Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist, claims that all things are possible. The fact that I could dematerialize here on Earth and rematerialize on Mars is a given. The caveat is that it is such a long shot that it would probably take the length of the life of a universe to occur.

In the multiverse, a flying speghetti monster and a God could even be common place. We have an infinite number of universes in which all possibilities must present.

Mr Dawson needs to get with the times.

Dawkins is genial. He´s absolute right, as far we - the human kind - can se. In our state of evolution...

Dawkins is highly articulate and reserves the harshest terms to attack anyone who disagrees with him. In this way, he reminds me of Ann Coulter, the American conservative commentator, who attempts to discredit those who disagree with her not by logic but by contemptuous attacks designed to make them laughable rather than credible.

The "right" has no claim on this; we can stick with the media and identify Rosie O'Donnell as a liberal commentator who classifies the world by smart people who agree with her and dumb people who don't.

None of these people intends to engage in debate because they classify their opponents as unworthy of debate. This is a simple and logical construct that leaves opponents with no way to respond but is intellectually empty. When Dawkins says that the question, "Why are we here?" doesn't deserve a response, he merely excuses himself from the need to respond. Similarly, when he accuses the field of "Theology" of having no reason to exist, he precludes anyone from that field from responding.

Dawkins has a high IQ and a quick wit but he damns his own points of view but accusing his main detractors as straw men so he does not have to answer them. By dismissing the question, "Why are we here?" as not deserving an answer, he simultaneously discredits not just every religious person in history but most philosophers as well as thousands of years of existential thought. He similarly dismisses theology out of hand as though thousands of years of intellectuals (including Galileo, Copernicus and Newton) were simply childish fools wasting their time considering something with no remote potential of having merit or importance.

Avoiding an argument is not the same thing as making a good argument. While I seek to understand the truth about our universe, our "God" (whether that means mysteriousness or some Supreme Being) and the reason we are here (sorry, Richard -- relevant question to me), I find Dawkins' explanations singularly dissatisfying in figuring out whether to be a deist, an agnostic, an atheist, a Christian, or some other paradigm-holder.

I would be happy to get recommendations about the works of people who have truly intelligent perspectives on such matters and not just accusations, judgments, condescending and dismissive responses to thoughtful questions and more than a thimble-full of intellectual arrogance.

Thank you,

Ian G. Heller

"The human heart is deceitful above all things." the prophet Jeremiah

"The man who listens to Reason is lost: Reason enslaves all whose minds are not strong enough to master her." George Bernard Shaw, quoted in Bobby Wolff's United Features Bridge Column, November 18, 2006.

Dawkins' most pertinent comment in this interview is that teaching children that the earth was created in six days and other fundamentalist concepts about creation is child abuse. Such stunting of mental growth is, in my opinion, not unlike, chopping a child's leg off, or to offer more acessible examples, female circumcision or foot binding.

On the other hand, there is a dimension to human life, a moral dimension, a recognition of interdependence, that appears to be related to the survival of our species. A dimension recognized and honored by ancient peoples. Some have called it the Law of the Mother.

The question of "why am I here? could be an egotist's question, the question of a mind separated from its body, its species and its location in space and time(its environment). Albert Schweitzer answered the question by asking another, "How shall I live?" His answer was to "reverence life."

I am a Christian not because Jesus Christ explained to me the mystery of Creation but because he explained to me the riddle of my own heart. I am a Christian but I believe the practices of Buddhists are more Christlike that the practices of many who profess to be followers of Christ.

But I am still learning, still unravelling the skein, still seeking grace among my fellow creatures and before the mystery that some of us call God.

Sincerely,

Annie Middleton

GO TEAM GO

or

IS THE "GREEN ZONE" in Saigon?

It's a very simple formula, if you do not believe in religion, you should not be co-opting their holidays and celebrating them.

So I left out the religious holiday Halloween. I did it on purpose because Halloween is not part of the Abrahamic religions that this article centered on. If an atheist celebrates Halloween, it's no stinking different than them celebrating Christmas.

If you do not believe in religion, you shouldn't be celebrating religious holidays, that was my point. But you avoid it, call me names and justify secularizing holidays cause some dipshit Christians do it too. Is that how you decide to live your life, but they do it too!!!! sounds like the bleatings of a follower.

Why don't atheists who don't bother with Passover bother with Christmas? Because it's a tradition of the dominant religion of this country and most people are followers. If we weren't started by Christians this country would not have the Christmas and Easter traditions. But you atheists don't have the guts to stand by your beliefs. Instead you just secularize a popular holiday so you don't feel ostricized.

If you truly hate religion, if you don't want to preach falsehoods to your children if you are an atheist, why are you celebrating religious holidays with different imaginary stand ins?

There are holidays and traditions to give gifts, they are called birthdays and graduations. There are plenty of secular holidays to gather the family around, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Labor day, New Years.

Oh and BTW, I don't celebrate Christmas or Easter or Halloween or Passover or any other holdiay that sprang from religion cause I don't believe in God and I will not be taking my children to sit on some fat man's lap or pose with a bunny or tell them to dress up like Superman. But I get sick and tired of people who look down their noses at others and insult strangers all while they do similar things.

If you hate religion, think it's superfake, you shouldn't be giving it any credence. Because when secularists celebrate Christmas and Easter, you are just subtly saying, I won't say God is real but I'll participate anyway which just supports Christians beliefs that there really is a God, you all just haven't come around yet.

So instead of giving me a reasonable answer to why it's okay to laugh, point, and make fun of religious people, co-opt their holidays, but apparently aren't willing to endure the same things yourself by NEVER EVER celebrating a religious holiday again you just insuinuate that I am stupid. Well I know I'm not stupid, so it doesn't hurt me, even though that was your aim. Excuse me, how are you a better person than the religious again?

So yes, I'll believe atheists truly believe in their convictions when they stand up and say, hey, I'll never buy another Christmas present or Easter basket or Halloween costume because it's perpetuating a myth that I don't believe in. But you won't, because you won't want to hear your children or neices or nephews complain about not getting anything from you so instead you'll tell them about the magic fat man who lives in the North Pole and the pretty little Easter Bunny.

It's very easy to point and laugh and place blame, it's much harder to actually stand by your beliefs, experience scorn when you won't join in with the masses and their delusions.