# Dawkins: Is he dangerous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 10, 2010, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953 "2010-03-10T06:35:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/141 "2010-03-11T02:06:21Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > What if nobody wanted to sacrifice their life anymore? All wars would cease. Well, I’m not sure about that. I thought the main objective in war was to try really hard not to sacrifice your own life, but to get the enemy to sacrifice _his_. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/142 "2010-03-11T02:45:57Z")
> [@nilum](#): > > What would dawkins do? > > Think dawkins would sacrifice himself so that 2 others might live. Or jump in front of a bullet to save a child. > > …Would an atheist be just as likely? Yeah, probably. Do you have any evidence otherwise? Or are you just making shit up? ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/143 "2010-03-11T02:54:50Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > Yeah, probably. Do you have any evidence otherwise? Or are you just making shit up? When **ITR Champion** is joining in with the consensus and the worst that any body’s said about Dawkins is he’s “not good” (and that was **kanicbird** , for God’s sake), I think this thread is proof that atheists come in all kinds of weird and wonderful varieties. ETA: Oh, and that the answer to the OP’s question is “Hell no, what are you talking about?”. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/144 "2010-03-11T03:06:11Z")
> [@nilum](#): > > Does religion dictate emotional decisions? Would an atheist be just as likely? > > To be honest I think most atheists are cowards When I remember about the sacrifices of many from the Soviet army against the Germans in WWII I don’t so. And I think that the relatives of the fallen non-believer American soldiers and active service persons would like to have a word with you. [http://ffrf.org/outreach/atheists-in-foxholes/](http://ffrf.org/outreach/atheists-in-foxholes/) > **[Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers](http://militaryatheists.org/demographics/)** > > Worldwide support atheists and humanists in throughout our armed forces. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/145 "2010-03-11T04:16:32Z")
(to paraphrase) That’s the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered atheist you ever set eyes on! This guy’s got a vicious streak a mile wide! He’s a killer! Seriously…he’s got huge, sharp (makes sharp teeth motions)… er… He can leap about \<--------------------------\>. Look at the bones, man! Wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark ally, if you know what I mean… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/146 "2010-03-11T04:31:08Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Look at the bones, man! I admit, “Look at the _ **bones** _, man!” was the first thing this thread title made me think of. \< pictures **xtisme** saying “I told you! I told you!” to a pack of theists watching as Richard Dawkins gnaws on their dismembered comrades \> ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/147 "2010-03-11T04:37:12Z")
😉 -xt ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/148 "2010-03-11T04:40:43Z")
Fetch the holy hand grenade! ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/149 "2010-03-11T05:17:02Z")
> [@CircleofWillis](#): > > This is the piece that I guess I don’t understand about my fellow atheists. Why do you care so much about what people think? So, ya know, someone thinks I am goign to hell? So? Within the context of what I was replying to, Dawkins is not dangerous. People who think I’m going to hell would do things dangerous or evil to me and my rights so as to affect my wellbeing. I don’t give a shit what dark realm religionists think I’m going to, but I care a lot about how they influence politics, my free time, and their danger to my body > [@CircleofWillis](#): > > My point here, I guess, is that just by looking down your nose and sneering at a theist is not anymore convincing or reasonable than looking down your nose at an atheist and damning them to hell. One thing is based on facts, the other is based on fairy tales. Looking down your nose at someone who is being deliberately ignorant is perfectly fine with me and necessary to eliminate or marginalize those beliefs > [@Malacandra](#): > > Interesting. I don’t know, even by reputation, of anyone who thinks a lump of cells has more rights than {an adult human being}. The most rights anyone’s prepared to extend to said clump is the right not to be summarily done to death; if you truly think you live your life with fewer rights than that, I pity you. There are people who would kill to force that lump to fester in the womb of a woman who does not want it. I know of no one would could justify killing an adult because another adult wants to, in this analogy, pull the plug on a terminal patient. Even if we assume the given that the fetus/patient has full rights, it doesn’t give anyone else the justification to prevent the guardian of that person from pulling the plug, which is essentially what abortion is in this analogy, by killing her. The people like the ones who murdered Dr. Tiller do feel fetuses should get more rights, and that they would kill to enforce that makes them dangerous. There is no comparison ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/150 "2010-03-11T05:37:11Z")
Originally Posted by Zoe: > [@](#): > > It wasn’t religion that caused 9-11. It was intolerance and the distortion of religion. > [@](#): > > **Superfluous Parenthesis** : Yeah, because a religion that approves of things that you don’t is clearly a distortion. Where did you come up with that? You don’t know me well enough to be making such claims. And you are very mistaken. [/quote] > [@](#): > > **x-ray vision** : I’m sure that you are aware that I could quote peaceful passages from the Koran. (For that same reason, I don’t get into quoting Biblical scripture much.) Marley, about the cites: See Post #78 in this thread for a big hint. One down and one to go. I have someone in mind, but it’s been a long time. I will see if I can find some of his comments, but I don’t want to waste too much time on it. [quote] **The Hamster King** : I can’t find anything wrong with your argument at all. I surrender. You win. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/151 "2010-03-11T06:10:15Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > It has been point out that Dawkins is/seems afraid and strikes out, this is negative and will breed negativity, which is not good. Would it be fair to call Dawkins a “God-fearing man”? 😉 Perhaps “religion-fearing” would be more like it. But, more seriously, I do wonder-- are _you_ a God-fearing person **kanicbird**? If so, how does that jibe with your “God never intended for us to have fear” comment? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/152 "2010-03-11T06:12:43Z")
Originally Posted by Zoe: > [@](#): > > It wasn’t religion that caused 9-11. It was intolerance and the distortion of religion. > [@](#): > > **Superfluous Parenthesis** : Yeah, because a religion that approves of things that you don’t is clearly a distortion. Where did you come up with that? You don’t know me well enough to be making such claims. And you are very mistaken. [/quote] > [@](#): > > **x-ray vision** : I’m sure that you are aware that I could quote peaceful passages from the Koran. (For that same reason, I don’t get into quoting Biblical scripture much.) I heard the results of a Gallup Poll on television this week. 93% of Muslims disapproved of what the Jihadists did on 9-11. I don’t remember which television show I was watching at the time and I don’t remember when the poll was taken. Marley, about the cites: See Post #78 in this thread for a big hint. One down and one to go. I have someone in mind, but it’s been a long time – sometime after the grammar wars but perhaps before **Liberal’s** bribe. No, I give up on the search. It’s not worth my time. Surely it wouldn’t really surprise you. > [@](#): > > **The Hamster King** : I can’t find anything wrong with your argument at all. I surrender. You win. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/153 "2010-03-11T07:58:54Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > I heard the results of a Gallup Poll on television this week. 93% of Muslims disapproved of what the Jihadists did on 9-11. I don’t remember which television show I was watching at the time 7% approved? Good God (or the deity of your choice or lack thereof), that’s horrid. There is something hideously wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/154 "2010-03-11T08:11:09Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > 7% approved? Good God (or the deity of your choice or lack thereof), that’s horrid. There is something hideously wrong. Meh. You can generally find percentages of people that small to support just about anything, anywhere. Actually, I’m more surprised at how small it is. And sceptical about how accurate it is; if, say, some American fanatics back during the Cold War had somehow managed to fly a jet into some Soviet landmark like the Kremlin, I’d expect more than 7% approval. Look how many people have supported our war on Iraq, and that is much worse than 9-11. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/155 "2010-03-11T08:20:31Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Meh. You can generally find percentages of people that small to support just about anything, anywhere. Actually, I’m more surprised at how small it is. And sceptical about how accurate it is; if, say, some American fanatics back during the Cold War had somehow managed to fly a jet into some Soviet landmark like the Kremlin, I’d expect more than 7% approval. Look how many people have supported our war on Iraq, and that is much worse than 9-11. The support for the war on Iraq is an excellent example of something that is hideously wrong. Does anyone have figures that break down by religion or lack thereof that compare which Americans did/does or did/does not support that war? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/156 "2010-03-11T08:26:36Z")
For example, studies such as this one: [http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p\_mla\_apa\_research\_citation/1/7/5/9/6/pages175969/p175969-1.php](http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/7/5/9/6/pages175969/p175969-1.php) . ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/157 "2010-03-11T11:17:12Z")
> [@nilum](#): > > To be honest I think most atheists are cowards Lets just assume that this insult was true for a moment, and that religious people could be relied upon to throw themselves upon grenades or in front of bullets while atheists could not. Have you considered the possibility that this would simply be a consequence of religious people being more likely to believe that death leads to heaven rather than oblivion? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/158 "2010-03-11T11:21:47Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > **x-ray vision** : I’m sure that you are aware that I could quote peaceful passages from the Koran. (For that same reason, I don’t get into quoting Biblical scripture much.) How is this relevant to what I did quote from the Qur’an that instructs to kill non-Muslims? So what if there are peaceful parts too? You said it was “intolerance and the distortion of religion” that caused 9-11. I showed you that there was no distortion at all and intolerance is preached in Islam. You don’t quote Biblical scripture for what reason? I didn’t get that point. > [@](#): > > I heard the results of a Gallup Poll on television this week. 93% of Muslims disapproved of what the Jihadists did on 9-11. I don’t remember which television show I was watching at the time and I don’t remember when the poll was taken. That’s good. I’m glad there are lots of Muslims that cherry pick for the benefit of us all. I feel the same about Christians. It’s the evil inherent in both religions that I hate. 7% of millions can do a lot of bad in the world and has been mentioned, moderate believers unknowingly help the cause of extremists. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/159 "2010-03-11T12:18:39Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Marley, about the cites: See Post #78 in this thread for a big hint. One down and one to go. I have someone in mind, but it’s been a long time – sometime after the grammar wars but perhaps before **Liberal’s** bribe. > > No, I give up on the search. It’s not worth my time. Surely it wouldn’t really surprise you. That’s quite a charge to make against someone and then turn around and say you don’t feel like backing it up. [In any case I think this post contradicts you.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8270623#post8270623) ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953/160 "2010-03-11T12:22:54Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Where did you come up with that? You don’t know me well enough to be making such claims. And you are very mistaken. I was being sarcastic. Of course I don’t think that whatever you don’t like is a distortion of religion. There is no such thing. Terrorism (for example) may only be supported by a small faction of the total believers, but the fact is - as has been pointed out in this thread - those 7% or whatever have every bit as much evidence that their interpretation of their religion is correct than do the other 93%. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dawkins-is-he-dangerous/531953.md?page=9)