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dennettdawkins

Is the Internet the End of Religion?

Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett, half of the “Four Horsemen of New Atheism,” recently indulged an Oxford audience with an hour-long conversation about the “evolution” of religion. The two are among the most outspoken intellectuals currently arguing that religions are more or less evolving things that “trick” adherents into beliefs for their own selfish purposes.

Dawkins, a prominent biologist and author of The God Delusion, coined the word “meme” in 1976 to posit a gene-like unit of culture that can replicate and mutate, and thereby evolve. Daniel Dennett took this theory up in his 2006 book Breaking the Spell, and has long advocated for a post-religious world.

A taping of the event just went up on YouTube, and it is full of armchair speculations, vague references to scientific studies, and good-natured ribbing of religious ignorance.

Continue reading at www.religiondispatches.org
 
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  • Robert De Leon

    As any other atheist these two people will have to stand before the One they say they don't believe in (and they are to close). Of course, we believers as well.
    Internet has two edges. One for the worst (pornography as an example) and the other for the best (spreading the Gospel and human goodness). I stay for the last one.
    Robert.

    • daves

      I hope for the elimination of religion so we can all get back to praising Jesus.

      • Robert De Leon

        Daves:
        Elimination of religion? You mean to eliminate Jesus? It's the same for He established His Church upon St. Peter's Rock's
        Robert.

        • daves

          And what is the name of that church today?

          • Robert De Leon

            Daves:
            The only one founded by God, the Christian Catholic Church, of course. The rest of "churches" were founded by simple and fallible men.
            Robert.

          • Vladimir

            Don't forget about the great apostasy and the end of the authority of Christ's Church on the earth after the apostles died off. That was the "falling away" before His return as recorded in Thessalonians. The Catholic Church has done fairly well considering it has been guided by simple and fallible men (and sometimes women) for about 1700 years now.

    • Bob

      Why is it that atheist are always fighting someone they do not believe in, or say does not exist? If you do not belive, or think someone does not exist, I fail to send the need for them to fight.

  • nelson smallenbarger

    i know i was healed of tb and felt the power go down my head to the bottom of my feet. when two people prayed for me.

  • Evermyrtle

    Dawkins and Dennett will both stand before GOD The will also confess HIM on bended knee. What a day that will be.

    Is 45: 22-23
    22. Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am GOD, and there is none else.
    23. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. that unto me, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

    Philippians 2:9-11
    9. Wherefore GOD also, has highly exalted HIM, and given HIM a name which is above every name;
    10. That at the name of JESUS every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
    11. And that every tongue shall confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER.

    If the do not confess before this time, it will be too late to be saved by confessing.

  • msjallen

    _Those who reject Christ are afraid of having interferers in their lives. There is great lack of authority orientation in our world today. The Word of God is our authority and arrogance does not want to accept His authority. They choice the relative over the absolute doctrines from the Word of God. They chose the here and now rather than the eternal life. Their pursuit of the details of life is more important than an eternal future. They choice their own ideas instead of God’s way. Many people make excuses like “I don’t believe in God, I don’t see God, I don’t rationally understand how a God could exist, I am an evolutionist or a pantheist or a Buddhist or there is no God”. Those are excuses; they are not the reasons. The reason for people rejecting the way of salvation is because they simply don’t want interference in their lives. Continued…

  • msjallen

    Continued from last post regarding Atheist.
    What a terrible trade out that is. A few years of earthly pleasure of doing it your own way and rejecting the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and take the 70 or 80 years of your life and compare it to eternity. The details of life are more important than an eternal future. What kind of fools are they? It is simply about them, nothing else.

  • aceituna

    Not everyone who denys God exists, do so for the reason given by msjallen, but many arrogant self-centered athiests do. Some are just misinformed and can be swayed. We need to find them and witness to them. On judgement day everyone will have to acknowledge that Jesus is LORD, but then it will be too late for them to acknowledge Jesus as their Savior. They will find themselves at the "left hand of Jesus" and hear the words, "Depart from me and go to the place reserved for the devil and his angels."

  • John J Flanagan

    With or without the internet, the number of true believers in Jesus Christ will always be small, a remnant kept together by the grace of God. In the end times, more people professing the Christian faith will fall away, their faith having been convenient and superficial, but not real, not sanctified, not sincere, and it will be known that they worshipped the world instead.

  • millergroup2

    God stated that his word will never pass away. Ignore the atheist, their time is short and their religion will most certainly soon fade away, just like all the others. Besides, I take great offense to having my ancestor granddaddy called an APE :-)

  • Marilyn

    Religion will disappear because Jesus Christ is not a religion, He is a relationship. Without a relationship with Jesus Christ a person cannot go to heaven. By the way, I disagree that the Catholic church is the only Christian church! Jesus Christ is the Rock the church was founded on not Peter! Find the correct answer in the Hebrew language. God bless all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord!

  • Vladimir

    From the title, "Is the Internet the End of Religion?" Of course it will be, just as the invention of the printing press was.

    • Dandy

      Just as the printing press was the 'end' of the catholic church monopoly on religion. Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (from religion). It's much easier now to find the Truth on the internet. LoveWins.us

      • Vladimir

        That's not exactly the meaning of that passage, Dandy.

  • keyboardshark

    On the contrary, the increase of information on the internet will lead to the downfall of evolutionary dogma and atheism, not Christianity. When the ideas of secular atheists are placed out in the marketplace of free thought alongside the truths of the Bible, the secular ideas will all be shown to be wanting.

    For example, here is a video of a debate between a creationist, Dr. Kent Hovind vs evolutionist Dr. James Paulson, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpbny2tipr8&fe

    And there are many more like it.

  • irishenforcer

    Organized religion has attempted to destroy the true message of YHWH and YAHSHUA since the beginning.Men would rather follow dogmas and doctrines of man than of YHWH.People need to wake up and realize this.You argue and debate over which religion is correct when they all are wrong.

  • Vladimir

    Oh, those rascally organized religionists. How dare they attempt to destroy the true message. Grab your pitchforks and your hoes. On second thought leave the hoes alone and grab your rakes. I don't care if the rakes want to stay with the hoes, we need everyone.

  • red nig

    I've two cousins who are bios, and they think Dawkins was delusional. Yep, since graduating, they've become Christians. One graduated 30 years ago, the other 10. As Dawkins never won a debate against a Christian, I find it difficult to believe anyone with a modicum of intelligence would still take him seriously, but, there are always those who prefer urban legends to reality. Too many alligators in their crack pipe?

  • ultramediacorp

    Religion is an anvil that has wore out more hammers over the thousands of years it has been around and it will out live those two hammer heads Dennet and the Zoo Keeper Dawkins.

    It will out last them and In spite of their fringe army of groupies and knowitalls who think they are the Philospher Kings of Science in a hate mongering and bigoted religion of their own called,,

    atheism