Dawkins and the God Delusion
Richard Dawkins is about to publish his latest book which is not about biology but about religious belief (or rather about why religious belief of any flavour is no more than a delusion). He had a substantial slot on the prestigious UK 'Tonight' programme tonight where he was interviewed by 'Rottweiler' Jeremy Paxton (on a bizarre set comprised of terminally uncomfortable chairs that I can only suppose were prescribed by the BBC producer in the hope of making Dawkins squirm. He didn't, although both Dawkins and Paxman in their suits looked like ragged crows confronting one another in a doctor's waiting room).
Dawkins gave an extremely good account of himself (even though Paxman pushed him hard - I think Paxman is sympathetic to Dawkins's views but you wouldn't know it by viewing this programme).I look forward to reading the book. It is interesting that in this year of the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of his great work, 'The Selfish Gene', he is focusing more on debunking the delusion of religion than on biology.
Good for Dawkins. It's time we stopped pussy-footing around the fantasies and delusions that provide the foundation for religion, and stand up for the truth - supernatural religion is an evolutionarily developed mechanism that helps humanity to cope with the hard aspects of life and particularly with death, but that has absolutely no basis in reality. It's time for us to grow up and give up our belief in fairy tales. The universe will seem colder and lonelier, but we can live prouder and more fulfilled lives if we accept the truth.
4 Comments:
I quite agree. For too long religious 'authority' figures have been given special treatment in the media, which would not be afforded other people expressing opinions, such as politicians or scientists like Richard Dawkins. It's time they were confronted properly and encouraged to provide valid reasoned arguments for why they believe what they do. I'm betting they would be torn to pieces by the likes of Mr Paxman.
Non-violence is perferable PJ. We don't need to be torn to pieces by Mr. Paxman nor anyone else. Angelinia Jolie's 'talk about refugees puts more eyeballs on TV'. As ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency her recent remark sets the tone for a higher level of understanding, "Another important thing is always encouraging people from different parts of the world and different religions and cultures to maintain who they are and their own language."
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
entertainment/6118910.stm)
Wishing you the best in the job search ~:)
What Prejudice.
What Dishonesty.
What Delusion!
What a totally biased selection of Anti-God Comments!
Intellectual or not Dawkins seems more inclined to his own deification than anything else. His Simplistic arguments, scrupulously selected for anti - God matter pale into insignificance when viewed against the vast backdrop of scientific and historical evidence.
Compare the Dawkins Delusion with the huge advances in knowledge and human endeavour that have been achieved through every level of intellect by those with Deep Faith in the ultimate reality - In God- Then we are approaching reality. Then we arrive at some balance in the arguments. If “argument “ there needs be!
For all that, humanly contrived evidence is infinitesimal compared with the mystery of life and creation. To explain all in terms of a "Big Bang" turns intellectualism on its head. Like parents relating how babies arrive by a Stork!
The reality of the Infinite is inescapable. It finds no explanation whatsoever outside the super-natural .Yet throughout history with its Post Christian obsession with destroying or defacing the image of God or Faith in God, it has proved impossible to remove God from humanity entirely.
Ineffable laws to which God alone claims authorship simply override the 20th/21st Century onslaught by Totalitarian Government and Military alike. Hedonistic forces may today fill the vacuum on a worldwide scale but, out of the concrete of the Marxist/ Maoist era with all its anti God indoctrination emerged the flower of faith all over again, just as it did with the demise of the morally bankrupt Roman and Arian Super races. Now Britain reels under the humanist and hedonist culture pumped out in the media 24 hours a day by virtue of “scientific advances”. No wonder corrupted and perverse Religion assumes ”the wrath of God.” No wonder all the moral absolutes have been laid aside for political expediency. No wonder Mankind is losing its own supremacy like our Babylonians forbearers.
Is it not incumbent on people to acknowledge the finite nature of human knowledge and to be more circumspect of "scientific" argument and conjecture? Arguments, which God must find sorrowful, vain and arrogant to the point of absurdity.
"Before Abraham was I AM", said Jesus.
Let "scientists” and the simple alike begin with that as a paradigm and we might discern the mystery of created time and matter.-” As in a glass darkly” we are told. Evolution is at best an elaborate conjecture and logically self-destructive at worst. Compared with the statement above , Ask the man in the street about “hard evidence “ for evolution and all he refers to is “what scientists tell us”. Let Hawkins and Dawkins proffer their views if they must but let them also respect others beliefs in turn. Let schools be free to balance education rather than bow to atheist non-belief. Let children swallow Dawkins delusion if they like but may they not face God with such arguments and feel unimaginably silly at Exam time!
life is indeed a mystery - our intelligence yearns to find meaning - to solve problems- we invent solutions and call them 'God' - it's so intolerable to face the reality of our limits to explain and understand that we'd rather be burned at the stake that admit we dont know. You can believe what you like but it's like smokers - do the rest of us have to be slowly poisoned by the side effects of your madness. The absence of explanation does not justify the invention of one.
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