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Why Are Atheists So Angry?Posted on Nov 29, 2006
Check out this great debate on Jewcy.com between Truthdig contributor Sam Harris and nationally syndicated radio host Dennis Prager, in which the two men square off via e-mail on questions of atheism and faith in America.
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By Smithers, December 19, 2006 at 7:27 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
It’s wrong to say that Sam, in his arguments, prescribes to the same fallacious reasoning techniques of theists. He does not. He might appear to use the same fervor in his diction, but that does not mean that the fervor is automatically synonymous with fallacy just because it is fervor.
Your religiously tainted perception of the words he uses is vastly different when you remove that veil of fallacy and see the words in the most human sense.
With “reason” there is no doubt. This word used in religious context is wrong.
“Evidence” in religious context is fictitious. Spiderman’s evidence that the Green Goblin was near was his Spidey Sense. Sounds cool and provides a quick answer for the sake of the story, but in reality makes no sense. Moses can’t part shit, it’s either a centuries old game of telephone where the message gets distorted into utter yet impressionable nonsense, or the people that recorded the information in the first place were completely deluded about truth, which in that time period was probably very likely.
“Common sense” is a nice dream for atheists considering that common sense is the collective idiocy with a few good nuggets thrown in, like human morals, which derive nothing from religion. Eliminate religion and we are still moral, compassionate individuals.
Report thisBy schofield, December 5, 2006 at 4:54 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I find it interesting that Harris uses words like “reason,” “common sense,” and “evidence” to describe atheism when many believers use these same words to defend their belief. His matter of fact approach to his own opinion appears to me to be just as annoying as those who try to “force feed” their religion to others. How can he criticize what he himself engages in?
Report thisBy Druthers, November 30, 2006 at 2:26 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
What I find most offensive about “believers” is thay they are “cherry pickers.” They pick until they find a cosmic view that is generally based on controlling everyday life, promising reparation for the ills suffered in this one, un-ending love, deliverance from death the big fear factor, and forgiveness. They then endeavor to force-feed everyone not conforming to their beliefs.
Report thisA power structure is always devised to control, disseminate the faith by whatever means necessary and convince the faithful those in power “know.”
If they were content to live their faith in pratice, a thing so unusual the Catholic Church calls them Saints, but no, armed with their books and beliefs they are intent on converting or exterminating those who refuse to eat.
Certainly it must be much more reassuring to hold such beliefs that to carry one’s own burdens, doubts and fears-- but it is so difficult for humans to mind their own business.
By yours truly, November 29, 2006 at 8:23 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
By challenging their beliefs atheism shakes-up some deists, especially those who use their religion as a crutch, because take away one’s crutch and what happens? Plop, that’s what happens. And that hurts. Oh well, no pain, no gain.
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