1. Mother Nature is Not Our Friend

Comment #106321 by Martha on January 2, 2008 at 4:46 pm

Sadan said: "More people need to realize the simple fact that the world is utterly indifferent to our survival. The idea that we are somehow special in any objective sense is not only blindly selfish in the extreme, but ultimately foolish and destructive."

So, Sardan, just because YOUR mother did not love you as a child - or because YOU were not fortunate enough to be unconditionally loved as a child - doesn't mean everyone else feels (is) "just another number". SOME of us know how special we are and are (therefore) intuitively driven to maintain and preserve the inherent beauty of the earth - our only home :-)

2. This deadly religious resistance to vaccinations

Comment #99736 by Martha on December 17, 2007 at 1:06 pm

To k1gmy
61. Comment No. 97698 on 12 Dec:

"Fear is a great sales pitch and it is used to win over parents into vaccinating against every known ailment, when the necessity for doing so is not compelling."

Thank you for your post which I found to be very interesting and very honest.

Yes FEAR is a great "sales pitch" and its the very thing that organised religion thrives on... which is why I was so surprised to see the generally unquestioning (passive-aggressive) tone on an atheistic site like this.

3. This deadly religious resistance to vaccinations

Comment #98845 by Martha on December 14, 2007 at 3:30 pm

To Hungarian Elephant, No. 10, Comment No. 96843:-

Excellent post!!!

NB. I was taken aback when I saw this article on RDF... Has RD "sold his soul to the devil"? I wondered...

4. Richard Dawkins at AAI 07

Comment #86593 by Martha on November 9, 2007 at 4:59 pm

Richard Dawkins said:

"Children need to know about religion (in school) in order to find their way around the world"

No they don't. They can find their own way around the world without being taught about religion in schools - just like they can discover all sorts of other things about life as they grow up, i.e., things that they are naturally curious about. Religious belief need not necessarily be one of those things. Note, normal people (adults) don't waste their time and energy (Life) on things that are of no benefit to them.

He also said:

"(children) would ask "How did bees acquire the skills of making honey?" They (and we adults too) might also ask "Why are bees now dying in their droves?"

He also asks: "How do we help parents to educate their children....?"
Who is this WE he is talking about?

And finally, he scathingly talks about the Tax-Free staus of organised religion. Isn't the RDF now also a Tax-Free organisation?

5. AAI 07

Comment #83231 by Martha on October 29, 2007 at 11:18 am

Everyone should see this guy: FKN NEWZ (and its all true!)

http://www.fknnewz.com/fkn/fkn-newz.html

6. Debate between Michael Shermer and Dinesh D'Souza

Comment #80661 by Martha on October 22, 2007 at 2:28 pm

This was a very interesting debate. True, D'Souza appeared to be the more experienced debater, but I think Sherman came across as the more human (evolved) of the two; he just got a bit weary with D'Souza - as any normal person would!

7. Christopher Hitchens at AAI 07

Comment #80020 by Martha on October 19, 2007 at 2:34 pm

Christopher Hitchens: "This is a very fair-minded and decent and polite and open-minded society, the United States - of which I'm so proud to have become a citizen..."

Really? Is that why MOST Americans live in fear of not having health insurance? Is LIVING IN FEAR indicative of an a fair and decent society?
I don't so, Mr. Hitchens.

8. We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers

Comment #76407 by Martha on October 5, 2007 at 6:15 pm

To BigChiefRaininFace :-

As you may (or may not) see, I am barred from this website/forum.... my point is not about authoritative figures, its about AUTHORITARIAN figures. If you would like to discuss this further with me, my email adress is:
mother-ireland@yahoo.ie

9. We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers

Comment #76381 by Martha on October 5, 2007 at 4:46 pm

Quote: "We ALL are much more deferential to authority than any of us would like to believe"

There is legitimate authority, and then there's fascism. Not ALL of us were conditioned as children to cower in fear to authoritanism - because not ALL of us had tyrants for parents! NB, if ALL of us were routinely subjected to tyranny as children, then the human race (species) would not be having this discussion today!

10. We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers

Comment #76369 by Martha on October 5, 2007 at 3:58 pm

What about the American "suicide bombers", you know, those who volunteer to fight the Holy War on behalf of the GWB Administration? There is no difference between them and those who actually strap bombs to their bodies.

11. Do you have to read up on leprechology before disbelieving in them?

Comment #70924 by Martha on September 17, 2007 at 8:57 am

Richard Dawkins wrote:

"Of course the church-goers that Stanford or I meet socially are not simple-minded fundamentalists."

Be that as it may, they are an intrinsic part of an institution (organised religion) that encourages belief in a Personal God that doesn't exist (the very thing you abhor) and by extension perpetuates the ignorance and violence, and abuse of power, that ALL organised religion thrives on.

12. The Flea Circus moves to your iPod!

Comment #67507 by Martha on September 3, 2007 at 3:59 pm

16. Comment #67488 by ricey on September 3, 2007 at 3:18 pm

It speaks volumes for the controllers of this site, that they are brave and sure enough to publicise views that differ from the site's declared ethos.

--------------------------------

The same can't be said of Richard Dawkins forum.

13. God's Still Dead

Comment #65684 by Martha on August 25, 2007 at 3:08 pm

Comment No. 65541 HAPPY PRIMATE wrote:
"That's why I am so supportive of Richard Dawkins and the other scientists who are willing to put the really good stuff on the public table for everyone's consumption."

Yes, but Richard Dawkins et al cannot undo the negative effects of childhood conditioning; that is up to each one of us to resolve.

14. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #63890 by Martha on August 16, 2007 at 2:41 pm

Oliver Leif wrote: "What Richard Dawkins is implying when stating that education is key against religion, he means sceptical and critical thinking taught at an early age."

Thank you for your response, Oliver, I appreciate it. But my point was that the word "education" is generally understood/interepreted as the stuff we learn in school/college... although I should point out that I'm not one who shares this widespread, common perception. As I used to regularly say to my kids (before they left the nest, armed with the University Hons degrees) "Your education *proper* begins the day you leave home". In other words, they had to put all they learnt at home (mostly) to the test - once they stepped outside their cosy cocoon, as it were. I'm glad to report, they are both doing quite well so far.... oh, and yes, they are atheists like me, their mother (smile)!

Regards,
Martha

15. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #63828 by Martha on August 16, 2007 at 10:38 am

In this interview, Richard Dawkins says "education, education, education" (sic) is the answer to religious belief. There is no shortage of people who are highly educated (or schooled) complete with university degrees who still believe in the God of organised religion (some of whom are scientists themselves). Therefore, education, per se, is not the answer to religious belief.

16. The Out Campaign

Comment #60341 by Martha on August 1, 2007 at 4:18 pm

RICHARD DAWKINS wrote:
" Moreover, even if the religious have the numbers, we have the arguments..."


Richard, the Religious (Christian) Right/Righteous have more than mere numbers on their side. They have "Might" (Weapons of Mass Destruction, i.e., real guns) on their side - as they've always had. That's how the English Monarchy was built - or should I say "created" - after all!


RICHARD DAWKINS wrote:

"Anyone who wants to sell us anything caters to demographics."

Yes, and Society (like any group of people) is made up on INDIVIDUALS. We are not all the same, Richard, even if we look similar on the outside. We don't all eat Fast Food, nor do we all work 9-to-5, nor do we all want to wear the same T-shirt etc etc etc (!)


RICHARD DAWKINS wrote:

"Break OUT! .. Break OUT into the real world. Break OUT of religious conformity and, in celebration of your new found freedom, Break OUT the champagne."

Richard, some of us live in the REAL world all the time, 24x7,sans Religion and sans Champagne!

Yours sincerely,
Martha

17. The Out Campaign

Comment #60333 by Martha on August 1, 2007 at 3:53 pm

The very first comment on here by KSSIDUDE wrote:

"The more knowledge I consumed about astronomy, biology, physics, geology, etc..the less and less the probability of the existence of god became."

One doesn't have to be well-informed, educated or know all about astronomy, biology, physics, geology etc etc etc... to know that the Mister God of the ancient Christian/Abrahamic religions doesn't exist. All one needs to be is a relatively NORMAL human being!

18. Town Hall Seattle: God Is Not Great

Comment #57687 by Martha on July 20, 2007 at 2:59 pm

I enjoyed that Seattle video very much. Hey Hitch, why don't you come over and see me sometime, eh? (you sexy thing you!)

19. An Atheist Responds

Comment #56264 by Martha on July 14, 2007 at 4:39 pm

Christopher Hitchens wrote:
"But this sober conclusion, objective as it is, is surely preferable to the delusion that we have been created diseased, by a capricious despot, and then abruptly commanded to be whole and well, on pain of terror and torture".

Like all the other animals, we humans need very sensitive nurturing in the early stages of our life. We're not born diseased, we're just dependent on our parents and other adults for our very survival. What's "diseased" about that?

20. Believing the Unbelievable: The Clash Between Faith and Reason in the Modern World

Comment #56106 by Martha on July 13, 2007 at 7:19 pm

If I were an American, living in America, I'd be much more concerned about what was in my food, than the religious opinions of my fellow Americans.

21. Inferior Design: Richard Dawkins reviews Behe's lastest book

Comment #53304 by Martha on June 30, 2007 at 4:54 pm

Religion, just like corrupt politics, has been SAYING wonderful words for centuries. It is not mere words - but actions - that make a difference in the world. Richard Dawkins (et al) can SAY wonderful things - but its what he actually DOES each and every day is what makes the real difference to our world.

22. Richard Dawkins talks about Darwin and his visit to the Galapagos

Comment #53144 by Martha on June 29, 2007 at 4:20 pm

I get the impression, from these fascinating Galapagos Islands lectures, that Richard Dawkins is at pains to explain what SOME of us humans (I'm a woman and a mother - probably therefore a "deadlier species than the male") INTUITIVELY know, but don't have to analyse it to the death, as it were. I admire his attempts to explain "it all" to the rest of us but one either "knows" whats going on, or one doesn't. Intuition is the key to survival.

23. Look Forward to Anger

Comment #52312 by Martha on June 26, 2007 at 5:35 pm

CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS: "If taken to its logical conclusion, this would mean living at the pleasure of Rage Boy, and that I am not prepared to do."

Well then Christopher, why did you become a citizen of the USA, if you don't like Rage Boys - like George W Bush?

24. Look Forward to Anger

Comment #52311 by Martha on June 26, 2007 at 5:25 pm

Lil_Xunzian on June 26, 2007 at 12:56 pm

"As an American, .....
Thus, noting the abuses of freedom enjoyed by religious fundamentalists, I think it's fair to conclude that freedom is only a good thing for good people--that is, people who aren't corrupted by their freedom."

Well said. That's the problem with MOST of us in the so-called Free/Liberal/Civilised West: we don't know how lucky we are. We take our liberties for granted, and that's because our experience (of life) is not very well integrated.

Therefore, its no accident that Tony Blair is so enthralled by George W Bush - and vice-versa: the Sadist needs the Masochist, but which one is which??? History is indeed repeating itself...

25. Can we really learn to love people who aren't like us?

Comment #49146 by Martha on June 10, 2007 at 3:46 pm

To GCDAVIS (Post No. 48832 - posted on 9th June):-

Great post!

26. Can we really learn to love people who aren't like us?

Comment #49145 by Martha on June 10, 2007 at 3:41 pm

Richard Dawkins wrote:
"Rabbi Sacks is a good, humane man."

Maybe he is, but is undoubtedly an ignorant and/or naieve man. His understanding of humanity is flawed in the extreme, which is why he wrote this:

"The real battle, and it applies to secular and religious alike, is: can we love, not hate, the people not like us? We are tribal animals. We are hardwired for conflict."

We humans are most definitely NOT hardwired for conflict". We are innately SOCIAL animals, because it is in our best interests (our very survival) to co-operate with our fellow human beings. The anti-social tendencies of the masses are nothing but the result of a warped childhood conditioning which organised religion (with its psychotic fixed ideas/ideology) perpetuates.

I'm at a loss as to why Richard Dawkins would have so much respect for this man (Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth)when he is so vehemently opposed to all organised religion.

Then again, maybe the "venerable" title attached to Jonathan Sacks holds the clue to this mystery???

27. Should Science Speak to Faith? A dialog between Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins

Comment #47766 by Martha on June 5, 2007 at 1:09 pm

KRAUSS: "There is certainly ample evidence that religion has been responsible for many atrocities, and I have often said, as have you, that no one would fly planes into tall buildings on purpose if it were not for a belief that God was on their side."

And he could(and should have)added - "nor bomb hundreds of thousands of innocent people (Afghanistan, Iraq) if they too didn't also believe God was on their side".

Why be so one-sided?

28. Consciousness Comes from DNA

Comment #40157 by Martha on May 13, 2007 at 12:05 pm

"Every cell in a healthy human body can make the distinction between itself and others, and those that cannot, that suffer from auto-immune diseases, quickly kill themselves off or fall prey to disease microorganisms."

When I read sentence, I immediately thought (reflected) on the psychological damage that religious dogma does to the immature mind of the human child.

It is no accident that those who have been thoroughly indoctrinated with religious dogma (from one generation to the next) as children are the least likely to have developed the ability to reflect - not least on the on the consequences of their own actions as adults. This unhealthy inability is due to their childhood religious conditioning, which automatically decimates the natural development of a separate Self, i.e., from those who have responsibility for their very lives, as infants and young children. This is the time when our brains are at their most crucial stage of development.

The end result of such desensitizing childhood conditioning is the adult sociopath, i.e., an infant in an adult's body.

29. For Motherly X Chromosome, Gender Is Only the Beginning

Comment #37510 by Martha on May 4, 2007 at 5:11 pm

Baron Ochs wrote:- "The genes for the brain are on the lady chromosome lol. I always guessed as much . . ."

And so did I - being a Femme Fatale woman - for as long as I can remember!

30. Evolution of symbiosis

Comment #31417 by Martha on April 12, 2007 at 2:22 pm

Stockholm Syndrome comes to mind. Children, by their very nature, identify (bond with) whoever their parents or guardians happen to be. If, for example, they happen to have parents/guardians who want them to believe in their particular religious ideology, then that's what the children will believe in - in order to survive; because ALL of life is naturally programmed to do just that - survive for as long as possible (in order to propagate its genes).

So, as the saying goes: What's new, besides New York and New Jersey?!!!

31. Even non-believers must recognise the moral necessity of Christianity

Comment #30700 by Martha on April 9, 2007 at 11:35 am

Bruce Anderson:"Christians can adduce some arguments in their favour. Theirs is a religion of love in which charity is a duty."


Which makes one wonder what the hell Mother Theresa of Calcutta(one of the world's most famous Christians) was up to? Check out this short video (and btw, MT got the very best health care available, when she was ill):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q1m-8npkJ4

32. A History of Violence

Comment #28928 by Martha on March 31, 2007 at 4:21 pm

Steven Pinker (author of this article): "In Western Europe and the Americas, the second half of the century saw a steep decline in the number of wars, military coups, and deadly ethnic riots."

Violence and abuse of power is just as real as it was back then. Nowadays, it has al become more "normalised", that's all. Why, for example, is RAPID Global Warming happening? Wanton destruction and violence - and its not because we humans are inherently evil, its because the so-called Christian West is still Alive & Kicking - ergo our penchant for self-destruction.

Love is all you need......

33. A History of Violence

Comment #28927 by Martha on March 31, 2007 at 4:16 pm

Hey LUTHIEN, I love that avatar of yours: "Thank you for not provoking my uncontrollable lust" Great one! And by the way, that would equally apply to "Christians" (eg Roman Catholics) too, right? (wink)

34. Your Mom Was Wrong: Horseplay Is An Important Part Of Development

Comment #26855 by Martha on March 22, 2007 at 2:48 am

".....reveal an inability to comprehend the hierarchy of social structures."

Hierarchies are anti-social in terms of HUMAN societies. Normally developed human beings are individuals and are therefore merely DIFFERENT - not superior or inferior - to each other.

Those who cherish hierarchical systems (e.g., the Catholic Church) only do so because it suits their psycological immaturity, i.e., their undeveloped (blocked) humanity. It is for this reason that such hierarchical institutions are inherently anti-social.

35. Pursue pleasure: it's the natural way to do good in the world

Comment #26289 by Martha on March 18, 2007 at 12:06 pm

This is an excellent article and I agree with every word of it. I like your post too Ghostbuster!

I have given this matter a LOT of thought and have come to the conclusion that people who cling to religious beliefs do so because they feel separated from Nature (including their fellow human beings) which disassociation is caused by the absence of unconditional love in infancy and childhood. Ergo their belief in a personal God, which for them is really a mother substitute.

36. Long live satire

Comment #24547 by Martha on March 7, 2007 at 7:32 am

HOPEFUL wrote: I am a New Zealander and one of the things I like about American entertainment (e.g. The Simpsons, countless TV series and comedy movies etc) is that Americans always seem to be quite willing to laugh at themselves. They must be otherwise all the comedies that are made in America would only be popular outside America.

I hope we don't lose this ability because the world would be a very dull place. As someone said in an earlier comment, Islamic countries must be very dull - and of course living in fear wouldn't make you feel like laughing./unquote

As you rightly say, you wouldn't feel like laughing in you were living in fear. But, the truth is, a lot of Americans ARE living in fear right now!

I agree with Susan Blackmore.

37. Why there are almost no genuine atheists

Comment #24447 by Martha on March 6, 2007 at 5:44 pm

"The only response a genuine atheist would have to that fact is, so what? Which helps explain why there are almost no genuine atheists."

I am a genuine atheist and I do not take the "so what?" stance to the wanton destruction of our essential natural bio-diversity and our beautiful planet!

38. Darwin's God

Comment #24064 by Martha on March 4, 2007 at 2:43 pm

"Religion seemed to use up physical and mental resources without an obvious benefit for survival. Why, he wondered, was religion so pervasive, when it was something that seemed so costly from an evolutionary point of view?"

I reckon religious belief comes from the infantile brain; that it arises from a sense (intuition) of not having been loved and supported as an infant and it is this sense of being alone in the world, of having been emotionally abandoned, and that fear or dread in turn leads to a belief in a personal god. Its really just a mother substitute.

39. Pope is warned of a green Antichrist

Comment #24015 by Martha on March 4, 2007 at 7:56 am

YORKER: 23895 said: "How predictable was this? Catholicism really is an insult to human intellect."

I would go one further and say that Catholicism is anti Humanity. I should know, I grew up in Holy Catholic Ireland. And watch out, Green is my favourite colour!

40. The God Delusion

Comment #21907 by Martha on February 11, 2007 at 3:42 pm

"The best way to combat people like Mr. McGrath is to raise peoples awarness of the fact that there is an alternative to religious delusion. For example at the moment the votes are being cast for the Irish Book Awards. This is a chance to get National Radio Coverage for The God Delusion.
Believe it or not TGD has made it to the shortlist although the favourite to win is a fictional love story written by none other than the daughter of the leader of our (sic) govenment. So if anyone wants to do something practical go to: http://www.irishbookawards.ie/PublicVote.aspx"

There is nothing you, nor I (and I am Irish too) about our sic (SICK) "government". The reason why they are as they are, is because they were CONDITIONED as children to believe they are omnipotent... like the age-old "Divine Right of Kings" delusion. Thats's what happens to children who were born to mothers who would rather have them aborted but can't, because of the pravailing political (Politically Correct) climate. The world is full of unwanted, motherless children. What can you, or anyone else, do about it?

41. Do stop behaving as if you are God, Professor Dawkins

Comment #21297 by Martha on February 8, 2007 at 3:01 pm

Alistair McGrath said: "Dawkins can no more 'prove' the non-existence of God than anyone else can prove He does exist."

"He" exists? So do I, and I'm a female.

42. U.S. 'Satisfied' With Religion's Public Role, But More Want Less

Comment #20581 by Martha on February 4, 2007 at 2:39 pm

Twain Quotes are great - there is a whole pile of them here: www.twainqotes.com

Scottishgeologist: I love Mark Twain, and thanks for the link. Only problem is, it won't open up for me! I'll try googling it myself.

Cheers!
Martha

43. Activation Of Brain Region Predicts Altruism

Comment #18932 by Martha on January 23, 2007 at 6:21 pm

"We believe that the ability to perceive other people's actions as meaningful is critical for altruism," Tankersley said."

Yes, and its also a fact that some are very good at perceiving other people's actions (and feelings) and EXPLOITING them to the hilt!

44. Activation Of Brain Region Predicts Altruism

Comment #18931 by Martha on January 23, 2007 at 6:17 pm

Was Mother Thersa REALLY altruistic?!

Quote: "According to the researchers, the results suggest that altruistic behavior may originate from how people view the world rather than how they act in it."

What?!?!? People act according to how they perceive the world! So what the hell is that sentence suppose to mean?

Question for Richard Dawkins are you, in some way, responsible for the "TRIPE" that get posted on your website, such as this particular post?

45. Unscientific American: US Almost Last in Understanding Evolution

Comment #18668 by Martha on January 22, 2007 at 9:29 am

Quote= R J Eskow, The Huffington Post:

"How will their children - and ours - become the great scientists, doctors, and engineers of tomorrow?"

Their children - and ours??? Whatever is that supposed to mean? If, for example, my neighbours choose to indoctrinate their children in a particular way, that doesn't automatically mean that MY children are going to be enculturated/conditioned in the same way. Certainly not!

46. The Mystery of Consciousness

Comment #18657 by Martha on January 22, 2007 at 8:43 am

Quote Pinker: "Using functional MRI...

....They can tell, for instance, whether a person is thinking about a face or a place or whether a picture the person is looking at is of a bottle or a shoe."Unquote

Oh really? For example, for some people shoes are just shoes, whilst for others shoes are practically (if not literally) a fetish. Therefore an MRI scan would inevitably provide a very different result in either case.

47. Neither intellect nor faith will save humanity

Comment #18434 by Martha on January 20, 2007 at 7:19 pm

>>In an earlier book, River out of Eden, Dawkins drew the chilly Darwinian moral for us: "Nature is not cruel, only pitilessly indifferent. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither cruel nor kind, but simply callous - indifferent to all suffering, lacking all purpose."<<

As a mother, I am fully aware of the "pitilessly indifference" of our so-called civilised society, which is why I am so aware of the need to be acutely sensitive to my own offspring. Any mother who is not so aware to the sensitivities of her own offspring is no longer part of Nature. Such a creature is no longer normal, in the sense that she - like any other traumatised animal on the planet, has lost her innate will to survive, and therefore, protect and preserve (nurture) her OWN genes. The "indifferent" part of the scenario relates to those who do not share this same sense of commitment to the the survival of our human species, as it were. "No man is an island, complete unto itself...." (John Donne).

48. Neither intellect nor faith will save humanity

Comment #18430 by Martha on January 20, 2007 at 6:47 pm

FRANKLIN H, Comment No. 18420 quootes me:-

>>How can America be described as a "once great country" when it was built on violence and has yet to come to terms with that fact?<<

Then asks:-

>>Would you care to cite a country not built on violence?<<

Franklin, my point is: Just how "civilised" are WE, really, in the West? Not as much as we like to think we are, is my civilised answer! Isn't it about time we (in the so-called civilised West)stood up and said "Fuck this for a game of Christian Soldiers!" Please note, I don't take the view that we humans are innately evil, as Dawkins seems to do in the following extract of his interview with Terrence McNally of AlterNet:-

McNALLY: I once asked a member of the Achuar -- an Amazon rainforest tribe who had its first contact with the modern world in the 1970s -- "How do you feel about the missionaries?" I assumed he would say, "Oh, bad folks," but he said, "They were the ones who stopped us from killing each other all the time." ...

DAWKINS: "With regard to the missionaries being a civilizing influence on tribes whose habit was to kill each other -- presumably, if their first contact with Westerners had been with policemen, they would have said, "Until the policemen came, we killed each other."

Through centuries of change, we have now reduced our natural tendency to kill each other,..."

Mere centuries? This is a very strange remark coming from a learned Evolutionary Biologist such as Dawkins. Why would he say "centuries" when he (above all else) KNOWS it took us humans MILLENIA - not merely a few centuries - to get to where we (most of us) are today, i.e., to reduce our natural tendency to kill each other?!

Dawkins seems to be (unconsciously) reinforcing the White Man's delusion (oops!) that the "natives" are inherently evil (cannabilistic) and if it weren't for the Missionaries - or the (White) Police - then they (the natives) would have gobbled themselves all up! Really? Well then, how come they (the natives) were STILL alive, and kicking, when the Great White Man/Missionary/Policeman arrived in the jungle? Riddle me that!

49. Atheist Richard Dawkins on 'The God Delusion'

Comment #18419 by Martha on January 20, 2007 at 5:20 pm

Excerpt from the above interview:-

RD:(quote)"I'm impressed by the fact that every single night of my life, my brain conjures up images and sounds of things that have never existed and never will exist. They are completely non-sensical. It's as though I go temporarily insane every night of my life and you do, too. Everybody does." (unquote)

I found this statement/claim intriguing, to say the least. Because I am one of those people who regulary remembers my dreams and I don't regard my dreams as insane experiences, full of completely non-sensical images. On the contrary, they are (more often than not) very lucid and intelligent answers to my problems. And if I ignore or dismiss them, they usually come back to me as if to say "Take a good look this time, will you!" In short, they are always full of wonderful wisdom. So, I'm wondering why Dawkins is so dimissive of his dreams? Are his dreams so unsettling he would rather not reflect on them? If so, why? Shakespeare said that dreams "knit up the ravelled sleave of care". I'd go along with that observation.

And then when Dawkins goes onto say:-

(quote)"Now, when we get that in our sleep, we call it a dream. When we get it in our waking lives -- in much less vivid form -- we might call it a vision of God or a vision of an angel, or we might say "God just talks to me." (unquote)

Here he is describing the so-called stat of schizophrenia (whether he realises it or not) i.e., silmutaneously dreaming/having nightmares whilst being awake.

He then says:

(quote)"Even when you actually see an angel or you actually hear a voice inside your head, that is an easy feat of simulation for the brain to achieve. When it's just a sort of vague feeling that God is whispering to you, it's really rather pathetic to be fooled by that, I think.(unquote)

"Rather pathetic" is not the way I would describe this mental/emotional state of mind, because it is very real, and often very painful, for a lot of people who have been seriously emotionally abused as children. Which makes me wonder if Dawkins himself was not seriously emotionally abused as a child?

50. Neither intellect nor faith will save humanity

Comment #18399 by Martha on January 20, 2007 at 3:06 pm

Muriel Gray's article is altogether very rational and compassionate, but I have a problem with this excerpt:

"the once great country of America looks as if it might vote back in a band of vicious thugs to drag it and the rest of the world even further down into the abyss."

How can America be described as a "once great country" when it was built on violence and has yet to come to terms with that fact? If and when it does, then it will begin to shed its tradition of hyper materialism and religious dogma and then (and only then) evolve into a truly "great" i.e., truly democratic country!