Comments on: The Atheist Delusion

By: Not Agnostic

Not Agnostic — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:26:44 +0000

Someone much wiser than me once said: the problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are unflinching in their beliefs, but wise people are full of doubt.

Or words to that effect. And it’s a pearler. The world is far too complex to be put down to a such a simplistic idea as “god’s will”. To accept and stubbornly persevere with the idea of God without entertaining the idea that there isn’t one puts you in the “fools and fanatics” category. (And don’t try to turn that on me. I have entertained the idea that there was a god, all through my childhood and a bit further still. The implausibility of it made my brain hurt.)

The idea of god may have made sense to ancient civilisations – imagine a person dying of leukaemia 2000 years ago, how would they explain that? Well, there must be a higher purpose, of course. But in no way does such superstitious, simplistic, nonsensical reasoning apply in this day and age.

Simply, it boils down to Epicurus’ god paradox:

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

Well, which is it?

Ps, another person wiser than myself also said: I have as much authority as the Pope. I just don’t have as many people who believe it.

Boom.

By: Marky

Marky — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:10:35 +0000

You are asking to have a discussion about something we disagree about. But you want me to first agree to to your point of view. Otherwise I am “egoistical, vain, ignorant, condescending, misguided, arrogant.. etc. So only you and those of your veiws are intelligent. Now that is the height of arrogance and everything else you wrote. But of course you are so blinkered…
I have no doubt that on atheist sites such as Dawkins, what is said about religion, would make Frosh’s opening article look very tame in comparison.

By: Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 11:03:13 +0000

Do worry I will not come here again, I will happily leave you with your imaginary friends. There must be some intelligent Jews somewhere else, wrong place to have an article about atheism. Why publish this biased article by Anthony, if you are not willing to discuss anything? I will go to the Richard Dawkins foundation and converse with some people with real knowledge, no wonder people find some Jewish ideas hard to take, you think you are superior on your insular little Jewish forum but you posted an article about atheist that is ridiculous and simple minded, you are vain, egotistical, ignorant and not capable of seeing past you own prejudice and upbringing.

By: Marky

Marky — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:45:33 +0000

Tim also demands that we “leave us alone”, when he is the one who comes on to this Jewish forum to attack us. One rule for Tim and another for us….

By: ariel

ariel — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 03:13:17 +0000

I’ve caught up on the last few posts and can only say that Tim is doing what most atheists on this thread have done: criticising Judiasm without knowing anything about it; especially the Jewish view of Hashem.

Tim, you and all other humans are also created in Hashem’s anthropomophic “image”.
I suggest you do some study as to what that means in the Jewish sense, seeing as this is a Jewish forum.

By: Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:43:35 +0000

It is not worth the effort to try and have a conversation with you anymore Marky, good luck with your imaginary friend.

By: Marky

Marky — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:21:00 +0000

Yes of course, anyone who disagrees with you is condescending, misguided and arrogant. Your telling me that my religion is fictional, that is arrogant, that you know best.

By: Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:00:03 +0000

No-one is stopping you being Jewish (if that is what does it for you) Your tone is condescending, that is the essence of religion, each group says they know best, they are the chosen people. Your view is typical misguided and arrogant. The orthodox community has been against Menachem, you are a group who lobby fiercely for your own cause and for political friends. We need more atheists conventions and more people willing to advocate science and reason. Thankfully your view is not representing the entire Jewish community.

By: Marky

Marky — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:05:33 +0000

First of all no one is stopping you from being an admirer of Dawkins(if that’s what does it for you..)
I still can’t see how bashing christianity has any place here. There are those Jews who are for Menachem and those against, so don’t just lump it all one way on “the Jewish community”. Everyone has a right to their opinion. There are always those who try to coerce others to their opinion, just as you are trying tell us what to do(or rather not to do)with regards to Menachem. And you(and other atheists) don’t do any lobbying and campaigning?

By: Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:00:42 +0000

Thanks Marky, I think it does concern Jewish orthodoxy as well in that there have been attempts in Melbourne by orthodox Jewry to tell one man to “pull his head” in for being critical of the former Brumby government. Menachem Vorchheimer was said to be guilty of Chilul Hashem for being critical of police corruption in Victoria. It is about all religions not just Christianity, any religion that tells people to pull their head in and does not “leave us alone”. Jewish views are not that different, they lobby and campaign and like Mr Frosh are critical of non-believers. A Jewish forum is a good place to raise these questions when the article is related to Richard Dawkins, I think so anyway Marky. What do you think of the Jewish community telling Menachem to pull his head in, the Jewish community is no different to others and the authors Mr Frosh has views of Dawkins and atheists that are not so well informed on humanist views that we are more than the atoms that make up our physical chemistry.