Sam Harris simply destroys catholicism

[Quixote1818]

[Zoeisright]

1. That is brilliant.

He not only destroys catholicism, he destroys religion period. And it's about damn time. Religion has ruined more lives, killed more people, and caused more suffering than any other "study" on the face of the earth, throughout time.

[trusty elf]

2. k&r

"If you wake up tomorrow morning thinking that saying a few Latin words over your pancakes is going to turn them into the body of Elvis Presley, you have lost your mind. But if you think more or less the same thing about a cracker and the body of Jesus, you're just a Catholic."

[IMG][/IMG]

[SamKnause]

3. Sam Harris

Nicely done Mr. Harris.

[defacto7]

4. Kicked and Recommended

Very nicely done.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. I read about the sacrifices of children under post holes years ago...

The belief was that they would become guardian spirits to protect the building and all within. They used to do it for warehouses for food as well, thinking that the source of food rotting was evil spirits.

Devout parents would offer up their children for the purpose and were proud to think of their child as an eternally blessed guardian.

[reformist2]

6. Sam Harris is willfully ignorant or is lying about what Catholicism says about who goes to hell.

That is not at all what Catholicism says about people who die non-Christians. It may have said that 500 years ago, but not in modern times. I have a 70-year old official catechism that talks about the numerous ways non-Christians can be saved.

I'm not saying you have to be a Catholic, but it might be good to know what the official teachings are before bashing them, or listening to bashers.

[SwissTony]

7. My priest in Scotland used to say even the Protestants were going to hell. This was in the 50s.

Mind you, he was a bit of a nutter and his very red nose indicated he was fond of the sauce, so to speak.

I expect his personal theology came from the late 1800s as he was quite old at the time. So, I suspect that was the doctrine at that time.

[MNBrewer]

8. How does that make his overall criticisms of theism any less potent?

I don't think it does at all.

[SemperEadem]

9. he only referenced catholicsm once by name

He referenced xtianity 5 times by name and Islam once by name.

The thrust of his argument was against religion and he was right on target. He is a long way away from being willfully ignorant or a liar...

perhaps you should take another listen to this clip before making such an astounding declaration that is so far afield of the truth.

[maddiemom]

10. Wait. Are you saying that non-Christians must be "saved," and isn't it great that they can be

according to this "new" seventy-year old catechism? That reenforces Harris's point beautifully.

[lindysalsagal]

13. I clocked in at 17 seconds to find this:

Roman Catholicism is only way, Pope asserts


http://www.topix.com/forum/who/pope-benedict-xvi/TDGAHOFD874R20MIF

Part of the catholic cult is that you are being saved and all those infidels are gonna burn.

That's the baseline coercion that most catholics have to outgrow to join the rational/compassionate part of the human race.

[Gorp]

11. I've made similar arguments in the past, but nowhere NEAR as well stated as that!

I'll be saying some latin words over my next batch of pancakes. I never got to meet Elvis.

[ellenfl]

12. on a critiquing of the form . . . i can't believe he said 'refudiate'! eom

[lindysalsagal]

14. Ouchie.

[Quixote1818]

15. The idea that God is smiling down upon me as children starve has always irritated the crap out of me

As he said, most religion is inherently narcissistic.

[ancianita]

16. As an ex-catholic and current atheist, I appreciate this post. I get a kick out of posting stuff

like this to people who just can't keep their religious 'praising and praying' out of public institutions, or to themselves. Notre Dame is one of the worst purveyors of delusion and pseudo-intellectualizing nonsense like 'the divine command' bullshit. There's got to be an end to the suffering and spirit crushing that religion forces humans to accept in the name of their gods' wills.

[Quixote1818]

17. Yep. Since no one knows why the hell we are here or what happens after we die

can't we just focus on using science and good will to help as many people as possible? If you were born into a family that could feed you, then thank your lucky stars and help out those who were not so lucky. Thats my religion in a nut shell.

[ancianita]

18. God spoke to me once. She told me I don't need any religion. Just do good for others to the

best of my ability, and whatever else produces the greatest good for the greatest number. Life's been good to me so far.