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TED Talks: A Secular, Scientific Rebutta...

Philosopher Dan Dennett (Santa Claus) calls for religion -- all religion -- to be taught in schools, so we can understand its nature as a natural phenomenon. Then he takes on The Purpose-Driven Life, disputing its claim that, to be moral, one must deny evolution.

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15 Comments

Current View: 15 / Show all Comments

psychologyprofessor : LVL 35: VP 4.3: said:

psychologyprofessor

4 votes NegativePositive

289 days 11 hours ago...

^WHAT!?!

YOU LIKE ONE OF MY VIDEOS!!!

^_^

*faints*

exploder : LVL 49: VP 5: said:

exploder

6 votes NegativePositive

289 days 7 hours ago...

^alifeva1 isn`t just a pretty face you know.

Religion... I juggle it around and around, and any way I slice it, we just need to get on with the WAR against all religion. 16% non-religious is a good start, and we have reality on our side. Sounds like a win to me.

The problem goes like this: try to be fair and smart about religion, teach it in all the schools. Sorry, but how do you keep the sneer of the teacher`s face, how do you frame those tests? We know how this game works, it`s about obediance and control, not wisdom and evolution. It`s all crap, and while this guy advocates polishing the turd, I say flush it for good.

Every time you repeat it, you make another copy in your brain. ---- SO SHUT UP, PLEASE.

So I say we just fucking call BS and move on. It`s time.

psychologyprofessor : LVL 35: VP 4.3: said:

psychologyprofessor

9 votes NegativePositive

289 days 4 hours ago...

Some people are too sensitive and, intolerant to the changes to religion that need to be changed. There is a sane:

"Throw a frog in boiling water and he hops right out. Put the frog in tepid water, slowly heat it to a boil and, the frog will slowly boil alive."

Those who are religious please forgive the analogy but, EXPLODER some people need that slow boil, that slow habituation to "atheism". For those who are NOT religious please realize that the nervous system is built on "CONTRAST". I have to admit that without the slow "boil" or slow introduction of atheism from someone I loved and trusted I would likely not be an atheist today. I thank my "lucky stars" that I am an atheist today but, I know now that it is because of one beloved individual that I currently hold the beliefs that I do. Without her, I would not have posted this video and others like it.

There are those that believe the virus of faith will never be extinguished (Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett) and, I happen to agree. But, faith can be slowly quailed, it can be "DOMESTICATED"; some people need that, I needed that.

I know religion is bullshit and I have moved on but, others aren`t so lucky.

exploder : LVL 49: VP 5: said:

exploder

3 votes NegativePositive

288 days 15 hours ago...

^ fair enough. The reality that I actually practice is <emphasis> gently and lovingly </emphasis> turning up the heat with people I know. It`s a matter of compassionately offering real tools of understanding as good working alternatives, worthy on their own merits, in order to supplant the dogmas, guilts, etc.. I find this isn`t too hard either, because there are lots of things that religion just can`t answer and integrate into a bigger whole worldview / perspective, at least in a way that is eloquent, nimble, open-ended, and hence in total functional. Atheistic perspectives can often fill those gaps, and offer a more workable way forwards.

As a way to ratify my prior comment with this one, take it as my internal perspective on what the true goal is. As for the means to get there, you can`t change someone`s mind at the point of a gun (figuratively). Honey is much better than vinegar. And true freedom, once experienced, calls louder than bondage ever could. So I work hard to give everything I can to religious people, when I see them in need of clarity, because it`s the only right thing to do.

I guess Dennet`s idea about making a rule about religious education seems as silly as trying to make any other rule; you just can`t make rules about this stuff and have them stick. They won`t be followed, people don`t believe in it. Nice idea, but...

Ultimately, we can only win over religion by offering a truly superior alternative, BY CONSISTANT AND PERVASIVE DEMONSTRATION. They will join us by choice. Like I said before, we have reality on our side.

pEAGER : LVL 11: VP 2: said:

pEAGER

-7 votes NegativePositive

284 days 14 hours ago...

i dont understand why you mofos all treat religion like its a sickness. i was raised in a catholic (granted, not the most strict catholic) family, and was made to go to church every weekend. I hated it at the time, but i look back on it as one of the most important factors that shaped my character. it has made me a better person.

In my experience, it is the same way with the majority of other church-goers. While some people take it to the extremes, most people use religion as a supplement to better their lives and the lives of those around them.

Not too mention, you god-hating bastards are all damned to hell!@

LeighCedar : LVL 38: VP 4.6: said:

LeighCedar

5 votes NegativePositive

284 days 13 hours ago...

The answer to Dennett`s suggestion is simply in how said classes would be taught. If approached as a history/comparative mythology class, it would go a long way to making those who believe something really question why, and wonder what it is that actually makes them "christian/muslim/jew/etc.etc". Many would see that it is simply a product of the family they were born into.

At the very least, it would allow those already Devoted to one ideology to at least understand other groups.

@pEAGER,

The problem with your assertion that religion made you a better person is that we don`t have evidence for or against it. We simply have you. We would need two pEagers, one irrilegious and one religious to know if your statement is true.

Personally I think my lack of belief has made me a better person, but it is impossible to say without going back and splitting myself in two.

That is why we focus on what is provable. And religion has no proof going for it. Don`t take that as an attack by the way.

stevenkoalae : LVL 44: VP 5: said:

stevenkoalae

5 votes NegativePositive

284 days 13 hours ago...

@pEAGER
Religion itself is probably not a bad thing, but
religions + stupid greedy ppl = war + hate

360SNaKe : LVL 15: VP 2.4: said:

360SNaKe

6 votes NegativePositive

284 days 13 hours ago...

^ I was raised with out the sickness of religion in my life and I am very thankful for that. In my experience me and the people around me learned how to maintain our lives to live with love and respect for each other. Its called comon sence

pEAGER you really don`t understand why us "mofos" all treat religion like its a sickness?? Come on open your eyes!

Religion has and always will keep humans from reaching their true potential. Just my opinion... 8===D

imadazol : LVL 26: VP 3.5: said:

imadazol

3 votes NegativePositive

284 days 9 hours ago...

Books on religions with only facts I believe are called History books.

His idea is impractical...but it is rather silly that you go to public school for 12 years and can`t be taught religion...then you go to college and all of a sudden you`re buying a copy of the Bible for your Humanities class.

I guess I`d support his idea though as long as you put stickers in the textbooks warning that religions aren`t fact (fair is fair).

pEAGER : LVL 11: VP 2: said:

pEAGER

0 votes NegativePositive

284 days 9 hours ago...

@ 360SNaKe: my eyes are wide open sir. im not sure what you mean by true potential. super saiyan? but from experience, ive found a lot of the better people ive met in life are religious. Thats not to say i havent met great people who cast off the notion of god. a lot of my best friends are atheist

@ LeighCedar: maybe i would have been a better person without religion, but ive only got one life so proving that would be difficult. i consider myself a caring person and a productive member of society; religion hasnt screwed anything up for me, no harm no foul.

last but not least

@ stevenkoalae:
true, but that doesnt mean we should eradicate religion like many people believe. that level of thought to me is like saying we should ban alcohol b/c some dumb pile of shit decided to DUI and killed someone. people need to see the difference between religion itself and the stupid fuckers who kill in the name of religion.


war is human nature, if its not religion it will be something else. watch south park season 10; episode 12; Go God Go for a little humor on the matter.

Sir spanks-a-lot : LVL 38: VP 4.6: said:

Sir spanks-a-lot

0 votes NegativePositive

284 days 5 hours ago...

i like his mic. is that a countryman, or an EV mic?

torne : LVL 34: VP 4.2: said:

torne

1 votes NegativePositive

284 days 5 hours ago...

ted talks instant 5/5

Jester-Race : LVL 33: VP 4.2: said:

Jester-Race

-1 votes NegativePositive

284 days 1 hour ago...

Religion is a mental sickness

seanofah4 : LVL 7: VP 1.6: said:

seanofah4

2 votes NegativePositive

283 days 18 hours ago...


"Live a good life, if there are gods and they are just, they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by."

-Marcus Aurelius

rydl61106 : LVL 34: VP 4.2: said:

rydl61106

3 votes NegativePositive

283 days 11 hours ago...

@ imadazol

"His idea is impractical"

I don`t think so, On a very small scale it is already being done.
I studied Greek mythology in a comparative literature class at my public school. That wasn`t a problem. I don`t see any difference....at least in theory. My only reservation would be that unlike Greek mythology, in the case of the bible there would be a lot of teachers that would try to teach it as fact, as opposed to literature.

Also LOL @ the sticker comment!!! Wow it almost makes me want to see a ID movement win a court case just so I can witness the shit storm that follows when a defiant Science teacher hands out the first chapter of the bible with a huge sticker slapped across the front of it saying "beware this is not fact"

$3.57- for printer paper
$0.99- for an Elmer`s glue stick

Watching a town full of Evangelicals ,holding a picture of Jesus in one hand and a shotgun in the other; storming the school like they were dark age villagers and the science teacher was dracula.............

PRICELESS








for everything else there`s MasterCard

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