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Original poster

So how about a "Rationality, Scepticism & Atheism" section?

117 replies

UnquietDad · 29/05/2008 15:19

Where people can actually have sensible discussions about the debunking of the paranormal, and the lack of evidence for any of the crystal-healing-aura-chakra-reiki-throw-your-hands-in the-air-and-say woooooooooo healing rubbish.

Because I'm getting fed up with trying to remind the people in Philosophy, Religion and Woo that we actually live in the 21st Century.

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 29/05/2008 23:19

"I'll stop talking about religion when the religious stop talking about science."

Um....

?

Original poster
UnquietDad · 29/05/2008 23:13

cathpot - I am a fan of his, although I'm not qualified to comment on whether he is ugly. I would have thought a lot of women would find him quite attractive. Personally I like his wife.

I think greyriverside makes a useful point about the need for "bolshy" interfering posting by unbelievers in PRS. (Or is it PSR? I can't remember.) It's so often stated (or implied) that the whole god/supernatural/paranormal thing is just the default mindset, and it behoves rational people to keep plugging away and demonstrating its cobblerousness. Otherwise it may well never be challenged.

OP posts:
Cathpot · 29/05/2008 22:08

clearly you will be impressed by my spelling..

Cathpot · 29/05/2008 22:08

oooooo unquiet dad, your long rant, I loved it - your not dawkings are you (swoon)

getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 29/05/2008 22:06

oh god yes. That wouldn't have occurred to me either.

Greyriverside · 29/05/2008 22:06

The reason I bother to post at all about religion is that (1) I want anyone happening across the thread to realise that there is another point of view. Otherwise they may go away thinking that 'everyone knows god exists'.

  1. It's my opinion that religion (aside from being false) is bad for society. I don't just mean religious terrorists, but the whole unhealthy mind set.

  2. religious people do impose their beliefs on me. They infiltrate the schools, they speak on TV about political decisions and what god wants us to do.

Blandmum · 29/05/2008 21:57

Have nifty portable number thanks to fabbo GP.

and niftier Os concentrator at home with hooooge back up tank that lasts 19 hours...that one would give me some biceps if I carried that one round

sort out my bingo wings in no time.

Bird shit on wheels came as a nasty shock too stupid of me not to think about it really

getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 29/05/2008 21:55

Sounds heavy as well - lugging oxygen around the place. Glad you got to go away though xx

Blandmum · 29/05/2008 21:46

Good but hard work. Dh needs quite a bit of rest, wheelchair for outings and O2. all of whic is 'do-able' but hard to juggle with the kids needing lots of excercise etc. so hard to strike the right ballence. Weather was also dodgy, which didn't help.

Windmill was cool

getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 29/05/2008 21:12

How was your break?

Blandmum · 29/05/2008 21:09

is that you yurt1?? or am I going to get confused again?

getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 29/05/2008 21:08

oh god do I know you

AMumInScotland · 29/05/2008 20:57

Yep, I thought he was ugly back then too! Possibly more than 20 years ago... lord I've got old...

getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 29/05/2008 20:35

Ha ha. This was almost 20 years ago. Piercing eyes.

AMumInScotland · 29/05/2008 20:31

Now that's just weird!

I alwsys thought he was arrogant and ugly!

getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 29/05/2008 17:59

Nah Dawkins was arrogant 20 years ago imo. (Although sexy at the time in a weird sort of way).

Original poster
UnquietDad · 29/05/2008 16:41

?New opinions often appear first as jokes and fancies, then as blasphemies and treason, then as questions open to discussion, and finally as established truths.?

George Bernard Shaw

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Original poster
UnquietDad · 29/05/2008 16:33

Pleased to see this idea has provoked debate though!

Nothing worse than a "tumbleweed" thought...

OP posts:
Lazycow · 29/05/2008 16:30

UD - fair enough. I think I do think for myself though and yet I still believe in God (most of the time anyway)

Original poster
UnquietDad · 29/05/2008 16:29

I don't want to "convert", though. I just want people to think for themselves.

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Lazycow · 29/05/2008 16:28

I know UD. I just think sometimes you are a bit over zealous and want to convert so much you come across too strongly.

I don't think indigo children and crystal healing etc make much sense and part of me does think ' what an idiot for believing that' but I really can't get as angry about it as you seem to. Also I know much of what I believe doesn't make much sense, but tbh I think much of life is a mystery and I quite like that. To have it all explained away or to even believe we can would be a little dull.

I also graduated with a science degree (admitedly Chmistry not Physics) so I understand (and love) the way of science. It is just not the be all and end all for me.

Original poster
UnquietDad · 29/05/2008 16:27

cestlavie, you have a fair point.

I maybe wish then that there were more rationalists sticking their noses into P-R-S where they aren't wanted.

jimjams - I agree Dawkins is irritable. He is a spiky debater. But that isn't the same as intolerant. if he were "tolerant" then "The God Delusion" would not be half the enjoyable read it is.

I think his irritability is the result of having had his views "challenged" by people with no clear arguments for over 20 years now. I think that would try the patience of a saint.

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cestlavie · 29/05/2008 16:22

UQD, you just know that a section for rational sensible people to discuss sceptical and practical approaches to PSR would be incredibly dull and quite frankly not generate a fraction of the amusement that the PSR section generates.

What would you rather respond to:

"I believe that so-termed 'ghosts' are caused by nothing more than manifestations of unseen physical phenomenon coupled with hypnagogic hallucinations, what does everyone else think?"

or

"Is it possible that my new amethyst might raise my pet cat from the dead if I swing it round my head three times before bed?"

getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 29/05/2008 16:21

Lazycow- you're exactly the sort of person I like to talk to. I think Dawkins writes extremely well and I love him talking about evolution- I'm rereading the extended phenotype for example and its great, but he makes my skin crawl when he starts banging on about religion - as you said sooooo intolerant (and as I said earlier I don't believe in god/God). And he does come across as very arrogant (had lectures from him many moons ago - before his religious intolerance - and he came across as arrogant then too).

Original poster
UnquietDad · 29/05/2008 16:21

But I don't do that, lazycow - (say 'well they push my buttons so they are all tossers') because that would be lazy, and easy. I try and engage in rational argument, as I have done here.

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