For those critical of Dawkins...

I wanted to know people's general opinion of Richard Dawkins and how this related to their belief. Please justify also, it will interest me :). Is he too acerbic? Critical? Or is he spot on?
Just a poll and a little research for me, not trying to spark any debate here!

Well, I didnt even know about him until months after I started posting in the Atheism Union.

I have watched perhaps one or two videos of him. I can sympathise with him sometimes and I enjoy his British accent but thats about it. I really dont care about him all that much.

Nothing, pretty cool guy, eh trolls religious and doesn't afraid of anything. Also creator of memes.

Speaking as an atheist, I find him mean-spirited and basically to be a fundamentalist, evangelical proponent of atheism who is an unflattering standard bearer.xaos

Ironically, the rejection of Dawkins is a sort of meta-atheism, when you come to think about it.

I don't know where the conception of this "abrasive" character comes from. I haven't picked up on a hint of it, personally.

he fails at being convincing to non-atheists.. you don't earn respect or get people to be open minded by calling them idiots...comp_atkins

[QUOTE="comp_atkins"]he fails at being convincing to non-atheists.. you don't earn respect or get people to be open minded by calling them idiots...Leon2793

[QUOTE="Leon2793"]

[QUOTE="comp_atkins"]he fails at being convincing to non-atheists.. you don't earn respect or get people to be open minded by calling them idiots...comp_atkins

Ironically, the rejection of Dawkins is a sort of meta-atheism, when you come to think about it.

MetalGear_Ninty

I just recently started looking into Dawkins and some of his work. I haven't caught a glimpse of Dawkins as the way some describe him. I actually enjoy some of the things he has said pertaining to life and living. I would say that he was probably the first who stepped out publicly to challenge the status-quo of religion; and I could understand the cynicism, seeing as how him, and most of the world are destined for eternal torment, not to mention some of the inconsistencies with religion.

EDIT: Felt I needed to clarify on the "inconsistencies"

I've been ruminating over some videos on Youtube and I believe that the videos which people derive this impression of an "abrasive" quality are ones in which Dawkins compares Religious belief to a delusion or hallucination. I can easily see why this comes across as deliberately hurtful. However Dawkins has stated on a number of times he wishes people to criticise Religious belief as you do on Political views or musical taste. I also attest that this is Dawkins style and always has been. Take for instance "The Selfish Gene" Dawkins created a title which actually harms general understanding of his theory and ideas, he did not mean to say genes are selfish in a human sense. The same with "The God Delusion" I do not think he means "Delusion" in a derogatory sense.
Anyway that's just my two cents!

I'm not sure how it couldn't be in a derogatory sense, taking the actual meaning of the word.

HE must be Terminated :evil:

I've never actually heard of this guy.

He he, "Gamespot off-topic", the world centre for religious debate.

I am not very critical of Dawkins, because I kind of agree with him. He really just wants to spread the 'good news', can't blame him for that.

Having said that I am the black sheep in a family of Christians, my dad is a pastor. I do not try to convince them differently.

Ironically, the rejection of Dawkins is a sort of meta-atheism, when you come to think about it.

In all honesty, I would probably end up fighting this guy if I ever had to spend more than 15 min around him.
-not for his beliefs, or lack there of
-just because he is a complete *******

Ironically, the rejection of Dawkins is a sort of meta-atheism, when you come to think about it.

Never heard of him...

Theist; I don't like him because his knowledge of religion and its varieties amounts to ten minutes of reading a Wikipedia article combined with shallow philosophy posing as deep, original thought. He's also pretty much the head of the angstheists, who are among the most annoying people in existence.Theokhoth

Are we even watching the same guy? I mean it's not like Dawkins is the AmazingAtheist. I've never seen Dawkins ridicule theists in a meanspirited way. Perhaps you are all reading into things he's saying that he's really not?

[QUOTE="MetalGear_Ninty"][QUOTE="xaos"] I don't see what you are saying here at all Also, I'm not "super-rational" or anything; I just understand that belief in God or other religious matters are issues of faith that are poorly served by co-mingling them with matters of rationality and empiricism.xaos

He's a fundamental atheist, no different than a fundamentalist Christian, Jew, or Muslim.MattUD1

[QUOTE="MattUD1"]He's a fundamental atheist, no different than a fundamentalist Christian, Jew, or Muslim.MetalGear_Ninty

[QUOTE="MetalGear_Ninty"][QUOTE="MattUD1"]He's a fundamental atheist, no different than a fundamentalist Christian, Jew, or Muslim.MattUD1

I don't mind him. I think he's a bit misguided from a philosophical standpoint, but I think that it is very important to have very audible (for lack of a better word) critics of religious institutions.-Sun_Tzu-

I think it is important to have critics of all POV/belief systems...but being critical does not equate being a jackass/belittling others

[QUOTE="-Sun_Tzu-"]I don't mind him. I think he's a bit misguided from a philosophical standpoint, but I think that it is very important to have very audible (for lack of a better word) critics of religious institutions.rawsavon

I think it is important to have critics of all POV/belief systems...but being critical does not equate being a jackass/belittling others

[QUOTE="rawsavon"]

[QUOTE="-Sun_Tzu-"]I don't mind him. I think he's a bit misguided from a philosophical standpoint, but I think that it is very important to have very audible (for lack of a better word) critics of religious institutions.-Sun_Tzu-

I think it is important to have critics of all POV/belief systems...but being critical does not equate being a jackass/belittling others

[QUOTE="-Sun_Tzu-"][QUOTE="rawsavon"]

I think it is important to have critics of all POV/belief systems...but being critical does not equate being a jackass/belittling others

BumFluff122

I have only seen one video...did not care to watch more...i just can't stand when someone belittles another

im kinda torn between being sikh(my religion) and beiing agnostic

I have only seen one video...did not care to watch more...i just can't stand when someone belittles another

rawsavon

[QUOTE="BumFluff122"]

[QUOTE="-Sun_Tzu-"] I see your point, but based on what I've seen (and I could be wrong), it seems as if his "jackassness" has been a bit overblown. rawsavon

I have only seen one video...did not care to watch more...i just can't stand when someone belittles another

[QUOTE="rawsavon"]

I have only seen one video...did not care to watch more...i just can't stand when someone belittles another

BumFluff122

Referring to people as "ignoramuses" is not the most Dale Carnegie approach...xaos

[QUOTE="xaos"] Referring to people as "ignoramuses" is not the most Dale Carnegie approach...BumFluff122

Neal deGrasse Tyson sort of summarizes my problem with Dawkins here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2xGIwQfik (although as Dawkins then points out, he's not the worst)

He seems to be as fanatical a believer in there being no God as most devout christians are fanatical believers in there being a God.

I just don't know how you can look at some of the, for lack of a better word, miraculous events that have led to our great little planet and our existence upon it and be so damn sure there is no higher power involved.

I know you can't prove a negative, but doesn't that imply that you cannot be sure there is no God? And Dawkins and Hitchens and their ilk discuss the absence of God as if it were a proven fact and they treat anyone that disagrees as ignorant.

It's in an excerpt from the first chapter of his most recent book, as presented on his own website.xaos

Speaking as an atheist, I find him mean-spirited and basically to be a fundamentalist, evangelical proponent of atheism who is an unflattering standard bearer.xaos

[QUOTE="xaos"]It's in an excerpt from the first chapter of his most recent book, as presented on his own website.BumFluff122

[QUOTE="rawsavon"]

I have only seen one video...did not care to watch more...i just can't stand when someone belittles another