Re: Dawkins on Channel 4 tonight

From: Ben Dawson (dawson.derbys@clara.net)
Date: Fri 20 Jan 2006 - 14:30:09 GMT

  • Next message: Kate Distin: "Sticky memes I"

    On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 20:44:27 +0100, you wrote:

    >
    >Kate,
    >
    >Reading what you have been thru', you got my sympathy, but no more than
    >that. It is not that god exist that everything is allowed and all can and
    >may be
    >said or done in his name !
    >I am sorry to say, but in the context of this forum, your mind is infected
    >with
    >memes that never will die, moreover, " God is not dead, nor is he dying, be-
    >cause such a cock- up won 't die, an illusion never dies, a fairytale will
    >never
    >be refuted. ", that writes Michel Onfrey in his new book ' Atheology '.
    >Who today doesn 't believe, the atheist_ like me_ gets cursed, loathed and
    >is consired as being immoral and repulsive.
    >

    Steady on old boy!

    Yes it is true that some people do view atheists as cold and immoral and it really gets up my nose when I hear people attaching that stigma to atheism. People who know me personally would not put me into that category at all, and I'm sure you're not either.

    Unfortunately there are also plenty of equally derogatory stereotypes applied to people of religious faiths. For example, I would not agree with you that religious people are "soft and weak". If I said that to my sister, she'd probably slap me, just to prove the contrary!

    As for this "militant atheist" approach you speak of, I'm not sure I'd go along with that. OK, whilst I don't subscribe to religious ideas myself, I do believe that the majority of them are harmless. Some even offer a comfort to people in times of crisis. Surely we should be tolerant of those beliefs, shouldn't we?

    Ben

    <snip>

    >
    >Regards,
    >No harm intented,
    >
    >Kenneth
    >
    >
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    >

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