170 replies to this topic

[Still Waters]

www.telegraph.co.uk said:

He is regarded as the most famous atheist in the world but last night Professor Richard Dawkins admitted he could not be sure that God does not exist.

He told the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, that he preferred to call himself an agnostic rather than an atheist.

The two men were taking part in a public “dialogue” at Oxford University at the end of a week which has seen bitter debate about the role of religion in public life in Britain.

Last week Baroness Warsi, the Tory party chairman, warned of a tide of “militant secularism” challenging the religious foundations of British society.

The discussion, in Sir Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian Theatre, attracted attention from around the world.

As well as being relayed to two other theatres, it was streamed live on the internet and promoted fierce debate on the Twitter social network.

Read more...

[Alienated Being]

He HAS mentioned in The God Delusion that he is between agnosticism and secular atheism. I don't know where anybody got the idea that he was completely secularist.

Edited by Alienated Being, 24 February 2012 - 03:01 PM.

[Leonardo]

Dawkins theological stance is still atheist, not agnostic.

He believes there is no god, and is therefore an atheist. That he cannot know there is no god is irrelevant, because atheism, like theism, does not rely on knowledge but belief.

Yet another example of atheism (and atheists) trying to annex agnosticism in the name of 'justification' for what is a belief.

Edited by Leonardo, 24 February 2012 - 03:23 PM.

[Rlyeh]

Alienated Being, on 24 February 2012 - 03:00 PM, said:

He HAS mentioned in The God Delusion that he is between agnosticism and secular atheism. I don't know where anybody got the idea that he was completely secularist.

Secular isn't the same as atheism.


Anyway I'm not sure why this is news, he's never stated he is 100% certain deities don't exist.

Edited by Rlyeh, 24 February 2012 - 03:32 PM.

[Alienated Being]

Rlyeh, on 24 February 2012 - 03:27 PM, said:

Secular isn't the same as atheism.


Anyway I'm not sure why this is news, he's never stated he is 100% certain deities don't exist.

I know it's not the same as atheism; I meant to put secular atheist in there, instead of just secularist. Sorry.

[ChloeB]

Rlyeh, on 24 February 2012 - 03:27 PM, said:

Secular isn't the same as atheism.


Anyway I'm not sure why this is news, he's never stated he is 100% certain deities don't exist.

Well he did write a book titled God Delusion, pretty much saying people who believe in God are deluded.  But he's an agnostic, well he makes a fine prophet for the atheist faith, oops belief, oh no wait.....philosophy, mmmmyeah that's it.  

[Lion6969]

ChloeB, on 24 February 2012 - 07:28 PM, said:

Well he did write a book titled God Delusion, pretty much saying people who believe in God are deluded.  But he's an agnostic, well he makes a fine prophet for the atheist faith, oops belief, oh no wait.....philosophy, mmmmyeah that's it.  

Spot on

The book should have been called Dawkins delusions.

[hetrodoxly]

Has anyone watched the video? he says on a scale of 1-7 he's 6.9 certain there's no supernatural deity he'd probably give the same odds on the tooth fairy.

[Star of the Sea]

Ah well, he is hedging his bets.... he had to throw in the caveat  "he could not be sure that God does not exist" after all he doesn't want to look like a fool. He knows full well that no-one knows the answer to that question.

[Alienated Being]

Lion6969, on 24 February 2012 - 10:07 PM, said:

Spot on

The book should have been called Dawkins delusions.

He presents quite a few logically sound arguments to support his claims... He's hardly delusional. You theists are just too wrapped up in your nonsense to see it.

[Cassea]

Lion6969, on 24 February 2012 - 10:07 PM, said:

Spot on

The book should have been called Dawkins delusions.

That gave me a wee smile.

[Lion6969]

Alienated Being, on 24 February 2012 - 11:20 PM, said:

He presents quite a few logically sound arguments to support his claims... He's hardly delusional. You theists are just too wrapped up in your nonsense to see it.

Really? I read the entire book twice and found no logic or any philosophically credible arguments. He is a great scientist, hell, he even lectured my brother at UCL. However philosophically logically he has no argument!

[Alienated Being]

Lion6969, on 24 February 2012 - 11:37 PM, said:

Really? I read the entire book twice and found no logic or any philosophically credible arguments. He is a great scientist, hell, he even lectured my brother at UCL. However philosophically logically he has no argument!

Really? Not even when he made reference to Bertrand Russell's teapot analogy?

Maybe you should read it another six times.

[Cassea]

Isn't Bertrand Russe's teapot  Bertrand Russel's argument?  Not Richard Dawkin's argument?  I never read the book. It was an option in one of my classes.  But the man is so negative towards Christians. I didn't think. I could make it through the book.

[Flibbertigibbet]

Do theists ever wonder if there is just one god, or more than one?