Way of the MindWay of the MindThoughts and contemplations - a philosophical blog. Emphasis on atheism and religion. Articles
Arthur C. Clarke on Creationism
2008-03-19 14:20:00 If I was a religious person, I would consider creationism nothing less than blasphemy. Do its adherents imagine that God is a cosmic hoaxer who has created that whole vast fossil record for the sole purpose of misleading mankind? – Arthur C. Clarke (seen on Life Without Faith, in a post about Clarke’s recent death) Copyright © 2008 ... More About: Creationism
Let Nihilism Reign Supreme!
2008-03-18 16:31:00 … or not. Both PZ and Ebonmuse have mentioned a recent book by Chris Hedges, author of American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America (which I haven’t read), called I Don’t Believe in Atheists. Hedges introduces his book in this essay, and, though those two much more esteemed bloggers than myself ... More About: Supreme , Reign
Double standards by conservative hypocrites? what a surprise
2008-03-17 15:06:00 I call your attention to this piece on OpEdNews. Apparently, Barack Obama’s pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, was quote-mined for controversial remarks, and he had a few choice ones, and, of course, conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly are calling for Obama’s head, or at least for him to unequivocally condemn Wright. The ... More About: Standards , Double , Conservative , Double Standards , Hypocrites
The Four Hoursemen of the ATHEIST Apocalypse!
2008-03-17 11:34:00 I just loved this comic. I especially appreciate the contrast, when the very familiar-looking horsemen speak, with extremely scary looks on their faces, and horror movie poster-like letters, of an “apocalypse” I’d love to see become reality. “FACTS WILL STRADDLE THE EARTH AS A COLOSSUS, AND YOU SHALL LIVE IN THEIR SHADOW!!” (Seen first on Measured ... More About: Atheist , Apocalypse
Transfer of blame, and child abuse
2008-03-14 11:49:00 Source: Cectic Besides the obvious child abuse shown in the comic — and yes, telling a child about hell is child abuse, no matter how you put it –, I find the mother in the comic morally repugnant for another reason: cowardice. She is unwilling to take responsibility for her actions, and doesn’t come out ... More About: Abuse , Transfer , Child , Child Abuse , Blame
Richard Dawkins and Douglas Adams, on the purpose of things, and a certain
2008-03-13 23:08:00 I just stumbled upon this, by browsing through a couple of other Dawkins-related videos on YouTube. I didn’t know such a thing even existed, though I knew Dawkins and Adams were friends, of course. Anyway, if you’re a fan of either, you’ll love this: While not very well known compared to others, this was always one ... More About: Purpose , Things , Douglas Adams , Richard Dawkins
More on the Dawkins / Hitchens / Dennett / Harris discussion (part 4): Crea
2008-03-13 21:09:00 Like before, before, before and before, just click on the image to go to the Richard Dawkins site and download / watch the entire discussion. Sam Harris : You can invent an ideology, which by your mere invention in that moment, is obviously untrue, which would be quite useful if propagated, to billions. I mean, you ... More About: Part , Discussion
Atheist Lyrics #1: Blaze, "The Path and the Way"
2008-03-13 14:44:00 Welcome to a new series on WotM, Atheist Lyrics . I don’t think I need to explain what it’s about, do I? The first entry will probably be unfamiliar to you, unless you’re a fan of British heavy metal. It’s by Blaze Bayley, ex-singer of Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden, in the 3rd studio album ... More About: Path
First Causes and Special Pleading
2008-03-11 15:40:00 A: Nothing can exist without a cause. The universe exists; what caused it? I say it was God! B: OK, who caused God, then? A: Nothing. God wasn’t caused or created; he always existed. B: Then why can’t the universe have always existed? A: That’s impossible, nothing can exist without a cause… Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? This is one ... More About: Special
Obama as Dream (from Neil Gaiman?s "Sandman")?
2008-03-10 13:03:00 Don’t know who created this (the place I found it in just linked to it as a remote image), but it is certainly something you don’t see every day. One of the best parts from the first volume of Gaiman’s Sandman , with Obama as Morpheus/Dream and Hillary as Choronzon, a demon. I hadn’t read ... More About: Neil , Neil Gaiman
Eliminating religion?
2008-03-08 10:07:00 Vocal atheists are often asked (and sometimes simply accused) if they want to eliminate religion (sometimes we’re even accused of trying to eliminate believers, but those idiocies aren’t even worth a reply). Of course, I can’t speak for any other atheist but myself (that’s one of the beauties of being an atheist: no dogma), but, ... More About: Religion
FAQ: What if you?re wrong, and God does exist?
2008-03-06 21:33:00 (Note: this is not the same as the previous FAQ, “Isn?t it better to believe, just in case? After all, if I?m wrong, then I don?t lose much, but if you?re wrong…”. That one is a repudiation of Pascal’s Wager; this one is an answer to the remote possibility that there *is*, indeed, a God.) This ... More About: Wrong , Exist
More on the Dawkins / Hitchens / Dennett / Harris discussion (part 3): "God
2008-03-06 14:19:00 As always, click on the image for the source and to download the videos, yada yada yada. Christopher Hitchens: You had a marvelous quotation from Francis Collins, the genome pioneer, who said, while mountaineering one day, he was so overcome by the landscape, and then went down on his knees and accepted Jesus Christ. ... More About: Part , Part 3 , Discussion , Dawkins , Harris
Want to have nightmares tonight?
2008-03-05 19:56:00 If so, read on; if not, stop reading now. This was suggested by a comment on Pharyngula. Imagine this nightmarish (but possible… yikes!) scenario: McCain picks Huckabee has his running mate. Possible, because of the next point… Huckabee gets McCain the evangelical / Christian extremist vote McCain probably wouldn’t get on his own (as he isn’t enough of ... More About: Tonight , Nightmares
Atheism is necessary, but not sufficient — and not the final goal
2008-03-05 12:33:00 A recent post on Primordial Blog, Atheist Proselytizing - What Should Our Goal Be?, includes this part: And that’s why I think that turning people away from religion is not enough. Instead, the primary goal of an atheist movement should be to instill in people the value of rational thinking. I’m worried that, as atheism gains in popularity, we will see a bunch of bandwagon-jumpers climbing on board because it is the thing to do rather than because they have thought critically about the issues. The truth is that most people do not think for themselves - they like to follow the crowd and do what they are told. That is the disease we need to combat in this world. I couldn’t agree more. I sometimes worry that the success and momentum of the so-called “new atheism” may lead some (eventually many) people to become atheists simply because “it’s in”, or “it’s fashionable”, or “so-and-so is an atheist too”, or sim... More About: Atheism , Final , Sufficient
More on the Dawkins / Hitchens / Dennett / Harris discussion (part 2): the
2008-03-04 15:36:00 Like before, just click on the picture above to go to the source, download or watch the 2-hour video, and so on. Also like before, I’m going to post and comment on one of my favorite parts of the discussion between the “four horsemen of atheism”. Daniel Dennett: Right. And you know this, what you just said Christopher, actually, I think, strikes terror, it strikes anxiety, in a lot of religious hearts. Because it just hasn’t been brought home to them that this move of theirs is just off-limits. It’s not the game. You can’t do that. And they’ve been taught all their lives that you can do that - this is a legitimate way of conducting a discussion. And here, suddenly we’re just telling them “I’m sorry, that is not a move in this game”. In fact it is a disqualifying move. [..] Christopher Hitchens: Adumbrate the move for me a bit, if you would, or for us. Perhaps only for me. Say what you think that move is. Dennet... More About: Part , Discussion , Dawkins , Harris
Atheism, Stalin, and "without God anything goes"
2008-03-03 16:03:00 A couple of days ago, I was reading the comments to a post on The Frame Problem which, like one of mine, included this comic: The replies, over there, were a little more like those I had expected here. First, there came the usual “Stalin / Hitler did this, so atheism is even worse” argument, a.k.a. “I completely missed the point of the comic”. The point is that the comic’s panels suggest several hypothetic (and completely non-existent) atrocities actually made in the name of atheism — and whose equivalents were, in real life, made in the name of religion. That’s completely different from atrocities made by believers or atheists but not in the name of (or because of) their religion or atheism. When someone pointed out that there’s no relation between Stalin’s atheism and his atrocities (Hitler was a Catholic), then this little gem came up: They decided that there was no god and realized that they were therefore permitted to do an... More About: Atheism
More on the Dawkins / Hitchens / Dennett / Harris discussion (part 1)
2008-02-29 16:48:00 As a follow-up to my previous post on the subject, I want to share — and comment on — some of the best parts (IMO) of the conversation between the “four hoursemen”, which I still recommend that you watch in full (just click on the image above and download the files, if possible, or at ... More About: Part , Discussion , Dawkins , Harris
More Christian double standards
2008-02-29 12:25:00 Source: By The Book Comics I won’t insult your intelligence by talking about what’s wrong with this picture… Copyright © 2008 Way of the Mind More About: Christian , Standards , Double , Double Standards
2 Hours with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Dan Dennett and Christopher Hitch
2008-02-28 14:43:00 This is not very new (it’s from December 2007), but I only found the time today to watch it, and I found it intellectually delicious. Four brilliant minds (who don’t agree in many ways) having a fascinating (and polite!) discussion about religion and atheism. Please, watch it. Really. Just click on the image above. I ... More About: Richard Dawkins , Richard , Dawkins , Hours , Harris
More on the efficacy of prayer
2008-02-27 12:53:00 Like I wrote before, Christians don’t pray for truly impossible things, because, I’d guess, deep inside they know that “magic doesn’t work”. They pray for possible things, and, if they happen, they feel good about it, call it a “miracle”, feel blessed (after all, the supreme being of the universe just took a personal interest ... More About: Prayer , Efficacy
A shocking new way of answering Republican mudslinging
2008-02-26 16:59:00 Imagine a likely situation: a conservative accuses a liberal politician of “lack of patriotism” because, of all things, he wasn’t wearing an American flag lapel pin. Which of the following responses by the liberal do you think more likely? “Wait, I’m patriotic too!” <rushes to buy a lapel pin> “A party that presided over a war ... More About: Republican
Hey, if it "works"?
2008-02-26 15:14:00 Source: Cectic Copyright © 2008 Way of the Mind More About: Works
"God helps those who help themselves"
2008-02-26 13:36:00 I’m sure you have heard this post’s title before. The idea is that, supposedly, praying for things to happen, for the object of your desire to “fall in your lap” by magic doesn’t work. Instead, you’re supposed to try, and try hard, and then God will help you. While I believe that telling people to, pardon the ...
Obama on religion
2008-02-21 16:39:00 […] given the increasing diversity of America’s population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers. And even if we did have only Christians ... More About: Religion , Obama
Is Christianity to blame for Bible-inspired sexism?
2008-02-15 11:46:00 Seen on Friendly Atheist: a female referee was forbidden to ref a boys’ high school basketball game because it would mean putting her in a position of authority over males. Which, according to the Bible , is a big no-no. To condemn this as bigoted and repulsive would be redundant, since others — even some Christians — ... More About: Christianity , Sexism , Blame , Inspired
90 day Jane
2008-02-12 17:29:00 Like Hemant and Shnakepup, I am convinced that the latest idiocy, “90 day Jane “, is nothing but another dishonest attempt by the religious to fight the “rise of eeeeevil atheism”. Consider her description: I am going to kill myself in 90 days. What else should i say? This blog is not a cry for help or even ...
Presidential Candidates and Evolution
2008-01-14 15:44:00 Alonzo and vjack have already blogged in more detail about this, so, as there’s really nothing to add to them in a serious way… … I have, naturally, to invoke Monty Python. Now, some people — even non-creationists (a.k.a. people who don’t ignore evidence just because it contradicts a book written by Bronze Age desert ... More About: Evolution , Presidential , Candidates , Presidential Candidate
Orwell on nationalism
2008-01-04 13:12:00 All nationalists have the power of not seeing resemblances between similar sets of facts. A British Tory will defend self-determination in Europe and oppose it in India with no feeling of inconsistency. Actions are held to be good or bad, not on their own merits, but according to who does them, and there is almost ... More About: Nationalism , Orwell
Dawkins on faith
More articles from this author:2007-12-24 15:36:00 I […] think that basing your beliefs upon blind faith rather than upon evidence is potentially very dangerous, because you can’t argue against it. - Richard Dawkins (in an interview) Copyright © 2007 Way of the Mind More About: Faith 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
|
 |
|
 |
