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Dr. Richard Dawkins On Why Disagreeing With Religion Isn't Insulting

In part 2 of this video interview (with transcript), Dr. Richard Dawkins explains the function of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, headlined by his website. They're holding it up as a blueprint for similar groups: "We're trying to encourage, with some success, other organizations to make use of our facility, so that they will use our website, or have their own websites which are based upon ours, and have the same look and feel and use the same infrastructure." One of the Foundation's other purposes is to oppose organizations like the Good News Club. "What it is, is a group of Fundamentalist Christian organizations, who go into public schools after the school bell has rung for the day. So that it's no longer violating the Constitutional separation of church and state. ... And it's actually the Good News Club people masquerading as teachers, and they're being extremely effective." Dr. Dawkins also talks about his own comments, and explains why they're perceived as offensive: "Ignorance is no crime. There are all sorts of things I'm ignorant of, such as baseball, but I don't regard it as insulting if somebody says I'm ignorant of baseball, it's a simple fact. I am ignorant of baseball. People who claim to be Creationists are almost always ignorant of evolution. That's just a statement of fact, not an insult. It's just a statement. But it sounds like an insult. And I think that accounts for part of what you've picked up about my apparent image of being aggressive and offensive. I'm just telling it clearly." Hit the link below to see the rest of the interview.

7 of 1,152 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why disagreeing with Richard Dawkins isn't rape by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do you really want to get that tattooed on you? People might think you have a Bachelor of the Arts in English and that would be embarrassing.

  2. Re:Baseball by rcamera · · Score: 4, Funny
    --
    Wave upon wave of demented avengers March cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream
  3. Re:Baseball by vlm · · Score: 4, Funny

    the rules have evolved over time.

    The game itself evolves over time.. or does it? If you have video footage of the 3rd and 7th inning, I deny the innings between exist until you provide proof. And if you find someone's cellphone cam of the 5th inning, I'll merely switch my tactic to complaining there's supernatural intervention evidence because the game now jumped from the 3rd to the 5th inning and from the 5th to the 7th... until you find proof of the 4rd and 6th innings... been there seen that.

    --
    "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
  4. Re:Distinguishing conflict from disagreement by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's important to realize (or accept) that pure religion is not coercive

    Aye, 'tis true! That Scotsman is a fucking saint, he is!

  5. Re:Distinguishing conflict from disagreement by SecurityGuy · · Score: 4, Funny

    a threat from the immoral (god)

    Awesome Freudian slip.

  6. Re:Why disagreeing with Richard Dawkins isn't rape by Custard+Horse · · Score: 3, Funny

    I prefer Atheism# - much easier for the beginner.

    "Who is this God person anyway?"

  7. Re:Distinguishing conflict from disagreement by fyngyrz · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe I should stop before I beat a dead horse even deader, but isn't atheism in and of itself a religion.

    Son, that horse isn't dead -- it's made of straw.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.