1. New age therapies cause 'retreat from reason'

Comment #61504 by SteveKisko on August 5, 2007 at 11:42 am

I can certainly imagine the profound disillusionment a believer might feel when they lose their faith in both god AND quackery -- as drive1 pointed out -- but really, that's their problem!

I don't understand the concerns about "diluting" the efforts of the New Atheist movement just because Richard Dawkins has written a program debunking psychics, homeopathy, etc. I don't think Dawkins sees himself as an ATHEIST above all other things, or as the leader of the New Atheist movement (ugh), or anything like that. He can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he cares as much -- and probably more -- about evolutionary biology and science & reason in general than atheism or antitheism. Check the name of his new foundation if you're in doubt. Certainly the "battle," as he sees it, is a larger one pitting all types of faith against reason, not just religion vs. atheism.

Moreover, he can do whatever he wants, and if you think he's pushing it too far... well, no one said that he necessarily speaks for all atheists everywhere.

Perhaps I am one of those cats which are so difficult to herd, but I don't understand all this 'We' stuff. I'm an atheist and a skeptic in general, and I love this website dearly, but this isn't a clubhouse, and I'm not a member.

(Sorry for coming off so combative, but some of the comments on this article really "raised my hackles.")

2. One Hell of a Religious Read

Comment #34462 by SteveKisko on April 24, 2007 at 6:25 am

Read the first chapter of this book on the job last night at Barnes & Noble. Fantastic! Delicious, inspired prose. I'm buying it.

3. My critics are wrong to call me dogmatic

Comment #21932 by SteveKisko on February 11, 2007 at 11:24 pm

Right on, Richard.

I am anxiously awaiting a response from McGrath.

4. Danger ahead - there are good reasons why God created atheists

Comment #2443 by SteveKisko on October 21, 2006 at 9:21 am

"I only wish I had as much faith as the learned professor. It would be nice to believe that if you cured people of believing in God, you would thereby have cured them of hate, violence, anger, injustice, cruelty and the urge to control, exploit, dominate and oppress."

Where and when did Dawkins claim that the eradication of religion would accomplish this? "...as much faith as the learned professor"? How do these people get away with publishing such claptrap?

I wish we could offer official rebuttals in print to all of these hamfisted, negative reviews. So many of their points are so resoundingly weak and easy to dismiss and _have been dismissed_ here on a daily basis by men & women with a far greater grasp of the issues--as well as a better command of language. It's a shame that the views of folks such as our dear rabbi are published in national papers while we have merely a tiny page on a website to air our grievances.