The Purpose of Purpose - Richard Dawkins

[MethodGNA]

Any positing of a 'creator' is faced with the problem of infinite regression. If you insist there is a 'creator' because 'creation' requires such, then who or what created the 'creator'? and as for intelligence...gotta love Neil de Grasse Tyson, Stupid Design:

yeah, tyson is a very intelligent individual........ all i can really say about your infinite regression query is that i personally believe, if there were a creator, we, as humans would not be able to qualify the purpose of a 'god' or understand the nature of his existance..........some posit that he would be pure energy.......which as you knwo is timeless.........but for us to try to understand anything about god, would be like the ant you step over on the sidewalk attempting to understand the complex and varied emotions and nuances of human beings, it could not be done.......they do not have the capacity, the hardware, or the software...........now times that by infintiy........and you would have the human mind trying to understand the nature of god

[Deicide]

The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute that it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive, many others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear, others are slowly being devoured from within by rasping parasites, thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst, and disease. It must be so. If there ever is a time of plenty, this very fact will automatically lead to an increase in the population until the natural state of starvation and misery is restored. In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.
-Richard Dawkins

[Ursus]

Just a few points

The story of creationism in the bible is a parable - A lot of the new testament and Marks gospel in particular is. Many people back then were uneducated

Catholicism acknowledges both evolution and creationism. Not many people know this

Dawkins has a girly voice

[polychronopolous]

Just a few points

The story of creationism in the bible is a parable - A lot of the new testament and Marks gospel in particular is. Many people back then were uneducated

Catholicism acknowledges both evolution and creationism. Not many people know this

Dawkins has a girly voice

Were they saying this was a parable 2 or 3 hundred years ago?

I wish I could live long enough to see Christianity dwindle to absolute mythical nonsense, which it will at some point in the future.

[Ursus]

Yes.

The bible is FULL of parables. Littered with them. It helped people understand the point that was trying to be made.

I dont care about atheism or agnostics. I dont see why they care so much about religious people. Each to their own.

[polychronopolous]

Yes.

The bible is FULL of parables. Littered with them. It helped people understand the point that was trying to be made.

I dont care about atheism or agnostics. I dont see why they care so much about religious people. Each to their own.

Because upwards of 50% of the United States believe in Creationism in a literal sense.

And millions of them elect their representitives based on this, who in turn push an agenda of teaching this nonsense in schools.

This is why some people care.

[Ursus]

Well its a democracy - so you have to expect difference of opinions.

Religion is very important to many people.

[polychronopolous]

Well its a democracy - so you have to expect difference of opinions.

Religion is very important to many people.

I really can't make my above post any clearer.

And yes, you are right on both counts.... This is a democracy, and Religion is important to many people.

Congratulations.

[Ursus]

Wll write to your senator,

or

Have a little tolerance.

[Emmortal]

Because upwards of 50% of the United States believe in Creationism in a literal sense.

And millions of them elect their representitives based on this, who in turn push an agenda of teaching this nonsense in schools.

This is why some people care.

And many people of the opposing beliefs think what you believe is nonsense.  Who exactly are you to judge others?  You are no better or worse than anyone else because of what you chose to believe or not to believe.  Both sides need to get off their high horses about being "right" and realize we're all brothers and sisters living in this world together.

Yes, it will never happen, but that's just how I feel.

[polychronopolous]

And many people of the opposing beliefs think what you believe is nonsense.  Who exactly are you to judge others?  You are no better or worse than anyone else because of what you chose to believe or not to believe.  Both sides need to get off their high horses about being "right" and realize we're all brothers and sisters living in this world together.

Yes, it will never happen, but that's just how I feel.

The only thing that I am asserting about being "right" is that Young Earth Creationsim is scientific junk.

I have no problems with anyone as long as they don't try to push this in our schools.

[MethodGNA]

Because upwards of 50% of the United States believe in Creationism in a literal sense.

And millions of them elect their representitives based on this, who in turn push an agenda of teaching this nonsense in schools.

This is why some people care.

this is not really true.......athiests like to discredit and humiliate people who believe in god and question the dawkins/darwin paradigm of evolutionary thought...........they say say "these people dont believe in evolution........its been proven look at all the evidence".............when in fact this should be qualified..........some choose not to, based on alot of of evidence, and missing evidence....tons of it.......accept that all varied forms of modern life on earth is drawn from one single, single celled creature which itself just appeared out of entropy and total nothing ness......that life was produced from non-life.  and mind you, the dawkins crowd has absolutely no idea how this happened, not even a working hypothesis.....they just take random guesses when pressed.  no one, except a few on the fringes are arguing that species  do not adapt and change (evolve) over time.

and this is the conflict in the definition of evolution............if you are saying that species over time, adapt to their enviornments, and change based on requirements........ever yone accepts that.............but what they mean is that every form of life came from a single celled creature, which itself came from nothing............so when they say that ID proponents dont believe in evolution.........what they are talking about is their specific brand of evolution

not long ago, maybe it was the movie expelled, which in light of some argumentative fallacies, is a pretty good movie, someone said .............the chance that all modern life on earth is sprung from total disorder, chance, and non-existance............is like a tornado going through a junkyard full of old airplane scraps......an leavign in its wake a brand new, fully functional  boeing 747.

just like ancient earth......of course tidal pool and volcanos were able to thrash some chemicals around...... but that is not a way to create a functional cell........... if 25 years ago we thought that a cell was like a cadillac, today we consider it a fighter jet..........scients still stymied by the milllions of functions it is able to perform and regulate..........its like a supersomputer

remember our universe seeks entropy, things move towards disorder, youu need conciousness and energy to produce extropy from total entropy

[buffdnet]

spot on as always

[G o a t b o y]

yeah, you fucking uneducated douche......ben stein.........the attorney, economist, spechwriter for two presidents, filmmaker,valedictorian of YALE, noted historian, political commentator.......column ist for publications such as the wall street journal, the new your times, barrons and penthouse

but you, the uneducated douche, know him as the guy with the monotonous voice on the wonder years.........because you are an lopudmouth asshole

ben stein is one of the most highly educated, brilliant people this country ever produced..........and on a higher intellectual plain then richard dawkins........any day of the week

sorry fuckhead, hahahahahaha

I only know him as the host of that short-lived MTV game show from the 80's, "Win Ben Stein's money".  Oh, and also from the Visine commercials.

[polychronopolous]

I only know him as the host of that short-lived MTV game show from the 80's, "Win Ben Stein's money".  Oh, and also the Visine commercials.

It was funny how this "intellectual" was always losing his ass to random contestants on that game show.

[MethodGNA]

I only know him as the host of that short-lived MTV comedy central game show from the 80's, "Win Ben Stein's money".  Oh, and also the Visine commercials.

fixed

[Nasty Nate]

I'll watch this, it looks interesting.

[G o a t b o y]

fixed

You're correct.  It's not often  G o a t b o y  is wrong, so everyone enjoy this moment. 

[MethodGNA]

You're correct.  It's not often  G o a t b o y  is wrong, so everyone enjoy this moment. 

well if i was being a stickler i would also have mentioned that the show was on air during the late 90s......lol

[NarcissisticDeity]

The only thing that I am asserting about being "right" is that Young Earth Creationsim is scientific junk.

I have no problems with anyone as long as they don't try to push this in our schools.

I agree , believe what you'd like but don't fuck with the Constitution in the process

[wavelength]

Were they saying this was a parable 2 or 3 hundred years ago?
I wish I could live long enough to see Christianity dwindle to absolute mythical nonsense, which it will at some point in the future.

Like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc.?
It was and will always be either literal truth or mythical nonsense to most people. That's the fate of any spiritual scripture: to be misunderstood.

[polychronopolous]

Like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc.?
It was and will always be either literal truth or mythical nonsense to most people. That's the fate of any spiritual scripture: to be misunderstood.

These faiths will continue to make concessions. The literal truths of today will be conviently be labeled the parables of tomorrow until each particular faith has been whittled down to nothing just like the faiths before them.

[wavelength]

These faiths will continue to make concessions. The literal truths of today will be conviently be labeled the parables of tomorrow until each particular faith has been whittled down to nothing just like the faiths before them.

Concessions are only made by people who have misinterpreted spiritual scripture in the first place.

[Ursus]

The fundamnetals of catholicism have never changed -

[G o a t b o y]

I long for a time when people see religion for what it is:  the attempt of ignorant primitive man to explain the world around him, and to provide psychological comfort in the face of an often difficult existence and with the knowledge of his own mortality.  "Scripture" of all variety is fable, created by ordinary men with no divine insight.  It seems so plainly obvious to me, kind of like a "well, duh!" kind of thing, and I have real difficulty understanding why others don't see it.  Whether there could be a "higher power" beyond us is a separate argument, but the non-divine human origins of all current religious movements should not be in doubt to anyone with an IQ higher than that of a gnat.