this post was submitted on 08 May 2024
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[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 5 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Remember that time he excused a woman getting sexually assaulted in an elevator by an Atheist, and he just shrugged it off as "A Muslim would have done worse" and claimed she was overreacting... haha... Dawkins is a piece of shit.

He has also argued for Non-Local Consciousness and claims to be a "Cultural Christian", so I wonder if he's even an Atheist anymore....

[–] tweeks@feddit.nl 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Do you have a source for that; what I could find in a quick Google about his statements on rape is his arguments on X is bad and Y is worse. Which is more of a logical argument, but this does not include "a Muslim would have done worse".

Quote by him: "Date rape is bad. Stranger rape at knifepoint is worse. If you think that's an endorsement of date rape, go away and learn how to think."

These statements are bound to be controversial as people might somehow interpret X is not bad as Y is worse. But I would disagree, this is more of a thought experiment in which you can always have a worse situation.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I absolutely do!

https://skepchick.org/2011/07/the-privilege-delusion/

https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/07/richard-dawkins-draws-feminist-wrath-over-sexual-harassment-comments/352530/

I understand he's a respected biologist and people like him for being one of the "Four Horseman of the New Atheist Movement" (Such an overly dramatic title), but he's a genuinely horrible human being.

[–] tweeks@feddit.nl 2 points 6 months ago

Interesting, thanks for sharing. It really does seem out of place to suddenly reference the suffering of Muslim women in this context.

He seems to elaborate in that he just thinks this case was an overreaction on the side of the woman who felt uneasy, but that of course is a different discussion. We're not comparing suffering here. I understand the negativity he seems to have brought up on himself better now.

[–] 01011@monero.town 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

If you were raised in "the West" then you are most likely passively "culturally Christian" too.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

True, but the thing, as I don't base my entire fucking identity around it to the point where I'm openly bragging about it, despite trying to be the figurehead of New Atheism (New Atheism and Atheism are different things)

[–] 01011@monero.town 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

We have to remember that "New Atheism" was/is largely a response to militant Islam and also demographic shift in western nations.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] 01011@monero.town 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

The whole New Atheist movement and cries of cultural xtianity came about due to the rise of militant Islam. They were appealing to a particular audience.

It was always “religion is bad but Islam is especially bad” from Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 2 points 6 months ago

Ah that, I guess that explains shit like Harris literally demanding a pre-emptive nuclear strike against Islam in his book The End of Faith

Whole thing was still cringe and I'm glad it seems to have lost in the end.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

claims to be a "Cultural Christian"

What does that even mean? If it includes "I put up Christmas lights" then I guess I'm a Christian too.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 2 points 6 months ago

You'll have to ask Dawkins, he's the one going around bragging about being one.