No ones trying to cut down people. Why would anyone want to do that! It's the idea that's at issue. This is an idea, like any others, subject to criticism in the free marketplace of ideas. You can't blame a person for thinking something. They're at the mercy of whats around them and what's told to them from a young age. How is everyone supposed to get all the relavent facts? Debating ideas. They'll live or die over time based on their merits. We make decisions and judgments based on a body of evidence. We don;t decide beforehand and then look for evidence to support it. Well, some people do. It does feel good to be right about something. Then it's more about pride than the truth in question. Religion seems to be the only topic that for some reason (fear of death?) we can't question or else we're insensitive or we're trying to cut down other people. Cynicism is a good defense. "Why are they trying to hurt me?"
I have no problem with debating religion or any other idea. However if you watch the clips in this thread it is clear that he is showing clips of believers and try to make them look stupid instead of sitting down and debating or discussing the idea. I would love to have Bill sit down with a group of actual ministers and biblical scholars and have a religion discussion. But I have a feeling this film will be a lot of 'OOO look at the poor, uneducated, stupid southern guy.. ha ha ha he can't articulate his beliefs well... wow christians are idiots'
The problem with your argument is that this has happened many times. Not even religious scholars can make this argument from tradition stick. In most cases it takes a deist scientist to even make a case worth consideration based on logic. If it's an honest debate, religion (or spiritualism) can't answer the challenges of reason and can only say "you just don't understand... it takes faith!" I prayed to a personal God for 20 years or so. I understand well. It was a poetic delusion. I don't need it anymore. I'm responsible for my actions. No one can say WHY exactly gay people can't marry and why fundamental Muslims are wrong and we're right. It's tribalistic in-group/out-group nonsense. Keep in mind none if this undermines morality. You could argue I have no tact, but I'm willing to concede that. People do have moral standards, necessarily so. If they have changed over time, it wasn't ever god's doing. It was up to us all along.
Oh come on, that is done in Hollywood all the time........I doubt this changes anyone's opinion or viewpoint one bit. I see it as a Lampoon on religion, and if anything needs to be lampooned, it is religion. DD
love bill maher, hate his attitude towards religion, not because i'm particularly very religious, just because its so absolute, he's on the opposite end of the zealouts he hates.
what do you guys think you will be doing on your deathbed. i think the term "there are no atheists in a foxhole" is a legit reason why religion remains. no one wants to be caught with their pants down on their "judgement day"
Thanks, Pascal.* *Yes, I know that Pascal's wager is actually not a philosophical position a la pgabriel's position. But it's a nice, zippy retort, eh?
I really do not like to think about it. I mean I know everybody dies but I just don't like to think of my demise because you never know when it is going to happen or if you are even going to get a deathbed in which to ponder your last thoughts.
you know, i knew nothing of this, thanks for the zippy retort. just googled it, i'll do some follow up research. this is actually the second time you stirred me to a pretty good disucssion on religion. the first was a book, don't remember name, on the topic of original sin.
I'm neither a religious person, nor a supporter of religion, but I can not understand the need for people to mock and demean those who are adherents. That's not to say I won't enjoy seeing the movie.
