Comments on: beset

By: andrea

andrea — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:56:56 +0000

Daoloth, that reminds me of a letter I saw in Metro the other week which said something like – if the bible contained a deity-based version of why we stick to the ground rather than float about then we’d be debating the theory of gravity.

By: Daoloth

Daoloth — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:42:37 +0000

Don’t worry. Problem solved: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/biology_evolution/article6905259.ece
It’s all that bastard Darwin’s fault for inventing evolution. While we are about it isn’t it time that Newton was criticised for inventing gravity and making me fall over and sprain my ankle. When will these boffins ever learn eh?

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:36:43 +0000

Forgive me for saying the obvious, but this was a very craven attack.

By: Toast in the machine

Toast in the machine — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:24:04 +0000

I suspect Jack Mackerel was being sarcastic. It’s ironic then that he is actually, essentially correct. From ‘Letter to a Christian Nation’ by Sam Harris:

‘While political party affiliation in the US is not a perfect indicator of religiosity, it is no secret that the ‘red states’ are primarily red because of the overwhelming political influence of conservative Christians. If there were a strong correlation between Christian conservatism and societal health, we might expect to see some sign of it in red-state America . We don’t. Of the 25 cities with the lowest rates of violent crime, 62% are in ‘blue’ states and 38% are in ‘red’ states. Of the 25 most dangerous cities, 76% are in red states, 24% in blue states. In fact, 3 of the 5 most dangerous cities in the US are in the pious state of Texas. The 12 states with the highest rates of burglary are red. 24 of the 29 states with the highest rates of theft are red. Of the 22 states with the highest rates of murder, 17 are red.

Of course, correlational data of this sort do not resolve questions of causality – belief in God may lead to societal dysfunction; societal dysfunction may foster a belief in God; each factor may enable the other; or both may spring from some deeper source of mischief. Leaving aside the issue of cause and effect, however, these statistics prove that atheism is compatible with the basic aspirations of a civil society; they also prove, conclusively, that widespread belief in God does not ensure a society’s health.‘

By: Evidenceonly

Evidenceonly — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:04:25 +0000

By the way, if you haven’t read The End Of Faith get a copy tomorrow. I would also recommend A letter to a Christian Nation by the same author.

By: Evidenceonly

Evidenceonly — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:01:39 +0000

Hobbes’ “When I told her I was an atheist, she asked me why. I gave her a respectful, reasoned explanation, which included the theological arguments that convinced me my early, learned beliefs had to be wrong. She became agitated and decided my explanation was an attack on her beliefs.”

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago; Was asked which book I had in my hand by a barmaid (was having a quick pint before getting on the train – I don’t take books into the pub as a general rule). When I told her it was The End Of Faith by Sam Harris and what it was about she got VERY angry, told me to “go and read the fucking Koran” and that I would end up in hell for all eternity! This was a muslim working on a Friday serving alcohol to people!!!!! The most galling thing about the whole episode is that she didn’t even ask if I agreed with Harris’ sentiments (I do) before she lauched her tirade! These people wonder why they are ridiculed by the rationally minded?

By: Hobbes

Hobbes — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:43:24 +0000

Ya got that right, nina. It gets my hair all up in a frazzle.

By: nina

nina — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:25:58 +0000

Hobbes

funny how we’re the evil ones, when we’re not the ones making the snap judgments about moral character based on a very limited description of a person, eh?

By: John Moore

John Moore — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:07:23 +0000

Waiting to see what Author does with the Ft. Hood story. Awaiting his genious….

By: Hobbes

Hobbes — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:22:18 +0000

Suido, thanks for the link. It reminded me of a conversation I had with a coworker a few weeks ago. We got on quite will until she asked me what is my religion. When I told her I was an atheist, she asked me why. I gave her a respectful, reasoned explanation, which included the theological arguments that convinced me my early, learned beliefs had to be wrong. She became agitated and decided my explanation was an attack on her beliefs. She said that since I was a nonbeliever, I was an evil person. When I suggested that her view was irrational, and explained why, she became angry. So much for rational theism (or, is that an oxymoron?).