| Richard Dawkins's controversial book The God | | | | Soviet Russia and Red China, which murdered millions |
| Delusion has created quite a stir. Dawkins contends | | | | of their own people, are strong evidence that |
| that religion and belief in a supernatural creator qualify | | | | atheism is no answer to the world's problems. While it |
| as a delusion, which he defines as a persistent false | | | | is true that many wars have been fought under |
| belief held in the face of strong contradictory | | | | religious pretext, the wagers of those wars violated |
| evidence. | | | | the basic religious premise of "do unto others as you |
| "Although the debate [between atheists and | | | | would have them do unto you." The fault does not lie |
| believers] is often framed as 'science versus religion,' | | | | with religion per se but with its misinterpretation, says |
| this is misleading. It isn't even scientists versus | | | | Meakin. Resolving this issue is all the more important |
| theologians. It is more about atheistic scientists | | | | today, with the looming threat of weapons of mass |
| expressing their antireligious beliefs openly and | | | | destruction now in the possession of many nations. |
| stridently, with theistic scientists being just as vocal in | | | | Dawkins has great faith in Darwin, the theory of |
| defense of their faith," said John Meakin of Vision, a | | | | evolution, and survival of the fittest. But they are |
| Web publication issued by Vision Media and dedicated | | | | just that--theories. Even if one does not believe in a |
| to highlighting current social issues. | | | | Creator and instead accepts the idea that life |
| Dawkins suggests that religionists should see what he | | | | originated spontaneously from matter and that the |
| views as the illogical and erroneous nature of their | | | | universe started with the "big bang," the final |
| beliefs, abandon them, and embrace the "healthy" | | | | question remains: where did that matter come from? |
| and independent mind of the atheist. He sees religion | | | | Meakin suggests that the Dawkins book provides |
| as little more than an infectious virus that spreads like | | | | food for thought by pointing out religious irrationalities. |
| the plague and is passed down from one generation | | | | Yet atheism, as a faith, suffers from many |
| to the next. The underlying theme in Dawkins's | | | | inadequacies. The crux, he says, is that the humanly |
| thinking is that if religion and belief in God could be | | | | caused shortcomings of religion and the Bible no more |
| banished, the world would be a happier and more | | | | invalidate God than bad science invalidates all science. |
| peaceful place. | | | | See related articles, Richard Dawkins: The God |
| One does not have to look far to see the fallacy of | | | | Delusion and Would We Be Better Off Without |
| that viewpoint. The communist regimes of former | | | | Religion? |