Richard Dawkins: An atheist's call to arms

http://www.ted.com Biologist Richard Dawkins launches into a full-on appeal for atheists to make public their beliefs and to aggressively fight the incursion of religion into politics and education. Dawkins' scornful tone drew strongly mixed reactions from the audience; some stood and applauded his courage. Others wondered whether his strident approach could do more harm than good. Dawkins went on to publish The God Delusion and become perhaps the world's best-known atheist.

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[rudderham235235]

@timcp1 exactly! I see that we're on the same page. I probably expressed my self poorly because looking back I seam to suggest that I put blame on Christianity for the inquisition, and not the people who hijack it for their own purposes. You're absolutely right that it's foolish to blame an entire belief system for the actions of a few madmen who profess it.

[Elfonz0]

@bassbass99able What. The. Fuck. I can't even comprehend your moronic statement. An atheist will most likely not believe in the afterlife, so that means this is our only life we will ever have. Why would you want to waste the only time you will ever have to exist? I think I just wasted mine by explaining simple LOGIC to you.

[ThirstyCharlie]

@bassbass99able Things we know about give us a purpose and therefore a meaning

[bassbass99able]

I u r a atheist nothing matters so y dont you kill yr self

[timcp1]

@rudderham235235 What is the point thought? If someone were to kill in the name of peaceful motives, they would be called a hypocrite. People wouldn't say "Oh peaceful motives are bad." So if in the Ten Commandments it says You shall not kill, and in the New Testament Jesus didn't go around killing. And someone kills in the name of Christianity, people blame the faith? Not the hypocrite? That isn't consistent.

[BookofLife3242]

@mliuzzolino Well spoken.

[BookofLife3242]

@SeedsOfHatred

I wasn't implying that Dawkins is gay, nor do I care. As for his accent being British, that isn't the point either. There are British accents of many types, but to my ears, Dawkins' accent isn't pleasant because it sounds very prissy. Just puts me off and I don't understand the admiration for this man.

[rudderham235235]

@timcp1 Both the inquisition and Mao's purges were political acts. Neither were done because of atheism or Christianity, but to shore up individual ruler's power.

However I must point out that there is a much closer link between the inquisition and religion than between the purges and atheism. Mao's killings were not done under the banner of atheism as the inquisition was under the banner of faith.

On a side note, Catholics are Christians, and the inquisition courts had no authority over Jews.

[rudderham235235]

@mliuzzolino I'm not certain to whom your comment was addressed, because as for me, I couldn't imagine a logical argument contesting evolution.

When I asked "How was it so proven?" I was challenging someone to show how evolution was proven false. A challenge which doesn't appear to have been met.

But all the confusion might stem from this ridiculous comment system. Nobody can make heads or tales of it- let alone hold a logical and linear debate!

[madmangtr1]

@timcp1Mao and Stalin both wore shoes, too. Maybe we should all band together and create arguments against the use of shoes