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 Neil de Grasse Tyson, Atheist or Agnostic
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard

USA
5310 Posts

Posted - 04/11/2012 :  13:58:57   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Gorgo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I have heard good things about him, I didn't mean to say otherwise, just that I haven't followed him. That may be my loss, but Dawkins is a good teacher.

I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter



Edited by - Gorgo on 04/11/2012 13:59:53
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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/11/2012 :  18:07:08   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The thing about Tyson is that he's beyond a good teacher. The guy has a very strong presentation, and with an infectious enthusiasm for science. That's why the guy's so important, and why people care what he says. If he was ineffective in the first place, who would care?

Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
Edited by - HalfMooner on 04/11/2012 23:56:30
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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  00:53:03   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I also have this to say about that:


Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard

USA
5310 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  03:22:30   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Gorgo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I don't think he thought this out well enough to call it a "Big Think".

He's not an atheist, he "think[s] for [him]self".

Originally posted by HalfMooner

The thing about Tyson is that he's beyond a good teacher. The guy has a very strong presentation, and with an infectious enthusiasm for science. That's why the guy's so important, and why people care what he says. If he was ineffective in the first place, who would care?

I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter



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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  05:02:25   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Gorgo

I don't think he thought this out well enough to call it a "Big Think".

He's not an atheist, he "think[s] for [him]self".

Originally posted by HalfMooner

The thing about Tyson is that he's beyond a good teacher. The guy has a very strong presentation, and with an infectious enthusiasm for science. That's why the guy's so important, and why people care what he says. If he was ineffective in the first place, who would care?

I sort of expect that Tyson will apologize/correct what he's said. I think he misspoke (even if he thinks the words he said). Dawkins has many times corrected the rare boneheaded statement that anyone makes from time to time. This was simply a time when Tyson got carried away, I think. In trying to reduce friction with one set of people, he ended up dumping on another, and it was both unnecessary and counterproductive in practical terms.

Tyson's too valuable a guy to brush off for one statement. I'll wait and see what he says next. I'm willing to continue to support him if he pulls back a little bit. But if it turns out he really is determined to launch a fight with the Gnus, he'll soon see a charging herd of wildebeests.

Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
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Dude
SFN Die Hard

USA
6891 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  07:08:28   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Dude a Private Message  Reply with Quote
If you are an agnostic then you are, by definition, an atheist because both of those things mean that you don't have a personal belief in any deities. Agnosticism just goes a step further and explains why you don't have that belief.

so.


Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson

"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin

Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard

USA
5310 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  08:09:41   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Gorgo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
No, we don't want to brush him off for a statement of a few seconds. I think it should be at least questioned.

Originally posted by HalfMooner
Tyson's too valuable a guy to brush off for one statement. I'll wait and see what he says next. I'm willing to continue to support him if he pulls back a little bit. But if it turns out he really is determined to launch a fight with the Gnus, he'll soon see a charging herd of wildebeests.

I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter



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sailingsoul
SFN Addict

2830 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  10:59:55   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send sailingsoul a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Not to judge him on this one incident, it seems he is a bit of a pansy ass when it came to defending what science strongly indicates at this time. That being science, which is a method/tool, has demonstrated that the belief of theists that there is a god/s are delusional based on not one single bit of any kind of supporting evidence to support of their beliefs has ever been presented by believers. It's a bit of a "wishy-washy" comment that he choose to ineffectually dance around the topic with. I'm disappointed by his opinion that coddling ignorant outdated beliefs is the best way, when it come to educating them out of existence 100% of the time.

Not at all the way Bill Nye choose to address ignorance when he intentionally, in Waco, Tx, brought up a fact that the Bible has completely wrong. Where it is written in Genesis,,,
"God made two great lights -- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars."

The lesser light, he (Nye) pointed out, is not a light at all, but only a reflector.

While ignoring the real confrontational possibilities at the time, Bill was completely unapologetic, stood his ground and stayed on message. Being unafraid to speak and stick to the facts. Bill is not intimated into being voluntarily gagged by those who do so to themselves and would have us live in the ignorance of our past so their theist figureheads can maintain their position of authority and power over those to insecure and brainwashed since birth to let go of their adult version of a all knowing father figure and protector. Everyone should become complete adults by outgrowing their childlike needs to be cared for by a "parent creator". That would of course require one to think for themselves and without the fear of an imaginary God.

Don't get me wrong. Yes, there is value in a non confrontational methods. I'm saying there are times when we need to address the elephant in the room and Tyson gives no indication he understands that it's necessary with some, as Dawkings knows and has said as much.

PS As noted, with a video, in Kil's post below my words "Tyson gives no indication he understands that" above are completely false, he does. I have been corrected.

There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS
Edited by - sailingsoul on 04/12/2012 12:40:56
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  11:15:53   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by HalfMooner

Originally posted by Gorgo

I don't think he thought this out well enough to call it a "Big Think".

He's not an atheist, he "think[s] for [him]self".

Originally posted by HalfMooner

The thing about Tyson is that he's beyond a good teacher. The guy has a very strong presentation, and with an infectious enthusiasm for science. That's why the guy's so important, and why people care what he says. If he was ineffective in the first place, who would care?

I sort of expect that Tyson will apologize/correct what he's said. I think he misspoke (even if he thinks the words he said). Dawkins has many times corrected the rare boneheaded statement that anyone makes from time to time. This was simply a time when Tyson got carried away, I think. In trying to reduce friction with one set of people, he ended up dumping on another, and it was both unnecessary and counterproductive in practical terms.

Tyson's too valuable a guy to brush off for one statement. I'll wait and see what he says next. I'm willing to continue to support him if he pulls back a little bit. But if it turns out he really is determined to launch a fight with the Gnus, he'll soon see a charging herd of wildebeests.
He's not launching a fight with the Gnus. He just did a bit of lumping. He and Dawkins appear on many panels together and I'm sure they are friends. As he said, he just doesn't want to be bothered with labeling. I doubt that he will take it back because it's not that important to him. There are videos on youtube where he describes the damage that religion has done to the acquisition of knowledge.

quotes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afGkv0IT4dU&feature=related

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  11:29:10   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
SS:
I'm saying there are times when we need to address the elephant in the room and Tyson gives no indication he understands that it's necessary with some, as Dawkings knows and has said as much.

See above links and also do a bit of exploring on what Tyson says about religion. Man is he getting a bum rap over one freaking quote!

And this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oxTMUTOz0w&feature=related


Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  12:36:58   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Kil

He's not launching a fight with the Gnus. He just did a bit of lumping. He and Dawkins appear on many panels together and I'm sure they are friends. As he said, he just doesn't want to be bothered with labeling. I doubt that he will take it back because it's not that important to him. There are videos on youtube where he describes the damage that religion has done to the acquisition of knowledge.
At this time, unless Tyson retracts his nasty attack on atheists (one of which he really is, despite his rather disingenuous dodging), I think he's already declared at least a shouting match with a sizable proportion of atheists, old and gnu. Whatever Dawkins might say or think, not all other Gnu atheists are unlikely to take marching orders from him. He's respected, but nobody elected him as a representative. Tyson should take this seriously.

I know, and can speak for, at least one atheist who is provisionally offended, but who is hopefully awaiting Tyson's second thoughts on what he said. If he doesn't retract his calumny (and I still expect him to do so), he'll soon be no pal of mine.

The YouTube stuff just shows he really doesn't differ as much from atheists as he claims. I wish he were more consistent, and intellectually honest.

Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict

2830 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  12:47:26   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send sailingsoul a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Kil

SS:
I'm saying there are times when we need to address the elephant in the room and Tyson gives no indication he understands that it's necessary with some, as Dawkings knows and has said as much.

See above links and also do a bit of exploring on what Tyson says about religion. Man is he getting a bum rap over one freaking quote!

And this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oxTMUTOz0w&feature=related


Rightly noted.

There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard

USA
5310 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  13:09:29   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Gorgo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by sailingsoul

Originally posted by Kil

SS:
I'm saying there are times when we need to address the elephant in the room and Tyson gives no indication he understands that it's necessary with some, as Dawkings knows and has said as much.

See above links and also do a bit of exploring on what Tyson says about religion. Man is he getting a bum rap over one freaking quote!

And this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oxTMUTOz0w&feature=related


Rightly noted.


Great stuff.

I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter



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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13476 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  17:45:07   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
My opinion, Mab, is don't hold your breath. lf Dawkins can forgive him, being that they are friends and appear together often, my advice is to let it go. Do the Gnu's have to be so freaking sensitive? Why not follow the lead of one of the founders of your movement, eh?

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9687 Posts

Posted - 04/12/2012 :  19:36:28   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Kil

My opinion, Mab, is don't hold your breath.

¿Que?



Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3

"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse

Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder.
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