Dawkins the drama queen

Pointless Posts, Raves n Rants, Obscure Opinions

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
Sherlock Holmes

Dawkins the drama queen

Post #1

Post by Sherlock Holmes »

I was just perusing the new Dawkins website (the old one had a debating forum but that's long gone).

When I read this:
We believe people should be free to be open about non-belief without risking their job, business, personal and family relationships or standing in the community.

The foundation focuses on two alarming statistics, both of which have serious implication for America’s ability to innovate and compete in the 21st century:

1) Forty-six percent of Americans tell pollsters human beings arrived on this earth in their present form within the last 10,000 years. (Gallup, 2012)

2) Fifty-three percent of Americans say they are unlikely to vote for a politician who is an atheist on that basis alone — a percentage that far exceeds the number of Americans who say they won’t vote for a gay politician or a even an adulterer. (Pew Research Center, 2014)
Never mind the Monty-Python like sentence "we believe people should be free to be open about non-belief" why do these statistics "alarm" Dawkins who is not even an American?

So, in your own time - are points 1. and 2. really "alarming"?

User avatar
Jose Fly
Guru
Posts: 1462
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:30 pm
Location: Out west somewhere
Has thanked: 337 times
Been thanked: 906 times

Re: Dawkins the drama queen

Post #2

Post by Jose Fly »

Sherlock Holmes wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 12:52 pm why do these statistics "alarm" Dawkins who is not even an American?
Because Dawkins is an atheist and he's concerned about atheists being discriminated against. Not sure why that's tripping you up...it's not exactly complicated.
So, in your own time - are points 1. and 2. really "alarming"?
Neither are new developments, so I don't see them as alarming. I do see them as concerning, since #1 shows a level of scientific ignorance among the US public, and #2 shows a level of bias against a group of folks for no other reason than that they don't believe in gods.

But as the US moves to a post-Christian society I expect both of those to wane.
Being apathetic is great....or not. I don't really care.

Sherlock Holmes

Re: Dawkins the drama queen

Post #3

Post by Sherlock Holmes »

Jose Fly wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:57 pm
Sherlock Holmes wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 12:52 pm why do these statistics "alarm" Dawkins who is not even an American?
Because Dawkins is an atheist and he's concerned about atheists being discriminated against. Not sure why that's tripping you up...it's not exactly complicated.
So he does that by seeking to discriminate against non-atheists? Which is the implication of his points 1. and 2 and many of his books, like the one that claims I am deluded for example.
Jose Fly wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:57 pm
So, in your own time - are points 1. and 2. really "alarming"?
Neither are new developments, so I don't see them as alarming. I do see them as concerning, since #1 shows a level of scientific ignorance among the US public, and #2 shows a level of bias against a group of folks for no other reason than that they don't believe in gods.
Many people believe that Elon Musk is working to help the environment or that SpaceX will be able to setup a human colony on Mars in the coming years or that computers might become conscious and need to have their rights protected and many more claims that are only taken seriously by those ignorant of the science, the public are ignorant about a huge array of things.

The US is a representative democracy, it is based on voting for people not policies, I'm pretty sure that the beliefs of candidates is a large part of how people vote.

If a person gets or does not get a vote due to their beliefs about abortion or taxation or that God exists or that evolution has serious epistemological problems, what of it?
Jose Fly wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:57 pm But as the US moves to a post-Christian society I expect both of those to wane.
There's a difference between education and indoctrination, lets hope we don't ever forget that.

User avatar
Jose Fly
Guru
Posts: 1462
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:30 pm
Location: Out west somewhere
Has thanked: 337 times
Been thanked: 906 times

Re: Dawkins the drama queen

Post #4

Post by Jose Fly »

Sherlock Holmes wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 3:02 pm So he does that by seeking to discriminate against non-atheists? Which is the implication of his points 1. and 2 and many of his books, like the one that claims I am deluded for example.
I didn't see anything like that in the OP. All you posted was Dawkins lamenting how significant numbers of Americans think humans didn't evolve and wouldn't vote for atheists, merely because they are atheist. I've no idea how you went from that to "Dawkins wants to discriminate against theists".
Jose Fly wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:57 pm If a person gets or does not get a vote due to their beliefs about abortion or taxation or that God exists or that evolution has serious epistemological problems, what of it?
Because you'd just be basing your vote on them being atheist. That's no different than people saying they wouldn't vote for someone merely because they're Catholic.
Being apathetic is great....or not. I don't really care.

User avatar
otseng
Savant
Posts: 20499
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:16 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA
Has thanked: 197 times
Been thanked: 335 times
Contact:

Re: Dawkins the drama queen

Post #5

Post by otseng »

Moderator Comment

Not really sure how to handle this thread, but moving it to RR. Avoid derogatory click bait titles. Arguing about someone's opinions doesn't belong in S&R. Please rephrase the thread title and question debate and place in a more appropriate subforum.

Please review the Rules.


______________

Moderator comments do not count as a strike against any posters. They only serve as an acknowledgment that a post report has been received, but has not been judged to warrant a moderator warning against a particular poster. Any challenges or replies to moderator postings should be made via Private Message to avoid derailing topics.

User avatar
Purple Knight
Prodigy
Posts: 3465
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2020 6:00 pm
Has thanked: 1129 times
Been thanked: 729 times

Re: Dawkins the drama queen

Post #6

Post by Purple Knight »

Sherlock Holmes wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 12:52 pm So, in your own time - are points 1. and 2. really "alarming"?
This is quite related to the thread on cancel culture.

No. Not alarming. And it's just something people have to accept in a "free" society: You want certain jobs, you need to adopt certain viewpoints.

I don't really care for free societies. I would prefer an enforced meritocracy, or that if people are so invested in their view that they insist that only those who share it should rule, they should separate and live in a theocracy. Or an idealocracy if their idea isn't religious.

Post Reply