Non-fiction 26 Feb 2007 15:22
The God Delusion
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins makes a very well-reasoned case against religion in this book. Most of his arguments focus around the “Abrahamic” religions (Islam, Judaism and Christianity), but they do apply equally well to any of the less common (in the West) beliefs.
The book challenges, among other things, the idea that religion is somehow “sacred” and that religious ideas should not be discussed and generally treated just as any other idea. Religion should not be a “get out of jail” card; that is, any behaviour that is not accepted by society should not be excused simply because it is practised for religious reasons. One other particularly touching chapter of the book is the one about the relation of religion and children: Dawkins’ point that children do not have a religion, and that referring to a “Catholic child” is as absurd as talking of a “socialist child” or a “republican child” is a very good one, and non-religious people should strive to make this a default position.
I would very much like to see this book widely read, by religious and non-religious people alike, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that, with it, Dawkins is mostly “preaching to the converted” (so to speak). Very few religious people will read this book with an open mind; however, anyone who’s already on the brink of dropping out of organised religion will probably find this book very helpful; reassuring, even. (that said, Julia Sweeney mentioned in a recent interview that her “conversion” was helped by Michael Shermer book How We Believe, so there’s always hope).
