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Tispower1 on 17 November 2008
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Soleron said:
Tispower1 said:
Soleron said:

 

To quote Michael Ruse, "The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist". Frankly that book is a load of hot air, and trying to say religion is bad doesn't change whether God exists or not. Also if you're going to to play that game, I seem to remember Atheism brought us Hitler and Stalin who were obviously fine fellows (!). On top of that, Dawkins rants about Christianity, because he says that's what he knows best, yet seem to never have read the bible given at how wrong he is when he quote scripture!

Firstly, Dawkins shows how wrong Ruse is in the book. Of course, atheists are free to disagree with one another, unlike religious people.

I agree with your second point, but again Dawkins (and I) are against religion, not God. A God that doesn't tell us what to do is practically irreleveant and an academic question. Most people act based on religion, and that is the really bad thing worth arguing.

The "Hitler and Stalin" argument is ALSO dealt with by Dawkins. He says that 1) It is unclear whether Hitler was an atheist or Catholic - there are reliable quotes either way. 2) Stalin didn't kill people BECAUSE of Atheism - Atheism doesn't tell us anything about morality or what to do; it's just a position. On the other hand, people DO kill people due to religion (current Middle East/Terrorism situation; Northern Ireland; most African conflicts like Darfur).

Finally, the Bible and most other religious texts contradict themselves and are often vague/mistranslated so you can come up with any view you like and use it as "evidence". Just look at the number of very different Christian and Islamic denominations that all use the same passages to support wildly different things. Dawkins said that he would have used theological writings more seriously in the book "if there was any chance he could illuminate his central question with them."

 

 

 

 

Your 2 points seem to contradict each other, you say that Atheism doesn't teach us how to behave, yet don't seem to realise that nothing in the Bible holds up the Crusades or Northern Ireland as something that God would want to happen. Qu'ran on the other hand is a different matter.

Also you say Atheists disagree with each other, but 'Religious People' (care to be more specific) can't, then say they do disagree with each other, if you mean that there's lots of different types of Christianity, then yes I agree that is extremely unhelpful and is frankly a bad thing, hence why I don't belong to a particular 'denomination'.