Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Catherine Deveney on Richard Dawkins

Words like "wise" and "magisterial" appear of the front covers of his books, so don't even think about whispering: "Are you sure the emperor's wearing clothes?"


There are, after all, so many other great intellectual disciplines: literature, music, art, philosophy and even – dare I say it – theology. But you often get the feeling scientists secretly put themselves at the top.


The point is not whether he's right or not. The point is he assumed he was right. It's exactly the kind of reasoning he criticises in religious people.


The evidence doesn't square with his theory that nothing is beyond the rational – so he discards the evidence and jumps to conclusions.


A belief in a supernatural being that he has no specific evidence for and no absolute proof of? If you didn't know better, you might almost accuse him of a leap of faith


Quotes are from Catherine Deveney in an article in Scotland Sunday about an interview with Richard Dawkins. The article is an interesting read both from the side of journalistic query and quips as well as discovering more about Dawkin's thinking.

I suspect there are probably intelligences not only greater than ours but greater than anything anybody has ever imagined. I believe they probably exist."


Evolution, he goes on to explain, shows that what looks designed is not designed at all but came about gradually, therefore the existence of a creator is unlikely.

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