For gawd's sake, your reputation is at stake (assuming that even matters to you). The way you've so devotedly and dishonestly distorted Sam Harris' actual views on atheism would, sad to say, probably make Joseph Smith green with envy. I mean, really, dude, you're being religiously ridiculous (which could be classified as redundant).
The proof is so overwhelming against your outrageous claims that if you aren't shamed by your documented record (about to be rolled out below) of shallow and selective misrepresentation of what Harris has actually said on atheism and related matters, you might as well start up your own Fantasyland Faith. Not to say that you haven't managed to come across a few surface-level glittery objects. But your confirmation-bias scavenger hunt is akin to what Thomas Jefferson aptly described as the effort at uncovering the genuine views of Jesus in the New Testament being like "abstracting . . . the diamond from the dung hill."
("Thomas Jefferson and His Bible: The 'Jefferson Bible' was Thomas Jefferson's Attempt to Extract an Authentic Jesus from the Gospel Accounts," by Marilyn Mellowes, PBS "Frontline," at:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/jefferson.html)
Don't worry, though. You don't have to become a godless grunt for Satan in this losing battle of yours for “Harris the Atheism Hater;” but you really should give up your over-heated hobby of being an all-consumed contortionist who creates non-atheist Harris gods in your own image.
For those who might be new to this rumble,, here's a rundown of "koriwhore's" claims that are about to, well, get run over.
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--False Claim #1: Sam Harris Does Not Describe Himself as an Atheist
*“koriwhore,” proclaims that Sam Harris “doesn't refer to himself as an Atheist.”
*“koriwhore” insists that while “others call him [Harris] an Atheist, [it is] a term he [Harris] rejects, for good reason.”
*“koriwhore” declares that “Sam Harris says he's not an Atheist,”
*“koriwhore” states that Harris “[is] not [an] atheist.”
*”koriwhore” asserts that Harris “rejects that title [of atheism],”
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--False Claim #2: Sam Harris Spurns Atheism Altogether
*”koriwhore” asks, “[Is] "New Atheism" just the same old bullsh*t [of ' old' atheism], like Sam Harris says?”
*”koriwhore” contends that Harris is “not a fan of the Atheist label.”
*”koriwhore maintains that Harris has “seven reasons why [he] rejects the label of Atheist.”
*“koriwhore” boasts of being a personal ally of this “created-in-'koriwhore's'-image” Harris by announcing, “I'm with Harris . . . Atheism is nothing. It's as meaningless as being a non-stamp collector.”
*“koriwhore” proudly bullhorns that he stands unified with his new and "koriwhore'-approved statue of Harris: “I agree 100% with Sam Harris . . . [who] reject[s] the Atheist label for good reason, most of which are the same reasons I reject that label.”
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--False Claim #3: Sam Harris is an Agnostic
*“koriwhore” submits that ”Sam Harris . . . [has] explained why [he is] Agnostic, not Atheist.”
**koriwhore” says, “I'm with . . . Sam Harris . . . ,, among others, all of whom were Agnostic.”
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Sourcing “koriwhore's” false claims (posts, titles, authorship, dates and links):
-“He [Harris] Doesn't Refer to Himself as an Atheist,” by “koriwhore,” on “Recovery from Mormonism” discussion board, 15 February 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1514529,1516115#msg-1516115;
-“The Problem with Atheism--Sam Harris,” by “koriwhore,” on “RfM” discussion board, 21 January 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1491491,1491491#msg-1491491-"I Agree 100% with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Sam Harris,” by “koriwhore,” on “RfM” discussion board, 9 February 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1509434,1509734#msg-1509734;
-“I'm with Sam Harris,” by “koriwhore,” on “RfM” discussion board, 14 January 2014, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1485278,1485318#msg-1485318-“Why Einstein, Sagan, Dawkins and Harris Are Not Atheists,” by “koriwhore,” on “RfM” discussion board, 12 January 2015, at
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1483673,1483673#msg-1483673-“Theists, Did You Have to Join a New Religion to Discover Mormonism False?,” by “koriwhore,” on “RfM” discussion board, 14 February 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1510868,1514960#msg-1514960-"Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Why He's Not an Atheist," by "koriwhore," on "RfM" discussion board, 8 February 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1509047,1509047#msg-1509047;
-”Not a Fan of the 'Atheist' label, Neither was Einstein or Sam Harris,” by "koriwhore",” on “RfM” discussion board, 24 January 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1494965,1495011#msg-1495011-”No I Didn't. I Put Up a List of Why I Wasn't an Atheist by “koriwhore,” at “RfM” discussion board, 21 January 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1491491,1491750#msg-1491750-“So What's So New about 'New Atheism'?,” by “koriwhore,” on “RfM” discussion board, 22 January 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1492475,1492588#msg-1492588-“Yes, It Never Helps to Have Critics of New Atheism,” by “koriwhore,” on “RfM” discussion board, 15 February 2015, at; .
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1514529,1515980#msg-1515980_____
--Summary Response:
As a preliminary and general observation before proceeding to hand him his lunch, “koriwhore's” fundamental handicap appears to be one of deliberately and demonstrably misrepresenting Harris' actual views on atheism (just like, for example, “koriwhore” has previously misrepresented Carl Sagan's views on atheism; see: “You Misrepresented Sagan,” by Steve Benson, on “RfM” discussion board, 15 February 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1514529,1516116#msg-1516116)
What is abundantly clear is that when it comes to the practice of “rejecting,” it is not that of Harris rejecting atheism (since he explicitly acknowledges that he is an atheist); instead, it is that of “koriwhore” roundly rejecting the basic premise of doing honest homework on what constitutes Sam Harris' confirmable and contextualized views.
Now, for the specific counter-evidences that take "koriwhore's" case to the cleaners. (Caution, "Kori": Chew carefully before swallowing. It would be hell for you to choke to death on facts.
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--Response #1: Sam Harris Openly Calls Himself an Atheist
*Sam Harris has personally acknowledged that not only is he an atheist but he uses that term to describe himself. For “koriwhore's” benefit, let's review the recent record: In December 2014 (on his own blog, no less), Harris referred to himself as “an atheist.” He did so as follows, in his response to what he called “the parties of God” who commit barbaric acts in the name of their various deities:
“AS AN ATHEIST, I CANNOT HELP WONDERING when this scrim of pretense and delusion will be finally burned away--either by the clear light of reason or by a surfeit of horror meted out to innocents by the parties of God. Which will come first, flying cars and vacations to Mars, or a simple acknowledgment that beliefs guide behavior and that certain religious ideas--jihad, martyrdom, blasphemy, apostasy--reliably lead to oppression and murder? It may be true that no faith teaches people to massacre 'innocents' exactly--but innocence . . . is in the eye of the beholder.” (emphasis added)
*Three months before Harris issued the above-quoted atheist self-identification on his own blog, he, in an interview with the “Washington Post,” publicly acknowledged that he is, in fact, an atheist:
“I'M NOT THE FIRST ATHEIST to use it [the term 'spirituality'] somewhat defiantly.” (emphasis added)
*Harris is actually not breaking new ground here (except perhaps for those who fail to do their homework). In a Septe3mber 2007 address to a national conference of fellow atheists in Washington, D.C., Harris did not deny that he was an atheist; to the contrary, he collegially advised that atheists “should not call OURSELVES anything.” Rather, he suggested that “WE should go under the radar--for the rest of our lives. And while there, we should be decent, honest people who destroy bad ideas wherever we find them.'”
Maybe Harris should have followed his own advice because, now he is calling himself an atheist--direct counter evicence of “koriwhore's” false claim that Harris does not consider himself an atheist.
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--Response #2: Even Theist Sources Acknowledge that Sam Harris is an Atheist
*When “koriwhore” insists that "others [falsely] call him [Harris] an atheist," it is because it is Harris himself who calls himself an atheist. The uber-theist website, “Religious News Service,” describes Harris as an “UBER ATHEIST.” noting (using descriptors that Harris subsequently used to describe himself), “Harris IS NOT THE FIRST ATHEIST to suggest non-believers should mine the world’s religious traditions for wisdom or beneficial practices.” (emphasis added)
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--Response #3: Sam Harris, Judging by His Own Words, is Not an Agnostic
Writer Claire Hoffman of “Los Angeles Magazine,” 2 September 2014, reported Harris' views on the subject of agnosticism during the course of her three-hour taped interview with him:
“When I tell Harris I’m an agnostic, he tells me I’m just confused about the term . . . .
“[Harris]: 'It’s a safe thing to say . . . but it’s usually ill considered. You aren’t agnostic about Zeus or Apollo or any of the thousands of dead gods who are no longer worshiped. The atheist says, ‘Bullsh*t.’ The agnostic says, ‘I don’t know. How could we possibly know about the validity of these claims?’ That is bullsh*t. If we’re talking specifically about Jesus being resurrected from death, or born of a virgin, or able to hear prayers, this entails a host of scientific claims--about biology, about telepathy, about human flight without the aid of technology. Are these claims that an agnostic wants to accept? Agnosticism is just a way of being polite in the face of people’s unjustified religious convictions. But if you maintained that attitude on other topics, you’d be considered an imbecile.'”
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--Response #4: For “koriwhore,” All His Hoorahing for Harris is Nothing More Than a Game
“koriwhore”--who appears not to have met an RfM homework effort that he likes (or that he will even seriously undertake), admits to relishing throwing out his uninformed claims, whether he believes them or not. Here's his own admission in that regard:
“I just love to play Devil's Advocate and point out the problems with Atheism, since it seems to be the dominant identity around here. I like to challenge the status quo and not just conform to what seems 'cool.' Just because you're ExMo, does not mean your only choices are theism or atheism. Most of the people I admire most reject the 'Atheist' label, even though they don't subscribe to any kind of a personal God . . . . “
That said, while confessing that he likes to play “Devils Advocate” on RfM just for the hell of it, he contradicts himself by insisting that “I'm a united, not a divider. . . . I've got no problem with Atheists, just pointing out that Sam Harris . . . has a BIG Problem with Atheism . . . “
“koriwhore's “BIG problem” is not being able, willing or sufficiently informed to tell the truth about Sam Harris. And, regardless of his claims to the contrary, “koriwhore” has clearly got problems with the reality that Harris is, in fact, a self-acknowledged atheist.
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--Response #5: When It Comes to Homework Results, “koriwhore" is Production Poor
Some advice, “koriwhore”: Using your own emphasized words, your “BIG problem” is that you don't do much digging--and what superficial poking around you do do, you pull and twist like one would do when pulling taffy--stretching and distorting it for your own personal purposes. If someday you decide to actually engage in believable research, that 180-degree backtrack from your present course might help push your credibility creds to measurable levels.
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Sourcing for Counter-Evidences Responses (articles, authors, dates and links):
-Sam Harris, “Sleepwalking through Armageddon,” on Harris' personal blog, 3 December 2014, at:
http://www.samharris.org/blog/category/atheism (emphasis added)
-Sam Harris, quoted in “No God? No Problem, Says God-Free Thinker Sam Harris,” by Patt Morrison, “Los Angeles Times,” 23 September 2014, at:
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-morrison-sam-harris-spirituality-without-religion-20140924-column.html#page=1 (emphasis added)
-“Sam Harris Wants Atheists--and Everyone Else-- to Get Spirituality,” 10 September 2014, at:
http://www.religionnews.com/2014/09/10/sam-harris-wants-atheists-everyone-else-get-spirituality/ (emphasis added)
-Sam Harris, 'The Problem with Atheism." speech delivered at Atheist Alliance conference, Washington D.C,, 28 September 2007, at:
http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/the-problem-with-atheism (emphasis added)
-“Sam Harris is Still Railing Against Religion Even in His New Spiritual Memoir; Harris is Se ling Doubt,” by Claire Hoffmann, 2 September 2014, “Los Angeles Magazine,” 2 September 2014, at:
http://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/sam-harris-is-still-railing-against-religion/#sthash.qP3cDi3T.dpuf-“I Just Love to Play Devil's Advocate,” by “koriwhore,” on “RfM' discussion board, 14 February 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1510347,1514963#msg-1514963 -“Re: Atheists, Instead of Telling Me What You Don't Believe," by "koriwhore" on "RfM" discussion board, 25 January 2015, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1495962,1496208#msg-1496208)
Edited 15 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2015 10:07AM by steve benson.