Finally, what we have known for a while ... that Dawkins brand of Atheism is "now" a "Religion", that is in the sense of an organised belief system, with leaders and a need to be recognised, even campaign for it's rights... has become explicit. The faith led by Pope Dawkins is now clearly a movement! Dawkins did admit that...
Organising atheists has been compared to herding cats, for the obvious reason that they are intelligent and independent-minded.... TBH a fair few of the Dawkins followers I've talked to are not necessarily either... just like many Christians!... but all in all, I'm pleased about this move, at least we can now "call a spade a spade"! The only thing that worries me is the poor MP's surely life is busy (or boring) enough for them as it is with out having to read Dawkins latest poorly researched polemic!?
it's about time for sure.
Posted by: Makeesha | 12/04/2007 at 19:59
Interesting indeed.
Posted by: Matt Stone | 14/04/2007 at 12:33
Athiesm is not a religion, anymore then darkness is a sort of light. Organizing athiests is an oxymoron, for we tend to practice a degree of spiritual anarchy. No one athiest has exactly the same dogma as another. For example, one athiest may insist that there's obviously an afterlife, because while there is no god, they don't believe that humans are mere animals, while another athiest may be a materialist.
What bothers me is Dawkins assumption that those who don't phrase their beliefs in terms of miracles or magic are more rational then the openly faithful. That's arrogance, as humans are irrational inside and outside the bounds of a religion.
Posted by: Phalene | 22/04/2007 at 04:55
Some interesting points Phalene... a few observations, 1) I think you are right about the diversity of "atheism", notice I say Dawkins brand, what you seem to be saying sounds more like the sense that "atheism" is anything that does not accept the inherited view of God... a bit like the lady who sid to me that she believed in who God was before the Church called him/it God! Rather Dawkins seems to deny the existence of anything "spiritual" hence his adherence to a faith called rationalism... 2) your point "anymore then darkness is a sort of light" is of course far more complex than it first seems... Darkness is in some ways a "sort of light" in the sense that it could be seen as an absence of light, therefore can only be described in relation to and in the context of light.... also of course "Darkness" is "in the eye of the beholder", much of the spectrum is invisible to the naked eye, therefore the perception of darkness does not neccesarily mean that there is no light, just that the tools for detecting light one is using may be inadequate to the task! 3) Dawkins and his disciples fail to aknowledge that even within one "religion" e.g. Christianity, what you say about "atheism" also applies... that there is a massive plurality and many subtleties of doctrine! If you disagree with their perception of Christianity you are accused of misrepresenting the "religion", because they cannot fit you into their box [Straw Man]! e.g. 6 Day Creation vs Evolution 4) I completely agree with your last sentence!
Posted by: Mark | 22/04/2007 at 09:27