A Parody of Himself
Carol Platt Liebau ·
February 11, 2013 at 5:44pm
Professional atheist Richard Dawkins is in danger of becoming a parody of himself. Taking to Twitter, he had this comment to contribute:
I feel sorry for the Pope and all old Catholic priests. Imagine having a wasted life to look back on and no sex.
Pretty gratuitously nasty, isn't it? Aside from highlighting the important role that religious faith can play in inspiring kindness on the part of its adherents, it also raises one more suspicion: That many self-proclaimed atheists actually believe in God -- they're just angry at Him.
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Comments:
Aug '12
Re: A Parody of Himself
In danger of? He jumped that particular shark a while back.
Nov '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
Dawkins has long been a parody. Even his academic credentials are a parody. A PhD in zoology qualifies one for precisely what? It's a pseudo science or soft science at best like sociology or psychology. Kinda like Noam Chomsky's PhD in linguistics does not qualify him to comment on what he comments on with any greater authority that you or I.
Mar '11
Re: A Parody of Himself
Half a millenium from now, John Paul II and Benedict XVI will likely be known. At the very least they will be recorded in the memories of an institution that has a very long memory indeed, if not known more widely to history.
And Mr. Dawkins will be, well, Richard who?
Oct '11
Re: A Parody of Himself
This is why so-called atheists annoy me. If he were secure in his atheism, he wouldn't care one way or the other about the Pope.
Nov '11
Re: A Parody of Himself
Psychologists call it projection: Dawkins is disappointed about what's in his jeans.
Nov '12
Re: A Parody of Himself
On this particular point, I must disagree with you (but I thoroughly agree with you about Chomsky). Zoology is a branch of biology. I knew people who studied zoology at my college (which was also Dawkins' undergraduate college) and based on what I saw of the things that they were studying, I believe it's "real, hard" science. Here is a good summary.
May '11
Re: A Parody of Himself
Well, it IS a wasted life and it doesn't include sex that we would know about, but it's pretty rude to point that out.
Jul '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
Your average atheist is an evangelist of sort. Not long after meeting one, he reveals his scorn for religion and invites your agreement. If it is not forecoming, he tries to win you over by the force of reasoned argument or appeal to scientific proof, as if they had anything to do with it.
Edited on February 11, 2013 at 6:20pmAug '11
Re: A Parody of Himself
No sex to look back on? As a Roman Catholic of over 30 years, I know many priests that have plenty, one or two perhaps even fondly.
Dawkins is an evangelist the same way, say, Joel Osteen is. At this rate, it doesn't matter how much he believes what he's saying. It matters that it gets him notoriety and sweet, sweet coin.
But, really, we shouldn't give Dawkins any more attention than he already gets, not that I'm chastising Mollie or anything. I just think he gets a lot of people riled up over nothing. Pun intended?
Aug '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
I don't think he's angry at God. I think he's angry that so much of humanity, by his lights, believes in things that he is too "enlightened" to believe. It's fine for him to think that, but why people like him and Bill Maher feel the need to disparage, insult, and sneer at good people of faith is unfathomable to me.
The idea that the Pope "wasted" his life is absurd. Did he spend his life as a recluse, or addicted to drugs, or watching TV? No, he was a pastor, a teacher, a thinker, a writer, a philosopher, and so much more. And I say this as a non-Catholic without any strong feelings for the man one way or the other.
The mention of sex is telling, and nasty. (Note that he doesn't mention "romantic love"--it's the act he focuses on.) Dawkins has no class.
Edited on February 11, 2013 at 6:34pmJan '11
Re: A Parody of Himself
Dawkins is predictably puerile and worthlessly antagonistic here; it's a genuine shame.
That said, it'd be nice for conservatives to acknowledge Dawkins for saying equally harsh things about Islamism, which takes some guts for a public figure, especially one who's British. Dawkins also spent a fair deal of time discussing the Cartoon Jihad in The God Delusion.
Aug '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
Why is it a wasted life? Would you say the same thing about a college professor, or a philosopher, or a historian, or the leader of a philanthropic organization?
Sep '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
With the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, he's shown that the Chair of Peter can evolve in its views of the proper manner of papal succession, ensuring the survival of the Catholic genus and species. Richard Dawkins, on the other hand, seems to defy such a categorization as he devolves into a Shellfish Gene who can only open up to pass for the media a pearl of great vice.
But, the Catholic Church is obsessed with sex.
Jun '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
Thumper: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Good advice for Dawkins.
Dec '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
Yep. Sigmund Freud, call your office.
Nov '12
Re: A Parody of Himself
He is secure in his atheism (which if you watch his Oxford discussion with the Archbishop of Canterbury, turns out to be more like a form of agnosticism). His comment about the Pope is merely a put-down. It's not something I would have said or even thought.
Sep '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
The reasoning behind this comment is so flabby I don't know where to start.
1. I feel sorry.... I doubt that he feels sorry, if it is not true, then that is the definition of hypocracy. Professing something you don't believe yourself.
2. Wasted life... I cannot say it is wasted becasue I am a believer but, theology aside, I know it is true that priests are utterly consumed with helping their parishoners and the community either directly themselves or through the organization of lay people to do so. Constantly. So it is on the face of it untrue to say that they have wasted their lives unless you believe that being of service and doing good is a waste. Things like comforting the sick and dying, marriage ceremonies, counseling the troubled, funeral ceremonies, visting men in prison....all a waste. I expect "doing good is a waste of your life" is not a point Mr. Dawkins endeavors to make when he speaks.
Apr '11
Re: A Parody of Himself
Believers really should stop with the self-flattering "deep down, atheists really believe what I believe; they just can't admit it" crap. Dawkins is angry that most of the rest of humanity doesn't agree with him and spends their lives devoted what he regards as superstition. He likes to lash out at the opposing tribe. I share his belief, but not his anger. Neither one of us is insecure in his atheism.
Sep '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
tabula rasa: Thumper: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Good advice for Dawkins.
Easier to say than to live up to, isn't it? This very thread violates the maxim repeatedly, starting at the very top. Glass houses and all that.
That said, Dawkins is a pompous prig. Too bad, because some of his early work is worthwhile. Zoology is hardly a pseudoscience in the same category as others mentioned (cf. comment #2). I guess gratuitous insults come from all quarters. Sadly, they undermine the credibility of valid criticism.
Dec '10
Re: A Parody of Himself
Group Captain Mandrake
On this particular point, I must disagree with you (but I thoroughly agree with you about Chomsky). Zoology is a branch of biology. I knew people who studied zoology at my college (which was also Dawkins' undergraduate college) and based on what I saw of the things that they were studying, I believe it's "real, hard" science. Here is a good summary. · 23 minutes ago
Not a hard science. A hard science is basically defined as one that has a lot of math. Ironically, that's not measurable, but the term "hard science" does have meaning.
Ernest Rutherford would have called zoology "stamp collecting":
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford,_1st_Baron_Rutherford_of_Nelson