Re: [asa] Richard Dawkins, atheism, and religious liberty

I was hoping to find out how you came to your assertion

<quote>This is the type of thing that makes me wonder how Pim can
possibly defend
Dawkins--how can anyone see Dawkins as not a hater of religious people? He
simply wants to take away fundamental religious liberties.</quote>

For instance your statement that Dawkins wants to 'take away
fundamental religious liberties' could benefit from some support.

but let's look at an example (out of many)

<quote>
Yet this would be a mistake. For one thing, his atheist campaign, with
its chilling eugenic undertones, appeals to many people raised with
little knowledge or understanding of religious belief-people for whom
the fear of Islam touched off by September 11 has metamorphosed into a
public phobia about all religion. Such people may be tempted by
Dawkins's Darwinist notion of religious belief as a virus that infects
inferior genes and needs "quarantining," as well as by the summons to
defend society against a rising tide of "religious fanaticism."
</quote>

Or perhaps

<quote>As for Dawkins, a new Richard Dawkins Foundation for Science
and Reason was unveiled in December to fight the "scandal" of
religious teaching in schools, and to prevent children from being
"labeled with their parents' religion."</quote>

Seems that the author is using a lot of speculation and hearsay to
impugn Dawkins, and some seem to believe that such speculation is
actual evidence. I have found countless examples where Dawkins is
accused of something which in proper context turns out the be quite
the opposite.

Perhaps you can tell me though how you reached _your_ conclusion about
Dawkins (see above)?

On 4/27/07, Ted Davis <TDavis@messiah.edu> wrote:
> Perhaps, Pim, you could initiate a conversation by picking a few things in
> the article that you believe are inaccurate?
>
> ted
>

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Received on Fri Apr 27 15:35:48 2007