Sam Harris is a Non-Normie

[bryant69]

Are you familiar with the term non-normie? It is a deep and insightful psychological term developed by Mr. Jack Thomas. Thomas work is nothing short of brilliant as he points out how normal people have been marginalized by non-normies. Normal people are good Christian Republicans - Rush Limbaugh, for example, is perfectly Normal, according to Mr. Thomas. Being an atheist makes you a non-normie, apparently.

At his website ( http://non-normie.com ) Mr. Thomas does a non-normie of the day - and on December 26, 2006 he selected Sam Harris, who some of you are presumably familiar with, as his non-normie of the day (can't link to the article itself - but here's the page - http://www.non-normie.com/list_non.php ).

" The Sunday Current Section of the Los Angeles Times featured an article by our non-normie of the day, today, Sam Harris. The title was 10 myths and 10 truths about atheism. In this editorial, Mr. Harris attempts to make an intelligent case for believing that no God exists. Unfortunately he never addresses the fundamental and initial flaw in his argument. In order to truly be an atheist, one would have to be God with the power to investigate every corner of the universe, and beyond, and declare, “No God found.” Of course, anyone with that power would be God. Thus, everything that comes after that is already self-refuting on its face."

Take that Mr. Harris. And all of you other atheists who aren't all powerful Gods. If you are an all powerful God, could you do me a solid? I'd like a solid gold urinal for reasons I can't satisfactorally explain.

Also those of you wearing Birkenstocks or Camoflage gear - you are, I'm sorry to say, non normies.

I've spent all day writing on this brilliant website (although over there I'm being slightly less sarcastic) --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

Bryant

[fasttense]

1. Sounds like most of the posters here on DU are non-normies. n/t

[endarkenment]

2. Stunning! Finally! Proof that God Exists!

Or not. That has to be the stupidest attempts at a logical proof of the existence of the supernatural deity that I have ever seen.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. I don't even pretend to understand how

that person's website or his normie-non normie quiz was to prove anything, other than to expose the bias the website owner obviously has.

Another thing about "proving" God that makes it impossible--there is not one iron-clad concept of God. I daresay that there are as many concepts of God as there are people, give or take a few who blindly follow another and don't think on their own.

[Silent3]

9. Of course the logic is terrible...

...but you've gone and proven yourself a non-normie by caring about that!

If you were normal, you'd properly overlook that kind of stuff because you'd just *know* there's a God like any good, normal person does. If more or less the right words were there to sound like someone was shaming one of those damned atheists, you'd have been happy...

...but nooooo! Not you, you goddam non-normie America-hating freak! :evilgrin:

[charlie]

3. We're all non-normie

There can only be one:

[papau]

4. LOL - point taken - even that Norm would know that the "non-normie" story is not a proof of

God, since God can not be proved. And bartender Ted would then point out that the non-normie story was just pointing out that the attempts to prove no God were by definition just silly illogical verbiage - again by definition, since the non-existence of God can not be proven.

But as much as I hate assertion pretending to be logic, it is the name calling pretending to be insight that is most offensive - and Harris is into much less name calling than Dawkins. The non-normie site person should have noted that fact, since it is best, in my opinion, to try to say something positive as you tell someone they are full of it.

Besides Harris had a Christmas tree this year! Leave him alone! (I know he thinks that act proves there's nothing religious in Christmas, but he is again wrong - and I like the image of Harris exchanging gifts by the Christmas tree!).

[MistressOverdone]

5. You know, that really disappoints me

I had a lot of respect for Harris, because even as a believer I buy a lot of what he says. And a lot of if makes me laugh.

But obviously he doesn't have the strength of his convictions. I think if I'd written bestsellers about the evil of religion I'd forego the Xmas tree, even if it IS a pagan symbol. He doesn't like THEM, either.

Atheists need to come up with a great holiday where we can give presents. I think that would help their "cause" (yeah, I know, they don't have one) a lot.

Any ideas?

[papau]

8. Since the athiest holiday can't be related to anything spiritual - perhaps a "science day" tied

June physics PHD graduations - but at which school?

We need a school never associated with religion and we have a few - MIT and Cal Tech come to mind - but best might be to break the US Connection- perhaps an Indian University - say Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India?

I'd choose the day the physics PHD are awarded rather than any other "logical" discipline since cutting edge physics is a similar to atheism in that it is a combination of fact, logic, and grand leaps of faith about much that is unprovable and indeed that which contradicts human experience, yet seems to work and be predictive in real life - like QM, especially with entanglement, and string theory, and banes, and - my favorite - having 2 dimensions of time.

[Goblinmonger]

12. I would have thought

that the impression would be that Harris is the bigger asshole than Dawkins. Harris reads like it is an attack. Dawkins seems so much more, I don't know, flowing of writing and less confrontational. Funny how perceptions differ on the other side of the fence.

Who gives a rat's ass if Harris had a Xmas tree. I had a Xmas tree up. What the hell does that prove. It's a nice celebration during the darkest time of the year with the inevitable return of light coming right around the corner. A tree does not mean I believe in Christ.

[MistressOverdone]

16. No, I think your having a tree

is just evidence that the holy day has moved into the secular realm for many people.

And who's to say what you have in your living room? Your domain completely, and you can assign whatever importance you want to it.

[MistressOverdone]

17. The fact you choose to have a tree

is just evidence that the holy day has moved into the secular realm for many people.

And who's to say what you have in your living room? Your domain completely, and you can assign whatever importance you want to it.

I have a Buddha in my garden, but I'm not Buddhist.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. I'm a non-normie

Funny, isn't it, that anyone with a world perspective rather than a xenophobic one appears to be a non-normie. I also found it highly amusing that they implied that being single for long periods of time in one's life made one non-normie. Since I was single until in my late thirties, I find this highly amusing--would this person rather I lived with someone or perhaps had multiple marriages/divorces? Intersting that the concept of being picky about who you wed, being chaste before marriage, and then staying in the marriage long term appears to be non-normal in their eyes.

[papau]

10. I was upper 20's - a borderline normie! - but I had questions that did not include

the type of questions you had on your quiz - perhaps with a "better quiz" I could of made "non-normie"

"I could have been a contender..." ... not that I'm the Terry character (Marlon Brando) in On the Waterfront - - but I feel left out not making the non-normies. :-)



============================================
21% - 30% 3 rd*

You have signs of non-normieness (You are normal, but borderline)

[Wickerman]

11. I'd like the 17 minutes of my life I wasted on that clap-trap back, please n/t

[bryant69]

13. I wasted a whole dya on it myself

The thing about it, as funny as I find it, is that the guy is serious. And he's crafting an intellectual framework (a rickety one, to be sure) for locking atheists and liberals up as mentally unstable.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Wickerman]

14. By his own survey questions those on the right are as non-normie

as those on the left. Yet, because he rants differently in his explanatory text, he cites the libs as the loonies. I'm sure he does similar with religion but I lost patience with his concrete world view long before I explored those lands.

[bryant69]

15. I don't agree - his Survey questions are carefully crafted

to exclude all but the extreme rightests. I mean he will condemn Phelps - so would Rush Limbaugh - but when you posit Phelps and Sen. Reid as equally crazy and extreme it's clear where you want to put normalness.

Bryant

[NMMNG]

18. What a loon

He's got some really whacky ideas about what makes people normal and "non-normie". :crazy:

I scored 24 on his test.

21% - 30% 3 rd* You have signs of non-normieness (You are normal, but borderline)


Somehow being declared "normal" by him is not a compliment.

[bryant69]

21. I scored 25 - I guess I'm slightly less normal than you.

I think the test is designed so most people score low on it - that way you accept your normalness - so that when he posits your political position you buy off on it mor than you might otherwise.

Bryant

[Danger Mouse]

19. Uhhh...

uhhh...
uhhh...
yeah, this is bullshit.

[and-justice-for-all]

20. Strange... I never heard that before..nt