Why does Richard Dawkins bother?

@livewyre (2450)
October 8, 2012 8:28am CST
I think I know the answer, but my point is that I find it frustrating that someone who supposedly does not believe in God has such a big 'chip' on his shoulder about it? How can he be so derogatory about something he is supposed to NOT believe in - is he planning a character assassination of Father Christmas, Winnnie the Pooh or Batman??
1 person likes this
4 responses
@anklesmash (1412)
8 Oct 12
As someone who dosen't believe in God, Richard Dawkin's goes on about him a lot.Scientists are supposed to be rational and objective and as a very intelligent man he should be rational and objective.But Richard Dawkin's does seem to have a personal grudge against religion.A comedian Stewart Lee did a good joke about Richard Dawkins. His joke was along the lines that Stewart Lee beleived in Intelligent Design because only God could make something as complex as Richard Dawkins.
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@livewyre (2450)
9 Oct 12
I saw a trailer for a TV show he is doing in the UK where he more or less suggests that mankind is 'growing out' of the idea of religion like you realise there is no Father Christmas (sorry to have to let the cat out of the bag). I think he behaves like this because he seems to hate religion/God so much, but how can you hate something you don't believe in? His problem with religion seems so transparent to me, I don't know why it is not universally obvious that he has a personal problem with God (which of course, he can't admit...)
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@livewyre (2450)
9 Oct 12
Love Stewart Lee, great to hear him joke about Dawkins who is a fellow 'humanist' maybe some atheists have him sussed after all...
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Oct 12
I'm sure somewhere in his psyche is the idea that "religion is the root of all war" which of course is not true but is a bigotry.. There's one group and one race responsible for life being as we know it, the human race! And the BLAME GAME is the oldest one in the book and is what is responsible for most wars, besides land and power, etc! So you see, it's just more of humanity's same old, same old.
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@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
9 Oct 12
It is probably the oldest evil in existence, that of not wanting something and then hating that thing so much that one tries everything possible so that no one else can have it either.
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@livewyre (2450)
11 Oct 12
I am not sure he doesn't 'want' it - but I am sure he wants no-one else to have it
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
12 Oct 12
I don't listen too much to him, so I'll take your word for it.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
9 Oct 12
http://carm.org/atheist-says-he-knows-there-no-god This atheist actually believed he knew for a fact that there was no God. I found that position to be interesting and, quite honestly, not possible. Also, he and I discussed faith a bit towards the end. Atheist: As to religious arguments I haven't found one that can stand up to the logic of atheism. Matt: Are you a strong atheist or a weak one? Atheist: Never heard of a weak atheist. Matt: I’ll explain. A strong atheist states that there is no God. He knows there is no God. A weak atheist, basically, 'lacks belief' in a god of any sort. Atheist: Then I am a strong atheist. Matt: Then you know there is no God? Atheist: As much as knowledge can tell us yes..Maybe it's you who have to catch up on your atheism... Agnostic fits the description pretty well of a weak atheist... Matt: That is what I said...which are you? Atheist: I am a strong. Characteristic human thought, coupled with hope is what religion boils down to, the unexplained tried to be explained... Matt: So, you know there is no god? Atheist: Yes. Matt: How can you know that? Atheist: It's a reasonable assumption. If you want a definitive answer. Does any Christian bother to look in the dictionary to what truth actually means? There is no 100% anything. Only close to it. Matt: Then you cannot KNOW there is no God. Your strong atheism is illogical. Atheist: Let's look at Christianity. It runs on faith. Faith is not logical. It gives credence to unicorns, goblins and thing s that go bump in the night. Matt: Nope. The subject is your atheism. Please don't try to change the subject. Atheist: The subject can jump where ever. Matt: Your atheism is illogical. You cannot know there is no God. To do that, you'd have to know All things to know there is no God. Atheist: I will defend, but also place in attack. Try to defend faith Matt: One subject at a time....You'd have to have seen all evidences to know there is no God. You cannot claim this, therefore, your atheism is illogical. Atheist: You can never see all evidences but that does not mean there is a god. Matt: Correct. Atheist: No, that means there is not enough information for a conclusion. So we make assumptions as best we can according to our knowledge... Matt: But you must concede that your claim to strong atheism (that you know there is no God) is not logical. Atheist: My knowledge of the human brain leads me to believe there is no god... Matt: Then that means there MIGHT be a God, because you don't know all the evidence. Therefore, you must logically be an agnostic. Atheist: And so must you... But you picked a side. Matt: Then it [your atheism] is not logical, but only assumptions you base your atheism on. Your atheism is untenable.... You must admit that agnosticism is more logically viable. If you admit that, we can discuss my faith. Atheist: I'm not ignorant to say I don't use faith. But only the usage of faith in a situation that remains provable. Matt: So, are you agnostic or atheist? which is it? Atheist: Atheist. Matt: You've lost the argument. Sorry... Atheist: Wrong. What you're doing is a ploy. You bring me over.. but you stay the same. Either you must move over as well or the argument is mute in the first place. One can not keep faith and call his beliefs logical. For a bit I will stray over to the agnostic side. But I am willing to state instances where I believe prove my contention that there is no god. Matt: You have been cornered.... It is not logical for you to claim strong atheism. You have not seen all the facts. Therefore, the possibility of God's existence is real. Therefore, you must admit that agnosticism is more logical in this situation. Alright, Let's talk faith. Atheist: Alright faith. you first. Matt: I believe God exists. I have faith that he exists. Atheist: Proof. Matt: I have none. Atheist: No proof with faith. So, do you always believe in things that you can not prove? Matt: No... not at all... I have evidences, but they cannot lead to 100% proof or else all could be forced to believe. But, if there is enough evidence, I do believe. Atheist: So you must be agnostic in that sense as well. Matt: No... because I make choices. Though it is possible for my faith to be proven wrong, I still rest on the evidences and draw logical conclusions. Atheist: Evidence.... Matt: Yes.... Atheist: Then you disregard one of the most fundamental rules of the game... Matt: Which is? Atheist: "Where ever knowledge is incomplete, there is a place for "faith;" but where ever knowledge and "faith" conflict, it is "faith" which must be modified or abandoned." Matt: Or the understanding must be reevaluated.... 'Facts' have been found to be wrong before. Atheist: Facts are not Truths. They are reasonable assumptions. I will get a dictionary definition for that one... Matt: That's fine. So what about it? What kind of evidence would be sufficient for you to conclude there is a god? Atheist: Fact - Reality or actuality as distinguished to from conjecture or fantasy; Something known by observation or experience to be true or real. Matt: That's good.... Now... what would constitute evidence for God's existence? Atheist: An instance of superiority... Something humans could not do.. OR not be able to explained through phenomena but event then... Matt: That's good... now... what would constitute evidence for God's existence? Atheist: A universal movement. A stoppage of the planet. Nothing earthly. Matt: If that were to happen, would you conclude there was a god? Couldn't it be explained in other ways? Atheist: I would of course doubt it at first. I would look for an explanation... And for something like that I would probably find no reasonable explanation.. Matt: If you had could not find one, what would you conclude? Would you conclude that there is a god? or that you simply don't have all the facts? Atheist: You never have all of the facts... Reasonable assumptions, remember? Matt: Then you could not safely conclude it was the hand of God, could you? Atheist: Nope. that would be the only explanation that I could think of that would have the three means, opportunity. (forget motive) [I did not understand him here...] Matt: Then you couldn't know anything for sure, right? That is, if you don't have all the facts, all of them. Atheist: Haven't we already agreed you can never have all the facts? Matt: What you are telling me is that you have no real way of proving or disproving God. So then, doesn't it come down to faith based upon evidence? I have evidence.... An atheist can not prove there is no God. A Believer can not prove there is. THAT is why men must come to God by faith. If God were to prove He Himself existed, men would be FORCED to believe. It would no longer be of faith. And choice would be taken away from them in the matter.
@marcmm (1804)
• Malaysia
10 Oct 12
A very interesting argument there. You are right about proving the existence and non-existence of GOD. Nobody can prove either way.
@livewyre (2450)
11 Oct 12
I agree, the point about faith is that it can't be proven - of course it can't be proven that there is no God, therefore atheism requires faith - the very faith that Dawkins derides as nonsense. He has faith in his proof (whatever that may be) - I have no faith in his proof, somehow he thinks his argument is superior...
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
10 Oct 12
Not if you're honest with yourself.
@marcmm (1804)
• Malaysia
10 Oct 12
I didn't know who this Richard Dawkins is and I didn't care to know. From the look of it he is another non-believer who want to confuse us all. We cannot prove the existence of GOD to them. But they also cannot prove that GOD 100% does not exist because there are a lot of things unexplainable to us human. For me nothing can be done to make them believe. How many sign does Pharoah needs during Moses time? For all the sign Pharoah never believe in GOD. For me that is atheist.
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@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
10 Oct 12
As a matter of fact, so are many Muslims. They're testifying of seeing a vision of the Risen Christ who speaks to them of God's love and mercy. Many of them face maryrdom because they convert, which makes me believe the visons are real, who would die for a lie? :)
@marcmm (1804)
• Malaysia
11 Oct 12
The difference between Christian and other religion is we believe that only thorugh Jesus Christ that we can go to meet our father in heaven. We believe that Jesus is son of GOD while other religion don't. For them Jesus is just another prophet or good man.
@marcmm (1804)
• Malaysia
10 Oct 12
Agree completely about Jesus part. Even after withnessing Jesus firsthand, the Jews still waiting for their messianh until now. And this Jews is not an atheist. They believe in GOD but refuse to believe in Jesus.