Come on Sam. All arguments against religion are null and void. Meaningless. The problem with the world is not Religion, it is money. Remove money from society and organised religion disappears. Research the Venus Project.
I think you are wrong, war has nothing to do with religion, religion is just used as a pretext/excuse and a way of manipulating the masses. Wars have to do with greed, the need of power and control over the earth's resources.
@AlbinaCarpatina I think it does and doesn't, war may have something to with religion when it comes to the people doing the shooting, i think this is what Sam was getting at, the people who are willing to die for their religious beliefs. But it doesn't when it comes to the people giving the orders, sending the troops and creating the war. They are the ones if which religion plays not part, they are (in agreement with your comment)the ones who only care about money, resources etc gained after it.
Ridicule them. It has to go. Make them look as stupid as they actually are and make them realise it. The human race cannot progress to its full potential with the existence of the aforementioned.
Religion enslaves people. Jesus Christ came to set captives free. Jesus Christ paid the price of our sin so that those who chose Him could gain an eternal inheritance.
Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Spoken Word (youtube it!)
If there wasnt religion in higher power there would be other ideologies that would provoke hatred towards other tribes. Most of us arent capable of feeling safe without belonging to some group and belonging to a group means always adpoting ideologies of that group. You give your power then to the ideology or master mind of that system and you are nothing but a safe feeling tool. Fear is our enemy number one and I would dare to suggest, is the only source of all the problems we have today.
@StardustSpaceMonkey its not fear its heritage. If father was racist there is a big chance that he rises his son to be a racist. Diversity of ideologies and opinions forces cultural evolution and unification slows down this evolution.
it is not so much about religion, it's the fact that one person believes in something that is different. for instance raider fans stabbing charger fans at a game. same can be said for a group of hooligans fighting each other because manchester is playing liverpool! that's what's dangerous. down to the nitty gritty is that as long as there are humans left on this planet, there will always be conflict because no two people will ever agree on everything.
@Everyone @'ing MsOdaliske : I think the point you're overlooking is that he/she said "innocent" people. Obviously, innocence is a very loose term to coin in respect of labeling who can or can not be killed. Don't believe what I believe? Guilty.
Shame on this guy trying to talk like an educated person with reason or knowledge. Why should I even believe something from him coming from a country that has been killing thousands of innocent people all over the planet, so don't pick on religion or Islam or whatever! Talk about your non-believing presidents and administrations because religious people are not allowed to kill innocent people.
@MsOdaliske "religious people are not allowed to kill innocent people." I am truly dumbfounded. I can't believe that a 21st century person is actually making this claim. The most "holy" people in the Bible and Qur'an were given that status for mass murder in the name of Yahweh or Allah among other atrocities. Read one page out of the Old Testament then try to make such a claim ever again.
Unfortunately something I think a lot of Atheists don't seem to make a distinction between is giving up a certain religion and giving up god. Yes these are actually two different things.
This man needs to stop using Islam as his go-to hate religion in every example. I agree with most of what he says but, right or not, the world's second largest religion is not going to convert overnight.
What he is doing by using Islam as an example and pointing out how their religion condones violence and terrorism is demonizing the other 1.5 billion peaceful followers who don't follow this alleged teaching, and further straining the relationship between them and the western world. (esp. USA)
@RozzamaTRON He's using Islam as an example because radical Islam is giving us examples. There hasn't been an attack carried out by a christian, or a jew, or any other religion for quite some time that can compete with 9/11, he isn't picking on Islam, he's using examples that are easy to relate to, and those just happen to be about Islam
In islam Killing 1 is like killing whole of humanity and, saving 1 is like saving whole of humanity. U can not point ur finger at religion but rather the individual who is responsible .Their r so many americans converting to islam , y do u think ? Do they want to blow themselves up? NOOOO. its because they know the truth, not wht media is feedin tham . ur eatin wht media feeding u without questioning if it is true.Islam is peace.If u want to know abt islam u read the Quran. Talk to a muslim.
@4evermuslimgirl I guess that's why Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Iran are such peaceful countries. They have extreme devotion to Islam, but it seems they have a different view of Islam than you do. Are they wrong? They're Muslims too. They read the Quran and base their entire society around it. If I talked to them, would I receive the same view of Islam as you? Why the large discrepancy? Are they wrong? They follow what the Quran says. How can they be wrong?
@4evermuslimgirl But if you don't convince me that I'm wrong, then I'm going to spend the rest of eternity, after I die, burning in Hell. Can you in good conscience let me burn in Hell for the rest of eternity and not try to save me from that? I want to be convinced. Don't just shrug me off saying we won't agree. It's your duty to God to convince me. I was saying that you say Islam is peace, when clearly that would mean that Muslim countries would be peaceful, which they are not. Explain.
@4evermuslimgirl Something can't come from nothing, but God can? Where did God come from? Did God just create itself or did God just come into being? Either way it doesn't make sense. Or even if you say God was just always there, that doesn't make any sense either. And as well, I don't BELIEVE in science. Science is a methodology for testing things and proving whether or not they are true based on repeatable results that show evidence, not a belief. Great cop-out about God's will too.
@4evermuslimgirl If Dianetics had a lot of scientifically proven facts that we know as well, that doesn't mean Scientology is any truer just because it has some correct information. The reason the Quran has some scientifically correct information is because the Arabs at the time the Quran was written were very smart and advanced in the works of science. That has no bearing on the Quran being true.
@4evermuslimgirl We just found out about mountains recently? What?! Mountains didn't exist when the Quran was written? And what are these magical rivers that have sweet water? I have yet to find any river with sucrose naturally in it. And the Quran talks about the Moon as well. Wow ... maybe because they had eyes and they could see the Moon, just like everybody else with eyes. All these things aren't future predictions because they could just have easily been observed back then as well.
@4evermuslimgirl As well, I never said Western countries aren't guilty of the same crimes and I'm certainly not mad at you. Some of my friends are Muslims and I as well used to be a person of faith in Christianity. I'm not pointing fingers solely at Islam. You say that maybe if some people stopped killing in those places that they would be more stable. That's obvious, but they don't, because they believe the killing is justified by their belief in God and what the Quran says. Am I wrong?
@4evermuslimgirl But what I keep asking YOU, and you keep dodging my question, is why can't that same logic be applied to God? Where did God come from? You're so adamant to keep raising the "something from nothing" point, but you can't offer an explanation as to where God came from. AS well, your fingers and hands weren't made by nothing. They were made by your parents just like the rest of your body.
@4evermuslimgirl I can't answer the question, because what you asked me is physically impossible. Now maybe ... if you rephrase the question to the point that it makes sense and it is not physically impossible, then I will answer it.
@4evermuslimgirl So when i ask you some tough questions, to which you have no logical answer, you just throw a bunch of questions back to me that you think I can't answer? Great way to convince someone that you know something about what you;re talking about. And contrary to what you think I will do to respond to this asinine comment, which is that I will give up and not answer your questions, I will answer your questions.
@4evermuslimgirl I can't prove there is no God, just like I can't prove there are no elves, unicorns, fairies, or leprechauns. The burden of proof is on the person making the claim, which is YOU. You say there is a God, and so it is up to you to prove that God does indeed exist. You have consistently shown you have NO evidence that God exists and that you cannot even use basic logic to even try to convince me that God exists.
@4evermuslimgirl Do I believe in the unseen? There are ways to scientifically prove that unseen things exist regardless of whether or not we can see them. So if I can't see something, but I can scientifically prove that it exists, then I will believe that is is indeed there. For example, we can't see air, but when you blow up a balloon, that is proof that air exists. I can't see electrons, but there is scientific proof that they are there. EVIDENCE is the key word here.
@4evermuslimgirl Great way to sum up your beliefs: I believe what I want to believe regardless of logic. Why didn't you just say that from the beginning? It would have saved me a lot of time. Thank you for your time, and I hope you can actually look at what you believe and see if it actually makes any sense. I know it's hard to give up something like that. I believe that I've been a closet atheist my whole life, I just never had the guts to admit I'm an atheist. Use logic. Please.
@auroraman56 my religion is logical . if u want to say it's not thts ur problem. stop twisting my words . i'm not going waste my time talking to u . look at this page thts enough .
@4evermuslimgirl Of course an atheist can lie, cheat, steal, be rude, and kill. So can Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Just because I CAN do something, doesn't mean I will or that I should. Of course there are rules for atheists. Humans have basic rules to follow if we want to create a functioning society. Denmark is a primarily atheist country and they still have basic moral rules. Saying that without God that there is no morality is completely false.
@4evermuslimgirl Where do we go when we die? Nowhere. Why do we have to go somewhere? Just because you're afraid of the nature of death, and that the idea that you will live on after you die, doesn't make it true that there is an afterlife. When you're dead, you're dead. In fact, that makes me appreciate my life far more than if I would have an afterlife, because that means this life here is just a waiting station to a greater paradise. What's the point of that?
@4evermuslimgirl Why are other religions not right? Because none of them make any sense either. Religion is based on faith, which is the suspension of logic and reasoning against hard evidence. That's why all religions are not right, because it is their responsibility to PROVE what they say about their religion is true, but the can't. It's all based on indoctrination and close-mindedness in the face of evidence and logic saying religions are wrong.
@4evermuslimgirl What's the logic behind atheism? Logic itself. Atheism is based off of logic. What you asked is kind of redundant. Atheism is the dis-belief in any sort of God because there is no evidence or logic to prove a God exists. It's as simple as that.
@4evermuslimgirl As an atheist, I can do whatever I want, so long as what I do does not infringe upon the basic rights of other people. Things like honesty, fairness, and respect are basic human principles. They didn't just show up just because God said so. As I said, look at a country like Denmark or Sweden. If atheists can do whatever they want, why don't the people in those countries have more crime than religious countries? Because basic human principles DO NOT depend on God/religion.
@4evermuslimgirl I am truly stunned by your inability to even give me one rational and coherent thought about your religious beliefs. You either give me arguments and proofs that make no sense whatsoever or you try to cop-out and just say God will show me. I'm not asking God; I;m asking you. I asked God wholeheartedly for 19 years of my life and I got no answer. I'm asking you, as a follower of God, to give me a good reason, but you can't. You can't even use logic properly. *facepalm*
@4evermuslimgirl I'm "un rational"? I believe you mean irrational. First of all, my logic is not irrational, you just have no knowledge of what logic really is, or you don't apply it to religion because you were told not to and you're afraid of what will happen if you do. Also, maybe you could learn proper spelling and grammar. I have not twisted any words you said at all, I showed that they make no sense. But in the end, you just say logic means nothing, only God. Wow, you're convincing.
@4evermuslimgirl "a man can not give birth to a child . so god is uncreated . me asking u if a man gave birth to a child is like u asking me the creator of god its not logical"
There is no logical tie at all between why a man can't give birth to a baby and why God couldn't have been created. A man can't give birth to a baby because it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, not because it is illogical. It is, however, logical to presume something created God because something can't come from nothing.
@4evermuslimgirl As well, it is ridiculous to say that the universe is made by God just because a tree can't turn into a boat without someone making it. We KNOW that a tree can't turn into a boat without someone making it because a boat is a man-made thing. However, there is no evidence to say that this universe was made by God, other than the completely false "evidence" in your "Holy Book" that you cling to so firmly to base your life around, instead of thinking things out for yourself.
@4evermuslimgirl There is evidence that something created the boat, because we know that a boat is a man-made object. However, there is NO evidence that God created the world just because humans create things. That is extremely flawed logic and it makes no sense. You only believe that because of what the Quran says. I could just as easily say that a flying spaghetti monster created the world or that a gigantic leprechaun named Seamus created the world. Your argument makes no sense.
@4evermuslimgirl Of course a boat can't make itself, BECAUSE IT IS A MAN-MADE OBJECT! And there is evidence to prove that claim. However, it is not logical to say that the universe is made by God, because there is no EVIDENCE to claim that the universe is a God-made thing. I'm not changing what you're saying, you're just trying to make the argument sound different, when it isn't at all. AND AS WELL, you still did not answer me on why God doesn't have to be created.
Atheists are far more annoying that any religious person I've ever met. Just because you don't believe in god doesn't mean you have to and try to force everyone to believe the same as you.
@JustAWasteOfTime I was the same way before I became an atheist. Religious people don't like atheists because they ask the tough questions that try to see what religious beliefs you actually have and to see whether you actually believe what you say you do. How is that forcing you to believe there is no God? It's not forcing you to believe there is no God, it's trying to get you to think rationally whether there is a God or not. That's not force.
To say that economics do not play a part in a persons frustrations is short sighted to say the least, and worst, ignorant. Religion adds purpose to the act, but the absence of religion does not mean the absence of violence. It only nullifies the purpose. Without religion, people would have to examine their purposes for being violent, but doesn't mean violence would cease to exist.
So long as there is a survival instinct in people there will be violence.
You seem to be confusing zealotry with religion. If you wish to debase religion, please look at all of the good and holy people that have walked the path of religion (Mother Theresa?). The fact that some people take a warped view on the message of religion does not make religion inherently dangerous. Your mind frame is far to narrow.
Sam Harris keeps it real, word up. But I got to disagree on this one Sam, religion is not dangerous as some say. the thing is if you ask yourself a question: Have I yet investigated what Jesus, Moses and Mohamed said and did as oppossed to 'what' people say they said and did? And this is to be fair and objective. You'll also notice they said the same exact thing: ''There is no god whatsover except The One True God, try your best to obey him.'' What do you think?
Au contrare. Any news agency that deliberately lies about the facts concerning person(s) can be sued for liable. That's why all reporters are required to verify their sources before they report. Check out the laws of jornalism.
@daddyrich3701 It's true that you can sue a newspaper for character defamation. But as someone who has actually tried to do that, it's really hard. They're well funded and proving intent is difficult. Also, they are protected, even in court, from giving up their sources. It's really hard to win those cases. But it does happen.
I was born into a culture influenced by Islam and my grandparents were Muslims. All the time I was relying on interpretations by Islamic authorities about this belief system, so I called myself a Muslim too, but it only took me only once to read the Qur'an to become an atheist. The Qur'an is a book that promotes hatred, murder, sexual discrimination and is full of contradictions. If a Muslim is a good, non-violent person, it's definitely not thanks to Islam.
@TheAida365 Islam is violent because it is in the world and of it. Our Father in heaven, a term moslems do not know, because allah is not the true God, he is islam's god, but he is not a true God. If you call upon the name of God, through Christ, our mediator, because we have sin and need a savior to take it away, we can have that relationship restored. Christ did it all for us, he put himself up on the cross instead of us, to be our sin, and we can have God as Father. Ask and will be given
Religion is not dangerous. The people who are wiling to distort and lie about religion to fit to their ideology are dangerous. The individuals who readily believe what they are told without fact checking themselves are dangerous. This is the same as saying the media is dangerous. In America there is no law that states news agencies have to tell the truth. They can lie all they want. The individuals who watch the news and believe it are as equally dangerous as religion. Sam Harris is dangerous.
Au contrare my friend. News agencies are compelled to report the truth or they risk getting sued. Now if you're talking about TV personalities who have their own agendas then that's one thing and those people can be dangerous as well. Especially the ones such as O'Reilly & Hannity who spew self righteous nonsense that has no analytical prowess and is so transparently bigoted.
@daddyrich3701 Right. Please site your sources. I might be wrong.. and If i am i would like to know. Can you please find me any type of news agency that has been sued ( successfully) for "lying" or "misrepresenting facts" Or a law that states you can't lie. Any news agency can lie in the U.S. Lets not even get into lying VS. unintentionally misrepresenting facts. It doesn't matter. As i said before, Religion, any type of news agency, and this Sam Harris are as equally dangerous as each other.
"In February 2003, a Florida Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with an assertion by FOX News that there is no rule against distorting or falsifying the news in the United States."
Nobody talks about the fact that the countries in Europe--Greece, Italy, Ire, Port, Spain--with the largest recent debt problems are also the most religious!
The universe suffers from entropy, religion has nothing to do with the state of mankind, it is a scape goat for people who don't want to face the reality of existence
Personally I've never found it taboo to criticize religion. Its the one topic where I can offend someone and not care. What really gets me goin is when a religious person bashes another religion like Mormon or Scientology. Its like your religion is 98% fucked up and those religions are 99% fucked up big difference....
Religion in itself is not bad or dangerous, its the people who twist it around and misinterpret it mainly for convenience. Example, republicans who are against gay marriage and use religion sometimes as a ground to be against homosexuality when at the same time they are fine with fighting a pointless war which will cause a massive amount of death. Most religions do try to positively influence people as well. I myself am not religious but i see some good points in it. People make it corrupt
HAHAHAHA, you've never read the bible or the qu'ran or any other religious text. Both books are full of violence, of killing and rape. Holy books are books that are meant to send people to war and kill those who believe differently.
@MrAsaphelps actually i have read the bible, not the quran though. Even though those things are mentioned in the bible it doesn't say that people should commit all those acts. Like some people say the bible is a book of stories but it doesn't make them not true. A history book can also have all those stories in it but it doesnt make it bad, just talking about it doesnt make it bad. The people who act out things in the name of religion are the ones responsible for their acts and thats bad
Are you kidding? The bible instructs you to kill. It tells you to kill homosexuals, those who are not virgins on their wedding day, those who work on sunday, etc. It doesn't say that they deserve death or that they are going to hell, it instructs you to kill them. So don't come to me and say the bible doesn't tell you do to violent things.
@MurderousMarta "Like some people say the bible is a book of stories bit it doesn't make them not true."
Take out the "not" and you have a similarly legitimate argument for the other side. It's bad because some/most believers have faith that there is a God to enforce the stories as legitimate, or else...
Religion is laughable. Where is your critical thinking? The bible is immoral. Yahweh is an unthinkably violent and miserable figment of our knuckle-dragging imaginations. Grow up.
Aggressive and mean? Sam Harris? Compared to Hitchens? To me aggression is the uncontrolled spouting of unreasoned discourse, founded on emotional ranting that you get from a lot of the commenters on YouTube (the F you you're gaaaaay crowd). This is calmly reasoned and presented. Hitchens I personally feel has more emotional fervour and still is excellently reasoned. Try divorcing your own emotions from the argument before posting, perhaps?
@74BobLilly It's typical of the theist to claim someone is aggressive and mean simply because he calmly and reasonably states FACTS that refute the fairy tales of religions. I don't know if you're a theist or simply ridiculous, but to consider Sam Harris "aggressive and mean" in comparison with Christopher Hitchens is a bit like calling a fluffy bunny dangerous when compared to a rattlesnake. Sam Harris is by no means nearly as "mean" as Hitchens. He's just not as funny.
@ciaochowbella "Sam Harris is by no means nearly as "mean" as Hitchens"
Well, I am a theist and have read most of Hitchen's work and never felt he was "mean" about anything. I disagreed often, but felt he was just presenting the atheist position fairly and eloquently. Sam Harris, on the other hand, seems angry and mean. Like he is mad at theists, not trying to change their mind. His work reads more like an indictment than an argument. Written to stir up atheists, not convince theists to change.
@74BobLilly You're the only one then. Hitchens is rabidly and vocally anti-theist and Harris is quietly and calmly atheist. Hitchens has called the religious leaders vicious and nasty names while Harris restricts himself to attacking doctrine and practice. Hitchens uses strong, vicious language whereas Harris barely calls a spade a spade. Hitchens openly admits he wishes to offend and Harris begins by saying he only wishes to discuss.
Isn't Sam Harris the one that said: "What will we do if an Islamist regime, which grows dewy-eyed at the mere mention of paradise, ever acquires long-range nuclear weaponry? If history is any guide, we will not be sure about where the offending warheads are or what their state of readiness is, and so we will be unable to rely on targeted, conventional weapons to destroy them. In such a situation, the only thing likely to ensure our survival may be a nuclear first strike of our own."
@74BobLilly So what? That is hardly as vitriolic as the prose that Hitchens uses. Harris starts out by saying he doesn't wish to offend, just discuss. Hitchens states over and over that he doesn't care if he offends.
You're certainly trying, but if that's the best example you have trying to prove that Harris is more vicious in his invective than Hitchens, you're failing miserably.
@ciaochowbella -- So what to suggesting our only course likely to ensure our survival is a nuclear first strike against Islam? To me that is pretty radical. I am not sure how you could take a more aggressive stance than that.
@74BobLilly Indeed, it might very well be radical, but that doesn't change the fact that his style and presentation is much milder and gentler than Hitchens. Hitchens also proposes that we may have to strike first in such a situation. Hitchens proposes a MUCH more aggressive stance when dealing with those who wish to reinstitute the Caliphate. He says that it absolutely cannot be allowed to happen, no matter what measures have to be taken to stop it.
@ciaochowbella-- Colder and more calculating and sinister is not milder. The loudest speaker is not the most dangerous. Theists never get the idea that Hitchens hates us. He thinks us stupid, but doesn't hate. Harris gives theists like me the impression of repressed hatred and spouting radical ideas like the need for a nuclear first strike lets that show through. There is a difference between saying we may have to use military force to stop something and suggesting a nuclear first strike.
@74BobLilly You know what.....so what? So what if Sam Harris is harsh and vicious? If that is what it takes to make people wake the fuck up and realize that throwing your life away on a religion and ruining the world for the sake of an unproven, invisible deity, GOOD. I think you're stupid and repress my hatred for your ideology every damn day.
A nuclear first strike IS military force. And it is his freely held opinion that this might have to happen. I agree with him. It just migh have to.
@ciaochowbella "So what if Sam Harris is harsh and vicious?"
I just don't think your sudden admiration for harsh, mean and vicious makes atheism look very appealing. A Bertrand Russell or Christopher Hitchens makes a far more effective and persuasive argument for atheism in my view.
@74BobLilly It's not a sudden admiration. I've always liked a well-turned vicious phrase. If it makes you pay attention, as it seems to have done, all the better.
Atheism is not a THING to find appealing. It's a non-belief. It's not a dogma or doctrine or creed. It's merely non-belief in gods. So if you find some arguments more appealing, fine.
I don't care who appeals to you as long as you give up your hate-filled dogma and use the intellect you possess for the good of the world.
I feel this talk is very narrow minded. First it asserts itself on the assumption that religion is wrong, which means the only people this talk is going to persuade are those people who share that assumption. Second, there is no scale. Religious organizations open hospitals, feed the hungry, pay for college, offer community, etc. Does this out way suicide bombers with PhD's?
@pnarey If you consider sticking to reason and logic and rejecting superstition and faith "narrow minded", then what reasonable argument based on fact could Sam Harris put forward to persuade you?
He doesn't use "reason and logic" to prove his points. He uses anecdotes. I don't expect anyone to be convinced by that. It will only appease the atheist existentialists who already believe (or at least want to believe) it. You can make anything sound dangerous by linking them to terrorism but that doesn't make it so.
@pnarey He doesn't need to beat a dead horse that's already been buried as far as reason is concerned. Watch some of his debates with theologians if you'd like to see that.
There is a difference between specialized knowledge at an advanced level (e.g neurosurgery) and the big picture / objective knowledge, which rationally undermines religious belief. These types of knowlege are both sources of power... the former produces money, the latter produces wisdom.
Come on Sam. All arguments against religion are null and void. Meaningless. The problem with the world is not Religion, it is money. Remove money from society and organised religion disappears. Research the Venus Project.
nansir 4 days ago
@nansir how do you explain superstitions that have nothing to do with money, like black cats and walking under ladders?
Lairdesangfroid 3 days ago
I think you are wrong, war has nothing to do with religion, religion is just used as a pretext/excuse and a way of manipulating the masses. Wars have to do with greed, the need of power and control over the earth's resources.
AlbinaCarpatina 1 week ago in playlist Uploaded videos
@AlbinaCarpatina Spot on, good sir.
GHOSTpssrby 1 week ago
@AlbinaCarpatina I think it does and doesn't, war may have something to with religion when it comes to the people doing the shooting, i think this is what Sam was getting at, the people who are willing to die for their religious beliefs. But it doesn't when it comes to the people giving the orders, sending the troops and creating the war. They are the ones if which religion plays not part, they are (in agreement with your comment)the ones who only care about money, resources etc gained after it.
nathanB091 5 days ago
Thank you for posting this, bigthink.
writersblock26 1 month ago
Ridicule them. It has to go. Make them look as stupid as they actually are and make them realise it. The human race cannot progress to its full potential with the existence of the aforementioned.
djalexmac 1 month ago
@djalexmac to true why should we be held back by religon
MIAnotKIA 1 week ago
disinformation much?
sgtcojonez 1 month ago
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Religion enslaves people. Jesus Christ came to set captives free. Jesus Christ paid the price of our sin so that those who chose Him could gain an eternal inheritance.
Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Spoken Word (youtube it!)
19justinbrown88 1 month ago
If there wasnt religion in higher power there would be other ideologies that would provoke hatred towards other tribes. Most of us arent capable of feeling safe without belonging to some group and belonging to a group means always adpoting ideologies of that group. You give your power then to the ideology or master mind of that system and you are nothing but a safe feeling tool. Fear is our enemy number one and I would dare to suggest, is the only source of all the problems we have today.
StardustSpaceMonkey 1 month ago
@StardustSpaceMonkey its not fear its heritage. If father was racist there is a big chance that he rises his son to be a racist. Diversity of ideologies and opinions forces cultural evolution and unification slows down this evolution.
Geroskop 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
it is not so much about religion, it's the fact that one person believes in something that is different. for instance raider fans stabbing charger fans at a game. same can be said for a group of hooligans fighting each other because manchester is playing liverpool! that's what's dangerous. down to the nitty gritty is that as long as there are humans left on this planet, there will always be conflict because no two people will ever agree on everything.
dmags81 1 month ago
@dmags81 "As long as there are two people left on the planet, someone will want someone dead."- The Sniper
195ashes 1 month ago
@Everyone @'ing MsOdaliske : I think the point you're overlooking is that he/she said "innocent" people. Obviously, innocence is a very loose term to coin in respect of labeling who can or can not be killed. Don't believe what I believe? Guilty.
TheGreggAlexander 2 months ago
Shame on this guy trying to talk like an educated person with reason or knowledge. Why should I even believe something from him coming from a country that has been killing thousands of innocent people all over the planet, so don't pick on religion or Islam or whatever! Talk about your non-believing presidents and administrations because religious people are not allowed to kill innocent people.
MsOdaliske 2 months ago
@MsOdaliske that doesnt stop em from killing other people?
(ger)
Hans27004 2 months ago
@MsOdaliske Oh really mate? Ever heard of the Cruzades? or Inquisition? Get your facts straight.
Mursilia 2 months ago
@MsOdaliske "religious people are not allowed to kill innocent people." I am truly dumbfounded. I can't believe that a 21st century person is actually making this claim. The most "holy" people in the Bible and Qur'an were given that status for mass murder in the name of Yahweh or Allah among other atrocities. Read one page out of the Old Testament then try to make such a claim ever again.
ThoseWhoDoVoodoo 2 months ago
@MsOdaliske lol ur ignorant
arandompotato32 2 months ago
@arandompotato32 noooo, thats ignorant your being ignorant (michael jackson) HEE HEE!
ChiefandSamus 2 months ago 2
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tontsa911 1 month ago
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@ChiefandSamus Haha :D I mean hee-hee! Shamona!
tontsa911 1 month ago
Unfortunately something I think a lot of Atheists don't seem to make a distinction between is giving up a certain religion and giving up god. Yes these are actually two different things.
rogueremis 2 months ago in playlist Uploaded videos
This man needs to stop using Islam as his go-to hate religion in every example. I agree with most of what he says but, right or not, the world's second largest religion is not going to convert overnight.
What he is doing by using Islam as an example and pointing out how their religion condones violence and terrorism is demonizing the other 1.5 billion peaceful followers who don't follow this alleged teaching, and further straining the relationship between them and the western world. (esp. USA)
RozzamaTRON 2 months ago in playlist Uploaded videos
@RozzamaTRON He's using Islam as an example because radical Islam is giving us examples. There hasn't been an attack carried out by a christian, or a jew, or any other religion for quite some time that can compete with 9/11, he isn't picking on Islam, he's using examples that are easy to relate to, and those just happen to be about Islam
MrCharlieismad 2 months ago
your the man!
SirSneakE 2 months ago
his big ass right ear has more knowledge in Islam than he himself
ryanbrianatgmxdoteu 2 months ago
@ryanbrianatgmxdoteu Really? Personal insult. Get out you fool.
demented737 2 months ago
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auroraman56 3 months ago
In islam Killing 1 is like killing whole of humanity and, saving 1 is like saving whole of humanity. U can not point ur finger at religion but rather the individual who is responsible .Their r so many americans converting to islam , y do u think ? Do they want to blow themselves up? NOOOO. its because they know the truth, not wht media is feedin tham . ur eatin wht media feeding u without questioning if it is true.Islam is peace.If u want to know abt islam u read the Quran. Talk to a muslim.
4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago in playlist More videos from bigthink
@4evermuslimgirl well said sister
tahshin1601 3 months ago
@tahshin1601 thanks
4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl I guess that's why Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Iran are such peaceful countries. They have extreme devotion to Islam, but it seems they have a different view of Islam than you do. Are they wrong? They're Muslims too. They read the Quran and base their entire society around it. If I talked to them, would I receive the same view of Islam as you? Why the large discrepancy? Are they wrong? They follow what the Quran says. How can they be wrong?
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl But if you don't convince me that I'm wrong, then I'm going to spend the rest of eternity, after I die, burning in Hell. Can you in good conscience let me burn in Hell for the rest of eternity and not try to save me from that? I want to be convinced. Don't just shrug me off saying we won't agree. It's your duty to God to convince me. I was saying that you say Islam is peace, when clearly that would mean that Muslim countries would be peaceful, which they are not. Explain.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl Something can't come from nothing, but God can? Where did God come from? Did God just create itself or did God just come into being? Either way it doesn't make sense. Or even if you say God was just always there, that doesn't make any sense either. And as well, I don't BELIEVE in science. Science is a methodology for testing things and proving whether or not they are true based on repeatable results that show evidence, not a belief. Great cop-out about God's will too.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl If Dianetics had a lot of scientifically proven facts that we know as well, that doesn't mean Scientology is any truer just because it has some correct information. The reason the Quran has some scientifically correct information is because the Arabs at the time the Quran was written were very smart and advanced in the works of science. That has no bearing on the Quran being true.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl We just found out about mountains recently? What?! Mountains didn't exist when the Quran was written? And what are these magical rivers that have sweet water? I have yet to find any river with sucrose naturally in it. And the Quran talks about the Moon as well. Wow ... maybe because they had eyes and they could see the Moon, just like everybody else with eyes. All these things aren't future predictions because they could just have easily been observed back then as well.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl As well, I never said Western countries aren't guilty of the same crimes and I'm certainly not mad at you. Some of my friends are Muslims and I as well used to be a person of faith in Christianity. I'm not pointing fingers solely at Islam. You say that maybe if some people stopped killing in those places that they would be more stable. That's obvious, but they don't, because they believe the killing is justified by their belief in God and what the Quran says. Am I wrong?
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl But what I keep asking YOU, and you keep dodging my question, is why can't that same logic be applied to God? Where did God come from? You're so adamant to keep raising the "something from nothing" point, but you can't offer an explanation as to where God came from. AS well, your fingers and hands weren't made by nothing. They were made by your parents just like the rest of your body.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl Why? Why isn't God created?
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl A man named Sam gave birth to a child? Which universe do you live in?
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl I can't answer the question, because what you asked me is physically impossible. Now maybe ... if you rephrase the question to the point that it makes sense and it is not physically impossible, then I will answer it.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl So when i ask you some tough questions, to which you have no logical answer, you just throw a bunch of questions back to me that you think I can't answer? Great way to convince someone that you know something about what you;re talking about. And contrary to what you think I will do to respond to this asinine comment, which is that I will give up and not answer your questions, I will answer your questions.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl I can't prove there is no God, just like I can't prove there are no elves, unicorns, fairies, or leprechauns. The burden of proof is on the person making the claim, which is YOU. You say there is a God, and so it is up to you to prove that God does indeed exist. You have consistently shown you have NO evidence that God exists and that you cannot even use basic logic to even try to convince me that God exists.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl Do I believe in the unseen? There are ways to scientifically prove that unseen things exist regardless of whether or not we can see them. So if I can't see something, but I can scientifically prove that it exists, then I will believe that is is indeed there. For example, we can't see air, but when you blow up a balloon, that is proof that air exists. I can't see electrons, but there is scientific proof that they are there. EVIDENCE is the key word here.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl Great way to sum up your beliefs: I believe what I want to believe regardless of logic. Why didn't you just say that from the beginning? It would have saved me a lot of time. Thank you for your time, and I hope you can actually look at what you believe and see if it actually makes any sense. I know it's hard to give up something like that. I believe that I've been a closet atheist my whole life, I just never had the guts to admit I'm an atheist. Use logic. Please.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@auroraman56 my religion is logical . if u want to say it's not thts ur problem. stop twisting my words . i'm not going waste my time talking to u . look at this page thts enough .
4evermuslimgirl 2 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl Of course an atheist can lie, cheat, steal, be rude, and kill. So can Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Just because I CAN do something, doesn't mean I will or that I should. Of course there are rules for atheists. Humans have basic rules to follow if we want to create a functioning society. Denmark is a primarily atheist country and they still have basic moral rules. Saying that without God that there is no morality is completely false.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl Where do we go when we die? Nowhere. Why do we have to go somewhere? Just because you're afraid of the nature of death, and that the idea that you will live on after you die, doesn't make it true that there is an afterlife. When you're dead, you're dead. In fact, that makes me appreciate my life far more than if I would have an afterlife, because that means this life here is just a waiting station to a greater paradise. What's the point of that?
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl Why are other religions not right? Because none of them make any sense either. Religion is based on faith, which is the suspension of logic and reasoning against hard evidence. That's why all religions are not right, because it is their responsibility to PROVE what they say about their religion is true, but the can't. It's all based on indoctrination and close-mindedness in the face of evidence and logic saying religions are wrong.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl What's the logic behind atheism? Logic itself. Atheism is based off of logic. What you asked is kind of redundant. Atheism is the dis-belief in any sort of God because there is no evidence or logic to prove a God exists. It's as simple as that.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl As an atheist, I can do whatever I want, so long as what I do does not infringe upon the basic rights of other people. Things like honesty, fairness, and respect are basic human principles. They didn't just show up just because God said so. As I said, look at a country like Denmark or Sweden. If atheists can do whatever they want, why don't the people in those countries have more crime than religious countries? Because basic human principles DO NOT depend on God/religion.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl I am truly stunned by your inability to even give me one rational and coherent thought about your religious beliefs. You either give me arguments and proofs that make no sense whatsoever or you try to cop-out and just say God will show me. I'm not asking God; I;m asking you. I asked God wholeheartedly for 19 years of my life and I got no answer. I'm asking you, as a follower of God, to give me a good reason, but you can't. You can't even use logic properly. *facepalm*
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl I'm "un rational"? I believe you mean irrational. First of all, my logic is not irrational, you just have no knowledge of what logic really is, or you don't apply it to religion because you were told not to and you're afraid of what will happen if you do. Also, maybe you could learn proper spelling and grammar. I have not twisted any words you said at all, I showed that they make no sense. But in the end, you just say logic means nothing, only God. Wow, you're convincing.
auroraman56 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl "a man can not give birth to a child . so god is uncreated . me asking u if a man gave birth to a child is like u asking me the creator of god its not logical"
There is no logical tie at all between why a man can't give birth to a baby and why God couldn't have been created. A man can't give birth to a baby because it is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, not because it is illogical. It is, however, logical to presume something created God because something can't come from nothing.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl As well, it is ridiculous to say that the universe is made by God just because a tree can't turn into a boat without someone making it. We KNOW that a tree can't turn into a boat without someone making it because a boat is a man-made thing. However, there is no evidence to say that this universe was made by God, other than the completely false "evidence" in your "Holy Book" that you cling to so firmly to base your life around, instead of thinking things out for yourself.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl There is evidence that something created the boat, because we know that a boat is a man-made object. However, there is NO evidence that God created the world just because humans create things. That is extremely flawed logic and it makes no sense. You only believe that because of what the Quran says. I could just as easily say that a flying spaghetti monster created the world or that a gigantic leprechaun named Seamus created the world. Your argument makes no sense.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
@4evermuslimgirl Of course a boat can't make itself, BECAUSE IT IS A MAN-MADE OBJECT! And there is evidence to prove that claim. However, it is not logical to say that the universe is made by God, because there is no EVIDENCE to claim that the universe is a God-made thing. I'm not changing what you're saying, you're just trying to make the argument sound different, when it isn't at all. AND AS WELL, you still did not answer me on why God doesn't have to be created.
auroraman56 3 months ago
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4evermuslimgirl 3 months ago
Atheists are far more annoying that any religious person I've ever met. Just because you don't believe in god doesn't mean you have to and try to force everyone to believe the same as you.
JustAWasteOfTime 3 months ago
@JustAWasteOfTime I was the same way before I became an atheist. Religious people don't like atheists because they ask the tough questions that try to see what religious beliefs you actually have and to see whether you actually believe what you say you do. How is that forcing you to believe there is no God? It's not forcing you to believe there is no God, it's trying to get you to think rationally whether there is a God or not. That's not force.
auroraman56 3 months ago
That 10 percent of people would downvote this is shocking.
TheAzureFish 4 months ago
To say that economics do not play a part in a persons frustrations is short sighted to say the least, and worst, ignorant. Religion adds purpose to the act, but the absence of religion does not mean the absence of violence. It only nullifies the purpose. Without religion, people would have to examine their purposes for being violent, but doesn't mean violence would cease to exist.
So long as there is a survival instinct in people there will be violence.
pfassett 5 months ago
You seem to be confusing zealotry with religion. If you wish to debase religion, please look at all of the good and holy people that have walked the path of religion (Mother Theresa?). The fact that some people take a warped view on the message of religion does not make religion inherently dangerous. Your mind frame is far to narrow.
Freakniik 5 months ago
@Freakniik Mother Theresa? The fraudster (watch?v=9WQ0i3nCx60)?
Anyway: There is only one true view on the messages of all the religion in the world: They are all made up. Despite claiming otherwise.
TomFynn 4 months ago
Is this a new interview with Sam? I know he was on Big Think over a year ago... dunno if this is a new one or it was just uploaded again.
DaveMcG 5 months ago
the dangers of a socialist soulless NWO controlling the world, is much worse than religon.
Zephyesa 5 months ago
Sam Harris keeps it real, word up. But I got to disagree on this one Sam, religion is not dangerous as some say. the thing is if you ask yourself a question: Have I yet investigated what Jesus, Moses and Mohamed said and did as oppossed to 'what' people say they said and did? And this is to be fair and objective. You'll also notice they said the same exact thing: ''There is no god whatsover except The One True God, try your best to obey him.'' What do you think?
lastsaracen 5 months ago
Au contrare. Any news agency that deliberately lies about the facts concerning person(s) can be sued for liable. That's why all reporters are required to verify their sources before they report. Check out the laws of jornalism.
daddyrich3701 6 months ago
@daddyrich3701 It's true that you can sue a newspaper for character defamation. But as someone who has actually tried to do that, it's really hard. They're well funded and proving intent is difficult. Also, they are protected, even in court, from giving up their sources. It's really hard to win those cases. But it does happen.
fatouche99 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I see your point.
daddyrich3701 6 months ago
I was born into a culture influenced by Islam and my grandparents were Muslims. All the time I was relying on interpretations by Islamic authorities about this belief system, so I called myself a Muslim too, but it only took me only once to read the Qur'an to become an atheist. The Qur'an is a book that promotes hatred, murder, sexual discrimination and is full of contradictions. If a Muslim is a good, non-violent person, it's definitely not thanks to Islam.
TheAida365 6 months ago
Don't worry, the bible and the torah make religion par for the course. Those books are the greatest advocates for atheism known to man.
daddyrich3701 6 months ago
@TheAida365 Islam is violent because it is in the world and of it. Our Father in heaven, a term moslems do not know, because allah is not the true God, he is islam's god, but he is not a true God. If you call upon the name of God, through Christ, our mediator, because we have sin and need a savior to take it away, we can have that relationship restored. Christ did it all for us, he put himself up on the cross instead of us, to be our sin, and we can have God as Father. Ask and will be given
TheLionessjudah 5 months ago
Great points!
CreativeMindzs 6 months ago
Religion is not dangerous. The people who are wiling to distort and lie about religion to fit to their ideology are dangerous. The individuals who readily believe what they are told without fact checking themselves are dangerous. This is the same as saying the media is dangerous. In America there is no law that states news agencies have to tell the truth. They can lie all they want. The individuals who watch the news and believe it are as equally dangerous as religion. Sam Harris is dangerous.
Melexonitrate 6 months ago
Au contrare my friend. News agencies are compelled to report the truth or they risk getting sued. Now if you're talking about TV personalities who have their own agendas then that's one thing and those people can be dangerous as well. Especially the ones such as O'Reilly & Hannity who spew self righteous nonsense that has no analytical prowess and is so transparently bigoted.
daddyrich3701 6 months ago
@daddyrich3701 Right. Please site your sources. I might be wrong.. and If i am i would like to know. Can you please find me any type of news agency that has been sued ( successfully) for "lying" or "misrepresenting facts" Or a law that states you can't lie. Any news agency can lie in the U.S. Lets not even get into lying VS. unintentionally misrepresenting facts. It doesn't matter. As i said before, Religion, any type of news agency, and this Sam Harris are as equally dangerous as each other.
Melexonitrate 6 months ago
@daddyrich3701 Not anymore.
projectcensored[DOT]org/top-stories/articles/11-the-media-can-legally-lie/
"In February 2003, a Florida Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with an assertion by FOX News that there is no rule against distorting or falsifying the news in the United States."
[no w's]organicconsumers[DOT]org/rbgh/akre022103[DOT]cfm
"...the Court of Appeal held that the [FCC] position against news distortion is only a 'policy,' not a promulgated law, rule, or regulation."
YY4Me133 5 months ago
Nobody talks about the fact that the countries in Europe--Greece, Italy, Ire, Port, Spain--with the largest recent debt problems are also the most religious!
psistarpsi80 6 months ago
If you believe in talking snakes, 900 year old people, or that you have an "invisible friend", you have mental problems.
glennheston 6 months ago
The universe suffers from entropy, religion has nothing to do with the state of mankind, it is a scape goat for people who don't want to face the reality of existence
888WulfDog888 7 months ago
Personally I've never found it taboo to criticize religion. Its the one topic where I can offend someone and not care. What really gets me goin is when a religious person bashes another religion like Mormon or Scientology. Its like your religion is 98% fucked up and those religions are 99% fucked up big difference....
ronmann606 7 months ago
Religion in itself is not bad or dangerous, its the people who twist it around and misinterpret it mainly for convenience. Example, republicans who are against gay marriage and use religion sometimes as a ground to be against homosexuality when at the same time they are fine with fighting a pointless war which will cause a massive amount of death. Most religions do try to positively influence people as well. I myself am not religious but i see some good points in it. People make it corrupt
MurderousMarta 7 months ago
@MurderousMarta
HAHAHAHA, you've never read the bible or the qu'ran or any other religious text. Both books are full of violence, of killing and rape. Holy books are books that are meant to send people to war and kill those who believe differently.
MrAsaphelps 7 months ago
@MrAsaphelps actually i have read the bible, not the quran though. Even though those things are mentioned in the bible it doesn't say that people should commit all those acts. Like some people say the bible is a book of stories but it doesn't make them not true. A history book can also have all those stories in it but it doesnt make it bad, just talking about it doesnt make it bad. The people who act out things in the name of religion are the ones responsible for their acts and thats bad
MurderousMarta 7 months ago
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@MurderousMarta
Are you kidding? The bible instructs you to kill. It tells you to kill homosexuals, those who are not virgins on their wedding day, those who work on sunday, etc. It doesn't say that they deserve death or that they are going to hell, it instructs you to kill them. So don't come to me and say the bible doesn't tell you do to violent things.
MrAsaphelps 6 months ago
@MurderousMarta "Like some people say the bible is a book of stories bit it doesn't make them not true."
Take out the "not" and you have a similarly legitimate argument for the other side. It's bad because some/most believers have faith that there is a God to enforce the stories as legitimate, or else...
therabbithole999 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Religion is laughable. Where is your critical thinking? The bible is immoral. Yahweh is an unthinkably violent and miserable figment of our knuckle-dragging imaginations. Grow up.
mouthyweasel 7 months ago
Aggressive and mean? Sam Harris? Compared to Hitchens? To me aggression is the uncontrolled spouting of unreasoned discourse, founded on emotional ranting that you get from a lot of the commenters on YouTube (the F you you're gaaaaay crowd). This is calmly reasoned and presented. Hitchens I personally feel has more emotional fervour and still is excellently reasoned. Try divorcing your own emotions from the argument before posting, perhaps?
cargouk 7 months ago
Guy is far too aggressive and mean to be a good spokesman for atheism. Hitchens is far better at being what atheism needs to be taken seriously.
74BobLilly 7 months ago
@74BobLilly trolololololol
BuBBaGump014 7 months ago
@74BobLilly It's typical of the theist to claim someone is aggressive and mean simply because he calmly and reasonably states FACTS that refute the fairy tales of religions. I don't know if you're a theist or simply ridiculous, but to consider Sam Harris "aggressive and mean" in comparison with Christopher Hitchens is a bit like calling a fluffy bunny dangerous when compared to a rattlesnake. Sam Harris is by no means nearly as "mean" as Hitchens. He's just not as funny.
ciaochowbella 7 months ago
@ciaochowbella "Sam Harris is by no means nearly as "mean" as Hitchens"
Well, I am a theist and have read most of Hitchen's work and never felt he was "mean" about anything. I disagreed often, but felt he was just presenting the atheist position fairly and eloquently. Sam Harris, on the other hand, seems angry and mean. Like he is mad at theists, not trying to change their mind. His work reads more like an indictment than an argument. Written to stir up atheists, not convince theists to change.
74BobLilly 7 months ago
@74BobLilly You're the only one then. Hitchens is rabidly and vocally anti-theist and Harris is quietly and calmly atheist. Hitchens has called the religious leaders vicious and nasty names while Harris restricts himself to attacking doctrine and practice. Hitchens uses strong, vicious language whereas Harris barely calls a spade a spade. Hitchens openly admits he wishes to offend and Harris begins by saying he only wishes to discuss.
BTW, theist change themselves. Not writers.
ciaochowbella 7 months ago
Isn't Sam Harris the one that said: "What will we do if an Islamist regime, which grows dewy-eyed at the mere mention of paradise, ever acquires long-range nuclear weaponry? If history is any guide, we will not be sure about where the offending warheads are or what their state of readiness is, and so we will be unable to rely on targeted, conventional weapons to destroy them. In such a situation, the only thing likely to ensure our survival may be a nuclear first strike of our own."
Just wow.
74BobLilly 7 months ago
@74BobLilly So what? That is hardly as vitriolic as the prose that Hitchens uses. Harris starts out by saying he doesn't wish to offend, just discuss. Hitchens states over and over that he doesn't care if he offends.
You're certainly trying, but if that's the best example you have trying to prove that Harris is more vicious in his invective than Hitchens, you're failing miserably.
ciaochowbella 7 months ago
@ciaochowbella -- So what to suggesting our only course likely to ensure our survival is a nuclear first strike against Islam? To me that is pretty radical. I am not sure how you could take a more aggressive stance than that.
74BobLilly 7 months ago
@74BobLilly Indeed, it might very well be radical, but that doesn't change the fact that his style and presentation is much milder and gentler than Hitchens. Hitchens also proposes that we may have to strike first in such a situation. Hitchens proposes a MUCH more aggressive stance when dealing with those who wish to reinstitute the Caliphate. He says that it absolutely cannot be allowed to happen, no matter what measures have to be taken to stop it.
A radical idea doesn't make one harsh.
ciaochowbella 7 months ago
@ciaochowbella-- Colder and more calculating and sinister is not milder. The loudest speaker is not the most dangerous. Theists never get the idea that Hitchens hates us. He thinks us stupid, but doesn't hate. Harris gives theists like me the impression of repressed hatred and spouting radical ideas like the need for a nuclear first strike lets that show through. There is a difference between saying we may have to use military force to stop something and suggesting a nuclear first strike.
74BobLilly 7 months ago
@74BobLilly You know what.....so what? So what if Sam Harris is harsh and vicious? If that is what it takes to make people wake the fuck up and realize that throwing your life away on a religion and ruining the world for the sake of an unproven, invisible deity, GOOD. I think you're stupid and repress my hatred for your ideology every damn day.
A nuclear first strike IS military force. And it is his freely held opinion that this might have to happen. I agree with him. It just migh have to.
ciaochowbella 6 months ago
@ciaochowbella "So what if Sam Harris is harsh and vicious?"
I just don't think your sudden admiration for harsh, mean and vicious makes atheism look very appealing. A Bertrand Russell or Christopher Hitchens makes a far more effective and persuasive argument for atheism in my view.
74BobLilly 6 months ago
@74BobLilly It's not a sudden admiration. I've always liked a well-turned vicious phrase. If it makes you pay attention, as it seems to have done, all the better.
Atheism is not a THING to find appealing. It's a non-belief. It's not a dogma or doctrine or creed. It's merely non-belief in gods. So if you find some arguments more appealing, fine.
I don't care who appeals to you as long as you give up your hate-filled dogma and use the intellect you possess for the good of the world.
ciaochowbella 6 months ago
I feel this talk is very narrow minded. First it asserts itself on the assumption that religion is wrong, which means the only people this talk is going to persuade are those people who share that assumption. Second, there is no scale. Religious organizations open hospitals, feed the hungry, pay for college, offer community, etc. Does this out way suicide bombers with PhD's?
pnarey 7 months ago
@pnarey If you consider sticking to reason and logic and rejecting superstition and faith "narrow minded", then what reasonable argument based on fact could Sam Harris put forward to persuade you?
IvanAndreevich 7 months ago
@IvanAndreevich
He doesn't use "reason and logic" to prove his points. He uses anecdotes. I don't expect anyone to be convinced by that. It will only appease the atheist existentialists who already believe (or at least want to believe) it. You can make anything sound dangerous by linking them to terrorism but that doesn't make it so.
pnarey 7 months ago
@pnarey He doesn't need to beat a dead horse that's already been buried as far as reason is concerned. Watch some of his debates with theologians if you'd like to see that.
IvanAndreevich 7 months ago
There is a difference between specialized knowledge at an advanced level (e.g neurosurgery) and the big picture / objective knowledge, which rationally undermines religious belief. These types of knowlege are both sources of power... the former produces money, the latter produces wisdom.
Kmacdonald2008 7 months ago
break the taboo and critisize religions! not the people, but the things they believe in!
drumdik 7 months ago
In these times of universal superstition and deceit, the metaphor "candle in the dark" couldn't apply more to Sam Harris.
Zen4Zorba 7 months ago 8
Great words from a great man
seks03 7 months ago