Comments on: Against Mystery http://aiusepsi.co.uk/2010/against-mystery/ Andy Simpson's personal blog. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:22:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: jenny_mohan http://aiusepsi.co.uk/2010/against-mystery/comment-page-1/#comment-811 jenny_mohan Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:21:44 +0000 http://aiusepsi.co.uk/?p=442#comment-811 I did definitely used to be an atheist, yes, up until I went to uni. Never heard of Feynman or Sagan so will have to look into that! I did definitely used to be an atheist, yes, up until I went to uni. Never heard of Feynman or Sagan so will have to look into that!

]]> By: aiusepsi http://aiusepsi.co.uk/2010/against-mystery/comment-page-1/#comment-809 aiusepsi Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:54:44 +0000 http://aiusepsi.co.uk/?p=442#comment-809 I have the hugest man-crush on Feynman. He's just so awesome. I would recommend anybody sit down and read his "Lectures on Physics", great read, and you'll learn something. I have the hugest man-crush on Feynman. He's just so awesome. I would recommend anybody sit down and read his “Lectures on Physics”, great read, and you'll learn something.

]]> By: Dickie http://aiusepsi.co.uk/2010/against-mystery/comment-page-1/#comment-808 Dickie Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:44:51 +0000 http://aiusepsi.co.uk/?p=442#comment-808 Dawkins is an easy target, I think, because he's so outspoken. That said, from what I've seen/read, I think (for instance) Sagan or Feynman were much better advocates of atheistic viewpoints. Dawkins is an easy target, I think, because he's so outspoken. That said, from what I've seen/read, I think (for instance) Sagan or Feynman were much better advocates of atheistic viewpoints.

]]> By: aiusepsi http://aiusepsi.co.uk/2010/against-mystery/comment-page-1/#comment-807 aiusepsi Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:06:35 +0000 http://aiusepsi.co.uk/?p=442#comment-807 I wasn't entirely angered, but I think there are a lot more interesting things to say about Genesis and creation than he ever bothered to mention. He was far too fixated on the actual moment of creation; I personally find the story of the Fall much more intriguing.<br><br>Dawkins can go a little too far, I will agree. He is a very excellent scientist, but not necessarily the best advocate for atheism. I can see some of his points, though; he makes a very good one about children being described as "Christian children" or "Muslim children" before they've ever really had a chance to make up their own mind about what they believe.<br><br>Personally, God was just never mentioned at home with my family. We had what were in retrospect fairly heavily Christian assemblies and the like at primary school, where we were encouraged to pray at the end and the like. I came to my own decision that I just didn't believe God was real, and I stopped saying "Amen" after the prayer, because I just didn't believe it was real. I think I was lucky that I was essentially allowed to make up my own mind. Apparently that quite shocked my fairly religious neighbour when I said that out loud...<br><br>I have no trouble with belief, in and of itself. Sometimes I even envy the comfort people say they find in God. I have a problem if you're wishy-washy about it, or you haven't engaged your brain about it; an awful lot of people have never really stopped to think critically about their faith, they just hold it reflexively out of custom.<br><br>I also have a problem if your faith flies in the face of reality; I have pretty severe issues with the Pope, for instance. He could do a lot of good if he just told people in Africa to use condoms. He could save the lives of a lot of people; that he doesn't fills me with rage and contempt. I have nothing good to say about the Catholic Church. Nothing.<br><br>I like to think I'm an atheist who takes his atheism very seriously, I'm glad you're a believer who takes her belief seriously, even if we're not going to agree entirely!<br><br>Sorry if I'm reading that wrong, but did you say you used to be an atheist? I wasn't entirely angered, but I think there are a lot more interesting things to say about Genesis and creation than he ever bothered to mention. He was far too fixated on the actual moment of creation; I personally find the story of the Fall much more intriguing.

Dawkins can go a little too far, I will agree. He is a very excellent scientist, but not necessarily the best advocate for atheism. I can see some of his points, though; he makes a very good one about children being described as “Christian children” or “Muslim children” before they've ever really had a chance to make up their own mind about what they believe.

Personally, God was just never mentioned at home with my family. We had what were in retrospect fairly heavily Christian assemblies and the like at primary school, where we were encouraged to pray at the end and the like. I came to my own decision that I just didn't believe God was real, and I stopped saying “Amen” after the prayer, because I just didn't believe it was real. I think I was lucky that I was essentially allowed to make up my own mind. Apparently that quite shocked my fairly religious neighbour when I said that out loud…

I have no trouble with belief, in and of itself. Sometimes I even envy the comfort people say they find in God. I have a problem if you're wishy-washy about it, or you haven't engaged your brain about it; an awful lot of people have never really stopped to think critically about their faith, they just hold it reflexively out of custom.

I also have a problem if your faith flies in the face of reality; I have pretty severe issues with the Pope, for instance. He could do a lot of good if he just told people in Africa to use condoms. He could save the lives of a lot of people; that he doesn't fills me with rage and contempt. I have nothing good to say about the Catholic Church. Nothing.

I like to think I'm an atheist who takes his atheism very seriously, I'm glad you're a believer who takes her belief seriously, even if we're not going to agree entirely!

Sorry if I'm reading that wrong, but did you say you used to be an atheist?

]]> By: jenny_mohan http://aiusepsi.co.uk/2010/against-mystery/comment-page-1/#comment-806 jenny_mohan Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:27:45 +0000 http://aiusepsi.co.uk/?p=442#comment-806 I like this post a lot. Sadly I'm so tired i can't typstraight (oh, I'll leave that one in. See?) otherwise I'd reply more sensibly. I don't believe that my god is a God of the Gaps but having been an atheist nor do I believe that you would come out of King Lear and think, well, did he really exist? - however, I hope that program didn't entirely anger you and was actually interesting too, and perhaps also made you see that although plenty of religious people are a bit dotty, so are plenty of atheists (Richard Dawkins is a case in point, albeit an obvious one). What I don't understand why people can't see is that there is no correlation between being religious and being intellectual and a thinker and believing in science and things. That I consider my position as carefully as any atheist might (and more carefully than most), that I challenge and am challenged by my beliefs and by the beliefs of others, and that it is possible to be completely open-minded and intellectually curious, and to still, actually, come out at the end of hte day and say that looking at all the things I know and feel, I still believe there is a God, not just of the Gaps but of everything. I like this post a lot. Sadly I'm so tired i can't typstraight (oh, I'll leave that one in. See?) otherwise I'd reply more sensibly. I don't believe that my god is a God of the Gaps but having been an atheist nor do I believe that you would come out of King Lear and think, well, did he really exist? – however, I hope that program didn't entirely anger you and was actually interesting too, and perhaps also made you see that although plenty of religious people are a bit dotty, so are plenty of atheists (Richard Dawkins is a case in point, albeit an obvious one). What I don't understand why people can't see is that there is no correlation between being religious and being intellectual and a thinker and believing in science and things. That I consider my position as carefully as any atheist might (and more carefully than most), that I challenge and am challenged by my beliefs and by the beliefs of others, and that it is possible to be completely open-minded and intellectually curious, and to still, actually, come out at the end of hte day and say that looking at all the things I know and feel, I still believe there is a God, not just of the Gaps but of everything.

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