Richard Dawkins sums up religion

Skunkworks · 3 Dec 2013 at 21:46

Nitefly said:
People die for others they love and you can't objectify love. Some people just know how they feel and that's that.

You can see parts of the brain light-up when pics of loved ones are shown to someone being scanned. I daresay in the future the tech will reach a level where someone's religiosity (or other traits) can be gauged from a brain scan.

OhEsEcks · 3 Dec 2013 at 21:47

Skunkworks said:
You can see parts of the brain light-up when pics of loved ones are shown to someone being scanned.

It does the same when you're shown pictures of cake.

Skunkworks · 3 Dec 2013 at 21:52

OhEsEcks said:
It does the same when you're shown pictures of cake.

The same parts of the brain?

OhEsEcks · 3 Dec 2013 at 21:56

Skunkworks said:
The same parts of the brain?

It was from a documentary about addictions to things like sugar, tobacco and whiskey I watched. "Addicted to pleasure". I remember the scan bit from the sugar episode and the response was in and around the frontal lobes, just above the eyes.

elmarko · 3 Dec 2013 at 22:12

Nitefly said:
People die for others they love and you can't objectify love. Some people just know how they feel and that's that.

Of course you can.

Love is an emotional & chemical state, also what does it have to do with the fact subjective experience isn't verifiable or protected against the problems related to human fallibility?.

Stop watching rom-coms.

Nitefly · 3 Dec 2013 at 22:29

elmarko said:
Of course you can.

Love is an emotional & chemical state, also what does it have to do with the fact subjective experience isn't verifiable or protected against the problems related to human fallibility?.

Some people love their god and that's all they need.

elmarko · 3 Dec 2013 at 22:32

Nitefly said:
Some people love their god and that's all they need.

Obviously, but I'm struggling to see how this equates to independently verifiable evidence or is a view protected from human fallibility.

Some people love fictional characters, imaginary friends - or ideas - it doesn't mean they exist.

The emotions of a person on a subject are not evidence towards it's existence.

Hades · 3 Dec 2013 at 22:46

A few years ago my young daughter looked up at me and said "Dad, God doesn't exist does he?" I asked why she'd come to that conclusion and she replied "Because if he existed then who made God?"

Nitefly · 3 Dec 2013 at 23:14

elmarko said:
Obviously, but I'm struggling to see how this equates to independently verifiable evidence or is a view protected from human fallibility.

Some people love fictional characters, imaginary friends - or ideas - it doesn't mean they exist.

The emotions of a person on a subject are not evidence towards it's existence.

You might ask me to demonstrate my love for a particular person, alleging that it's not true. I'd struggle to prove it to you, yet I'd know you were wrong. Ultimately though, why care who I love.

dirtychinchilla · 3 Dec 2013 at 23:22

Hades said:
A few years ago my young daughter looked up at me and said "Dad, God doesn't exist does he?" I asked why she'd come to that conclusion and she replied "Because if he existed then who made God?"

Hah!

For me, I think I was about eight and I was confused about how time machines worked, and dinosaurs. I couldn't get my head around the idea that if you changed something in the past it will always have been changed in the future, although people say now that it could be a parallel universe, which I didn't consider then (not that I think time travel could work).

jamiehavok · 4 Dec 2013 at 01:44

i really cant stand religion, i see no need for imaginary friends, i just dont get all the conflict it brings and the world will likely be a better place without it. http://www.youtube.com/user/JaclynGlenn
this girl is my goddess!

spoffle · 4 Dec 2013 at 05:48

OhEsEcks said:
Any reason you wanted to stick your beak in here for any other reason than brown nosing?

It's brown nosing because I'm pointing out that you're a hypocrite?

spoffle · 4 Dec 2013 at 05:54

jamiehavok said:
i really cant stand religion, i see no need for imaginary friends, i just dont get all the conflict it brings and the world will likely be a better place without it. http://www.youtube.com/user/JaclynGlenn
this girl is my goddess!

The world would be significantly more conflict free without humans, they are at the front of all conflict.

bledd · 4 Dec 2013 at 06:16

Caged said:
As a person completely free of any religion I have to say I don't see a difference between Dawkins preaching his non-belief and anyone else preaching their beliefs. Both are highly irritating.

Believe what you want, but do it quietly.

This.

If I was to fill out my religious stance on a form. I'd write 'N/A' and not pick athiest.

Columbo · 4 Dec 2013 at 07:49

Hades said:
A few years ago my young daughter looked up at me and said "Dad, God doesn't exist does he?" I asked why she'd come to that conclusion and she replied "Because if he existed then who made God?"

I came to the conclusion there was no God at age 10 when I bought 17 billion packets of Panini football stickers from the local shop and still didn't get Imre Varadi to finish off Sheffield Wednesday and the entire book.

koolpc · 4 Dec 2013 at 09:28

Same old arguments every time religion thread pops up.

Billions of people In the world. All with individual minds. Choice is there for us to take or leave. Believe or don't believe. Simple.

Someone who has a very strong faith in God will die for that faith as has been witnesses many time through history. People think they were mad but it's all down to having a strong belief and faith in God. This can be very hard for some to understand. I agree. But, for me, I fully understand. Religion can be very complex indeed. Or, for some, it can be very simple!

It would be awesome if one could live in harmony with the other without slanging matches going back and fro.

God for me is a massive part of 'MY' life. I dearly wish that those who have no belief in God could feel this love. It is so special. Such a gift!

Guys, whatever you want to believe is up to you. You have a choice. Yes, I would love you to choose the same belief as me but like noses, every one has a different opinion etc. no need to ridicule someone who stands up for their belief in God.

GiraffePencils · 4 Dec 2013 at 09:34

koolpc said:
but like noses, every one has a different opinion etc. no need to ridicule someone who stands up for their belief in God.

...Everyone has a different opinion on noses?

koolpc · 4 Dec 2013 at 09:42

GiraffePencils said:
...Everyone has a different opinion on noses?

Like noses everyone with an opinion has a different one!

Diesel · 4 Dec 2013 at 09:48

koolpc said:
Guys, whatever you want to believe is up to you. You have a choice. Yes, I would love you to choose the same belief as me but like noses, every one has a different opinion etc. no need to ridicule someone who stands up for their belief in God.

People are ridiculed for their belief in lizardmen or the Illuminati, why should belief in God be exempt?

GiraffePencils · 4 Dec 2013 at 09:51

koolpc said:
Like noses everyone with an opinion has a different one!

so people with no opinion have the same nose?
like, the same nose as other people who don't have an opinion, or the same as those with an opinion?
but if everyone with an opinion has a different nose... how can those with no opinion have the same nose as people with lots of different noses..? :confused: