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PREFACE - a discussion

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 5:20 pm
by tarav
I have two notes on the preface. One is regarding music. It really annoyed me that Lennon's Imagine had been edited to expunge "and no religion too" or change it to "one religion too". I've never heard that before, but evidently it is sometimes performed that way in the USA. My other note is regarding the BBC show, Root of All Evil?. Has anyone seen it? If there is another thread regarding this, I don't mind being politely referred to it. Edited by: Chris OConnorĀ  at: 1/22/07 10:39 pm

Re: Preface

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:32 pm
by Mr. P
There was a thread for that clip. But just go to youtube.com and look for it....aw hell, hold on a sec...www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol5OWI7ZJZAThis is part one. Once you access it, you should have links to the other parts.Mr. P. Mr. P's place. I warned you!!!Mr. P's Bookshelf.I'm not saying it's usual for people to do those things but I(with the permission of God) have raised a dog from the dead and healed many people from all sorts of ailments. - AsanaThe one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:08 am
by Niall001
Tarav, just to clarify, it's not a BBC docu. It is a Channel 4 show. Richard decided against doing a BBC show because they would have made him do it in a balanced manner.

Re: --

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 10:44 pm
by Chris OConnor
Quote:My fourth consciousness-raiser is atheist pride. Being an atheist is nothing to be apologetic about.from page 3 of the PrefaceAmen. I'm proud of my atheism and rarely hold back when asked about my beliefs (or lack thereof). And why should I be silenced? Am I not in good company as an atheist?I'm more inclined to speak out and proclaim my atheism when in a situation where I could be mistaken as a theist. I'm actually embarassed by even the notion that I might be considered a theist. I won't allow such a misrepresentation, but I also don't go out of my way to get into a debate or discussion. I'm inclined to simply express my lack of belief and then move on. Then again if someone wants a debate I'll pull up a chair and order us some coffee. When attending weddings or religious rituals and I'm asked to participate at some level I am not shy about letting people know that I'm not a believer. Last weekend I attended a Greek Orthodox baptism. The poor little girl was stripped naked in front of 100 people and humiliated for no reason other than silly religious ritual. One person leaned in to me and whispered, "This ritual is 2000 years old," as if the antiquity of the meaninglessness is a good thing. In all honesty I think it was a form of child abuse. But I sat there and watched as a good little heathen. Edited by: Chris OConnorĀ  at: 1/22/07 10:52 pm

Re: --

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:04 pm
by Chris OConnor
Something else I should add...Quote:My fourth consciousness-raiser is atheist pride. Being an atheist is nothing to be apologetic about.And then he continues with...Quote:On the contrary, it is something to be proud of, standing tall to face the far horizon, for atheism nearly always indicates a healthy independence of mind and, indeed, a healthy mind.Dawkins fails to mention something else that I think is indicated by ones lack of belief in a God or gods. Aren't most atheists intelligent too? True, most atheists are freethinkers and have healthy and independent minds, but they're also typically far more intelligent than the general population. Later in the book, somewhere before page 109, Dawkins hits on how religious belief and intelligence seem to be inversely proportional, but he should have added it to the above statement too. I guess I'm nit-picking, but this is part of the reason why I speak up openly and honestly when asked about my religious beliefs. I could care less if someone finds my atheism distasteful. I'm well aware that I'm an intelligent person as are most atheists. I don't want to be mistaken for a theist any more than I'd want to be considered a believer in astral projection, telepathy, Reiki, faith healing or any of the other countless examples of bunk. Being a theist should be literally humiliating.I just realized that I'm probably going to piss off a lot of people with some of the things I say in discussing this book. Good. Edited by: Chris OConnorĀ  at: 1/22/07 11:08 pm

Re: --

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:16 am
by Mr. P
I will add that I think there are intelligent theists, as well as wiccans, scientologists, marxists....You get my point. The things that scares me though is how even intelligent people can become so deluded. The religion factor has a long history, and people tend to venerate things that have been around for a long time. While I do respect longevity and tradition for its role in where it has gotten us as a species, I also do not hold much as sacred.Mr. P. I'm not saying it's usual for people to do those things but I(with the permission of God) have raised a dog from the dead and healed many people from all sorts of ailments. - Asana Boditharta (former booktalk troll)The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.What is all this shit about Angels? Have you heard this? 3 out of 4 people believe in Angels. Are you F****** STUPID? Has everybody lost their mind? - George CarlinI came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper