13.5.07

big fish in an even bigger pond

"the god of the old testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser, a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."

- richard dawkins, the god delusion.

richard dawkins is the author of what is turning out to be an atheist's very own "bible" of sorts, the god delusion. it is a well place, tactical shot across the bow of the ship called religion. dawkins, a proponent of evolution, science and reason over spells, fairies and lemming-like behaviour, is a very confrontational figure. primarily because he comes across as an insulting, arrogant elitist to those followers of religion that are caught in his cross-hairs. to other, more... sensible people, he's a reasonable, scientific man who tells the truth as he sees it.

who is worse? the person who draws back the curtain and shows you the wizard of oz for what or who it is, or the person who lets you go on believing without a care in the world? sure the latter is more consoling, but consolation doesn't necessarily make it true, as dawkins himself says.

the follow are two separate canadian interviews dawkins did over the last little while. the first is by george stroumboulopoulos on the hour. the second is a longer, more detailed one by tv ontario, the agenda with steve paikin. whether you agree with dawkins or disagree with him, you have to admit, that insults sound much better when hurled by an englishman.