The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The God Delusion
Book Review: "..it's Ok to reserve judgment until the evidence is in"-Carl Sagan
Summary: 4 Stars
I should warn you that this review is as much about the book as Dawkins' impact with his arguments on me. If you're looking for a condemnation or affirmation of Dawkins' belief then this is the wrong review to read. I'm going to try and provide a fair balanced review of the book. I think this is a powerful, important and thought provoking book whether Dawkins is right or wrong.
I'm agnostic and went to Catholic school most of my life. That shouldn't matter for the sake of a review but the information is provided for fair balance-I'm not sure God exists but I was taught that God DOES EXIST. Dawkins isn't sure God exists either. Dawkins argues that the evidence suggests there is no creator but we choose to believe in one because we have a hard time with the concept of existence without purpose, that existence of the universe continues after we are gone and because we (humanity) find ourselves to be the Rosencrantz & Guildenstern of universe. We cling to whatever slim and narrow hope we can because to not do so is too scary. It helps us retain our sanity in a world that can be nasty and unjust. It's the child in us that needs that reassurance just as a child needs the consistency and reassurance of their own personal "gods" (their parents). It also allows us to justify decisions that might not be ethical and moral otherwise.
As Dawkins points out humanity uses religion to contribute to the root of evi. What Dawkins misses is that it isn't necessarily religion per se that creates the evil--it's just a justification used by people with less than ethical and moral agendas. That role belongs to (as does the good) humanity using religion or our differences (you could substitute politics for religion or any number of words)to commit atrocities. For religion is if nothing else a reflection of our moral and personal beliefs. It's used to justify what we do or don't do.
Dawkins book is thought provoking. His arguments are logical, well thought out but as with any argument you can continue to prod and poke it until you find a weak spot or hole. Ultimately it's all a matter of...faith. Ironically an atheist has just as much "faith" as a Christian, Muslim or an adherent to any other religion. They "believe" that God doesn't exist. They believe that the universe just happened and that we may never know or understand (or be capable of understanding)why our universe came into being. Just as the person who is religious believes that we will never understand God's motivation in doing what he/she/it does.
I'm not sure that I buy all of Dawkins' analogies or arguments but they bring up an important point; if there is no God and our lives here on Earth is all there is, it makes it even more important that we treat each other with compassion, care and warmth where we can. Because if this is all there is, than what we do, say and act on has long lasting ramifications. It makes life on Earth even more precious in my humble opinion. We should savor it and savor the experience of existence.
My advice--read the book, weigh Dawkins arguments, raise your own arguments both for and against and make up your own mind. I agree with Carl Sagan's comment (which is quoted in Dawkins' book). You may lean one way or the other for Dawkins' point-of-view but I don't believe his book will necessarily convert you away from what you already believe.
Book Review: "BORING", THY NAME IS DAWKINS
Summary: 1 Stars
As I write this, I note that 344 others have felt enough interest to pen their comments; almost all of them well reasoned and clearly thought out. Am I the only reader on the Planet who found this mishmash unreadable? Richard Dawkins is judged to be a giant in his field, yet to me it seems that he has written hundreds of pages of gibberish, most of which sound as though they were dictated, while high, at a sophmore high school friday night get together of a group of would be intellectuals.
One who would undertake a serouis interest in exploring the nature of the existance of a Diety, would do well to avoid all contact with this ametuerish, angry diatribe, whose interminable pages of nothingness blather on and on, into insensability.
Book Review: "The God Delusion" is a consciousness raiser
Summary: 4 Stars
Most of the criticism against Dawkins and this book is based on one or both of the following assumptions: (1) Atheists are full of hatred and have no business telling people that their religious beliefs are irrational, (2) Dawkins is a biologist, not a theologian, so he shouldn't write a book about religion. As for (1), Dawkins is a scientist, concerned with the truth, and he has all the right in the world to point out the irrationality of theism, because (2) being a scientist, Dawkins realizes that religious claims deserve to be examined the same way you would examine any hypothesis. As a scientist, he wants to get a better understanding of the human nature, human behavious and human beliefs. He doesn't subscribe to the faulty notion that only theologians and apologists are qualified to examine the claims that religions make.
In chapters 3 and 4, Dawkins deals with some of the common arguments for God's existence, such as the argument for design. He explains some of the basic flaws in the "Intelligent design" theory (for example,that the alternative to design is not "chance", but natural selection). But believers don't need to go into defense mode. Unlike some have suggested, Dawkins doesn't resort to namecalling and say that religious people are stupid. He uses his scientific knowledge to try to understand religious belief. His most interesting hypothesis is that religion is a by-product of something else. In the end of the book, he explains how the atheistic world view is far from as cynical and tragic as believers often suggest. He also examines the claim that all morals must come from religion. These are the most interesting parts of the book. There are some parts that slow down the overall pace and keep me from giving the book a five star rating, but "The God Delusion" is definately a book that should be read by both theists and atheists. It is, to use an expression that Dawkins uses throughout the book, a "consciousness raiser".
Book Review: "The God Delusion" vs "Science, Religion & Spirituality"
Summary: 4 Stars
I like to present views contrary to "The God Delusion" that makes case for atheism. Similar to Human Genome leader Collin's belief, the book on "Science, Religion & Spirituality" believe that Science and God can co-exist. This is one book that presents reconciliation between science and god/religion. A rare blend that brings science and spirituality together which are generally treated as oil and water. This is also a book that looks on Science, religion and spirituality from Eastern and Western point of view.
Truth cannot contradict itself. Truth from science and truth from God/Religion must eventually converge into one grand whole, a unified knowledge of the laws that govern our universe. Those who fight over superiority of one over the other are blinded by ignorance about both.
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Book Review: "The atheist view is correspondingly life-affirming and life-enhancing"
Summary: 5 Stars
This is from page 361: "The atheist view is correspondingly life-affirming and life-enhancing, while at the same time never being tainted with self-delusion, wishful thinking, or the whingeing self-pity of those who feel life owes them something." Can you imagine the world we could have if everyone had this attitude? This line makes more sense and has more meaning for me than any line in any holy book I've ever read.
The more I read on the topic of non-belief, atheism, or whatever you choose to call it, the more I am convinced that logic, understanding, and reason continue to be subverted in the name of religion.