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

Comment #48346 by egmutza on June 7, 2007 at 2:25 pm

Actually most religious people I know don't make such claims. When they are sick they go to the doctor. You are thinking of some little old lady in some rural backwater or some vulgar evangelist.

Bonzai, I'm not sure where you live, but here in the midwest portion of America, I'd say most moderate religious people actually do believe in the healing power of prayer (and only a slightly smaller percentage believe that miracles happen).

As I've become more vocal about my atheism, I've been pretty shocked at some of the irrational things my own (very moderate, liberal, "rational") friends and relatives believe. When I've presented them with evidence regarding the (in)efficacy of prayer, I've received little more than eye-rolling and "oh, you're always so negative! Of course it works..." I honestly don't think any amount of evidence could convince them otherwise - the power of prayer is just too deeply ingrained in their model of how the world works. The fact that most Americans tend to have a deeply flawed understanding of the scientific process and rational argumentation doesn't help matters.

Anyway, I understand your point about the emotional reasons for religious belief, but I think you give moderates too much credit when it comes to the claims they make about the natural world.

2. Is God poison?

Comment #30860 by egmutza on April 10, 2007 at 5:34 am

Weird that the author seems to think Hitchens is the only one who "gets" how to talk to moderates. While I look forward to reading Hitchens' book, I will be very surprised if it will be one I recommend to moderates.

I thought The God Delusion was pretty tame until I passed it along to a few moderate believers (they couldn't make it past chapter 2!). Does anyone else think Hitchens possibly has it in him to make a delicate argument to religious moderates?