Comments on: Muslim stripped of inter-faith prize

By: Stonyground

Stonyground — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:10:57 +0000

I think that Mr. Lycan has made an interesting point in that people in general seem to have a need to believe in nonsense. I often wondered if everyone in the world could be made to forget their respective religion overnight, how likely is it that new ones would spring up spontaniously and take us right back to square one. In western countries where religion seems to be in decline we see belief in astrology, magic crystals, homeopathy and all kinds of other unsubstanyiated guff springing up to take its place.

The unspoken question that seems to arise from Mr. Lycan's post is what is to be done? We do our best through political campaigning, diseminating information, trying to improve education, particularly in physical science and of course taking the unmerciful piss. Anyone have any other suggestions?

By: Norman Lycan

Norman Lycan — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:19:06 +0000

shargraves said:

"once again the incompatability of different strains of idiocy clash head-on. "

Response: Yes, they often do, maybe they cant help it. What puzzles me is atheists I meet who are skinhead bigots. I assumed when I came looking for open minded people like me on this site and others, that I would find people who realize that freethinkers are the last hope of humanity. People who really understand the flaws in the human condition. Those flaws that are thrusting us toward our self inflicted extinction.

And listen up folks, there was no curse cast by a priest or cleric that killed the dinosaurs. And the same fate awaits us with the toss of the dice. If humanity disappears forever, the universe will not care. It's not keeping a diary, unless you count fossils. But, who is going to dig us up?

The human condition, understand it, or we are lost.

By: Brian Jordan

Brian Jordan — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:00:25 +0000

Just so long as they continue to squabble it's fine. The trouble comes when the form unholy alliances

By: Rubberduck

Rubberduck — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:33:23 +0000

But…but..it IS “an idolatrous image”
I don't get it.
Then again I'm just a simpleminded atheist…..

By: Tim_Danaher

Tim_Danaher — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:46:30 +0000

It's fine for the muslims to get all whiny and petulant about this 'sleight' (after all, it's what they do best), but it's difficult to see how crticising one of the central tenets of one religion as "blasphemous and idolatrous" (even if it is bollocks) is somehow promoting interfaith relations.

By: valdemar

valdemar — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:44:58 +0000

It's amazing how many mutually incompatible ways there are to be stupidly, stubbornly wrong about things nobody could possibly know in the first place. That's the lesson of religion, I guess…

By: Buffy

Buffy — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:21:44 +0000

Yes, they're all religions of peace and love until you ask them to get together and be peaceful and loving to one another.

By: Stonyground

Stonyground — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:52:13 +0000

That seems to be the problem with all these attempts to get the different religions to bury the hatchet and work together. Their different beliefs are irreconcilable and each one actually has condemnation of some parts of the other's beliefs built in. As a result, the supposed ecumenism is never more than a tissue thin mask which inevitably keeps slipping off.

It is a shame that it never dawns on any of them that their own beliefs are just as false as the others.

By: shargraves

shargraves — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:47:15 +0000

once again the incompatability of different strains of idiocy clash head-on.

Of course, no one has the balls to say that – NO strains of stupidity – should be encouraged.