More Richard Dawkins Clips

Hey kids, more Richard Dawkins clips!

Richard Dawkins in Lynchburg, Virginia - Part 1

Richard Dawkins in Lynchburg, Virginia - Part 2

He's been travelin' all round the fair States promoting his new book The God Delusion.

The second clip is especially enjoyable - if only to see Dawkins swat away like flies the mind-numbing ramblings of the faculty and staff from fundamentalist, baptist Liberty University.

If you don't have time to watch the full clips above here's some clips as posted on One Good Move:

Christian Strangeness
Blind Faith
Not A Trivial Error
Child Abuse

Click here for previous Richard Dawkins post on Letter to America.

There's also a critique of Dawkins on a recent Southpark:

Go God Go XII

Those guys are right re:  Religion is not the root of all conflict - though they don't address the central issue of what to do in a world with so many people who would fill gaps in our understanding the universe with imaginary creatures, (rather than trying to figure stuff out ya know).

Dawkin's website provides a whole bunch of resources for those, like your genial host of LTA, who are sick and tired of people degrading, ignoring and dismissing humans astonishing ability and potential; not just to discover the nature of things but to apply our discoveries for the benefit of all:

Atheist Resources

And for good measure here's George Carlin on the Ten Commandments.

Comments

[Phil]

::Ramble alert::

I just don't get this, frankly. But before I commence rambling, I have not yet watched the clips of Mr. Dawkins so I'll preface my remarks by saying I don't know much about him.

I must say, though, that I think it takes less thought, study, or intellect at all to dismiss God altogether. It's the easiest thing in the world to do, and takes no thought or intropection at all..."I can't see God, so he must not exist". That's pretty much what it boils down to, right?

It's a pretty weak position if you ask me. "Weak" from the standpoint of it takes nothing to believe there's NOT a God. It takes great strength to have faith that there IS one.

As I mentioned on Wayne's site, life is far too complex and intricate for anyone to convince me that by some coincidental cosmic explosion -- here we are. We just 'happened' to evolve with these incredible cells, molecules, blood vessels, etc etc by sheer 'accident'. I can't buy that. When you break down the tiniest atoms of what allow us to exist in the first place...it is completely astounding to think about how we, and all other living things are put together. Emotions, thought, senses....just..."oops"!...out of nothing?

Forget about religion. I'm not even talking about that. Set it aside and just contemplate any higher being, that we can't understand. Is religion "made up"? Could be, I suppose. I know what I believe, but I can understand someone believing something else. It seems to me, on the surface, that Dawkins is more intent on discrediting Christianity (again I could be wrong, I've read or seen nothing about what he has said) -- under the guise of "atheism". Either way, I don't even see the point. Why is it so important to him to disprove God's existence (if he's even done that)? What good is going to come of it? How depressing, if you ask me.

But Dawkins comes across to me as an arrogant "intellectual" who revels in proving people are "stupid" because they believe in something that he can't see, understand or accept. I don't think he's all that smart - anyone can argue there is no God. (and why does science have to be separate from creation? a whole other topic that bothers me). I've never seen oxygen either, but I believe it exists.

Sorry for this long, and probably very pointless diatribe, but this guy bugs me.

::ramble off::

[Jett Loe]

God Bless ya Phil for your comment "again I could be wrong, I've read or seen nothing about what he has said'.

Rather than going through your comment point by point I suggest you watch the clips - if only because the things or arguments that bug you ARE NOT PUT FORWARD IN ANY WAY by Dawkins and others who despair that in the ABSENCE OF UNDERSTANDING of a thing or phenomena people invent a creature to explain things. I'm sending you a copy of the God Delusion for Christmas! :-)

+ you know I agree that it is astounding that we have emotions and all those things, but don't forget that natural selection has been working for BILLIONS OF YEARS - the complexity of things just didn't 'happen' all at once - but anyway this misunderstanding of Dawkins is similar to the emails that followed the last post on this subject - that's why you're gettin' the book!

[Phil]

"you know I agree that it is astounding that we have emotions and all those things, but don't forget that natural selection has been working for BILLIONS OF YEARS - the complexity of things just didn't 'happen' all at once - but anyway this misunderstanding of Dawkins is similar to the emails that followed the last post on this subject - that's why you're gettin' the book!

that taps into my belief that creation and evolution are intertwined with one another.

God said to Him, "a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day".

I look forward to the book - how appropriate for Christmas...please dump my ashes (and yours) off the Golden Gate Bridge when we are simultaneously struck by lightning.

[Jett Loe]

We could do some sort of photo essay of bad things happening to us as we're reading the book...

[Phil]

Not a bad idea.

[Jett Loe]

Am getting freaked out...somebody may come gunnin' for me.

Dawkin's is Gonna Get Ya

[Phil]

You can't "knife" someone who's Omnipresent and Omnipotent.

[Jett Loe]

I know! I'm screwed.

[Phil]

Well, you could change your ways by altering your reading habits.

[Jett Loe]

There are so many things wrong with that photo I just can't...I...feel.......unclean now.

[Jenny]

Good God, is he wearing a Union Jack?

[Jett Loe]

I don't know...could not bring myself to look at the image too long. But if you are interested suggest you go to Playaz Ball to find out more about Phil and his friends.

[Jama]

Phil, I love you... in a very platonic, "I have no idea who you are" kind of way. I have to say to you, Jett, that this is the whole point of what Dawkins is trying to say, isn't it? The idea is to question, use you brain and THINK about the concept of diety outside of the box you were born into or have chosen to put yourself in. I gave you a bad time about that previous post, but I am reading the book and learning a great deal and I'm sad to think anyone would come gunning for you when all you're doing is asking people to use a different set of eyes when looking at the world. I could talk for days and days on this subject but I think I'll spare you further e-mails and posts. All I want to say, particularly to Phil, is if something as simple as a post on a blog can make you this defensive of your faith, perhaps you should ask yourself why you're so angry and why are you so quick to place judgement on a man whose words you haven't even read? Whether one would call it personal evolution or spiritual growth, this book cannot do you any more harm than reading the Qur'an or the Upanishads. If anything it would help you 1.)Question your own faith and bring you to a better understanding of what you truly believe or 2.)Make your faith stronger.

Read the book.

[Phil]

I wouldn't classify myself as "angry". I do feel as if the entire world these days is doing everything in it's power to fashion the idea of religion as something that's bad, or a crutch, or absurd, etc., (and I'm not referring to Jett - just generally...Dawkins being one example) and atheism is just a state of mind that I can't comprehend no matter what God/gods you believe in, and atheism in particular is the absolute lowest base one can go, and the easiest route to take to try and justify your means, because God is something or someone you cannot see, feel, or hear in a tangible sense.

If you look at one of the links posted, atheism.org or whatever - what do you see? The first 3 or 4 things you see are about Ted Haggard, and an evangelist who was busted on tax evasion....what does that have to do with God's existence?? These are human beings who happen to be scumbags because they've deceived something or someone. They have nothing to do with whether God is real or not.

It was interesting that literally minutes after I made my initial comment, I got an email from my high school math teacher who is dying of cancer - his email talked about his belief in God (he is one of the most devoutly religious men I know), but also addressed his personal feelings of being "destructable" despite his belief in a God who has power over everything. We have "feelings" and we have "faith".

Believe me Jama - I have doubts and questions all the time. It isn't human not to. But I ultimately do come to my own conclusions - and the one thing I cannot shake is "there is a God".

-- and I love you, too, Jama.

[Jama]

Ok, no more arguing from me. Hugs all around. And I am very sorry to hear about your friend, Phil.

And Jett, take it easy tonight at that film screening. Lots of deep breaths and count to ten!