Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

[Siggie]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

No I haven't read the book but I find his views narrow minded. I've read many reviews and comments and discussions on the internet. Has he read the Bible? The Koran? The Torah? What are his reasons for preaching his beliefs?

I believe I remember him saying that he has actually (the bible at least).
He encourages atheists to speak up and "come out" so to speak because a good portion of the religious are shoving religion down everyone's throats. The coming out part is to put a face atheists. We're everywhere and we're not too different from you except we don't believe in a deity.

[hipeter924]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

The word militant is misapplied to atheists. Are they on par with militant fundi christians or militant fundi islamists?
No... The word militant means something completely different in those contexts and so it is inappropriate to apply to atheists.
Even the most outspoken of all, like Dawkins, what does he do? Give talks? Write books? Ooooh noes!!!!!
[sarcasm ] That's exactly like a suicide bomber. [/ sarcasm]




Have you read the book? Or are you just pulling a couple lines that someone else noted?

You're going to pick out two conflicts and then call him a mental midget on that basis? That's absurd.

I was not saying that Dawkins militant Atheism is as bad as militant theism, just that it is the opposing force. Militant Atheism talks logic and reason and puts out books whereas militant theism seems to put out suicide bombers and persecution.

And you get me wrong, I agree with Dawkins in many respects and have read his books.

[HyeClown]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

I believe I remember him saying that he has actually (the bible at least).
He encourages atheists to speak up and "come out" so to speak because a good portion of the religious are shoving religion down everyone's throats. The coming out part is to put a face atheists. We're everywhere and we're not too different from you except we don't believe in a deity.

The religious go to church, raise families, work hard, donate to foundations and are active in the community. They also do volunteer work. They aren't going to change what makes them happy because atheists feel they are foolish for believing in fairy tales.

[Haykakan]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

The religious also start wars, torture, murder, rape, lie steal, commit genocide, ethnic cleansing, engage in drug trafficing, destroy education and progress and justify it all cause they claim it is done in the name of god.

[HyeClown]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

The religious also start wars, torture, murder, rape, lie steal, commit genocide, ethnic cleansing, engage in drug trafficing, destroy education and progress and justify it all cause they claim it is done in the name of god.

I think that's what they call hi-jacking.

[Siggie]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

The religious go to church, raise families, work hard, donate to foundations and are active in the community. They also do volunteer work. They aren't going to change what makes them happy because atheists feel they are foolish for believing in fairy tales.

Atheists do the same things minus church.

[HyeClown]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

Atheists do the same things minus church.

Dawkins preaches in front of an audience all the time. He also writes books to convince his followers. There really isn't any difference between the two sides.

Even the most outspoken of all, like Dawkins, what does he do? Give talks? Write books? Ooooh noes!!!!!
[sarcasm ] That's exactly like a suicide bomber. [/ sarcasm]

The Soviet and Chinese Communist atheists killed just as many (if not more) people than any single religious movement. These and other communist regimes were not peaceful, did not respect human rights, and were just as guilty of spreading terrorism as any religion.

The issue then is not that atheism or religion causes violence. As both atheistic and religious views can inspire murder and war, it is reasonable to argue that neither religious belief or lack of it causes the problems. It must be either then a part of human nature that God created or an aspect of human behavior that has evolved with the human species.

[Federate]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

The Soviet and Chinese Communist atheists killed just as many (if not more) people than any single religious movement. These and other communist regimes were not peaceful, did not respect human rights, and were just as guilty of spreading terrorism as any religion.

The Soviet and Chinese communists' murders were not fueled by their atheism but by politics. It has no relation. It is the same argument O'Reilly used in the clip when he told Dawkins that Hitler and Stalin killed a lot of people and they happened to be atheists (Hitler was in fact not but that is beyond the point). These two also have mustaches, does this mean there is a correlation between having a mustache and being a mass murderer?

[Stark Evade]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

The Soviet and Chinese communists' murders were not fueled by their atheism but by politics. It has no relation. It is the same argument O'Reilly used in the clip when he told Dawkins that Hitler and Stalin killed a lot of people and they happened to be atheists (Hitler was in fact not but that is beyond the point). These two also have mustaches, does this mean there is a correlation between having a mustache and being a mass murderer?

There is also the aspect that both had religious supporters whether or not they were religious themselves.

[Stark Evade]

Re: Richard Dawkins interview with Bill O'Reilly

No I haven't read the book but I find his views narrow minded. I've read many reviews and comments and discussions on the internet. Has he read the Bible? The Koran? The Torah? What are his reasons for preaching his beliefs?

He had a religious upbringing; he is very familiar with the old and new testaments. He has also read at least some of the koran. However, it is not necessary to have read any of those books because they do not offer knowledge about the nature of the universe. The nature of the universe is discovered through the scientific method. Religious books are useless in that regard.