You also failed to provide any kind of evidence that the universe is eternal or created itself. Do friendly atheists not think about such things? Doesn’t it bother you that anything exists at all. It bothered me as an atheist in elementary school.

So, why don’t you answer the questin, is Richard Dawkins an atheist or is he a Neville Chamberlain atheist?

Considering how much milage has been gotten by some fundametalist atheists out of the unauthorized use by Coral Ridge Ministries of a filmed interview given by Francis Collins, for an entirely differnt purpose, the back peddling on Dawkins signing of that petition is more than holding differnt viewpoints to a double standard. There is every reason to believe that Dawkins was able to read the thing and little reason to not believe that it fits right in with his career as the world’s most prominent atheist.

Why is it that someone as accomplished as Dawkins needs so much in the way of special pleading and double standards? Is that really the best that pop-atheism provides by way of considered, informed, rational thought and action? I’ve known a lot of atheists in my time and I know you can do better than the latest crew. But more rational people won’t give you the ability to feel superior and don’t tend to waste time appealing to the worst in people.

Richard Dawkins:

I signed it having read only the main petition: “We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make it illegal to indoctrinate or define children by religion before the age of 16.”

http://atheistexperience.blogspot.com/2006/12/dawkins-admits-mistake-removes-name.html

Do I sound unhinged? Were my arguments obviously irrational? It’s interesting how an adherence to hard reality and strict standards of research in the social sciences sounds like raving to so many socalled scientists*. Look into one of the few prominent CSICOPs who have ever shown he knows something about research. Look at Ray Hyman’s writings criticizing experimental design, of course, it’s all right with you folks when its subjects you don’t like being researched but you’re not willing to hold yourselves to the same standards. If you’re more interested in hard science, look at former CSICOP Dennis Rawlins account of “sTARBABY” which can be found online and you’ll see just how good the atheist guru of thirty years ago was at experimental design, execution, evaluation and his honesty about his own disastrous incompetence.

* What my chemist friend calls social scientists. It would be interesting to know what people in the physical sciences really think about the research standards and results of the social sciences. You know, the people who actually know what they are studying is there.

http://atheistexperience.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html

where RD says he didn’t read it all the way through before he signed it, and he asked to have his name removed. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, as people make honest mistakes all the time, and also I’ve never heard him say anything supporting forcing parents to not be allowed to teach their kids religion. I think he just didn’t read the thing all the way through. I’ve done that many times. And he did come out and admit he made a mistake, which is more than can be said for many people.

that being said, I can’t help but notice that some people on here get awfully touchy if someone disagrees with Dawkins, and I have to say I find that ironic.

“prayer” is not only undefinable but it is undetectable

Alright, olvlzl, you win. I’ll send a memo to the world’s social scientists informing them that any study of prayer is hereby pointless and absurd, because ye hath spoken. In fact, let’s make a list of “Olvlzl’s List of Words which cannot be Conceptualized for Measurement and Study”. I am sure you will save many researchers months of work by your invaluable insights.

Hell, let’s just let you write methodology textbooks for your amazingly in-depth perspectives on measuring vague terms.

Do you, by any chance, froth at the mouth when you ramble your paranoid “the humanists are coming to get me!” bullshit and your solipsist drivel?