I'm readin one of Richard Dawkins' books and I just came across this.

quote:

An atheist before Darwin could have said, following Hume: 'I have no explanation for complex biological design. All I know
is that Cod isn't a good explanation

Me too. I'm pretty certain that few people, atheist or believer, would suggest that Cod created the universe. (Though on the principle that there is no belief so crazy that there won't be somebody somewhere who believes it, I'll bet someone worships the almighty Cod.)

Sounds like a load of old codswallop to me.

quote:

I'll bet someone worships the almighty Cod.)

And, if dyslexic, the Almighty Dog.

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:
I'm pretty certain that few people, atheist or believer, would suggest that Cod created the universe. (Though on the principle that there is no belief so crazy that there won't be somebody somewhere who believes it, I'll bet someone worships the almighty Cod.)

As a regular communicant at my local chippery ("Almighty Cod") and annual pilgrim to our lord's Cape, I find this offensive.

At least cod exists and is thus a more likely creator than a mythical being who exists only in the mind of humankind.

quote:

Originally posted by bethree5:

As a regular communicant at my local chippery ("Almighty Cod")

I assume you go for the piece of cod that passeth understanding.

This explains why some women are heard to exclaim, "Oh, My Cod" when enjoying the contents of someone's codpiece.

It was a misprint, though. We all know it was the Flying Spaghetti Monster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster

Are you certain that was Cod? I thought it might be Cow, based on the prayer, "Our fodder which are in Heaven."

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:
We all know it was the Flying Spaghetti Monster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster

You sir are a heretic. Follow the way of The Invisible Pink Unicorn.

Renounce the so-called Spaghetti Monster.

quote:

You sir are a heretic. Follow the way of The Invisible Pink Unicorn.

It seems to have as much credance as any other religion. For example this statement: "We have faith that she is pink; we logically know that she is invisible because we can't see her." has its equivalent in all other religions.

"We know that God exists because it says so in the Bible (or other religious work); we know the Bible is true because it is the word of God"

Edited to correct typo.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Richard English,

quote:

has its equivalent in all other religions.

Holy Cow!

Now the Spanish, who are desperate for dinero, are getting into the Cow experience. This from an ad headline on The Weather Channel website:
Take a Family Vaca Rich in History
Not just holy Cows, but cows rich in history! Muy loco!

Tangentially, I know, but the finding of the Higgs boson seems related.

quote:

The Higgs is an invisible field that fills the universe and gives elementary particles their size and mass. Imagine a vat of molasses, with the universe as the vat and the Higgs field as the molasses. Finding the Higgs boson is a quantum leap for science — the equivalent of a moonshot.

Much to the disgust of the scientists, some journalists have taken to calling the Higgs boson "the god particle".

hm. Is it de rigueur to be an atheist on our forum?

Not sure if you're kidding or not, Bethree, but just in case you are not, it is not de rigueur. Indeed, I know that we have all types of religious beliefs here, and I, for one, am not an atheist.

[I do like that word de rigueur!]
[Edited to correct typo]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

It has been my observation that, in the UK, a person's religion is one of the last things you trouble to find out, whereas in the USA it is one of the first. I had a very good friend whom I had known for probably 40 years. I knew he had been born in Egypt; I knew he lived in London; I could hear that he had an impeccable English accent; I knew all about his career as a successful tour operator. But it wasn't until shortly before he died that I discovered he had been brought up as a Jew. And it wasn't until I went to his funeral that I learnt that he had renounced Judaism and become a Humanist. Indeed, it was Roland's funeral that persuaded me to find our more about Humanism, whose beliefs and principles I now espouse - http://www.humanism.org.uk/home.

The UK is supposedly one of the least religious countries in the world and many of those who claim to be Church of England are not practising Christians. It just that "C of E" has been, until quite recently, the simple default option to put on forms - although, following pressure from the Humanists, many forms now have an option for "no religion".

Of course, there has been a massive change in the UK in the past century or so, from the mid-Victorian era when we built so many churches and composed so many hymns and carols - but the trappings of religion are still very evident (according to Bill Bryson there are more churches than filling (gas) stations in England - and certainly in Partridge Green we have five churches and only one filling station). But most of the churches are empty most of the time, and those that are busy, are busy because they have ventured into other activities such as fetes and flower shows.

I don't know whether any research has been done, but I have a suspicion that those with more enquiring minds are more likely to be atheists than those without. In my own case (and I have a very enquiring mind) I challenged my Religious Instruction teacher at secondary school, asking him to prove that God existed. He was a good teacher and, rather than putting me down, allowed a discussion to develop, which eventually ended with the same irrefutable statement with which all religious people seem end such discussions: "No matter what you say" he said, in his broad Potteries accent, "you can give me this fact and that fact, but I know God exists, It's as if I had met him behind the bike sheds and, no matter how much you tell me that he couldn't have been there; that he was somewhere else at the time - I know he was there because I met him".

Well, poor old Joe Bryce will now know whether his God existed or not since he is now dead and he will, if his beliefs were correct, now be in heaven.

quote:

It has been my observation that, in the UK, a person's religion is one of the last things you trouble to find out, whereas in the USA it is one of the first.

You may be right about the U.K., but you are incorrect about the U.S.

This is such an interesing subject & thanx RE for taking me seriously. I was being somewhat tongue-in-cheek of course.

What captures my interest is the Euro-USA cultural differences one can note in remarks tossed off. Euro cultures are into secularism, perhaps nowhere more so than in France. The idea seems to be, 'please do not advertise your religion'. The UK seems to be a bit different; there's a Monty-Python-whimsy at work, a sort-of unwritten subtext that religions are after all ridiculous when one takes them literally.

Then we have the USA, where the party line seems to be 'can't we just all play nicely together? (please ignore the rabid Bible-thumper crowd behind the curtain).'

I am not sure what atheism is, Euro-style. (BTW, RE, thanx for the humanism link). On this side of the pond, the atheists w/whom I have sparred on & off the internet are to a man the product of dogmatic religious upbringing

On this side of the pond, the atheists w/whom I have sparred on & off the internet are to a man the product of dogmatic religious upbringing

Not I. I am an atheist (really more of a nontheist, see link), who had no religious instruction while growing up. (I reached my present state through reason and anthropological observation.) I also consider myself a secular humanist (link).

quote:

since he is now dead and he will, if his beliefs were correct, now be in heaven.

Or they are both behind some bicycle shed.

I came this ___ close to joining the Mormons. Thank God I'm now an agnostic. Atheism is too extreme given the information available.

We hosted some friends on Sunday who refer to their local liquor store as "church." After all, that's where the spirits are.

Anybody ever read this? http://users.drew.edu/~jlenz/whynot.html Russell was speaking in 1927, when the Church of England was still a force of some repute.

Bethree, I think we have all taken your posts seriously. If you thought I hadn't because of my reference to "kidding," please understand that I had been flummoxed by your comment related to atheism on this site being de rigueur and really had wondered whether you were kidding. I don't think any of us here would consider being atheist as de rigueur. My only caveat is that a discussion of either religion or politics can create havoc sometimes because of the various beliefs.

As for your comment about atheists being the product of a dogmatic religious upbringing, I agree with zmj. That has not been my experience either.

quote:

On this side of the pond, the atheists w/whom I have sparred on & off the internet are to a man the product of dogmatic religious upbringing

Atheists or theists? (or both)?

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:
We hosted some friends on Sunday who refer to their local liquor store as "church." After all, that's where the spirits are.

Anybody ever read this? http://users.drew.edu/~jlenz/whynot.html Russell was speaking in 1927, when the Church of England was still a force of some repute.

I very much like this point Russell made when speaking of the currently popular theists' theory about "intelligent design" by a deity, "...When you come to look into this argument from design, it is a most astonishing thing that people can believe that this world, with all the things that are in it, with all its defects, should be the best that omnipotence and omniscience have been able to produce in millions of years..."

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:
We all know it was the Flying Spaghetti Monster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster

You sir are a heretic. Follow the way of The Invisible Pink Unicorn.

Renounce the so-called Spaghetti Monster.

Might I add the useless information that the first European member of the FSM was victorious in having the Austrian authorities accept a colander/strainer as religious head gear in his driving license photo.

Bea

I am most pleased to hear this, Bea. BTW, I wear one of these around my neck: http://www.foodservicewarehous...s-&utm_source=nextag

Welcome to Wordcraft, Bea. I think I am going to like your humor! Where are you from?

Yes Geoff - exciting decor and usefull, too!

Kalleh - Thank you for your welcome.
I am European with parents who stem from a place formerly known as East Prussia, 3 East Prussian and one Dutch grandparent's; born in Germany, living in Ireland.

Bea

It's so nice having someone here from Ireland! I'd love to hear your accent.