IIRC, Dawkins once said that good people do good and bad people do bad but it takes religion for good people to do bad.

FYI, I believe you're correct, but Dawkins was quoting physicist Steven Pinker.


Unless truly deranged, I can't see an atheist building up that much rancor, animosity or malevolence as to take out anyone but his/herself.

But... but... but... I've been assured repeatedly that atheists are so angry! They're ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY!
 
http://cectic.com/078.html

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FYI, I believe you're correct, but Dawkins was quoting physicist Steven Pinker.




But... but... but... I've been assured repeatedly that atheists are so angry! They're ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY!

Psssst. Pinker is a neurolinguist, not a physicist. Thought I might tell you before you say otherwise and look silly.
 
Psssst. Pinker is a neurolinguist, not a physicist. Thought I might tell you before you say otherwise and look silly.

Ah. I'm blaming whoever described as a physicist on another site I was on recently. Because if I can't rely on vaguely recalled third-hand information, what's the world coming to?
 
Ah. I'm blaming whoever described as a physicist on another site I was on recently. Because if I can't rely on vaguely recalled third-hand information, what's the world coming to?

I think there are two Steve Jones... one is a physicist in the US; the other an evolutionary biologist in the UK.

So many smart steves.... it's hard to keep them straight. Not that there is anything wrong with not keeping them straight.
 
Damn you! I had just looked that up and was on my way to correct it.... but at least Weinberg is a physicist, right, so I get that point back?

Well, whoever it was who said it first certainly wasn't a psychologist or he'd have known of such studies as Stanford and Milgram.
 
Because I keep misattributing quotes! Oh, the shame....

Hell, I started it! Don't rob me of my righteous anger! :blush:

Note to self: do the damn research before posting a quote.

Sorry about the hubbub. I was at work and didn't want to do the search for the source although I was slacking anyway.
 
Fnord doesn't strike me as one our resident Monster Shouters (or at least none of his posts that I have seen had that sort of tone) so I'm hoping he'll come back to this thread and clarify what he meant in the OP.
 
Well, whoever it was who said it first certainly wasn't a psychologist or he'd have known of such studies as Stanford and Milgram.

Those studies are damn scary if you ask me. The Stanford experiment especially - with Milgram the 'teacher' was at least being given a direct order, in the Stanford experiment things got ugly not because of any order, but just because the guards, who were your average everyday person, were given power that they then abused horribly.
 
Fnord doesn't strike me as one our resident Monster Shouters (or at least none of his posts that I have seen had that sort of tone) so I'm hoping he'll come back to this thread and clarify what he meant in the OP.

And I'm hoping he isn't stockpiling weapons... :boxedin:
 
hhmmm, maybe the Xians should take preventive action. Like when they burned Jews in the Middle Ages (they caused the Black Death you know).

Yep those Xians have always been a peace loving people. Ask any Middle Eastern person how they feel about the crusades. Or how about the Inquisition? They really DID use comfy pillows!

Then there is all the great Xian on Xian action! Nothing like the French Catholics vs. French Protestants! And the old question, can anyone BUT a Catholic go to heaven. Answer from the Pope - NOPE!

If you really did throw some people through a window at school, were you suspended? Did you have to pay for the window? WWJD? Bet your behavior converted those guys in a hurry (remember, you are supposed to convert...read that Bible you tote around dude!) I mean that window cost MONEY, and you broke it. At the very least I hope you paid up. If not, that's stealing (read your Bible dude!)
 
Any news on how the war is going?

I guess it is on hold until next time we hear about sectarian violence in the news. (should be a short hold) (and yes, I know this story doesn't fall neatly into the category of sectarian violence)

As an aside: I've informally asked a number of religious believers what the oft heard (in the news) phrase "sectarian violence" meant. Only one knew that it meant religous vs religious conflict. It seems it just does not register in the ears of many that the bulk of the international killing in the news is because people differ in religious views.
 
I guess it is on hold until next time we hear about sectarian violence in the news. (should be a short hold) (and yes, I know this story doesn't fall neatly into the category of sectarian violence)

As an aside: I've informally asked a number of religious believers what the oft heard (in the news) phrase "sectarian violence" meant. Only one knew that it meant religous vs religious conflict. It seems it just does not register in the ears of many that the bulk of the international killing in the news is because people differ in religious views.

From my own experience it seems most think it has something to do with secularism. I mean just look how close the words are "sectarian" "secular". The problem is most Christian churches think of themselves as "denominations" and not sects. Otherwise they would probably know that sectarian violence is between to sects or denominations of a single religion.
 

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