Is belief in God a delusion? A response to Richard Dawkins

Is belief in God a

delusion?

A response to RichardDawkins

“ It has been a good year for atheists…”

The Times, 24th December 2007

“ Not since Victorian times has there been such a sustained debate about religious

belief”The Times, 24th December 2007

“The God Delusion “

• One of the best-selling non-fiction books of its type:1.5m copies in 31 languages

Richard Dawkins

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Richard_dawkins2.jpg


• One of the best-selling non-fiction books

• Backed up by Channel 4 TV series: new Dawkins on Darwin series

Richard Dawkins



• One of the best-selling non-fiction books

• Backed up by TV series

• Much hyped

Richard Dawkins

“Richard Dawkins was recently voted as one of

the world’s top three intellectuals”


• One of the best-selling non-fiction books in 2007

• Backed up by Channel 4 TV series

• Much hyped• A book designed to

try to destroy faith in God by an “Evangelical Atheist”

Richard Dawkins

“Appendix: A partial list of friendly

addresses for individuals needing support in

escaping from religion “(p 375)





try to destroy faith in GodRichard

Dawkins

“ I see this as a book for a new millennium, one in

which we may be released from lives dominated by

the supernatural”Brian Eno, sleeve

comment





try to destroy faith in God

• Couched in scathing and sometimes offensive language

Richard Dawkins

Suggests that believers are of inferior intelligence to

atheists







Richard Dawkins

“The 19th century is the last time when it was possible for an educated person to admit to believing in the Virgin Birth [of Jesus]

without embarrassment.”(p 157)







Richard Dawkins

“Dawkins claims that religion..can lead to extreme violence;

[therefore] faith instruction to the young is worse than

paedophile abuse.”The Times, 24th December 2007




• Much hyped• A book designed to try to

destroy faith in God• Couched in scathing and

sometimes offensive language

• Claims atheists are a persecuted minority

Richard Dawkins

“My dream is that his book may help [atheists] to

‘come out’ “(p 4)

• Worried about the persistence of belief in creation

• Critical of science teaching

Richard Dawkins

“He worries that evolution takes up little more than

two hours of a child’s science education”

• Worried about the persistence of belief in creation

• Critical of science teaching

• Very alarmed by 2006 survey which showed:

- Creation most likely 22%

- Intelligent Design 19%

- Evolution 48%

- Don’t know 11%

Ipsos Poll for BBC Horizon

January 2006

Richard Dawkins

“He worries that evolution takes up little more than

two hours of a child’s science education”

“ That there exists a

super-human, supernatural intelligence who deliberately designed and created the universe and every-thing in it, including us.”(p 31)

Richard Dawkins

The God hypothesis


“ That any creative

intelligence, of sufficient complexity to design anything, comes into existence only as the end product of an extended product of gradual evolution.”(p 31)

Richard Dawkins

The Dawkins assertion


That there is no

God and that Christianity is at best a delusion and at worst a danger to civilised society

Richard Dawkins



That the earth we see around us is the product of an almost mystical force of Darwinian evolution

Richard Dawkins



1. To examine what Dawkins says about the earth

2. To look at what he says about the Bible, the Lord Jesus and God

3. To make some comparisons with what the Bible saysRichard

Dawkins

Objectives tonight


Deluded by Design?

Deluded by Design?

Dawkins accepts that life on earth is complex:-

“ Every species and every organ that has ever been looked at within a species is good at what it does. The wings of birds, bees and bats are good at flying….

Deluded by Design?


“We live on a planet where we are surrounded by perhaps 10 million species, each one of which independently displays a powerful illusion of apparent design…” p 139

“

Deluded by Design?


“We live not only on a friendly planet but in a friendly universe …”

“

Deluded by Design?

“our kind of life cannot exist without liquid

water”

Deluded by Design?

We are in exactly the right orbit round the

sun..not too hot and not

too cold”

Deluded by Design?

“Earth’s single relatively large moon serves to stabilise our

axis..

Deluded by Design?

“Our sun is unusual in not being a binary,

locked in mutual orbit with a companion

star..”

Deluded by Design?

The odds against life on earth developing are a billion to one!

Deluded by Design?

Yet evolution must have happened

because we are here!

Deluded by Design?

Evolution by natural selection is the only

explanation

Deluded by Design?

Evolution by natural selection is the only explanation, since Dawkins refuses to

accept the idea of an all-powerful God

Digression :But about the origin of life?

•Dawkins denies that chance is the reason for the development of life, since he claims natural selection is not chance

But what about the origin of life?

• Dawkins denies that chance is the reason for the development of life, since he claims natural selection is not chance

• But he suggests that the origin of life required several pieces of luck


•Dawkins denies that chance is the reason for the development of life, since he claims natural selection is not chance

• But he suggests that the origin of life required several pieces of luck

• Literally one in a zillion


“We can deal with the unique origin of life by postulating a very large number of planetary opportunities. Once that initial slice of luck has been granted..natural selection takes over and natural selection is emphatically not a matter of luck..”

(p 140)

Not a matter of luck?

“It may be that the origin of life is not the only major gap in the evolutionary theory which is bridged by sheer luck..”

(p 140)

Not a matter of luck?

•“It may be that the origin of life is not the only major gap in the evolutionary theory which is bridged by sheer luck..”(p 140)

• Goes on to suggest that the origin of eucaryotic cells and consciousness are also matters of luck.

Flaws of logic

• Neither the theory of evolution nor natural selection are , as Dawkins suggests, proven facts.

Flaws of logic


• Dawkins has not disposed of the difficulty of irreducible complexity e.g. the components of basic cells

The bacterial flagellum

“ Evidently crucial components ..were already in place and working [in TTSS] before the bacterial flagellum evolved” p132

Flaws of logic


• Dawkins has not disposed of the difficulty of irreducible complexity.

• Dawkins’ suggestion that because we exist, evolution must have happened is a circular argument, rather less scientific or rational than religious faith.

God’s reply to those who assert the supremacy of human reason

God’s reply to those who assert the supremacy of human reason

Job chapter 38

Dawkins on God“A God capable of designing a universe or anything else would have to be complex and statistically improbable..” p153

Dawkins on God“To suggest that the original prime mover was complicated enough to indulge in intelligent design..is tantamount to dealing yourself a perfect hand in bridge..” p155

Dawkins on God“To suggest that the original prime mover was complicated enough to indulge in intelligent design..is tantamount to dealing yourself a perfect hand in bridge..” p155

The God of the Bible is presented to us as being eternal, all-powerful and the creator of all we see around us.

The God of the Bible is presented to us as being eternal, all-powerful and the creator of all we see around us:-

This is evidenced by:-

* the wonders of the world around us e.g. Psalm 19 vv 1-4



* the wonders of the world around us e.g. Psalm 19 vv 1-4* God’s work in the lives of men and women e.g. Psalm 23



* the wonders of the world around us e.g. Psalm 19 vv 1-4* God’s work in the lives of men and women e.g. Psalm 23* the words of God’s prophets e.g.

Ezekiel 37 being fulfilled long after they were spoken

The God of the Bible is presented to us as a God who cares:-


* Repeated descriptions of God as a Father e.g. Psalm 103



* Repeated descriptions of God as a Father e.g. Psalm 103* Many references to God caring about right and wrong e.g. Psalms 7, 11



* Repeated descriptions of God as a Father e.g. Psalm 103* Many references to God caring about right and wrong e.g. Psalms 7, 11* A clear account of the origin of evil Genesis 3



* Repeated descriptions of God as a Father e.g. Psalm 103* Many references to God caring about right and wrong e.g. Psalms 7, 11* A clear account of the origin of evil Genesis 3* The giving of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, to

save us from our sins Romans 5:6-8



* Repeated descriptions of God as a Father e.g. Psalm 103* Many references to God caring about right and wrong e.g. Psalms 7, 11* A clear account of the origin of evil Genesis 3* The giving of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins Romans 5:6-8* The promise that the world will be restored to perfection when the Kingdom of God is

established on the earth. Revelation 21:1-5

Dawkins has no conception or understanding of such a God

• Scoffs at the Biblical record

• Knows little and cares less for historical evidence of the existence of Biblical

characters including Jesus

• Recycles objections, ( including the Da Vinci Code’s), from a wide range of critics and atheists without giving any real impression

that he has read the whole of the Bible with

an open mind


So struggles:-

• To explain altruism in humans, especially Christian “charity” to others


So struggles:-


• The presence of evil in the world – except to blame almost all conflicts on religion

“ I cannot think of any war that has been fought in the name of atheism.”


So struggles:-


• The presence of evil in the world – except to blame almost all conflicts on religion

“ I cannot think of any war that has been fought in the name of atheism.”

[Really? what about the Terror in the French Revolution, Stalin’s massacres or Pol Pot’s killing fields,- to name only a few!]


So struggles to explain:-

• altruism in humans, especially Christian “charity” to others

• the presence of evil in the world – except to blame almost all conflicts on religion

• the persistence of religious beliefs which he believes to be not only useless but dangerous

What of the future?

What of the future?

* Climate change?* Population growth?* Sustainability?

* The future of the human race?

What of the future?

Dawkins asserts that evolution is bringing a better world:-

“ There seems to be a steadily shifting standard of what is morally accepted.. in a recognisably consistent direction ..[of] improvement.” p268

What of the future?

UK Crime figures 1946 -2001

Murder Rape Robbery

1946 347 251 921

1956 315 329 965

1966 364 644 4474

1976 565 1094 11611

1986 662 2288 30020

2001 886 9743 111500

What of the future?

UK Crime figures 1946 -2001

Murder Rape Robbery

1946 347 251 921

1956 315 329 965

1966 364 644 4474

1976 565 1094 11611

1986 662 2288 30020

2001 886 9743 111500

Note: During this time church attendance declined substantially

This is hardly a steady improvement with the impact of enlightened atheism!

What of the future?

“But understand this, that in the last days will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.”

2 Tim 3:1-5

What of the future?

“The Lord God will set up a Kingdom which will never be destroyed…

The law will go out from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem..

They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain

The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

This same Jesus you saw taken from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw Him go…”

Is belief in God a

delusion?

No, never!

Thank you and

goodnight!

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Is belief in God a delusion? A response to Richard Dawkins