The Root of All Evil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi257HIQrD0"]The God Delusion (Root of all Evil) - YouTube

 

Quick summary pls?

 

It's Richard Dawkins talking crap about religion, I'm guessing it's the video version of his book "The God Delusion" - I only watched a couple minutes, but I've read the book.

He has some really good points, and I agree with a lot of what he says, but he has a tendency to be a dick about how he makes his points.

Also I think money is the root of evil, not religion. Although organized religion is certainly not good for humanity at large.

 

People are the root of all evil, not money nor religion.

 

Yup. Right here. Money and religion are just tools.

 

I think "faith" is the culprit, with religion being the most common result. But that's basically what Dawkins is saying. Learning to believe in things for no reason is learning to damage your mind.

 

Doesn't that depend on what you are learning from it.

 

Thanks. He's right, but does he really need an hour and a half to say that? :mickey:

 

Not really, the point is that faith is believing something to the point where you accept it as fact - but it is just belief, not fact.

He needs an hour and a half to be a dick about how he says it :2thumbsup:

 

I'm not sure that is exactly what faith is or how I would define it. It always remains a belief but it is more like hope in something higher/righteous or belief in a certain value or afterlife etc. and not accepting things as fact. Although it is perhaps done by certain religious people (dogma's etc.)

 

Faith is literally defined as belief that is not based on proof.

And anyways, that is what Dawkins' has a problem with - blind faith. People accepting for fact that for which there is no proof.

 

I nuancated it a little bit. Anyways, I guess I just don't agree with him in more than one way

 

Proof is Relative. Some people see the proof of a higher being every time they close their eyes. Every time the wind blows or every flower that blooms. Everytime someone helps a stranger, etc. Because there is no sufficient proof to Mr Dawkins or anyone else, doesn't mean that I dont see proof everyday.

 

The statement was originally the love of money is the root.. Which is found in the Christian Bible. I find this very interestingly true. Greed is a high factor for what goes wrong. Though not the only factor, as greed in the terms for lust, power and other vices is just as great as the greed for money. Which we all have something we are greedy about, or have a love for that we will trample others for. If we did say we are philanthropists then why do we have internet access, even from a free library, you could be using your time for helping others. It's the greed to pleasure ourselves even what seems to be helping others is truly our deep rooted need to find acceptance in ourselves.

I wouldn't put that there is any true root of evil, except for a selfish soul (using the term loosely) if the person is selfish enough, then he or she will make every possible decision to get what they wanted, leading to breaking relationships and hurting others on the way there. Which I find money a large factor to reach that place, I find us as people with intelligence the true root of evil. I may seem very wrong to a lot of you, but that is just my belief. So please don't shove your beliefs down my throat, as I am not forcing you to believe what I 'think', make your won path through life, and I'll gladly listen to what you believe is the root of evil, or anything else for the matter.

 

^ Point. People make religions. God may exist but religions are man made.

 

Almost every religion I know about can be perceived as good. Even if like half of the followers may fuck up. It does not change the core. I feel they were constructed with good intentions.

 

The road to hell is paved with good intentions :tongue:

I think religions have great cultural value, but I do feel as if we have outgrown the need for religion as a moral guideline. There are many good things to be found in the scriptures of most religions, but many things are also outdated and do not apply in modern society. All people are inherently good & capable of love, and people capable of atrocities will be capable regardless of their religious background

Spirituality is something people should find on their own, not something they should be conditioned into through their religion. (Another big peeve of Dawkins' is children being taught religious doctrine before they can reasonably make the choice whether the religion suits them or not)

That's proof to you, but it's faith to a scientist. A scientist finds proof through empirical method.

Dawkins spends a lot of time discrediting faith because it leads to things like suicide bombing. I think he's quite happy for people to worship what and how they want (he even mentions that his problem is mainly with the 3 Abrahamic religions)

 

We're talking about a twisted set of ideals and morals that have the influence to pilot planes into buildings and murder thousands of innocent people in one single act. I can't think of anything on this planet more evil than religion, the ability of mankind to organize and propel self ignorance into mass ignorance.

My favorite quotes from the video:

"The process of non-thinking called FAITH"

"The idea of a divine creator belittles the elegant reality of the universe"

"The time has come for people of reason to say enough is enough. Religious faith discourages independent thought, it's divisive, and it's dangerous"

 

There are degrees of belief.
There is trust or confidence.
Belief is a symbol chosen to represent an unknown variable, far from non-thinking.

You cannot belittle something real. You may appreciate it or not.

People of reason don't seek to preserve the dead and are free to think in their own time.

I think the subject suffers from a case of academic inbreeding.

 

I cannot understand how people can believe in a devine being. Totally pointless.