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?

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH I would have to agree that MultiUniv3rsal goes too far, but sometimes when you think you are talking to someone that is emotionally locked down on an issue, the only recourse is ridicule. I prefer to use ridicule sparingly, to educate, rather than make someone feel bad for its own sake.

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH Looked up Neo-Atheist Neo-atheism is the acerbic, shrill polemics of writers like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris or Christopher Hitchens who disparage and refute the truth of the Bible. Unlike their predecessors, they exhibit both a ferocity and antagonism to religion which borders on the manic and seeks to demonize fundamentalist strains of Christianity and creationism. It also promulgates an excessive zeal for evolution or Darwinism.

I love all the loaded phrases, was worth reading

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH Interesting use of the phrase, I recommend "A Universe From Nothing" by Lawrence Krauss. You can watch it as a youtube video for free.

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH When you say thing like "scientists know it will never be found" you show yourself as uneducated and purposefully ignorant. Don't skuttle your credibility with statements like that, or we might lable you as a bible thumpin Christian rube.

200 years ago, you would have said "proof of evolution is the holy grail of those godless scientists, but they know the proof will never be found" You'd be wrong about that too.

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH Here is a list of "miracles" done by Sathya Sai Baba in our lifetimes. Like Jesus, he was able to raise people from the dead. Reading this testimonial evidence, are you convinced? Why or why not? And what does that mean, ultimately?

It seems it won't take a link here. Do a google search on Sathya Sai Baba Miracles, it is the first article.

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH Name just one bit of evidence of the supernatural. Testimonial evidence would not be sufficient. Do you know how much testimonial evidence of the supernatural there is in India right now? If any scientist tested any of that testimonail evidence and found it confirmed, it would set the scientific community on fire, right? And to reflect your statement - there is no shred of evidence flimsy enough that a Christian will not use it to support their emotional convictions.

[JMcH]

@TaylorThaHick What evidence of a then nomadic group do you think would survive the harsh climate of a desert? Plenty of evidence of the supernatural -- both in physical and testimonial form -- abound. The Shroud of Turin has never been conclusively proven a fake, but not that it matters. It could be proven to be 2000 years old and you still would reject it. The wood with soy sauce was from 20 years ago. Don't care about Lourdes. For skeptics, nothing will be convincing.

[TaylorThaHick]

@JMcH Israeli archeologist, for example, have found no evidence that the jews wandered in the desert for 40 years. There is no evidence of anything supernatural happening ANYWHERE, much less the supernatural that is claimed in the bible. The shroud of turin is fake, all the beams of noah ark are found to be modern wood with soy sauce painted on it, lourdes has never healed anyone of something not psychosomatic, there are no convincing references to jesus outside the bible, etc. .

[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.