Greg Graffin gives an acoustic performance and interview after receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Harvard Humanist Chaplain and Harvard Secular Society.
I was at this event and the acoustic songs sounded so great in this venue - which is a huge church on the Harvard campus, which I felt was especially ironic. Amazing time. Great guy.
I am so proud of Greg - He's been my role model for at least 7 years now, and this official recognition honor are overdue for him. I have Greg Graffin to thank for inspiring a lot of my own most positive thoughts and ambitions. Congratulations, punk. The world won't wait for the truth upon a plate, but we're ready now to feast on an atheist peace.
i think we all agree greg graffin is an amazing person, unique and overlooked by the mainstream. But his insight is great. And i say this not as an theist but as a philosoper.
Love, hope, and joy are open to interpretation but I think based on peoples personal definitions of these feelings they are very much alive and carefree of an afterlife in many cases.
I believe that intelligence directly corresponds with religion. The more religious you are the more restricted your intelligence, this does not necessarily mean its smaller or larger just more restricted.
Go read the book Innumeracy by John Allen Paulos. He adresses this and many other issues I'm sure you've never (at least I never) really even thought about extensively before.
you are right many religious organizations are only out for themselves and money. If you look into Jesus himself though and follow what he said he's the greatest example. many of the people you see nowadays behind the pulpit are hypocrites. Jesus wasn't hypocrital, he told people how to get saved and he showed them the way, and wasn't in it for himself. he was the perfect teacher, but people have spoiled and ruined His message.
Deism is a weird position and would complicate my definitions if I weren't being technical. Although a lot deists don't like the label, as they don't believe in a present and personal god they are technically atheist. It's also been a term, like agnostic, used historically to avoid the stigma of the word atheist. Seeing as the topic at hand is Bad Religion, it's worth noting that Mr. Brett may call himself one or the other depending on context.
These comments are hilarious. Why don't you guys just say "Everybody who believes what I believe is smart, anybody who believes something else is stupid."
@SDLocalBro christians have never really arrived in the United States, but religious ppl. Jesus didn't teach religion, in fact, He really hated them. He just wanted that ppl follow his teachings and him. If you want to know what he taught, pick a Bible and read it seriously... it's "kinda" different as what most chistians say or practice.
You really don't understand his message. A focus in many of his/BR songs is that you should make up your own mind about *everything*, not just religion. "I don't believe in self important folks who preach, no Bad Religion song can make your life complete, prepare for rejection, you'll get no direction from me" (BR, No Direction)
@SDLocalBro hey, (i didnt read the post of judgementday65 and i guess he s a "real" christian) i agree with you in your main points, but... i see the whole thematci about religions from another point of view by growing up in europe, with all that history its maybe easier for me to see the development and the part of philosophy in the development, christianity was mainly built up here and with the development of this religion (with all the
@usfdude No. Chinese are typically either irreligious or Buddhist. Irish people are Catholic (excluding N. Ireland), as are Mexican people. African Americans during the founding of the U.S. were just being introduced to Christianity. Native Americans speak for themselves. Also as a footnote, Catholics are not Christians. Tell a Catholic that and you might get punched.
@anniecash1 There is agnostic atheism and agnostic theism. "Agnostic" isn't a real description, despite what Christian would like to believe. Anyways, the difference between atheism and naturalism is naturalism is more narrow and is inside atheism.
@anniecash1 You mean atheist. Anyways, ""I don't bill myself as an atheist but as a naturalist," he said. "Naturalism is a belief system. A lot of scientists bristle at that. We all have to believe we can find the truth. Evidence is my guide. I rely on observation, experimentation and verification.""
Nobody can disprove God's existence. Believers in God have been shifting in what God actually is and God does for all living memory. What we're saying is if you can't prove it, if you have no direct reason other than because you were raised under the pretense of there being a God then why WOULD there be one? At least that's what I'm arguing. If you can't think of a solid, logical reason why there would be there is no point in believing because the belief lacks any validation.
Can you back up this statement somehow? He didn't say anything like that in the video, and I've never heard him say anything remotely like that. If you don't qualify your statement somehow, it's a straw man argument. Not to mention a lie.
I think Greg is struggling to say that he is basically Agnostic with certain degree of certainty there might not be a god - LOL - I love his open mind though! : )
So is it also unscientific to say that there is no Santa Clause? Because I can't remember any Scientist disproving Santa's existence. How do you disprove an existence anyway?
@SDLocalBro Or even tell them to READ the Bible. There is so much shit in that book, nobody can go through it with an open mind and come out a believer.
Denote? Are you serious? By your logic why would it nessecarily be one creator? Why not 260,000 creators? Also, have you heard of that little anecdote about a million monkeys, each with a typewriter typing infinitely? The metaphorical monkey is the planets and their circumstances (who knows how many planets are out there)and the infinitely thing is exactly that; an infinite amount of time. The Big Bang also isn't just a 'random' explosion.
He *is* an atheist, likely an agnostic atheist to be technically accurate. Anyone who isn't a theist is an atheist - just one position on one single issue. He thinks it's more fruitful to talk about the things you are than the things you aren't. Hence the preference to be billed as a Naturalist.
@SDLocalBro horrible steps (witchslaying crosswars)) something new developed, like for example science (of course with a big part of the jewish and moslem people!) but also from people like galileo! further on i allow myself to say that ATHEISM or how greg calles it for him self NATURALISM is based on the development of christianity, same with the individualism,... yes christianity has slaughtered down a lot of people but still... its our base and thats where we come from, and i am
Read what I say a little more carefully. I said the lack of evidence for something spiritual means that there is no good reason to believe in them. Not that there was evidence. If you believe there to be evidence to support spiritual beliefs and make them anything other than hollow, empty beliefs (and for God's sake don't say the bible) then tell me what evidence there is.
You haven't lost everything? What about every sunday that you went to church, every people that have hated you for being christian, how many friends you might of lost because of your religion, how much time spent studying the bible or arguing on the internet? If god is a good as everyone claims, he would welcome an Atheist who led a good life into heaven. If not, then he is not good and we need not fear him.
The lack of evidence for something 'spiritual' does however mean that there is no decent reason to believe in it. I could believe in leprechauns but I have no evidence in favor of that belief. Belief in God is a logical fallacy. As for your point about scientists only having theories: that's not true. The theory of evolution is based off of biological evidence and off of human logic.
@SmokinMo11 So if so many people "know" this, why can't they prove it? Also, I'm sorry, but I'm not like you, and I don't need gods. It's quite sad so many people have had to convince themselves that some higher being is the reason they do everything the way they do. Lastly, of course something I say is my opinion. This is just me giving you basic information, nothing to do with religion, but when people say something, unless stated otherwise, it's their opinion.
@SmokinMo11 You can't "know". Religion is made so that the existence of a god cannot be proven or disproven. You can't have evidence fairies don't exist. You can't really prove they do either, unless everything we think we know so far is not entirely right. Same goes with a god.
It seems quite correct what you say, but I still won't agree that everything beside theism is atheism. Of course deism it closer to atheism than to theism, however it still assume existence of God, while atheism not. Anyway, honestly this is not worth discussing ;) Cheers!
Is there no better place for you in this life? I don't want to discriminate against the spiritually minded. However, in my considerations of a gods possible existence, I've come to realize that popular religions do not represent or know "god" whatsoever. Religious organizations exploit peoples desire to have faith in the divinity of humanity.
you say a christian loses nothing. perhaps this is true in death but in life, thier beliefs will control the path they walk, and have affected many others throughout existence. Some would argue the actions of religious fundamentalist, in the name of god, have had quite negative consequences regarding humanity as a whole.
Connection to religion is irrelevant. Again, to be strictly technical(not colloquial): Atheism = without theism. Spinoza's god is a wholly different sort of concept than say, Yaweh. It is neither personal nor present. To address it colloquially, Deists believe in a prime-mover of some sort, but the position holds by definition that this doesn't matter in the least for any possible practical purpose. Deism is belief in a dead and/or irrelevant/unconscious god, at best. Atheism-lite.
You make 'great' definitions if you omit something which complicates your definitions. Deism is not technically, and not at all atheism. They are opposite. Atheist is one who do not believe in God, while deist does, but just don't connect it with religions, like theists do.
I was at this event and the acoustic songs sounded so great in this venue - which is a huge church on the Harvard campus, which I felt was especially ironic. Amazing time. Great guy.
I am so proud of Greg - He's been my role model for at least 7 years now, and this official recognition honor are overdue for him. I have Greg Graffin to thank for inspiring a lot of my own most positive thoughts and ambitions. Congratulations, punk. The world won't wait for the truth upon a plate, but we're ready now to feast on an atheist peace.
@srvtheservants
I agree, he's gorgeous, and so intelligent. I admire him quite a lot.
Greg is so smart! I wish I could meet him. Awesome guy.
How is this man so PERFECT?! He is overall the most handsome thing that has "naturally" ever happened.... lol
I LOVE Professor Graffin ;]
Greg's the man... Wish I could see him play live... not to mention have a conversation with him ;]
I'll be transferring to UCLA in a year. Greg teaches there so hopefully I'll get to meet him one day. Thanks for posting this video.
Glad I found this vid. Nice to hear him talking about science and its empirical nature.
i whole-heartedly agree w/ the way he explains his beliefs. very smart man who seems above the dogma from all sides..
i think we all agree greg graffin is an amazing person, unique and overlooked by the mainstream. But his insight is great. And i say this not as an theist but as a philosoper.
Love, hope, and joy are open to interpretation but I think based on peoples personal definitions of these feelings they are very much alive and carefree of an afterlife in many cases.
Opens up with the best Bad Religion song ever.
Great man.
At some point in my life, I want to meet him.
it will matter in life, which may very well be the limit of your existence as you.
I personally think its real that chatting naked on a webcam with teenagers is his finest achievement.
i hope you get a class he teaches, he is a brilliant man. congrats on getting in to ucla btw
are there any videos of the full songs?
Does anyone know the name of the song Greg plays at the very end?
He looks just like Maynard James Keenan....lol.....What a genious man......
I believe that intelligence directly corresponds with religion. The more religious you are the more restricted your intelligence, this does not necessarily mean its smaller or larger just more restricted.
wich song is that?
That's "Live Again (The Fall of Man)" from The Empire Strikes First.
@SDLocalBro
happy of the stage we are at.. only the fundamentalists can hurt our development (from either side)
What is the last song? Is it off one of his solo records?
@popples101 Which? There's Sorrow at first, then Cease and Live Again in the end
gee getting to hear the whole performance might have been nice!
@wbuschman Couldn't agree more! Anger clouds judgment far too much.
Go read the book Innumeracy by John Allen Paulos. He adresses this and many other issues I'm sure you've never (at least I never) really even thought about extensively before.
@EratoTiaTuatha the first song is suffer, not sorrow
Greg, vc é foda '-'
@pbrskater26 thank you sir
they should have invited whole band ;-)
you are right many religious organizations are only out for themselves and money. If you look into Jesus himself though and follow what he said he's the greatest example. many of the people you see nowadays behind the pulpit are hypocrites. Jesus wasn't hypocrital, he told people how to get saved and he showed them the way, and wasn't in it for himself. he was the perfect teacher, but people have spoiled and ruined His message.
Deism is a weird position and would complicate my definitions if I weren't being technical. Although a lot deists don't like the label, as they don't believe in a present and personal god they are technically atheist. It's also been a term, like agnostic, used historically to avoid the stigma of the word atheist.
Seeing as the topic at hand is Bad Religion, it's worth noting that Mr. Brett may call himself one or the other depending on context.
@xsommersteinx sorry, my bad ^^
Who ever dies first should text the rest of us the existence or lack of god. Thatd be real nice to do for your buddies.
These comments are hilarious. Why don't you guys just say "Everybody who believes what I believe is smart, anybody who believes something else is stupid."
this dude says UM alot
@SDLocalBro christians have never really arrived in the United States, but religious ppl. Jesus didn't teach religion, in fact, He really hated them. He just wanted that ppl follow his teachings and him. If you want to know what he taught, pick a Bible and read it seriously... it's "kinda" different as what most chistians say or practice.
I'm a herpetologist.
You really don't understand his message. A focus in many of his/BR songs is that you should make up your own mind about *everything*, not just religion.
"I don't believe in self important folks who preach, no Bad Religion song can make your life complete, prepare for rejection, you'll get no direction from me" (BR, No Direction)
@SDLocalBro The very people you mentioned were themselves Christians.
@DruDP Oh I see. Very good point then, yes. haha (x
@SDLocalBro
hey, (i didnt read the post of judgementday65 and i guess he s a "real" christian)
i agree with you in your main points, but...
i see the whole thematci about religions from another point of view
by growing up in europe, with all that history its maybe easier for me to see the development and the part of philosophy in the development, christianity was mainly built up here and with the development of this religion (with all the
@usfdude No. Chinese are typically either irreligious or Buddhist. Irish people are Catholic (excluding N. Ireland), as are Mexican people. African Americans during the founding of the U.S. were just being introduced to Christianity. Native Americans speak for themselves. Also as a footnote, Catholics are not Christians. Tell a Catholic that and you might get punched.
@anniecash1 There is agnostic atheism and agnostic theism. "Agnostic" isn't a real description, despite what Christian would like to believe. Anyways, the difference between atheism and naturalism is naturalism is more narrow and is inside atheism.
@anniecash1 You mean atheist. Anyways, ""I don't bill myself as an atheist but as a naturalist," he said. "Naturalism is a belief system. A lot of scientists bristle at that. We all have to believe we can find the truth. Evidence is my guide. I rely on observation, experimentation and verification.""
HIs head is shiny : P
Why would there be? It's a belief, not a theory.
I have never said that a smart person shouldn't believe in God. I was just interested in how idj1491 came to his conclusion.
@SmokinMo11 What have you been smoking, Moe?
@DruDP Lol... Just because he doesn't respect an unfalsifiable hypothesis doesn't mean his naturalism isn't scientific.
Nobody can disprove God's existence. Believers in God have been shifting in what God actually is and God does for all living memory. What we're saying is if you can't prove it, if you have no direct reason other than because you were raised under the pretense of there being a God then why WOULD there be one? At least that's what I'm arguing. If you can't think of a solid, logical reason why there would be there is no point in believing because the belief lacks any validation.
ur so right my brother. (neighbour) iam agerman atheist ;)
@freewarrior1 Live Again (The Fall of Man)
Christians do sacrifice something.......their free will.
Can you back up this statement somehow? He didn't say anything like that in the video, and I've never heard him say anything remotely like that. If you don't qualify your statement somehow, it's a straw man argument. Not to mention a lie.
I think Greg is struggling to say that he is basically Agnostic with certain degree of certainty there might not be a god - LOL - I love his open mind though! : )
So is it also unscientific to say that there is no Santa Clause? Because I can't remember any Scientist disproving Santa's existence. How do you disprove an existence anyway?
This guy is too smart to be an atheist. Seriously.
@SDLocalBro Or even tell them to READ the Bible. There is so much shit in that book, nobody can go through it with an open mind and come out a believer.
Um, it's the new Om! Do the mantra...
YYYEEEEAHHHH AMEN BRO!!!!! I COMPLETY AGREEEE luispacheco28
you're*
How do you mean? Please motivate why a smart person should believe in some God.
It was actually Karl Marx, but i get where you're going.
Denote? Are you serious? By your logic why would it nessecarily be one creator? Why not 260,000 creators? Also, have you heard of that little anecdote about a million monkeys, each with a typewriter typing infinitely? The metaphorical monkey is the planets and their circumstances (who knows how many planets are out there)and the infinitely thing is exactly that; an infinite amount of time. The Big Bang also isn't just a 'random' explosion.
it's also unrealistic to say anything is for sure.
He *is* an atheist, likely an agnostic atheist to be technically accurate. Anyone who isn't a theist is an atheist - just one position on one single issue.
He thinks it's more fruitful to talk about the things you are than the things you aren't. Hence the preference to be billed as a Naturalist.
It doesn't matter? How about the billions who have died & suffered at the hands of religions...?
@SDLocalBro
horrible steps (witchslaying crosswars)) something new developed, like for example science (of course with a big part of the jewish and moslem people!) but also from people like galileo! further on i allow myself to say that ATHEISM or how greg calles it for him self NATURALISM is based on the development of christianity, same with the individualism,... yes christianity has slaughtered down a lot of people but still... its our base and thats where we come from, and i am
not that we have free will anyway
Read what I say a little more carefully. I said the lack of evidence for something spiritual means that there is no good reason to believe in them. Not that there was evidence. If you believe there to be evidence to support spiritual beliefs and make them anything other than hollow, empty beliefs (and for God's sake don't say the bible) then tell me what evidence there is.
You haven't lost everything? What about every sunday that you went to church, every people that have hated you for being christian, how many friends you might of lost because of your religion, how much time spent studying the bible or arguing on the internet?
If god is a good as everyone claims, he would welcome an Atheist who led a good life into heaven. If not, then he is not good and we need not fear him.
or who knows, you could be right. I don't mean to be a dick. Cheers.
ok naturalist then ..
The lack of evidence for something 'spiritual' does however mean that there is no decent reason to believe in it. I could believe in leprechauns but I have no evidence in favor of that belief. Belief in God is a logical fallacy.
As for your point about scientists only having theories: that's not true. The theory of evolution is based off of biological evidence and off of human logic.
@SmokinMo11 So if so many people "know" this, why can't they prove it?
Also, I'm sorry, but I'm not like you, and I don't need gods. It's quite sad so many people have had to convince themselves that some higher being is the reason they do everything the way they do.
Lastly, of course something I say is my opinion. This is just me giving you basic information, nothing to do with religion, but when people say something, unless stated otherwise, it's their opinion.
That was a sorry attempt at an insult.
"Anyone who isn't a theist is an atheist" - so who is "deist" then?
how funny , you call us idiots however you miss spell your own statement.
@dubified89 Nice scientific way to say smoking weed is awesome... hahaha low key.
"too smart to be an atheist" ??!! lol
Do you read its lyrics ? Do you REALLY read it ??
@SmokinMo11 You can't "know". Religion is made so that the existence of a god cannot be proven or disproven. You can't have evidence fairies don't exist. You can't really prove they do either, unless everything we think we know so far is not entirely right. Same goes with a god.
It seems quite correct what you say, but I still won't agree that everything beside theism is atheism.
Of course deism it closer to atheism than to theism, however it still assume existence of God, while atheism not.
Anyway, honestly this is not worth discussing ;) Cheers!
Is there no better place for you in this life?
I don't want to discriminate against the spiritually minded. However, in my considerations of a gods possible existence, I've come to realize that popular religions do not represent or know "god" whatsoever. Religious organizations exploit peoples desire to have faith in the divinity of humanity.
you say a christian loses nothing. perhaps this is true in death but in life, thier beliefs will control the path they walk, and have affected many others throughout existence. Some would argue the actions of religious fundamentalist, in the name of god, have had quite negative consequences regarding humanity as a whole.
We atheists are too smart to talk to God. Sorry.
Every prophecy in the Bible has come true....according to the Bible.
As for the second part of your arguement....I'm not even going to bother.
HAHAHA, believers.
what if you´re wrong about the big tika-tuka up the mountain. will you go to hell if you don´t believe in his power?
Connection to religion is irrelevant. Again, to be strictly technical(not colloquial):
Atheism = without theism. Spinoza's god is a wholly different sort of concept than say, Yaweh. It is neither personal nor present.
To address it colloquially, Deists believe in a prime-mover of some sort, but the position holds by definition that this doesn't matter in the least for any possible practical purpose. Deism is belief in a dead and/or irrelevant/unconscious god, at best. Atheism-lite.
You make 'great' definitions if you omit something which complicates your definitions.
Deism is not technically, and not at all atheism. They are opposite. Atheist is one who do not believe in God, while deist does, but just don't connect it with religions, like theists do.
christians are like little babies...they believe in magic..hahhaha
No its not...
heheh yah and dog is god backwards, lol wierdo
Lame.