Christopher Hitchens was asked, "If you don't believe there's a god, why do you do spend your entire life trying to prove it? Why don't you just stay at home?"
[Thank you, Hitch. I can use some of that in future debates with uh, friends.]
"Skepticism or debunking often receives the bad rap reserved for activities -- like garbage disposal -- that absolutely must be done for a safe and sane life, but seem either unglamorous or unworthy of overt celebration. Yet the activity has a noble tradition, from the Greek coinage of "skeptic" (a word meaning "thoughtful" ) to Carl Sagan's last book, The Demon-Haunted World. [...] Skepticism is the agent of reason against organized irrationalism -- and is therefore one of the keys to human social and civic decency. [...] Skepticism's bad rap arises from the impression that, however necessary the activity, it can only be regarded as a negative removal of false claims. Not so [...]. Proper debunking is done in the interest of an alternate model of explanation, not as a nihilistic exercise. The alternate model is rationality itself, tied to moral decency -- the most powerful joint instrument for good that our planet has ever known." -- Stephen Jay Gould
Funny, that to a believer, an answer becomes a rant when it reveals them for who they are. By the way, what is with the corny, sappy music playing in the background?
I don’t know why the “new atheists” thought that those religious fanatics were who defined religion. They are a loud and dangerous tiny minority, who need to be fought as urgently as Hitch fought 80% of his own species. But they do not represent the 80%.
EXACTLY ! It was only Bishop Cyril and a few followers that flayed Hypathia alive.
Probably just a handful of the Pope's faves who did the Inquisition.
Weren't too many really burning "witches " alive. Less than a few even.
And how many cracked the whip on a slaves back? Couldn't be more than 10% of the population
The new atheists did not always think that the religious fanatics defined religion. R. Dawkins, for one example, regularly praised the moderate majority. ( I think too much.) It is doing the same thing, defining the new atheists by one statement from their most immoderate member.
Such an incredible grasp of the language. Sure wish we could have a laugh at the background of the loser who asked the question.
Because he can make money off of moronic idiots like you possibly????