The God Delusion
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins is a profound book answering a question posed by John Lennon. You know the question. Imagine a world with no religion? (I hear in some covers, the song changed to “Imagine a world with one religion?”) In that scenario there would be no 9/11, crusades, Holocaust, or Taliban. The list goes on and on. No problems in Ireland, Israel, or Indonesia, just to name a few countries.
Dawkins wants the destruction of a supernatural God. The idea of a supreme creator, one who interferes in our daily life is absurd to Dawkins. Dawkins also wants to obliterate the phrase of Christian child or Muslim child. He feels that the concept of religion is that a child wouldn’t truly understand, like a concept of politics or economics. The child is most likely a product of childhood indoctrination. His geological position most likely informs his religious position. The final concept Dawkins wants to instill is Atheist pride.
This is a well organized book presented with scientific acumen. The first chapter is an introduction, while chapters two through four are a dismantling of the God delusion. Chapter five deals with why Humans create religions, while chapters six through eight prove how religions are an unnecessary evil. Chapter nine deals with child indoctrination and the farcical nature of a child who understands the concepts of a particular religion. Especially with what that entails. Chapter ten is a summary of the previous chapters, and how the true nature and it’s physically workings is sublimation enough. A role traditionally played by organized religion.
The prose is engaging, and never boring. Again it is a systematic attack on god and religion using scientific methods. It has plenty of anecdotes and statistics. This a reasonable book on an unreasonable lifestyle. It may just change your life. You may come out of the closet so to speak. You may shout to the world, “I am an Atheist!” It also may provide ammunition at parties, functions, and/or debates with a discussion of religion enters the room. It at least presents the choice of atheism as a viable moral choice. And yes you do have a choice.