Comments on: Carol-singing atheists http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/ like balloons, only with dancing Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:44:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Andrew http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10562 Andrew Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:07:56 +0000 http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10562 Strawberries should appear after the comment finishes submitting, but this takes 15-20 seconds atm due to anti-spam measures. Strawberries should appear after the comment finishes submitting, but this takes 15-20 seconds atm due to anti-spam measures.

]]> By: Rullsenberg http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10557 Rullsenberg Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:16:24 +0000 http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10557 Good post and responses: personally, I like the Bible as a work of literature. Thanks to a variety of early inputs from family/social circle I also happen to know the text quite well. I don't believe it; I don't read it for workship. But I have on occasion been known to read it. Wotever... And I like carols too: you have to be a hardened soul not to find a choir singing "In the Bleak Midwinter" (especially when it starts up with the first verse) a wonderful thing. And yeah, I like singing. PS I don't troll but I don't THINK I have ever had a strawberry? Aren't they terribly out of season now? Merry seasons to you Good post and responses: personally, I like the Bible as a work of literature. Thanks to a variety of early inputs from family/social circle I also happen to know the text quite well. I don’t believe it; I don’t read it for workship. But I have on occasion been known to read it. Wotever…

And I like carols too: you have to be a hardened soul not to find a choir singing “In the Bleak Midwinter” (especially when it starts up with the first verse) a wonderful thing. And yeah, I like singing.

PS I don’t troll but I don’t THINK I have ever had a strawberry? Aren’t they terribly out of season now?
Merry seasons to you

]]> By: Ben http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10499 Ben Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:17:55 +0000 http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10499 Yes indeed, he appears to be the bastard offspring of George Bush and Ned Flanders. Yes indeed, he appears to be the bastard offspring of George Bush and Ned Flanders.

]]> By: Andrew http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10496 Andrew Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:16:30 +0000 http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10496 Ooh, good one. I like it where he says "[u]ltimately you are either for or against Baby Jesus". That is excellent. Ooh, good one. I like it where he says “[u]ltimately you are either for or against Baby Jesus”. That is excellent.

]]> By: Ben http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10491 Ben Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:14:29 +0000 http://wongablog.co.uk/2007/12/18/carol-singing-atheists/#comment-10491 And on the comments page of Grown Up Newspaper the Guardian, Theo Hobson struggles with it <a href="http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/theo_hobson/2007/12/beauty_and_truth.html" rel="nofollow">equally</a> Best bit are Hobson's followup comments, as highlighted by <a href="http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/notesarchive.php?id=2138" rel="nofollow">B&W</a> "It seems to be Dawkins' view (judging from some of the comments realting to him) that carols are lovely, harmless, part of our heritage. Don't you see that this makes him a big hypocrite? If he were logically consistent he would oppose them for their promotion of lies, but because they are popular, he doesn't dare say this." Because, you see, we can't possibly appreciate value them for their beauty and at the same time highlight their fictional nature. The final chapter of Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Dan Dennett has an excellent discussion of this, and I'd tell Hobson about it if I wasn't too busy petitioning to get Lord of the Rings banned for its persistent touting of the existence of hobbits. And on the comments page of Grown Up Newspaper the Guardian, Theo Hobson struggles with it equally

Best bit are Hobson’s followup comments, as highlighted by B&W

“It seems to be Dawkins’ view (judging from some of the comments realting to him) that carols are lovely, harmless, part of our heritage. Don’t you see that this makes him a big hypocrite? If he were logically consistent he would oppose them for their promotion of lies, but because they are popular, he doesn’t dare say this.”

Because, you see, we can’t possibly appreciate value them for their beauty and at the same time highlight their fictional nature. The final chapter of Darwin’s Dangerous Idea by Dan Dennett has an excellent discussion of this, and I’d tell Hobson about it if I wasn’t too busy petitioning to get Lord of the Rings banned for its persistent touting of the existence of hobbits.

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