Richard Dawkins the arch-atheist backs Michael Gove's free Bible plan

Nard DogNard Dog Posts: 1,193
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/may/19/richard-dawkins-backs-free-bible

Just from a literature pov but not moral (as MP Gove seems to think is imperative)

"While Gove believes the Bible is a guide to morality, Dawkins is sure it is not. "I have heard the cynically misanthropic opinion that without the Bible as a moral compass people would show no restraint against murder, theft and mayhem. The surest way to disabuse yourself of this pernicious falsehood is to read the Bible itself," he says.

In fact, its pages are riddled with the advocacy of murder, slavery and theft. Hence his support for Gove's plan: opening the Bible is the surest way to put young minds off its contents. From this perspective, the Dawkins-Gove alliance looks dead before it started."


Is this a good plan and should children seek moral guidance from the bible?
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Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    No they should seek moral guidance from their parents. I have no problem with everyone reading the bible - its a work of fiction though so as a guide to how you should live is worse than useless. ESPECIALLY as no-one can agree HOW it actually says you SHOULD live.

    I am a strong advocate of children being brought up by their parents - the ones who SHOULD be responsible for their moral and physical wellbeing.

    As to the bible, I found it rather dull. Apart from Leviticus which is always good for a laugh, and revelations which is even funnier - AND has spawned some silly but enjoyable movies. :)
  • lordOfTimelordOfTime Posts: 22,267
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    I seek moral guidance from my parents who seek theirs from the Bible. :p
  • netcurtainsnetcurtains Posts: 23,494
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    I remember my entire school recieving a free gideon bible, they all ended up in the lake in the park opposite the school. Kids have zero interest in reading the bible.
    As an aside, I don't know who I loathe more, Dawkins or Gove.
  • lordOfTimelordOfTime Posts: 22,267
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    I can see Dawkins rubbing his hands with glee at this. And if it turns Atheists into religionists I've got a mental picture in my head of him scrunching up the paper in the bin and going "Oh Bugger!!" :D:D:D
  • lordOfTimelordOfTime Posts: 22,267
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    I remember my entire school recieving a free gideon bible, they all ended up in the lake in the park opposite the school. Kids have zero interest in reading the bible.
    As an aside, I don't know who I loathe more, Dawkins or Gove.

    Perhaps they could have gone to someone who wanted to read them rather than thrown away to waste. :o
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    lordOfTime wrote: »
    I can see Dawkins rubbing his hands with glee at this. And if it turns Atheists into religionists I've got a mental picture in my head of him scrunching up the paper in the bin and going "Og Bugger!!" :D:D:D

    I think its unlikely to turn athiests into religionists. I doubt it will do much at all to be honest. How many people who get these free bibles will actually read them I wonder?

    And how many will end up in a lake ;)
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,981
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    The King James Bible is pretty much co-temporaneous with the works of Shakespeare and together form a pinnacle of English literature and language.............
  • lordOfTimelordOfTime Posts: 22,267
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    Lizzy11268 wrote: »
    I think its unlikely to turn athiests into religionists. I doubt it will do much at all to be honest. How many people who get these free bibles will actually read them I wonder?

    And how many will end up in a lake ;)

    See I don't particularly mind what people make of it because people will inevitibaly make up their own minds but when people don't have enough respect to not throw them in lakes or not even burn them... that's what gets me. :)
  • netcurtainsnetcurtains Posts: 23,494
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    lordOfTime wrote: »
    Perhaps they could have gone to someone who wanted to read them rather than thrown away to waste. :o

    That's young teenagers for you, one throws their bible into the lake and before you know it, there's 500 of them floating along.
  • Nard DogNard Dog Posts: 1,193
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    The KJV is badly laid out, archaic in language and a nightmare to read.

    No children will read it.
  • netcurtainsnetcurtains Posts: 23,494
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    Nard Dog wrote: »
    The KJV is badly laid out, archaic in language and a nightmare to read.

    No children will read it.

    Shakespeare is a much better read.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    lordOfTime wrote: »
    See I don't particularly mind what people make of it because people will inevitibaly make up their own minds but when people don't have enough respect to not throw them in lakes or not even burn them... that's what gets me. :)

    Well I would never burn the Bible. Not because its the bible but because I'm against the burning of books in general.
  • Nard DogNard Dog Posts: 1,193
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    Shakespeare is a much better read.

    Again, unreadable for children
  • lordOfTimelordOfTime Posts: 22,267
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    That's young teenagers for you, one throws their bible into the lake and before you know it, there's 500 of them floating along.

    I guess it was the inthing to do in those days. :p
  • HogzillaHogzilla Posts: 24,116
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    No-one should be living their lives according to texts from another continent and hundreds or thousands of years ago. It's nuts.

    Children should be taught to think for themselves. I don't mind my kids playing Grand Theft Auto, or Red Dead Redemption but I would object to them having the endless rapes, murders, misogynism, cruelty to animals, and violence of the bible thrust down their throats.
  • Chester666666Chester666666 Posts: 9,020
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    The bible is rubbish and not all parents are good people
    For example my parents are assholes
  • lordOfTimelordOfTime Posts: 22,267
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    Hogzilla wrote: »
    No-one should be living their lives according to texts from another continent and hundreds or thousands of years ago. It's nuts.

    Children should be taught to think for themselves. I don't mind my kids playing Grand Theft Auto, or Red Dead Redemption but I would object to them having the endless rapes, murders, misogynism, cruelty to animals, and violence of the bible thrust down their throats.

    Nuts. :D:D:D
  • netcurtainsnetcurtains Posts: 23,494
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    Nard Dog wrote: »
    Again, unreadable for children

    Not really, I started reading Shakespeare at 11, you don't have to understand every word to get the general gist. If you don't read something challenging you'll get bored. I remember the first time I read A Clockwork Orange, I was wtf until I read it a couple more times.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    The bible is rubbish and not all parents are good people
    For example my parents are assholes

    My mother is. My dad died a long time ago sadly, he was the only one who made her "normal".

    Me, I would consider myself a reasonable parent. No parent is perfect. Well, actually their dad is pretty perfect. Its why I married him.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    lordOfTime wrote: »
    Nuts. :D:D:D

    You read nuts? :eek:
  • netcurtainsnetcurtains Posts: 23,494
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    lordOfTime wrote: »
    I guess it was the inthing to do in those days. :p

    We paid the price and had to endure a very long assembly the following morning!
  • CLL DodgeCLL Dodge Posts: 115,630
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    Lizzy11268 wrote: »
    I think its unlikely to turn athiests into religionists. I doubt it will do much at all to be honest. How many people who get these free bibles will actually read them I wonder?

    And how many will end up in a lake ;)

    If there were no bibles they'd be virtually no Christians. Word of mouth can only go so far.
  • lordOfTimelordOfTime Posts: 22,267
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    We paid the price and had to endure a very long assembly the following morning!

    :D

    But I bet you didn't have to pay for them. ;)
  • peonpeon Posts: 1,671
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    moral guidance. from yoda i seek.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    peon wrote: »
    moral guidance. from yoda i seek.

    So do a lot of people. Its a religion in itself ;)
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