Atheist Q and A

Original post by TuppenceB

That's true, I guess. Thanks for answering :smile:

and you might want to check this out if you're interested http://www.amazon.com/God-Doesnt-Believe-In-Atheists/dp/0882709224

I can't help but remember Ray Comforts misunderstanding of the banana. I guess the question is whether I can take Ray Comfort seriously.

Reply 304

Original post by The Epicurean

I can't help but remember Ray Comforts misunderstanding of the banana. I guess the question is whether I can take Ray Comfort seriously.

Tell me more about this....

Reply 305

seanthubb

5

Original post by chemting

Anyone heard of "Atheism +" ?

Yeah, everyone's heard of cancer.

Reply 306

LC1996

9

Original post by Tank Girl

Very true, and I do like how steadfast he is in the face of religious backlash and how he doesn't shy away from difficult subjects. (Especially around children and religion and religious schools)

The God Delusion is undoubtedly a fantastic book! But- as I've always been an atheist I guess it was just preaching to the choir, as it were. I'd like it if religious people read it also- everyone should always be questioning their own beliefs imo.

I love how blunt he is, it's like he says in the first few chapters, why is it that people are allowed to make reasoned arguments and critisims about people's food tastes, music, fashion etc but as soon as we use reasoned critisicms against their religious beliefs it's suddenly 'disrespectful'.

Reply 307

Original post by Tank Girl

Very true, and I do like how steadfast he is in the face of religious backlash and how he doesn't shy away from difficult subjects. (Especially around children and religion and religious schools)

The God Delusion is undoubtedly a fantastic book! But- as I've always been an atheist I guess it was just preaching to the choir, as it were. I'd like it if religious people read it also- everyone should always be questioning their own beliefs imo.

Can we also talk about the way that theists talk to/treat Dawkins? With ridicule, with an aim to humiliate him...just down right rude.

Reply 308

chemting

16

Original post by leavingthecity

Can we also talk about the way that theists talk to/treat Dawkins? With ridicule, with an aim to humiliate him...just down right rude.

I don't know if you are aware of what recently happened to Richard Dawkins. It was despicable. There is a cancer in the atheism community.

Reply 309

Original post by chemting

I don't know if you are aware of what recently happened to Richard Dawkins. It was despicable. There is a cancer in the atheism community.

I know he suffered a stroke, tell me more.

Reply 310

Tank Girl

13

Original post by leavingthecity

Can we also talk about the way that theists talk to/treat Dawkins? With ridicule, with an aim to humiliate him...just down right rude.

It is very rude! Often attacking him as a person and not his beliefs (for instance this article)

However what I find even more frustrating is when fellow atheists hate on him- like c'mon people we should all be supporting each other! This article is a good example of it. Fair enough- you can't blindly agree with Dawkins just because he's an atheist and so are you, but I do feel like some times he gets unfairly targeted.

Reply 311

Original post by Tank Girl

It is very rude! Often attacking him as a person and not his beliefs (for instance this article)

However what I find even more frustrating is when fellow atheists hate on him- like c'mon people we should all be supporting each other! This article is a good example of it. Fair enough- you can't blindly agree with Dawkins just because he's an atheist and so are you, but I do feel like some times he gets unfairly targeted.

I think it's because of his success, these articles sound a little bit like bitterness no?

I just don't know why so many religious people actually have the audacity to try and frame him as stupid....

Reply 312

The Epicurean

Original post by Tank Girl

It is very rude! Often attacking him as a person and not his beliefs (for instance this article)

However what I find even more frustrating is when fellow atheists hate on him- like c'mon people we should all be supporting each other! This article is a good example of it. Fair enough- you can't blindly agree with Dawkins just because he's an atheist and so are you, but I do feel like some times he gets unfairly targeted.

To be honest, if you are vocal in expressing your opinion, you have to expect people to criticise you. I remember when I first joined TSR, I was at that time a Christian, and I made a post about religion. Someone then sent me a message saying "Jesus is a goat licker, stick that up your religion hole!" :tongue:

No matter what side of the debate you are on, you will receive criticisms, some fair and some that are rather puerile and not so pleasant.

Reply 313

Tank Girl

13

Original post by The Epicurean

To be honest, if you are vocal in expressing your opinion, you have to expect people to criticise you. I remember when I first joined TSR, I was at that time a Christian, and I made a post about religion. Someone then sent me a message saying "Jesus is a goat licker, stick that up your religion hole!" :tongue:

No matter what side of the debate you are on, you will receive criticisms, some fair and some that are rather puerile and not so pleasant.

Sadly this is true, but I don't think it should be like that! I guess its especially difficult with religion as its so personal to individuals. It's sometimes too difficult to separate the person from their belief, so by attacking a person's belief you implicitly attack them.

Also- I'm sorry that someone said that to you! I hope they got banned :angry:

Reply 314

StrawbAri

Original post by The Epicurean

To be honest, if you are vocal in expressing your opinion, you have to expect people to criticise you. I remember when I first joined TSR, I was at that time a Christian, and I made a post about religion. Someone then sent me a message saying "Jesus is a goat licker, stick that up your religion hole!" :tongue:

No matter what side of the debate you are on, you will receive criticisms, some fair and some that are rather puerile and not so pleasant.

Ah yes I had this experience as well. At the time of joining I was an agnostic theist and my first thread was about religion and there a few troll posts. :lol:

Even if you're on the non existent third side/middle ground you'll still get criticism.

Reply 315

hellodave5

19

Original post by gallen62

I think its annoying how atheists always slate religions by mocking. However you very rarely hear religious people slating atheists. Its almost like atheists care more about the "comedic" side to religion rather than actually expressing their view.
PS go and watch Richard Dawkins ted talk and you will see what i mean.

I think partly is because religion is highly threatening, at its most extreme forms.
That is why people get heated against religion. I know that is why I do.
People should do more than just accept things at face value... with doing so the cause of most of humanities problems.

Reply 316

YesAllMen

12

"non-existent third side"

couldn't help get that one in eh

still not non-existent no matter what you say :wink:

... Silly girl

agnostic checking out

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 317

Original post by Racoon

They don't keep changing their interpretations. The bible is a revelation of God, unfolding.

The bible has been translated countless times, and edited extensively over the years. For example the KJV was translated by a carefully selected group of academics with an allegiance to the King, he gave them rules to follow in their translating. The translation was authorised and directed by King James for political reasons. This translation was written as a result of one man's political motives and desire to keep a particular hierarchy of power.

Again, you show yourself to be incredibly ignorant.

Reply 318

chemting

16

Original post by leavingthecity

I know he suffered a stroke, tell me more.

Yes he did, but thankfully he has recovered now :smile:

. I don't want to say X is completely at fault and point fingers, but he put out a verbal statement on his website (https://richarddawkins.net/2016/02/an-update-on-richards-condition-in-his-own-words/), which was very interesting. He refers to events preceding his stroke which is key.
He put out a very witty video (which he later took down after backlash) on his twitter. The video was basically comparing feminists to Islamists (check it out on Sargon of Akkad's YouTube channel: "Feminists love Islamists" ). This triggered a lot of offended feminists and "social justice warriors". Dawkins faced a huge backlash, and got dis-invited ( "de-platformed" ) from an atheist convention (Ironically a "skeptics" society). The worst thing was he faced a lot of abuse and, shall we say, harassment on Twitter which was the same, if not worse, as the stuff he gets from religious people. He said in that statement that this may have put him under a lot of stress and pressure and was a factor to his stroke. Basically, it was horrible treatment of a renowned atheist figure (not too dis-similar to how Sir Tim Hunt was treated) by other atheists and liberal-minded people.

This whole debacle shows how much of a cancer "atheism +" has become as someone mentioned before.

This was a brief account, I may have missed some details. Sargon of Akkad covers this more if you are interested.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 319

The Epicurean