God bless america (Richard Dawkins)

I found this rather interesting conversation between Richard Dawkins and Neil deGrasse Tyson about christanity and the US governement.

A small excerpt :

"The US constitution is unrivaled in the world, and is total separation of church and state.
The practice however, not a single member of the US congress admits to be a non believer.

That is statistical nonsense, 535 people, every single one of them believes in a supernatural higher power.
It's very sad that you are represented in the US by people who are manifestly lying and are forced to lie because otherwise they wont be reelected.

It is tragic that people who don't want to lie about their deepest believes, have to lie in order to get reelected.

Conversation about this starts around 30:00 enjoy...



God bless america

IF the us-american constitution is so great, could someone name some countries who used it as a carbon copy for their own constitution?

Because, all I hear about that constitution sounds like self-adulation.

a reply to: Ddrneville

535 people who aren't as stupid or as arrogant as Tyson and Dawkins.
Claiming to know something they couldn't possibly know?
Not unreasonable at all.

a reply to: Ddrneville

I won't bother listening to the lecture.

It is rather obvious. My point is when has it been any different? "God save the King". Translation: Who gives a crap if the King is saved or not?

Lying/P.R./P.C. is a fact of life and in a 'civilized' group, inescapable.

The new lies are 'fairness'. social justice, equality. None of which really exist. All are easier to manipulate than a fairly logical 10 commandment-styled moral code.

'Honesty is the best policy' has never been further from the truth than currently practiced.

So, big deal...different lies are now more 'popular'....yawn.

a reply to: ManFromEurope

The answer is rather simple. euro-man.

What gov't, or people that are empowered by that gov't would duplicate a document that constrains their power?

Only a visionary. Those with visionary genes have long since emigrated out of Europe.....

a reply to: ManFromEurope

P.S. Sigh, to be fair, another point that needs to be said in rebuttal of your slur, sir, is the fact that this was a formation of a federal gov't where none existed before it.

It was the initial creation of a federal gov't. Therefore lacked the obvious and not so obvious vested interests that exist in such a body.

They didn't have a good old boy network to contend with that most, if not all, subsequent Constitutional writings have suffered from.

Their self-interest, protecting their individual colony's and citizens' rights and freedoms were paramount.

Most, again if not all, since are a mixture of all vested interests....hence, 'compromise'....

Perhaps when we colonize other planets, some time in the future, similar circumstances with occur. Otherwise, it looks to me as a one time only opportunity and due to that scarcity, merits the acclaim that you marginalize.

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Ddrneville

535 people who aren't as stupid or as arrogant as Tyson and Dawkins.
Claiming to know something they couldn't possibly know?
Not unreasonable at all.

That is exactly what religious people are doing. They claim to know something they couldn't possibly know.

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Ddrneville

535 people who aren't as stupid or as arrogant as Tyson and Dawkins.
Claiming to know something they couldn't possibly know?
Not unreasonable at all.

That is exactly what religious people are doing. They claim to know something they couldn't possibly know.

Actually, that isn't true. I would wager many if not most people who have had their personal experiences with God have much more certainty about IT's existence than any Atheist about IT not existing.

a reply to: Ddrneville

"The US constitution is unrivaled in the world, and is total separation of church and state. The practice however, not a single member of the US congress admits to be a non believer.

The only interest I see from people of other countries in our constitution is how they can use it against us.

When judges are debating the efficacy of Shari Law in America, I think it is walking a thin line regarding separation of church and state.

Our constitution is not unrivaled. It is unraveled.

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Ddrneville

535 people who aren't as stupid or as arrogant as Tyson and Dawkins.
Claiming to know something they couldn't possibly know?
Not unreasonable at all.

I believe there is an entire thread dedicated to how reasonable you are. You authored it, in fact. Good times.

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Ddrneville

535 people who aren't as stupid or as arrogant as Tyson and Dawkins.
Claiming to know something they couldn't possibly know?
Not unreasonable at all.

These are two people with several intellectual credentials, who have studied science most of their lives...
Not some politicians, that say what you want to hear in speeches they didn't even write themselves...

originally posted by: Metallicus

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Ddrneville

535 people who aren't as stupid or as arrogant as Tyson and Dawkins.
Claiming to know something they couldn't possibly know?
Not unreasonable at all.

That is exactly what religious people are doing. They claim to know something they couldn't possibly know.

Actually, that isn't true. I would wager many if not most people who have had their personal experiences with God have much more certainty about IT's existence than any Atheist about IT not existing.

What's the difference? Both sides claim either god does exist or that he/she doesn't. How do they know? There is very little difference between a devout Christian and a staunch atheist. Both require a belief over evidence.

Those of us that are agnostic get to laugh at both sides as they believe in things that are unknown.

a reply to: Ddrneville

Honestly, if these guys know so incredibly much, why don't they actually do something?

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: Ddrneville

Honestly, if these guys know so incredibly much, why don't they actually do something?

They are both scientists and authors, what's been you contribution to expanding human knowledge?

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: Ddrneville

Honestly, if these guys know so incredibly much, why don't they actually do something?

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Ddrneville

535 people who aren't as stupid or as arrogant as Tyson and Dawkins.
Claiming to know something they couldn't possibly know?
Not unreasonable at all.

That is exactly what religious people are doing. They claim to know something they couldn't possibly know.

God reveals Himself to those who follow Him. They know in their hearts and souls, that is the power behind religious practice. The Holy Spirit indwells the true believer, revealing deeper truths, guiding conscience and providing spiritual gifts.

a reply to: Ddrneville

Hey look, a pair of insecure assholes who need to constantly put down people of Faith to make sure they feel more secure in their positions... Further proof that intelligence is a concept entirely independent from however many degrees you have or how many books you have written.

a reply to: chr0naut

God reveals Himself to those who follow Him. They know in their hearts and souls, that is the power behind religious practice. The Holy Spirit indwells the true believer, revealing deeper truths, guiding conscience and providing spiritual gifts.

Forgive me for saying that is some scary stuff right there.

So these people believe they have these "truths" "revealed" to them by some god and I'm supposed to actually believe these people actually know what's going on?

a reply to: burdman30ott6

I have to disagree with you on this one, these are actually people who dedicated their lives to sience and studied the facts.
Most religious people haven't studied actual facts, but live by what they are taught from birth and follow their religion blind with no questions asked.

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: Metallicus

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Ddrneville

535 people who aren't as stupid or as arrogant as Tyson and Dawkins.
Claiming to know something they couldn't possibly know?
Not unreasonable at all.

That is exactly what religious people are doing. They claim to know something they couldn't possibly know.

Actually, that isn't true. I would wager many if not most people who have had their personal experiences with God have much more certainty about IT's existence than any Atheist about IT not existing.

What's the difference? Both sides claim either god does exist or that he/she doesn't. How do they know? There is very little difference between a devout Christian and a staunch atheist. Both require a belief over evidence.

Those of us that are agnostic get to laugh at both sides as they believe in things that are unknown.

I agree that being Agnostic is the most logical position. Atheists are idiots with no proof God doesn't exist. However, many that believe in God have had personal experiences that have proven to them beyond a doubt that God exists. You can discount those because you haven't had those experiences, but as someone who has, I am convinced and as I don't practice any organized religion I don't need to convince anyone else. I am content with my personal relationship with God and I don't need any outside validation. I am just sharing as a courtesy and don't expect or need you to agree.