Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA06004 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 19 Sep 2001 13:07:47 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [209.240.220.175] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: RE: Dawkins View Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 08:02:54 -0400 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F220CSsiWdBdsnvUFcx000155da@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 19 Sep 2001 12:02:55.0097 (UTC) FILETIME=[04010E90:01C14103] Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>Subject: RE: Dawkins View
>Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 10:04:12 +0100
>
> > <<I second Dawkins still when he argues that religion is
> > mainly to blame for last tuesday's disaster. In fact, religion
> > is the source of most of the misery, suffering and
> > injustice plagueing this tiny but turbulent planet.>>
> >
> <I don't think many scholars of religion would agree. Why not?>
>
> Because they're are in memebotic thrall to their own faiths and deny
>and obfuscate the horrors committed in the name of their religions.
>
So you think that being a member of a given faith automatically blinds one
to the excesses of that faith and precludes critical reflction on that
actions of extremists?
>
>Scott
>made the point in relation to Dawkins' piece that not all muslims are
>suicide bombers, not all christians are anti-abortion and so on. He also
>put not all atheists are militants. The difference is that even militant
>atheists do not go around suggesting bombing, torturing or persecuting true
>believers, whereas militant true believers usually do, and moderates become
>apologists for those peoples' acts.
>
Can one generalize that religious moderates (or mainstreamers) are automated
apologists for actions of extremists? Are moderate Christians flocking to
support the recent comments made by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson? Are
moderate Christians flocking to support the actions of the pro-life
terrorists (who may make up a small proportion of the pro-life movement
itself). Are mainstream pro-lifers (or anti-choicers) generally in support
of violence against abortion clinics? Are mainstream Muslims in general
support of the extremists? Are they flocking to be apologists for the recent
tragedies?
Could one interject that the Soviet Union was under the spell of "godless
Communism"? How well did the religious fare under that system compared to
other political systems?
I wouldn't say that all atheists or even militant atheists are into
religious persecution or capable of evil acts, but it is possible that
someone with a militant atheist bent who believed religion to be the opiate
of the masses or the occupation of *them* mindless cattle could, in a
position of power, do some heinous things in the name of stamping out the
scourge of religion. Would moderate atheists act as apologists?
Using rhetoric militant atheists are capable of launcing verbal attacks
against the religious. I'm not sure one could generalize that moderate
atheists support this verbal extremism.
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Sep 19 2001 - 13:12:43 BST