I must confess I have a bizarre fascination with Richard Dawkins. If it weren’t for that, I might not have been interested in the fact that 25% of the British have some sort of belief in astrology. Or even in the fact that this constitutes more believers than any other single established religion. I could guess what Dawkins would have to say on the matter, but this entry by Wired Science took me completely off guard. After summarizing Dawkins’ stance on the issue and giving us a lesson on the history of philosophy comes this gem:
But in both cases [Girard and Nietzsche], a nuanced analysis of religion led to examination of that fundamental human characteristic, resentment–a characteristic that swelled to monstrous proportions during the 20th century genocides of Hitler and Lenin and Mao and Pol Pot, all of which were decidedly secular, and more recently during wars in Eastern Europe and Central America and assorted parts of Africa.Studying religion in a sophisticated way could help us understand the human dynamics underlying such tragedies. It was a task worthy of many of the 20th century’s greatest intellects, and could also be worthy of Dawkins. Too bad he’s wasting his time making dowsers cry. Wired Science
It is so refreshing to not have religious beliefs looked upon as the root of all evil. And this is about the closest to the real roots of the world’s conflict I have seen a secular source come: resentment. Indignation or ill will as the result of some perceived grievance. The belief that you deserve something that someone else has. Self-centeredness. Sin.
Dawkins, on the other hand, believes otherwise.
As a scientist, I don’t think our indulgence of irrational superstition is harmless. I believe it profoundly undermines civilization. Reason and a respect for evidence are the source of our progress, our safeguard against fundamentalists and those who profit from obscuring the truth. The Enemies of Reason (YouTube)
Irrational superstition, be it astrology or Christianity, profoundly undermines civilization. Elsewhere, he has compared religion to a malignant virus of the mind, complete with an imaginary medical textbook to discuss the symptoms. While I don’t believe he has ever made any statements remotely close to, “the infidel must die,” he has laid the groundwork. The mind, the seat of reason and the source of our thoughts and feelings, cannot be so easily controlled. If the virus is to be treated so that civilization may be spared its debilitating effects, an adequate vaccine and treatment must be discovered.
I wonder what acts this philosophy’s “resentment” is capable of. For me, it calls to mind images of reeducation camps. But maybe the public schools will suffice.
“I must confess I have a bizarre fascination with Richard Dawkins.“
Ha! Me too!
Great post. I wish I had time to leave some thoughts. Maybe later.
I have never heard of him nor read his works…so not much input here
Not sure how to explain the shiver that went down my spine as I read the scientific reduction of religion as if it were a virus; I suppose I’ve read too much Sci-fi and see this as a jump toward eradicating the weak minded in society, those who have the virus.
Charity, please feel free to come back any time. I’d love to hear your thoughts, although I believe I have read some posts from you on Dawkins before. Or I’m just imagining things.
Shawna, you haven’t heard of my favorite “evangelical” atheist? Author of “The God Delusion,” inventor of the term “meme” and forwarded the gene-centered view of evolution? He even has his own foundation, but the website needs some serious work. It looks nice, and I believe you can donate, but that is about all that is set up at the moment. He has also been dubbed “Darwin’s rottweiler,” a fitting description.
T.F. Stern, I agree. That analogy has always disturbed me. It is how I first came to know about Mr. Dawkins.
Um, Shawna, that wasn’t meant as criticism that you don’t know who he is. I was just being silly. : ) I just realized after posting that it might be misinterpreted.
Funny how he sees Religion as undermining civilization – I’ve seen pretty good arguments that religion is a necessary precursor to the formation of civilization.
Of course, Dawkins was never one to let evidence to the contrary stand in his way.
On a tangent, do you read Vox Day’s blog?
Now and again, but not regularly. Anything interesting recently?
And I read some interesting critiques of Dawkins last night. Some were sort of lame, but some were rather interesting. I’ll see if I can find them and post some links. One particularly struck my peculiar sense of humor, but the chances of rediscovering it are slim. I need to learn to bookmark more often.
No offense taken, Dana LOL Obviously somone I could learn more about! Maybe **quivers**
He and Sam Harris are an interesting pair. They are popular authors, and with the kinds of statements they make, they naturally gain a lot of attention among the religious.
Have you discussed your misgivings on the forum at Dawkins’ website, Dana? He feels he is consciousness-raising by overstating the issues (he learnt it from the feminists). Even though I am a rationalist and don’t believe in any deity or supernatural occurrences, I can understand where people who do are coming from, as I shared many of those beliefs up till not so long ago. I don’t agree with him picking only on religion, because I think that we all have a tendency to put our faith in something without question, so when people reject religion without recognising this tendency inherent in themselves, they just find some other “virus”
I don’t like how some creationist types tried to rubbish him by creating a bogus video where he apparently couldn’t answer a question they asked. Mud is thrown on both sides.
He feels he is consciousness-raising by overstating the issues (he learnt it from the feminists).
That may be, but by pushing the envelope, so to speak, the ideas gradually gain acceptance. And when we begin to have such discussions about how freedom of religion is antithetical to a free society, creationism is a threat to deomcracy, and religion (or superstition) “profoundly undermines civilization” there is only one direction this is leading.
Governments have gone that way in the past, and it hasn’t always been the ones controlled by some religious view. As the article in Wired Science points out, some of the greatest blood baths in modern history have been at the hands of secular states.