Comments on The Pensive Quill: Religious Opinion Against Rights

Religious Opinion Against Rights Alfie, ‘Hawking...

2010-10-03T15:12:38.749+01:00

Religious Opinion Against Rights

Alfie,

‘Hawking argues that, because there are physical laws such as gravity, the universe can create itself from nothing. Quinn and Waters heap scorn on this
argument, with Quinn calling it a "cheap magician's trick" because
Hawking doesn't explain how physical laws can exist in the first place.’

I think this argument happens all the time. The god thing is pushed back further and further in time and is squeezed in somewhere before the big bang, a ‘god of the gaps’ type explanation. If that ends up the only place for a god – apart from the e coli bacteria where they are now finding evidence of god’s existence! – it will have no relevance on the lives of others: no interventionist god, no basis for intrusive religion.

‘To my mind, though, it seems more plausible that a simple set of
physical laws pre-existed the universe rather than an infinitely complex,
infinitely intelligent deity.’

This is so lucid in its simplicity that why people don’t get to grips with it amazes me. Instead they try to get into this irreducible complexity which throws up the very problems it is meant to solve.

Will read the Myers piece and the critique. Thanks for linking. It amazes me that there is still a flat earth mentality toward evolution. The intelligent theologians accept evolution as a fact and it does not erode their religious belief. Myers argument is the old Boeing 747 emerging from a scrapheap. Total failure as you show to engage with even the most basic of evolutionary concepts.

Anthony, there has been a bit of pseudoscientific ...

2010-09-28T00:50:49.101+01:00

Anthony, there has been a bit of pseudoscientific pontification by right-wing journalists recently. First of all, David Quinn and John Waters both wrote fairly similar and equally tenuous pieces criticising Stephen Hawking. In excerpts from his forthcoming book, Hawking argues that, because there are physical laws such as gravity, the universe can create itself from nothing. Quinn and Waters heap scorn on this argument, with Quinn calling it a "cheap magician's trick" because Hawking doesn't explain how physical laws can exist in the first place. To my mind, though, it seems more plausible that a simple set of physical laws prexisted the universe rather than an infinitely complex, infinitely intelligent deity.
Also our old friend Kevin Myers wrote an absolutely daft piece decrying 'evolutionism' and even questioning whether evolution itself is a credible explanation for how complex life emerged. He seems to think that the theory of evolution implies that the gradual emergence of complex chemicals and organisms is like "putting 140 pounds of mince into a huge mixer, churning them around for a million years and expecting Einstein to result." His attitude betrays a complete misunderstanding of the biological law of natural selection; though some chance is involved in the random mutations of organisms as they reproduce, organisms which thrive are naturally and unconcsiously selected over those which don't. It is not a mince mixer and to say so is a straw man. He also doesn't seem to know that complex chemicals like amino acids can form via natural chemical reactions from simpler compounds. And just because scientists don't YET know how nucleic acids were formed (yetology, according to Myers) doesn't mean that trust in science is somehow akin to religious belief; we have a wealth of scientific history of past discoveries to justify the belief that science will eventually find a rational and unsupernatural explanation. Anyway, for a better, fuller refutation of Myers's article, check out this piece: http://myblog.rsynnott.com/2010/09/kevin-myers-blinded-me-with.html

Dog backwards is god hon and live is evil!!!

2010-09-26T19:32:21.661+01:00

Dog backwards is god hon and live is evil!!!

Marty, I'm sure he has the odd dekko at the &#...

2010-09-26T18:05:12.246+01:00

Marty, I'm sure he has the odd dekko at the 'Quill'.

Marty Mc Guinness is lining him up to come 'here' in 2012. You could do your Braveheart then, well providing Marie lets you out?

Albert wants to know is 'dog' a euphemism for toyboy?

Do you think Benny the bad has the odd gander at t...

2010-09-26T17:52:17.409+01:00

Do you think Benny the bad has the odd gander at the quill hon, oh goody maybe I,ll get excommunicated for a crimbo pressie,anyway F5 trumps 503 so nah nah!do yer damnest Bennyboy if I was wearing a kilt I,d do the Bravehaert hello!

Nuala, Divine intervention equals 503 you think!! ...

2010-09-26T16:22:46.347+01:00

Nuala, Divine intervention equals 503 you think!! Marty the devil's fault.

I think some people have a religious like devotion to football. They react to any criticism of their team in the same way that cults react to criticism.

Those 503 errors were not coming up until Marty st...

2010-09-26T16:10:11.667+01:00

Those 503 errors were not coming up until Marty started saying all that stuff about the Pope!

Mackers, do you think that football has become a f...

2010-09-26T16:07:56.645+01:00

Mackers, do you think that football has become a form of religion?

People tend to follow it relentlessly and hang on to every word these overpriced, over inflated ego's dribble (no pun intended'

Marty was sort of thinking that as I wrote the com...

2010-09-26T14:32:02.542+01:00

Marty was sort of thinking that as I wrote the comment

Now had ya said Alex Ferguson Anthony I might have...

2010-09-26T13:53:35.744+01:00

Now had ya said Alex Ferguson Anthony I might have disagreed lol,

Marty, society is becoming more secular and it i...

2010-09-26T12:33:14.410+01:00

Marty,

society is becoming more secular and it is a welcome thing. Religion can exist in a secular society like other belief systems but it should never be allowed to intrude in people's lives. In terms of prescribing moral codes it should have all the authority of a soccer club. Why should I or anybody else feel obligated listen to Fernando Torres telling us how we should live?

Well said Anthony,thank f##k people are now thinki...

2010-09-26T12:14:55.255+01:00

Well said Anthony,thank f##k people are now thinking for themselves and making their own minds up on the drivel that we have been fed over the generations,when we have examples of politicans in the republic telling the church to butt out of the matters of state, its a good indicator that at last we are moving in right direction.