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By Rome Jorge, Lifestyle Editor
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Beside the
debacle for and
against the belief in God,
Dawkins in The God Delusion
tries to answer the question
“What makes religion so dangerous?” |
BIOLOGIST Richard Dawkins is a zealous atheist,
as fiery as his dogmatic religious. But unlike them, he declares
that if there was proof finally that there is a God, he would
renounce his current beliefs right away. Because that is what a
scientist does—follow the evidence to their ultimate logical
conclusion, no matter where it may lead. He is asking us to do the
same with his book The God Delusion.
Reading the book from preface onward, it seems
the author is overly defensive. He takes time to name the argument
of theologians to debunk them. The reader wishes he would just get
on with making his own arguments. But being very logical, Dawkins
has already anticipated the arguments and rebuttals of his
opponents.
From Pascal’s Wager (a cynic’s insurance
policy), to Intelligent Design (pseudo-science), to literal
interpretations of the Bible (ancient mythology), to the notion that
God is beyond science (why so?), he tears down each argument.
The God Delusion is a must read not only for
both undecided agnostic and religious adherent. After all, true
faith is born not out of ignorance.
Even more important than the arguments for and
against the belief in God are the reasons for Dawkins’
zealousness. What makes religion, in his eyes, so dangerous?
Terrorism in the name of jihad. The Israeli
land-grabbing of so-called Biblical territories and its funding by
US Christian evangelical groups to fulfill the prophetic
Revelations. Female circumcision, burkhas, honor killings, expensive
dowries that lead to the female infanticide, homophobia, racism and
anti-feminism.
Here in the Philippines, conquistadors
obliterated countless unique indigenous in the name Christianity.
The sexual abuse of boys and women by priests as well as the
meddling in governance by the Church have been documented by our
national hero Jose Rizal in the 1800s as well as by today’s news.
The list of inhumanity and corruption done in God’s name is
endless.
According to Dawkins, such atrocities are not
exceptions but rather the logical outcomes of religion. After all,
in God’s name, even the unspeakable, not to mention the illogical
and downright wasteful, can and will be justified. It is this
conclusion that explains Dawkins’ zealousness.
More importantly, he debunks the notion that
morality stems from religion. Can the godless be good? He says yes,
perhaps more so, because their morality stems not from the fear of
hell or the bribe of heaven. They do right simply because. Their
actions are not born of rote indoctrination. Atheism, he notes, is a
product of critical thinking.
He bristles at the notion that theologians are
somehow more knowledgeable about morality and that religious
leaders, who are neither democratically elected nor democratically
accountable, must have a say in the most crucial issues.
Dawkins is horrified that religious texts such
as the Bible representing the values of brutal ancient times should
continue to govern the lives of modern civilized man. After all, by
today’s standards, the God of the Old Testament commanded incest,
genocide and the treatment of women as mere property. As Dawkins
noted, Abraham was willing to kill his own son Isaac. Such a
sadistic test would have inflicted lasting psychological scars on
Isaac and would have today’s law enforcers hauling Abraham and his
Mastermind for child abuse. Theologians have had to constantly
reinterpret such ancient passages to suit their contemporary
believers.
All these and more are food for thought.
Believer and doubters alike should enrich their minds by reading The
God Delusion.
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