tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28684211.post7640955799949396223..comments2023-07-02T15:01:41.135+01:00Comments on English Eclectic: The God Fight Back: Karen Armstrong and Keith WardPaul Halsallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602075031268155220noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28684211.post-29028580033938345752009-10-16T10:30:28.593+01:002009-10-16T10:30:28.593+01:00But if you take that second view then 'holy...But if you take that second view then 'holy' just becomes an unjustifiably special case of 'important'. I agree that Dawkins <i>et al.</i> are extremely poor at handling the fact that these things are important to a great many people; but what they are arguing about is not the importance, but whether there is any justification for using 'holy' rather than 'important' for such things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28684211.post-19477224282352164202009-10-16T06:29:10.232+01:002009-10-16T06:29:10.232+01:00I don't know whether or not there is a "G...I don't know whether or not there is a "God" in any conventional sense, but what I do know is, that when people have a faith, and share a faith, certain things are <b><i>made</i></b> holy. This is true whether it's the communioon wafer people get at a Eucharistic service, or Muslim pilgrims worshiping around the Ka'aba in Mecca. Or something else. I have a good friend who feels the same way, and it seems that this is more or less Karen Armstrong's position as well(I haven't seen the other book). This is something professional atheists like Dawkins and Hitchens don't,grasp, and can't seem to. Which is at least partly the reason their arguments against "religion" as they understand it, irritate so many people, including me.Anne Gilberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03045500116098233731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28684211.post-85179151613806760072009-10-15T20:32:54.471+01:002009-10-15T20:32:54.471+01:00I agree with your friend in regards to arguing the...I agree with your friend in regards to arguing the existence or non-existence of God. I always thought of it as a form of masturbation.<br /><br />I haven't read Dawkins, but I have read Hitchens and even though he tries to argue against God, he ends up arguing against religions, or mainly the actions of religious people. He uses negative acts by people in the name of religion but totally ignores the good things done in the name of religion, like education and medical treatment to the poor.<br /><br />I did see a great episode of Southpark about Richard Dawkins and how everyone in the future is an athiest. I'm sure it's on youtube.Travishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07142652892876372363noreply@blogger.com