Richard Dawkins - Congress - Senate - Atheism. - New England Patriots Forums

***IcyPatriot*** · 10-22-2006, 03:30 PM

Saw this article in my newest "Wired" magazine ... I cannot find links for the story entitled "THE CHURCH OF THE NON-BELIEVERS".

Interesting article and one part of it I thought should be posted here. There have been many posts about the Evangelicals here. So why not a thread concerning this description and quote from Dawkins and his thoughts. TWO PROFOUND PARAGRAPHS QUOTED HERE, they are in reverse order...can't cut and paste when posting here to fix a post???

Quote:

Dawkins looks forward to the day when the first US politician is honest about being an Atheist. "Highly intelligent people are mostly Atheists", he says. "Not a single member of either House of Congress admits to being an Atheist. It just doesn't add up. Either they're stupid, or they're lying. And have they got a motive for lying? Of course they've got a motive! Everybody knows that an Atheist can't get elected."

An earlier quote in the article that is relevant to the discussion, I admit I never realized this statistic, it is quite thought provoking as to civilization.

Quote:

DAWKINS---"I'm quite keen on the politics of persuading people of the virtues of atheism. The number of nonreligious people in the US is something nearer to 30 million than 20 million. That's more Jews in the world put together. I think we're in the same position the gay movement was in a few decades ago. There was a need for people to come out, the more people had the courage to come out. I think that's the case with Atheists. They are more numerous than anyone realizes.

The entire article is very good...perhaps it makes it 's way on to the internet.

GOOD RELEVANT LINK ON DAWKINS:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/bo...e6b&ei=5087%0A

sdaniels7114 · 10-22-2006, 05:55 PM

I agree with him except in the comparison to gays. As far as I can see its done nothing but gotten better for gays living in America in my lifetime. Not that its good, only that things have improved.

Us Atheists have suffered a significant setback in my lifetime IMO. I know I felt a lot more comfortable mocking the invisible man in the sky 15 years ago than I do today. Maybe I'm just older and closer to finding out for sure?

***IcyPatriot*** · 10-22-2006, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdaniels7114

I agree with him except in the comparison to gays. As far as I can see its done nothing but gotten better for gays living in America in my lifetime. Not that its good, only that things have improved.

Us Atheists have suffered a significant setback in my lifetime IMO. I know I felt a lot more comfortable mocking the invisible man in the sky 15 years ago than I do today. Maybe I'm just older and closer to finding out for sure?

I must admit to being extremely naive on the topic of Atheism...perhaps there are many more like me. Rather strange how scared people can be concerning Atheism. It doesn't really hurt anyone or anything if you put enough thought in it.

Quote:

makes Dawkins proclamations a torment to his moderate allies. While frontline warriors against creationism are busy reassuring parents and legislators that teaching Darwin's theory does not undermine the possibility of religious devotion. Dawkins is openly agreeing with the most stubborn fundamentalists that evolution must lead to atheism. I tell Dawkins what he already knows: He is making life harder for his friends.

He barley shrugs. "Well, it's a cogent point, and I have to face that. My answer is that the big war is not between evolution and creationism, but between naturalism and supernaturalism. The sensible." - and here he pauses to indicate that sensible should be in quotes. " The 'Sensisible' religious people are really on the side of the fundamentalists, because they believe in supernaturalism . That puts me on the other side"

I think it would be good for more debate on this subject in our media. I doubt it would happen...but like all things debate makes us naive ones a bit wiser.

***Harry Boy*** · 10-22-2006, 09:00 PM

Athiest's, Homosexuals, Catholics, Protestents, Muslims, Monks, Indians, Snake Worshipers, Winos, who gives a *****, let them do their thing as long as they stay out of other peoples faces.

If there is a God you will know it when you die.
If there isn't a God then when you die you won't know it, the lights will go out

Imagine waking up in a casket

***IcyPatriot*** · 10-22-2006, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry Boy

Athiest's, Homosexuals, Catholics, Protestents, Muslims, Monks, Indians, Snake Worshipers, Winos, who gives a *****, let them do their thing as long as they stay out of other peoples faces.

If there is a God you will know it when you die.
If there isn't a God then when you die you won't know it, the lights will go out

Imagine waking up in a casket

Proof why America and the world has so many problems. I'll remember to be a Catholic and an occasional wino in my house with all the shades pulled down.

***Harry Boy*** · 10-23-2006, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F.B.N.

Proof why America and the world has so many problems. I'll remember to be a Catholic and an occasional wino in my house with all the shades pulled down.

I give them all my blessing but I don't want to hear all that "Im Right Your Wrong *****" I don't want people "Flaunting And Constantly Blabbing About Their Sex Lives" I could care less who screws who, and I don't want "Wino's getting in my face begging for money"

I got my own problems.