Re: Dawkins quotes on Religion
Unfortunately, I haven't read as much Dawkins as I'd like (only The
Blind Wathcmaker). I got this quote from the Atheist Forune Cookie
server:
http://www.good-things.org/cookies.cgi/0?
They don't always give complete references. From reading ABOUT Dawkins'
works, I might guess it's from River Out of Eden.
Paul Robson:
Live from the country which gave Richard Dawkins to the world !
I think it's a quote from the net. I remember downloading and reading the
text of some speeches given by RD from somewhere (do an AV search for
Richard Dawkins). He actually uses this argument a lot in so it may well be
in "River Out of Eden" too, which does have a small amount on religion (in
relation to a minister who claimed that there had to be a God because of
the reproductive system of Orchids). Most of his written work (except the
stuff on memetics) isn't about religion, except the Creationists.
I would recommend "The Selfish Gene" (which has some interesting stuff
on the genesis (:)) of morality)... well I'd recommend anything by him
really !
He is quite readable even if you aren't too "scientifically minded".
He's now got a post promoting Science in the media (I can't remember
exactly what). I'm just dying to see him take on the idiotic paranormal
psuedoscience mob !
I expect you have the same problem getting hold of Dawkins that I do of
getting hold of Sagan's work. I just found "The Demon Haunted world" on
a back shelf somewhere. It is one of the best books I have ever read.
Unfortunately our booksellers have the same problem as yours - if you
put "God" in the title (even if it has nothing to do with God or religion or
anything) it sells like hot cakes. (Interestingly, the only other category
to which this applies is Hitler,apparently). There is some incredible
rubbish - some mathematician claims to have a "mathematical proof" of
God's existence. Well, I'd love to see his mathematical definition of God.
(a prerequisite for such a thing to be possible)
Paul Robson (autismuk@aol.com)