AAI Copenhagen 2010: P.Z. Myers - Speaking truth to absurdity [1/4]

Speaking truth to absurdity: Why science education needs vocal atheists.

P.Z. Myers has been told many times that atheists are scary, and that they frighten moderate god-believers away from science ... and that it would be better to mute the expression of their views on religion in order to promote science, rather than godlessness. However, that atheism is a product of an honest appreciation of the evidence, of the logic of science, and of the folly of magical and superstitious thinking.

The reason that atheists need to speak out even more loudly is that it is the only view that is true to the science, and that serves an even greater mission than science education: the encouragement of critical thinking in all matters in the populace. Besides, religion is just plain goofy.

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About P.Z. Myers:

Prof. Paul Zachary Myers works with zebrafish in the field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). A selfavowed godless liberal and outspoken atheist, he is a vocal skeptic of all forms of religion, superstition, spirituality and pseudoscience.

He is quoted as having "nothing but contempt for Intelligent Design", arguing that it is "fundamentally dishonest". In 2009 Myers was named the American Humanist Association's Humanist of the Year.
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P.Z.Myers on the web:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Atheism
• AAI
• Copenhagen
• 2010
• Gods&Politics
• Conference
• PZ
• Myers
• Why
• science
• education
• needs
• vocal
• atheists

[JMcH]

His assertion that churches disagree with each other is silly and quite a bit hypocritical. Most churches do not disagree on the core issues of Christianity. Disagreeing on secondary issues is a non-subject. Evolutionists agree on the core issue that evolution happened, but they do not agree on exactly how. Some say many slow changes over lots of time. Some say punctuated equilibrium. Some say life originated here on Earth. Others say it came from space. Do these disagreements discredit them?

[AteistiskSelskab]

@JMcH Oh, so they do not disagree on "core issues of Christianity"... So why do they make new churches, rituals, ceremonies, liturgy, bible interpretations and congregations? If it's not that big a deal, then why even bother? Please explain!

[JMcH]

@AteistiskSelskab - The things you mention are not core issues.

[AteistiskSelskab]

@JMcH And I didn't say they are core issues! I asked you WHY these funny little people think it's necessary to create new churches etc. when YOU say they do not disagree on "core issues of Christianity"... Then why create a new church professor?

[MultiUniv3rsal]

@JMcH Guess what science never ever does? Choose to embrace or dogmatically cling to ideas.

That's your job, asshole.

[MultiUniv3rsal]

@JMcH No, no it isn't. Making shit up doesn't help you. Crying about it sure don't help, either.

[JMcH]

@TaylorThaHick - Ah, a clever little video. I love how they start out defining what open-mindedness is in a way that favors their position, but which is without any sort of neutral source. "This is what open-mindedness is because we say that's what it is." And it just degenerates from there on in.

[JMcH]

@TaylorThaHick - Morton's neuromas do not fix themselves. The only man-made permanent "solution" to them is surgery to sever/remove or otherwise disable (through alcohol injections or a cryogenic treatment) the affected part of the nerve. We researched this. As I said, though, such "solutions" have serious negative side effects. My wife's pain was a daily struggle for her. We're now several years past her healing and she has never complained once about neuroma pain in her feet.

[JMcH]

@MultiUniv3rsal - Actually, the word "neo-atheist" has been around for a while and is often used in the atheist community. Does lying about me and telling me to kill myself make you feel smart?

[JMcH]

@Woland440 - A lot of science gave up its future when it chose to embrace and dogmatically cling to the ideas of abiogenesis, evolution, and a universe created from nothing.

[JMcH]

@TaylorThaHick - True insanity is rare. You're labeling billions of people in the world as insane. Is that really the position you wish to take? Is the human race truly that bad off according to you?

[JMcH]

@TaylorThaHick - "Occasionally?" Quite the straw man you have burning there. The Bible has been accurate on far, far more than just "some... towns and a few people." It literally has been responsible for more archaeological finds than any other source from antiquity. Even when the historical record of the Bible was doubted and even vehemently refuted, later findings vindicated the biblical record and new findings continue to do so.

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH @JMcH I'd like you to watch a video on open mindedness. You may use the terms open and closed minded in a different way after watching the video.  youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqX­I

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH I am curious what the doctor would have made of your cause analysis - would they say "that was impossible, its a miracle" or "neuromas often fix themselves" or something to that effect.