tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post8930288416460317413..comments2023-10-26T22:06:11.166+11:00Comments on Metamagician3000: "50 Top Atheists in the World Today"Russell Blackfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-79911058189556726572011-12-14T14:58:05.305+11:002011-12-14T14:58:05.305+11:00To tell you the truth, I'm as fed up with '...To tell you the truth, I'm as fed up with 'atheists' as with religionists. The real point is that religion and all its unpleasantnesses exist basically because people are born, brought up and told by their parents, peers or whoever that something is thus-and-thus, and they end up believing it (for any number of scrutable and inscrutable reasons). <br /><br />Garbage-In-Garbage-Out: it's as ludicrously trivial as that. That's all that the religion vs. atheism debate is all about. Who believes what because they were led to believe it in some way. <br /><br />And, yes, by and large the religious garbage is winning and will continue to do so, because that's just the way people are made. But atheists are also 'people'—as much as some may resent the implicit assertion that they're ordinary, just like the rest of us—and behave as expected, all-too-frequently exhibiting a fervour (and arrogance, relating to some putative, entirely fictitious, insight into what's what in the world of metaphysics) that's pretty much on par with anything religionists have to offer. <br /><br />So, prerry please!, could somebody enlighten benighted little me about what's so special about being an atheist—or why anybody should invent something as bizarre as a 'Top Atheist'? It's not like any of these guys have told us of anything profound about life, the universe and everything. Polemicists for the most part, it looks like to me. Victims of 'imagination inflation', a condition that makes one believe things to be true with a fervour exponentially proportional to the level of ignorance about the topic in question. And, let's face it, literally <i>everybody</i> is ignorant with regards to the 'truth' about, and utterly unable to give an authoritative answer as to, whether God exists—atheists included. <br /><br />Poitn is that the is-God-real debate, is not about anything that actually 'signifies' (as they might have said in Jane Austen's day), but about idea-politics and idea-fashions. And the notion of 'top atheists'—and maybe we should make a list of 'top religionists' and pack them and the atheists off to a desert island where they can commune and interbreed and leave the rest of us alone with their presumptous claims and counter-claims—becomes even more risible.<br /><br />Geez, I really needed to get that out of my system. Promise: I'll never do it again! 8)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-46813384392431422142011-12-11T12:59:45.956+11:002011-12-11T12:59:45.956+11:00The scam alert for the site comes from a WHOIS che...The scam alert for the site comes from a WHOIS check which shows it to be run by a young philosophy professer from the University of Kentucky - Wayne J Downs.<br /><br />Downs is listed as a co-author on an anthology called 'The Patristic Understanding of Creation' with William Dembski.<br /><br />See - http://www.erasmuspress.net/Publications_2.html<br /><br />Connection confirmed by biographical details in Downs' CV<br /><br />http://philosophy.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/cv/Downs%20CV%202011.pdfUnityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17718085232700149823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-4335363320783853992011-12-11T07:58:12.487+11:002011-12-11T07:58:12.487+11:00Yikes. I just saw Coyne's post where he calls...Yikes. I just saw Coyne's post where he calls the Site a "scam." I wouldn't call it that. I'd call it a shame, a danger, and such, but I think it's a sincere effort to guide lambs in a certain unsavory direction. Okay, maybe "scam" isn't so far off the mark.Jason Streitfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06950357341620206095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-71538908029883479172011-12-11T07:53:03.193+11:002011-12-11T07:53:03.193+11:00I am extremely skeptical about the source, logic a...I am extremely skeptical about the source, logic and presentation of the list. I'm also skeptical about the Website as a source of good information about schools. I used the Site to search for schools offering bachelor degrees in Religion (there's no option for Philosophy!), and here's what comes up: Liberty University Online, University of the Incarnate Word, Grand Canyon University, Victory University, Mid-American Christian University, and Ohio Christian University.Jason Streitfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06950357341620206095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-55607486902030120932011-12-10T13:27:31.852+11:002011-12-10T13:27:31.852+11:00Dang, missed out again!Dang, missed out again!Jon Jermeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12802157835972797573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-46662257216559849642011-12-10T13:10:40.586+11:002011-12-10T13:10:40.586+11:00Strange that Woody Allen makes the list at 35. Has...Strange that Woody Allen makes the list at 35. Has he really promoted atheism?<br /><br />Jeff SherryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com