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The God Delusion

Author: Richard Dawkins
Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

741 reviews
Sales Rank: 524778

Format: Audiobook
Media: MP3 CD
Edition: Unabridged
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Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6

ISBN: 1400153786
Dewey Decimal Number: 211.8
EAN: 9781400153787
ASIN: 1400153786

Publication Date: January 5, 2007
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Don't just read one anti-God book read them all August 4, 2008
4 out of 8 found this review helpful

OK... hard job ahead: how to review a book and push your opinions on theists reading this so they instantly de-convert. Phew, here goes... Great amount of thought... Sorry, can't do it. I doubt if anyone could do it in one volume. The atheism vs. theism debate crosses many disciplines and one shouldn't read one anti-God book one should read them all. More on the ones I recommend soon. But, does Dawkins cross many disciplines or does he just stick to his favoured argument from evolution giving rise to apparent design? Does he tread on the toes of philosophers and theologians and get his fingers burnt? Well, as mentioned in the foreword to the paperback edition he only needs to deal with theologies that deal with the existence of God. Most areas of theologies take it as a given that God exists and then go from there. I believe he's dealt sufficiently with the theologies of Aquinas that deal with the existence of God. Intertwined with Dawkins arguments - and you won't find a satisfactory response to them - you'll find many sideswipes at religion. Let's look at Dawkins' arguments Chapter by Chapter:

1.Only the material world exists. Well, Mrs. Theist, just try and give one proof of the supernatural or paranormal. Can't do it, can you?
2.Define God, in order to call him a delusion, and to discuss what would happen if there was the slightest bit of scientific evidence for him
3.Old theological arguments - trounced by who created god.
4.The argument from design - there is no design only apparent design. Yes, Dawkins talks about what he knows best: evolution by Darwinian natural selection. It's only a chapter and you need to read his other works to appreciate the simplicity and power of the most important scientific discovery yet.
5.Not an argument really but a pseudo-scientific attempt to discover the roots of religion. Personally, I feel, Dennet's "Breaking the Spell" will do a better job. In this chapter the theory of the meme is expounded again only this time the theory is tweaked and he almost acquiesces into realizing that it's a totally unprovable theory
6.We are good without religion. I am and my atheist/agnostic friends are, so there.
7.The God of the Old Testament really is a despicable person. And the whole doctrine of the New Testament is human sacrifice writ large. The response from the theist: God has a different moral compass than ours.
8.Why be so hostile? I don't think he is hostile. It is often said that Dawkins crosses the road from atheism to anti-theism. And I'd agree that any atheist does this when she goes on the attack.
9.Childhood abuse. Really, let's be honest, if we didn't indoctrinate our children then religion would die out. The theist response is: look at all those who come to believe in God later in life. My response: ah, but a religion needs a critical mass in order to take-off. If we remove the critical mass (childhood indoctrination) it will die out.

It's beautifully written; each complex idea is explained in such clarity that the reader is made to feel intelligent. Yes, I've borrowed that quote from the blurb of "The Selfish Gene". There are so many angles and disciplines from which one can attack religion that I can't help but feel that he needed to leave some arguments out. Personally I would have liked him to look at the contradictions in the bible and the claim that the bible prophesises future events. I would have liked a section on epistemology by revelation contrasted with how the scientific method is our best method of discovery of the natural world.

Personally, I don't think the God debate is complete until you look at the writings of those who have found God and then come to the startling revelation - through years of experience and discovery - that Christianity, and hence all religions are based on a falsehood. I'm talking of books such as: "Why I rejected Christianity", by John W Loftus or "Losing faith in faith", by Dan Barker or "A Farewell to God" by Charles Templeton (the right hand man of Billy Graham - no less)

To sum up - and to borrow some theological silliness - I think the Rapture will come 40 years from the publication of this important work.

4 out of 5 stars

. July 30, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful

'The God Delusion' makes compelling reading, even though I do think at points that Dawkins is just grandstanding a bit and being smug and deliberately provocative in his sense of intellectual superiority. Overall, a good and enlightening read.

4 out of 5 stars

The God Delusion July 26, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful

A good book which I mostly enjoyed.

Can be difficult to read in places - certain sections require a great deal of thought to really understand what Dawkins is getting at.

Probabily the best aspect of the book, for me, was the recommendation of other books and links to websites further exploring the topics from different perspectives.

The best and most difficult parts to read were the sections concerning evolution.

The best and worst bit was his Ultimate boeing 747 arguement. It is a very good arguement but it isn't as clear and concise as it could be - this is a shame as this would have made the book tramendous

5 out of 5 stars

The dangers of belief. July 22, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful

This is a well written, enjoyable and carefully considered book that meticulously dismantles the faith position, but that is not its strength.

No, the real strength -and the message that should be open to everyone (faith or not)- is that, frighteningly, in the background, is the certain knowledge of the things that people can do when the faith imperative overrides rational behaviour. And through each chapter Dawkins rightly does not allow us to excuse or forget it.

It was also refreshing to see the absurdity that is the "special place" of religion in our society so clearly detailed. Absurdity because, as Dawkins points out, this "special place" puts religion outside the law; it becomes supra-national and this is a real and self perpetuating threat. Enshrining (actively or passively) that an allegiance to a your neighbour is less important than an allegiance to a faith is a very dangerous thing and our refusal to talk about it is becoming increasingly farcicle. As is our headlong rush into teaching it to our children.

On a slightly lighter (but still unsettling I feel) note , this paper back edition gives Dawkins the opportunity to include some more up to date examples of the comical things that religion makes us do. Such as a judge agreeing that it is within your rights to beat your wife if your religion says so (the judgement is the comical part, not the beating). And the government's backing of teaching people that the earth is only a few thousand years old as a fact on equal terms with all the geological evidence (my sister's children were told in one lesson that the mountains were made by tectonic activity and in another lesson by God's footprints).

Dawkins includes another message. It is a variation on the "evil happens when good people do nothing" theme and is a call to atheist militancy. As rational people, atheists feel that religion is a matter of choice: well, it patently isn't! And atheists should make more noise.

This book is above all a plea for everyone to think for themselves.

4 out of 5 stars

Reason and Logic in Abundance! July 22, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful

I'm almost finished this book and have found it an excellent read. I did find it difficult to get used to so much logic and reason, but it's so convincing that I eventually came around.

The examples he uses are relevant and logical. Nothing is outside the scope of reason, but he can also be very entertaining and we get to see his personality coming through.

At times I did think his views were too strong / angry. Alot of this is directed towards the programming and brain washing of the young by major religions and the complete blind faith religious people have. But I think he fails to recognise the link between the two and realise that the parents and religious leaders have also went through this. They therefore teach their children their religion out of love rather than any malicious intent. It is also terribly difficult for people to admit when they've been wrong / duped. Therefore he may wish to consider using a little more tact and diplomacy in the future and he may receive a more positive response.

Coming from Northern Ireland I can see how much religion has effected our society and how simple changes could make long term differences in our lives, such as integrating all schools and removing religious education from them. As Dawkins suggests, NI would be transformed within a generation. When you consider that the majority of people in NI are all of the same religious faith, i.e. Christianity, it's a completely ludicrous situation!