[semimojo]

Richard Dawkins calls the process of evolution by mutation and selection “the blind watchmaker,” by which he means that a purposeless, materialistic force substitutes for the “watchmaker” (i.e. a watch requires a watchmaker) deity of natural theology. THAT is how it works according to Dawkins and the many who think like him. It isn’t a caricature, it’s WHAT THEY TELL US.

Did you ever hear him invoke Darwin as an authority or embrace Darwinism?

Putting a label “good” or “bad” to it is simply a personal preference ( which is also a product of evolution ). There REALLY is no good or bad. Just what is./I>

I think humans are able to reason themselves into notions of good and evil.

You seem to think those concepts need to be dictated to us by a deity.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Did you ever hear him invoke Darwin as an authority or embrace Darwinism?

I’ve heard his interviews and read his book.

In 2017, he pooh-poohed those who value humanity above all other creation. We put humanity on a pedestal miles higher than the surrounding territory,” he told The Times. See here:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/when-i-see-cattle-lorries-i-think-of-the-railway-wagons-to-auschwitz-m3t0hntmk

And because he is a materialist, he believes that Eugenics is an effective, acceptable, policy. read is tweet here:

https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/1228943686953664512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1228943686953664512%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.faithwire.com%2F2020%2F02%2F17%2Fatheist-richard-dawkins-on-eugenics-of-course-it-would-work-on-humans%2F

There are Others who think like him. Prof. Daniel Dennett of Tufts University come to mind. In his Book Breaking the Spell, atheist Daniel Dennett writes the following concerning the cause of the universe:

“Why not stop at the material world? It...does perform a version of the ultimate bootstrapping trick; it creates itself ex nihilo. Or at any rate out of something that is well-nigh indistinguishable from nothing at all.”

RE: I think humans are able to reason themselves into notions of good and evil.

Sure they can, but if Darwinism is true, those are simply PREFERENCES, the notion of what is good and what is evil are NOT objectively binding to anyone. They are just that — NOTIONS.

It’s Mother Theresa’s notion of what is good vs Hitler’s notion of what is good. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. In the end, there is NO OBJECTIVE good or evil. Things simply are what they are.

RE: You seem to think those concepts need to be dictated to us by a deity.

If these concepts are to be binding on everyone everywhere ( e.g. Murder is evil, Kindness is good ), YES, it has to be dictated to us by a sovereign, all powerful, Diety, who CREATED the universe and ordered it according to His will. The alternative is simply preferences, NOT real good or evil.

An accidental collision of atoms called Nazis simply hit on and collided with an accidental collision of atoms called Jews. But if matter is all there is, that’s what they boil down to in the end — collision of atoms.