Dawkins Interview; Atheism, Agnosticism, Etc.

by AlanF 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • seeitallclearlynow
    seeitallclearlynow

    I enjoyed reading this interview so much.

    Q: Some scientists say that removing religion or God from their life would leave it meaningless, that it's God that gives meaning to life.

    A: "Unweaving the Rainbow" specifically attacks the idea that a materialist, mechanist, naturalistic worldview makes life seem meaningless. Quite the contrary, the scientific worldview is a poetic worldview, it is almost a transcendental worldview. We are amazingly privileged to be born at all and to be granted a few decades -- before we die forever -- in which we can understand, appreciate and enjoy the universe. And those of us fortunate enough to be living today are even more privileged than those of earlier times. We have the benefit of those earlier centuries of scientific exploration. Through no talent of our own, we have the privilege of knowing far more than past centuries. Aristotle would be blown away by what any schoolchild could tell him today. That's the kind of privileged century in which we live. That's what gives my life meaning. And the fact that my life is finite, and that it's the only life I've got, makes me all the more eager to get up each morning and set about the business of understanding more about the world into which I am so privileged to have been born.

    Just so, and a hearty, non-religious, amen.

  • OldSoul
    OldSoul
    Satanus: A disease of the mind, mind memes, i believe he called it. It makes sense, if you think about it

    It's probably just a fluke (http://www.discover.com/issues/aug-00/cover/).

    Pun-ishingly,
    OldSoul

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    Oldsoul

    Thanks for reminding me. That article made a very strong impression on me when it first came out. Ideologies = mind parasites, hahaha. I'm glad i offloaded a few. Still a few more to go, no doubt.

    S

  • itsallgoodnow
    itsallgoodnow

    thanks for posting this Alan!

  • GetBusyLiving
    GetBusyLiving

    You may have no idea how good reading this was for me having been surrounded by fundamentalist christians constantly this past week. Makes me feel less freak-like. Thanks Alan.

    GBL

  • OldSoul
    OldSoul

    {brain fluke} That's it OldSoul. Climb to the top of that blade of grass. You will become part of my species' life cycle soon enough. You will be in paradise. It will be wonderful.

  • Sparkplug
  • Earnest
    Earnest

    A very interesting read, Alan, and lots of good stuff to chew over. However, I do not think that scientists are necessarily more objective than theists. Dawkins is reported as saying :

    Scientists disagree among themselves but they never fight over their disagreements. They argue about evidence or go out and seek new evidence.

    That is what we expect science to be but "scientists" have been known to falsify evidence and create bogus statistics to support their particular theory. I suggest it is more to do with an interest in truth than in science or god. A person who loves truth will be willing to discard his beliefs when there is evidence they are wrong, regardless of whether he is a scientist or a theist.

    Earnest

  • Panda
    Panda

    Alan F, Thank you for posting this interview. I hadn't seen it before (I haven't been around for awhile) and I hope more on this discussion group will get the chance to read it. For me, Dawkins has a talent for explaining science and not make his audience feel stupid. Thanks again.

  • tetrapod.sapien
    tetrapod.sapien

    thanks for bringing this bttt again panda. i had missed it completely for some reason.

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