The Atheism Tapes - Richard Dawkins - Atheism Is Important

[procommenter]

As naturally as two follows one & three precedes four, “atheism” accompanies an intellectual declivity in the populace-at-large.

[procommenter]

Hobbism : the Hobbesian theory that absolutism in government is necessary to prevent the war of each against all to which natural selfishness inevitably leads Mankind.

[jciljciljcil]

A fanatic is someone who can't change their mind and won't change the subject.

[frankystein12]

Atheism is such a pressing issue because unless there are more people declaring their atheism right into the open, the world is going to get hijacked by religious loons.

[aguteempasil]

@frankystein12 hopefully one day there wont be religious loons left in the world. not in our time though.

[DoomNoMore]

Most atheists in the world (who live in countries which have more atheists or not oppressive religious) they not CARE about religion. Problem is when atheists and religious live in a majorly religious country, like the USA, religious want to push religion laws on atheists.

[arrowclock]

themanwithtveyes are you serious?

[OldBalrog]

He has a conspiracy theory going, you won't penetrate that. Just don't turn your back on him, the voices might tell him to stick a knife in you.

[TheManWithTVEyes]

The United Nations wants the world's population reduced to one-half billion. Jane Goodall is a member of this organization, one of its key spokesmen. The U.N. refers to the world's impoverished people as worthless eaters. Heaven protect us from Jane Goodall. Further: the U.N. is purported to have sterilized 100,000's of impoverished women without their consent. I don't appreciate this old woman's perverted views of Mankind. She treats us like chimps, if not worse. She's an abomination.

[procommenter]

[atheism n -s 2 : godlessness esp. in conduct : UNGODLINESS, WICKEDNESS /// religion 7b : a quality, condition, custom of thing inspiring zealous devotion, and conscientious maintenance (Fr. p. 137 & p. 1918 of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary -- 1967)]

[kaxitaksi]

I don't understand why atheism is such a big deal in fx US. Atheism is the natural state of any new born being. Christianity or any other religion for that matter is not a natural state of mind.

[BirdFantastic]

I love Dawkins so much

[3ballard]

I'd feel a lot more comfortable if there'd ever been a successful atheist state. In largely secular Europe I feel we're undergoing a great social experiment. Will it work?

The social system here seems to be under great strain and there's there's a lot of cultural and moral relativism.

[Melimeo]

The only singularity is infinity and everything else is just mind bugling...Nothing wrong with that...Accept this and you accept yourself on a different level...

[andrewmanford]

I love Richard Dawkins. He's such a great public figure for the scientific and skeptical community.

[Superslemmet]

@procommenter You do know that well over 90% of the scientific elite the world over are atheists?

The world would be a much better place without all the religious retards messing everything up.

The percentage of atheists in prisons is close to zero, why is that so?

After 4 years of maths and physics, only one of my fellow students who are left (i.e. who have passed their exams) is religious. Being religious seems to have an adverse effect on understand and learning, at least at higher levels.

[procommenter]

@Superslemmet : [{atheism 2 : godlessness esp. in conduct : UNGODLINESS, WICKEDNESS} -- fr. p. 137 of "Webster's Unabridged Dictionary" of 1967 -- exactly as it appears, including the uppercase letters...]

[procommenter]

A conjecture does not meet the definition of the word "science" whose derivation is fr. the Latin verb "scire" meaning "to know." To suppose, theorize, guess, as had Darwin & his boot-licks, is not scientific. Darwinism is a relic of the 19th century. It fills a religious void in the warped minds of Western-Civilization-destroyin­g "atheists."

[gbrownstrat]

@procommenter You obviously know little of science. Guessing and theorizing aren't scientific? Are Newton's laws of motion just relics of the 17th century?

[Superslemmet]

@procommenter Pray tell me what relevance an almost 50 year old dictionary has to this debate?

I can make my own definition, and it would be just as relevant. Look!

: [{ procommenter: dick esp. in conduct : FORUM TROLL, RETARD}

The statistical data all paint the same picture of what the average atheist is. Well educated and non-criminal. This applies over all countries and cultures. The atheists, as a group, are always the best and the brightest.

And Darwin has nothing to do with atheism.

[procommenter]

@Superslemmet : You are common.

[brklyn22]

catholic church=public pedofile service

[LJCampbell25]

Ok but where did the highly evolved minds 'superior to ours' come fm, and so on and so on, and so on and so on and so on and so on ad finitum? There still has 2 be a "HIGHLY superior first cause Mind" so 2 speak that started it all.

[jwthomas777]

And where did the " 'HIGHLY superior first cause Mind' so 2 speak that started it all" come from?

[procommenter]

"Atheism" is the religion of Statism.

[MyPrivateMuse]

Wow, you're so deluded. Sad.

[procommenter]

Be joyful for the new year!

[connerjd]

Read your dictionary. The dictionary says that an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in any God. The definition is nothing more or less.

[NMFUntouchable]

It is to me.

[tdp1909]

Indeed.

[tdp1909]

No it isn't!

[BedheadLove]

It's important because religion is oppressive; atheism is a way to free yourself.

[tdp1909]

... assuming religion has never emancipated and atheism has never oppressed...

[BedheadLove]

I wasn't assuming anything; I was simply speaking from personal experience. Religion oppressed me, but now I am free from all of that. Well, at least in my personal life, though, I live in a nation that shoves its doctrines down my throat and knocks on my door when I'm eating.

[daniel476smith]

Free your self from what? China is atheist and they have a very oppressive government. Look at history it is full of people from both sides being oppressive. This has nothing to do with a religion or none. Oppression happens because powerful people feel a need to harm others.

[UnluckyGambler]

@daniel476smith free self from religious delusion. this has nothing to do with systems of government. besides, some of the best countries are atheist. u just picked relatively bad one.

[Theboxer500]

@BedheadLove Oh i get it. You ppl aren't looking for the truth instead you just wanna be free. But being free can also fuck you over in life. Ppl who have way too much freedom lose themselves in life's sins. Islam is the way of a healthy life and respectful one too. Atheists have no morals at all.

[schoolboy169]

@Theboxer500 Wow. So you are saying that you need an " all seeing space god" to make sure that you dont go out and kill, steal, and rod? The one's that don'thave morals are religious people. Atheist are good for the sake of being good, you are good because " O no god is going to get me". your not moral your just scared.

[Theboxer500]

@Theboxer500 Thats what you would say because you are an "Atheist". Unlike you i look at both sides of the story. Let me tell you something. if religion is gone, ppl will have no fear of God so therefore they will commit sins. If religion is there ppl already have morals but they also have fear of God. Islam teaches to fear Allah because he is your creator and he decides everything for you. I can also give you some useful proves of how i know that Islam is the only true religion. Just ask me.

[WhatTheAce]

@Theboxer500 If Islam is a peaceful religion, then i am a dog..

[Theboxer500]

@WhatTheAce Good job!!! you got 10 points for recognizing yourself : D

[WhatTheAce]

@Theboxer500 funny..

[thoma670]

@Theboxer500

The level of intellect that you implore in the mastery of the English language and the ability to articulate cohesive rational thought has given you vast credibility. Nonetheless, your theological argument and the vernacular you employ is exactly demonstrative of Dr. Dawkins point. As a student and active community member, your ignorance on the morality of atheists is deplorable.

Go read- I'd suggest the history of modern civilization or a 6th Grade Biology curriculum?

[MrKGatl]

@Theboxer500 You dont look at both sides of the story. I dont need a "sky daddy" watching everything that i do. I dont need a babysitter to be a good person, like you just stated that you do. I live life without god and am a good person. Allah is a falsehood. Did you know Muhammed married a 6 year old. He was a pedophile. Once again your useful proves are hallucinations. Im glad this was over the internet, i dont want you trying to decapitate me as an infidel.

[Theboxer500]

@MrKGatl he wasn't a pedophile, because he never slept with her until she was old enough like around 18. Plus she was nine not 6

[MrKGatl]

@Theboxer500 thats not true. he "knew" all of his wives. yeah like marrying a 9 year old is that much better than 6. hey atleast he didnt cut her nose off or kill her. Islam is a terribly corrupt ideology. Muslims are brainwashed. And the child are abused from the instant they are born.

and yes he was a pedophile amoung many other terrible things

[Sanquinity]

@Theboxer500 Where's the historical proof that he waited until she was 18? As the Qur'an is a very poor source for any proof of anything. Back in those days, Muhammed could have just 'said' he waited, but still had sex with that 'wife' in between the ages of 9 and 16. (back then, 16 was already considered as being adult, partially because you didn't live past like...45.)

[MrKGatl]

@Theboxer500 wrong. islam is a way of hatred, oppresion, and brainwashing

[Theboxer500]

@MrKGatl Really okay prove it buddy. Bring me the evidence of why you think that. You have any verses of the Koran that proofs this?

[MrKGatl]

@Theboxer500 Sure do. Have you actually read the Koran. theres also women and child abuse, psychological torture, and much more

Qur’an 9:123 “murder them and treat them harshly”

Qur’an 5:51 “Muslims, do not make friends with any but your own people.”

Qur’an 8:12 cp. 8:60 “Instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers”; “smite above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them”

Qur’an 2:191 “...kill the disbelievers wherever we find them”

[Sanquinity]

@MrKGatl Furthermore the Qur'an allows for 'legal rape'. It doesn't say so directly, but it is used that way. A virgin woman may not be killed. So what do they do? They first 'marry' (read: rape) the woman, then execute her. Heck, not even just women. Also girls as young as 12~14. Raped and executed. Not to mention forced marriage being legal, which is basically also rape since the woman didn't consent to the marriage, and thus also not to the marital sex afterwards.

[099749]

@BedheadLove

Religion does not have to be, an often you will find that athiests as they consider religion to be shere delusion, show little or no respect to people of faith, that can be oppressive to, and something athiests should consider, we all deserve a degree of respect. Something I do see is that a religious person can understand and respect an athiest as a person 'not yet aware', where as by contrast an athiest will generally deride a person of faith as a deluded fool.

[hrolvnir]

@BedheadLove religion can be oppressive, but it can also be a great tool for inspiring people and giving them hope. i am an atheist, btw.