Richard Dawkins The God Delusion

Richard Dawkins is an incredibly talented writer and his book the God Delusion was one of the books I began to work my way through at Christmas. Ironically Christmas is often the time when you feel most religious and when it can be at its most inspiring. I would beg any woman or man to sit through a Christmas carol service and not feel moved and closer to the rest of humanity.

There was also a program on British TV which discussed the problem with Atheists, where a number of distinguished non-believers were asked about the massive loss of life that has occurred in a number of godless societies, starting with the Jacobians after the French revolution. In the twentieth century there were a number of instances and I shed a few tears as I walked round Auschwitz/Birkenau. It felt right to take something and I was accompanied by a rose which I left infront of a pile of shoes from those that never returned.

Just as Marxists unrealistically claim Stalin and Lenin perverted communism so it wasn’t really a Marxist society so the atheists try to squirm out of the question of massive death in godless societies. The answer given was they didn’t kill in the name of atheism, where as people do kill in the name of religion.

Oh i imagine that made a huge difference to those that lost their life...... I can imagine the scene now.

'Hmmm look person who about to be killed.. don't worry about it... it will feel much better as it isn't in the name of religion. Are you happy now?'

Dawkin’s book in many ways is directed at the rise of religious power in the US and the push to move creationism back into schools. His book is basically a call to arms for agnostics and atheists and an academic dissection of a belief in god.

In the first paragraph he sadly negates a great deal of the book by directing his argument primarily at Christianity and Islam… hello Mr. Dawkins there are huge swathes of the world which are neither, and the two rising super powers are a case in point.
Secondly he doesn’t point out the benefit of religion which is it provides us with a moral code, that can be twisted and manipulated by individuals, leaders and countries but in its best manifestations can be worthy.

More importantly though, in the form of Christianity I know best, the Church of England, it can be tolerant, open and provide comfort and warmth to individuals and communities.
Perhaps Mr Dawkins we shouldn’t blame religion but look at why humans are so easily able to commit heinous acts.