Comments by Nebularry
1. Response to Dinesh D'Souza op-ed
Comment #85251 by Nebularry on November 5, 2007 at 11:07 am
I would like to suggest that we christen "D'Souza Dilemma" a bona fide pathology.
2. The smallest signs of retreat
Comment #68453 by Nebularry on September 7, 2007 at 7:55 am
Haven't we seen this sort of argument before? Bunting states, "In common with our highly rationalised culture, Dawkins fails completely to understand how powerful myth is - not in terms of factual, historical truth - but in terms of emotional, spiritual truth. Human beings make and use myths and have always done so; the crucial issue is whether those myths are benign, sustaining or destructive. Dawkins insists on taking the most literal - and least sophisticated - reading of religious myth as factual truth; he calls for "evidence" for belief in his interview on the Today programme today."
But it is EXACTLY the "least sophisticated" religious myth that polls show most Americans believe. We human beings seem to have emormous propensity for believing the most outrageous and least sophisticated nonsense.
Comment #67934 by Nebularry on September 5, 2007 at 8:15 am
I find this story as magnificent as it is mind-boggling!
4. Anger at Malaysia 'Jesus cartoon'
Comment #66057 by Nebularry on August 28, 2007 at 6:26 am
Isn't there some remote, obscure place to which we could banish all these religious nutjobs?
Oh, yeah . . . that is Malaysia!
5. Diamonds unlock secrets of early Earth
Comment #65449 by Nebularry on August 24, 2007 at 8:28 am
Someone please comment. In your opinion, will this new discovery help explain the rapid appearance of life on earth? It would seem reasonable to me but I'd like a more knowledgeable opinion. Thanks!
6. God Bless Me, It's a Best-Seller!
Comment #64268 by Nebularry on August 19, 2007 at 6:28 am
I have procrastinated buying "God is Not Great" but after having read this article I'll move it to the top of my wish list.
7. God help us all - The No. 2 book on Amazon right now is a
Comment #44772 by Nebularry on May 25, 2007 at 9:13 am
What frightens me most is that if this book is #2 at Amazon.com then a lot more people than the lunatic fringe are reading it.
My older daughter just had her second child, a girl, last Tuesday. What sort of world will she live in??
8. Another Christian Science Fair embarrasses itself
Comment #44745 by Nebularry on May 25, 2007 at 8:47 am
If that kid was the "winner", how apallingly ludicrous must the losers have been!!!!!
9. Atheists with Attitude: Why do they hate Him?
Comment #41542 by Nebularry on May 16, 2007 at 9:25 am
I found this article to be interesting and, frankly, enlightening. (I'll have to read it again to digest it all.) Nevertheless, it seems to me that the bottom line is that religion of whatever stripe demands some degree of magical-thinking. To have faith in any sort of God or metaphysical notions requires magical-thinking. Insofar as any religion has any magical-thinking, to that degree it is irrational. And the more irrational (fundamentalist Christians, radical Islamists) the more dangerous a religion becomes.
Yes, there are those whose religion is more philosophy than magical-thinking, more logic than mysticism and so much to their credit. However, it is the radicals who fly airplanes into buildings, blow up abortion clinics and picket funerals in order to bash gays. It is the radicals who get all the attention. If the reasonable and rational theists want to do themselves a favor, let them get rid of the wackos!
10. Educated, Inspired Conservative Christians
Comment #41402 by Nebularry on May 16, 2007 at 4:55 am
Reading this blather reminds me that dangerous ideas do not always die with the dangerous men who espouse them.
Comment #41399 by Nebularry on May 16, 2007 at 4:51 am
When I first heard about Falwell's death I had a sudden sense that this was a good thing. But on reflection, I wanted to know what "specifically" was it about Falwell that I found so reprehensible. So, I turned to the internet and found a website full of Falwell quotes. There was reason enough and then some to be glad he's gone. Now this article puts all my random thoughts into perspective. The world is a better place without Jerry Falwell.
12. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73
Comment #41112 by Nebularry on May 15, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Falwell was a homophobic bigot and a theocratic megalomaniac.
Yep, that pretty well sums it up.
13. The Greatest Act of Human Hubris
Comment #40532 by Nebularry on May 14, 2007 at 12:16 pm
A powerful piece worth printing and saving. Thanks!
14. Consciousness Comes from DNA
Comment #39931 by Nebularry on May 12, 2007 at 10:26 am
I find this study to be absolutely fascinating! It will be interesting to follow further developments along these lines. Apparently, we humans are not as "divine" as some theologians would have us believe. Or do some animals have souls in the same sense that humans do? Hmmm . . ?
15. Kirk Cameron Proves That God Exists
Comment #39927 by Nebularry on May 12, 2007 at 10:13 am
Which only goes to show that actors should stick to acting - for good or ill. Preachers should stay away from cameras. And atheists should avoid debates with lunatics!
16. Cataloguing every species on earth
Comment #39280 by Nebularry on May 10, 2007 at 8:53 am
This is all very nice but will they fit into the Ark? Hmmmm . . . ?
17. For Motherly X Chromosome, Gender Is Only the Beginning
Comment #37600 by Nebularry on May 5, 2007 at 10:18 am
For Comment #37483 by Nails. I'm now reading Natalie Angier's book "The Canon" which I think you would find interesting, amusing and abundantly enlightening.
18. The kiss that brought immorality debate to a head
Comment #37594 by Nebularry on May 5, 2007 at 9:59 am
And THIS is what our soldiers are dying for??? Unless and until the majority of people themselves voluntarily change their attitude we can never win the war.
19. Peanut Butter, The Atheist's Nightmare!
Comment #28042 by Nebularry on March 27, 2007 at 4:57 pm
THAT'S IT!!! I'm calling the Mormon missionaries.
Comment #11405 by Nebularry on December 4, 2006 at 12:39 pm
The "God-botherers". Ha! I LOVE IT!!
21. New CFI Office in Washington D.C.
Comment #9020 by Nebularry on November 23, 2006 at 8:07 am
Well, a step in the right direction. It may be just a step but it's a big one. It's good to feel as though we're finally getting somewhere.
22. Beyond belief: In place of God
Comment #8789 by Nebularry on November 22, 2006 at 9:36 am
I'm not so sure that we'll ever do away with religion. We can only hope. But as long as there is ignorance and superstition left anywhere, religion will find a home. Yet anything we can do to help minimize faith and religion will be so much to civilization's advantage. I'm ready to join the fight!
23. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and E.O. Wilson on the gospel of science
Comment #8785 by Nebularry on November 22, 2006 at 9:13 am
Hotz stated:
Science and religion have not always been estranged; indeed, science began as a form of worship. The careful observation of God's creation was thought to be a more reliable form of revelation. Francis Bacon, one of the founders of modern science, argued in 1605 that reason properly reveals God. Humankind cannot "search too far or be too well studied in the book of God's word, or in the book of God's works, divinity or philosophy," he wrote, "but rather let men endeavor an endless progress or proficience in both."
Doncha just LOVE it when some guy recites a quote from a scientist of 400 years ago in defense of God. As if nothing has changed in all that time. As if we hadn't learned anything since then.
24. Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history
Comment #8765 by Nebularry on November 22, 2006 at 8:21 am
It seems to me that the point is not who murdered more innocents, religious fanatics or atheists, rather, that religion has done embarrassingly little to stop the carnage. On the contrary, religion has added significantly to the body count and continues to do so even as I type this!
25. BEYOND REDUCTIONISM: Reinventing The Sacred
Comment #8508 by Nebularry on November 21, 2006 at 12:43 pm
I don't like the idea of substituting one God for another god. Why? Because the religious fundamentalists will confuse my god (or, in this case Kauffman's god) with their God the one who sits in the sky doling out punishments or rewards depending on whether one believes in him or not. At that point one has to start defining what one means by "god" and do you think there is a fundamentalist alive who could follow Kauffman's discussion? A number of posts above mine have already alluded to the density of Kauffman's essay. A religious wacko fundamentalist would clutch his Bible, curl up into a fetal position and start chanting, "I do believe. I do believe. I do believe."
So, let's just do without God or god altogether, eh?
Comment #8454 by Nebularry on November 21, 2006 at 9:32 am
Breeding blank brains ready for radical religious brainwashing.
27. The God of the Bible is No Delusion!
Comment #8012 by Nebularry on November 20, 2006 at 7:16 am
No doubt the Rhodes Arts Complex will be "standing room only". Such is the faith of the faithful. Idiots!
28. Future generations will hear far more about God and politics
Comment #7850 by Nebularry on November 19, 2006 at 4:35 pm
Maybe I'm just tired but I haven't a clue what this guys talking about. Must be really spiritual, eh? If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your BS.
29. Dawkins's version of the deity does not exist
Comment #7537 by Nebularry on November 18, 2006 at 6:16 pm
The Baylor University "Piety in the 21st Century" Survey demonstrated that the vast majority of people do NOT believe in a less-than-anthropomophic God who does not meddle in their personal lives. The Baylor study calls the god of philosophers and intellectual theologians the "Distant God". Essentially, this god is the god of the deists. But hardly anyone believes in this god. Surely not the Christian Fundamentalists nor Muslim Extremists nor the average believer sitting in the church pew on a given Sunday. Most people (70.4%) believe in the sort of god who answers prayers, performs miracles, rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. He's the Old Man in the Sky God. To argue that Dawkins is describing the wrong God is ludicrous. If he were, no one would be offended!
30. My God Problem
Comment #7123 by Nebularry on November 17, 2006 at 9:00 am
This is just the most FANTASTIC article!! The sarcasm is not lost. Printed, highlighted and preserved for future use.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, NATALIE! Keep up the good work.
31. Richard Dawkins and the "new atheists" come to America
Comment #6647 by Nebularry on November 15, 2006 at 8:30 am
A reply to #6542 above: "how amusing to see them rattled". Hey, LET'S RATTLE THEM SOME MORE, EH?
32. THANK GOODNESS!
Comment #4744 by Nebularry on November 5, 2006 at 5:35 pm
Once again, Mr. Dennett has enlightened me with his insights. (Dare I say "revelations"?) And it was all said so eloquently. Thank goodness for Daniel Dennett!
Get well soon.
33. Philadelphia, PA Event Photos
Comment #4273 by Nebularry on November 3, 2006 at 7:16 am
I've been thoroughly intrigued by photos of Mr. Dawkins on tour. Not exactly of him, rather, of the packed houses he addresses. Admittedly, there may be some clandestine religious wackos trolling incognito among the crowd, nevertheless, I'm sure that the majority are either atheists, agnostics or free-thinkers of one sort or another. This amazes me! Everything I've read suggests that we are few in numbers but I'm beginning to think there is a large population of dissidents quietly residing in the closet. They only emerge occasionally at events like a Richard Dawkins lecture. I'm not saying this as a criticism, rather, as an encouraging insight.
I find this revelation most gratifying and refreshing.
34. Review of The God Delusion
Comment #3866 by Nebularry on November 1, 2006 at 7:27 am
"to argue against religion might just be the most important fight of our times."
All I can say is "Amen!" to that. Thankfully, we have someone of Richard Dawkins stature leading the charge.
35. Tired of all the religious garbage? It's time to become an Enlightenist
Comment #3742 by Nebularry on October 31, 2006 at 11:24 am
Woo! Hoo! Great article. But why can't we just be "free-thinkers" instead of "atheists", "brights" or "enlightenists"? It seems to me that free-thinker covers a lot of ground, leaves plenty of room for individuality and even permits one to be a deist if one wants.
Comment #3589 by Nebularry on October 30, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Dawkins addresses the "unsophisticated", "wholly implausible" and "deeply distasteful" version of God because that's the God in whom most people believe. Of course, they don't think their personal, meddling god is unsophisticated and distasteful otherwise they'd stop believing in Him. But nobody who I know thinks about, much less believes in, the sophisticated God of philosophers or erudite theologians. That God surely exists only in the minds of a minority of mental gymnasts.
37. I don't believe in Richard Dawkins
Comment #3353 by Nebularry on October 27, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Yes children are resilient and, yes, they grow into adults who are free to change their minds but for every one child who does so there are hundreds, thousands, who are so thoroughly brainwashed and indoctrinated that they have no idea how to break the spell.
Rather than being a weak argument in Dawkins arsenal, I think this is the strongest and most urgent point of all. Some children grow to be well-adjusted having shaken off the shakles of religion. Others strap on bombs, fly airplanes into buildings or blow up abortion clinics. Some truly twisted children grow up to be Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell.
Comment #3125 by Nebularry on October 25, 2006 at 7:40 pm
Mr. Krauss makes an interesting observation. He says:
"I wish that Dawkins, who has a gift for making science — in particular, evolutionary biology — both exciting and understandable to a broad audience, had continued to play to his strengths, which are desperately needed now more than ever as we confront growing attacks on the teaching of evolution, not just in the United States but in the UK and Europe."
There is no doubt that Dawkins is widely respected for his science writing. As I see it, in "The God Delusion" he has turned the coin to the other side, so to speak, and written about things which may not be his strength. Nevertheless, they are things about which he is genuinely concerned and which should concern us all.
Perhaps it is high time that more scientists thought about God and religion and the gross damage arrogant religious certitude does in the world.
39. God only knows who's right or wrong
Comment #3037 by Nebularry on October 25, 2006 at 7:37 am
"But people believe these things anyway, against the odds not as a result of them, because they find access, through faith, to a way of life and a source of love that they can't find anywhere else."
In other words, "I believe BECAUSE it is absurd." Well, there you are, Richard. What were you thinking?
It seems to me that some people just prefer ignorance in spite of how absurd or lacking in evidence their beliefs might be. It makes them feel good. As one post above said, ignorance is bliss.
40. Photos from Richard Dawkins' Lecture in Lawrence
Comment #2885 by Nebularry on October 24, 2006 at 12:04 pm
If "The God Delusion" is "dumbed down" at all (which I think it is not) it would only be because Mr. Dawkins is reaching out to Christian readers. OK, that's a cheap shot, however, I do applaud his efforts to reach as wide an audience as possible. The fact that his book is among the top ten of every book list proves he is doing something right.
Over 1.5 million copies sold
Books by Richard Dawkins
The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing
by Richard Dawkins
The Selfish Gene
by Richard Dawkins
The Blind Watchmaker
by Richard Dawkins
The Ancestor's Tale
by Richard Dawkins
Unweaving the Rainbow
by Richard Dawkins
