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I might respect you as a brilliant intellect, runner, musician or juggler. But respect your BELIEFS? Only if they're supported by evidence.
Richard Dawkins
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Respect for beliefs is conditional on evidence supporting them.

In this quote, Richard Dawkins emphasizes the importance of evidence in forming and respecting beliefs. While he can admire someone's talents and intellect, true respect for their beliefs comes only when those beliefs are grounded in factual evidence, reflecting a scientific approach to understanding the world.

Themes

BeliefsEvidenceRespectTruthScience

In practice

Example use cases

In a debate about scientific theories, one could use this quote to argue the necessity of evidence in supporting beliefs.

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No educated person believes the Adam and Eve myth nowadays, but it's surprising how many parents think that it's somehow fun to pass on this falsehood to their children...I would want to argue that the truth of evolution is more interesting and more poetic
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Even if not a single fossil has ever been found, the evidence from surviving animals would still overwhelmingly force the conclusion that Darwin was right.
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The bitter hatreds that now poison Middle Eastern politics are rooted in the real or perceived wrong of the setting up of a Jewish State in an Islamic region. In view of all that the Jews had been through, it must have seemed a fair and humane solution. Probably deep familiarity with the Old Testament had given the European and American decision-makers some sort of idea that this really was the historic homeland of the Jews.
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Quote by Richard Dawkins | QuoteProject