The God Delusion....

[ARTooD2]

Did anyone else that has read it notice that the Douglas Adams quote was on page 42??? Or am I just a sad bastard???

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King Sinner

[Anonymous/b]

Quoting ARTooD2 from 23:02, 25th Oct 2007
Did anyone else that has read it notice that the Douglas Adams quote was on page 42??? Or am I just a sad bastard???

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King Sinner

read it, didnt notice, so ya, pretty sad - it's also quite awesome tho, so im right up there with u lovin the dougy ref, gonna have 2 read again now! (at least page 42)

[Haunted]

*checks*
Well spotted. It goes onto 43 a little bit. Deliberate?

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Now with 100% more corn

[Humphrey]

I’ve been an atheist/agnostic since an early age. My parents went to university in the militantly atheist environment of the sixties and seventies and this view of looking at the world was passed onto to me. Therefore I’m inclined to look upon claims of a supernatural creator with a hefty degree of scorn. However, if I’ve learned anything over the past six years it’s that you have to treat all views, including your own and the views of people you look up to and respect with the same degree of skepticism. On the point of religion I think the following two quotes sum things up pretty nicely.

“. . . imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in an interesting hole I find myself in fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it's still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything's going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch out for.”

The late Great Douglas Adams

“Basically...out of all the ridiculous religion stories---which are greatly, wonderfully ridiculous---the silliest one I've ever heard is..."yeah...there's this big giant universe and it's expanding, it's all gonna collapse on itself and we're all just here 'just 'cause...just 'cause". That, to me, is the most ridiculous explanation ever."

Trey Parker

Basically, whichever position you take to explain our appearance in the universe, be it the big bang, natural selection, a divine creator or the giant spaghetti monster, you are accepting something that is mind blowingly improbable and hard to justify. This is why I prefer to watch Supernanny rather than sitting around wondering about it.


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[Haunted]

Well, apart from all that observable evidence for the big bang theory.

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[Craig]

Quoting humphrey from 11:51, 26th Oct 2007

This is why I prefer to watch Supernanny rather than sitting around wondering about it.

How fantastically boring. "I can't possibly understand, so I won't bother to think about it."

[Mutley]

Quoting Haunted from 12:10, 26th Oct 2007
Well, apart from all that observable evidence for the big bang theory.

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I think that the Adams quote suggests, that even the puddle can observe his surroundings and see it as evidence for that particular conception of the universe.

There is no Archimedian point or ontological telos from which to view our existence. So neither the theist or atheist can claim objective observation without recognition of a pre-concieved bias to their perspective.

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So how is life, love and the endless pursuit of happiness?

Edited: For spelling nazi's

[Haunted]

Quoting mutley from 13:11, 26th Oct 2007
I think that the Adams quote suggests, that even the puddle can observe his surroundings and see it as evidence for that particular conception of the universe.

There is no Archimedian point or ontological telos from which to view our existence. So neither the theist or atheist can claim objective observation without recognition of a pre concieved biased to their perspective.

The mistake to which Douglas alludes is the common 'arguement from design' (or teleological arguement). He still agrees that we can measure the shape and size of the hole in the road. If we see that the hole is getting bigger then it is logical to conjecture that in the past it was smaller. Big bang theory makes no comment on 'purpose'.

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Now with 100% more corn

[Mutley]

Agreed, so long as it understood it provides no apology for atheism.

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So how is life, love and the endless pursuit of happiness?

[Humphrey]

Quoting Craig from 13:02, 26th Oct 2007

Quoting humphrey from 11:51, 26th Oct 2007

This is why I prefer to watch Supernanny rather than sitting around wondering about it.

How fantastically boring. "I can't possibly understand, so I won't bother to think about it."

I'm inclined to agree with this statement. Really the purpose of saying that was more to wrap up a long winded post than to argue that Supernanny was preferable to understanding the universe. I've thought about it a lot and it is certainly the most important question we face. It does make my head spin and lead to all sorts of uncomfortable conclusions with no 'naughty step' to turn to as a source of comfort.

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[exnihilo]

Quoting mutley from 13:11, 26th Oct 2007
Edited: For spelling nazi's

I can't resist - Nazis would take a capital and no apostrophe.

[Snakes&Ladders]

“Basically...out of all the ridiculous religion stories---which are greatly, wonderfully ridiculous---the silliest one I've ever heard is..."yeah...there's this big giant universe and it's expanding, it's all gonna collapse on itself and we're all just here 'just 'cause...just 'cause". That, to me, is the most ridiculous explanation ever."

Logical fallacy of personal incredulity.

[Humphrey]

Logical fallacy of personal incredulity.

I'm going to try that one on my wife the next time she doesnt believe me when I say "I've only had a couple of stellas". Trouble is, its hard to say 'Logical fallacy of personal incredulity' when you are slurring your speech.

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