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From: Martin Harran <martinharran@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: talk.origins
Subject: Re: Dawkins the 'Cultural Christian'
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:14:32 +0100
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On Sat, 13 Apr 2024 08:48:28 -0700, erik simpson
<eastside.erik@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 4/13/24 3:59 AM, Ernest Major wrote:
>> On 12/04/2024 13:06, Martin Harran wrote:
>>> On Thu, 11 Apr 2024 22:20:46 -0600, Pro Plyd
>>> <invalide@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Martin Harran wrote:
>>>>> On Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:36:22 +0100, Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Martin Harran <martinharran@gmail.com> writes:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Dawkins has blamed religion for most of the evil in the world and has
>>>>>>> described teaching religion to children as worse than sexual abuse.
>>>>>>> Beats me how he can see "cultural" benefit in something so bad. Mind
>>>>>>> you, he has come out with some rather weird views in recent years.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I should think he does it by cherry picking which bits of the bible to
>>>>>> pay attention to, which is what Christians do too, but different bits.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've read quite a bit of Dawkins over the years, he's one of my
>>>>> favourite *science* writers but he's really dreadful when he starts
>>>>> harping on about religion. AFAIR, he never suggested that parts of
>>>>> religious beliefs were ok, he unequivocally condemned *all* religious
>>>>> beliefs. I can't remember where but I recall him saying that the Pope
>>>>> and the Archbishop of Canterbury weren't really much better than Osama
>>>>> bin Laden, they just presented a kinder face.
>>>>
>>>> I'm reminded of a couple of Gandhi quotes
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "If Christians would really live according
>>>> to the teachings of Christ, as found in the
>>>> Bible, all of India would be Christian today."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you
>>>> Christians - you are not like him."
>>>>
>>>> “I like your Christ, I do not like your
>>>> Christians. Your Christians are so
>>>> unlike your Christ.”
>>>
>>> Do you think Gandhi was applying that to *all* Christians or even
>>> Christians in general and, if so do you agree with him?
>> 
>> In the absence of any context to make me think otherwise I would take 
>> these quotes at face value as applying to the generality of Christians.
>> 
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> and for extra credit
>>>>
>>>> "What do I think of Western civilization? I
>>>> think it would be a very good idea."
>>>
>> 
>To quote Ambrose Bierce in "The Devil's Dictionary":
>
>Christian, n.  One who believes that the New Testament is a divinely 
>inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his neighbor. 
>One who follows the teachings of Christ in so far as they are not 
>inconsistent with a life of sin.

Out of curiosity, how many Christians have you personally got to know
who would fit that description?