Dawkins TV Programme. "The Root of All Evil"

I may believe in religion as in its a nice bunch of stories but I certainly dont live my life by it.
Fresco I agree with you.

Wolf O Donnell, Something good ( he stayed alive and was immune which admittedly in this case wasnt what he wanted)came from something bad(rat poison)

0 Replies

fresco wrote-

Quote:

Religion as psychological package of personal insurance plus group identity becomes a monstrous social pathogen of irrationality and devisive conflict.

That's not fair fresco and you know it.Religion is not what you have made it look like.Religion as psychological package.........divisive conflict is simply religion as psychological package.......divisive conflict.You have defined "Religion" the way you want to define it.

I don't recognise Religion in those terms at all.You are speaking of corruptions of religion for various material purposes which I'll admit is common and is a form that makes the headlines.

The Dawkings programme is what it sets out to be which is entertainment.Easy on the eye.It's a fancy version of "dip your bread in".An in-house chattering class expense free holiday in exotic locations.I don't even need to see it to know that.

0 Replies

Spendius, why do you see it as entertainment?

Is everything on tv just entertainment, or maybe its a valid and acceptable way of getting a point across.

0 Replies

MG-

That's what it is.Entertainment.For a particular section of the population mainly who need to have their fixed views reinforced from time to time and who like sitting on couches while it is done for them.

It was made within the TV establishment and the bottom line is promotion of TV and those favoured by its senior decision makers.You have to be controversial or you're dead in that game.

It's just too easy.TV philosophy is like TV dinners.

0 Replies

material girl wrote:

I may believe in religion as in its a nice bunch of stories but I certainly dont live my life by it.
Fresco I agree with you.

Wolf O Donnell, Something good ( he stayed alive and was immune which admittedly in this case wasnt what he wanted)came from something bad(rat poison)

Not really. In the end he had to settle for a more painful death. So the morale of the story is everything has its down side.

0 Replies

Spendius,

Whereas I agree that a simplified argument has been made by myself and the programme, I feel that a stand needs to be taken against the recent rise of fundamentalism which has become on obvious tangible threat to us all. The simpler the message, the better if it produces sufficient alarm bells in the minds of the masses. The danger IS that your claim for "entertainment" will be fulfilled and that the alarm bells will go unheeded.

Next time you are hassled by security at an airport, or notice a 12 foot fence going up round a local ethnic school I suggest you consider relocating your focus from semantics to pragmatics.

0 Replies

spendius wrote:

MG-

That's what it is.Entertainment.For a particular section of the population mainly who need to have their fixed views reinforced from time to time and who like sitting on couches while it is done for them.

It was made within the TV establishment and the bottom line is promotion of TV and those favoured by its senior decision makers.You have to be controversial or you're dead in that game.

It's just too easy.TV philosophy is like TV dinners.

So all religious programmes on a Sunday are entertainment and the people that watch it need their views reinforced etc

0 Replies

How come religion has its own day, its own money raising methods, hundreds of thousands of buildings, a leader drenched in rich cloths, in some cases its own city.

Church, religious ceremonies, the emblem of christ being crucified, its all promotion/money making for religion.

0 Replies

fresco

Maybe I'm just lucky but I never go near airports or any other form of mass travel facilitation system and I have never heard of a 12 foot fence around any sort of school.

I'm as pragmatic as Bradley Hardaker.I'm a business man in a very pragmatic sector of the economy.And I always follow Simon Jenkins's first rule of journalism which is "Follow The Money".

I thought you were exercising in the semantics gym actually.

I think Dawkins is having it off.Good luck to him.He's a clever chap but I'm not one of his punters.
There is no sign of religious hysteria anywhere near my world.

0 Replies

MG wrote-

Quote:

So all religious programmes on a Sunday are entertainment and the people that watch it need their views reinforced etc

I don't think "need" is quite right.I prefer "enjoy having".If they make a programme about,say,Hull,half the population of Hull,maybe more,will watch it even though they are more familiar with the place than any programme can get near.Television seems to exert some sort of mystical influence.

I would love to make a programme which delved comprehensively into how much the Dawkins programmes cost and have all the invoices spread out to see where it went and hear the justifications for each questionable item.I think that would be a worthwhile documentary with Rory Bremner fronting it aided by an Inspector from the Inland Revenue..It is our money isn't it?

Gee!I'd watch that.

0 Replies

MG-

If you watch football and criket intently for a few years taking in all the other programmes about it and the newspapers contributions and the web sites you will find you have a really expert grasp on evolution and mystical operations as well.

How does 22 men playing with a ball on a field come to the pass this lot has arrived at and if England get into the semi-final of the world cup next summer it will blow.If they make the final the economy will shut down and if they win the cup--well I'm not really in the prediction game but it will be good fun.

0 Replies

Warfarin, in lower doses as an anticoagulant , is called Coumadin and its still widely in use by medicine, to assist in preventing clots.Rats and many rodents dont have the ability to "gag" or vomit , thus a Warfarin dose that could be fatal to humans can thrown up with help of an emetic. Maintenace of proper dosage is critical with Coumadin because it can cause sub-Q hematomas and blood leakage . (Its suspected that SHarons "stroke" was caused by improper dosing and a adverse reaction to a blood thinner).

Dawkins has made a career of , not only loudly championing evolution, he has not ever gone out of his way to fail to confront anybody who is religious. Hes always itchin fer some kind of fight (I think he was not nurtured as a child) In that aspect hes a fool because hes always fighting with someone even on the side of evolution (he hates theistic evolution proponents,). As a scientist (evolutionary bilogist) hes not a big deal. Hes more listened to because he used to be a"always brushing his hair back while at the microphone), a real soap opera type, who , even Gould thought was a bit over the top. (and for Gould to say that, you have to be like the Tiny Tim of science).

While Im agnostic, I dont see any reason to go out, fangs bared to confront all religious people. Id go after their Creationist beliefs with pure data, not rude coments about their spiritual leanings. I like many of Dawkins books, but still find him a jerk.

0 Replies

Quote:

I dont see any reason to go out, fangs bared to confront all religious people.

Have you never heard of easy money and regular dinner party invitations,tickets for Wimbledon and other centre of attention type strategies not only without working but whilst having a good time.

0 Replies

Quote:

Rank Occupation Death rate/100,000 Total deaths
1 Logging workers 92.4 85
2 Aircraft pilots 92.4 109
3 Fishers and fishing workers 86.4 38
4 Structural iron and steel workers 47.0 31
5 Refuse and recyclable material collectors 43.2 35
6 Farmers and ranchers 37.5 307
7 Roofers 34.9 94
8 Electrical power line installers/repairers 30.0 36
9 Driver/sales workers and truck drivers 27.6 905
10 Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 24.2 67
.
.
.
.

153674 Controversial TV programme makers.0.0

0 Replies

In response to Spendius's cynicism......

Dawkins is certainly cashing in on Harris's recent book, but he does tend to overstress "logic" and "evidence" as the epitome of "science" in contradiction to the more recent wholistic trends in particle physics and the life sciences. This contrasts his position with Harris who allows for "the spiritual" if not "the religious".

However, the problem as I see it is not one of hair splitting at some deep epistemological level beyond the reach of the average intellect. It is one of tackling the imminent dangers of religious extremism by simply pointing out that is based on the de facto substructure of "irrationality" provided by religious "moderates". In this respect, I feel Dawkins is trying his best.

0 Replies

fresco-

Are you not cynical then?I know who made me cynical.I was an innocent little bundle of joyous cannon fodder once but the antics of my betters left me with no alternative than pure,flat-out cynicism.Not that I mind.

And yes-I include women.

I don't think there is the slightest danger of religious extremism causing anything other than a few isolated islands of chanting and other mysterious activities.It is well under control.

Of course an economic blow up could alter the situation but I don't see any chance of that either.A recession is now defined as less than 2% growth and 2% of this lot is a mighty prospect.

0 Replies

Spendius,

I hope you are right.

You may be too young to remember the issue of petrol coupons in the 70's following an Arab-Israeli war. And perhaps you are immune from the hike in insurance premiums in the wake of 9/11. What you might interpret as "unlikely" economic events seem anything but, and have a heavy religious angle.

And today we hear that Iran has decided to play poker with its nuclear capabilities....

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1522978,00.html

0 Replies

fresco wrote-

Quote:

And today we hear that Iran has decided to play poker with its nuclear capabilities....

I think "play" is perfect there.

Perhaps I'm over-confident.I don't see any serious threat except maybe from some crazed virus or wayward asteroid or something like that.

Did you ever read Herman Khan on American recovery prospects after 100 nukes and 100 million dead.

"Leave your stepping stones behind
Something calls for you
Leave the dead you've left
They won't follow you."

Bob Dylan.That's fundamentalist Faustian doctrine.
Mr Bush was ordering a new building whilst he was stood in those ruins looking exactly like a Roman Emperor with good kit.

How's that for youthful exhuberence?

0 Replies

Re: Dawkins TV Programme. "The Root of All Evil"

fresco wrote:

http://channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/rootofevil.html

This first programme was a skillful depiction of the imminent dangers of religion.

The footage from the US Bible Belt was particularly disturbing in view of the alleged linkages with the White House.

I'm probably lucky I missed it, cuz it probably would have driven me crazy.

0 Replies

I'm going to watch Part11 and I'm going to take notes.I might even record it.

Stand by your beds!!

0 Replies

Dawkins TV Programme. "The Root of All Evil"

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know