Announcement about RDF Part 3.

[RuleBritannia]

How does RDF still have over four times the number of people logged on than this site?

[Boadacia!]

How does RDF still have over four times the number of people logged on than this site?

Rubber necker's I expect.

[Skinny Puppy]

My thoughts on the whole fiasco.

You’ve asked us to take time to understand the events, that’s fair enough. You’ve asked us to wait and see what unfolds and nor act like a pack, that too is understandable.

That’s fine and good judgment.

However, Richard hasn’t done that. He accepted his bum-boy’s sequence of events as true and has turned viciously against 85,000 people without substantiating his facts before he opened his big fat mouth.

He preached his dogmatic bullshit against the Christians for doing what he himself is now doing, making statements without full knowledge of the facts.
Yes you ask us to show restraint. Where is Richard’s restraint?

Why didn’t he investigate this matter, reserve his judgment until he knew what had actually transpired?
Why did he think we’d all turned against him without any logical reason?
Why did he viciously lash out at us?
Why, as a rational thinker and leading member of the atheist community, did he automatically side with Josh?
Why did he dismiss his hard working mods with nary a thought that they worked hard for him and had feelings too?
Why did he cherry pick?
Why has he has gone against everything he’d preached for years. He condemns the likes of Ray Comfort for putting out disinformation, yet follows in Ray’s very footsteps?

I could go on…

He has now shown that he is a man of little or no integrity as a human being. He has done a huge disservice to the very community that once was his strongest supportors.

He has written us off as malcontents and his site will be better off without us.

Yet, he gladly encouraged us, accepted our money for his foundation, was pleased when we bought his propaganda bullshit and supported him.

Fuck him! He deserves the same respect that I give to Christian fundamentalists that twist facts to suit their agenda.

He has played into the hands of the religious fanatics better than they could have ever hoped for in their wildest dreams.

When he learns what the word ‘truth’ means, I may respect him again, until then he can go fuck himself and take his foundation right into the camp of the religious fanatics. They’d love to have him.

He’s done severe and serious damage to the atheist community. He’s shown that his agenda is what is best for him, not what’s best for atheism.

The best I can say is the bastard can go to hell.

1 – He’s either too stupid to know what’s going on, if that’s the case, he shouldn’t be a leader in the atheist community.
2 – He’s lying and employing the same tricks that the Christians use to bamboozle their deluded and mindless followers.
3 – On his site he’s posted virile bullshit to make himself look like the injured party. He assumes that everyone is stupid and will believe his dogmatic bullshit without question.
4 –He seriously underestimated his loyal followers. He thinks we’re dispensable, sorry Richard; we don’t need you now or ever. We’ll survive because what we believe to be true doesn’t come from you; it comes from facts and having an open mind.

He and josh can live in their little world of make believe, what I’m waiting for is a video of Richard using a banana as an example of the disproof of god.

You don't know what is. There must be thousands of emails to go through in sorting this out. And isn't Richard still on a book tour? Look, maybe you're 100% right. But for now, give him time. Wait for him to get home. Wait for him to catch his breath. You don't know if he's had a chance to look at the other side yet.

Julie

Julie (if I may call you this)

Thank you for your wonderful video. It would have been nice to see your face, and I hope you'll give us a glimpse of the head, one day, which contains all your kindness. No joke.

You say that you're not a fan of Richard Dawkins. May I say that I think he is a fan of yours? I noted on the front pages that you two had some kind of connection, and I must say that it made Dawkins seem less of the ivory tower elitist idiot that he now seems intent on being. Thanks for softening the Dawk there.

Nice one, Julie. Kudos.

Sean Tyrer

Okay 3 things:

1. Just because Richard has been online doesn't mean that he's necessarily read the messages, especially if there are tons of them. Even if he has, it may be that he and the other staff are still trying to sort this out.

2. Yes, I am a fan of Richard Dawkins. I just meant in the video that my fandom is not making me blindly side with him. I even said that you guys could be 100% right. Moreover... and I'll say it for the googolplexth time... I simply DON'T KNOW.

3. Dawkins is a fan of mine? And that we have some kind of connection? I suspect you're confusing me with someone else. I don't know him any better than anybody else who's met him briefly and exchanged a total of 2 PMs with him. I am curious to know where you are getting this interpretation from.

Julie

Julie,

I understand where you’re coming from and while I don’t agree with you, I still respect your view.

My concern is Richard’s ‘Outrage’ post. I think that’s the name of it.

I would have gladly, really gladly given him the benefit of doubt and waited patiently had he not done that. I didn’t want to turn on him, call him names and so on.

Just days ago I was a huge fan of his! He was like an inspiration to me as to the epitome of what an atheist leader should be.

Had he stepped back, explained he was under a huge workload and asked us to be patient, let him have some time to get to the bottom of things, I would have happily acquiesced.

But no, he lives and breathes on every word that Josh tells him. He’s turned his back on reason and the scientific method and is doing what the creationists do; they see only a small view of the world and then trounce that out as reality.

He has severely damaged his reputation is the eyes of 10s of 1000s.

I know he’s only human and can make mistakes, but where I live for example we have a higher standard for people in trusted position, like our police force for example. They are dealt with heavier than the average citizen because they hold such public trust and it’s more of a crime when they betray that trust.

Richard too, has the trust of perhaps 100s of 1000s. He MUST be above the petty things that we as individuals do because he is such a leader and spokesman for the atheists.

He only has two choices now.

1 – Admit is was misinformed and offer to rectify things be explaining the true and honest course of events that took place on his forum. Yes, he can still have the forum his way, that’s accepted, but he must admit he didn’t research the events prior to firing-off his rant. He can then take the forum in its new direction with no bitching from us. I speak for myself, but I believe that most have indicated that he has the right to direct his forum as he sees fit.

2 – Continue to spread lies to make himself look like the hurt party and continue to shift the blame onto his 85,000 loyal (ex-loyal for some of us) followers. If he does that, his respect goes to zero!

[Mysturji]

Eh... did we ruin Rationalia for everyone else?

I'm really very sorry!

No, but you are making the place untidy.
Go see Katherine. She'll give you a broom.

[Crazyfrog]

I don't mean to be a devil's advocate.... but, do you all really think this is a PR disaster for Richard Dawkins? I mean - he's used to getting hounded by the press and various groups for much bigger things on a day to day basis. He does this kind of thing in his sleep! However much everyone might expect this is making him go 'oh shit, maybe I should rethink this decision'.... I honestly think he's done with it. I would guess he's trying to make sure his IT team is not too upset (sigh) and is able to continue with the task he has given them. So what if he has to talk to a few reporters and religious knobs about it... he does that all the time. In a few days it will be over for him... in all reality.

This is not about what's fair.... but that's what happens all the time right?

From the Telegraph:

“Christian groups have seized on the row as evidence that the Dawkins community is not as free-thinking as it makes out”.

Yes I do think it’s a PR disaster. Here is a high-profile, controversial figure that royally shafted his troops, and the bad smell is sure to follow Dawkins around for some while. At present the story’s just hit the dailies and blogosphere, but I suspect that articles will soon be appearing in New Scientist and other mags – probably with a social science slant so they can justify printing a juicy story.

[hackenslash]

“Christian groups have seized on the row as evidence that the Dawkins community is not as free-thinking as it makes out”.

I made a comment about that in my last video. WHoever made that comment is a complete numpty, and I pointed out why. How can it be said that, when we go separate ways, we are not free-thinking? Surely sticking around after being maltreated would have been less free-thinking than taking the bullshit by the horns and going our own way?

I invited the poster of that particular bit of comment to come and learn some critical thinking from us, because it doesn't exactly dispplay a high degree of critical thinking, now does it?

[HughMcB]

LIFE has devised a cunning way to regain deleted posts by fucknut Josh...

See thread.... http://www.rationalskepticism.org/viewt ... ?f=2&t=716

[NineOneFour]

I think that Richard has learnt the hard way that the customer is always right.

I don't think he's learned a damn thing.

[Bella Fortuna]

I think that Richard has learnt the hard way that the customer is always right.

I don't think he's learned a damn thing.

Totally agree there. He's demonstrated nothing but that he is completely entrenched in his unsupportable position, despite all evidence and information contrary to his views.

Gee, what does that sound like?

[RuleBritannia]

I think that Richard has learnt the hard way that the customer is always right.

I don't think he's learned a damn thing.

Maybe once he's finished his 21st century book burning he'll see that Will Durant was right, a great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.

[Crazyfrog]

“Christian groups have seized on the row as evidence that the Dawkins community is not as free-thinking as it makes out”.

I made a comment about that in my last video. WHoever made that comment is a complete numpty, and I pointed out why. How can it be said that, when we go separate ways, we are not free-thinking? Surely sticking around after being maltreated would have been less free-thinking than taking the bullshit by the horns and going our own way?

I invited the poster of that particular bit of comment to come and learn some critical thinking from us, because it doesn't exactly dispplay a high degree of critical thinking, now does it?

That’s just the start of the spin, and I’m sure it will come from both sides. Dawkins has already played an opening gambit – the initial “outrage” statement, which set his hitherto community up as sacrificial lambs in the quest for a new future.

Perhaps Dawkins wasn’t fed the whole truth, but he used the information for maximum advantage without bothering to check facts. And that hurts. One day we are useful to his branding, the next cast aside due to a change in strategy. I don’t like being used as a disposable tool in an effort to realise someone else’s “vision”.

[WhostolemyID]

Something has happened at the RD forums.....

The "Outraged" post by Dawkins has been removed, as far as I can see................


Why??

Edit:
No, it is still there, but it's been tucked away under "General Discussion", and the banner heading on the Forum main page has gone. Sweeping it under the carpet? Regrets? Or just some Admin bod "tidying up"? You decide!

[virphen]

Something has happened at the RD forums.....

The "Outraged" post by Dawkins has been removed, as far as I can see................


Why??

Edit:
No, it is still there, but it's been tucked away under "General Discussion", and the banner heading on the Forum main page has gone. Sweeping it under the carpet? Regrets? Or just some Admin bod "tidying up"? You decide!

Maybe he's realised how inaccurate it was.

One can hope.

[WhostolemyID]

Virphen, the post never existed.

Neither did mine, the one you quoted.

Neither do I any more... at least not here.

"We are not content with negative obedience, nor even with the most abject submission. When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will. We do not destroy the heretic because he resists us; so long as he resists us we never destroy him. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him. It is intolerable to us that an erroneous thought should exist anywhere in the world, however secret and powerless it may be." Orwell: 1984

[HughMcB]

Eh... did we ruin Rationalia for everyone else?

I'm really very sorry!

No, but you are making the place untidy.
Go see Katherine. She'll give you a broom.

Aw I hate cleaning up!