The following Review was first published in Centre for Islamic Studies Newsletter, London School of Theology (UK), No 16. Autumn 2006. It was re-published in CSIOF Bulletin 2008, Issue NO.1. November 2008, Bible College of Victoria (Australia), ISSN 1836-3490.
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
Bantam Press, 2006
ISBN:0593055489, pp 406
The God Delusion Richard Dawkins
Bantam Press, 2006
ISBN:0593055489, pp 406
The God Delusion is a thought-provoking and passionate book. It challenges the GOD-concept polemically, labeling it a delusion. It is propaganda of an idealistic brand of atheism based on Darwin's theory of evolution. The force and certitude with which Dawkins holds on to his arguments fits the definitions of a delusion:
a false belief that is firmly maintained in spite of incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary and in spite of the fact that other members of the culture do not share the belief.*
The Darwinian theory of evolution, published in the latter part of the nineteenth century, challenged the divine creation, presenting an alternative explanation of the diversity of living things. However, it did not offer any explanation of the origin of matter, life or consciousness. It only proposed a possible route of diversification of living thing once life had come into existence.
Dawkins' argument about the non-existence of God is a statement of his own dissatisfaction with the way the followers of religion have behaved through the centuries. His basic assumption is as follows: many people claiming faith in the existence of a good God over the centuries have behaved badly; therefore, there can be no such God. This line of thinking is logically flawed.
He invites his readers to a higher level of consciousness (denying any being higher than human beings) which will eventually solve all the problems of the world. He wants his readers to imagine, along with John Lennon, a world without religion, a would in which people would have no possessions, yet, but would be "sharing all the way".
Dawkins carefully chooses the weak and easily refutable "Proofs of God's existence", and then pulls them apart. He uses illustrations from a website which are not only illogical but down right laughable. He rightly admits that God's existence can not be conclusively disproved. But her hen immediately appeals to probability, and concludes, that God's existence is highly improbable... hence he does not exist...hence even the concept of his existence is a delusion. this is not scientific, reasoning. (The origin of life from totally inorganic matter is highly improbable... hence life could not have originated...hence life does not exist...The concept of life's existence is a delusion. The parallel is clear).
Regrettably, Dawkins' work is not based on logical reasoning; neither does he make an honest attempt at distinguishing the dross
of degenerate religious thought and practice, from the gold of serious philosophical religious thinking. His cry that the atheists are mistrusted and hated by the people brainwashed by religion, like in America, is a separate diagnosis: it is a phobia.
Short of accepting the existence of an intelligent creator GOD, we are left with only one alternative: the divinity of nothingness. Essentially, that in the beginning there was Nothing in a void of Nothingness, then this Nothing exploded giving rise to matter/energy, then with the intervention of still Nothing this matter gave rise to life ... and finally consciousness...If anyone can believe that, then who can hold a candle to him? The blind don't need light, but sight.
Akhtar Injeeli
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* W.B. Saunders, Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary (28th Edition), Philadelphia 1988, 438.
