Richard Dawkin Interviews a Muslim

[tracy]

If during the course of a conversation an atheist told me that they really truly believe all religions are wrong, I'd have no issue with it, and likely wouldn't even waste my time arguing. One person's beliefs are just that. But if they hunt me down to tell me that all religions are wrong. If they help fund billboards to preach that atheism is the way, then they're not being much more than hypocrites. Evangelist hypocrites.

I don't see how it's hypocracy. Annoying perhaps... It's only hypocracy if they say religious people shouldn't voice their opinions. If they are just saying religion is wrong, then fair game IMO.

I would never have thought someone like Dawkins was necessary when I lived in Canada. There, religion seems to be a more personal issue and it doesn't compete with science and rational thought. There isn't such a political aspect to religion. Here, in the US, I can see why atheists and agnostics need to become more vocal. The religious are VERY vocal down here and for some reason it's acceptable for them to preach their message, which includes damnation for non-believers, but someone saying they don't believe in religion is offensive, disrespectful and hateful. That makes no sense to me. I listen to religious messages daily. I have chosen to take them in stride and give the speakers the benefit of the doubt. Those people have a right to their opinions. I think the religious should take the same view with people like Dawkins. Maybe it's annoying, but it's just one guy's opinion. Considering how unbalanced the debate is, it shouldn't be too hard to ignore him.

 

[karrie]

I guess perhaps it seems less balanced coming from a 'living in Canada' point of view, since we don't hear (or I don't notice), the constant barage of religious messages. Yet, on this forum especially, I do get to hear quite regular atheist preaching, complete with Dawkins idolization. Frankly, I have no more patience or care for the hellfire and damnation crowd.

 

[Scott Free]

I got through almost the whole thing before I realized it wasn't "an interview with a vampire." :lol:

 

[tracy]

I guess perhaps it seems less balanced coming from a 'living in Canada' point of view, since we don't hear (or I don't notice), the constant barage of religious messages. Yet, on this forum especially, I do get to hear quite regular atheist preaching, complete with Dawkins idolization. Frankly, I have no more patience or care for the hellfire and damnation crowd.

I probably would have felt exactly the same way if I still lived in Canada. As it stands I live in a country where views on poltics, evolution, abortion, gay marriage, etc. are all hotly debated largely in a religious context. It's refreshing for me to hear someone say something, anything, different.

Despite some press on atheists, the religious are very much the majority here and their views are the acceptable ones. Heck, my employer won't even cover birth control on their insurance plan because they are religious. I get the feeling often that a lot of people here equate religious with good and moral. I was told a few weeks ago at work that people like me ruined Easter because I made the mistake of saying I consider it a cultural holiday as well as a religious one (I just don't see how Easter egg hunts aren't cultural). My coworker informed me that her dead parents would be rolling over in their graves if they saw how horribly I've changed Easter from what it's supposed to be. Can you imagine me saying something like that to a Christian and it being acceptable? "You people ruined the winter solstice by arbitrarily picking it for your savior's birthday!":lol:. I've had several moments like that since I've moved here. I wouldn't dream of telling a patient's family I was an agnostic or atheist. I've "passed" as a Christian more than once just to avoid any friction or awkwardness. I'd never be the Dawkins type of atheist, but I do think he expresses a view that needs to be expressed.

 

[L Gilbert]

I don't like the guy (Dawkins) myself, but he does express a few damned good points, albeit in overly verbose forms.
It seems to be more acceptable to rave about some religious idea or other but not to rave about atheism. Strange, considering that there is evidence supporting the latter and NO evidence supporting the other. Besides, sometimes if you hear something often enough you can become immune to it. lol

 

[Cliffy]

How can one rage on about atheists. They don't believe anything that one could pick a fight over. All they basically say is that they should have freedom from religion, while the religious think it is their god given right to impose their draconian morals on everybody.

 

[L Gilbert]

How can one rage on about atheists. They don't believe anything that one could pick a fight over. All they basically say is that they should have freedom from religion, while the religious think it is their god given right to impose their draconian morals on everybody.

There is lots that atheists believe worth fighting for; politics, being one of them, scientific hypotheses and theories being more. Atheists are merely people, after all.