Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I trust you’re all wearing green to avoid getting pinched? Unless you’re into that sort thing, of course.
- John Gray at the Guardian thinks the new atheists are ‘deluded.’ Have at it, kids.
- Dustin Wax explains to a questioning female student why math and science education matters: “Because there are people out there who want to control you, and who will use the fact that Americans know virtually nothing about science to exercise that control.”
- Chris Hedges also has issues with atheists. Pharyngula already took him apart very neatly, but feel free to have a go at him yourself in the comments.
- The joy of Christian sex toys: “We live our lives very openly in front of Jesus, so we just kind of pray for direction about which way he would have us go, and I have to be honest with you – he’s really surprised us. … Almost our whole entire ‘special order’ page has come about from that.”
- XKCD points out why Mythbusters is important.
I think the title of “I Don’t Believe in Atheists” is plain stupid. Beyond that, Hedges has some very interesting things to say about the interaction of religion (and nonreligion) with politics, and I think the book is worth reading by anyone who has read any of the other recent literature about atheism.
But Hedges did himself a disservice by framing the book as a critique of Dawkins, Harris, etc. because in many cases he’s totally misrepresenting what they wrote. He should have just stuck to writing his own ideas on the topic, as he has in his other books, and this book would have been much better. As it is, it just sounds like he’s mad because the so-called “New Atheists” don’t like what he believes in. Hedges is a better writer — and thinker — than that. It’s a shame he didn’t do his best writing in this book. But, then again, believers tend to become irate when people insult their gods.
I saw a debate between Chris Hedges and Sam Harris on this topic on TV a few months ago, and Hedges was completely incoherent. I had read some of his other writing (books and online) in the past and was hoping he’d do a better job in writing about this topic than he did in debating it.
Oh well. I bet his publisher was pushing him to rush his book to market. Too bad.
Is this the same fellow who wrote “American Fascists?”
Yes.
He “Godwin”ed himself. Good job!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law
One of the best collections of quickies I have seen so far!
That Hedges essay was intolerable. The Pharyngula response helped lower my blood pressure, though.
I wrote a comment entry on John Gray’s article over at Off the Map – Atheist. Feel free to tear it apart. :)
I was unfamiliar with Hedges before, so this probably was not the best introduction to him.
Glad you enjoyed today’s post, w_nightshade :)