Runner, The Origin of Species can't be stupid, that act is reserved for humans like you & I and Amicus.

Dawkins can say and think stupid things. He is brilliant at deductive logic, but pretends that inductive logic offers no case for the agnostics and the faithful.

Myself, I remember looking at the flowers on the alter, and wondering what they would know of the rest of us looking at them. Less, I conclude, than a guppy would know of the shifting shapes outside its bowl of water and bright pebbles.

About as much as Professor Dawkins allows, I am led to believe, of a world entirely beyond his senses and world-class intellect.

As for your opinion of the Origin of Species, have you read it? It's long and mostly dull. Better to read The Voyage of the Beagle, by the same author.

Amicus, you have missed my point, entirely. But a C+ for trying.

I gat as far as "There are numerous indications that Muslims are among the most pacifist and peace-loving people in the world. Islam has categorically rebuffed violence and aggression towards the people and condemned those who use force against others and undermine their esteem." and could not stomach any more of this.

The burning of a printed copy of a book which can easily be reprinted is a terifying act and seemingly imensly evil. The threat of doing so prompt's massive protests from people of faith worried about what the world is coming to.

Meanwhile rape victims are stoned to death in the name of their faith, the lives of innocents are threatened (and taken) in the name of their faith, property belonging to other faiths is destroyed in the name of their faith, females are denied an education in the name of their faith and the response is as best muted. There are no massive protests from people of that faith against those who bring their faith into disrepute. Those muslims who speak against such actions do so in muted terms, rarely with the outrage that the idea of burning pages of a copy of a book brings or unflatering cartoon depictions of their prophet.

If muslims really hold to the values the author suggests then they should be having massive protests and expressing clear outrage against those who use their faith as an excuse to commit real acts of terror against others, not against some pastor destroying his own property.

R0bert

sirvivor if you had a different point to the one I understood, then as a communicator you get an F for Fail.

Not even a good try, if you have to explain after the event what your message was.

So now the message I have is, you were grovelling and then changed your mind ...

Let's be fair and acknowledge the extremists on the Christian side, especially in the US. Sounds like a terrorist and he's a Christian:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/south/view/20100911man_charged_in_abortion_clinic_bomb_plot/srvc=home&position=recent

- I just found out there was a Muslim prayer room inside the WTC. What does this tell us about extremists?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/nyregion/11religion.html?_r=1

- Muslim organisations ARE protesting against violence etc. The fact that there is violence against Christians in the first place is abhorrent. Still, the actions of a few extremists do not reflect on the whole.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Muslim-organisations-condemn-attack-against-Protestant-clergyman-19452.html

- Finally, I agree with this article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR2010090203990.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Throughout history which of the world's major religions has been the most tolerant (I would hesitate to say 100% tolerant), present extremists excluded?

http://currentglobalperceptions.blogspot.com/

Amicus, regarding your second post to me, you seem to be the kind of person who likes simply put, plain to read answers.

I was responding to Runner's comment, on a different aspect of the general topic.

At the end of the post, I remarked to you that you missed the point of my original post. My apology, if that was confusing.

Amicus, for a self-proclaimed tolerant person, you are certainly a hard marker - that's two F's for my efforts!

SirVivor

'As for your opinion of the Origin of Species, have you read it? It's long and mostly dull. Better to read The Voyage of the Beagle, by the same author.'

Darwin himself says 'You will be greatly disappointed (by the forthcoming book); it will be grievously too hypothetical.'

Think of all the time scientist have wasted on hypothetical myths. Thankfully many have worked on the advancement of humanity rather than twisting observations in order to confirm dogmas.