The God Delusion

[Zingari]

coincidentally its good friday and i've finally got around to finishing this excellent thoughtfully written book

i really think that it would be very interesting for strong believers to read too, as it would give them an insight into why atheists are so concerned about the grip that religion has on society and particularly the indoctrination of children .

just going to start "the dawkins delusion" now

[Thracian]

coincidentally its good friday and i've finally got around to finishing this excellent thoughtfully written book

i really think that it would be very interesting for strong believers to read too, as it would give them an insight into why atheists are so concerned about the grip that religion has on society and particularly the indoctrination of children .

just going to start "the dawkins delusion" now

I don't think it's just atheists who are concerned about the indoctrination of both children and, indeed, adults by religious zealots of all kinds.

Adults are just as susceptible to brainwashing as kids because there's such a great need for some people to belong to and believe in something.

And are parents who "indoctrinate" children any better than others who try to do the same?

After all, surely parents want to respect the individuality of their children and have them grow up to think for themselves.

Some will argue, of course, that the very purpose of having children is to ensure the survival of the species and even of "the clan".

But should survival of the known entities like "the species" and "the clan" necessarily encompass the possibly mistaken and unjustified loyalty to a particular religion?

Would any parent truly wish to fill their oppspring's mind with falsehoods or even potential falsehoods?

Surely it is rather like indoctrinating them into supporting a particular political party because it is tradition within the family when there might well be massive shifts in what a party or politicians individually represent over a period of years.

I'm being a bit provocative here but would be interested in people's views.

[Zingari]

I don't think it's just atheists who are concerned about the indoctrination of both children and, indeed, adults by religious zealots of all kinds.

Adults are just as susceptible to brainwashing as kids because there's such a great need for some people to belong to and believe in something.

And are parents who "indoctrinate" children any better than others who try to do the same?

After all, surely parents want to respect the individuality of their children and have them grow up to think for themselves.

Some will argue, of course, that the very purpose of having children is to ensure the survival of the species and even of "the clan".

But should survival of the known entities like "the species" and "the clan" necessarily encompass the possibly mistaken and unjustified loyalty to a particular religion?

Would any parent truly wish to fill their oppspring's mind with falsehoods or even potential falsehoods?

Surely it is rather like indoctrinating them into supporting a particular political party because it is tradition within the family when there might well be massive shifts in what a party or politicians individually represent over a period of years.

I'm being a bit provocative here but would be interested in people's views.

i agree with much in what you say, but not about adults being as susceptible as adults with regard to indoctrination . most religious teachers are well aware of the old saying "give me the child and i give you the man " etc .

And Dawkins does indeed blame parents for indoctrination as much as religious leaders ;

He wants to see children described just as children and not "muslim children" or "christian children" etc etc

please try and get to read it mr. Thracian , it really is well worth it

[l444ry]

God upgrades to Vista - world will be better

A spokesman for Heaven has announced that God the Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, has taken the plunge and upgraded from Windows XP to Windows Vista. It is expected that stuff will be better, the world will be faster and there will be fewer system crashes.

The spokesman, calling himself Gabriel, and speaking through His Holiness the Pope, said:

"When Microsoft released the new version of Windows, God wanted to see how well it worked before upgrading. Using His Omnipotent Presence, He has been observing Vista on millions of PCs and laptops across the world simultaneously for 40 days and 40 nights, and has decided that it is good. He made up His mind earlier today to upgrade the Universe, He accordingly purchased Windows Vista Professional from Best Buy and He has been given a £25 cashback deal."

There has been speculation about exactly what aspects of life will improve, now that God is using the newer operating system. Unfortunately, nobody has been able to answer this question yet. The downside will be that global warning will accelerate and Foot & Mouth, Bird Flue and Blue Tongue will spread more quickly.

Due to hardware incompatibilities, President Bush, Amy Winehouse and Heather McCartney will cease functioning and become obsolete, though the Almighty hopes that nobody will notice the difference. Owners of Apple Macs will no longer be able to enter Heaven.

Gabriel added:

"If anyone knows how to hide the new sidebars, could he please mention it to the Almighty in his next prayer. The technical support number has unfortunately been engaged for hours."