Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

The catch-all forum for general topics and debates. Minimal moderation. Rated PG to PG-13.
Post Reply
_marg

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _marg »

Some Schmo wrote:This is a great video (actually, it's part one of five, and there are a couple of Q&A vids after as well) where Harris talks about the three common ways people try to defend religion and easily disputes all three. I personally think Sam Harris is one of the greatest thinkers of our time.

I particularly enjoyed his point that intellectual honesty is about not pretending you know what you can't know.

Thought there might be some folks here who would enjoy this.


Thanks Schmo I listened to them all this evening. I found it amusing the part where he says God occasionally writes books, he doesn't code software, he doesn't produce films, he's principally an author of books. He then makes the argument that nothing in the books is particularly profound yet they are attributed to a divine author whereas no one ever attributes the divine to truly profound works of scientists, as an example Isaac Newton.
_TAK
_Emeritus
Posts: 1555
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 4:47 pm

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _TAK »

Calculus Crusader wrote:[
I'm not interested in the goings on in your neighborhood, hayseed.


LOL.. but keep thinking you are special w/ your magic brand of bullsh*t...
God has the right to create and to destroy, to make like and to kill. He can delegate this authority if he wishes to. I know that can be scary. Deal with it.
Nehor.. Nov 08, 2010


_________________
_antishock8
_Emeritus
Posts: 2425
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:02 am

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _antishock8 »

Aww... Calculus Crusader's true Christian persona is manifesting itself once again. Makes ya wanna run straight to JC and beg to become an 'old world' creationist crackpot!
You can’t trust adults to tell you the truth.

Scream the lie, whisper the retraction.- The Left
_Chap
_Emeritus
Posts: 14190
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:23 am

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _Chap »

Calculus Crusader wrote:
I don't think I'm smart; I know I am, Limey.


Could we perhaps be told the name of the Christian group whose doctrines you adhere to? Of course you may be "unchurched" in any formal sense.

Any organization that commands the allegiance of someone as intelligent as you are clearly demands respect and close attention. If on the other hand none of the presently existing churches meets your intellectual standards, that information would in itself tell us something important about the state of religion in the US today.
Zadok:
I did not have a faith crisis. I discovered that the Church was having a truth crisis.
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
_Calculus Crusader
_Emeritus
Posts: 1495
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:52 am

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _Calculus Crusader »

Chap wrote:
Could we perhaps be told the name of the Christian group whose doctrines you adhere to? Of course you may be "unchurched" in any formal sense.

Any organization that commands the allegiance of someone as intelligent as you are clearly demands respect and close attention. If on the other hand none of the presently existing churches meets your intellectual standards, that information would in itself tell us something important about the state of religion in the US today.


I do not identify with any extant Christian denomination. I utterly reject the unscriptural and illogical doctrine of the trinity, which rules out most Christian sects.
Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei

(I lost access to my Milesius account, so I had to retrieve this one from the mothballs.)
_Calculus Crusader
_Emeritus
Posts: 1495
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:52 am

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _Calculus Crusader »

antishock8 wrote:Aww... Calculus Crusader's true Christian persona is manifesting itself once again.


I do not suffer fools or theomachoi gladly.
Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei

(I lost access to my Milesius account, so I had to retrieve this one from the mothballs.)
_The Nehor
_Emeritus
Posts: 11832
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:05 am

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _The Nehor »

marg wrote:whereas no one ever attributes the divine to truly profound works of scientists, as an example Isaac Newton.


I do. So did Newton. His main interest was in discovering the mind and will of God through study of scripture, symbolism, and the nature of the Universe.
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics
"I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
_Some Schmo
_Emeritus
Posts: 15602
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:59 pm

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _Some Schmo »

Calculus Crusader wrote:
antishock8 wrote:Aww... Calculus Crusader's true Christian persona is manifesting itself once again.


I do not suffer fools or theomachoi gladly.

So I take it there are no mirrors in your house?

I bet he knows he's smart in the same way dart knows there's a god... which is to say he knows crap.
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
_antishock8
_Emeritus
Posts: 2425
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:02 am

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _antishock8 »

Did that guy just drop some Greek on me? What? Greek is the new Latin for Internet Smart Guys?
You can’t trust adults to tell you the truth.

Scream the lie, whisper the retraction.- The Left
_Chap
_Emeritus
Posts: 14190
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:23 am

Re: Sam Harris Talks about the Defence of Religion

Post by _Chap »

Calculus Crusader wrote:
antishock8 wrote:Aww... Calculus Crusader's true Christian persona is manifesting itself once again.


I do not suffer fools or theomachoi gladly.



What the heck is the point of saying 'God-fighters' in Greek?

To those who know Greek it adds nothing. To those who don't know Greek it adds nothing.

So why do it?
Zadok:
I did not have a faith crisis. I discovered that the Church was having a truth crisis.
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Post Reply