Atheists & Agnostics

MrModerate

(9,753 posts)

23. I've just read Dawkins' response to the controversy . . .

Mon Aug 12, 2013, 01:05 AM

Aug 2013

In which he provides plenty of context. I agree with much of it.

And I didn't maintain that the quote is bigoted, only that it was 'wrong.'

Accusations of bigotry, however, arise from the implications of the remark, and how a resonable person could interpret (or perhaps just guess) Dawkins' intent. For many hearers, the remark was clearly akin to dropping a match in a room filled with gasoline.

Any objective truth is vastly overshadowed by the aftermath, something Dawkins' could reliably predict. And so he opens himself up to accusations that he made the remark to injure rather than instruct — which would be bigotry.

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I’m wrestling with the term ‘bigot’ in relation to Richard Dawkins’ now infamous remark about Islam [View all] MrModerate Aug 2013 OP

Hasn't he been trashing Christianity for years and getting a pass... TreasonousBastard Aug 2013 #1

Your four examples are not objectively true. rrneck Aug 2013 #2

Well, that's not what I said . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #4

Religion is not inherently bad. rrneck Aug 2013 #6

Hmm. There we disagree. MrModerate Aug 2013 #20

Trapped some may be, rrneck Aug 2013 #21

It's hard for me to look at a belief system . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #25

I call it fiction. rrneck Aug 2013 #33

Certainly our knowledge of the universe around us . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #37

I wouldn't call our knowledge of the universe fiction either. rrneck Aug 2013 #38

It seemed to me that 'live according to one fantasy or another . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #39

I was talking about religion. rrneck Aug 2013 #40

You're moving the goalposts, which makes me wonder skepticscott Aug 2013 #12

Well, I wasn't trying to make a direct comparison to Dawkins' remark . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #22

I think that frogmarch Aug 2013 #3

That's an excellent parsing of the dilemma . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #5

Just to be clear skepticscott Aug 2013 #7

I believe this is what the quote is: Curmudgeoness Aug 2013 #8

It needs to be taken in context - See his piece here: mr blur Aug 2013 #10

Yes, exactly skepticscott Aug 2013 #11

Yes, that's the one. n/t MrModerate Aug 2013 #16

So can you specify skepticscott Aug 2013 #18

I've just read Dawkins' response to the controversy . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #23

You stated that the definition of "bigotry" skepticscott Aug 2013 #28

In particular, the "contempt" part . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #29

And why would a reasonable person skepticscott Aug 2013 #30

A reasonable person would see the tone of the remark, as well as the content. MrModerate Aug 2013 #31

You can not convey tone of voice through text. LostOne4Ever Aug 2013 #32

Oh, *really*? MrModerate Aug 2013 #36

And the tone of the remark skepticscott Aug 2013 #34

He didn't. Keep in mind it is a lament. Not an accusation. AtheistCrusader Aug 2013 #41

Excellent link, with great rebuffs. Curmudgeoness Aug 2013 #14

I do not think that any religion is inherently bad. Curmudgeoness Aug 2013 #9

Some of them have some pretty grim facets, such as Thuggee. When the Brits took over dimbear Aug 2013 #13

The people who are sheperding the sheep Curmudgeoness Aug 2013 #15

I'm still trying to figure out how this was a "racist" statement as I saw reported. ScottLand Aug 2013 #17

Why 'wrestle' with it? AtheistCrusader Aug 2013 #19

While your confidence is clear, many others think otherwise . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #24

So show them his full essay. AtheistCrusader Aug 2013 #26

I've actually got better advice for Dr. Dawkins . . . MrModerate Aug 2013 #27

It's not an argument skepticscott Aug 2013 #35