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Atheism is a mummer's parade -
December 29th, 2011, 10:22 AM
Recently I was watching a rerun of Penn & Teller's old show. The name of the show is a cuss word so I cannot offer the title here. I watched it because I tend to agree with them on a lot of things. I think they're libertarians. I do disagree with them a lot too, but I like their approach to tearing down a lot of liberal ideals.
However the episode I watched was on the subject of sex, or an aspect of it rather.
The reason that is relevant is because there was a quote in the episode wherein Penn stated that while they liked Dawkins and Hitchens they only needed the fact that the disparity between the amount of time it took each gender to reach climax to show that there is no God.
That is one of the lamest arguments I have ever heard. Not only was it not valid, it was invalid [legs don't work].
I also wondered if the atheists are right why do they need so many books? If their arguments were valid they would have only needed one.
What we have here are fools following in the footsteps of the fools that came before waving around their wooden swords, dressed in patchwork motley and jingling bells, marching in their mummer's parade.
I also wondered if the atheists are right why do they need so many books? If their arguments were valid they would have only needed one.
*facepalm*
I can't think of a more anti-intellectual comment than that. Atheists are wrong because they have lots of arguments is basically what that comes down to. It even ignores the mass amount of literature by Christian apologists defending theism or Christianity.
"Cast a light on the walls and lives of a Generation Online
We excel at passing time, and we share our hearts and our minds
Wake us up if they play our song and we might just sing along
But until then we won’t wait, we have found our own place to belong"
The defenses of theism are all the same arguments.
The defenses of atheism are all the same arguments.
See how easy it is to say? Books on atheism are rarely solely about atheism. They are about secularism, empiricism, evolution, religion, etc. They make arguments against religion and in favour of evolution and other things.
"Cast a light on the walls and lives of a Generation Online
We excel at passing time, and we share our hearts and our minds
Wake us up if they play our song and we might just sing along
But until then we won’t wait, we have found our own place to belong"
Slogan/motto:
Call me Anna, Velociraptor, excuse my manner, I'm having such a bad day. Woke this morning, with expectations of gaining nothing; I've learnt to trust my instincts.
Future Of The Left
Slogan/motto:
Call me Anna, Velociraptor, excuse my manner, I'm having such a bad day. Woke this morning, with expectations of gaining nothing; I've learnt to trust my instincts.
Future Of The Left
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December 29th, 2011, 12:35 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skavau
*facepalm*
I can't think of a more anti-intellectual comment than that. Atheists are wrong because they have lots of arguments is basically what that comes down to. It even ignores the mass amount of literature by Christian apologists defending theism or Christianity.
The other thing to consider is that it takes a tidal wave of literature, polemic and enlightenment to overthrow entrenched beliefs. The religious mind is almost impenetrable to common-sense.
Recently I was watching a rerun of Penn & Teller's old show. The name of the show is a cuss word so I cannot offer the title here. I watched it because I tend to agree with them on a lot of things. I think they're libertarians. I do disagree with them a lot too, but I like their approach to tearing down a lot of liberal ideals.
So tell me Lh, what part of this atheist's worldview do you agree with?
"All societies of men must be governed in some way or other... Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the Word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible, or by the bayonet."
Location: A bubble of my own self-satisfaction. Which is in the New Forest somewhere in Hampshire.
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Slogan/motto:
Some that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Do not be so eager to deal out justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.
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December 29th, 2011, 06:05 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guyver
What's a mummer?
They're traditional travelling beggar-actors who perform short stock plays in public places, often around Christmas time, about an evil knight being defeated by St George or Robin Hood and his victim being revived with an elixir.
Funnily enough a troupe of them came into a pub I was drinking at just a couple of weeks ago. They were in blackface, which was surprising to say the least, and had broad West Country accents and, shall we say, rather limited acting ability, so it felt a bit like watching Bottom and the mechanicals in A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was all in good fun, though, and they were raising money for charity.
Slogan/motto:
"Think about how stupid the average person is; now realize half of them are dumber than that"
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December 29th, 2011, 06:05 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lighthouse
That is one of the lamest arguments I have ever heard. Not only was it not valid, it was invalid [legs don't work].
You do realise that the comment was likely not intended to be an effective argument but instead a funny one. They are after all professional comedians...
Quote:
I also wondered if the atheists are right why do they need so many books? If their arguments were valid they would have only needed one.
Last I checked the Christian apologetics section of most book stores was larger than the entire atheist section...
The defenses of atheism are all the same arguments.
No they're not.
Quote:
See how easy it is to say? Books on atheism are rarely solely about atheism. They are about secularism, empiricism, evolution, religion, etc. They make arguments against religion and in favour of evolution and other things.
So tell me Lh, what part of this atheist's worldview do you agree with?
I don't agree with his atheism, moron. I agree with him on some of his political stances. For instance, I agree with them on recycling and the leftist hippies who support it; the hippies are fools.
What of it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrathca
You do realise that the comment was likely not intended to be an effective argument but instead a funny one. They are after all professional comedians...
And they are also stout and devout atheists, so they were just as serious about their stance that there is no God as they were trying to be funny.
Quote:
Last I checked the Christian apologetics section of most book stores was larger than the entire atheist section...
So tell me Lh, what part of this atheist's worldview do you agree with?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lighthouse
I don't agree with his atheism, moron. I agree with him on some of his political stances. For instance, I agree with them on recycling and the leftist hippies who support it; the hippies are fools.
What of it?
I like recycling , but I didn't have to consult with a hippy or an atheist to realize why.
Now when your favorite atheist says that "hippies are fools", are you talking about the ones that have hair down to their shoulders and wear red nail polish on one finger, or are you talking about hippies that don't have as much money as your atheist idol does?
"All societies of men must be governed in some way or other... Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the Word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible, or by the bayonet."
I like recycling , but I didn't have to consult with a hippy or an atheist to realize why.
I don't like recycling. It produces more exhaust [air pollution] than the initial production of the original productions, for one.
Quote:
Now when your favorite atheist says that "hippies are fools", are you talking about the ones that have hair down to their shoulders and wear red nail polish on one finger, or are you talking about hippies that don't have as much money as your atheist idol does?
You're an excessively stupid idiot. Can you honestly say you don't agree with Penn on anything from a political standpoint? Of course not, you tool.
Remember that Penn and Teller are comedians by profession first and foremost. Their objective is to make you laugh so that they can make money. With that said, they do sometimes present valid arguments.
I don't think disparity between climax is supposed to be a valid argument.. It may have been posed for purely comedic purposes. However I have not seen that particular episode so I cannot say for sure. If they indeed meant it as a serious argument against theism then I would have to agree with you, it is a stupid one.
As far as atheists needing lots of books... I think this argument is pretty bad too. Before I even say anything I would like to point out the Bible is a collection of independently authored books, not 1 book.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lighthouse
I don't like recycling. It produces more exhaust [air pollution] than the initial production of the original productions, for one.
Recycling plants now a days are pretty clean... Even so, a small amount of air pollution is a negligible when the alternative is that the planet runs out of land mines. It takes a long time for our waste to degrade. We are going to run out of space fairly quickly.. And don't forget, land mines themselves have problems (localized geenhouse effect, leakages into local water supply).
Location: A bubble of my own self-satisfaction. Which is in the New Forest somewhere in Hampshire.
Rep Power: 85409
Agnostic
Left Winger
Slogan/motto:
Some that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Do not be so eager to deal out justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.
Reputation:
January 1st, 2012, 04:56 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by computerex
Recycling plants now a days are pretty clean... Even so, a small amount of air pollution is a negligible when the alternative is that the planet runs out of land mines. It takes a long time for our waste to degrade. We are going to run out of space fairly quickly.. And don't forget, land mines themselves have problems (localized geenhouse effect, leakages into local water supply).
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