The God Delusion

I have just had my copy of Richard Dawkins’ “The God Delusion” delivered from Amazon and I am very keen to begin reading it. Dawkins said in an interview promoting his book that he hoped that with his book he might convince some people that were sitting on the fence as far as religion is concerned, to conform to a generally atheist point of view. In my case though Professor Dawkins is most certainly preaching to the converted, none the less I will enjoy reading this book immensely. I am a staunch atheist, I reject all earthly religions and my belief in the non-existence of a god is tantamount to a faith in itself.

Professor Dawkins speaks my language and I will no doubt agree with almost everything in his book. It is a good feeling when someone else agrees strongly with one’s own beliefs. For me, this book will be akin to a Christian person reading the bible.

Many people when questioned about their faith claim that they just know that there is a god and that they can feel that they are right in their beliefs. This is the extent to which I believe there is not. Apart from the overwhelmingly convincing arguments against the existence of a god, and the underwhelmingly feeble arguments for the existence of god; I just feel that I am right in my beliefs.

Of course it is only in the past few hundred years that I would have been able to say something like this without being horribly tortured and executed. Gradually though over time, certainly in the western world, as knowledge and information has become more easily available to everybody, the need for religion has waned. I sincerely hope that western society will continue on its path towards secularism. Religious fundamentalism is making a comeback in the 21st century; Islamic fundamentalists are recruiting a lot of people in the Arab world to their cause. Christian fundamentalists are currently in control of the most powerful country in the world.

Ignorance breeds religion, knowledge and information can overcome it. I hope this book plays its part.