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I have said for years here that is it easy for me to dismiss Christopher Hitchens because of his dishonest, half-assed approach to genuine scholarship supporting the existence of God, and his callous ignorance of deeply reasoned philosophy and theology.

In fact, most present day atheists are the same way: ignorant of the intellectual tradition supporting the belief in God, and uninterested in reading the great philosophers and theologians who have eloquently explained the reasons for deism, or at least theism.

If Hitchens wasn't already dead, this article written by an atheist and recently published in Salon would have laid him out cold. I don't agree with this Curtis White's ultimate conclusions, but I can respect this guy and his opinions. I'll be on the look out for more of his writings.

http://www.salon.com/2013/06/23/christo ... no_favors/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of the best lines right here

As critics have observed since its publication, one enormous problem with Hitchens’s book is that it reduces religion to a series of criminal anecdotes.

Someone is fishing for an arguement.

I have no use for either fundamentalists or athiests - both are firmly entrenched and it will take several teams of Clydesdales to drag either even slightly toward middle ground. Religion IMO is best left to the individual and his/her personal beliefs - I don't need either view in my face unless I choose to engage it.

andy7171 wrote:Someone is fishing for an arguement.

This place needs a good argument. Everyone here is suddenly so sweet and refined.

I have no use for either fundamentalists or athiests - both are firmly entrenched and it will take several teams of Clydesdales to drag either even slightly toward middle ground. Religion IMO is best left to the individual and his/her personal beliefs - I don't need either view in my face unless I choose to engage it.

Everybody's firmly entrenched. No matter what you do you are. Like you may be firmly entrenched in the belief that people should try to move towards the middle ground.

Or I might say people should keep an open mind; in which case I may be firmly entrenched in the belief that people should keep an open mind.

There's no avoiding it. We are all firmly entrenched. Even if we say we don't believe in being firmly entrenched we're firmly entrenched in believing one shouldn't be firmly entrenched.

So don't be afraid of being firmly entrenched. Have the conviction to stand by what you say and believe.

JohnStOnge wrote:

I have no use for either fundamentalists or athiests - both are firmly entrenched and it will take several teams of Clydesdales to drag either even slightly toward middle ground. Religion IMO is best left to the individual and his/her personal beliefs - I don't need either view in my face unless I choose to engage it.

Everybody's firmly entrenched. No matter what you do you are. Like you may be firmly entrenched in the belief that people should try to move towards the middle ground.

Or I might say people should keep an open mind; in which case I may be firmly entrenched in the belief that people should keep an open mind.

There's no avoiding it. We are all firmly entrenched. Even if we say we don't believe in being firmly entrenched we're firmly entrenched in believing one shouldn't be firmly entrenched.

No they aren't.

No they aren't.

Are you firmly entrenched in that belief?

JohnStOnge wrote:

No they aren't.

Are you firmly entrenched in that belief?

No.

Attaboy.

JoltinJoe wrote:I have said for years here that is it easy for me to dismiss Christopher Hitchens because of his dishonest, half-assed approach to genuine scholarship supporting the existence of God, and his callous ignorance of deeply reasoned philosophy and theology.

In fact, most present day atheists are the same way: ignorant of the intellectual tradition supporting the belief in God, and uninterested in reading the great philosophers and theologians who have eloquently explained the reasons for deism, or at least theism.

If Hitchens wasn't already dead, this article written by an atheist and recently published in Salon would have laid him out cold. I don't agree with this Curtis White's ultimate conclusions, but I can respect this guy and his opinions. I'll be on the look out for more of his writings.

http://www.salon.com/2013/06/23/christo ... no_favors/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They keep you doped with religion and sex and TV....John Lennon

Curtis White - never heard of him.

Re: Christian Theology

Well-stated nonsense is still nonsense.

What kind of god reveals himself only through making sense of the convoluted writings of Kierkegaard, the "authors" of the convoluted bible or the the thousands of other crafters of nonsense?

Is this god worthy of the worship he constantly demands?

Enter SeattleGriz. Atheists ain't done shit!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

D1B wrote:Curtis White - never heard of him.

Re: Christian Theology

Well-stated nonsense is still nonsense.

What kind of god reveals himself only through making sense of the convoluted writings of Kierkegaard, the "authors" of the convoluted bible or the the thousands of other crafters of nonsense?

Is this god worthy of the worship he constantly demands?

Curtis is a guest critic on Evilbible.com haha


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

ASUG8 wrote:I have no use for either fundamentalists or athiests - both are firmly entrenched and it will take several teams of Clydesdales to drag either even slightly toward middle ground. Religion IMO is best left to the individual and his/her personal beliefs - I don't need either view in my face unless I choose to engage it.

Wait. Did you say Clydesdales????

JoltinJoe wrote:

andy7171 wrote:Someone is fishing for an arguement.

This place needs a good argument. Everyone here is suddenly so sweet and refined.

In fact, most present day christians are the same way: ignorant of the intellectual tradition of scientific discovery and the natural world around them and uninterested in reading the great philosophers and humanists who have eloquently provided explanations for why things go bump in the night and how not to be an asshole.

kalm wrote:

JoltinJoe wrote:
This place needs a good argument. Everyone here is suddenly so sweet and refined.

In fact, most present day christians are the same way: ignorant of the intellectual tradition of scientific discovery and the natural world around them and uninterested in reading the great philosophers and humanists who have eloquently provided explanations for why things go bump in the night and how not to be an asshole.

I don't believe that having an understanding and appreciation for science while also having a spiritual life are mutually exclusive. I would consider myself somewhat spiritual although I don't attend church regularly, but I have a great deal of respect for philosophers and their opinions on life. Basically, I guess I mix up religion, philosophy, science, et al to help me attempt to get an understanding of what our reason for being is.

kalm wrote:

JoltinJoe wrote:
This place needs a good argument. Everyone here is suddenly so sweet and refined.

In fact, most present day christians are the same way: ignorant of the intellectual tradition of scientific discovery and the natural world around them and uninterested in reading the great philosophers and humanists who have eloquently provided explanations for why things go bump in the night and how not to be an asshole.

They're also unaware of or refuse to read the volumes of scholarship on their religion's or church's roles in starting wars, discrimination, torture, genocide, raping children, killing people, getting basic science wrong in the face of overwhelming evidence, how they brainwash children from birth to death to blindly accept things because its in the bible.....

ASUG8 wrote:

kalm wrote:
In fact, most present day christians are the same way: ignorant of the intellectual tradition of scientific discovery and the natural world around them and uninterested in reading the great philosophers and humanists who have eloquently provided explanations for why things go bump in the night and how not to be an asshole.

I don't believe that having an understanding and appreciation for science while also having a spiritual life are mutually exclusive. I would consider myself somewhat spiritual although I don't attend church regularly, but I have a great deal of respect for philosophers and their opinions on life. Basically, I guess I mix up religion, philosophy, science, et al to help me attempt to get an understanding of what our reason for being is.

What has religion taught you, about our reason for being?

Mission accomplished!

You're welcome Joe.

D1B wrote:

ASUG8 wrote:
I don't believe that having an understanding and appreciation for science while also having a spiritual life are mutually exclusive. I would consider myself somewhat spiritual although I don't attend church regularly, but I have a great deal of respect for philosophers and their opinions on life. Basically, I guess I mix up religion, philosophy, science, et al to help me attempt to get an understanding of what our reason for being is.

What has religion taught you, about our reason for being?

If you don't glean anything else from the bible and believe it's simply a bunch of disjointed stories, you can take away the ten commandments and the golden rule as a loose framework of how to live a decent life and respect those around you.

ASUG8 wrote:

D1B wrote:
What has religion taught you, about our reason for being?

If you don't glean anything else from the bible and believe it's simply a bunch of disjointed stories, you can take away the ten commandments and the golden rule as a loose framework of how to live a decent life and respect those around you.

The Ten Commandments?

What if your mother and father are serial abusers?

kalm wrote:

ASUG8 wrote:
If you don't glean anything else from the bible and believe it's simply a bunch of disjointed stories, you can take away the ten commandments and the golden rule as a loose framework of how to live a decent life and respect those around you.

The Ten Commandments?

What if your mother and father are serial abusers?

Mine aren't.

kalm wrote:

JoltinJoe wrote:
This place needs a good argument. Everyone here is suddenly so sweet and refined.

In fact, most present day christians are the same way: ignorant of the history behind the creation of the bible and reasons where books were and were not included

FIFY