The Importance of Dialogue in a Secular Society
Secular Society, 28
th
July 2015
An Atheist at Christian Camp
The Importance of Dialogue
CU Summit 2015
Sermons and Talks
But What’s it all For?
Voltaire on Doubt
…with Context
“
Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty
is an absurd one
. What is most repellent in the
System of Nature
[d'Holbach]…is the audacity
with which it decides that there is no God,
without even having tried to prove the
impossibility.”
“Faith is the great cop-out,
the great excuse to evade
the need to think and
evaluate evidence. Faith is
belief in spite of, even
perhaps because of, the
lack of evidence...Faith is
not allowed to justify itself
by argument.” – Richard
Dawkins
Further Examples
Further Examples
Further Examples
We Must Live up to our Standards
•
Important beliefs should be based on reason
and evidence
•
It is not acceptable to believe things strongly
with sufficient evidence
•
Respect for science, scholarship, rigorous
inquiry
•
Curiosity, burning desire to know
•
Willingness to critique and question
everything – in a fair and appropriate manner
•
Intellectual humility in the face of uncertainty
Rationalist/Skeptic/Freethinker Values
•
Use arguments that are relevant and sound
•
Fact-check
•
Avoid straw-manning arguments
•
Be informed about relevant facts and views
•
Think through positions carefully
•
Strive to overcome our biases
As ‘Rationalists’, we need to…
Strawmen?
Strawmen?
If we are earnest about arriving at justified
beliefs about what is true concerning God,
morality, history, and meaning in life, then we
ought to take dialogue seriously.
The Bottom Line
We Need Better Dialogue
Interested in More of This?
•
Visit my
blog
The Godless Theist
fods12.wordpress.com
•
Get involved in my
discussion group
Dealing with Disagreement
An atheist shares insights on the importance of dialogue during a Christian camp event in 2015. The images and quotes highlight the value of rationalism, skepticism, and freethinking, emphasizing the need for evidence-based beliefs and intellectual humility amidst uncertainty. The content encourages critical thinking, respectful inquiry, and overcoming biases to foster thoughtful discussions in diverse contexts.
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Presentation Transcript
An Atheist at Christian Camp The Importance of Dialogue Secular Society, 28th July 2015
with Context Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one. What is most repellent in the System of Nature [d'Holbach] is the audacity with which it decides that there is no God, without even having tried to prove the impossibility.
Further Examples Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence...Faith is not allowed to justify itself by argument. Richard Dawkins
Rationalist/Skeptic/Freethinker Values Important beliefs should be based on reason and evidence It is not acceptable to believe things strongly with sufficient evidence Respect for science, scholarship, rigorous inquiry Curiosity, burning desire to know Willingness to critique and question everything in a fair and appropriate manner Intellectual humility in the face of uncertainty
As Rationalists, we need to Use arguments that are relevant and sound Fact-check Avoid straw-manning arguments Be informed about relevant facts and views Think through positions carefully Strive to overcome our biases
The Bottom Line If we are earnest about arriving at justified beliefs about what is true concerning God, morality, history, and meaning in life, then we ought to take dialogue seriously.
Interested in More of This? Visit my blog The Godless Theist fods12.wordpress.com Get involved in my discussion group Dealing with Disagreement
