Religion is the root of all evil?

[Tinker]

Who is going to be watching dishy Dawkins tomorrow?

He condemns the concept of religion as loony - no problem with that. He's got another letter in today's Indie.

Oh, ok then. But why pick on particular religions then? Why not just explore the theory behind religion and compare this with the scientific point of fun? Or is that just not good telly?

Point of fun?????? I meant point of view of course!

yes he's pretty general Rhubarb
not particular religions
I think he finds the loons because (he would say) they speak the "truth" without fear or favour and of course becauseit makes good telly...
Tinker I know who you mean

I wish he would interview ordinary Christians for a change then! Or those people who work in Brazil saving children's lives for a Christian charity, or the nuns attached to Mother Theresa's order. That would give it a fairer balance.

I guess as a Christian you just have to accept that sometimes you are fair game.

There are more programmes to come. Am sure he will. Doesn't change the view that the concept of religion is loony.

Gotta go, baby wrapping herself in teh curtains.

I guess he's entitled to his views!

I missed this programme unfortunately. Did he talk about the biological basis of the religious impulse?

Not yet sd (still here ), Suspect he will.

Wish I could watch this!
Have a feeling though that he will probably come across as all smug and arrogant in dismissing half the population as no-brainers!

Blimey, way more than half the population!

I was really sorry I missed this, I wanted to see it. But it got a very bad write up in the Guardian for being sloppy and partisan in an unacademic way, I think.

Spacedonkey - did you read that article in the Guardian about the biological basis of the religious impulse? I was prepared to be very interested in that, but couldn't make head nor tail of it. The comments and evidence the writer gave (was it DD?) didn't seem to lead to the conclusions he came to. I was left feeling confused and/ or thick. (may well be both, of course).

John Gray's interesting on this too

blu, I read an interview with dawkins in the Education section of the Guardian on tuesday - is that the one you mean?

No, I think it was last week - maybe w/e.

But i will look up the education one. thanks.

I'll look up your one too!

Was great! He should have started by defining 'scientific fact' as what is more likely to be true than anything else, by evidence. People never understand the term properly and so make all kinds of category errors about it.

wot article was that Blu?

I look forward to his detailed coverage of militant secular atheists Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler, arguably two of the wickedest men of all time, and who implemented genocidal atheist totalitarianism...IMO, of course!

Ah, I was hoping that there might be a thread on this after accidentally watching this tonight. Thought it was interesting. Agree he is arrogant, and at times sloppy and partisan. But agree with most of what he said, in particular the end about only living this life and making the most of it.

I quite liked the line that religion is the only thing that can make good people do evil things (as oposed to good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things). It wasn't his line, and I have only quoted it roughly, but interesting. I would suspect that totalitarian regimes based on dogmatic views might be quite close in a lot of ways to similar religious regimes from a sociological point of view (fundamentalist set of beliefs imposed on a population)

Why does everyone think he's arrogant? He's just very confident in what he's saying.

I don't think he's arrogant but I felt there was a glimmer of contempt or condescention, maybe borne out of frustration?

Given the 'discussion' with the "starry American Fundamentalist" of last week, I can see why. The disagreement over evolution made me PMSL; something about eyes? Or was it ears?

Only saw half the programme last week and missed this week completely, I'd like to see/read more stuff by him though. I found it a little interesting but generally predictabe.

I just wish he'd interview some real Christian intellectuals and have a reasoned debate - but I guess they're not such an easy target and they might end up wiping the floor with him.....

Roobie, he debates with them all the time. Again it comes down to either faith or evidence.