Atheist Summer Camp & Poetic Atheism
July 27th, 2009 | by admin |
The article about Richard Dawkins and the atheist summer camp:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6591236.ece
Here’s a clarification on Richard Dawkins’ forum:
http://tinyurl.com/mjjrt2
Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot. You’ve probably watched it many times, but it seems brilliant and watching it again can’t hurt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p86BPM1GV8M
The are the first paragraph and last paragraphs of “The Star Thrower”:
There was a man who was walking along a sandy beach where thousands of starfish had been washed up on the shore. He noticed a boy picking the starfish one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. The man observed
the boy for a few minutes and then asked what he was doing. The boy replied that he was returning the starfish to the sea, otherwise they would die. The man asked how saving a few, when so many were doomed, would make any
difference whatsoever? The boy picked up a starfish and threw it back intothe ocean and said “Made a difference to that one…” The man left the boy and went home, deep in thought of what the boy had said. He soon returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the boy throw starfish in to the sea….
*****
In a pool of sand and silt a starfish had thrust its arms up stiffly and was holding its body away from the stifling mud.
“It’s still alive,” I ventured.
“Yes,” he said, and with a quick yet gentle movement he picked up the star and spun it over my head and far out into the sea. It sunk in a burst of spume, and the waters roared once more.
…”There are not many who come this far,” I said, groping in a sudden embarrassment for words. “Do you collect?”
“Only like this,” he said softly, gesturing amidst the wreckage of the shore. “And only for the living.” He stooped again, oblivious of my curiosity, and skipped another star neatly across the water. “The stars,” he said, “throw well. One can help them.”
…”I do not collect,” I said uncomfortably, the wind beating at my garments. “Neither the living nor the dead. I gave it up a long time ago. Death is the only successful collector
This final paragraph is often not included in a discussion of the essay. I’d ask the kids to think about the implications of the last paragraph and whether or not the fact that “death is the only successful collector” meant that it was futile to throw the star fish back into to sea. I’d listen to their ideas, but I have to admit that my strong bias is that star throwing is not a futile activity.
****
Jennifer Michael Hecht’s home page:
http://www.jennifermichaelhecht.com/
Her book Doubt was an excellent read:
http://www.amazon.com/Doubt-Doubters-Innovation-Jefferson-Dickinson/dp/0060097957
Here’s a VERY LONG video (51 minutes) in which Jennifer Hect outlines some of her ideas about poetic atheism:
http://www.vimeo.com/5140717
In case you’d like to see what the UK’s £10 note looks like:
http://santitafarella.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/100_2684.jpg
The James Randy video that will have been seen by most of the campers already:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJQBljC5RIo
Duration : 0:7:57
[youtube ZR4AVSHNhLw]
25 Responses to “Atheist Summer Camp & Poetic Atheism”
By glitterjulia2 on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
I am too old to go. …
I am too old to go. That sounds like so much fun though! A camp is cool as just a camp, but add rational and freethinking into it makes it sound twice as good!
By lntertubes on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
With Dawkins or …
With Dawkins or Inmendham, there is this scorn toward monotheism and surprisingly no appreciation for its other role, circa the bourgeois revolution, in accommodating rather than hindering material and theoretical productivity because it was deployed within a different power configuration.
This vilification of monotheism is an attempt to inject confidence and legitimacy into the whole techno-scientific proliferation which is more like white noise now.
By Lanark8 on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
My question why be …
My question why be this… do these kids get discount vouchers for dear Dick Dawkins books? Warm and kind regards to you.
By Tophet7 on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Huge fan of Carl …
Huge fan of Carl Sagan, BTW (known as Carl Pagan in some circles, and I had a former Puerto Rican coworker named John Pagan, strange eh?)
As for “The Star Thrower”, it rings with the Jewish saying “He who saves one life, for that life he has saved the world entire.”
By Tophet7 on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
The weather …
The weather advisory fits in with the the health and terror advisories that our governments put out these days. It is psychological conditioning of the sort that engenders increased trust and reliance, some would say psychological dependency, on government sources of help and information on the part of the general public. My god, it’s a heat advisory! Aren’t you glad your government is there to look out for you? Makes me want to be a political atheist.
By 2bsirius on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
I know!
I know!
By Nigelcf on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Blame our stupid …
Blame our stupid government for the weather advisory. Its been way hotter than this in Britain :}
By MatthewPalumbo on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
I recommend …
I recommend watching Knowntje’s video on this, I’m glad atheists realize how retarded this is
By 2bsirius on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Missed it…I’ll …
Missed it…I’ll watch it now.
By RationalEmotive on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
“not my strong …
“not my strong suite I’ll admit”
I really don’t think that is true, no need to put yourself down.
I rather thought you were defending an idea that you identify with, or watch Cashify’s latest response to pyrrho, that is what I how I meant it.
watch?v=j5D-VQMJ6jw
By anetchi on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
I’m so happy that …
I’m so happy that such a camp exists!! I hope that they start popping up all over the US and everywhere children exist =)
It’s a dear dream of mine to one day live/work in the UK, what do you do there?
Thanks for posting this!
By 2bsirius on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
I was trying to …
I was trying to make humor [not my strong suite I'll admit]. and wasn’t defending anyone…
Great line from John Lydon btw.
By RationalEmotive on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Thou dost still …
Thou dost still have to much to defend me thinks.
Just saying because you seemed to be gripped by a feeling of persona cult blasphemy when criticizing Dawkins there.
An autograph has a certain market value (there is a Ted Nugent vid somewhere where he charges 20 bucks for his signature), but that is only true as long as enough people belief that it is.
I am like John Lydon and my own handwriting is important to me, everything else is calligraphy or bs.
By loveisallneed on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Excellent video! I …
Excellent video! I think atheism tends to attract the left brainers(myself included), but the humanities are for HUMANS, not god. Poetry, art, music, philosophy, meditations, etc should not be considered only in the realm of religion.
By 2bsirius on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for the …
Thanks for the clarification.
By TheNakedAtheist on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Camp quest has …
Camp quest has existed for nearly 15 years. It was set up as an alternative to boy scout camps which dominate the landscape in the US, AND specifically exclude non theists.
Unlike The Boy Scouts, Camp Quest does not prohibit attendance by theists, or homosexuals.
Not only did the article misrepresent Dawkins involvement. It misrepresented Camp Quest’s mission.
Their 13 point rebuttal to the times article can be read on the Camp Quest’s UK website.
By 2bsirius on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
RationalEmotive, …
RationalEmotive, you could try going into the Eagle in Cambridge with the ten pound note, should you ever get such a thing…It’s where Crick and Watson discussed their research before they discover the double helix of DNA. You might find someone [likely to be a tourist admittedly] who will stand for a round or two just to be able to tell the story when they get back home.
By 2bsirius on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Great! I’d love to …
Great! I’d love to know who they are and to read some of their poetry.
By 2bsirius on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
This comment is …
This comment is obviously NOT spam. I don’t know who marked it that way. I’ve tried multiple times to click on the ‘not spam’ option to correct the error, but it doesn’t seem to register.
By FunkmasterFic on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
The Star Thrower: …
The Star Thrower: I read the two paragraphs and though it still seems a little confusing I believe that if I read the paper it will become clear but as of now it seems like a very interesting piece and if I can find it I will surely read it
By FunkmasterFic on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Ok so here are my …
Ok so here are my views:
Atheist Summer Camp: I believe this a fantastic place and I believe the way they are directing the children, to be open-minded and to think critically is great! I would absolutely go however I turn 18 on the 9th.
Poetic Atheism: This is still a little confusing to me however I believe to express atheism through poetry would allow others to understand it better.
Pale Blue Dot: Absolutely amazing, it really shows how small the human race, and even the Earth really are.
By TheNakedAtheist on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
The duplicity of …
The duplicity of Lois Rogers’ title, “Dawkins Sets up Kids’ Camp to Groom Atheists” (Sunday Times, June 28th), is exceeded only by its Jesuitical opening line, “Give Richard Dawkins a child for a week’s summer camp and he will try to give you an atheist for life.” I had nothing to do with the setting up of Camp Quest, and it is not, in any sense whatever, inspired by me, or influenced by me.
-Richard Dawkins
By CQUK on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
and on this hot day …
and on this hot day, who can blame you!
By CQUK on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Hi, you might be …
Hi, you might be suprised to learn that we have two poets who are keen to peek interests
By VeritasEtLibertas82 on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
So it’s not so much …
So it’s not so much teaching them to think — but giving them enough space and hope they come to it on their own?