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- Go to Turkey and Richard Dawkins
Impossible
to be secular and rule by Islamic law! This sucks. I've also read some of Dawkins' books and although he makes a very thorough (to the point of becoming boring) case for his point of view I don't think he makes a strong enough case to completely change someone who does not support his views on religions' mind. In fact, I think your own view on the subject of religion does not contradict the gist of his thinking on evolution (leaving out his angle on religion) in general either, but rather supports it. If every author had to get all their work blocked because they mention some other writers work in a less than favorable light, we'll have no thinking writers' work left to read.
ps- I've been thinking about your previous articles and I'm adjusting my view on Israel ever so slightly accordingly. I love getting to read informed and mostly nonpartisan views on subjects that are usually loaded with emotional bigotry. Good on you!
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on October 27, 2008 at 1:43 PM
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Naut, you set me pondering... Words represent concepts...
concepts are how we intellectually package and organize the mash of stuff our brains--left and right sides--and minds--conscious and unconcious--process moment by moment, season by season, life by life.
Is God an Absolute Reality? Is God a construct of our own inner workings? Is it a reflection of our need for control, security, authority? Does it matter, if we behave as if God is real?
I suppose some poeple have to have god literal and as real as can be, or they could not bow to the authority and direction they ascribe to it.
Some people need to say 'thank you' to someone, for all they find beautiful and joyful and wondrous.
I have a notion that the saying 'thank you' is what is important: the will to say it, more than who it is said to.
It's like not killing spiders out of hand: Does the spider know or care on any level beyond that simple inclination of life to continue? Doesn't matter. That we care that it might is what matters, about us.
Maybe humans are inclined towards a belief in gods because we know our parents, our first visions of power, authority, omniscience. When we realize they are only and truly human, that they are only older kids--we miss them as they were: we need to fill the gap in our sense of being looked-after and guided, and loved.
And perhaps, pondering onward through these woods, just maybe this is a dynamic that would explain what goes twisty in people who don't know their parents, or who are abused by their parents: who learn to fear and distrust authority, who never feel loved or safe.
Huh. and you complain I get you started...! 
posted by
Ciel
on October 27, 2008 at 10:59 AM
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PS - when I saw the title of this, having just scanned your list of postings, I first connected it with Thanksgiving. Talk about intertextuality - lol. (Thanksgiving cruise..)
posted by
mneme
on October 22, 2008 at 12:10 PM
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Me too Naut - I like Dawkins's work a lot, though I have only just started reading him, with
Unweaving the Rainbow. I think you would like it. Incidentally, Jung's comments on religion treat it as myth too, albeit he believed in God throughout. He would have had something to say, too, about projection of the cultural shadow - it seems to be casting a particularly dark one here.
posted by
mneme
on October 22, 2008 at 12:07 PM
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Different strokes for different folks... as well as in the aspects of life
First of all, this is more of a comment on the excerpt of your blog on Naut on Religion:
I believe that the difference is the same:
Religion is to God: Philosophy is to Love: Science is to Force: Sociology is to a Cause.
Second, a humble request: Please read my blog inspired by you... it's the second to the last one... Please... Pretty Please!!!!! 
posted by
1AMIHAN1
on October 22, 2008 at 7:51 AM
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Somehow that's not surprising.
posted by
TAPS.
on October 18, 2008 at 10:35 PM
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I agree with Sam. How awful to deny anyone access.
posted by
Blue_feathers
on October 18, 2008 at 6:06 PM
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I think it is wrong to deny access! I have my personal views and it would not deter me if I read something different. If they must keep their folks locked in figurative cages then to me this is not religion. Shelly
posted by
sam444
on October 18, 2008 at 5:37 PM
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