The Truth About Richard Dawkins
09/26/2013
Can there be any residual doubt, after this latest imbecility, that Richard Dawkins is in the service of the global cabal of faiths henceforth to be known as Big Religa?
In other atheistical news:
Some atheists are starting a "church", which strikes me as very odd and yet rather predictable for the inverted religious fanaticism which seems prevalent in contemporary atheism. There's something sad as well as ridiculous about wanting to "enjoy the benefits of an idealized, traditional church...without the stinging imposition of God Almighty."
The Unitarians have been doing this kind of thing for a while. I went to a couple of their meetings many years ago. They were a bit absurd--just lectures and discussion on miscellaneous topics of a vaguely leftish socio-political slant. I didn't believe in anything in particular myself, and couldn't understand why their rejection of Christianity still left them with an urge to do something Improving on Sunday mornings.
You made us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in a pew on Sunday mornings.
Posted by: Anne-Marie | 09/29/2013 at 02:15 PM
heh
Posted by: Mac | 09/29/2013 at 03:10 PM
I knew people who belonged to a Unitarian Universalist congregation who attended Christmas Eve services there. Always left me wondering just what they celebrated on that night.
Well, I wonder no longer -- just found a “Christmas Eve Prayer” at the Unitarian Universalist website:
"the divine in each other" -- does that mean an atheist can't be a Unitarian Universalist?The whole prayer is here.
Posted by: Marianne | 09/29/2013 at 05:02 PM
Cringe-making. I always wonder why people of that general sort go out of their way to say things like "not of souls but of lives." They really haven't gotten religion out of their systems, it seems.
Posted by: Mac | 09/29/2013 at 06:51 PM
You made us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in a pew on Sunday mornings.
:D
Posted by: Louise | 09/29/2013 at 10:16 PM
Another writeup on this "Sunday Assembly" thing. Funny that the use the word "transcendence," although by definition they don't believe in it. Kind of sad picture of the organizer, though. You can't really blame him for having problems with the idea of God.
Posted by: Mac | 09/30/2013 at 02:03 PM
There's a Sunday Assembly website!
Check out the header's graphic of what looks like a chimpanzee family, and the motto accompanying it: "live better, help often, wonder more."
Don't whether to laugh or cry.
Posted by: Marianne | 09/30/2013 at 02:26 PM
Laugh. At least that's what I did, reflexively, at the sight of the monkey family. The more I looked at it and thought about it, the funnier it got. Is the intention to reinforce the idea that human beings are indistinguishable from them? If so, you wonder: can't they just let that go for a bit? I suppose that's like them telling us to let the God thing go for a bit.
Posted by: Mac | 09/30/2013 at 02:44 PM
Make that "Don't know whether to laugh or cry."
Posted by: Marianne | 09/30/2013 at 02:52 PM
Funny, I didn't even notice the missing word, brain just interpolated it for me.
Posted by: Mac | 09/30/2013 at 03:59 PM
My brain interpolated too! Cool!
"live better, help often, wonder more."
Why? What for?
Posted by: Louise | 09/30/2013 at 10:01 PM
Somehow the Sunday Assembly reminds me of this guy. I thought this was a very funny speech though of course I didn't agree with his basic belief (that life is meaningless). It is a bit crass (he says A**hole more than once, but he is referring to opinions, not persons). So please don't watch if you don't like such language. http://www.upworthy.com/this-is-the-most-inspiring-yet-depressing-yet-hilarious-yet-horrifying-yet-heartwarming-grad-speech?c=ufb1
Posted by: Louise | 09/30/2013 at 10:08 PM
Is the intention to reinforce the idea that human beings are indistinguishable from them?
I've never really seen much of a resemblance in all honesty. OK, chimps have opposable thumbs I guess. We're pretty advanced for a bunch of mere monkeys, imo.
Posted by: Louise | 09/30/2013 at 10:10 PM
The video is too long for me to watch now. But as for the monkey resemblance, it's not so much the direct physical resemblance they're keen on as the proposition that there's no qualitative difference between people and animals. Seems to be an important doctrine to them.
Posted by: Mac | 09/30/2013 at 10:31 PM
"it's not so much the direct physical resemblance they're keen on as the proposition that there's no qualitative difference between people and animals" made me think of this.
Doing that "wonder more" thing, I guess.
Posted by: Marianne | 10/01/2013 at 12:13 AM
What do you get if you cross a Jehovah's Witness with a Unitarian Universalist?
Someone who knocks at your door for no apparent reason.
Posted by: Rob G | 10/01/2013 at 07:16 AM
ha!
Marianne, your link tells me I'm not allowed to view the page, but from the URL I think something like this is what you linked to.
Posted by: Mac | 10/01/2013 at 07:23 AM
Yep, the photo of the two in the Rodinesque "thinker" pose is exactly what I linked to.
Posted by: Marianne | 10/01/2013 at 01:51 PM
@RobG - hehehe
Posted by: Louise | 10/01/2013 at 01:59 PM
it's not so much the direct physical resemblance they're keen on as the proposition that there's no qualitative difference between people and animals.
I find the whole thing preposterous, as I indicate in my comment on your fish post!
Seems to be an important doctrine to them.
Yes, it does seem to be. I guess that's a direct attack on the Christian concept that man is made in the image of God and is superior to animals, which can indeed be used by us for our various purposes, provided we are humane.
Posted by: Louise | 10/01/2013 at 02:03 PM