The God DelusionA preeminent scientist—and the world's most prominent atheist—asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - cloidl - LibraryThingI enjoyed it for being direct and challenging believes, but he can come across as a bit condescending, especially if you do follow any of the mainstream religions. On the other hand Atheists don't have nearly as many spokesmen as the religious community. Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - ssperson - LibraryThingThis book is Richard Dawkins' argument against the existence of any sort of divine being that runs the world. While getting deeper at times than I was comfortable following (quantum physics and ... Read full review
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Adolf Hitler American answer argument asked atheists become believe better brain called Catholic century Chapter child Christian Church claim comes complex course Darwinian death don’t especially evidence evil evolution evolved example existence experience explain face fact faith favour feel genes give gods hand happen Hitler human idea imagine improbable individual intelligent Jesus John kill kind least less live look matter means memes mind moral move natural selection never once origin parents particular perhaps person philosopher planets possible principle probably question reason religion religious respect scientific scientists seems sense simply society story suggest theologians theory things thought true turn understand universe whole wrong young
Popular passages
Page 261 - And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us ; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Page 29 - There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.
Page 337 - And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched : "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Page 263 - ... but ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: for thou shalt worship no other god : for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God...
Page 284 - I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races...
Page 192 - he said. Into the valley of Death Kode the six hundred. " Forward, the Light Brigade!" Was there a man dismayed ? Not though the soldiers knew Some one had blundered: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die, Into the valley of Death Kode the six hundred.
Page 110 - Galilee? Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Page 284 - I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say, in addition to this, that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And...
Page 180 - It may be said that natural selection is daily and hourly scrutinising, throughout the world, every variation, even the slightest ; rejecting that which is bad, preserving and adding up all that is good ; silently and insensibly working, whenever and wherever opportunity offers, at the improvement of each organic being in relation to its organic and inorganic conditions of life.
Page 66 - I learned and reflected, the less ready was the answer ; until, at last, I came to the conclusion that I had neither art nor part with any of these denominations, except the last. The one thing in which most of these good people were agreed was the one thing in which I differed from them. They were quite sure they had attained a certain "gnosis...
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Bibliographic information
| Title | The God Delusion |
| Author | Richard Dawkins |
| Edition | unabridged |
| Publisher | HarperCollins, 2011 |
| ISBN | 0547348665, 9780547348667 |
| Length | 464 pages |
| Subjects | › Philosophy / Criticism Religion / Atheism Religion / Religion, Politics & State |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |