New book

[Star Stuff]

Another new book decapitating the sloppy thinking of religion:

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Again-Atheist-Lance-Gregorchuk/dp/1300230460/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354032418&sr=1-1&keywords=born+again+atheist

[Isawthelight]

Have you read this book yet?

ISTL

[Star Stuff]

Nope.  Posted it as a matter of interest and sharing.

[kevin]

Another new book decapitating the sloppy thinking of religion:

Have you read this book yet?

Nope.  Posted it as a matter of interest and sharing.

there's nothing sloppier than championing the evidence presented in a book you haven't read, star.

[Star Stuff]

I did not "champion the evidence presented" in this book, I championed the fact that the author holds the position that religion is a false belief and is a result of sloppy thinking.  Just like one can refer to a book which debunks astrology without having read it.  Some assumptions are safe to make.

Like I said, I posted it for information sake.  No need to be so picky.

[Star Stuff]

Oh neat, I got a smite for this.  How pathetic.

[Emily]

I don't believe star deserves a -1 for this.

Because I like you star, have a +1 on me. (I gave you a +1 before I made this post, so the second applaud is from me)

[SHIN KAIRI]

Another new book decapitating the sloppy thinking of religion:

uuuhhhmmm... yeah...

[Maggie the Opinionated]

Yes she did deserve a smite. She deserves one from everyone who has the slightest intellectual integrity. She doesn't know what the author argues. Just because she thinks that the author agrees with her "that religion is a false belief and is a result of sloppy thinking" does not mean he is worth reading, or that he has made a good argument or that he, in fact, agrees with her.  This is just sloppy, hillbilly-atheist "reasoning" and it deserves to be smited. So I will.

[Star Stuff]

Yes she did deserve a smite. She deserves one from everyone who has the slightest intellectual integrity. She doesn't know what the author argues. Just because she thinks that the author agrees with her "that religion is a false belief and is a result of sloppy thinking" does not mean he is worth reading, or that he has made a good argument or that he, in fact, agrees with her.  This is just sloppy, hillbilly-atheist "reasoning" and it deserves to be smited. So I will.

It's not surprising that someone who holds such a child-like, infantile belief/world view would have such an immature reaction to said post.

It reminds of the book "The God Virus" (which I have read).  In it, the author displays how the faith infected mind rails at opposition, in many ways paralleling actual biological viruses.

Thanks for the demo Maggie.



BTW, I'm not a "she".

[kevin]

I did not "champion the evidence presented" in this book, I championed the fact that the author holds the position that religion is a false belief and is a result of sloppy thinking.  Just like one can refer to a book which debunks astrology without having read it.  Some assumptions are safe to make.

i'll make a conclusion, rather than an assumption.

you like the book not because of what it says, of which you personally know nothing, but because you have been told that it "decapitates" religion.

therefore I conclude that you care less for evidence than you do about whether someone agrees with you.

I don't care either way what you actually believe, star. i'm just pointing out that you believe something without evidence here.

that's the sloppy thinking I referred to.

[Emily]

Star Stuff never once said he likes the book, that he endorses the book, or that he agrees with the book.

All he did was post a link to a book

as a matter of interest and sharing.

What's the big deal?

[Star Stuff]

...I'm just pointing out that you believe something without evidence here.

Wrong again.  I had a look at the book's reviews, and felt that the insights of those individuals who had read the book were sufficient to form an opinion.  Remember that this is not a court of law, I just offered a link to a book.  Good grief.

[kevin]

I don't mind your link to the book, star.

but you're merely parroting someone else with your assessment of "sloppy thinking."

why not read it and then present people with thoughts of your own?

[Star Stuff]

I don't mind your link to the book, star.

but you're merely parroting someone else with your assessment of "sloppy thinking."

why not read it and then present people with thoughts of your own?

If I had read it, I would.  If I do read it, I will.  In the mean time, I suggest that you stop straining at gnats.

[kevin]

will do.

take that camel out of your throat.

[Maggie the Opinionated]

Is that dude for real?

[jetson]

Is that dude for real?

You've seen it over and over Maggie.  People who don't agree with you.  Right or wrong, good or bad, it is just as real as anything you have ever posted.

[Meat]

Yes she did deserve a smite. She deserves one from everyone who has the slightest intellectual integrity. She doesn't know what the author argues. Just because she thinks that the author agrees with her "that religion is a false belief and is a result of sloppy thinking" does not mean he is worth reading, or that he has made a good argument or that he, in fact, agrees with her.  This is just sloppy, hillbilly-atheist "reasoning" and it deserves to be smited. So I will.

Wait a second. She? 

[Emily]

Is that dude for real?

Have you ever had a friend who said "Hey Maggie, have you seen this movie::insert title here::. It deals with ::insert whatever it deals with here::. I haven't seen it myself, but I am just tossing the title out there for you to consider"


I still see nothing wrong with the OP.

"sloppy thinking of religion". Given the title of the book, and the book's description, it does deal with that. The book might be crap, but it does deal with atheism, and from the description of the book at Amazon:

Your author, Lance Gregorchuk, designed this book to give the free thinker, agnostic, atheist, fence sitter and even believer the facts for the arguments that there can be no god or gods.

It doesn't matter if the book is a gem or a lump of coal. What matters is the topic at hand. The topic being atheism. And simply posting to the book doesn't mean (s)he agrees with the book. Based on the reviews the book seems interesting. Sure, there are only 6 reviews, five being the highest Amazon has to give, and one being the lowest. But who cares.

It's a book dealing with an argument that Lance gave presenting

facts for the arguments that there can be no god or gods.

as I said. It could be a gem, or could be coal. Who knows; who cares. It's just a suggestion for others to read.

[Maggie the Opinionated]

And, why, exactly, would I take a book recommendation from someone who hasn't read the book seriously? And he recommended it. He didn't say: Oh, I read about a book that sounds very interesting. In case you want to check it out...". No. He recommended something because he thinks it makes his case. But anyone who believes that religion can be "decapitated" or that it is the result of sloppy thinking isn't playing with a full deck to begin with.

[Emily]

But anyone who believes that religion can be "decapitated" or that it is the result of sloppy thinking isn't playing with a full deck to begin with.

You are pretty tough to reason with. (it doesn't mean you are right or "won". You're just hard to reason with)

I'll close my side of the argument with: it was just a f**king suggestion.

[Star Stuff]

And, why, exactly, would I take a book recommendation from someone who hasn't read the book seriously? And he recommended it. He didn't say: Oh, I read about a book that sounds very interesting. In case you want to check it out...". No. He recommended something because he thinks it makes his case.

More rationalizations and excuses by the god virus.

But anyone who believes that religion can be "decapitated" or that it is the result of sloppy thinking isn't playing with a full deck to begin with.

Actually, given that I was Christian for a quarter of a century, I feel that I have an insight which you lack.  Once the blinders come off to the superstitious, supernatural, egocentric delusions of religion in general and Christianity in particular, one generally can't go back. Just as you can't bring yourself to believe in Thor.

[Maggie the Opinionated]

Oh dear, oh dear. Unlike you, apparently, I was raised in an agnostic/atheist home and did not step foot in a church until I was 20. And that was in Rome. At 25 I converted in grad school. so I am afraid your myth does not explain me at all.

[Star Stuff]

Interesting.  What was it that convinced you that the idea of an invisible father figure slaughtering his boy (in order to forgive the 1/100th of humanity that that particular salvation method would get to).....was reasonable and true?  What was the overwhelming evidence?  Was there any emotion involved in your conversion?  Curious.

[Maggie the Opinionated]

Where do you get this stuff? It doesn't even work on the level of freshman satire, much less display even the most minimal understanding of Christianity. Did Pat Robertson jump out of the bushes and scare your mother half to death when she was carrying you? I guess I can see where that would mark you for life.

My testimonal can be found here and in a dozen other places on the forum:
http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,41927.msg252753.html#msg252753

[Star Stuff]

Where do you get this stuff? It doesn't even work on the level of freshman satire, much less display even the most minimal understanding of Christianity. Did Pat Robertson jump out of the bushes and scare your mother half to death when she was carrying you? I guess I can see where that would mark you for life.

My testimonal can be found here and in a dozen other places on the forum:
http://isgodimaginary.com/forum/index.php/topic,41927.msg252753.html#msg252753

Thanks for the link. I read it.  Unfortunately it doesn't really provide any answers as to your reasons for believing that the wild, fantastical story imbedded within Christianity is true and maps onto reality.  Nor did it answer my question as to whether there were emotions involved in your conversion.

So please.......share......

[Isawthelight]

You must have missed a lot in her testimonial Star.

She was in AWE of everything in Rome. The capital of the Roman Catholic
belief in God. So I am sure there was emotion involved.

ISTL

[Isawthelight]

Star stuff stated "Nor did it answer my question as to whether there were emotions involved in your conversion."
And I answered that based on what Maggie said about her trip to Rome that I was sure there were emotions involved.


When asked about her trip to Rome, where she converted,  Maggie said " It is unbelievable. I have no words, really. I took a 1 week student tour there when I was studying in Germany (the German government subsidized students then in simply unbelievable ways-- the entire trip cost me about $37-- room, meals, train, etc!) In any case, you couldn't see and do everything worth seeing and doing, if you spent a year there, I don't think. It was simply awe inspiring to see the art works and buildings I had studied."

And for this observation I got a smite.
Well apparently that is how some sad people need to start their day.

ISTL

[Star Stuff]

Ahh, and I got another smite just now and I haven't even said anything.

I can't recall "venomous hate" being one of the fruits of the spirit.

shrug