posted November 29, 2008 02:06 PM
Found this little thing:Many of us are familiar with the so called concerned scientist Richard Dawkins. Having been labeled the Bulldog of Darwin, he works hard to maintain that title. In his video "The Enemies of Reason" ( could be found on youtube) Dawkins attempts (and i emphasize that word) to refute New Age beliefs by using the precise methods against which he speaks so fervently against.
First and foremost, as someone who considers herself a social scientist, I was completely appalled by his lack of reasoning and concrete statistical data in his arguments. My first issue with the episode (other than a very belligerent title) is that automatically the author is using pejorative terms to elicit and EMOTIONAL response...before he has even stated a single fact, he showed 1) his face when the people were chanting, which looked contorted by what he saw 2) a shot of a muslim man telling him that women dress like ****** and 3) stated how science frees us from the "primitive" feelings of religion. Alll that would be peachy and all but I am curious how a truly scientific mind could appreciate an argument which first and foremost emphasizes an emotional response. He uses body language and most basic forms of advertisement to get the person watching it to have a certain feeling. That goes by the assumption that anyone watching it would ALREADY be against "superstition" and thus he basically is preaching to the converted. Anyone who believes in anything considered superstition by this episode would be turned off at point one...the title...
"Epidemic of Irrational Superstitious Thinking"...its not polio...I really don't know what to say about this clip...not because there isn't anything to refute it but because there is SO much that I wouldn't know where to start...and writing an essay will get me no where (despite having done so already lol). All this man is projecting is his own ultra zealous ideals which he tries to push on everyone else...at this point he is no different than the man who said women dress like ****** ...whenever ANYONE tries to push their ideas on everyone else with THAT passion, they are not even the slightest bit different than the evangelicals who burn witches at the stake...he may not be harming anyone physically by his words but his actions and reactions are no different than telling a crazy religious anyone that their religion is wrong...the anger and frustration that they experience is the same that he does...which tells me he doesn't use much of logic or reason, just pure emotions and the idea that his world view is right and everyone else is wrong...congratulations, welcome to the rest of the quite irrational world in which mere words and connotations can sway the masses. Thanks for the video but it is not for a free thinker...
Lindaland
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posted November 29, 2008 02:06 PM