Greg Epstein Interview

Interview with Greg Epstein, humanist chaplain of Harvard University.

http://www.harvardhumanist.org/

Filmed as part of my forthcoming documentary on atheism.

See more interviews and additional footage on my youtube channel or at http://www.gregorywalsh.net

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• harvard
• humanist
• chaplaincy
• humanism
• humanistic
• judaism
• secular
• atheist
• atheism
• gregory
• walsh
• documentary

[region1111]

This preachy jerk calls himself an atheist but still talks like a religious person. He even calls himself a "chaplain".

Why do I have a feeling he tries to sneak some sort of bullshit spiritualism in the back door?

I became an atheist to get away from people like this.

[UntamedAxeRage]

Definitionally, atheism is a conclusion that no gods exist based on a lack of any compelling evidence in support of that assertion.

To treat atheism as an exercise in petty tribalism is to reduce it to the level of any other religion.

If you "became an atheist" to get away from certain types of people, I would argue that you did it for the wrong reasons.

[region1111]

You seem to have missed the part of my message where I talked about spiritualist bullshit. Oh wait, you didn't miss it, you wilfully ignored it.

I just took it for granted that people would assume from that that I don't buy into any spiritual/religious garbage, but you're the sort of person who needs things spelled out letter by letter, hm?

In addition to wanting to get away from preaching fucknuts like epstein (who is still a rabbi btw), I also don't buy into any supernatural crap. Happy now?

[UntamedAxeRage]

Gosh, where on earth do people get that "angry atheist" stereotype from?

[region1111]

Changing the subject, mhm?

[UntamedAxeRage]

No, giving up entirely. I've dealt with enough people like you to recognize when rational argumentation is futile.

[billhainesnet]

You're the jerk. Epstein is an atheist, he doesn't talk like a religious person, he just doesn't talk like the nasty stereotype of an atheist either. He calls himself a chaplain because he is: the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard is older than he is, a long-respected position at a great university.

My guess is your feeling stems from willful ignorance and prejudice against religious folk.

And we don't become atheists by choice; we just realize at some point we already are. I suspect you're not.

[writersblock26]

@scopus83 Hahaha! I agree (and I say that as a straight man).

[writersblock26]

Thank you for posting this, UntamedAxeRage.

[rev2376]

@region1111 no. not at all. this john gray is a philosopher.  he has some very negative things to say about humanism and its self delusion in the belief of progerss.

[region1111]

@rev2376 is that the same john gray that wrote "men are from mars, women are from venus"?

[rev2376]

@region1111 check out a book titled "straw dogs" by john gray. he talks about humanism and how it is like religion, instead of putting their faith in a god, they put their faith in progress.

[moseslovesk]

@region1111 They take an us/them approach to humanity because of that belief, and it has caused nothing but strife. You are doing the same thing, but you're on the other side. All you're doing by taking an us/them stance, is strengthening their resolve, and intensifying the conflict. YOU are just as much a part of the problem as they are. Shame on you.

[moseslovesk]

@region1111 The fact is that science does not yet explain all phenomenon. This is probably due to the 800 years of technological suppression we experienced at the hands of absolutist religions. But that doesn't change the fact that there are things we can't scientifically explain (yet). Religion is the attempt to allegorically understand these things. The problem is that people have taken them entirely too literally.