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

[bunyip]

> "Being an evolutionist I am interested in the evolution of intelligent life from it's earliest beginnings, and not just the last 10,000 years or so since settlements began."

|G'day, Joe,

If you seek a serious proposal about the beginnings of religion, you might take a look at Darid Lewis-Williams "The Mind in the Cave". Lewis-Williams sees the artwork in places like Lascaux and Chauvet as expressions of early human contact with a spirit world "behind" the cave walls. The rocks themselves become a transition zone between the spirit world and the "real" world we inhabit. Why animals instead of humans or human-like creatures is a serious question.

His follow-up, "The Neolithic Mind" isn't as ground-breaking, but does logically follow from the earlier book. Here, ancestor worship has supplanted the earlier animal representations, partly as a result of moving from enclosed sites to open pasturage and cropping.

Looking for evidence prior to "communities" forming is problematic. Since humanity is a social species, some form of "community" existed before our ancestors were driven from the trees.

the bunyip

[FinalEnigma]

I'm in, if you'll have me

[otseng]

I'm in, if you'll have me

I'll add you.

As a note, before May 1, anybody can sign up. After that, nothing is certain.

[AClockWorkOrange]

i would love to be a part of the debate if i am welcome (though id prefer Atheism: The Case Against God) but Dawkins is fine too.

[Pista Gyerek]

I'd like to be part of the debate. God Delusion isn't as good as my favorite Dawkins book Unweaving the Rainbow, but I got a lot out of his analysis.

[bunyip]

> "As a note, before May 1, anybody can sign up."

Do my postings here provide the equivalent of an application to participate, or is there an initiation ceremony? Sackcloth and ashes and/or self-flagellation?

Please sign me up.

the bunyip
stephen

[Cathar1950]

It is about time.
I am in.
I have the book here but have not started it yet.
I think Mack's outline is a good start and might help keep us focused.
The book is due April 24th but I can renew it.

[Cathar1950]

> "As a note, before May 1, anybody can sign up."

Do my postings here provide the equivalent of an application to participate, or is there an initiation ceremony? Sackcloth and ashes and/or self-flagellation?

Please sign me up.

the bunyip
stephen

That is a good question.
How do you sign up?

[McCulloch]

How do you sign up?

Just posting here is sufficient.

As for the sackcloth and ashes and self-flagellation, you're on your own. Go ahead if it makes you feel more spiritual, but it is not required.

[otseng]

I've updated the list and all participants are listed in the OP.

To sign up, just post in this thread stating you want to join. Simply making a comment in this thread without specifically saying something like "Sign me up" will not count.