The motion proposes that "atheism is the new fundamentalism", i.e., atheism has replaced religion as the new faith of the secular age, exploring the notion that modern atheism is itself guilty of the very dogma and belief in its own infallibility which it scorns in the religious community.
Speaking for the motion are Richard Harries and Charles Moore.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Richard Dawkins Foundation - 2009 Fundraiser
Dear friends,
One of the wonderful things about http://richarddawkins.net is the enormous variety amongst its regular contributors. Old, young, in-between, highly educated, less educated, affluent, less affluent, male, female, straight, gay, serious, fun-loving, angry, mild-mannered, confident, timid, open about their atheism, unable to be open about their atheism, previously religious, never religious ... it is this depth and breadth of life experience and personality that keeps comments fresh and lively, and ensures that we all learn more about the world each time we visit the site.
And yet, for all the contrasts, the vast majority of contributors here are totally united in one key area: a commitment to reason, a sense of awe and excitement at the knowledge that has already been achieved through science, and a passionate desire to see reason and evidence-based thinking at the heart of our societies. We listen to the music of the spheres. We gaze into the Hubble Deep Field and intoxicate ourselves with images of distant galaxies in the act of formation, close to the dawn of time itself. We dive through the tube of a microscope and immerse ourselves in a wonderland of the intricately small. Reality is where we are. It is very large; and also very small, where it matters. It is mysterious; but the mystery is yielding to the methods of reason. Reality is comprehensible. And it is the mission of RDFRS to assist others to that comprehension.
One of the wonderful things about http://richarddawkins.net is the enormous variety amongst its regular contributors. Old, young, in-between, highly educated, less educated, affluent, less affluent, male, female, straight, gay, serious, fun-loving, angry, mild-mannered, confident, timid, open about their atheism, unable to be open about their atheism, previously religious, never religious ... it is this depth and breadth of life experience and personality that keeps comments fresh and lively, and ensures that we all learn more about the world each time we visit the site.
And yet, for all the contrasts, the vast majority of contributors here are totally united in one key area: a commitment to reason, a sense of awe and excitement at the knowledge that has already been achieved through science, and a passionate desire to see reason and evidence-based thinking at the heart of our societies. We listen to the music of the spheres. We gaze into the Hubble Deep Field and intoxicate ourselves with images of distant galaxies in the act of formation, close to the dawn of time itself. We dive through the tube of a microscope and immerse ourselves in a wonderland of the intricately small. Reality is where we are. It is very large; and also very small, where it matters. It is mysterious; but the mystery is yielding to the methods of reason. Reality is comprehensible. And it is the mission of RDFRS to assist others to that comprehension.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
D'Souza vs Barker at the Prestonwood Christian Academy
Dinesh D'Souza Debates Dan Barker (from Freedom From Religion Foundation) at the Prestonwood Christian Academy
Plano, Texas
Topic of debate: What's So Great About Christianity?
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November 19, 2009
Plano, Texas
Topic of debate: What's So Great About Christianity?
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November 19, 2009
David Cross on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos
Comedian, actor and author of I Drink for a Reason David Cross on writing a book and Christian voices around U.S. healthcare reform.
Stephen Fry on the Catholic Church
Stephen Fry concedes that his opposition to the motion is a deeply personal and emotional one. He criticises the Catholic Church not only for the horrors it has perpetrated in the past, but also for its ideology, and for its sinister temerity to preach that there is no salvation outside of the Church. With two words he refutes Anne Widdecombes suggestion that the Catholic Church does not have the powers of a nation state: The Vatican.
As a homosexual, Fry reflects how bizarre it is to be accused of being immoral and a pervert by an institution that has persistently hushed up the rape and abuse of children under its care, and whose leading members, abstentious nuns and priests, all share an attitude towards sex that is utterly unnatural and dysfunctional. He concludes by questioning whether Jesus, as a humble Jewish carpenter, would have approved of all the pomp and excess of the Catholic Church, and whether he would even have been accepted by such an arrogant organisation.
Stephen Fry at Intelligence² Debate
As a homosexual, Fry reflects how bizarre it is to be accused of being immoral and a pervert by an institution that has persistently hushed up the rape and abuse of children under its care, and whose leading members, abstentious nuns and priests, all share an attitude towards sex that is utterly unnatural and dysfunctional. He concludes by questioning whether Jesus, as a humble Jewish carpenter, would have approved of all the pomp and excess of the Catholic Church, and whether he would even have been accepted by such an arrogant organisation.
Stephen Fry at Intelligence² Debate
Monday, November 30, 2009
Former Editor Sues Washington Times For Religious Discrimination
The former opinion editor of The Washington Times has filed a religious discrimination complaint against the paper.
November 29, 2009 on CNN
Richard Miniter says the company president "coerced" him into attending a Unification Church event in 2008 that included a mass wedding. He says the company launched a background investigation into him earlier this year after he made a joke about the church to a co-worker.
The Times was founded by the leader of the Unification Church, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, in 1982.
November 29, 2009 on CNN
Richard Miniter says the company president "coerced" him into attending a Unification Church event in 2008 that included a mass wedding. He says the company launched a background investigation into him earlier this year after he made a joke about the church to a co-worker.
The Times was founded by the leader of the Unification Church, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, in 1982.
BBC Newsnight on Public Funding of 'Muslim Extremist Schools' in Britain
November 27, 2009 on BBC Newsnight
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