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Sam Harris at the Global Atheist Convention
#21
RE: Sam Harris at the Global Atheist Convention
"Ripe for the harvest" eh? Like so many cabbages....Angel
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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#22
RE: Sam Harris at the Global Atheist Convention
(July 10, 2012 at 12:36 am)Justtristo Wrote:
(July 9, 2012 at 9:07 pm)apophenia Wrote:


I think this conclusion depends on a simplistic and poorly evidenced theory of the nature of religion.


Well Sam Harris is a neurospsychologist and there have been studies done to test the hypothesis that that the fear of death motivates religious commitment, and that it may be alleviated by assurances about an afterlife. I have referenced a couple of peer reviewed articles about these studies.

Kahoe, R. D., & Dunn, R. F. (1976). "The fear of death and religious attitudes and behavior". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 14 (4): 379–382

Wink, P. (2006). "Who is afraid of death? Religiousness, spirituality, and death anxiety in late adulthood". Journal of Religion, Spirituality, & Aging 18 (2): 93–110

What he calls "spirituality" is nothing more than our brains falling for a sensation. Our species has always been capable of mistaking an intense feeling of a "state" for being something other than mundane nature.

There is no need to call our brain activity "spiritual". Intense and "feeling real" yes, but "spirituality" is a nonsense word. The study of our brain when we have "spiritual" experiences is nothing but a study of the state of our brain when we think about or do certain things that lead our brains to that state. But there is nothing "spiritual" about any state our brain can be in.

Victor Stenger, "The New Atheism" read it. As much as I love Sam, he is merely adding superfluous words when they are not needed. Sam does not get a pass from me. "Spiritual" is a bullshit word.

Instead of "spiritual" when I have that sensation I say "WOW that was intense". I don't add superfluous bullshit words to mundane reality.

The God Delusion explains quite aptly the confusion even Sam is falling for. It is the "moth mistaking the light bulb for the moonlight".

Sam is right on lots of things, but he is dead wrong on insisting that "spirituality" is something more than our own mundane brain activity.
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#23
RE: Sam Harris at the Global Atheist Convention
(August 9, 2012 at 11:01 am)Rhythm Wrote: "Ripe for the harvest" eh? Like so many cabbages....Angel

I am actually quoting the exact words this guy said. The more I got to know him over time, the more I came to the conclusion he was much like a used car salesman.

I once said that the Christians I knew were either ignorant or either dodgy (like this guy) or downright scary.
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