If This Not A Full U-Turn...

[Khandro]

... is it at least a 90° one?   😃

 

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/04/01/athiest-richard-dawkins-says-he-would-choose-christianity-over-islam-every-single-time/

[Peter Pedant]

No - yes - people do change their views - Einstein and the cosmological constant - ( "greatest mistake of my life").

A J  Ayer wrote a preface for a later reprint of Language Truth and Logic and commented " I wrote this when I was much younger and thought I knew everything" - oo-er professor! Clearly logical positivism hadnt lived up to its initial potential

[Atheist]

Dawkins is a scientist. He only trusts what is rational and logical. He doesn't feel happy believing other people's assertions unless thay can explain why they make those assertions. Would people here be happy accepting my assertions if I simply made them but gave no rational justification? Khandro; trust me, I have an old book which supports my views.

[Khandro]

//Dawkins is a scientist.// then perhaps he should stick to that which he knows.

I find it disingenuous (to say the least) that anyone can call themselves an atheist and a 'Culture Christian'.  An 'agnostic' and a Culture Christian though, I could just accept.

[Radagast]

//then perhaps he should stick to that which he knows.//

And perhaps the Intelligent Design proponents should stick to religion.

[Mozz71]

Khandro, I look at it like enjoying another country's national anthem. It carries none of the pride or meaning that it would for people of that nation, but we can admire the music and passion of the song. I can enjoy the same of a hymn, or see the beauty of a church without feeling the spirituality of believers of thee religion.

[naomi24]

Khandro, let me ask you a question.  As a cultural Christian, when I was last in Carcassonne I went to the cathedral there and, on behalf of the members of AnswerBank, lit a candle and laid flowers in memory of and out of respect for a French policeman murdered there by Islamist madmen.    Does that make me a hypocrite?

[Old_Geezer]

7 pages ?!?!

I'm amazed an easily understandable situation could generate so many comments. 2 to 3 posts would be expected.

[Khandro]

naomi: If I could read what's in other people's minds, I could have made a good living in the music halls.

As William James (brother of Henry) opined, the breach from one mind to another is perhaps the greatest breach in nature.

In all the years on here you have never, nor has anyone else, referred to themselves as 'Culture Christians', always atheists.

I'd never heard the term until about a year ago, and now because R. Dawkins has adopted it we seem to be up to our knees in them !

[Old_Geezer]

Just a new term coined to describe a preference that will always have been there.

[Ellipsis]

Turns out this is old news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7136682.stm

Even so, I think he's a hypocrite. You can't call something a mind virus and then sing along with it!

[naomi24]

Ellipsis, he doesn't 'sing along' with the teaching or the belief.

 

Khandro, that doesn't answer my question.

[Peter Pedant]

Would people here be happy accepting my assertions if I simply made them but gave no rational justification?

er it is what the rest of AB does ! haw haw haw

andnaomi - wisest of the wise - what was one's question and I will endeavour to answer it, my sweet ?

statements without justification are called axioms or assumptions by the way - just listen to an IDF spokesman

[Ellipsis]

I didn't say he did. I said he sings along with it. And he describes it as a mind virus. He's a hypocrite.

Why? Because some of the people singing the songs will be children, in faith schools, singing along with their parents and their teachers, all being indoctrinated (in Dawkins own words). And Dawkins is singing along with them!?! Perpetuating the indoctrination through the chanting together, as described in his books ...

[Peter Pedant]

have you never heard of " daughters of the manse" ? - randy little things. The daughters of vicars behaving er badly ( not in the opinion of her men frenz I might add)

Fiona Richmond ( more clothes off than on) was a leading example, whose father was vicar of powerstock - dont bother to look for it: it was a two-horse dorp in Darzet aaaarrh !

AND when I chucked out of my tenants, she fled back to her pastor father ( with a few good stories, I admit) and lasted 7 days - the " days of suffering". HE booted her out with the words " I am a protestant minister, not a roman catholic saint"

[naomi24]

Peter Pedant, the question wasn't addressed to you - and don't complain if further examples of your rudely patronising nonsense are removed. 

 

Ellipsis, my post at 14:34 Fri  gives some indication of the effect that this 'mind virus' as Dawkins quite rightly describes it, has on the human psyche.  It has the power to destroy lives.  A question to you, as an atheist.  Do you ever attend Christian events?  Weddings, baptisms, funerals, church fetes, school nativity plays - and if so why?  

[Khandro]

naomi: //my post at 14:34 Fri  gives some indication of the effect that this 'mind virus' as Dawkins quite rightly describes it, has on the human psyche.  It has the power to destroy lives.//

Not as much as the destroyed and wrecked lives in atheist societies such as communist Russia & North Korea.  

[naomi24]

Khandro, you're clearly struggling for an answer but whilst you're trying to think of one, answer this question.  Did you ever visit Communist Russia?

[Ellipsis]

Hi Naomi. Yes, I do, and I am an atheist, but I am not a radical atheist like Dawkins. It's not me who writes books and has made a career saying that religion is a mind virus, it's him.

[Radagast]

It's probably true that all religions have some good ideas but the mind virus is belief without evidence. Surely all Dawkins is saying is keep the former and scrap the latter.

[naomi24]

Ellipsis, He does air his views in books and some air those same views elsewhere - but insofar as he says he's a culture Christian he doesn't differ from you.   If he's a hypocrite for rejecting the doctrine of the church whilst at the same time attending  Christian events, then as an atheist, so are you.