Originally posted by Choreant
I've got a question to atheists. Do ya really, consider Dawkins as one of your best???
I have never met Dawkins nor read any of his books yet, though I think I will in future. From what I have heard of him, his main aims seem to be:
1. Encouraging the study and understanding of science. This I agree with.
2. Pointing out the stupidity and various logical flaws in many religious ideas. This I agree with.
3. Trying to understand why people are religious and possibly find a way to help them see their errors. This I agree with.
So I generally agree with what I believe are his motives. I may agree or disagree with his methods but as I don't know much about them I cant really say.
Originally posted by Choreant
Athesim, as it once was, begun as a counterstirke to religious stupidity.
Atheism is not a religion and does not have 'members' and is not a 'movement' so I don't know what you mean by 'as it was' or 'begun'. Atheism is merely a description of peoples lack of belief in a deity. Its almost as if you are saying: "The group of people who don't believe that aliens visit the earth started as a counterstrike ..."
I became atheist because I realized that God didn't exist. I didn't join a group, it wasn't a counterstrike to anything, I don't have anything in particular in common with all atheists other than being human and not believing in God. I do feel an affinity to Dawkins partly because he is a scientist and partly because I think we have similar views but to say "one of our best" implies a movement or organization which simply doesn't exist.