Christopher Hitchens: "The Moral Necessity of Atheism."

Will we ever see an MP at Converts' Corner?

Converts' Corner has stories of Christians who have converted to Atheism partly as a result of Richard Dawkins' books and recent "The God Delusion" lecture tour in the USA.

“And I thought and thought and thought. But I just didn’t have enough to go on, so I didn’t really come to any resolution. I was extremely doubtful about the idea of god, but I just didn’t know enough about anything to have a good working model of any other explanation for, well, life, the universe, and everything to put in its place. But I kept at it, and I kept reading and I kept thinking. Sometime around my early thirties I stumbled upon evolutionary biology, particularly in the form of Richard Dawkins’s books The Selfish Gene and then The Blind Watchmaker, and suddenly (on, I think the second reading of The Selfish Gene) it all fell into place. It was a concept of such stunning simplicity, but it gave rise, naturally, to all of the infinite and baffling complexity of life. The awe it inspired in me made the awe that people talk about in respect of religious experience seem, frankly, silly beside it. I’d take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day.”

Douglas Adams The Salmon of Doubt, p 99.

“Douglas, I miss you. You are my cleverest, funniest, most open-minded, wittiest, tallest, and possibly only convert. I hope this book might have made you laugh – though not as much as you made me. . . Douglas’s conversion by my earlier books – which did not set out to convert anyone – inspired me to dedicate to his memory this book – which does!”

Richard Dawkins The God Delusion, p 117

Is Douglas Adams Richard’s only convert? Or is he just the first of many? Please write in to Converts' Corner if you have lost your religion (or have been encouraged to come out of the closet) as a result of reading The God Delusion or other Dawkins books.

Email convertscorner@richarddawkins.net

110)

Dear Professor Dawkins,

I am most grateful for your book, The God Delusion. With your book, lighting the dark room in my mind, I am able to fully grasp ideas like evolution. I was very shaky on evolution, growing up as a Methodist. Though my mother allowed me to freely pursue any science I so wished, I was bewildered on evolution. After all, I thought and, when I asked my religious leaders, told, how else could this world be created if not by God?. So my religious devotion continued until after the eighth grade where its foundations began to weaken as I was turned away from Christianity when I read the atrocities committed by the Crusaders in the name of God. Though I managed to convince myself these were just radicals, I couldn't help thinking why would God allow his servants to participate in such a slaughter. I continued on to waver on the line between religion and atheism. But I began my first steps to atheism when I began to read about secular humanism. I was attracted by its ideologies but was reluctant to fully call myself a secular humanist. I had still wondered if God did really exist. Then I came upon, with good luck, you and your book, The God Delusion. I said to myself that I would read your book the first chance I get. And I did. After reading it and watching your Root of All Evil?, I was ready to call myself a nonbeliever. I know what's true and right. I know, now, thanks to you, that natural selection is not just mere chance but a steady process and I am more armed in a debate with a believer. I know, now, that we humans did not come from monkeys but a common ancestor. I now know why believing in blind faith will result in disaster. With your book and ebonmusing.org, I have fully understood the evil of religion and the joy of atheism I e-mailed you this not only to express my gratitude to you but also a plea of help. While I declared my atheism to my schoolmates, another worry took over me. What about my mother, who remains steadfast with God? I fear the day when I must declare the truth that I'm an atheist to her. I will be needing help when that comes because she has, many times before, threatened to evict me if I come too close to disobey me. Despite that, I am proud to declare that I am an atheist and a secular humanist. So thank you very much for your book and your videos. I only wish that the religious world could view the world through your eyes, just only for one day.

Sincerely,

A fellow atheist

Over 125 other examples on these pages. Will we see our first MPs story listed here in April 2007?

reposted from: richard dawkins
my: highlights / emphasis / key points / comments

Creationism - Ignorant but proud

clipped from: atheistrevolution.blogspot.com

I recently found myself stopped in traffic behind a car with this symbol on the back. I had to laugh, wondering whether the owner of this car realized the irony involved with this magnet. I would not be at all surprised to learn that the driver thinks his religion counts as "truth" simply because he believes it. It probably doesn't even strike him as absurd that his primary reason for believing it is almost certainly that he learned it from his parents.

How much arrogance is required to elevate one's personal beliefs into absolute truth? Never mind that there is a consensus in the scientific community supporting Darwin's theory of evolution. "Who are these scientists to tell me that I'm wrong?" I wonder if the driver could even articulate the basics of the theory he mocks here.

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Reply to: The Great Global Warming Swindle

Update: 19th August 2007 - this video is no longer available on youtube.

Climate Change - Bremner, Bird and Fortune

Climate Feedback Escalator