Prof Richard Dawkins the high priest of the secular movement, the secularist campaigner. The Dawkins family estate, consisting of 400 acres near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, was bought at least in part with wealth amassed through sugar plantation and slave ownership.Tut tut at dawkins.
Richard Dawkins sums up religion
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Atheism, anti-clericalism (which Dawkins preaches) and secularism are not the same thing Kedge.
You do realise that the X is symbolic of the Cross, which in turn is symbolic of Christ?
Soldato
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I don't celebrate Christmas for the Pagan routes which certainly are not what a true 'Christian' would celebrate. The date is completely askew with when Jesus was born which is universally known. Why did his disciples etc did not celebrate his 'Birthday' to me highlights the non-importance of his birth versus his intended reason for being on the earth. The only thing in the Bible in which we are asked to do is remember his death which that holds any significance to his being on earth. Christians observe this this also, however true Christians do not entertain the Pagan routes of Easter that's been secularised by the Americans like Christmas.
Pagan routes of Christmas
Two birthdays in the Bible, one of which was Egyptian and the other of King Heron who had John the Baptisers head delivered to him on a platter...nice.
Irrespective of the current convenient dilution of what Christmas symbolises it's a sad affair that one day per year governs the coming together of a family.
I just find it funny how many Atheists adorn convenience when it comes to religion even if the above Pagan celebrations are the stem of their origins.
I find the distain for secularism from the religious community strange, it's actually beneficial for to them also - as it enshrines freedom of religion, along with freedom from on a personal level to those who wish it.
In a society with a myriad of different beliefs it protects the rights of those people to believe what they wish - all it does is attempt to remove privileges to any one specific group.
While some atheists are anti-religious (more so aimed at specific doctrines which cause harm) a vast majority seem to advocate secularism for society - not atheism.
On the above point, have you considered the element of cultural tradition?, which evolves alongside many of our religious & social events - not to many it's a fixed holiday for a large number of people (ergo, easy to meet up with the wider family).
In a society with a myriad of different beliefs it protects the rights of those people to believe what they wish - all it does is attempt to remove privileges to any one specific group.
While some atheists are anti-religious (more so aimed at specific doctrines which cause harm) a vast majority seem to advocate secularism for society - not atheism.
On the above point, have you considered the element of cultural tradition?, which evolves alongside many of our religious & social events - not to many it's a fixed holiday for a large number of people (ergo, easy to meet up with the wider family).
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Ah I see, throw some rocks at his family tree because you fail utterly in being able to discredit anything he says in a logical way.
That's basically religion as a whole.
It is a misconception that the Liturgical Calendar actively used pagan festivals in its creation....the Liturgical Calendar, like many other religious calendars throughout human history have evolved independently using commonly held astronomically, seasonally and culturally significant dates.
Christmas was not stolen from previous Pagan, Egyptian, Roman or Greek festivals...it is simply that the period is commonly significant to all...independently. We see this when we compare other festivals globally and historically that would have had no cultural or societal connection or knowledge of one another...the periods often coincide with similar periods we use for Christian and other festivals.
Christmas was not stolen from previous Pagan, Egyptian, Roman or Greek festivals...it is simply that the period is commonly significant to all...independently. We see this when we compare other festivals globally and historically that would have had no cultural or societal connection or knowledge of one another...the periods often coincide with similar periods we use for Christian and other festivals.
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This! It's Christmas Day, the birthday of Santa Claus.
And is this thread still going on?
That sucks that Santa has to work on his birthday.
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Bet he on triple time like me.
Yeah which in turn is a load of old tosh, which was/is pushed by the catholics or catholicism (also known as false religion).
Just pointing out the fact that dawkins has been know to attack God, the Bible, Christians, religion and has brought up the issue of slavery and yet dawkins has reaped some of those rewards from his family by persecution of black people in jamaica by brutal and forced slave labour, he should give back what he stole from those his family persecuted by selling his state.
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The sins of the father do not reflect the sins of the son. I don't understand what his family history has to do with himself? His abhorrence of slavery probably comes from a much better perspective than most of us, because we've never encountered anything to do with slavery!
Anyway, if we all did what the bible said, I expect we'd have loads of slaves, our wives.
Anyway, if we all did what the bible said, I expect we'd have loads of slaves, our wives.
How do you know he hasn't given significantly more to charity then the value of his estate?
Regardless if we all had to pay for all of our our forefathers mistakes we all, including you, would be in an immeasurable amount of debt.
I have personally not reaped any benefits from my past family and certainly not any benefits from the brutal and forced slavery trade, so go do one chump.
What you mean like dip his hand in his pocket to relieve his conscience, lol con-science.
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Let's all do as the pope does!
That symbolism predates Catholicism. It is inherent in Early Christian symbolism and The Cross symbol is common across a wide range of Indo-European belief systems predating Christianity itself.
You have not the knowledge nor objectivity to judge Kedge..your own beliefs are founded on misconceptions, misrepresentations and downright nonsense interpretations of the very scriptures you say form the basis of your beliefs.
I would simply be quiet if I were you, you just make yourself look and sound ridiculous. Even if you are trolling as I suspect you are most of the time, it still makes you appear nothing other than foolish.
Indeed...The current Pope, who eschews luxury, prejudice, exclusivism, intolerance and authority...instead showing and preaching inclusivity, charity, equality, tolerance and deference to the common people, no matter their beliefs.
Let's do that. Not many will or could live up to that however.
Yeah like i said "false" religion like catholicism.