Letters to the Editor
debaser
Published Letters: 653 Editor's Choice: 11
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@yellow dog aka intolerant dog.
[Read the article: I don't believe in atheists]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]you wrote:
"What's difficult is discussing anything at all with people who believe sky wizards control all our actions. Belief in such supernatural and anti-humane myths is prima facie evidence of non compos mentis. Such people should not be allowed to drive, much less vote or reproduce."
thank you for sharing.
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@Phoenix Woman
[Read the article: I don't believe in atheists]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think the point people are trying to make (at least I am) isn't that people take the results of scientific experimentation on faith, but rather they take the scientific method on faith.
look, at some point you have to realize that, at least philosophically, you have to have faith (or trust) that the universe is intelligible and the scientific method provides all the answers.
that's all I'm saying.
cheers
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@theobald.
[Read the article: I don't believe in atheists]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I was just thinking about my last post to you and I realized that maybe the problem is that I'm taking atheism from a philosophical viewpoint rather than a purely scientific one. It's no doubt due to the fact most of my encounters with atheism have been with the Sartre/Nietzche variety (ya know, philosphers ;). I'm expecting a fully formed philosophy to replace the old paradigm. I still think this is necessary, but it's becoming apparent that New Atheism isn't interested in that. One could argue that in this regard New Atheism share more with nihilism...but I digress
thanks for the civility in your note - it doesn't go un-noticed, and is well appreciated in this pressure cooker. My comment about "superiority wasn't directed at you, but rather the general tone one often finds in these discussions. My apologies for not being clearer.
cheers
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the crux of the matter
[Read the article: I don't believe in atheists]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Athieism is the refusal to believe in God because there is no evidence for God.
I promise you, if you show me some evidence for God, I'll believe in it."
The way I understand it (and lord knows I've worn my ass for a hat more often than not :) the atheist sees the scientific method as the beginning point of any inquiry, that there's nothing prior to that point. The theologian believes that the scientific method is ill-equipped for discern God. That God is beyond that type of inquiry.
So the atheist says to the theologian "prove god exists" and the theologian offers up theological notions. The atheist says "that's not proof" and the theologian says "yes it is" and so on and on.
but listen, none of this really matters as far as daily life goes. I'm fairly certain that the great majority of people on this lefty message board share a large percentage of my ethical and poltical beliefs...at the end of the day it doesn't really matter if you don't believe in god, and I do...what matters is how we "move forward" (to steal a hated corporate term ;), how do we go about making the world a better place? I don't know the answer to that, but I'm fairly certain that intolerance towards the tolerant is not a good place to start.
cheers
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@flipside
[Read the article: I don't believe in atheists]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I see where you're coming from...yes it is irritating to hear people spouting off such nonsense as creationism.
The problem is that the great minority of Christians, the literalists, happen to be the loudest and most annoying. The far greater majority of Christians do not hold a literal understanding of the Bible...for the rest of us, Genesis IS poetic.
cheers
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@Undiscerned
[Read the article: I don't believe in atheists]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Fair enough, my apologies for using the term "nihilism"...to be honest it was a notion that popped into my head as I was writing and didn't really think about what I was saying. I didn't mean to imply anything overtly negative.
What I was trying to get at was that atheism claims "there is no God", which calls into question the whole philosophical structure surrounding the concept of God. However the new atheist (unlike the Sartres of yesteryear) does not seem to have an answer for what replaces that philosophical structure.
Am I making any sense? I'm not being facetious...after all, like most everyone here - I'm an amateur at all this...if only we were talking about the social ramifications of the Reformation!!
cheers
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why not?
[Read the article: Carville wants resignation cease-fire]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What's so wrong with an election that's like a "victorian debating society"? What's wrong with acting in a civilized manner? Shouldn't we demand that our elected representatives conduct themselves with common decency?
I get that politics is dirty, but why does it have to be? Look where it has gotten us.
A bit of an aside: Recently on CBC they re-aired a legendary debate from the late 60s between Pierre Trudeau (then Justice Minister) and Rene Levesque (Staunch Quebec Seperatist). These two men hated each other with a visceral hatred that is the stuff of legend, yet the debate was calm and reasoned with each man positing his beliefs and earnestly refuting the other's. Me and my buddy both were amazed at the depth of their intellects and the polite tenor of the affair...why can't politics go back to that?
I guess what I mean is why shouldn't the discourse be elevated?
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the preacher issue
[Read the article: Carville wants resignation cease-fire]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Of course we can scream on high about Wright's comments and how they cut to the core of Obama's personhood. Or we could, you know, listen to what he has to say about it:
"This is a pastor who is on the brink of retirement who in the past has made some controversial statements. I profoundly disagree with some of these statements...Obviously, I disagree with that. Here is what happens when you just cherry-pick statements from a guy who had a 40-year career as a pastor. There are times when people say things that are just wrong. But I think it's important to judge me on what I've said in the past and what I believe."
I guess we'll just have to see if he both renounces and rejects Wright as well.
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p.s.
[Read the article: Carville wants resignation cease-fire]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]the statement "obviously I disagree with that" after the ellipses in that quote is in response to the question about the god damn american quote.
sorry for the confusion, clearly this is why I'm not an editor :)