back to the state we were in before we were born. Nothingness.
Debate on whose morality is most appropriate, as morality is not absolute. The world is not black and white.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.
Julie,
Think of a deck of cards and efforts to build a house of cards. The first few structures can be assembled quite easily but as the complexity grows, the system instability grows exponentially. Usually after two or three levels, the the requirements to maintain the structure are overwhelmed by the tendency of all arrangements to move towards random decay (entropy). Without the influence of intelligent intervention, systems fall apart if left unattended.
What does any of this have to do with Dawkins? He merely reflects what all atheists think. DAWKINS DEBUNKED my arse! RD is a hero!
You appear as astonishingly reasonable, wise and polite! Congratulation.
Further to my previous comment, there are lots of examples of chance mutations that have proved to be beneficial. A white moth produced purely be chance a black specimen in Industrial England when the air and everything else was black with industrial pollution. The black specimen survived and reproduced because it was less easily detectable by it's predators. The white version became rare. When the air cleared, the white specimen once again became more successful.
Keep up the good fight, RD. Don't stop with the uploads. Your polite good sense is a breath of fresh air, polluted too much by the frenetic ravings of the superstitious.
Trying to prove what exists seems to be somewhat challenging, I've heard... but, to respond to your comment: I do not consider Atheism as a religion. I do, however, consider it a belief system. From Wikipedia:
"A belief system is a set of mutually supportive beliefs. The beliefs of any such system can be classified as religious, philosophical, ideological or a combination of these.
(part 2)
To make your comparison more analogous to life, let's imagine an auto assembly line that assembles new assembly lines (AL) which, in turn, will make new AL as well. A code which describes how to assemble AL is passed down from parent-AL to the new AL. There are 100,000 AL working simultaneously, and the AL collect parts and components from a limited pool that gets refilled every once in awhile. Initially, there are three types of AL: T1, T2 and T3.
I Love you, Richard.
I agree. Everyone has choices. If the only thing stopping someone from doing something harmful is the threat of hell, then that person is a very sorry specimen indeed.
"The vast majority of stuff..." is what I'm referring to when I say "things". I don't think of humans as "stuff".
Hey you figured out the copy and paste function! Great job! Run along now crazy man!
Perhaps a point could be made of how even the most sturdy theories may seem false at times, like the way Einsteins theory of relativity fails to explain singularities, but that, however, doesn't invalidate the theory at the levels it does explain.
You are too kind. My hat goes off to you, sir.
Take care now!
God fits perfectly in the dictator role. He is even more menacing because he is eternal and he can listen to people's minds even whilst they sleep. This puts 1984's Big Brother into shame. And no, he wasn't there before us. We invented him...and put ourselves into prisoners of this dogma that has so embarrassed mankind for so long, been such a burden. I'm not the one who needs help, you do.
How has your life and the lives of others improved since you decided to no longer believe in God?
Did you have a close relationship with Jesus when you decided to no longer believe in Him?
What questions did you start to ask and who did you get to answer them?
Just curious, thanks in advance.
Bahahaa.
I held out no hope that this yahoo would follow anything I was saying. I just find it fun to engage with people like him. I write more for the people who will be reading this afterwards, than for him anyway.
Glad you enjoyed the show! XD
Plus I never said I don't believe in anything. I merely meant lack of belief in gods. I didn't think you would be dense enough to call me on that.
cont.
Take, for instance, the probability that one should randomly find a married bachelor, an invisible pink unicorn, a sphere with edges, or anything else that is inherently self-contradictory is zero. No matter how much intelligence you put into searching for any of those things, the probability of actually finding it is, and always will be, zero.
Amen, sweet sister.