tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post3662189268988604723..comments2022-06-10T22:26:42.828-05:00Comments on Looking In The Distance: What Should Atheists and Humanists Stand For?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-62253231204587847412007-05-30T20:58:00.000-05:002007-05-30T20:58:00.000-05:00I think that when you look at what Secular Humanis...I think that when you look at what Secular Humanists, Atheists, and Religionists stand for you will find that they agree of about 90% of everything. Seems to me therefore that given the problems in the world there is much more that everyone can do in concentrating on this 90% and let the other 10% work itself out in the due course of time. <BR/><BR/>What difference does it make if I think the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-83503572049059678852007-05-29T20:27:00.000-05:002007-05-29T20:27:00.000-05:00Brenda: Michael Behe is the key proponent of this ...Brenda: <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Behe" REL="nofollow">Michael Behe</A> is the key proponent of this and basically what he says is that many structures are too complex at the biochemical level to be adequately explained as a result of evolutionary mechanisms.<BR/><BR/>In a November 8, 1996 interview Richard Dawkins said of Behe: <I>"He's a straightforward creationist. What he Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-20467076191320409972007-05-29T20:02:00.000-05:002007-05-29T20:02:00.000-05:00Someone help me out with an explanation of irreduc...Someone help me out with an explanation of irreducible complexity arguments or give me a link to a good reference<BR/><BR/>ThanksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-61271866797759970542007-05-29T07:39:00.000-05:002007-05-29T07:39:00.000-05:00DM - I agree. The one thing that I think that the...DM - I agree. The one thing that I think that these two groups do wrongly is to identify themselves as against something (religion, or God, or the Supernatural). They should stick to the positive statements of their beliefs.<BR/><BR/>As to the scientific answer why we are here I would love to see them address issues such as the irreducible complexity arguments. Dawkins did some of this but notAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-47695772492811862632007-05-27T21:54:00.000-05:002007-05-27T21:54:00.000-05:00JoanRussell also said: One of the most painful cir...Joan<BR/><BR/>Russell also said: <I>One of the most painful circumstances of recent advances in science is that each one of them makes us know less than we thought we did.</I><BR/><BR/>This is why I think atheists and secular humanists should quit the religion bashing business until they come up with a scientific answer on how we came to be here.<BR/><BR/>Ever,<BR/>DMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-37361782202797839212007-05-27T21:43:00.000-05:002007-05-27T21:43:00.000-05:00PRD – You might also take a look at the Internatio...PRD – You might also take a look at the International Humanist and Ethical Union’s <A HREF="http://www.iheu.org/amsterdamdeclaration" REL="nofollow">Amsterdam declaration of 2002</A> which states that:<BR/><BR/>Humanism is the outcome of a long tradition of free thought that has inspired many of the world's great thinkers and creative artists and gave rise to science itself. The fundamentals of Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-20769851492396292112007-05-27T21:30:00.000-05:002007-05-27T21:30:00.000-05:00The best statement I have seen of what secular hum...The best statement I have seen of what secular humanists stand for is the <A HREF="http://secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=declaration<br/>" REL="nofollow">Secular Humanist Declaration</A> issued In 1980 by The Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (now the Council for Secular Humanism).<BR/><BR/>It deals in great detail with the following points: 1) Free Inquiry; 2) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-42732919888886029762007-05-27T08:53:00.000-05:002007-05-27T08:53:00.000-05:00I liked the picture of poor old Russell! Bit of ...I liked the picture of poor old Russell! Bit of a dear even if he is somewhat outdated. I think Dawkins, Hitchens et al have not done better than Russell’s ‘What I Believe’ which is much shorter than their tomes and a lot easier to read.<BR/><BR/>It’s amazing how quickly things I thought were permanent ‘facts’ have turned out to be not so. Russell once said that he thought the source of Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-37493866742006807632007-05-27T06:46:00.000-05:002007-05-27T06:46:00.000-05:00I look up what the humanists over here say they be...I look up what the humanists over here say they believe. There is a group in Belfast which has their ‘mission statement’ on their website and I have copied their ‘beliefs’ below.<BR/><BR/>http://www.humanists.net/belfast/what_is_h.htm<BR/><BR/>“Many people today find traditional religious beliefs untenable. Humanism presents an alternative outlook on life which accepts the scientific account of Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1747503782613986319.post-21761947467434474222007-05-27T06:37:00.000-05:002007-05-27T06:37:00.000-05:00A good answer to the question ‘What an Atheist Sho...A good answer to the question ‘What an Atheist Should Stand For’ was given by <A HREF="http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/ought.html " REL="nofollow">Richard Carrier.</A> I recommend that you read the whole article but a couple of points from what he said are as follows and I quote:<BR/><BR/><I>There is a common and justifiable lament that atheists are so preoccupied by Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com