got through about half the book but, while he starts off all clever and reasonable, he gets too emotionally invested and self-righteous. Can't really argue well without objectivity imo.
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Yeah the whole middle of the book could be cut out. It gets better again toward the end.
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Now I like bananas as much as the next guy, but an hour and a half?
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Good critique of the book.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n20/eagl01_.html |
Will reading this thread allow to me to grow a beard and stroke it deep-thought in a scholarly way?
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Yes!
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Its an appalling critique of the book, as it completely misses the point.
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Theology is the study of a religion from inside that religion. Dawkins is interested in the existence (or non-existence) of God, and the damage done by religious beliefs. Quote:
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Oh well, going to leave this post as is, but for an added bonus: Douglas Adams on Atheism :) Lots of interesting looking vids |
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Besides, I am sure Dawkins knows a lot about the specifics of the religions he attacks, even though its not necessary. |
dawkins forgets that the human misuse of religions and the existence of God are very different matters
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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theology |
Although I don't particularly agree with Froggerty, the point of language is to communicate ideas, not define ideas. Dictionary definitions are doubleplus bad.
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Erm.......
Really don't know what to say here - that page agrees with what I said. Nearly all of those describe study of god in a way the implies in a belief in god. "The study of the nature of God and religious truth; rational inquiry into religious questions." - only someone who believes would think in terms of religious truths and that religion can stand up to rational inquiry :) Quote:
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Just like now, I guess. Quote:
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"the study of a religion from inside that religion"
You don't have to be in a given religion to study it... or could study the properties of divinity in a metaphysical or philosophical sense rather than from within a given religion. Quibbling? |
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omg I've got to start reading LRB again.
I can probably guess what Dawkins will say in response to the 'sophisticated' theology. Claiming that God is transcendental (that He must be outside our framework in order to create our framework), is a copout, out and out. That's like saying UFO exists, even though there is zero evidence to support it. The claim that 'UFO exists' could well be true, but we have no reason to believe it to be true. Therefore rationally it is not true. If God exists outside our framework, how can WE know that HE exists? The alleged actions He made on our framework, i.e. physical world, can be explained by other means (e.g. Darwinism suggested how human can become what they are without a Creator). Discount all of those and you get zero evidence to support the existence of God, other than the transcendental argument. Should we then conclude that God exists? Dawkins says no. He went further and conclude that God doesn't exist. (There is a subtle transition/equivocation between the 'epistemic' truth to 'metaphysical' truth, please contact your nearest university philosophy department for more info. Philosophers are not all pinko-commie liberals like Dawkins, some of them are religious.) |
Essentially the set up for the Courtier's Reply.
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Richard Dawkins wrote a new preface for the UK paperback and read it aloud to the people who joined him on his trip to the Galapagos recently
It addresses a lot of the crap people used to avoid the issue, including the Courtier's Reply. Pick your poison http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...24787207865440 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGmALkvcG2M http://richarddawkins.net/video/TGD%...ace%20WEB2.mov My understanding is the Quicktime is the highest quality. |
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Dictionary definitions do not say all there is to be said about the concept behind words. In this case they're simply blunt instruments used to give a person a "Bzzzzt, you're wrong" slap down. Not something that is particularly conducive to discussion. |
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It is generally accepted that the universe has not been around forever and so has a beginning.(big bang) Laws of physics can’t be eternal (independent of the universe) because there was nothing before the beginning.(they don't preexist) If the laws of physics came about with the beginning of the universe - then these laws can’t be used to explain the beginning. whether you believe that an infinite conscious intelligence somehow preexists or the laws of physics somehow preexist - either way you're justified in your extrapolation - imo |
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I think you have missed the point. If God exists outside our framework, and we can't know he exists, then he is irrelevant. If there is no way for us to detect his influence (ie we can't know he exists) then he has no influence. There is no point considering a influence which, well, isn't. Also, a binary choice does not imply an equal chance. Either I am 30 metres tall, or I am not. Its not 50/50, the chances of me being 30 metres tall are pretty bloody slim. Hell, the chance that I am the tallest man in the world is 6,602,224,175 to 1. |
Dawkins claim the point is, we HAVE reason to believe God doesn't exist. All the scientific theories explaining our world don't have a superentity of God in it. *As far as we know through science* God doesn't exist. Therefore God doesn't exist. (epistemic -> metaphysics)
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However there is no requirement or reason to live based simply on what can be observed and measured scientifically. At least no reason other than personal philosophy. I think you're wrong doppel. Science hasn't observed the existence of God. It doesn't mean God doesn't exist. It is not possible for us to observe both the position and velocity of a particle, but Steven Hawkins admits it maybe possible for a supernatural entity to know such information. Just, for the purposes of science, there is no point considering that because it's not possible for us. Some would say life is more than science. |
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." - Jesus. (Matthew 10:34-39 NASB)
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But gods don't exist. |
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uh ... really?
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No sir, I don't like it.
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Fundy you may be, but I can't argue with anyone who promotes the eating of pie.
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