The God Delusion
From EvoWiki
The God Delusion is a 2006 book by prominent evolutionary biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins. In his book, Dawkins compares organized religion to a mental illness and uses the metaphor of a virus when talking about religion. He states that religion acts like a virus infecting young impressionable minds from one generation to the next in a never-ending self-perpetuating cycle. He states that religion may have had some evolutionary advantage early in its history but that it has now taken on a life of its own and has no real value in contemporary society.
Reasons for the evolution of religion
Dawkins believes that religious beliefs have evolved to fill several emotional needs that the human mind has developed due to its complexity. Some the reasons religion is so ubiquitous include;
- Satisfied questions about the origin of life and the universe
- Helps to deal with fear of death
- Comfort to people
Dawkins says even if these reasons are true it does nothing to make to religion true. Reason one can now be fully replaced by science, reason three can be replaced by a close friend. Dawkins acknowledges that fear of death, or fear of hell is often the reason people continue to believe in God. Dawkins also believes that the number of atheists in America is much higher but that many are afraid to "come out" due to fear of harrassment by religious people. In his book Dawkins mentions a female friend in theatre who wrote a play about a young woman "coming out" to her family. When she told them she was an atheist they disowned her. Sadly, Dawkins says that this situation plays out all across America and the world.
