Friday, March 28, 2008

Ben Stein (sort of) helps the skeptics

The 83rd Skeptics Circle is off and running. Where the time go? Besides work, family reunion, etc.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It seems to me that those who devote large amounts of time to "disproving" religion have a personal ax to grind. Perhaps they resent being "fooled" into accepting religious beliefs at an earlier time in their lives and/or being "forced" to accept it by their parents, I don't know.

Personally, I don't accept the basic premises of any western religion. It's really not even a "question" for me. It's nothing worth debating about from my perspective.

That said, I think it is quite presumptous for one to start believing that the "truth" is that the entire universe is entirely devoid of any design, any "intelligence," or any "supernatural" forces that give some direction to events that occur (I mean, generally, not on an ad hoc basis).

Would I claim to know anything about the nature of such an "intelligence." No, not for one second. Would I have any recommendations about how one should live his life in order to best fulfill his "purpose." Nary a one.

It seems to me that the hard-core atheists are just as devout and irrational in their pretense to knowledge about such things as religious fundies. But, once again, I tend to think their sense of certainty is really just a determination to oppose their "enemies" (religious types).

To me, ridiculing religious fundies is about as challenging and cheap as ridiculing the intelligence level of a 10-year old retarded child. What's the point? What is the goal being sought? What is the motivation?

One Brow said...

That said, I think it is quite presumptous for one to start believing that the "truth" is that the entire universe is entirely devoid of any design, any "intelligence," or any "supernatural" forces that give some direction to events that occur (I mean, generally, not on an ad hoc basis).

When I see evidence that might lead to design, I'll end my disbelief in the lack of design.

It seems to me that the hard-core atheists are just as devout and irrational in their pretense to knowledge about such things as religious fundies. But, once again, I tend to think their sense of certainty is really just a determination to oppose their "enemies" (religious types).

I agree that the so-called stong atheists, who make a positive claim for non-existence, have no evidence to back their claim.

To me, ridiculing religious fundies is about as challenging and cheap as ridiculing the intelligence level of a 10-year old retarded child. What's the point?

Politics. Fundamentalists are not shy about getting political power, nor about their desire to use this power to enforce their mindset on others. Ridicule can be a powerful weapon in politics.

What is the goal being sought?

Marginalization of political ambitions.

What is the motivation?

Preventing theocracy.