This is the new book by Richard Dawkins. Looks like it's going to be a good one.
From the blurb:
While Europe is becoming increasingly secularised, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East of Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world.
In America and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute between "intelligent design" and Darwinism is seriously undermining and restricting the teaching of science. In many countries religious dogma from medieval times still serves to abuse basic human rights such as those of women and gay people. And all from a belief in a God whose existence lacks evidence of any kind.
Dawkins attacks God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed, cruel tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign, but still illogical, Celestial Watchmaker favoured by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the ultimate improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children.
Ah, that's Dawkins for you. Certainly not one to mince his words. For some excerpts you can go to:
The excerpt from chapter 7 (it should be noted) deals with the same problem I've been talking about in the recent 'christian terrorism' thread. Namely, Noah and the great flood.
Originally posted by rwingett This is the new book by Richard Dawkins. Looks like it's going to be a good one.
From the blurb:
[i]While Europe is becoming increasingly secularised, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East of Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world.
In America and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute be ...[text shortened]... sm' thread. Namely, Noah and the great flood.
So who's going to rush out and buy it?
I am. I saw it on amazon yesterday, and will certainly read it - it should be both informative and well-written, as is Dawkins' style.
Originally posted by howardgee Fantastic stuff....all God botherers should be forced to put down their fairy tale religious texts and be forced to read this.
Why pay good money when we can read the same silly arguments right here in the privacy of these here forums?
Here's a quote for that jerkoff Pape, who thinks suicide bombers are not religiously motivated 🙄😲
"Why did nineteen well-educated middle-class men trade their lives in this world for the privilege of killing thousands of our neighbors? Because they believed that they would go straight to paradise for doing so. It is rare to find the behavior of humans so fully and satisfactorily explained. Why have we been so reluctant to accept this explanation?"
"Our Western politicians avoid mentioning the R word (religion), and instead characterize their battle as a war against 'terror', as though terror were a kind of spirit or force, with a will and a mind of its own. Or they characterize terrorists as motivated by pure 'evil'. But they are not motivated by evil. However misguided we may think them, they are motivated, like the Christian murderers of abortion doctors, by what they perceive to be righteousness, faithfully pursuing what their religion tells them. They are not psychotic; they are religious idealists who, by their own lights, are rational. They perceive their acts to be good, not because of some warped personal idiosyncrasy, and not because they have been possessed by Satan, but because they have been brought up, from the cradle, to have total and unquestioning faith."
Originally posted by howardgee Here's a quote for that jerkoff Pape, who thinks suicide bombers are not religiously motivated 🙄😲
"Why did nineteen well-educated middle-class men trade their lives in this world for the privilege of killing thousands of our neighbors? Because they believed that they would go straight to paradise for doing so. It is rare to find the behavior of humans ...[text shortened]... ully and satisfactorily explained. Why have we been so reluctant to accept this explanation?"
On the Debates forum (I believe it was) Orfeo who recently posted a thread relative to the orientation of the suicide bombers. Apparently, they were overwhelmingly politically-motivated aliens with no connection to the countries in which their (so-called) jihads occured.
Originally posted by howardgee Just read it FreakingIdiot!
You're so cute when you come up with these endearing nicknames. If I listed the names of my children, do you think you could help me with take on their names, too?
Originally posted by FreakyKBH You're so cute when you come up with these endearing nicknames. If I listed the names of my children, do you think you could help me with take on their names, too?
Are they as stupid as you?
Oh, wait, they are only kids right? In that case they are probably far more intelligent than you.
(This does not even make sense, you jackass:
"you think you could help me with take on their names, too?"😉
Originally posted by howardgee Here's a quote for that jerkoff Pape, who thinks suicide bombers are not religiously motivated 🙄😲
"Why did nineteen well-educated middle-class men trade their lives in this world for the privilege of killing thousands of our neighbors? Because they believed that they would go straight to paradise for doing so. It is rare to find the behavior of humans ...[text shortened]... ully and satisfactorily explained. Why have we been so reluctant to accept this explanation?"
So, if you disagree with him, he's a jerkoff?
I think he's laid out his arguments pretty well.
Originally posted by howardgee ...and more, oh God, this is manna from heaven!
"Our Western politicians avoid mentioning the R word (religion), and instead characterize their battle as a war against 'terror', as though terror were a kind of spirit or force, with a will and a mind of its own. Or they characterize terrorists as motivated by pure 'evil'. But they are not motivated by ev ...[text shortened]... ecause they have been brought up, from the cradle, to have total and unquestioning faith."
Originally posted by rwingett This is the new book by Richard Dawkins. Looks like it's going to be a good one.
From the blurb:
[i]While Europe is becoming increasingly secularised, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East of Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world.
In America and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute be ...[text shortened]... sm' thread. Namely, Noah and the great flood.
So who's going to rush out and buy it?
A copy should be place in the top drawer of the bedside table in each and every hotel room. This way people can learn fact from fiction.
The God Delusion
25 Sep '06 14:571 edit
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