[MD] Dawkins a Materialist (is watching?)

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Arlo previously]
But try to tell me that YOUR God is the right God, and MY God is the 
wrong God, and I should live my life according to what YOUR God says, 
and I will condemn it every time. I no more want a Taliban to tell me 
I have to live according to Islamic law than I want a Christian 
Coalition telling me I have to live by Judeo-Christian law.

[DM]
Here's my problem, you are talking to me, I've never said a word of 
religious dogmatism and off you go, who are you trying to convince, 
it's not me.

[Arlo]
No, its not you. Never said, nor meant to imply, it was.

[Arlo previously]
You want Christian law. Fine. Let's go through the Bible step-by-step 
and make it all law.

[DM]
No thanks. Not a Christian.

[Arlo]
This was a rhetorical question, and not directly at you.

[DM]
I think if we want new values we have to walk the walk, there's 
little to gain from criticising others, that may just kick off their 
defensiveness.

[Arlo]
And you are probably right. But every time Platt writes "oops" it 
makes my skin crawl. Like there are two choices, "oops" or "God". And 
no matter how many times anyone tries to push a third or fourth 
possibility, if its NOT "God", its right back to "oops". Its the same 
with "purpose". It either comes from being "designed", or you get 
accused of proposing "life has no purpose". Two choices. And you try 
to punch your way out of the dichotomy, only to see yet another post 
saying "oops" and "Arlo believes life is purposeless". No matter what 
I write about spirit, mysticism and Zen, I am accused of being an 
"atheist" and likened to Pol Pot. Despite Pirsig's depth of insight 
about Native American Indians, say anything about them and you get 
the "dashed brains" retort and nothing else. Despite the entirety of 
ZMM that provides a Buddhistic or Taoist read of Quality, I get inane 
statements like "no one has ever shown an ethical system that is 
better than Judeo-Christian". Criminey! Nonetheless, I appreciate the advice.