what are your general views on Richard Dawkins? i would like to hear from Christians and Atheists...?

Question

any comments on his work in religion and his significance to the debate would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I think he's an intelligent, educated guy who has a strong opinion on a particular topic.

I do, however, wish he would try to be a little less offensive towards religious people---and a little less hostile toward religion in general. Just because some religious people are bad, and some people do bad things in the name of their religions, doesn't mean that all religion is bad. In fact, religion often brings comfort to people. In this world, people need all the comfort they can get.

However, I will give him credit for not being as abrasive as Sam Harris.

EDIT: He is an excellent speaker, though. Whenever he says something, he always says it so eloquently. I wish I could speak like that.

Answer 2

He doesn't have any work "in religion". His work is science related. His opinions, however, are definitely on religion - I find them interesting and generally accurate.
Most atheists will probably agree.
Many religious people do not like him. After all the title of one of his books is "The God Delusion". Claiming an entire sect of people are delusional is not a good way to gain friends.
He is significant because for a very long time atheists have generally been in the background, but now he and Christopher Hitchens have been stirring up quite a fuss lately. It has brought atheistic opinions to the forefront of our literary culture rather than just in court battles.

Answer 3

I've only read about half of one of his books ('The God Delusion'), so my opinion is limited to what I've read so far.

I think Dawkins' writing style is oftentimes prosaic; but at other times, it's self-aggrandizing. I've actually enjoyed most of what I've read of his book, although I don't agree with his conclusions.

He also seems to think that theists deserve no respect because we are "deluded," but that atheists should be utterly respected due to their intellectual superiority.

He knows very little about theological matters, but writes as if he does. So he proves himself to be a less than careful analyst of his subject matter.

He loves to use ad hominem arguments, but savagely criticizes anyone else who does, too. He sometimes comes off as being a bit whiney.

His book contains several serious factual inaccuracies which should have been caught by his editor(s). For example, he writes that the USA's founding fathers were mostly deists. This has repeatedly been proven incorrect, yet Dawkins states it as fact.

I would suggest that anyone reading Dawkins' book double-check his "facts" and arguments before they accept what he's written.

EDIT: (((Super Bobo)))

Answer 4

I am a Christian and I have read the God delusion. I personally think he is the one deluded. He spend his entire first chapter presenting his view that there is no such thing as a spiritual realm or "supernatural" God. He says everything can be explained by the natural physical world and natural laws. Anything unexplainable is simply a natural law that we have not yet discovered. Now Jesus Christ came teaching that there are two realms a natural one and a spiritual realm. Just as you need a natural birth to enter the natural realm you need a spiritual birth to enter the spiritual realm. The problem I have with Dawkins is that he is totally intolerant of anyone who disagrees with his premise and actually speaks hate against them claiming that they are the cause of the world's problems. Personally I think intolerance in itself is a major cause of the world's problems and as more people adopt Dawkins views there is just going to be more intolerance. I think I should have the right to believe what Jesus Christ taught and he should have the right to believe what he wants but he should not be teaching hate against those of us who chose to believe something different that he does.

Answer 5

I enjoyed his book The God Delusion, even though it sometimes got a bit dry and preachy in spots. And I'm a pantheistic pagan. But I think it's probably one of the most important Atheistic literary works of this generation.

Answer 6

I think he's fantabulous! I love the guy.

Sure, he can be a bit of a pompous jerk when he really starts to get pushed, but he's so public and so unafraid to challenge people to their faces that he's doing a great service to atheism. And to theism, as well.

If I ever meet him, I'll hug him.

Lol - he "sure likes Darwin" because he's an evolutionary biologist. :) He's spent his entire professional career studying Darwin and evolution, so he's quite an authority on the subject!

Answer 7

How about from a Zen Buddhist ;-) ?

Dawkins can be a very challenging author, and any religious figure that dimisses him is foolish. You don't have to study religion to have ideas about religion. I have enjoyed the penetrating nature of his insights, and he does indeed force a religious person to consider their ideas in a challenging manner.

Answer 8

I admire him.
I wish more people would take an honest look at the facts rather than hand-waving and story-telling.
I think he's right that there's no logical reason to respect religion. We shouldn't *dis*respect them, but what logic shows that we should respect invisible beings? We don't respect Thor and Apollo anymore, so why the others?

Answer 9

If I believed in a god, I think I would worship Richard Dawkins as one.

Answer 10

A great writer and a man I'd like to meet. His biology books are better than The God Delusion, though I still liked that one. He has great confidence in himself, which I feel he has earned with his brilliant scientific work.