by Tammie (Tue Nov 03, 2009)
I'm not exactly the wilting flower when
it comes to expressing my opinion. I'll tell it like is, so if you don't want
to hear the truth, don't ask me. However, when it comes to arguing my religious
beliefs - or lack thereof - it's too easy to feel cowered in the States'
current climate. It seems I can't turn my head without seeing a Jesus sticker
blazoned across a business vehicle and that everyone belongs to (and goes to)
church. We may have belonged to a church when I was a kid, but actually going? Seriously?
‘Am I the only one?' I began to wonder.
Has the whole country jumped the God (or Allah or Yahweh) bandwagon? More to
the point is why have they? When I was in high school, well to put it
nicely, you'd get your ass kicked for bringing a Bible to school or for proudly
stating you listen to Christian rock. Now? Try to go a day in the
U.S. without being faced with some sort of religious symbol, poster, or
conversation about the greatness of Jesus. I can't not scream in my head,
‘Help, I'm surrounded by the god-fearing masses.'
So when a co-worker told me she was
reading this book that describes and defends the reasons to not believe in a
supernatural god, I ran out and found a copy. I recall that, when released, the
book stirred up controversy and threats to the author's life in ways not seen
since Salman Rushdie unveiled ‘The
Satanic Verses.' Oh yeah, I had to read this book.
Richard Dawkins, author of ‘The Selfish Gene' and ‘The Blind Watchmaker'
is never one to back down from a controversial subject, but has the ability to
treat the opposing side with respect - maybe it's the British ‘politeness' gene
in him. In ‘The God Delusion'
Dawkins asserts that belief in a supernatural creator - whether you call him or
her God, Yahweh, Allah, or another deified name - is out of place in today's
educated world and is actually the root of many of the problems in the world,
namely wars and genocide. This is a point I'd been trying to make for years and
felt I was on the losing side of the battle, until reading this book.
Dawkins begins by pointing out that,
despite what the political temperature has been of late, the United States was
not intended to be a Christian nation. With quotes from Thomas Jefferson to Ben
Franklin it becomes clear that the people who founded the U.S. wanted religion
kept as far out of politics as possible, yet now it seems every politician has
to announce which church he or she belongs to - something that angers up the
blood whenever I hear it. I don't care if you go to church, the question is, how
will you make this country better?
The book makes compelling arguments
against the existence of a supernatural power and reveals the fallacies in the
debate for one. Dawkins demonstrates that by applying the same logic many
religions use to defend their beliefs, we could just as easily worship the
Flying Spaghetti Monster (which I'm considering, given that they decree every
Friday as a religious holiday). Dawkins moves on to the roots and reasons
people hold so tight to religious beliefs even in the face of logical reasoning
and then points out the numerous social wrongs that are encouraged by religion
including war, hatred of homosexuals, and preventing women from having control
over their own bodies.
‘The God
Delusion' is not preachy and Dawkins makes his
point without being rude to the other side - the same cannot be said for the
books and reviews that came out against his book. Although a bit of heavy
reading in spots (this isn't going to make the Top Ten Beach Reads List) it
is well written with a hefty dose of wry British humor. For the
church-going person, if you can keep an open mind while reading it, it is
highly recommended. Reading it with the thought of ‘this is all B.S.' is
not the way to enter into this tome.
If you find you don't
have the time to read it, or can't get the book right away, I highly recommend
the movie ‘Religulous.' It
delves into many of the same topics with a heaping dose of humor.
