tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post3284844755935632678..comments2023-05-02T23:19:12.706+10:00Comments on Armarium Magnum: Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion by Alain de BotttonTim O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-43211487865314589502014-10-16T18:38:29.036+11:002014-10-16T18:38:29.036+11:00while i'm not liable to spout venom on cue fro...while i'm not liable to spout venom on cue from the mere mention of Abrahamic Monotheism, I sympathize with the "new atheist" impulse to respond more ferociously towards the likes of Islam and Christianity as opposed to something like Wicca. Much of the new atheist (even though i don't particularly like the term and think of it as something of an arbitrary designation) sentimentAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09377179834666387110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-83526297354757674102013-10-09T11:43:09.970+11:002013-10-09T11:43:09.970+11:00Thank you so much for expressing pretty much ident...Thank you so much for expressing pretty much identical responses and thoughts to what I thought and felt after reading this fascinating book, only better and much more eloquently.<br /><br />It's not often I keep a book by my side table after I've swallowed it once. And I keep going back to fill in gaps and clear up misinterpretations, while actually trying to find ways to test his Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00673729814006432059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-41375827360226230962013-03-08T06:53:04.699+11:002013-03-08T06:53:04.699+11:00Thanks Stephen. I actually knew that because I te...Thanks Stephen. I actually knew that because I tend to use that Terence quote as my sig on various fora. Moral - never quote from memory. Fixed.Tim O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-56916773450128251172013-03-08T05:52:21.062+11:002013-03-08T05:52:21.062+11:00Hi Tim,
I came upon your blog by accident, but ha...Hi Tim,<br /><br />I came upon your blog by accident, but have really enjoyed the reviews. I just wanted to give a heads up--and I promise that I am not trying to be a jerk, or anything of the sort--that the Latin quote is from Terence, and the first sentence should read "Homo sum" if you mean to say "I am human." "Humanum est" means something more like "It Stephen Kroghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10000165989213732857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-67990726348830584022013-02-16T02:29:14.359+11:002013-02-16T02:29:14.359+11:00What, exactly, is the difference between the lifes...What, exactly, is the difference between the lifestyle that this entry advocates and actual religion? You might start praying rosary, since it is a great tool for meditation. You might even reach mystic ecstasy, since you accept that there is a "soul" to be taken care of. <br />You can deny that you believe in God as much as you want, it doesn`t matter at all, as Karen Armstrong has Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-71495633876064437302012-12-13T21:37:13.177+11:002012-12-13T21:37:13.177+11:00Thank you for this book review. I plan to buy this...Thank you for this book review. I plan to buy this book, as well as give one as a gift to a friend. I have long believed that Atheist must find a way to ease Theists into Humanism. Sometimes I can see the fear in the eyes of my Christian friends when they tell me they don't want to look at their religion rationally.. They don't want to "lose what they Believe". I hate waking Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-69723783832689373992012-11-28T19:58:50.725+11:002012-11-28T19:58:50.725+11:00I'm looking forward to your new post!
This blo...I'm looking forward to your new post!<br />This blog is one of the most "meaty" I've read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-52854067790104091672012-11-14T06:56:52.939+11:002012-11-14T06:56:52.939+11:00As this blog is largely devoted to reviews of book...As this blog is largely devoted to reviews of books on ancient and medieval history, the history of religion and philosophy, I post reviews depending on what I've been reading and think is worth reviewing. This is why I haven't posted much lately.<br /><br />But I am working on a review of Stephen Greenblatt's book "The Swerve" which I hope to post this weekend.Tim O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-62941755218008526132012-11-14T02:47:42.271+11:002012-11-14T02:47:42.271+11:00Tim? A question: are you working on a new entry or...Tim? A question: are you working on a new entry or review? I'm starting to Armarium Magnum withdrawal here.Seekerfishnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-16006165981492392672012-09-28T17:12:40.915+10:002012-09-28T17:12:40.915+10:00A generous review indeed.
But my views are much mo...A generous review indeed.<br />But my views are much more like Eagleton's:<br />"What the book does, in short, is hijack other people's beliefs, empty them of content and redeploy them in the name of moral order, social consensus and aesthetic pleasure. It is an astonishingly impudent enterprise. It is also strikingly unoriginal."<br /><br />http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-55346243803623532072012-07-15T19:17:07.333+10:002012-07-15T19:17:07.333+10:00OK sorry to post again but I've just used your...OK sorry to post again but I've just used your myths of Nicaea post again in the furtherance of a campaign against ignorance. It was also fascinating to revisit but also disturbing how eager people are to give importance to religious garbage by distorting historical fact and literature. Making Christianity more valid by saying "actually the bible isn't true its really something Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-36958756060570850352012-07-08T10:05:46.209+10:002012-07-08T10:05:46.209+10:00I don't know what subject you studied at unive...<i>I don't know what subject you studied at university, if any</i><br /><br />I have an M.A. in English literature. And neither de Botton nor I am saying that univeral human lessons are never mentioned in the study of literature, let alone that humanities studies are simply rote learning. The point is that this kind of analysis of literature is peripheral or even incidental - it's not Tim O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-18580955001013489042012-07-08T09:22:37.554+10:002012-07-08T09:22:37.554+10:00A generous and thoughtful review, Tim, and some ve...A generous and thoughtful review, Tim, and some very interesting reflections. I'd quite like to drop in for one of the School of Life's conversational meals, I suspect. May I ask one further question, though? The bit you quote as follows has me worried:<br /><br /><i>There doesn't have to be anything supernatural about this, but it strikes him as odd that "it would be a shocking Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-10268094567815324062012-06-21T07:16:16.218+10:002012-06-21T07:16:16.218+10:00I gave it 4/4 because while the stuff about what w...I gave it 4/4 because while the stuff about what was worth copying from religion was thoughtful and interesting, some of the ways he thought these could be adapted by non-believers were a bit fanciful or even silly.Tim O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-21879202395627239452012-06-20T07:41:58.198+10:002012-06-20T07:41:58.198+10:00An interesting review. Originally had no interest ...An interesting review. Originally had no interest in the book, but you've got me curious about it.<br /><br />Out of interest, why did you decide to give the book a 4/5, given that your review seems to read more like a 5/5?Chris Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-42868786743737928142012-06-15T07:24:31.592+10:002012-06-15T07:24:31.592+10:00An atheist talking about religion is the same as a...<i>An atheist talking about religion is the same as a pope<br />talking about sex. </i><br /><br />Actually, in many cases (including mine), an atheist talking about religion is more like a pope, who used to have sex all the time and then stopped doing so, talking about sex. Big difference.<br /><br />Aren't analogies fun?!Tim O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-22132108850247080982012-06-15T05:57:06.340+10:002012-06-15T05:57:06.340+10:00An atheist talking about religion is the same as a...An atheist talking about religion is the same as a pope<br />talking about sex.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-40922435735758021502012-06-14T12:39:43.539+10:002012-06-14T12:39:43.539+10:00As a theist, I think that this kind of atheism is ...As a theist, I think that this kind of atheism is much more "dangerous." When atheists "foam at the mouth" about our religion it does two things: 1) it makes us discount the atheist position as we can see the inherent bias, and 2) we feel that person isn't really 100% comfortable with their atheism and is lashing out defensively. It's much the same way you probably Copperbladenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-862782917509825202012-05-29T13:14:51.611+10:002012-05-29T13:14:51.611+10:00Can't believe I didn't know you had a blog...Can't believe I didn't know you had a blog. You probably wouldn't remember me from TWC but I'm a big fan, bookmarked!<br /><br />Cowen70/senecaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-2910436172230566252012-05-19T17:20:29.265+10:002012-05-19T17:20:29.265+10:00@guy_who-asked
I have no problem with your transl...@guy_who-asked<br /><br />I have no problem with your translating some of my posts. I notice that you've been careful to note that I am an atheist - thanks for that. I get enough of the grumpier end of the atheist spectrum claiming I am some kind of quisling for not toeing the party line on things like the Conflict Thesis already. I don't need them seeing my posts on a Catholic blog Tim O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-63287442653589815052012-05-19T10:13:29.898+10:002012-05-19T10:13:29.898+10:00Tim,
I asked about email because I have sent you ...Tim,<br /><br />I asked about email because I have sent you one(on that address, I couldn't find any other). Basically, I asked for your permission to translate and publish few of your post on my - kind of catholic - blog. It is small blog(in croatian), with no commercial value whatsoever. <br /><br />Actually this question is kind of retrograde, but better late than never(I guess).guy_who_asked_emailnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-66351590214602786062012-05-19T07:20:18.573+10:002012-05-19T07:20:18.573+10:00I would point out that the problem with trying to ...<i>I would point out that the problem with trying to form a "church of atheism" ... </i><br /><br />He's not talking about doing this. He's simply talking about things we can do in our lives to make them richer.Tim O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-49177435261985702712012-05-19T07:18:29.694+10:002012-05-19T07:18:29.694+10:00Tim, do you ever check your historyvsdavincicode g...<i>Tim, do you ever check your historyvsdavincicode gmail? </i><br /><br />No. I can't even remember the password. It's attracted nothing but spam and the odd e-mail from a conspiracy lunatic for years. Why?Tim O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00292944444808847980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-60510378068455293572012-05-19T06:51:04.802+10:002012-05-19T06:51:04.802+10:00David, *cough cough* Columbine *cough cough*
Anyw...David, *cough cough* Columbine *cough cough*<br /><br />Anyway, thanks Tim for an interesting review of an interesting book.<br /><br />I would point out that the problem with trying to form a "church of atheism" is that it would require some sort of unified worldview such as that shared by Christians.<br /><br />As is frequently pointed out, the only thing atheists have in common is a Duke of Earlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14891442161634560912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6774463840913796679.post-85658904117967457622012-05-19T05:31:31.540+10:002012-05-19T05:31:31.540+10:00As always, interesting review.
Tim, do you ever c...As always, interesting review.<br /><br />Tim, do you ever check your historyvsdavincicode gmail?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com