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Amazon.co.uk07 December 2007
Have Your Say at the BBC
The BBC’s Have Your Say programme will be interviewing Dr Richard Dawkins. You have the opportunity to post messages to the good doctor - go here to post your question or make your statement.
Dr Dawkin’s appearance may be partly spurred by Pope Benedict’s latest encyclical which states that atheism is responsible for some of the “greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice” in history. This is, of course, pretty rich coming from the man who was, until recently, head of the Inquisition.
Here’s what I said:
“The Pope’s comment is nonsense. No war was ever fought in the name of atheism. Yet religion has been the inspiration and force behind centuries’ worth of misery, oppression and conflict - from religious wars and the Inquisition to the Taliban, ‘honour’ killings and 9/11. It continues to spread fear, suppress the free flow of ideas and inspire terrorism. And let’s remember: Hitler was a Catholic (and said “we need believing people”); and Stalin’s quasi-religious regime was never about atheism.”
(1) 7 December 2007 at 1:38 pm
Trish
I made a similar comment. Mine was : “Pope Benedict is talking utter nonsense. In fact it is religion which has been the major cause of conflict and unhappiness throughout history and even today it continues to stand in the way of peace, science and political progress all over the world, from Iraq to Israel to Saudi Arabia to the US. To suggest that atheists live without hope is arrogant and inaccurate - in fact when you know that your life is finite, it only spurs you on to make the most of what little time you have here on earth.”
(2) 9 December 2007 at 4:16 pm
Kamil
Hitler’s atheism is not true his main slogan for the oppression of women was always Kirsche, Kuche, Kindern, which means
Church, cooking and kids. He used religion to oppress masses and pope during the crusader did the same including kings and massacre of Saracens.
(3) 9 December 2007 at 4:27 pm
Kamil
There are illogical attacks on science which brought our medicine and engineering today’s level of civilization.
Attacks on Darwin, evolution, reason and logic is very old attitude of the Church seems without ending.
Attack on rule of law and secular constitutions also attacks on other religions and insults are becoming main trend around the
Civilizied!!! Western nations. Which as a result provokes other
Fanaticism and prejudice.
Iraq war based on ultimate lie and death of 750 000 civilians are
Disgrace to all civilizations. The US fundamentalist must be laughing and enjoying this