Anybody want to debate the book The God Delusion?

[otseng]

I finally got a copy of The God Delusion by Dawkins from the library. And as I was reading it, I was thinking that I'd love to debate this book. Anybody want to debate this book? (It'll probably be several weeks before I can engage in a debate. I'd like to finish the current debate on Nature's Destiny first.)

If you would like to participate in the debate, please post in this thread "Sign me up" and I'll add you to the list of participants.

As of 4/30, these are the participants:
Furrowed Brow - Atheist
achilles12604 - Christian
McCulloch - Atheist, Agnostic
BohemianBanjo - Atheist
jjg - Catholic
QED
bernee51 - Atheist
OldChurchGuy
Cogitoergosum
bunyip
Cathar1950 - Agnostic, Deist
JamesBrown - Atheist, Agnostic
Confused - Atheist
Joe
NGR
otseng - Christian
FinalEnigma - Atheist
AClockWorkOrange - Atheist
Pista Gyerek - Atheist
atheisthumanist
Paul D
Chad

[bernee51]

I finally got a copy of The God Delusion by Dawkins from the library. And as I was reading it, I was thinking that I'd love to debate this book. Anybody want to debate this book? (It'll probably be several weeks before I can engage in a debate. I'd like to finish the current debate on Nature's Destiny first.)

I'm interested

[OldChurchGuy]

I finally got a copy of The God Delusion by Dawkins from the library. And as I was reading it, I was thinking that I'd love to debate this book. Anybody want to debate this book? (It'll probably be several weeks before I can engage in a debate. I'd like to finish the current debate on Nature's Destiny first.)

I'm also interested.

[rabidchihauhau]

Not interested in the least.

Someone needs to look up the definition of debate.

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints: a debate in the Senate on farm price supports.
2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers

There's no public question here and there can't be affirmative and negative sides because there's no proposition to discuss.

So what you're talking about is not a debate. If you want to offer a 'discussion' of the book, or a critique, that's fine, but there can be no debate when one side of the argument devolves to an empty set.

Besides, debating utilizes logic to make points and there is no logic behind mystical belief systems.

Let's debate something substantive like - are mental institutions the best places to isolate faithheads?

[Cogitoergosum]

i have read the book, it is one of my favorites. I'm IN.

[bunyip]

[quote="otseng"]I finally got a copy of The God Delusion by Dawkins from the library. And as I was reading it, I was thinking that I'd love to debate this book. Anybody want to debate this book?

G'day,

Count me in, please. Having reviewed this book for Amazon.com and my local rag, in addition to Dawkins' appearance on the CBC's "The Big Picture" on the film associated with the book, i'd be thrilled to participate.

Thanks for the offer.

the bunyip
stephen

[bunyip]

> There's no public question here and there can't be affirmative and negative sides because there's no proposition to discuss.

Of course there's a public question here: Why do so many humans believe in the supernatural and make personal life and social decisions based on that belief?

As a follow-up question: If, as Dawkins contends, there is nothing supernatural, what techniques can be applied to diminish that belief?

Is that satisfactory?

the bunyip

[McCulloch]

Not interested in the least.

Someone needs to look up the definition of debate.

1. a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints: a debate in the Senate on farm price supports.
2. a formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers

There's no public question here and there can't be affirmative and negative sides because there's no proposition to discuss.

So what you're talking about is not a debate. If you want to offer a 'discussion' of the book, or a critique, that's fine, but there can be no debate when one side of the argument devolves to an empty set.

You have a valid point there. However, considering the varied viewpoints represented here, a discussion or critique of this book will necessarily evolve into a debate about the different issues and arguments that Dawkins makes.

Besides, debating utilizes logic to make points and there is no logic behind mystical belief systems.

Begging the question are we?

Let's debate something substantive like - are mental institutions the best places to isolate faithheads?

That is a question for when we get to Sam Harris' books. Besides being disrespectful, begging the question and building a strawman, this question is not likely to generate much in the way of debate.

[otseng]

I'm glad a lot of people have expressed interest in debating the book.

Some notes:

We're not going to start debating TGD until May 1. This will give time for everyone to acquire the book and to start reading it.

The debate will occur in a separate thread in the Book Debates subforum. After I create the thread, I'll send out an email to everyone that the debate can start.

Only the people who have signed up in this thread will be allowed to post in the debate thread. I'll be giving the participants membership to the usergroup "2007 The God Delusion" to indicate those who can post. Everyone will be able to read the posts.

This is only the second book debate that we've had, so the process is not set in stone. But we're going to try to follow similar procedure as the Nature's Destiny book debate. We'll go through each chapter one at a time. Each side will then debate for/against what is presented in that chapter. Because of the number of participants for TGD, we might have to add some more procedures.

Any suggestions/comments/questions?

[Cathar1950]

Count me in too.
The book cam eto the library yesterday and I am picking it up today.
I got the book just for this reason.
I am not exactly an atheist but I have already read the book once.
I have read another of his books or two or three.
I have read Harris' book and got his other one "letter to America" or something like that. No it is "letter to a Christian Nation".
It sounds like fun.

[JamesBrown]

I'll join the discussion.