This is not helping my opinion of organized atheism: the rapey guy and the torture guy are agreeing with each other on the matter of morality. Next up: the Pope and the president of the Southern Baptist Convention will pat each other on the back over their ideas about science.
There is just an annoying aroma of smugness about it all.
I’m quite glad that Heina is taking a stand. More of us need to oppose this attitude that our thinky leaders are right in all things.
I stand 100% behind all the atheist leaders that I voted for.
Well, it’s ok if they do it…
Something I’ve learned from both the atheoskeptical movement and Wikipedia:
Nobody who is in charge has any goddamned ethics when it comes to something that might help THEM at the present or in the future. It’s just a long line of people who’ll throw anyone under the bus if it makes them more money.
The person who led me into atheism will always have my unwavering faith, blind devotion, and unquestioning support. It was me, by the way, so fuck all y’all.
Menyambal @ 4: You win the Internets for today. :)
I find it particularly galling when Shermer fluffs Harris for having invented Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.
This is rich.
Well being of conscious creatures apparently doesn’t preclude raping them.
The Flourishing of Sentient beings apparently doesn’t preclude torturing them.
“Morality” is such a funny little thing. Oh so many neat little loopholes.
Morality. Shermer. Harris. There’s a combination for instant queasiness.
I thought Shermer’s book, The Science of Good and Evil was excellent. But moral codes are pretty useless if you’re not willing to live up to them.
@UnknownEric the Apostate #3: Yup, and it’s a shitty double-bind, becasue those people willing to throw others under the bus to benefit themselves are most likely to make it to the top, thanks to boosting themselves at the expense of others. Until we change our cultural norms sufficiently that such behavior is no longer tolerated (let alone rewarded), we’ll be stuck.
“More of us need to oppose this attitude that our thinky leaders are right in all things.”
Be sure that I don’t think you aren’t right in all things. Neither am I. I have been wrong too often in the past.
Bummer. I don’t think you are right in all things.