I must thank the people over at Russell’s Teapot for the heads up on this YouTube video. Frankly, I’m astounded at O’Reilly’s strategy. This is, in my opinion, is how NOT to debate this whole atheist/theist issue. O’Reilly fails miserably I think. Why? For these reasons:
Personal testimony proves nothing;
- The argument that Christianity is a moral fiber doesn’t prove it is true. Military rule can provide law and order too;
- Deflecting the argument with silly humor helps nothing;
- Poking fun at other gods or religions doesn’t prove they don’t exist or are wrong;
- To assert that atheists have committed atrocities too is only an attempt to share blame. It proves nothing except that all humanity is susceptible to evil practices;
- Opting for Christianity just in case it is the right religion is simply spiritual gambling;
I could go on, but why don’t you just watch the video. I might add that I was impressed with Dawkins’ demeanor. Take a look:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w8OhiLU7cU]
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Well everyone, I won’t be blogging much for the next few days. My son Jesse, who is an awesome drummer, finally got a chance to go to the Cape Breton Drum Festival, so we are here in Sydney, Nova Scotia in the Delta. Check out the site… a really awesome selection of world-class drummers. I’ll try to post here and there… especially my cartoons. Thanks all readers and fans of my site. Stay tuned. I won’t let you down.Oh, this is a picture of him playing my Taylor guitar, and his sister Casile sipping tea beside him.
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This post is basically a collection of quotes I’ve extracted from this article on “Einstein and Faith” in Time magazine. I find them profound and important in today’s debate between atheists and theists. For one of the most brilliant scientific minds (his actual brain is preserved!), he still, as we shall see, had some kind of belief in “God”, and even considered himself “religious” to some degree. Shouldn’t this give us all pause, both atheists and theists alike? Take a fascinating read:
The religious inclination lies in the dim consciousness that dwells in humans that all nature, including the humans in it, is in no way an accidental game, but a work of lawfulness that there is a fundamental cause of all existence.
When Einstein was asked if he was religious, he calmly answered,
Yes, you can call it that… Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible laws and connections there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion. That that extent I am, in fact, religious.
When asked if he believed in God, he replied:
I’m not an atheist. I don’t think I can call myself a pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the language in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but does not know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws, but only dimly understand these laws.
He goes on…
To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly: this is religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I am a devoutly religious man.
Anyway, I appreciate Einstein’s approach that should be, I think, a lesson to all of us. I think the word is humility… humility towards all that we don’t and can’t know. I am impressed with rationality, but only to a point. There is something beyond what we know, and I think Einstein did his best to articulate that in a humble manner. I respect that.
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To put it bluntly, some of the language coming from the pens and mouths of atheists is the language of hate. Religion has largely succumbed to this same criticism, I admit. Humanity is the common denominator. So, I suppose I’m not surprised that atheists such as Dawkins , Harris and Onfray will not hesitate to ridicule believers, no matter what their stripe. He calls believers “faith-heads”, as if teasing and bullying is going to help. I’m in agreement with lots of what Dawkins says, but scorning and ridiculing believers simply mirrors the very problem that he has with religion and its followers. Religion, atheists such as Dawkins claim, is the poison of the earth, the reason for all the troubles in the world, and so it and its adherents need to be stopped.
I think it is wrong to assert that it is faulty thinking that brings people to the battle field. It isn’t opposing ideas that cause one tribe to exterminate another, or differing opinions that lead one religion to persecute another, or juxtaposed truths that lead one group to harm another. I’m one who does happen to believe that out of the fullness of a man’s heart, he will speak, and out of the fullness of his heart, he will act. But I’m also convinced that it is not simply by believing a certain truth that leads one to harm another, but the disdain that it potentially leads to. Frankly, I think it is hatred of another person or group that leads to its persecution. Although ideology may be the root, the blossom is hatred, and persecution the fruit. Most people I know will check their ideology the moment any prejudicial conclusions can be drawn from it. If any “truth” leads to hatred, most people I know will question it.
So when I hear people like Dawkins, Harris, Onfray and company using language that rings of arrogance, scorn, disdain and even hatred, I seriously have to ask myself: “Can’t they see that they are perpetuating the problem?” They sound just like religious zealots. I ask that we all retreat from the language of ridicule. It doesn’t solve anything at all, but pours more fuel on the same old fire that we should be trying to quench. I agree that religion has been shamefully the blame for many woes. But can’t we see that ideas will never benignly reign over us? Truths will not win our day. Rationalism will not bring peace on earth. It will be love, which means respect, service, humility and compassion.
I want to hear what the atheists are saying. It is important to hear. I find it helpful. I truly believe I benefit from what they are saying. But when it is soaked in scorn, I’m afraid of where it is coming from and where it will lead us to.
I want to thank the atheist site A Load of Bright for the very honorable mention in introducing his blogroll. It’s dialogue like this that is hopeful.
The fine art photograph is the creation of my friend, Mark Hemmings. Nothing to do with this article, but think it is strikingly gorgeous.
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Thanks to a certain online friend of mine, who also happens to be an avid blogger, who was traveling through a certain US city, was stopped at a traffic light, saw this sign, and felt compelled to snap a pic and send it to me. Hey all you out there: SEND ME MORE!! Now… here’s my version, photoshopped obviously!
David Hayward is a pastor artistically stripping to the essential.
