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Originally Posted by Megan  Angela, the "cultural traditions" are the fount of the "superstition" Dawkins rails against. I don't think you can separate the traditions from the wisdom that grew out of them, so it's very difficult to defend the wisdom. |
good morning, Megan. I'm not so sure of that. It seems more likely to me that the superstition came first, and the cultural traditions grew thence. And I am sure that it's possible to separate the superstition and the tradition. For example, Dawkins puts up a christmas tree. So does my Jewish boss. I attend a christmas eve party with my family every year, even though none of us believes that the christian god exists.
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Originally Posted by Megan That seems like a pretty global dismissal of religion to me, and I understand why feelings run high among religious people about Dawkins. I see him as having an understandable and even necessary moral reaction against religion, so I don't react to him so much. |
Yes, Dawkins globally dismisses (well, more than that - he would like to see it eradicated) religion. I don't think religion is likely to go away soon, any more likely than that I would convince anyone not to believe in god (which I'm not trying to do.) I see him as kind of an Abby Hoffman figure -- or the flamboyant, in-your-face media-friendly gay activists -- someone who takes an extreme stance and serves as a dynamic springboard for social change. He writes clearly and beautifully, and he's funny as hell.
Have you read "The Selfish Gene"? I see you refer to memes often ... that is the fascinating book in which he coined the term.