Why do so many hate Richard Dawkins?

Question

Richard Dawkins is a genius. He revoltionized the field of Evolutionary Biology with his book, the Selfish Gene. This book opened up biologists eyes as to how important genetics are to the evolutionary process. I think he is a very smart man who deserves a little more respect from the public. The scientific community has nothing but respect for Dawkins.

Hey martin s. Dawkins one the award in Britian for the most intellectual person. I recieved twice as many votes as the runner up. I'd say thats pretty much proof that the scientific community respects him.

Hey martin s. Dawkins one the award in Britian for the most intellectual person. I recieved twice as many votes as the runner up. I'd say thats pretty much proof that the scientific community respects him.

Answer 1

Because they feel like he unjustifiably "invades their turf" when he starts talking about theology and the existence of gods. Oh, right... *chuckle* And because they think he has an "attitude problem".

He has a scattered style and sometimes uses extreme examples, but his book is rather good despite some of the bitter reviews you may read.

Answer 2

Many hate Richard Dawkins for the same reason so much rancor is directed towards Sam Harris, or why so much murderous acrimony is levied at Salman Rushdie. It doesn’t matter how much an individual contributes to a specific intellectual discipline or benefits humanity, when he criticizes beliefs that give people meaning, no matter how specious those beliefs are, people will act hatefully towards him.

The public square is much like high school. It isn’t the intelligent guy who is the most popular, or the guy that dismantles false rumors at the school who is the most liked. The guy who is most cherished is the one that goes along with what is most popular, even if the popular thought is a delusion.

Answer 3

I'd respect him more if he was more respectful. What's to like about a guy who's smug and self-satisfied? Respect him as a scientist? Why not? But that's not what has his name plastered all over the place- including here. I note that you elected to post this question on the Religion and Spirituality forum, NOT the Science forum. He's not getting flack for being scientific, he's getting flack for being anti-religious. It's one thing to believe in evolution. It's clearly another, more presumptuous thing to assert that you've disproven God. Genius or no, Dawkins is an egomaniac. I wouldn't stand in the rain waiting for the chance to ask him to be my friend, but I don't hate him. I actually feel sorry for him; he's lost, and he knows it; if he didn't believe Christianity (or faith of one kind or another) was credible, he wouldn't (as a "genius") waste a moment's precious breath to debate it.

Answer 4

Just goes to show what happens when a respected scientist admits to being an atheist. His atheism made him more hated than his support of evolutionary theory.

Answer 5

I'm not an atheist, not a christian, and I don't hate Dawkins.
I haven't read his books, so I couldn't say what I think about him as an author. But, I have seen a lot of video footage of him in interviews and his movie about fundamentalist religions.. I think he's well-spoken and intelligent.. he's definitely a gentleman.. I can't see why anyone would hate him, even if they disagree with him.

Answer 6

They hate him because people don't like to feel stupid. When someone as educated and erudite as Prof. Dawkins gets up there and insults a belief system, people take it personally ("I don't believe in something stupid... that would make me... stupid."). It hurts when anyone mocks your belief system. It's doubly so when it carries the sting and weight of this intellectual heavyweight.

Hail Satan,

Lazarus

Answer 7

I am Buddhist, I don't hate anyone, but Richard Dawkins isn't the cat's meow IMO either... and yes, I'm essentially atheist.

_()_

Answer 8

i didnt realize he was so hated.. in fact he said much of his responses have been quite positive.

oh you mean on r&s forums, well thats different. there's always going to be extremists that think they know about biology than people who specialize in just that field. its because it goes against some of the things they have faith in.

Answer 9

Personally, I love Richard Dawkins. He's actually one of the main reasons I've chosen to study Evolutionary Biology. Not only that, but listening to him argue his points about religion made me rethink my stance on it. I was an atheist even before I became a fan of his, but I never really saw religion as a threat. I see the harm it causes society now. The harm it causes our progress as a species. All it brings is suffering for other innocent people.

He is a very intelligent, caring man. He is anti-religious, but he has a good reason to be. If you listen with an open mind, you'll see that. He really does only want the best for the world. Religious people just take offense to it.

Answer 10

"The scientific community has nothing but respect for Dawkins."

Really? Did you find out that "fact" in a Barna poll of scientists or something?

Personally, I don't hate anybody. I feel sorry for Richard Dawkins though because he typifies the type of person who is so desperate to deny the existence of a divine Creator to whom we will one day have to give an account of what we did in regards to Jesus that he seeks to get others to join him on his trip to the gates of Hell.

Do you think that this scientist who IS respected by many scientists has respect for Richard Dawkins and his hair-brained escapades into explaining away God?

Dr. Francis S. Collins is Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He currently leads the Human Genome Project, directed at mapping and sequencing all of human DNA, and determining aspects of its function. His previous research has identified the genes responsible for cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington's disease and Hutchison-Gilford progeria syndrome. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. For the rest of his credentials, click on the link here: http://www.genome.gov/10000980. Collins spoke with Bob Abernethy of PBS, posted online at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/transcripts/collins.html, in which he summaries the compatability of fact and faith thusly:

"I think there's a common assumption that you cannot both be a rigorous, show-me-the-data scientist and a person who believes in a personal God. I would like to say that from my perspective that assumption is incorrect; that, in fact, these two areas are entirely compatible and not only can exist within the same person, but can exist in a very synthetic way, and not in a compartmentalized way. I have no reason to see a discordance between what I know as a scientist who spends all day studying the genome of humans and what I believe as somebody who pays a lot of attention to what the Bible has taught me about God and about Jesus Christ. Those are entirely compatible views.

"Science is the way -- a powerful way, indeed -- to study the natural world. Science is not particularly effective -- in fact, it's rather ineffective -- in making commentary about the supernatural world. Both worlds, for me, are quite real and quite important. They are investigated in different ways. They coexist. They illuminate each other. And it is a great joy to be in a position of being able to bring both of those points of view to bear in any given day of the week. The notion that you have to sort of choose one or the other is a terrible myth that has been put forward, and which many people have bought into without really having a chance to examine the evidence. I came to my faith not, actually, in a circumstance where it was drummed into me as a child, which people tend to assume of any scientist who still has a personal faith in God; but actually by a series of compelling, logical arguments, many of them put forward by C. S. Lewis, that got me to the precipice of saying, 'Faith is actually plausible.' You still have to make that step. You will still have to decide for yourself whether to believe. But you can get very close to that by intellect alone."