Doc: "the Root Of All Evil? The God Delusion"

[Guardian]

I have just finished listening to a documentary of one British "atheist" scientist who thinks that religion is the "root of all evil" in today's "secular" society on CBC. The title of it is the title of this topic. He really goes into detail (albeit in a very raw way) how religious fundamentalism, even the THOUGHT of a GOD in ANY FORM in America and the Middle East is making the world really heading toward "Judgment Day" (like the Terminator movies) of no return.

He really debunks the religions of Christianity, Islam AND Judaism as "intolerant, extremist, and very dangerous." He mentions the Assumption of Mary, the evangelicals from Colorado, and of course, the very LOOK of Jerusalem as "an all-out meaningless assault against human reasoning" for starters. And, yes, he tried to swallow the dogma that he had to listen to from these "faithful" people. Of course, after each case, he was not happy at all with them at all. From telling him to "change your women" and "clean yourself" to the polite long form of "F-you", you can tell that he was given the "door out", once he started opening his mouth.

As a counterpart of that, he tries to protray "science" as the only way out of human superstition and "baseless facts." Yes, he uses Darwin as evidence, as an example. However, he looks like that, to me, that mankind won't survive past this century.

You have to see it for yourselves sometime. Right now, I'm hearing the debates between this British scientist and the audience that got to watch it in some theatre in Canada. So far, it has been peaceful, but there have been a few cases where tempers did try to flare amongst all of them. It wouldn't be a shock to me if a few of the audience are trying to prevent themselves from doing physical violence.

(Note: The "change your women" phrase I mentioned there, you will not believe who said that to him, after the British guy mentioned about 7/7 that occurred in London. It should be the most shocker part of the whole episode, never mind what he had to say about what his CURRENT religion should do to the world.)

[Rob2012]

The God Delusion - BBC Newsnight - extracts from the book and a video interview with Richard Dawkins

It looks like a very interesting read and if it wasn't £20 I would buy it. He's very brave to write such a book in these times.

Atheism is a point of view that is just as valid as any religion, yet the argument that there is no God is very rarely heard nowadays from public figures, perhaps because, from a political point of view it risks alienating those who are religious. I think that's a shame and I think Dawkins' book is welcome.

[jimjam]

I remember watching this programme on the BBC some time ago. A very interesting programme and topic.

I don't think that the programme was very balanced in many ways - especially that many of the religious poeple it interviewed seemed to have 'extreme' views which I think is un-fair to the majority of religious people who I think are more centred.

That said I almost universally agreed with him in what he was saying. Although I was brought up in a Roman Catholic house and went to an RC school and college I am now atheist and believe religion to be largely devisive. It is an interesting perspective that political figures are scared of alienating religious poeple - which i guess just goes to show its continued influence on our so called Secular Society.

[Guardian]

Well, I guess the "clash of civilizations" has made its big devilish step forward. Saw a news clip of devout Muslim women, all in burqas with children, brandishing weapons and charging toward the Pakistani police and the like in Islamabad. They, of all people, want pure Taliban rule to occur in Pakistan.

[Guardian]

Well, it seems that this documentary is going to be seen a bit more now, no thanks to what has been occurring lately. What happened in Islamabad, at the Red Mosque, is not going to go well for that part of the world. Meanwhile, this edict occurs from the Vatican, with Pope Benedict XVIth's approval.

Link: CBC: Catholic Church Only True Church, Vatican Says

He is reported to have said that Catholicism is the "only religion" in the world. All others, "literally", are "those made of the infidel."

Well, thanks a lot, guys. With these lovely news, a clash of civilizations is pretty much coming our way.

[Faster]

I think there is a need for respect for religion and people with religious believes, but when they are not tolerant of a person's atheist or agnostic believe, its hard to be tolerant with them. I knew a fair few hyper-religious people in high school. A few of them were in a religions class with me and some of the stuff coming out of their mouths was unbelievable. One girl when asked about Mohammad, she called him a false prophet when there was 3 Muslims in the room. Another time she called Jews Christ-killers. When we got to Christianity a group of us made fun of Christianity like no tomorrow and when she b!tched at us, we told her thats how she made other people feel with what she said.

[Faster]

Well, it seems that this documentary is going to be seen a bit more now, no thanks to what has been occurring lately. What happened in Islamabad, at the Red Mosque, is not going to go well for that part of the world. Meanwhile, this edict occurs from the Vatican, with Pope Benedict XVIth's approval.

Link: CBC: Catholic Church Only True Church, Vatican Says

He is reported to have said that Catholicism is the "only religion" in the world. All others, "literally", are "those made of the infidel."

Well, thanks a lot, guys. With these lovely news, a clash of civilizations is pretty much coming our way.

You misread the document and the news report. It states that the Catholic Church is the only true Christian Church because no others can trace their origins to Jesus. It says that the orthodoxy is lesser because it does not recongize the Holy Father as God's emecary to the world.

[Guardian]

You misread the document and the news report. It states that the Catholic Church is the only true Christian Church because no others can trace their origins to Jesus. It says that the orthodoxy is lesser because it does not recongize the Holy Father as God's emecary to the world.

Then why did I hear from other news sources, as I am tired and maybe hearing things, that he was reported to saying that "Jews should convert to Catholicism or else they will not be saved by God." Or, something like that. The Jewish people are going to love hearing words like that, destroying practically all that John Paul II had tried to do between the religious faiths when he was alive.

[Rob2012]

I knew a fair few hyper-religious people in high school. A few of them were in a religions class with me and some of the stuff coming out of their mouths was unbelievable. One girl when asked about Mohammad, she called him a false prophet when there was 3 Muslims in the room. Another time she called Jews Christ-killers. When we got to Christianity a group of us made fun of Christianity like no tomorrow and when she b!tched at us, we told her thats how she made other people feel with what she said.

There are some insensitive idiots around. I don't know if anyone in the UK caught Louis Theroux's The Most Hated Family in America documentary earlier this year. They ranted against gays (getting their five year old to hold up signs saying "God hates fags"), picketed funerals of killed American soldiers claiming they were killed by God because of America's tolerance of homosexuality. Really scary stuff. It's a reminder to everyone that Christian fundamentalism can be just as dangerous as extreme Islam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0P9elMQgrc

I think there is a need for respect for religion and people with religious believes

There is a need to be respectful to people, but people's beliefs whether religios or not, should not be accepted unquestionably even if they are seemingly harmless. If I'm arguing with someone, I'm not going to accept "God says so" as a reason as to why they are right and I am wrong, no matter how deeply held their beliefs are. Just because someone's beliefs happen to be religious, it doesn't mean other people should have to put up with accpepting their ideas or put up with the notion that such ideas can't be questioned (perhaps through fear of offending them). If people are going to believe in deities and millennia old scriptures they should expect their beliefs to be questioned, especially if such beliefs are impeding real human and scientific progress.