(November 9, 2013 at 11:11 pm)Zazzy Wrote: Out of curiosity, what's your beef with Sam? I have issues with him, too- primarily his absolute inflexibility and sweeping statements on nuanced issues of morality and religion, and some disappointing analysis of his own work in neurobiology. Also, he has a a really thin skin for such a rabble-rouser- his blog is intensely annoying for personal reasons.
I don't care for Harris's writing style, personally. He's hard to get into for me, so in that respect I'd much rather read Dawkins than Harris any day. I like Dawkins' writing style much more, but that's entirely a personal preference. I actually retain things I read in Dawkins' books, with Harris I can read three pages and not be able to summarize them because I'm just scanning words after a while, nothing makes it to my long-term memory with him. You know, scratch that: nothing makes it to my short term memory with him.
(November 9, 2013 at 11:20 pm)Minimalist Wrote: I have no problems with it.
It beats the fuck out of the bible.
I, too, have no big beef with it but then again.... --v
(November 9, 2013 at 11:42 pm)Zen Badger Wrote: But then, I don't really think the books are aimed at people like us.
... I agree that it's not necessarily aimed at atheists, though many atheists will read it.
(November 10, 2013 at 1:21 am)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Haven't read it (or any of Dawkins' other books), and given what I've heard about it, I doubt I will.
I'd recommend The Greatest Show on Earth as a really great read; there's nothing "new" in it but its a great review of the evidence for evolution and if you have an interest in biology it's a good and very enjoyable read that's maybe at a 9th grade reading/science level. A very easy read.
(November 10, 2013 at 3:23 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote: I face-palmed when I read his critique of deism. It seems like he just looked up deism in the dictionary and then did a quick dismissal of that straw man as "watered-down theism".
An atheist should know better than to go by what the dictionary says, given how many dictionaries to this day define atheism as "the belief that there is no god" or something along those lines. It would be like a Christian dismissing atheism on the grounds that "atheists can't provide any evidence that atheism is accurate and correct." Oh wait, one actually did take that approach and wondered why he got laughed at.
I get greatly annoyed by atheists who fight with other atheists about what "atheism" really means, especially ones who point to the etymological roots of the word and then bitch about people who don't use exactly that definition. But maybe that's a topic for another thread...
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
