Comments | matt_arnold: When Atheists Have Their Say

matt_arnold

When Atheists Have Their Say

Dec 05, 2006 13:01

Edge.org brought my attention to responses in the letters column of the New York Times (quoted below the cut), by the three atheists most prominently cited in the resurgence of outspoken atheism-- Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett. They plead for the simplicity and gentleness of their positions, against the reputations they are ( Read more... )

theocracy, articles, secularism, secular, religion, science, atheism, humanism, memetics

Comments 7

rachelann1977 December 5 2006, 20:22:11 UTC

It's true, I don't find any of these arguments to be paarticularly cruel. I think what leads people to believe that there is some meanness in these arguments is that they are unforgiving of intentional ignorance. This is something which many forgive too easily, and so when a person does not leave any room for it, they seem "mean" to those unaccostomed to such intellectual rigor.

I will say that I have yet to decide if the position they hold is about 5% too extreme for my taste, but that's another discussion altogether.

I think thoroughness, intensity, and extreme polarity of viewpoint have been mistaken for malice. Those who hold strong opinions and argue for them well are often seen this way, however.

jer_ December 5 2006, 22:27:19 UTC

I think cruel overstates the case. I'm currently finishing the last two or three chapters of "The God Delusion" and I can say that, from my perspective, Dawkins strays into "bitterness" relatively frequently ( ... )

anonymous December 5 2006, 23:26:48 UTC

The new atheists are more comic relief than serious threat. I don't understand the fuxx myself.

tlatoani December 6 2006, 15:24:27 UTC

The adults who still think they have an imaginary friend up in the sky are even funnier. When they aren't killing people who don't agree how powerful their friend is, anyway.

anonymous December 10 2006, 21:35:07 UTC

No you misunderstand. There are intelligent thoughtful atheists out there in the world. But this crop of atheists are not them. As I said comic relief. I'm surprised atheists don't find them more embrassing.

Then again, perhaps it is just the comic relief quality atheists that like them.

metalfatigue0 December 6 2006, 02:04:30 UTC

"No True Scotsman fallacy"? I love it! I will have to remember that phrase. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Odd that that name didn't make it into The Propaganda Game. I can't remember what Allen, Green and Moulds actually called that particular fallacy, but it wasn't "No True Scotsman"; I couldn't've forgotten that phrase.

jer_ December 6 2006, 18:47:30 UTC

This one was new to me, too... I love it. As best I can tell, it's a really specific version of the fallacy of ambiguity... ala http://online.sfsu.edu/~kbach/ambguity.html

I definitely love that phrase though.