*Disclaimer: I am an Agnostic-Atheist ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnostic_atheism )*
One Sentence Summary:
Dawkins argues that belief in God has caused most of the worlds large-scale violence since the first mentions of God.
Review:
Well written in an academic way this book is well worth a read if you have any questions about "Capital G God". Dawkins, through extensive research, has correlated most of the awful things people have done since the first mention of God has been in the name of God. Thus it follows without God there wouldn't be so much awful in the world. Not all of Dawkin's research seems to be properly cited but the points he makes are logical. I recommend this as reading for everyone, but be prepared to be offended if you are strongly religious, I recommend reading with an open mind.
8/10
"We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further."
"There is no such thing as a Christian child: only a child of Christian parents."
"One of the truly bad effects of religion is that it teaches us that it is a virtue to be satisfied with not understanding."
"Let children learn about different faiths, let them notice their incompatibility, and let them draw their own conclusions about the consequences of that incompatibility. As for whether they are ‘valid,’ let them make up their own minds when they are old enough to do so."
If you enjoyed this I suggest:
The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever - Christopher Hitchens et. al.
The Art of Happiness - Daili Lama
The History of God - Karen Armstrong
The Year Of Living Biblically - A.J. Jacobs
yeah, heard mixed things from friends. The Dawk can be frustrating at times though.
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