Richard Dawkins on Paula Zahn

Interview of Richard Dawkins on Paula Zahn as an extension on CNN's story on atheism. Certainly too short an interview, but good to see Professor Dawkins finally getting on American TV.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Richard
• Dawkins
• Paula
• Zahn
• atheism
• God
• Delusion
• CNN

[littleleigh00]

having said that, i'm not trying to force my religion on anyone, believe what you want to believe, but don't make accusations that religious people don't live their life to the fullest here on earth, we do, but we know there's more

[DammitSteve]

I think you're half right - A "full life" is subjective, so there are obviously believers who do live full and wonderful lives. The problem is that when these very old and absolute texts like the Bible or Qur'an are followed literally or at least very closely, it can become a perfect example of a power structure that subjects a majority of people to an unbreakable cycle of suffering and powerlessness. Atheism doesn't solve this problem, but it does eliminate ONE of the problems - blind faith.

[littleleigh00]

But, if u think about it..if Christians are wrong, and this is all the life that there is, they really didn't lose anything, they just had hope in something that's not there, but it still gave them somewhat of peace on earth...(although i believe in life after death)..and if we're right, then we have gained the privelidge into the next world, whereas nonbelievers didn't earn that...so in that respect, being a christian (or religious) has nothing to lose, whereas atheism has everything to lose

[DammitSteve]

I don't think so. A christian basically has just as much to lose. Even you are right about the existence of a theistic god, there is no guarantee that the Christian dogma you follow is the correct one. A Christian in a world in which Islam is the one true religion would still face being branded an Infidel in the afterlife. You and I would be in the same boat. Technically the possibilities are limitless. The "nothing to lose" policy doesn't strike me as sincere belief, it's an insurance policy.

[latuman]

Well, I'm against slavery, dictatorship and cruel & unusual punishments, so that makes me anti-theist in this sense.

[naurbrannon]

he's doing this because, as he wrote in his book, he thinks that religion "belittle the beauty of the universe". So he's doing no more than protecting something he love, a noble occupation imho.

[tylerrepotter]

People like religion because when you are very very young and gaining empirical knowledge, you discover that you are thinking, and begin to wonder why you are thinking and why you were created and why you must some day die. This causes fear: knowing we will die. To deal with this fear, the sophisticated human mind creates comfort mechanisms of self delusion. Some smart power hungry people will invoke a religion without believing in it, and make themselves deities for material world gain.

[icutrollin]

durkha durkha

[thinkalott33]

WHAT IM STARTING TO SEE IS THAT ATHEIST REALY JUST WANT TO NO WHY GOD CLAMES TO BE LOVE . AND ALL OF THE THINGS YOU HERD HIM DO IN YOUR EYES DONT ADD UP . BUT REMEMBER BEFOR HE TOLD NOAH TO GET IN THE ARK . HE TOLD NOAH TO TELL THE PEOPLE HE WAS GOING TO SEND THE FLUDD . BEFOR EVE ATE THE APPLE HE WORNED HER THAT HATE AND DESTRUCTION WOULD COME FROM IT . BEFOR HE BURNED DOWN THE CITY OF SODOM AND GAMORRA . HE TOLD THE MEN TO STOP SLEEPING WITH MEN . HE WARNED US EVERY TIME ? OPEN YOUR EYES

[thinkalott33]

@ShogunRua19 GOD NEVER WANTING MAN TO SUFFER . YOU STILL DONT UNDERSTAND . IT IS US . THAT MAKE EVERYTHING HAPPEND . THE WORLD HAS CANCER AND YES THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE MAD . AT WHAT HAPPENDS . I LOST MY MOM . 8 YEARS LATER . LOST MY SISTER . 5 YEARS LATER . LOST MY DAD . AND YES I WAS MAD . BUT I NEW IN MY HEART THAT GOD DIDNT WANT NUN OF THAT TO HAPPEND . WE MAKE GUNS . PEOPLE DIE BY THEM . WE MAKE PLANES . PEOPLE DIE BY THEM . WE MAKE NIFES PEOPLE DIE BY THEM . IT IS US THAT IS SIN

[ShogunRua19]

@thinkalott33 problem it is being swept under the proverbial rug and once again if god is good would he behave in such a way or would he want to correct his children's behaviour so that they may spend an eternity with him in the kingdom of heaven as opposed to watching them suffer

[ShogunRua19]

@thinkalott33 not believing in you even if they lead decent lives were good people and lived a life full of love and happiness, because it seems to me there are people who use religion for righteous indignation and instead of being genuine use their religion as a back up plan for getting into heaven while still enabling them to be a dick during this life time. just as well the judge may be wrong in such a case rehabilitation could be more useful than inprisonment and instead of fixing the

[ShogunRua19]

@thinkalott33 not believing in you even if they lead decent lives were good people and lived a life full of love and happiness, because it seems to me there are people who use religion for righteous indignation and instead of being genuine use their religion as a back up plan for getting into heaven while still enabling them to be a dick during this life time

[ShogunRua19]

@thinkalott33 are we not supposedly created in the image of god, who is the very essence of goodness itself so we should be created in the image of good rather than sin. yet the church teaches we are all born with original sin, making us guilty before we even have the chance to truly sin. Is this a just action or unjust? to me it is unjust and that which is unjust cannot come from good so once again there is a contradiction. All my original point was is that it seems cruel to punish people for

[ShogunRua19]

@thinkalott33 so it would appear to me either that this god does not exist or the way we have defined him is quite inaccurate. For the source of goodness in itself cannot act in a way that isnt good. Most people would argue god gave us free will and so people's decisions are not his fault and that he warned us of our fates as sinners. The problem is there are a lot of grey areas in my mind. you claim no one can be good other than god, but if this were true what would be the point of living.