If This Not A Full U-Turn...

[Khandro]

... is it at least a 90° one?   😃

 

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/04/01/athiest-richard-dawkins-says-he-would-choose-christianity-over-islam-every-single-time/

[naomi24]

Radagast, that's an interesting approach to it.

[Ellipsis]

> If he's a hypocrite for rejecting the doctrine of the church whilst at the same time attending Christian events, then as an atheist, so are you.

But that's not why he's a hypocrite ... 

[naomi24]

So why is he a hypocrite, ellipsis?  For telling the world why he doesn't believe it?

[andy-hughes]

To me, there is no hypocrisy in attending church ceremonies or visiting churches if you enjoy them. 

Hypocrisy comes if you pretend to believe in God when you don't. 

I don't believe Professor Dawkins is doing that.

[Ellipsis]

I said why, at 11:15 and 11:34 ..

[naomi24]

Ellipsis, Singing the songs makes him a hypocrite?

[andy-hughes]

Ellipsis  - I see what you mean, but joining in with an aspect of ceremony is not the same as embracing it.

I sing hymns at Mass, but I am not praising anything,  

[Radagast]

I can't see anything hypocritical with cherry picking Christianity.

[Khandro]

naomi. //answer this question.  Did you ever visit Communist Russia?//

No, but I once read Solschenizyn and more recently Second Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich. Quite enough ! 

[naomi24]

But that's not enough, khandro, because had you visited Communist Russia you would have seen that there were working churches.  True the state didn't support them but atheism wasn't the impetus for communism.   Now will you please answer my question?  

[Ellipsis]

Dawkins wrote The God Delusion in 2006. I doubt anyone in this thread read it recently, if at all. I read it soon after it was published. Whether you've read it or not, here's a helpful reminder of what it's all about:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_Delusion

That description is not consistent with a cultural Christian ...

[Khandro]

 Richard Dawkins' stance on 'Cultural Christianity' was well summed up by an American intellectual I watched tonight (I beg his pardon, I don't remember his name) on the The New Culture Forum, when he said, 'He wants you to benefit from something he doesn't believe in.' 

[andy-hughes]

You can't really argue with that can you.

[naomi24]

Ellipsis, I've read it.

 

khandro, if you expect anyone to give credence to that anonymous man's words you need to divulge his name.

You still haven't answered my question.  

[Radagast]

'He wants you to benefit from something he doesn't believe in.'

This is false. He doesn't want you to benefit from God (which he doesn't believe in), he wants you to benefit from Christianity (which he accepts as real).

[Khandro]

 

The New Atheists of the early 2000s – led by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennett – predicted a utopia founded upon science and reason once we had abandoned religion. But their bestselling books proved to be full of empty promises. All that our post-Christian society has delivered so far is confusion, a mental health crisis in the young and the culture wars.

 

Is it not surprising then that a movement of New Theists has sprung up, and former self-defining 'Atheists' are beginning to adopt the new mantle of 'Culture Christianity' ?

[naomi24]

Khando, I've read most of their books and I can't recall seeing any such promise.  Still avoiding my question then?

[Radagast]

Perhaps you're right, Khandro. Perhaps there will always be religion but the core beliefs might change. How many people still believe that the Earth is at the centre of the universe or that God created humans in their present form?

[jackthehat]

I am an Atheist but if I had to choose a religion, as a woman, I would choose Christianity; it is a lot safer than Islam, and to some extent, Judaism.

I, too, would say I am a cultural Christian. Being born and brought up in a country which is historically Christian and where Christianity permeates very many aspects of daily life. Where architecture, music, art and literature was commissioned and produced to laud the Christian faith, it is difficult not to acknowledge its' influence. However, these things were created in history where religion was a central tenet of life. 

I can and do appreciate the positive impacts of Christianity without accepting that God exists.

[Khandro]

jth; If you would like to explore further the basis of your feeling I heartily recommend this best-selling book if you don't already know it;

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendationref=sr_1_1?crid=U98AC9YCWFED&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4EBVOhgUR2ONC2QLZ4nCSdmLp7Gf1QVwYieMLTbmENQUKn_C2LF3GF4IXNULNSG7oNKSH0sof_eC1EEd-NISY4bAv5jQvcNHLzJd2Hm6m6jbMlwCB8GD5NleNYackPKtWpuSJvbBTUB9DA-xYf2qjta6J9xH4guNYS9LahOfccBYcLbsNqgn4ss4KlzFxZn-M9F24a9xi_rYAi-E75IKxrYc6Xj5zl_ABqvSFq9Disk.ExoJU9ydaH8kKKbmYSY9o-IHd0bSLGsDYAXo9npisaI&dib_tag=se&keywords=dominion+book+tom+holland&qid=1712490152&s=books&sprefix=tom+holland%2Cstripbooks%2C146&sr=1-1