Richard Dawkins reading out emails from bible believers

'your famed intelligence is nothing more than the fart of God'

Would these be from practitioners of the religion of "Love thy neighbour" and "turn the other cheek"?

Jesus would be proud. (oh no, that's not allowed either, deadly sin).

Richard Dawkins is a sad case imo
He has grown completely obsessive

As an evolutionary biologist, he knows exactly what religion is, where it comes from, and why it exists

How the mighty have fallen

In the past few months, I’ve become religious, I’ve started to believe in god, creationism and intelligent design, and the reason that I now believe in god and creationism and intelligent design is because of Professor Richard Dawkins. Because when I look at something as complex and intricate and beautiful as Professor Richard Dawkins, I don’t think that just could’ve evolved by chance! Professor Richard Dawkins was put there by god to test us, like fossils. And facts.

Oh of course. It's Richard Dawkins fault.
Funny, that reminds me of something

very good make my hay

My reply to ebulgery's post.

It is not his fault, but something has happened to him

Religion is a product of human psychology, which he must see himself surely

Well, yes. He coined the term "meme"

It is a clever idea

That ideas themselves can replicate like genes, and some survive, some don't.

The trouble is there is no biological basis for this, and it must associate with the idea the human race is progressing.

But I doubt we are, I have the feeling we are just the same as we always were, and always will be.

Only our science has progressed.

tbf I should read his book before giving a full reply, but my instinct is against it

I think he first mentioned the term in "The Selfish Gene". There is a book called "The meme machine" by Susan Blackmore which takes the idea much further.

I need to do some reading, I bluff way too much. He is clever Richard Dawkins, but not on religion,

not to me anyway.

Religion in the 21st century is a mental illness.

I can see we do have a lot better ideas than say a thousand years ago. But the problem is, immediately
things get tough, we revert back to what we always were.

IS are a good example of this, they seem to jumped back about 500 years.
You can say it is religion, but I do not believe this, it is religion being twisted to excuse the real barbarity
which is in us all.

Also our economic system. One could say Socialism was progress. But we are now going back to extreme capitalism
which means we can all express our own innate greed, which is in all of us.

just my own opinion

it's the skunk that does it

richard dawkins has probably become a millionaire because of religon..........he needs those idiots

I see, he is indeed a lot clever than me

I went on a drunken rant one time to the people behind answersingenesis.com. There is nowhere on the site where you can ask a question, just answers (guess the clue is in the name lol.) It annoys me that their word is verbatim and you can't question it. They said I could ask them a question which I did privately and they failed to respond. It seems they only want questions they are confortable with.

I went onto them on Twitter a few weeks ago about the same point but they ignored me, then again I was trolling them

I would thik it would be rather difficult to defend Genesis, in light of the discovery of the Higgs Boson particle
...I do not think it is mentioned there.

Religion comes from our minds. That must be obvious, it is a need in us. It is a product of the way we think, solve problems

But if you think back to early times, then one can see quite a few reasons why people would believe it.
There are too many to go into.

One is a need to control our environment. People were very dependant on things such as rain. So they would try to influence it,
placate it, treat is as an entity itself. To try to get it to rain. Offer sacrifices to it, anything. This is where we see
we are getting near a religious belief.

The only reason people scoff at Religion is we believe in science. But if that fails us, it may, we will return to Religion.

hope not

So do I..but if a 10 mile diameter Asteroid slams into the Earth...I think there would be a great increase in prayer.

Ever since I've wore my lucky crash helmet, I haven't been hit on the head by an asteroid so that dispells your myth.

Another one, Death.

Human beings think ahead, to a greater or lesser degree. If we know we are going to die today, how can we think
ahead to what we will be doing tomorrow?

We can't, so our mind panics at the thought of death(I am excluding those in great pain who would want to die).
Well one way of dealing with this panic ..is to believe we will go on living in some other place.

There is no evidence of this, but if we believe it enough it can comfort us. Get us through the process of dying.
Make it easier. Once we are dead nothing would matter to us.

Another reason is we have a bad life, we may like to think, that there is a better life after death.
Also those who have done really bad things in this life and have got away with it, it is comforting to think
they will get their comeuppance in some Hell.

dying sb dieing

as long as they've got a shop that sells crisp sandwiches i'll be fine.

You would be in Hell imo doantwin2easy 

Apart from the lack of any scientific proof, one thing that counts against a GOD is the number of times he patently fails to answer peoples prayers.

Still I am getting on a bit, I like to believe. I like CS Lewes's belief, we go somewhere where we will find all the love in our life.

One thing, if I am wrong, I won't be alive to be disappointed. It is a bet to nothing.
I don't go overboard with my belief I still gamble and drink. Sex rather a fond memory.

2 out of 3 ain't bad.

When I say the love on our life, I don't mean sex, but real love, all the happy times in our life
all the people we cared for cared for us, it would be slightly unreal. We would stay there forever.

"You can say it is religion, but I do not believe this, it is religion being twisted to excuse the real barbarity
which is in us all".

good point imo. competition for resources, land, security at the very heart of it all. legacy of evolution at the very least. You're an interesting mix ebul.

ta

interesting forum

Thanks for posting that video.  Best laugh I have had in ages.

We need more militant atheists.

The bloke should be knighted.  Stange, he isn't even an MBE or an OBE.   Wonder why?

I hope that, in the future, he will be revered in the same way that anti-slavery campaigners are.

Thanks for posting the video, tobermory.

I have been a big fan of Richard Dawkins for quite a while and I'm an even bigger one now after watching that!

Richard Dawkins:  why is he famous?

Dawkins came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, which popularised the gene-centred view of evolution and introduced the term meme. In 1982, he introduced into evolutionary biology the influential concept that the phenotypic effects of a gene are not necessarily limited to an organism's body, but can stretch far into the environment, including the bodies of other organisms. This concept is presented in his book The Extended Phenotype.[5]

Dawkins is an atheist, a patron of the British Humanist Association, and a supporter of the Brights movement.[6] He is well known for his criticism of creationism and intelligent design. In his 1986 book The Blind Watchmaker, he argues against the watchmaker analogy, an argument for the existence of a supernatural creator based upon the complexity of living organisms. Instead, he describes evolutionary processes as analogous to a blind watchmaker.

from Wikipedia

I can see he is an intelligent and original thinker myself

But I do not find him so on the question of religion....he seems obsessed to me

But other people like this in him

We make our own choice

I challenge anyone to read the God Delusion and not get something out of it. Whether your religious, atheist or whatever, it's a very entertaining read. Very funny and witty in parts and just clever in most others.

I personally don't understand why someone can be militant atheists although I can understand why people don't like religion.

A few questions I would like an 'Atheist' to answer me...

Do you honestly think this whole complex universe, with complex minds and bodies came from a random big bang from nothing?

How do you explain people's near death experiences?

How do you explain the sightings of ghosts?

How do you explain the DMT lodged in our brains and other living things?

I don't go to church or belong to any religion but I certainly believe there is an afterlife.

Do you honestly think this whole complex universe, with complex minds and bodies came from a random big bang from nothing?

Yes

How do you explain people's near death experiences?

Nothing to explain, their brains were not dead, just hallucinating

How do you explain the sightings of ghosts?

There is no evidence for ghosts. It is incumbent on people who claim to have seen ghosts to provide evidence not heresay.

How do you explain the DMT lodged in our brains and other living things?

What is DMT? The body produces a myriad of chemicals every day which are needed for it to function efficiently.

Everything in this world has a creator.

Maybe they are hallucinating but can you hallucinate when your not on any drugs?

There are too many cases around the world on sightings of ghosts. Is every case bs?

A chemical in your brain which is released when you sleep which causes you to dream. A massive amount is also released on death. It is also a drug which when taken (a friend of mine took it) said he felt like God. (I believe were all mini Gods in our own way, WE ALL CREATE.)

Do you honestly think this whole complex universe, with complex minds and bodies came from a random big bang from nothing?

I'm not happy with sciences answers but the god hypothosis is just as bad. It's much easier saving a step and explaining things without the need for a creator. If there is one, he's very benign and simply rolled the dice and let us get on with it. Science doesn't have all the answers but it's getting there slowly.


How do you explain people's near death experiences?

Tricks of the mind. When the Oxygen finally runs out, the electrical impulses stop and we go back to nothing, just like it was before we were born.

How do you explain the sightings of ghosts?

The brain tricks us into seeing things that aren't actually there, that's why we see a face on the Moon and in clouds etc.

How do you explain the DMT lodged in our brains and other living things?

Ain't got a clue either what DMT is either.

Everything in this world has a creator.

Time and space are the fabric of the universe. Before "Big bang" neither time nor space existed therefore cause and effect did not exist either. If you postulate a creator you have to explain how he was created. You are then introducing an infinity of complexity to the event.

Maybe they are hallucinating but can you hallucinate when your not on any drugs?

Hallucination and dream are the same thing. See your answer to DMT

There are too many cases around the world on sightings of ghosts. Is every case bs?

Yes. Just because a lot of people believe something doesn't make it true.


A chemical in your brain which is released when you sleep which causes you to dream. A massive amount is also released on death. It is also a drug which when taken (a friend of mine took it) said he felt like God. (I believe were all mini Gods in our own way, WE ALL CREATE.)

So you all believe in nothing? Do you believe in yourself?

I used to be an atheist but often viewed the world in a negative light and became depressed. Don't know how you do it.

If belief in a deity makes you feel happy, then go for it but please don't expect others to share this belief without proof.

I don't force it upon anyone but I guess it's alright to spread the negative depressing views of atheism right?

Platini  • March 9, 2015 9:13 PM GMT 
I challenge anyone to read the God Delusion and not get something out of it. Whether your religious, atheist or whatever, it's a very entertaining read. Very funny and witty in parts and just clever in most others.

I will take your word for it Platini

To me Richard Dawkins seems like an immature 6th former who is just trying to be clever

I do not mind him being witty or clever but when it comes to religion he seems to be incredibly petty

What is he achieving? Surely what we believe is our own right?

As long it is not used as an excuse to harm others, I do not care what any one believes

Atheists need to shout loudest, they`re the ones running scared. Bit like muslims, really, hoping to shout loud enough to blank out the knowledge that they`ve backed the wrong horse. Fail miserably to convince even themselves, deep down, let alone any good Catholics.
Shout away, boys, but you know The Day of Judgement`s coming!

Nobody forces atheism on anyone. There is a huge amount of propaganda in favour of religion. The religious brainwashing of children starts virtually from birth and religious organisations try and force their values on the rest of society. People like Richard Dawkins offer much needed counter arguments to this. Atheists don't go knocking on peoples doors exhorting them to "convert" since atheism is not a religion, nor does it send missionaries around the world to convert people from one voodoo to another.
Atheism is not depressing. If you want to hear depressing news tune into the BBC and listen to the latest on IS for example.

I remember him saying that male circumcision is some terrible mutilation, but it is relatively minor

Female circumcision is more intrusive so I am against that

It is very primitive as well, predates Islam, I think we should discourage that

Although I am not over keen on women at times, I do stop short of cutting bits off them

I do not see c of e, forcing many of their values on our society, even if we could do with a few

Our society is extremely secular, few people go to Church, and just because someone tries to force religion on us as children

does not mean we have to believe as adults. It never did that to me, in fact put me off it.

But I do not mind people who want to believe, it is no threat to me, I choose my own beliefs and allow others to do the same.

Regarding your post on circumcision Gery, isn't that depressing? Surely it's wrong to do that to a child. Wait until he is old enough to decide for himself. I'll bet there won't be many takers.
Strange that those who believe that a perfect god created them in his own image should feel the need to modify that perfect creation with a knife. How do you explain that?

I'm off to bed so will duck out for now.

Yes but it is so trivial, lots of men are circumcised, not always for religious reasons, why make it into something
it isn't.

This is my problem with Richard Dawkins, everything he says is like this. There is no depth to it. I think he is pathetic
and I am an atheist myself, although I want to believe.

I do not mind intelligent discussion , for and against religion, I love those sorts of discussions. The sort
of discussions someone like CS Lewes would involve himself in, such a wonderful, caring and intelligent man.

But not some mindless petty criticisms at about the same level as the Sun newspaper, which is all we get from Dawkins.

Clever he may be Richard Dawkins, but such a shallow man.

I don't agree with your assessment of Richard Dawkins at all. He is always quiet and dignified and gives reasoned arguments for any claim that he makes. This is more than can be said for most of his detractors.

You mentioned that the C of E does not force it's values on the rest of society and that is largely true today although it doesn't hold back when giving it's opinions. It wasn't so long ago that it had much more influence and religions can become nasty when they hold a lot of power as can be seen in many places today.

Its not religion thats nasty its people.

What are religions if not groups of people motivated by a set of beliefs?

The beheaders of IS say they do it in the name of Islam

The Catholics who burned humans said to be witches and heretics at the stake said that they did it in the name of Christianity.

Where in the Bible does it say burn people at the stake? Is that a fundamental part of the religion? Nasty people do nasty things regardless of their religion.

I agree Dotchinite, it seems to me our human nature is at fault rather than religion

I am sure Richard Dawkins presents himself well, but he does seem to me to have a complete obsession against religion.

There is a mix of good and bad in religion, if there were no good at all, why does it exist?

Religion has been frequently misused, some of the things people say are about religion , if one looks closely,
turn out to be about things like: land, power, control, wealth, defence of a culture(religion is just a part). Religion is just being
used.

Personally I doubt anyone who does not want to believe gets converted and nor do people who do believe gets unconverted,
and if opening any book on science does not say GOD is dead, I do not know what does.

Perhaps people need a religious belief in Atheism as much as people do in Religion. They a god a GOD in Richard Dawkins.

Still Isaac Newton had his Alchemy, so perhaps Richard Dawkins needs his extreme Atheism as sort some of break from all that heavy
scientific stuff.

I had a religious conversion as a child to Atheism, the cause Science Fiction, I found it a lot more interesting than the Bible.
Still I could hardly claim everything in Science Fiction is true , any more than it is in Genesis.

I believe let people believe want they want to believe.

For Dotchinite

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:5-6)

Ithink you have misinterpreted that verse Foinhaven.

Thanks for that. What it means I have no idea but then neither do you.

The New Testament itself (Paul) calls its message "Foolishness" - foolishness preached to a dying world...Paul calls the cross of Jesus Christ the ultimate "foolishness". Dawkins is a flat-track bully. You're going to get people who are not too bright in every walk of life.

But hey ho, time ticks away - jog on Dawkins.

What did Solomon ask for? Gold? Intelligence?

Wisdom?

Dawkins is perhaps the greatest living Englishman, the opposite of a bully but he makes the mistake of thinking the British working classes are logical....religion is very dangerous when in the hands of the mob.

As for the vine and branches, the branches don't have to struggle or grow of their own accord - they don't have to do anything except remain in the vine.

http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/Murray.The.True.Vine.html

The True Vine by Andrew Murray - an examination of Jesus' metaphor which Jesus took from the Old Testament.

The "mob"...

Is that the MOB marauding through the Middle East? Just about ANYTHING is dangerous in the "hands of the mob."

Football, Nazism, Communism, cheese-rolling, hyper-melpharginistic ray guns...have I missed anything out?

The feckin' MOB...sigh...hope I don't bump into them at Tesco tomorrow when I'm buying jelly and ice cream.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv2U2Xp2Nu8



Richard Dawkins Struggles to Remember "Origin of the Species" Title Against Rev Giles Fraser.

"...uh...uh...uh...it has a subtitle..."

14th February, 2012 on Radio 4.

Dawkins is someone from a different time, a more rational and beautiful time when briefly in England the rational and scientific way was seen as best...now he is trying to stem the tide of superstition and madness and violence.

Religion is only suitable and safe in the hands of the English middle classes (if such a thing still exists), it is not suitable and very dangerous in other sections of society and the world.

Who is responsible for this "tide of superstition and madness and violence"?

You might as well name and shame them while you're here, lfc1971.

While you're at it, you might as well also tell us about this tremendous, rational and beautiful time...when was it exactly?

Was it when Liverpool FC were champions of England? Can you remember that far back?

By the way, lfc1971, that METAPHOR you used - "...stem the tide of of superstition..." ; that is what George Orwell called "A dead metaphor." It is no longer viable through over-use and is now a rank rotten cliche.

How different from the GORGEOUS metaphors in the Bible.

The MOB!

The TIDE!

Got your popcorn and 3d glasses, folks?

1872 is my favorite year, I like to live in the past.

Cool...

The light of the world...the gate...the bread of life...the vine...the good shepherd...the way...the resurrection and the life...

There are yer metaphors mate, comin' at yer official MOB, like, in a massive TIDE like thing...!

DAVID BODANIS, author of  "E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation" :

"Bodanis' effort to make science accessible extends to the historically tense relationship between science and religion. Unlike many scientists, he sees nothing mutually exclusive about science and religious faith.

"I love the humility of Michael Faraday, that his religious views led to those deep insights in science and I can't bear people like Richard Dawkins who are anti-religion and who tend to pick soft targets. For instance, Dawkins misses the fact that Einstein had a subtle religious view."

Bodanis is all for inclusiveness, in contrast, he says, to a science writer such as Dawkins, who is one of the leading advocates of Darwinism.

"Instead of saying you have your view and I have mine, Dawkins says I am 100 per cent right. He is not the ideal calling card for evangelical atheism, though he is a gifted writer." "

Theodor Adorno :

"There is no universal history leading from savagery to humanitarianism, but there is one leading from the slingshot to the megaton bomb".

the posted video of dawkins and his simpering acolytes is him at his absolute worst.

this is not about furthering the cause of atheism, or helping to convert the religious. this is about intellectual superiority and laughing at people in the throes of cognitive dissonance who have most likely had the unfortunate circumstances to be born into religious families and have lacked a thorough education.

Had Dawkins been born in a mudhut in rural Pakistan and sent to a Madrassa because his parents couldn't afford to feed him, what are the chances he'd be where he is today.

It is no good advert for atheism or humanism to show such a sneering lack of compassion.

As always, South Park were on the money, nailing it Go God Go.

"Let us not forget the great Richard Dawkins who finally freed the world of religion long ago. Dawkins knew that logic and reason were the way of the future. But he learned using logic and reason isn't enough. You have to be a dick to everyone who doesn't think like you."

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.

The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful, and has nobody to thank

why are people still talking about god.........this is not the middle ages

yet our government has legalised gay marriage whilst still supplying state funding for faith schools.

and we still have decision makers in our upper house of parliament who have been appointed based on their position in their religious organisation alone.

and we still have blasphemy laws.

For when we cease to worship God, we do not worship nothing, we worship anything

why are people still talking about god.........this is not the middle ages

It's a group hug Cardifffc. Nothing to worry about.

why are people still talking about god.........this is not the middle ages

You are right there cardiffc

Aside from the Muslims most Christians have given up on religion in this country

They have a new GOD the media, just about anything said through the media is believed

It adds completely to the observation that if one tells a lie often enough it will be believed

Even our differences are not all about religion, there other things in there, a difference in culture, values, etc.

So why is Dawkins concerned about belief in God?

Is Dawkins making something out of nothing?????????

DStyle, I like the cut of your jib.

Also, difficulty in getting child into a school where they are not indoctrinated by fairy tales at an early age.

Church and State.
Church and Queen.
Church and Parliament.
Church and Justice System.

Well, yes. He coined the term "meme"


no, he stole it from an obscure writer thinking he wouldn't be rumbled but wasn't bright enough to anticipate the internet

No he just put it in a book for all the world to see, he is honest enough for me...religious people are not defined by their honesty.