Richard Dawkins to Atheists: ‘ridicule’, ‘show contempt’ for people of faith
Richard Dawkins called on atheists to “ridicule and show contempt” toward religious people at a Reason Rally in Washington this week. The event, billed as the “largest gathering of the secular movement in world history”, had thousands of non-believers and speakers (Bill Maher, California Rep. Pete Stark)
British scientist and vocal Atheist Richard Dawkins was the headliner — kept a crowd of all ages on their feet for more than six hours:
I don’t despise religious people. I despise what they stand for …
Evolution is not just true, it’s beautiful …
“There are too many people in this country who have been cowed into fear of coming out as atheists, secularists or agnostics. We are far more numerous than anybody realizes.”
“This country was not built on religion and God,” said another of the day’s speaker, Michael Shermer, a self-defined “skeptic” and columnist for the respected Scientific American magazine. “It was built on reason.”
“God fixation won’t fix our nation, because nothing fails like prayer,” added Annie Laurie Gaylor of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is contesting Pennsylvania’s declaration of 2012 as “the year of the Bible.”
- Friendly atheist blogger Hemant Mehta urged people to run for office, any post from school board to Congress to dogcatcher.
- Greta Christina, author of Why Are You Atheists So Angry?,attacked every major faith, even the teachings of the Dalai Lama. In a long litany of what makes her angry, she got all the way back to Galileo (overlooking the modern Catholic Church’s restoration of his reputation).
- Adam Savage, co-host of Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel, said there really is someone who loves and protects him and watches over his actions — “It’s me!”
Mar. 23, 2012 – Richard Dawkins spoke with The Washington Post’s Sally Quinn about the upcoming Reason Rally, a gathering of atheists, agnostics and non-believers, that will take place on the National Mall on Saturday. (The Washington Post)
