Religion

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts) Sun Dec 18, 2011, 10:56 AM Dec 2011

Dawkins Rebukes Cameron, Calling Bible 'An Appalling Moral Compass' [View all]

Richard Dawkins has challenged David Cameron’s assertion that the UK needs to return to Christian ideals, calling the Bible “an appalling moral compass”.

On Friday, in a speech to celebrate the 400th birthday of the King James Bible, the prime minister said the New Testament had helped give our country "a set of values and morals which make Britain what it is today,” adding that we should "actively stand up and defend" these Christian values. However, speaking to Sky News, Dawkins, a renowned, scientist, author and atheist, said that Cameron is wrong to suggest the Christian Bible is going to “help us with our morals and our social wellbeing.”

“The Christian bible will help us with our literature,” said the author of The God Delusion. “It should therefore be taught in schools in literature classes, but it’s not going to help us with our morals, far from it.”

“The bible is a terrible moral compass, if you think about it. Of course, you can cherry pick the verses that you like, which means the verses that happen to coincide with our modern secular consensus, but then you need to have a rational for leaving out the ones that say stone people to death if they break the Sabbath, or if they commit adultery. It’s an appalling moral compass.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/17/richard-dawkins-david-cameron-bible-moral-compass_n_1155246.html

Click here to purchase valentine hearts!

39 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Dawkins Rebukes Cameron, Calling Bible 'An Appalling Moral Compass' [View all] cleanhippie Dec 2011 OP

Looking at the entire King James Bible, which is what ... MarkCharles Dec 2011 #1

The choice was made long ago. Boojatta Dec 2011 #3

" simply a matter of historical fact that the King James Bible has influenced the values of the UK?" MarkCharles Dec 2011 #4

Well, Toryism is an appalling moral compass! LeftishBrit Dec 2011 #2

The Bible is a moral compass skepticscott Dec 2011 #5

It's funny he says this "you can cherry pick the verses that you like"... Sal316 Dec 2011 #6

Name me one person you wouldn't immediately dismiss as a fundie who doesn't "cherry pick." darkstar3 Dec 2011 #7

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Sal316 Dec 2011 #10

Really? So these people adhere to the laws of Leviticus, darkstar3 Dec 2011 #12

That's not what you asked. Sal316 Dec 2011 #15

So now you're trotting out a straw man, not to mention ad hom? darkstar3 Dec 2011 #19

Oh, the old "Jesus flatly stated that he came only to the Jews" argument. Then why did also say humblebum Dec 2011 #17

Cherry picking is taking one part of the Bible as true, darkstar3 Dec 2011 #20

When you start cherry picking as you most certainly are doing, if you are quoting humblebum Dec 2011 #22

So now you're trying the ad hom as a dodge too, huh? darkstar3 Dec 2011 #23

So now you're trying to use "the old ad hom as a dodge" charge as a dodge? nt humblebum Dec 2011 #24

Post removed Post removed Dec 2011 #25

You seem to be lacking coherence. cleanhippie Dec 2011 #26

My concern is why ds3's post was hidden? I found nothing offensive about slurring words. God only humblebum Dec 2011 #32

On that we Re in complete agreement. There IS a definite bias toward cleanhippie Dec 2011 #34

I have had a few hidden in the past week. nt humblebum Dec 2011 #35

Really? Which ones? cleanhippie Dec 2011 #36

Well here are two, but I think there's one more. humblebum Dec 2011 #38

Can you link to the ACTUAL posts, please. Your links are to your inbox and I cannot see that. cleanhippie Dec 2011 #39

soooooo, now you're using the old, "dodge the callout of your dodge with a dodgey reveral eh?" deacon_sephiroth Dec 2011 #30

Giving an example of a behavior isnt the same as engaging in that behavior. n/t. laconicsax Dec 2011 #8

Ok, you're right. Sal316 Dec 2011 #16

But is it as big a sin as quote-mining? laconicsax Dec 2011 #18

How could one do anything BUT proof-text with a document comprised of iris27 Dec 2011 #21

Yes, atheism has provided such a wonderful moral compass for humanity, too. humblebum Dec 2011 #9

It has never been asserted that atheism should provide a moral compass darkstar3 Dec 2011 #11

Oh! You mean its just a way of knowing? nt humblebum Dec 2011 #13

That sentence doesn't even make sense. darkstar3 Dec 2011 #14

Well, some do consider morals as a way of knowing, i.e. humblebum Dec 2011 #33

It's just the lack of one particular type of belief. That's all. LeftishBrit Dec 2011 #29

Show me one example of anyone claiming it does. cleanhippie Dec 2011 #27

No one ever said it does. LeftishBrit Dec 2011 #28

Couldn't be much worse deacon_sephiroth Dec 2011 #31

Didn't Hitchens complain that commandment #10 Boojatta Dec 2011 #37