What do you think of Richard Dawkins - Author of the God Delusion?

Question

He argues that religion is the root of all evil. Do you agree? Have you ever read or listened to him? If not, would you? And if not why not?

Answer 1

I have read the book excellent..the man speaks sense!

Answer 2

Professor Dawkins is one of the most important people on the planet today, and is likely to be spoken about in the same terms as Darwin for centuries.

The choice of the title 'Root of All Evil?' for his TV documentary was not his, and in fact he argued strongly against it. The only concession he could get from the film company was to add the '?' at the end. He's stated on several occasions that he's not so foolish as to believe that religion is the root of ALL evil - just some, significant part of it.

To consider him as merely the 'author of The God Delusion is to do a great disservice to his previous and more scholarly work, including The Selfish Gene, The Extended Phenotype and The Blind Watchmaker.

His increasing irritation and exasperation with religion - including regular death threats from those who hate him simply for making the details of the evolutionary process accessible to millions of laypersons - has led him to go after the subject of religion more specifically.

Dr. Dawkins has been largely responsible for the rise of what is being called The New Atheism - a long-overdue attack on the anti-science and anti-sense that has been steadily gaining ground in the US, and spreading out into the rest of the world. The number of innocent lives lost, damaged or destroyed by Luddite theocracy has gone on for too long. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of it.

CD

Answer 3

Richard Dawkins is quite simply one of the most intelligent people alive today.

I am always very touched by his humility and respect for people, even those uneducated people who still believe in this religious nonsense.

It is wrong of you to state that he considers religion to be the 'root of all evil'. The Channel 4 series which was given this title was chosen by the producers against Professor Dawkins' wishes. For while he did not wish to offend faithheads the television channel hoped to be as provocative as possible in order to achieve higher viewer ratings.

I would suggest that anyone out there who has been brainwashed to believe in primitive religions should read the God Delusion at their earliest convenience. It will help to open the door to the great truths of our universe.

Answer 4

I love Richard Dawkins. I do agree with him to a point. Religion is the root of many, not all, evils. I really love when he says that religion is not above debate, that we should not tip-toe around the issue, because it has the power to affect us all. (Christian Coalition in US politics, Islamic fundamentalist terrorists, as some examples).

I don't agree with everything he says, but I love how forward, unafraid, and unapologetic he is. And he's a Brit.. I could listen to him talk all day :)

Answer 5

There is a good riposte called "The Dawkins delusion" my dad has read.

He seems more than an atheist, there seems to be some vicious bitterness to God in him. Just as well he's attacking christianity and not Islam, or he would be in trouble.

Reminds me of celebrated and lucid historian AJP Taylor (a cool writer). I read his autobiography. In a school chapel he finally decided God didn't exist, because a voice spoke to him 'there is no God'. Why would a nascent atheist, in AJPs case, accept a supernatural voice's witness that an almighty supernatural Creator didn't exist?

Answer 6

He does not argue that religion is the root of all evil. His 2 part series was called that because channel 4 knew it would get veiwers. He's even been video taped saying no one thing is the root of all evil. And he is a very brilliant man.

Answer 7

religion is the root of all evil i must agree it is opium for the people and there are those who cannot do without it and want everyone to be as hooked on it as they are and see those that dont believe some sort of evil in an age of reason people still want to hang on to somethig that makes them feel that they are not alone in this world its all a very sad state of afffairs

Answer 8

I think the religion is the beginning of the quest for knowledge...unfortunately too many people see it as the end.

I guess what I'm saying is religion provides answers...but they are answers without investigation, evidence, etc. So, I think religion ends up being the root of ignorance, which can feed evil.

Answer 9

I think he's brilliant and has a very soothing voice. I own The God Delusion and would love love LOVE to read The Selfish Gene. In fact, I may ask for it as a birthday gift. I've watched his "Root of All Evil" program and many other of his videos available on YouTube. He's got a great way of bringing complex issues down to anyone elses level (and yes, I say bring it down because, like I said, he's brilliant and understands complexities that I probably couldn't comprehend unless he explained it in terms I could understand).

Answer 10

Can you place that quotation? It doesn't sound like him, though his is clearly anti-religion.
(The biblical quote about money gets mangled a lot, too.)

What do I think of Richard Dawkins?
His arguments carry a lot of weight, for me.
However, when he is not engaged in technical argument his tone, manner and invective language have little to recommend them and are counterproductive.

Answer 11

He's a smart guy, but I disagree with him. Religion is not the root of all evil. There's no such thing. Religion is sometimes the root of some evil, nothing more.