I love this guy's views. You really get the sense he's empathetic regarding people's views despite their "delusions". Dawkins would be mercilessly hammering his brand of atheism on their way to their deathbed. Sometimes it's OK to let people stay "plugged into their matrix", so to speak.
Unfortunately some people go further and decide to profit from other peoples delusions. What is easier to dispel a delusion or feed it? There is too much profit in keeping delusions alive, not just for profit but for security and comfort. Religious memes are powerful tools used to control and predict the behavior of others and self. A specific religious meme can essentially protect the host from other religious superstitions and memes, acting as a kind of inoculation against all thought viruses except the one inside the host mind.
@Jerf Hankell I agree with your viewpoint. We will all struggle to have an accurate mental model of reality. The complexity of living and the solipsistic nature of our experience opens up a vulnerability to exploitation that can either be closed by reason or exploited by religion. Erich Fromm wrote of this phenomenon in 'Escape from Freedom' in 1941. The mind is 16 billion neurons, incredibly complex and continuously surprising. It is so disheartening to encounter other minds that have self-inflicted a maligned viewpoint of reality to ease their experience of it, often at the expense of others (ie parents who teach their children about god before they have the ability to reject such an absurdly unfalsifiable claim).
I wish the people who are plugged into the matrix to stay in the matrix. But they shouldn't tell me what to do or what to think. That's what the atheists really want. Religious people come up to me and tell me how to live without any shame, and it often comes at the price of danger to life and also asking my money. Why does your god need my money?
I'll let people stay plugged into their matrix until they start trying to plug in others... If they're trying to teach their BS in schools, make laws based on it, convert people, etc. then fuck them, they aren't helping and are in fact doing the opposite.
@@DuckInGameStop I won't disagree with you there. Keep it out of schools and government. In addition, the dipshit creationists need to stop meddling with real science. I find that incredibly annoying.
The problem is, religion is often not an intellectual engagement. Even for otherwise rational people it can exists entirely within an emotional context. People can come into religion for entirely emotional means. This process bypasses the rational thought mechanisms. Because of this, its been shown that not only does education not lessen religiosity, but education can often times enhance religious zealotry. Unless we inoculate children to information before faith, education is not a cure.
i agree with Dennet, but i think education could be a lot harder task to accomplish than it seems: you need to have resources and not starve to be able to educate everyone - it can be tricky in this overpopulated planet...
Daniel Dennet- came across this researching stuff on religion and I find it very interesting. I can relate to a lot of what he is saying and can feel that he is really onto something.
Is there truly a way to do this though? I mean, I don't think it's realistic. I love the idea, but people would eventually turn it back into the same old shit.
Not only that, the originals text don't even have authors. The names Matthew, Mark and Luke were added later. John is thought to be written by The Apostle Paul. He had the agenda of spreading the "word" and benefiting from it, that why it is the only gospel that portrays Jesus as a "God" and the other don't.
@axsimulate Nothing makes me feel better than watching theists get schooled in the history of the bible by non-theists. Thank you. When ljackso stated, "The bible is the most authenticated book in history," I wondered where it's works cited section is located, where miracles have been duplicated under rigorous testing, etc. The worst college textbook is thousands more authentic than the bible. With ljackso's reasoning, since New York City exists, we are justified believing Spiderman is real.
Yeah, I totally understand that. I just might be slightly cynical about how well it would work. Especially when you factor in the indoctrinated parents and grand parents.
Not even conservative theologians claim that Luke and Mark were eye-witnesses to Jesus' life. As for Matthew, if it was written by a Galilean eye-witness, why is it in Greek? And why does it copy Mark word for word in many passages? Why does it share so many stories with Luke, which was definitely written by a Greek, if Matt was there and Luke wasn't? If John was an eye-witness, why does his Gospel have so little in common with the other three? Why did it appear last? Why didn't Paul mention it?
None of the gospels were written by anyone he knew or witnessed Jesus. That’s another lie of the ignorance of Christianity. If u read homers odyssey it is almost verbatim to the writings in the New Testament. There’s a great video of Richard c Miller and Dennis McDonald reading the Bible along with Homers odyssey. It’s obvious the New Testament is greatly influenced by earlier mythology.
“You will never see a spear making a spear. You will never see a horse shoe making a blacksmith. You will never see a pot making a potter.” -Dennett. Well, the spear tells who made it. The horse shoe tells you who the maker is. Now, you will never see a pot laughing--mocking in the hands of its Creator without getting broken(into small pieces) or thrown outside. Don’t you see this pile of disobedient pots by my side?
I am only saying what God said. He is the one who claims Creation and Holiness. If you have a problem take it up with Him. One day you will stand before Him and you can argue with Him then. Jesus Christ is LORD. Maranatha!
@ljackso Like I said, If you start questioning religion, you quickly find that what you know is nothing more the a single grain of sand in the ocean. You can hide your head in the sand by making excuses, apologetics or claiming the Bible has all the answers but it don't change reality.
@axsimulate : You think you have all the answers but you do not; (Proverbs 14:5-9 ) 5 A truthful witness does not deceive,but a false witness pours out lies. 6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. 7 Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,but the folly of fools is deception.9 Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.
@sweetooth87 Hey bro, just a quick comment that encouraging people to believe what ever they want to believe is dangerous. Its better to encourage rational honest thought, i mean imagine a whole group of people that thought that some ultimate power is urging them to take control of this sinful to set it right. Mathew 10:34 bro
@Wraithofvolsunga i agree that atheism is more reasonable (and thus perhaps more useful) system of beliefs (or disbeliefs). but religion is not only beliefs, it's also community bonding, rituals, traditions - something atheism doesn't really provide. and there's nothing wrong with holding certain things sacred (such as family, life, love etc.). i'm thinking of joining a religion that doesn't really care about beliefs that much, maybe not Asatru, but something closer to my roots ("Romuva") :)
@ljackso I know both sides, do you? I doubt it. One thing is for certain, if you never have a full picture of something, you will never fully understand it. I invite you to see religion from both sides so that you may get the full picture. But in order to do that, you must start asking tough questions about your faith. Such as "Where did the Bible come from?" or "If the Bible is the Word of God, how come there are at least 21 translations of it in english alone?" Why isn't there only one?
No they're not. It is a known fact that these gospels where written somewhere between 50-100 years after Jesus and John was approximately 100 years or more after. This is why John is so different than the other three. And the approximately 5000-9000 pieces of scripture that we have are still not even the originals, they are known to be copies of copies, etc., so the authenticity cannot be verified. Matthew is the oldest and it is generally thought that Mark and Luke copied from this one.
@asimpleinstrument "Too much education often leads to ugly pride." And, as in your case, too little education leads to foolishness. Read a few science books.
Religion isn't bad -- bad people are bad. There are bad atheists just as there are bad religious people. An atheist doesn't want religious people to influence their kids just like religious people don't want atheists to influence their kids. Who is right here? An atheist cannot prove how something can come from nothing, neither can a religious person. So, the choice is "NOT" made by facts -- but by faith in their own system of thinking.
@Wraithofvolsunga well, to be honest, i was sarcastic on that comment about going to Wicca. and i'm not christian either. i don't believe god or gods exist as we do. at most - gods are virtual characters dwelling in our minds, collective consciousness, myths and wherever. thanks for direction to Asatru - it's smth interesting to look into.
@axsimulate "Where did the Bible come from?" Parts of it came from the Hebrew Bible. Other parts appeared 50-70+ years after "Jesus". Where did the Hebrew Bible come from? Evidence shows the Hebrew Bible has a strong ties to Mesopotamian polytheism. Where did the Mesopotamian polytheism come from? Because so many cultures have similar Gods, just different names, we can reason it came from their lack of understanding the world around them. i.e. God of Lightening, Earth, Sky, Fire, Water, etc.
Well stated.... There has to be a separation of myth and fact.... Of the toxic and non toxic... That means the withering away of faiths based on mumbo jumbo, miracles, and enforcement of blind adherence...
You don't get it. It is all about religion. Christianity is the only religion that believes Jesus is God. Many other religions believe Christianity is a big lie. Who says your are right and they are wrong? What gives you the right to impose your beliefs on everybody else? Just re-read your post, and maybe, just maybe, you will see how absolute and arrogant your comment is.
First of all you are taking words out of the Bible that has no basis of fact. All you are going by is somebody else's word that the Bible is Gods word. And that person is going by somebody else's word and so on and so on. Nobody, not even Matthew, Luke, Mark and John were eyewitnesses. There is no evidence what so ever to back it up. Second you assume God exists. Because that is what faith is. "One day you will stand before Him and you can argue with Him then." Than again, maybe not.
@axsimulate : First of all, I don't think I have all the answers. If fact the more I know, the less I realized I do know.////This statement is good because it means there is still hope for you. I do not have the time to go into deep discussion as I am very busy this time of year. I will pray for you and ask God to reveal Himself to you. That He will open you spiritual eyes and ears to the Truth. God bless you.
@BelfastAtheist That is just what an imorral atheist would teach there children. How sad. Just tell a 5 year old to think on their own. Everyone has the answers the believers and the atheists they are all geniuses !!!! But I do think the atheists think they are smarter?
Nice try at diversion but it didn't work. You still didn't answer my questions. Are you afraid of something? Again I ask, Who says your are right and they are wrong? What gives you the right to impose your beliefs on everybody else?
@xsimulate : If it was about religion Jesus would not have been so hard on the Jewish religious leaders. He called them a pit of vipers. I didn't say Jesus was the only way to God, Jesus Himself said it. You have a very judgmental attitude yet you accuse me of being judgmental. There is only ONE true God and that is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If you have a problem with that take it up with God Himself. He is the one who said that He was the only true God. Maranatha!
@ljackso Hope for me? Maybe there is hope for you. Maybe if you would quit making excuses and peer behind the curtain of faith you would see religion for what it really is. Maybe you should asking "How do I know what I've been told about the Bible is true"? I know I did, and what I found out shook me to the core and took several years. Pray for me? Why? Do you feel sorry for me? Would you like for me to be saved? Guess what, I was. I was baptized years ago, when I believed in this nonsense.
@axsimulate: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were indeed personal witnesses to Jesus, His miracles, His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus was written about by several secular historians that had no religious bias. Your desire not to believe is your personal decision. The bible is the most authenticated book in history. I pray you will open your eyes and ears to the truth before it is too late. God does love you.
He just doesn't get it. It is NOT about religion but about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved. Jesus Christ is Lord. Maranatha!
Thanks to intelligent people like Daniel Dennett, the world just might have a chance of surviving.
I love this guy's views. You really get the sense he's empathetic regarding people's views despite their "delusions". Dawkins would be mercilessly hammering his brand of atheism on their way to their deathbed.
Sometimes it's OK to let people stay "plugged into their matrix", so to speak.
Unfortunately some people go further and decide to profit from other peoples delusions. What is easier to dispel a delusion or feed it? There is too much profit in keeping delusions alive, not just for profit but for security and comfort. Religious memes are powerful tools used to control and predict the behavior of others and self. A specific religious meme can essentially protect the host from other religious superstitions and memes, acting as a kind of inoculation against all thought viruses except the one inside the host mind.
@Jerf Hankell I agree with your viewpoint. We will all struggle to have an accurate mental model of reality. The complexity of living and the solipsistic nature of our experience opens up a vulnerability to exploitation that can either be closed by reason or exploited by religion. Erich Fromm wrote of this phenomenon in 'Escape from Freedom' in 1941. The mind is 16 billion neurons, incredibly complex and continuously surprising. It is so disheartening to encounter other minds that have self-inflicted a maligned viewpoint of reality to ease their experience of it, often at the expense of others (ie parents who teach their children about god before they have the ability to reject such an absurdly unfalsifiable claim).
I wish the people who are plugged into the matrix to stay in the matrix. But they shouldn't tell me what to do or what to think. That's what the atheists really want. Religious people come up to me and tell me how to live without any shame, and it often comes at the price of danger to life and also asking my money. Why does your god need my money?
I'll let people stay plugged into their matrix until they start trying to plug in others...
If they're trying to teach their BS in schools, make laws based on it, convert people, etc. then fuck them, they aren't helping and are in fact doing the opposite.
@@DuckInGameStop I won't disagree with you there. Keep it out of schools and government. In addition, the dipshit creationists need to stop meddling with real science. I find that incredibly annoying.
The problem is, religion is often not an intellectual engagement. Even for otherwise rational people it can exists entirely within an emotional context. People can come into religion for entirely emotional means. This process bypasses the rational thought mechanisms. Because of this, its been shown that not only does education not lessen religiosity, but education can often times enhance religious zealotry. Unless we inoculate children to information before faith, education is not a cure.
Incredible talk. It is true what Daniel says about the age of information. Knowledge is the erosion process of religious dogmas.
i agree with Dennet, but i think education could be a lot harder task to accomplish than it seems: you need to have resources and not starve to be able to educate everyone - it can be tricky in this overpopulated planet...
Daniel Dennet- came across this researching stuff on religion and I find it very interesting. I can relate to a lot of what he is saying and can feel that he is really onto something.
I'm so glad that people are optimistic :) it makes my heart warm and fuzzy
You really have to break the spell. So many have formed their identity on religion.
I LOVE THIS MAN! Bravo!
@a2tis i think every religion has its mistakes,,, but evolution of the mind to believe what makes you happy is the way to go, so good for you :)
Is there truly a way to do this though? I mean, I don't think it's realistic. I love the idea, but people would eventually turn it back into the same old shit.
Not only that, the originals text don't even have authors. The names Matthew, Mark and Luke were added later. John is thought to be written by The Apostle Paul. He had the agenda of spreading the "word" and benefiting from it, that why it is the only gospel that portrays Jesus as a "God" and the other don't.
I agree !00 % with this man.
Nice video, thanks for posting.
@axsimulate
Nothing makes me feel better than watching theists get schooled in the history of the bible by non-theists. Thank you. When ljackso stated, "The bible is the most authenticated book in history," I wondered where it's works cited section is located, where miracles have been duplicated under rigorous testing, etc. The worst college textbook is thousands more authentic than the bible. With ljackso's reasoning, since New York City exists, we are justified believing Spiderman is real.
Amen!
Yeah, I totally understand that. I just might be slightly cynical about how well it would work. Especially when you factor in the indoctrinated parents and grand parents.
Not even conservative theologians claim that Luke and Mark were eye-witnesses to Jesus' life. As for Matthew, if it was written by a Galilean eye-witness, why is it in Greek? And why does it copy Mark word for word in many passages? Why does it share so many stories with Luke, which was definitely written by a Greek, if Matt was there and Luke wasn't? If John was an eye-witness, why does his Gospel have so little in common with the other three? Why did it appear last? Why didn't Paul mention it?
None of the gospels were written by anyone he knew or witnessed Jesus. That’s another lie of the ignorance of Christianity. If u read homers odyssey it is almost verbatim to the writings in the New Testament. There’s a great video of Richard c Miller and Dennis McDonald reading the Bible along with Homers odyssey. It’s obvious the New Testament is greatly influenced by earlier mythology.
logic squared , finally someone who found the egg of columbus , all hope is not yet lost
Such an irony he was named Daniel.... "God is my judge".
“You will never see a spear making a spear. You will never see a horse shoe making a blacksmith. You will never see a pot making a potter.” -Dennett.
Well, the spear tells who made it. The horse shoe tells you who the maker is. Now, you will never see a pot laughing--mocking in the hands of its Creator without getting broken(into small pieces) or thrown outside. Don’t you see this pile of disobedient pots by my side?
If pots are laughing at you, then your mind is lost.
You cannot show a religious person facts that contradict the myths they believe true. You would be more successful teaching a sloth to breakdance
I am only saying what God said. He is the one who claims Creation and Holiness. If you have a problem take it up with Him. One day you will stand before Him and you can argue with Him then. Jesus Christ is LORD. Maranatha!
@ljackso
Like I said, If you start questioning religion, you quickly find that what you know is nothing more the a single grain of sand in the ocean. You can hide your head in the sand by making excuses, apologetics or claiming the Bible has all the answers but it don't change reality.
@axsimulate : You think you have all the answers but you do not; (Proverbs 14:5-9 ) 5 A truthful witness does not deceive,but a false witness pours out lies.
6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. 7 Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,but the folly of fools is deception.9 Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.
@sweetooth87 Hey bro, just a quick comment that encouraging people to believe what ever they want to believe is dangerous. Its better to encourage rational honest thought, i mean imagine a whole group of people that thought that some ultimate power is urging them to take control of this sinful to set it right.
Mathew 10:34 bro
@itzahazylife This was pretty well said, i agree.
@Wraithofvolsunga
i agree that atheism is more reasonable (and thus perhaps more useful) system of beliefs (or disbeliefs). but religion is not only beliefs, it's also community bonding, rituals, traditions - something atheism doesn't really provide. and there's nothing wrong with holding certain things sacred (such as family, life, love etc.).
i'm thinking of joining a religion that doesn't really care about beliefs that much, maybe not Asatru, but something closer to my roots ("Romuva") :)
@ljackso
I know both sides, do you? I doubt it. One thing is for certain, if you never have a full picture of something, you will never fully understand it. I invite you to see religion from both sides so that you may get the full picture. But in order to do that, you must start asking tough questions about your faith. Such as "Where did the Bible come from?" or "If the Bible is the Word of God, how come there are at least 21 translations of it in english alone?" Why isn't there only one?
beautiful words! However, in some countries this process could take centauries :(
No they're not. It is a known fact that these gospels where written somewhere between 50-100 years after Jesus and John was approximately 100 years or more after. This is why John is so different than the other three. And the approximately 5000-9000 pieces of scripture that we have are still not even the originals, they are known to be copies of copies, etc., so the authenticity cannot be verified. Matthew is the oldest and it is generally thought that Mark and Luke copied from this one.
@asimpleinstrument "Too much education often leads to ugly pride." And, as in your case, too little education leads to foolishness. Read a few science books.
Santa is saying things that are making baby Jesus cry:(
Religion isn't bad -- bad people are bad. There are bad atheists just as there are bad religious people. An atheist doesn't want religious people to influence their kids just like religious people don't want atheists to influence their kids. Who is right here? An atheist cannot prove how something can come from nothing, neither can a religious person. So, the choice is "NOT" made by facts -- but by faith in their own system of thinking.
@Wraithofvolsunga
well, to be honest, i was sarcastic on that comment about going to Wicca. and i'm not christian either. i don't believe god or gods exist as we do. at most - gods are virtual characters dwelling in our minds, collective consciousness, myths and wherever.
thanks for direction to Asatru - it's smth interesting to look into.
@axsimulate
"Where did the Bible come from?"
Parts of it came from the Hebrew Bible. Other parts appeared 50-70+ years after "Jesus".
Where did the Hebrew Bible come from?
Evidence shows the Hebrew Bible has a strong ties to Mesopotamian polytheism.
Where did the Mesopotamian polytheism come from?
Because so many cultures have similar Gods, just different names, we can reason it came from their lack of understanding the world around them. i.e. God of Lightening, Earth, Sky, Fire, Water, etc.
What's wrong with that interviewer's face? What a monster!
Well stated.... There has to be a separation of myth and fact.... Of the toxic and non toxic...
That means the withering away of faiths based on mumbo jumbo, miracles, and enforcement of blind adherence...
@a2tis why wicca?! why trade one pile of rubish for another?
@a2tis ....Try Buddhism, it's in touch with the universe in effect, eternal laws and all that, not so much concentration on sin of humanity
pretty sure i saw jeff hawkins in the background
Yep!
That's an argument for Creationism, ladies and germs
@gknapier Yes we do! He has three grandchildren. That is good news.
3:54 enforced ignorance...classic
Mr. Dennett looks like santa claus.
There is no argument for creationism.
You don't get it. It is all about religion. Christianity is the only religion that believes Jesus is God. Many other religions believe Christianity is a big lie. Who says your are right and they are wrong? What gives you the right to impose your beliefs on everybody else? Just re-read your post, and maybe, just maybe, you will see how absolute and arrogant your comment is.
Hopefully, religion, and other ideologies, have no future.
First of all you are taking words out of the Bible that has no basis of fact. All you are going by is somebody else's word that the Bible is Gods word. And that person is going by somebody else's word and so on and so on. Nobody, not even Matthew, Luke, Mark and John were eyewitnesses. There is no evidence what so ever to back it up.
Second you assume God exists. Because that is what faith is.
"One day you will stand before Him and you can argue with Him then."
Than again, maybe not.
@axsimulate : First of all, I don't think I have all the answers. If fact the more I know, the less I realized I do know.////This statement is good because it means there is still hope for you. I do not have the time to go into deep discussion as I am very busy this time of year. I will pray for you and ask God to reveal Himself to you. That He will open you spiritual eyes and ears to the Truth. God bless you.
@BelfastAtheist That is just what an imorral atheist would teach there children. How sad. Just
tell a 5 year old to think on their own. Everyone has the answers the believers and the atheists they
are all geniuses !!!! But I do think the atheists think they are smarter?
1:12 lol at that woman xD
Nice try at diversion but it didn't work. You still didn't answer my questions. Are you afraid of something?
Again I ask, Who says your are right and they are wrong? What gives you the right to impose your beliefs on everybody else?
@xsimulate : If it was about religion Jesus would not have been so hard on the Jewish religious leaders. He called them a pit of vipers. I didn't say Jesus was the only way to God, Jesus Himself said it. You have a very judgmental attitude yet you accuse me of being judgmental. There is only ONE true God and that is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If you have a problem with that take it up with God Himself. He is the one who said that He was the only true God. Maranatha!
@ljackso
Hope for me? Maybe there is hope for you. Maybe if you would quit making excuses and peer behind the curtain of faith you would see religion for what it really is. Maybe you should asking "How do I know what I've been told about the Bible is true"? I know I did, and what I found out shook me to the core and took several years.
Pray for me? Why? Do you feel sorry for me? Would you like for me to be saved?
Guess what, I was. I was baptized years ago, when I believed in this nonsense.
@a2tis Why "move to wicca"? Why not just give up superstition and live in the world of reality with the other adults?
@BelfastAtheist Your a F**ing genius !!!
@axsimulate: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were indeed personal witnesses to Jesus, His miracles, His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus was written about by several secular historians that had no religious bias. Your desire not to believe is your personal decision. The bible is the most authenticated book in history. I pray you will open your eyes and ears to the truth before it is too late. God does love you.
Such a gentle and kindhearted man.
Too bad he's going to hell.
He just doesn't get it. It is NOT about religion but about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved. Jesus Christ is Lord. Maranatha!
LOL!
@a2tis welcome to paganism :)
sounds just like a replay of Communism,,, can't we learn from the 20th century
His ignorance on the topic is there for anyone to see. Yet people still think he has a right to his opinions. I suppose it's the beard.