!!!! There are no words to describe my excitement, my awe, my wonder, my happiness at the world right now. (Well, excuse me--my view of the world. Or is it all a matter of my extream positive thinking? Anyways...)
I have just finished reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins--next book, The Blind Watchmaker! --and this book has literally changed my life.
I am feeling a sense of wonder about the natural world, and so amazed about how the human mind works and the evolution of religion, of languages--I read things in this book that I would have never thought of without Dawkins!
There is aprticular paragraph in chapter 5, The Roots of Religion:
"...I am a human animal and therefore evolved as an instinctive dualist. The idea that there is a me perched somewhere behind my eyes..is deeply ingrained in me and in every other human being, whatever our intellectual pretentions to monism...especially children.
"Children are especially likely to assign purpose to everything...called teleology...and many never grow out of it."
So, with these two points in mind: children are natural dualists, teleologists and [creationists]. (I know it didn't mention creationism in the passage, but I made the conclusion from those two points--dualism + teleology = creationism. May be incorrect, but that's me.) Many adults use this for of psychology in religion because they didn't grow out of those childish ways of thinking. Halfway through the book, I threw aside my views of dualism, teleology, and creationism; I grew up.

Don't get me wrong--I'm not saying that it was wrong of me to think in that manner for so long. I'm actually glad that I went through those stages so that I can be who I am today. Kind of like my childhood; my mamma wasn't very nice, but you know how the old saying goes--'that which does not kill you makes you stronger.'

So, now I am just so happy--I feel good all the time now! It's awesome!
I've got The Blind Watchmaker and this book about the complexity of life(I forget the title), and I'm gonna read a few more of Dawkins's books.

Celebration! *throws confetti*
<3

I read back to back the following:

Sam Harris: The End of Faith & Letter to a Christian Nation

Richard Dawkins: God Delusion

Christopher Hitchens: God is not Great....


All were wonderful and I understand your enthusiasm for life after reading G.D. by Dawkins...

Now we all have to wait until September 9th for Richards next book; The Greatest Show on Earth.....Can't wait...

Obsessed Philosopher.... same here! TGD changed my life more than anything else because it totally changed my way of thinking. It is by far my favourite book. It's the only Dawkins book I have read all of so far mind you but I also have The Blind Watchmaker and The Selfish Gene. And I too am reading The Blind Watchmaker as my second Dawkins book to read...I've got to about page 100 a while ago and whenever I can pull myself from computers then that is what I'll be doing

It totally changed my life too. Totally. And as you say...I had no idea from Richard Dawkins! I did not expect it! I didn't realize that such intellectual awesomeness can lead to such emotional awesomeness - in the sense of it totally changing my whole life and resulting in me feeling better and doing better overall, all round! It's awesome.

Yup - Dawkins is amazing.

EvF

I don't like Hitchens very much. He is too bitter. I do recommend his book, "The Portable Atheist" which has very little of Hitchens in it.

I do not see the Freud/Joseph Campbell aspect of religion as a product of our mind. I would contend religion started out as a pre-scientific way to explain the heavens. Man observed that the stars would be in the same place every year when it was time to plant, harvest etc. The thinking was that the stars (moon, sun etc.) controlled events on the earth. This incorrect hypothesis evolved into a complex astro-religion which combined with philosophy gave us today's beliefs. In fact we still use the stars to designate religious holidays which resemble our ancient (and even modern) view of the constellations. (I feel a plug for my book coming on.)

(June 19, 2009 at 8:55 pm)LEDO Wrote: I don't like Hitchens very much. He is too bitter. I do recommend his book, "The Portable Atheist" which has very little of Hitchens in it.

I do not see the Freud/Joseph Campbell aspect of religion as a product of our mind. I would contend religion started out as a pre-scientific way to explain the heavens. Man observed that the stars would be in the same place every year when it was time to plant, harvest etc. The thinking was that the stars (moon, sun etc.) controlled events on the earth. This incorrect hypothesis evolved into a complex astro-religion which combined with philosophy gave us today's beliefs. In fact we still use the stars to designate religious holidays which resemble our ancient (and even modern) view of the constellations. (I feel a plug for my book coming on.)

I'd always wondered where the whole astrology-life-control thing came from. Thanks for the info.

Ledo, I'm with you on Hitchens being bitter, and don't forget arrogant...lol

However, I will not pass up seeing a debate with him and anyone else involved....

His book was my least favorite (Few things stuck out in question)... and yes, I agree with you on this 100%..Just makes more sense to me and more or less because we still see thinking like that today...

I would contend religion started out as a pre-scientific way to explain the heavens.

To be honest I thought the GD was a bit light-weight, particularly for the topic concerned. The problem is that Dawkins is a biologist by trade, and has no experience in fields like anthropology or sociology which are necessary when commenting on religion and religious belief.

Then of course there is knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of each and every religious tradition which you need to have in order to debunk them which Dawkins hasn't got.

I personally didn't feel that the GD contributed to the discussion in Western society concerning religions role in the public market of ideas.

There is also much more to religion than "explaining the heavens".

You don't need any special logic to reject the Flying Spaghetti Monster, nor do you need to read the FSM gospel and study it to debunk it. Same with any "God" and holy book. I agree with Dawkins that Theology is a non-subject.

EvF

(June 20, 2009 at 5:46 pm)EvidenceVsFaith Wrote: You don't need any special logic to reject the Flying Spaghetti Monster, nor do you need to read the FSM gospel and study it to debunk it. Same with any "God" and holy book. I agree with Dawkins that Theology is a non-subject.

EvF

I wasn't talking about theology, never studied it myself.

Anyway, if you want to understand something, you have to study it. Dawkins hasn't and clearly doesn't know what he doesn't believe in.

If you criticize a film without even watching it, you're only awareness of the film coming from the word of mouth of friends and two-bit film critics in your local paper, you're just wasting you're breath.

Religion is a too important aspect of human behaviour to be dismissed in such a weak book as the GD.

Dawkins needs to step up his game if he is to achieve his set objectives, otherwise it's a fail.

Dawkins doesn't need to read the bible to dismiss "God" anymore than he has to read the FSM Gospel to Dismiss the FSM, when you're talking on the matter of the actual existence and the evidence for such things (or lack thereof ) A book is not evidence of the supernatural. Whether it's the FSM Gospel or the Bible.

EvF