Skeptic Friends Network

Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?
Home | Forums | Active Topics | Active Polls | Register | FAQ | Contact Us  
  Connect: Chat | SFN Messenger | Buddy List | Members
Personalize: Profile | My Page | Forum Bookmarks  
 All Forums
 Our Skeptic Forums
 Religion
 Wm. F. Buckley's NPR Essay
 New Topic  Topic Locked
 Printer Friendly Bookmark this Topic BookMark Topic
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  

Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist

USA
4955 Posts

Posted - 05/22/2005 :  19:02:59  Show Profile Send Cuneiformist a Private Message
NPR has a little feature on its website called "This I Beleive" wherein people famous or not get to write about, well, stuff they beleive.

I was curious about the most recent one because if the headline: How Is It Possible to Believe in God?

But since it was William F Buckley's essay, I knew that he wasn't going to conclude in the negative.

Feel free to read it-- I posted it here because it bugged me so much and I felt the need to vent. He starts of with a little anecdote and then writes that the story "more than once [has] reminded me that skepticism about life and nature is most often expressed by those who take it for granted that belief is an indulgence of the superstitious." Then, after an appeal to personal incredulity ("who is to say that the arrangement of the stars is more easily traceable to nature, than to nature's molder?"), he claims that
quote:
The skeptics get away with fixing the odds against the believer, mostly by pointing to phenomena which are only explainable -- you see? -- by the belief that there was a cause for them, always deducible. But how can one deduce the cause of Hamlet? Or of St. Matthew's Passion? What is the cause of inspiration?
Then, amazingly, we get
quote:
It is intellectually easier to credit a divine intelligence than to submit dumbly to felicitous congeries about nature
Ture, indeed. I'm not sure, though, how to take Buckley's "dumbly." I imagine, though, that he means "speechless" and not "stupid." In any case, he tells another anecdote-- about how no one can really be "rootless" before finally claiming that "it is as likely that there should be a man without a country, as a world without a creator." Neat. It's good to know that best one of the main intellectual forces of the right can do when it comes to arguing for their god is "I can't imagine that there isn't one."

Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 05/22/2005 :  20:28:24   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message
By Buckley:
quote:
This I believe: that it is intellectually easier to credit a divine intelligence than to submit dumbly to felicitous congeries about nature.
Indeed. And one thing that all Christian demoninations teach (so far as I know), is that the wide and easy pathway leads only to damnation. Buckley and others are free, of course, to disregard the Bible's own wisdom (however metaphorical that damnation may be), but they obviously do so at their peril, especially considering what they believe.

Despite the source of that particular pearl in the inception of Christianity - when belief really could get one in serious trouble (lions, anyone?) - it holds sway in many aspects of life. Take the easy route with regard to exercise, and you'll grow around the middle like I have. Take the easy route with personal finances, and you won't have anything to fall back on in case of layoff or retirement. Take the easy route with automotive maintenance, and your engine will sieze when your oil gets low enough.

In truth, the vast majority of Christian faithful (worldwide) approach science as the method where we - as mere mortals - can discover the methods of Divine creation. But they don't prove the existence of a Creator. Buckley seems to clearly be arguing against cynics, not skeptics.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
Go to Top of Page

the_ignored
SFN Addict

2562 Posts

Posted - 05/22/2005 :  23:41:51   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send the_ignored a Private Message
Beh! You think Buckley's bad? I was watching John Hagee today. Holy crap! Ranting on and on about atheists...they've just rejecting a god that they know exists, the verse that says "the fool says in his heart there is no god, atheists are fools"! and etc. and then saying that evolution has "no proof, and never will have any proof" etc.


Sorry, I just had to vent. Why in hell was I watching that shit anyway?

>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.

What brought that on? this. Original posting here.

Another example of this guy's lunacy here.
Go to Top of Page

ConsequentAtheist
SFN Regular

641 Posts

Posted - 05/23/2005 :  12:23:42   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send ConsequentAtheist a Private Message
To compare Hamlet wih St. Matthew's drivel is laughable indeed, and anyone unclear as to the latter's 'inspiration' should be deemed unqualified to discuss early Chrisrianity.

For the philosophical naturalist, the rejection of supernaturalism is a case of "death by a thousand cuts." -- Barbara Forrest, Ph.D.
Go to Top of Page

Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist

USA
4955 Posts

Posted - 05/23/2005 :  13:14:52   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Cuneiformist a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by the_ignored

Beh! You think Buckley's bad? I was watching John Hagee today. Holy crap! Ranting on and on about atheists...they've just rejecting a god that they know exists, the verse that says "the fool says in his heart there is no god, atheists are fools"! and etc. and then saying that evolution has "no proof, and never will have any proof" etc.
But the point is that Buckley is mainstream-- he's a big-time Conservative "thinker." But if he's a trend-setter when it comes to Neo-Con cocksucers when it comes to their Jebus-thinking, it's an embarassement! Any moderately intelligent Christian/theist should be able to see through his crap. But perhaps that's the point. He's not out to convince the thinkers; he's out to convince the nit-wits (read: President Bush) that their theistic position is right.
Go to Top of Page

Gorgo
SFN Die Hard

USA
5310 Posts

Posted - 05/23/2005 :  14:16:47   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Gorgo a Private Message
I like the "be cool to the pizza dude" lady.

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



Go to Top of Page

Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9687 Posts

Posted - 05/23/2005 :  18:51:26   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message
Hi ConsequentAtheist... Long time no see.

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.
Go to Top of Page

ConsequentAtheist
SFN Regular

641 Posts

Posted - 05/24/2005 :  06:36:28   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send ConsequentAtheist a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse

Hi ConsequentAtheist... Long time no see.

Hi, Doc. I see you're still kickin'.

For the philosophical naturalist, the rejection of supernaturalism is a case of "death by a thousand cuts." -- Barbara Forrest, Ph.D.
Go to Top of Page
  Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
 New Topic  Topic Locked
 Printer Friendly Bookmark this Topic BookMark Topic
Jump To:

The mission of the Skeptic Friends Network is to promote skepticism, critical thinking, science and logic as the best methods for evaluating all claims of fact, and we invite active participation by our members to create a skeptical community with a wide variety of viewpoints and expertise.


Home | Skeptic Forums | Skeptic Summary | The Kil Report | Creation/Evolution | Rationally Speaking | Skeptillaneous | About Skepticism | Fan Mail | Claims List | Calendar & Events | Skeptic Links | Book Reviews | Gift Shop | SFN on Facebook | Staff | Contact Us

Skeptic Friends Network
© 2008 Skeptic Friends Network Go To Top Of Page
This page was generated in 0.08 seconds.
Powered by @tomic Studio
Snitz Forums 2000