Dawkins on Alien Rubbish

[Jason]

Seems a wee bit inflamotry and he's finally broken through with The Daily Hate.

Dawkins attacks 'alien rubbish' taught in Muslim faith schools

Richard Dawkins has attacked Muslim faith schools, saying that they teach students 'alien rubbish'.

The noted atheist claimed that pupils were being taught to ignore scientific evidence in favour of following the Koran.

He said that he had even met a science teacher who believed that the earth was only 6,000 years old.

Mr Dawkins, a former Oxford professor who found fame as an evolutionary biologist before becoming a vocal opponent of religion, is a longstanding critic of all faith schools.

But he has said that Islamic schools are worse than others, as their teaching is more likely to be influenced by a religious agenda.

Talking to the Times Educational Supplement, he described a trip he made to an 'utterly deplorable' Muslim school in Leicester.

(continued)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1aAqgSZHV

Didn't he say as much way back when he made The Root of Evil?

[Clinton Huxley]

Might actually help if one could read the entire text of this interview and not just snippets extracted for effect...

Why? A quote is a quote isn't it?

"Why..quote...it?"

Sometimes.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

This is how Nazi Germany started.

I didn't know that! I'll have to read me some history some day. Maybe von Papen's memoirs for a starter?

Yes maybe that's a good idea. Read some Sartre at the same time (it'll expand you mind a bit).

Bullshit does make roses grow.

[Bella Fortuna]

Might actually help if one could read the entire text of this interview and not just snippets extracted for effect...

Why? A quote is a quote isn't it?

There's this magical concept called "context"...

[Exi5tentialist]

I suspect DAwkins has an even older dictionary than me.

Actually I suspect it's the OED on an iPhone, so there's no excuse really, is there?

Ah, well, there's a lot of supposition in this thread.

There is some supposition on both sides, I wouldn't say "a lot."

My suppositions are reasonable and based on evidence of Dawkins's previous behaviour as a confirmed islamophobic bigot. Others are based on blind faith in the man, and denying the evidence of his right-wing agenda.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Might actually help if one could read the entire text of this interview and not just snippets extracted for effect...

Why? A quote is a quote isn't it?

There's this magical concept called "context"...

Quote mining is much more friendly to fauxlosophy.

[Clinton Huxley]

I suspect DAwkins has an even older dictionary than me.

Actually I suspect it's the OED on an iPhone, so there's no excuse really, is there?

Ah, well, there's a lot of supposition in this thread.

There is some supposition on both sides, I wouldn't say "a lot."

My suppositions are reasonable and based on evidence of Dawkins's previous behaviour as a confirmed islamophobic bigot. Others are based on blind faith in the man, and denying the evidence of his right-wing agenda.

Lovely. But that is just more supposition.

[Jason]

Might actually help if one could read the entire text of this interview and not just snippets extracted for effect...

Why? A quote is a quote isn't it?

There's this magical concept called "context"...

Quote mining is much more friendly to fauxlosophy.

And one worders are much more popular with scientology types (you guys should merge).

[Exi5tentialist]

Read some Sartre at the same time (it'll expand you mind a bit).

Bullshit does make roses grow.

Oh so you think Sartre wrote bullshit? What in particular are you referring to?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

And one worders are much more popular with scientology types (you guys should merge).

"one worders"?

Never mind, it will be something silly.

[Jason]

Read some Sartre at the same time (it'll expand you mind a bit).

Bullshit does make roses grow.

Oh so you think Sartre wrote bullshit? What in particular are you referring to?

Sartre = Philosopher

In 'Zilla's mind philosophy = bullshit

Ergo anything Sartre wrote is bullshit.

Simple.

[Jason]

And one worders are much more popular with scientology types (you guys should merge).

"one worders"?

Never mind, it will be something silly.

Nah, I'm in the mood to tear someone apart. There are no easier targets than people who think philosophy is bullshit.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Sartre = Philosopher

In 'Zilla's mind philosophy = bullshit

Ergo anything Sartre wrote is bullshit.

Simple.

See, not hard at all.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Nah, I'm in the mood to tear someone apart. There are no easier targets than people who think philosophy is bullshit.

So, you like being laughed at? Fine, meet my dog.

[Exi5tentialist]

I suspect DAwkins has an even older dictionary than me.

Actually I suspect it's the OED on an iPhone, so there's no excuse really, is there?

Ah, well, there's a lot of supposition in this thread.

There is some supposition on both sides, I wouldn't say "a lot."

My suppositions are reasonable and based on evidence of Dawkins's previous behaviour as a confirmed islamophobic bigot. Others are based on blind faith in the man, and denying the evidence of his right-wing agenda.

Lovely. But that is just more supposition.

So either we make suppositions about what Dawkins meant by the word "alien rubbish" (referring to what muslim schools teach), or we must disregard it completely and pretend it doesn't say anything, because there are 4 conflicting definitions of the adjective "alien" and none of us can ask him which one he meant it to be. And even if we could ask him, we couldn't know if he was lying anyway, or if he was deluding himself, which I think he has a tendency to do.

Avoiding suppositions is what keeps people in ignorance and makes them vulnerable to bullies and oppressors. It is surprising that someone proposing a rational approach would want to do this - unless of course they took the side of the bully or the oppressor.