Alirght, I know it's Monday and you should be reading a "Band to watch" post. But this week you're getting something different. It's a Book to Read post!
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
Now let me start by saying what many of you may already know or suspect. I am an athiest. For my fellow athiests out there this book will probably be familiar, and if not, it will at least be preaching to the choir. For my religious friends out there, I suggest this book if only to get you thinking about the origins of your beliefs and to critically look at assumptions about where morality comes from, creation, and the need for religion.
Dawkins does an excellent job of throwing religion out the window and providing a critical, scientific analysis on why God does not exist. As an athiest, I've frequently been told/asked "isn't athiesm just as much of a belief as religion is?" and I struggled for an answer. Dawkins has provided one in this fascinating read which probes into all the questions that most people are afraid to ask of religion. In fact, he starts from the question as to why we're afraid to criticize religion in the first place. If we can question people on their political opinions, their scientific ones, or even over which football team they support, why are we not allowed to question religious beliefs?
Anyways. Dawkins has done an awesome job of answering a whole of interesting questions surrounding religion and debunking a lot of myths that modern society takes for granted (e.g. that our morals come from religion, etc.). He uses humour and sound scientific reasoning to bring a beacon of light onto a topic that is normally closed off from modern scientific discussion.
Give it a go, even if one disagrees, it is important to think critically about everything.
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