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Reason Rally: Mock Believers! - Dawkins

Apex

Somewhere Around Nothing
Taken from Dawkins' speech at the Reason Rally: (Emphasis mine)
So when I meet somebody who claims to be religious, my first impulse is: “I don’t believe you. I don’t believe you until you tell me do you really believe — for example, if they say they are Catholic — do you really believe that when a priest blesses a wafer it turns into the body of Christ? Are you seriously telling me you believe that? Are you seriously saying that wine turns into blood?” Mock them! Ridicule them! In public!
What does everyone (theist and atheist) think about his statement? Should you mock someone in public for no other reason then you think one of their beliefs doesn't make sense?
Would this world really become a better place if everyone followed Dawkins' advice?
And where would it end? Why should it just be contained to religious beliefs? What about political, cultural, philosophical, or anything you disagree on?


And for just the theists here:
Don’t fall for the convention that we’re all too polite to talk about religion. Religion is not off the table. Religion is not off limits.
I know myself, and other Mormons I know, do not believe our religion is "off the table". We welcome criticism, so long as it is honest criticism, and not plain ridicule (as Dawkins is endorsing). And I think sites like FAIR are a good example of how we welcome criticism, and are not afraid of responding to it.

What about other theists on RF. Do you consider your religion to be "off the table"?
 

sojourner

Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
Yeah. Public mocking is real reasonable.
I respect a lot of what Dawkins says. Then he has to get sensational and make a fool out of himself. So disappointing!
 

F0uad

Well-Known Member
First of all Atheist are not bind onto a certain Moral rules so in there ''belief'' system they can do whatever they want and how they want.
While on the other hand most of the religions (at-least that i know off) have a golden-rule applied.

Criticism is always good it sharpens someone up and lets the person research more in hes ''Religion'' or Atheistic ''Belief'' but public mocking should be banned totally there can be no respect been found in that or any goodness!

I think you should question religious people and atheist but always in a friendly manner and that you not insist your own thinking on someone else ''Golden-Rule''

I find it stupid that whatever Dawkins says should be reconsidered to be the truth, is he your Guru, imam, priest its like now a days when he breaths everyone worships that breath, instead of using sceptical analysis on everything the man says like you do on religious people.

You cannot be a great thinker if you not argue the thinkers around you.
 
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1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
That's really immature. I am for open debate but mocking is for the mentally unevolved. As for religion being on the table, I'd never say different. I always talk religion, what could be more important to discuss than religion, politics, and science? I also love how so many mentally unevolved people assume that theists are all the same, and that we are all mentally incompetent to defend ourselves. Bring it.
 

crystalonyx

Well-Known Member
Dawkins is a great intellect. His book "The Ancestor's Tale" is a magnificent study of evolution, and the book "The God Delusion" logically brings out many of the problems and fallacies of theism. As for Dawkin's forthright stance, consider a comment George H .W. Bush allegedly made to one Robert Sherman at a formal press conference at Chicago's O'Hare airport in which Mr. Bush, then vice president said that "he didn't think atheists should be considered citizens or patriots since, "we are one nation under God." ".1 Any complaints about that?

1. http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=13314
 
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Apex

Somewhere Around Nothing
Dawkins is a great intellect. His book "The Ancestor's Tale" is a magnificent study of evolution, and the book "The God Delusion" logically brings out many of the problems and fallacies of theism. As for Dawkin's forthright stance, consider George H .W. Bush's quote that "he didn't think atheists should be considered citizens or patriots since, "we are one nation under God." ". Any complaints about that?
So, are you saying two wrongs make a right? And you didn't actually address the quote in the OP. Do you agree or disagree with mocking believers in public?
 

fallingblood

Agnostic Theist
Dawkins is a great intellect. His book "The Ancestor's Tale" is a magnificent study of evolution, and the book "The God Delusion" logically brings out many of the problems and fallacies of theism. As for Dawkin's forthright stance, consider George H .W. Bush's quote that "he didn't think atheists should be considered citizens or patriots since, "we are one nation under God." ". Any complaints about that?

Yes, I think that what Bush said was stupid. However, how does more stupidity make it right? It doesn't. That is a problem I see with many individuals. They justify stupidity and foolish ideas by saying that others are doing it to. That isn't logical.

I like Dawkins. I think his book, The God Delusion is a wonderful read and he has a lot of good information. But once he takes it a step to far, such as saying that people should mock the religious, he really looses any hope he could have. It just makes a bad name for atheists, and it certainly will not help reason.
 

4consideration

*
Premium Member
I cannot support mocking as anything close to an intelligent support for one's position.

I am unfamiliar with Mr. Dawkins except for the reference that I have seen made to him on this forum.

What is is his position about "Believers"? Does he disagree mainly with particular beliefs, or is it the entire approach of religion resting upon a faith-based assumption of something that has not been proven to exist -- the assumption of (the belief) in God?
 

gnomon

Well-Known Member
What is is his position about "Believers"?

He wants them thrown in a gulag.

edit: On a more interesting note. Is it actually proper to say "thrown in a gulag". Wasn't the Gulag a bureaucracy? They oversaw labor camps. Yeah, I meant thrown in a labor camp.
 

Tristesse

Well-Known Member
Who defines what is ridiculous? Because I think what you just said was ridiculous. Obviously you don't. So who is the ultimate judge?

Well, literally by definition.
ri·dic·u·lous/riˈdikyələs/

Adjective deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd.


but if you litterly believe without evidence that a cracker turns into the body of anyone, you don't find that ridiculous?
 

fallingblood

Agnostic Theist
Well, literally by definition.
ri·dic·u·lous/riˈdikyələs/

Adjective deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd.


but if you litterly believe without evidence that a cracker turns into the body of anyone, you don't find that ridiculous?
Okay. So since you can find some "ridiculous" ideas that some believers hold, then all believers should be mocked. Instead of actually trying to understand why someone believes a certain way, whatever you deem to be ridiculous should be ridiculed.

Does the same apply to you? Should I be able to just ridicule everything you say that I think is ridiculous? Where does that get us? Nowhere. It is a waste of time.
 

Student of X

Paradigm Shifter
Instead of actually trying to understand why someone believes a certain way, whatever you deem to be ridiculous should be ridiculed.

But Dawkins already knows why you believe. You weren't taught enough science, you were indoctrinated as a child, and you haven't been mocked enough by Dawkins fans.
 

gnomon

Well-Known Member
But Dawkins already knows why you believe. You weren't taught enough science, you were indoctrinated as a child, and you haven't been mocked enough by Dawkins.

That's it exactly.

Beware the onslaught of militant mocking that is forthcoming.
 
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