Richard Dawkins - 2

A guy over at the Way Of The Mind Forum has drawn my attention to an article in the latest edition of Time which relates to what we've been discussing here. It's called God vs. Science. I haven't had chance to read the whole article yet but my eyes were drawn to the final paragraph, a quotation from the man I've previously described as an "evangelical atheist", Richard Dawkins. Needless to say, do go and read the article or buy the magazine, but I'd like to give the quote here because I find it so heartening. Dawkins says:

"What I am skeptical about is the idea that whatever wonderful revelation does come in the science of the future, it will turn out to be one of the particular historical religions that people happen to have dreamed up. When we started out and we were talking about the origins of the universe and the physical constants, I provided what I thought were cogent arguments against a supernatural intelligent designer. But it does seem to me to be a worthy idea. Refutable--but nevertheless grand and big enough to be worthy of respect. I don't see the Olympian gods or Jesus coming down and dying on the Cross as worthy of that grandeur. They strike me as parochial. If there is a God, it's going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed."

Personally, I do find grandeur in Christianity if I discard some of the commonly touted ideas about it, but otherwise I find that by and large I agree with Dawkins here! Perhaps there is hope for consensus yet...

Comments

[Sunflower Optimism]

I have that very article sitting under a pile of bills and other debris on my desk. More incentive for me - cleanup and find something interesting to read, LOL.

[Mr Zip]

Thanks for drawing my attention to the interview. Very interesting, especially Dawkins's apparent slight shift in attitude. I wouldn't read too much into it, though.