24 January, 2007

Okay, okay; I'm a believer

I'm only 66 pages into 'The God Delusion', by Richard Dawkins, so it's somewhat too early to present a review, but frankly I see limited point in proceeding much further.

• I'm already 100% atheist, so Dawkins doesn't have to convince me of anything, and I don't seek the affirmation of other atheists.
• I don't regard religions with hostility (well, maybe a little for christianity, as that's the one which lied to me personally), so derive no enjoyment from Dawkin's systematic debunking.
• I intensely dislike evangelism, including atheist evangelism (which, incidentally, I'd never encountered before – atheism tends to be an individual choice, and incompatible with the concept of 'recruitment'). I'd never dream of engaging in it myself, so I don't need the ammunition provided by Dawkins, compelling as it is.

I suspect there are two main audiences for this book.
The first group comprises certain existing atheists gleefully eager to see religions attacked, as some sort of pathetic blood sport, or seeking arguments to throw at the religious (hopefully only in self-defence against evangelists or otherwise when provoked). As I've said, I feel little affinity with them.
The second group comprises religious people questioning their faith. It's a great pity that Dawkins' tone, at least in the opening chapters, is so confrontational; it seems to be directed more at his frothing hardline critics than the more open-minded readers who might actually be reached by his message.

I'm not really sure what Dawkins has to say to a third group: those atheists who, like me, are already entirely happy and secure in our beliefs. Perhaps I should read the remaining 350 pages after all, and find out.

Posted by Ministry at 15:23 | 280 words