Deluded: An Individual Response To Richard Dawkins

'The God Delusion'; an already infamous book that is as loved as it is hated, as revered as it is scorned.

I have just finished reading it. I know, it makes very odd reading material for a Catholic during Lent. But I am not afraid of having my faith challenged and questioned and I am certainly not afraid of Richard Dawkins, who has become a sort of religious bogey man in recent years. Last year I watched the documentary on which this book was based, "The Root of All Evil?" and found that it made little impression on me. Being an extension of this work, I wanted to read the book. Unluckily for Dawkins the book has had about the same effect as the film. That is, virtually none.

It would naturally be entirely fruitless for me to attempt any kind of meaningful defence for the existence of God from a scientific standing. Scientifically Dawkins can out-do the best of them, I wouldn't even know where to begin.

But crucially, after reading The God Delusion, it strikes me that Dawkins doesn't actually care that much whether people believe in God or not. At least, not people like you or I, the average weekly church-goer who gets on with his or her life in relative peace with the rest of society. He outlines in the preface that the book is meant to 'convert', he hopes religious people reading it will come to reject their faith and embrace his upbeat, cheerful "isn't the earth just beautiful" brand of fundamental atheism. But he must be painfully aware that the private thoughts and beliefs of individuals he has never met have nothing to do with him, nor do they affect his life. No, I do not accept that this book is aiming to persuade people to an atheistic mindset, despite what he claims. It's primary motivation in my view is to demonstrate that religious belief is harmful to society and the world at large and that religious belief should have no place in government, education or any institutional operation one could name. His purpose in writing is to eradicate conspicuous religious behaviour, the sort that permits people to baptize their children, or educate them in a faith school. Since it is impossible to believe that he cares a fig for what individuals actually think, feel or do in private (in fact he is at pains to point out that he doesn't care what people get up to in private, although his context for saying as much was a defence for the right of all people to "enjoy their sex life..provided they harm no one") , we can only conclude that what he is actually advocating is the demotion of religion to the status of an underground movement; marginalised and placed on the mere fringes of society. His dominant argument therefore is that any religion harms not just it's believers but other communities and most especially children. Events like that of 9/11 naturally lend themselves extremely well to this argument and the abuse scandals in the Catholic church are of course noted, almost with glee (and certainly with more than a hint of crass humour). He does however 'kindly' point out that it is "unfair to single out the Catholics" since every religion is guilty of indoctrination, intimidation and abuse of it's young in his opinion.

He even goes so far as to say that it is abusive to refer to a child according to the religious persuasion of their parents...there is, he writes, no such thing as a "Christian child" or a "Muslim child" or a "Catholic child", just as there is no such thing as a "Conservative child" or a "Republican child". By that reckoning, he is himself a victim of an abusive childhood, given that he was raised an Anglican.

Indeed, in Dawkin's world there can be no redeeming feature of religious life. Even poor Mother Teresa of Calcutta is branded "hypocritical and sanctimonious" and unworthy of her Nobel Peace Prize after she publicly stated during her acceptance speech that the biggest threat to peace was abortion.* You know of Mother Teresa of course, the same woman who declared that she would adopt, love and look after any and all unwanted children, no matter their race, religion or background. Yes indeed, what a hypocrite...

It would of course be foolhardy for any religious person to attempt to claim that the actions of religious men and women are beyond the pale. There is no counter-argument in the face of the devastation caused by suicide bombings, sexual abuse and centuries of religious wars.

But what Dawkins is calling for, namely the removal of religion from the public life of society is in itself an abuse of the basic human rights of individuals and communities. That no religion has a right to impose it's beliefs and ideals on another sector or community goes without saying. Or at least it should go without saying. But the "solution" as proposed by Dawkins and those of a similarly militant, fundamentalist atheistic persuasion equally strips people of a fundamental right.

Decades of religious oppression in Soviet Russia demonstrate the truth of this, in ugly fashion. Religion was stricken from the history books, churches were destroyed, children were indoctrinated in schools and clergy and lay people alike were murdered, tortured and imprisoned for practising their beliefs. But crucially, despite years of crushing, violent oppression, religious belief was not and could not be eradicated in Russian society. Children were secretly baptized, families secretly prayed together, priests still secretly celebrated Masses for the faithful. And in the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR, religious life resumed publicly with increased zeal and vigour.

Religion, or faith, has been inherent in almost every culture and every society since time immemorial. And not, as Dawkins would have us believe, because man is unable to understand the true nature of the world around him. Science has opened up space and shrunk the earth...we can travel to all corners of the globe and we have left no stone unturned. We have literally been to the moon and back. And after it all, we still believe.

Faith can not be eradicated. Scientific advancement can not extinguish it. Man can not crush it.

Dawkins mission of conversion and universal atheism is doomed to be reconciled to the intellectual scrap heap. Where human life abounds, faith in the divine abounds.

So he's welcome to call me deluded if he wants to. I'll even defend his right to do so. But wishing for a world without faith and trying to make it happen? That's really nuts.



*Dawkins pointedly fails to provide the entire quotation from that speech, which is: "And this (abortion) is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today. Because if a mother can kill her own child - what is left for me to kill you and you kill me - there is nothing between".

PS - Thanks for reminding me about "The Whisperers" Dad!

"Jesus Of Nazareth" - An Unfinished Book Review

I love being reminded of why I am Catholic. I sometimes go through phases of disillusionment with the Church. The abuse scandals, stories of errant priests and even church politics...it can all make me put on my sulky, judgemental hat and silently wish I were a Quaker (no hierarchy, no disputes over doctrine, in fact, not much talking at all!)

Ah, but then He steps in and sends me a little reminder of all that is best about Catholicism.

Last week, that reminder came to me in my local library. I had only gone there to return some books and I had little time to spare with a fussy, teething baby strapped to me. But just by chance, I caught sight of the book "Jesus of Nazareth". I grabbed the only copy, rushed through the check out and hurried home. I am very glad I did.

This is the first book written by our Pope Benedict and it is gloriously simple in it's aim. It is his "personal search for the face of the Lord".

I wish I were smart enough to do justice to this book and describe how profound it is. But I can't. It is at times bewilderingly complex and I find myself re-reading passages and sentences many times over trying to get to the root of what the author is saying.

In basic form, it is a review of the Jesus of the Gospels and it outlines the key stories and ideas about Him, starting first with His baptism. It is, in part, an attempt to rescue Christ from the many modern interpretations of the New Testament which portray Him as something which He is simply not (whether that be just a wise teacher, a revolutionary military leader, a lover to Mary Magdalene or even more startling, a lover to St. John).

Reading it, I'm astonished by how much I don't know about Him and the world in which He was first revealed. Particularly striking for me was a simple 2 page discussion of the role of Barabbas. I had always thought of Barabbas as a crazed figure, a murderous mad-man whose public image Pilate was depending on to keep him from having to pass judgement on Christ. Our author reveals that actually, Barabbas was more likely a revolutionary leader, a sort of "messianic figure" who had led a recent uprising in the area. I learnt that his name, Bar-abbas, means "son of the father"...and that the choice Plate offers the people between these two messianic figures is no accident. My jaw dropped...and this was just a taster.

Passages and stories from New Testament are dissected and analysed in such intricate detail. Seemingly innocuous sentences and phrases are given new depth and meaning. And more times than I can count, the writings in the NT are linked to Old Testament prophecies and passages, demonstrating just how rich and layered the Judaeo-Christian faith is.

I can't wait to finish this book and though it will probably take me some time (I was using my dictionary before I had finished the first chapter!) it is going to be infinitely worth it.


'The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple'.
Psalm 19:7

The Lenten Bookshelf

Life can get horribly complicated at times and I for one, find it all too easy to get completely wrapped up in the most insignificant of events.

But the season of Lent is the perfect antidote to this kind of 'internal noisiness'. Lent is the time to take a mental step back from the world, look deep into oneself and reflect.

And I find it helps enormously to have some sound religious and spiritual reading material on hand to assist me in this.

These are the items currently sitting on my 'Lenten bookshelf':



1. The Bible - A perpetual source of knowledge, wisdom, inspiration and comfort. Essential reading at all times of the year, but especially leading up to Easter.

2. "St. Therese of Lisieux" by Kathryn Harrison - This is a re-read. Well, actually, it's more like a re-re-re-re-re-read! But I absolutely adore this book. I don't know why or even how I came to read it in the first place but the story and the life of St. Therese has fascinated me ever since. I have come to think of her almost as my own patron saint. She embodied everything that is best about the faith. She had one goal in mind, to love Christ. And she succeeded in committing every action, every word and almost every thought to Him. And yet she was precocious, unusual, even childish and silly at times. She stands for me as the ultimate example that we do not need to be perfect to love God. By His grace all of us are capable of being saints.
This book doesn't shy away from the difficult aspects of her life and her struggle through what is called the "Dark Night of The Soul" is depicted very sharply. Kathryn Harris succeeds in making her subject seem above all, human. A beautiful book.

3. "Created To Be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl - This is a book aimed at Christian women who are, or are preparing to be, wives and mothers and whilst it's focus is distinctly not Catholic, there seems to be some really useful challenging stuff in it. It looks to be a very interesting read!

4. The Catechism of The Catholic Church - Found on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va). This I have undertaken to read this Lent to get a better understanding of the faith from a practical view. A sort of ABC of Catholicism!

I hope, after these 6 weeks, to be better grounded in the faith and to have a fresh, motivated outlook on life.

To all those observing the season, may you have a peaceful and productive Lent!

'Finding Happiness' - A Book Review

Are you happy?

You, reading these words right now. Are you happy? Do you even know? Are you sure?

If you are happy (and I hope you are!) I wonder if you're able to explain why it is that you are happy?

I'm happy today. And I can quite easily explain why. I'm with my family. We're on a sort of mini holiday, staying with relatives. There is nice company, nice food, lots of rest and no work to be done. What's not to be happy about?

But supposing we take all these factors away. Suppose instead that I am at home, exhausted from yet another broken night's sleep with the baby, a mountain of laundry to be done and dishes in the sink. I'm on my own until my husband gets home and it's pouring with rain so I can't get out for a walk.

Am I still happy? Would anyone reasonably expect me to still be happy?

And what if my circumstances were even less favourable? What if I had no family? What if I lived alone? What if, instead of caring for a baby at night, I was tired because of ill health? And what if I was incapable of doing the mountain of laundry or the pile of dirty dishes not because I am busy with something else, but because I am so unwell, so tired, that I'm unable to find the strength to do the most basic tasks, like taking a shower or getting dressed?

How many people would be able to face such circumstances and still keep a smile on their face and a positive outlook on life?

Well, in his book 'Finding Happiness', Abbot Christopher Jamison might well argue that happiness could indeed be found in a life such as the one I describe.

Using Benedictine monastic tradition as his guideline, Abbot Jamison outlines not a 'system' of happiness, but more a way of living, that he argues, can and will lead to real happiness. The guidelines are based upon pursuit of several key virtues, aswell as ackowledgment and denial of several 'demons' that act as obstacles to inner peace and happiness.

So far, so Catholic. And yet, this book is so much more than just an overblown advertisement for organised religion. You don't need to be a Catholic to follow Abbot Jamison's fantastic advice. In fact, you don't need to be religious at all.

For all people, religious or otherwise, a life lived in pursuit only of personal pleasure is incapable of bringing deep and lasting happiness. Pleasure can only be defined in vague terms. At most, it can be basically summed up in the rather wishy washy expression "feeling good". Happiness in this context is distinct from pleasure. It can be best defined as "purity of heart". It has nothing to do with personal circumstances, who you are, what you own, your job, your family, your achievements or lack of them. Happiness can never be bought, or sold, nor it is something that is given to you by someone else. It exists solely in the internal workings of a person; in their mind, their heart and their soul.

Achievement of purity of heart requires that we embrace humility, magnanimity and self-control through chastity and our relationship with food. It also requires that we reject the demons that enslave us, of which says the author, pride and vanity are the most destructive. They are the sins of the soul, destined to rot our relationship with ourselves, those around us and for those of a religious persuasion, they are sure to rot entirely our relationship with God.

In it's most basic form, this book beautifully and eloquently unveils that most paradoxical element of Christianity. For us to be exalted, we must humble ourselves. But whoever would exalt himself will find himself humbled. This does not mean that each of us must leave our homes and families and exercise a mass exodus to the nearest monastery or convent (although St. Benedict did make the radical assertion that private ownership was "an evil practise". Gulp).

But what it does mean is that each of us needs to embrace a level of personal responsibility for the communal happiness of those whose lives we affect. Happiness does not exist in a bubble. By rejecting greed, anger, vanity and pride, we will place ourselves in a position to more effectively help others. This will bring us, and others, true and lasting happiness and peace.

It is this basic message that acts as a guide for the way of life that the author advocates.

The book serves as a powerful rebuttal to the old adage that people should be able to do as they please, provided they hurt no one. It is also a wholesale rejection of the excesses of the consumer culture we live in.

In short, it's radical, it is accusing and it has the power to change lives. I think it has changed mine.

'Finding Happiness' - An Unfinished Book Review

I'm reading the most fantastic book. "Finding Happiness" by Abbot Christopher Jamison is refreshing, honest and complex. The title is perhaps too reminiscent of so many cliched 'self-help' books that blight our bookshops, but no one should be put off, as a self-help book this is definitely not.

In this deeply probing book, Abbot Christopher takes us deep into the heart of Christian monastic tradition in search of the answer to that age-less question; what makes us happy?

I'm only a few chapters into this book, but I can see already just how edifying and convicting this read will be.

In those first few chapters, he writes at length about the spiritual apathy that plagues so many that live in our consumer culture. It is this, he concludes, that is at the heart of so much of our discontent. He calls for an avoidance of introspection (of looking into oneself in a selfish regard) and a return to self-awareness, whereby we examine not just our interior world, but also how that interior world causes us to engage with those around us.

It's fascinating, surprising, (I had never before considered that good deeds can be used to distract oneself from a internal spiritual struggle taking place) it's wonderfully written and I have a feeling that it is going to have a big impact on my prayer life and the everyday priorities I make.

Now I just need to find the time to finish it!