Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, has a strong opinion about religion. In case the title didn’t give that away. Humanity uses religion as a crutch to explain bad behavior and the traumatic parts of life. Are his thoughts off, or is he the delusional one?

Read with caution,

What is the benefit of being part of a religion?

Well, every religion will answer this differently. There is a sense of community but; otherwise not much else aside from believing in something nonexistent. I should point out that I am not religious. That does not mean I agree with everything that Dawkins shares.

In fact, I found most of his writing to be self-absorbed and arrogant. It was 300 pages of ranting. Everyone can have a religion. Should it matter whether someone agrees or embraces that same religion? I won’t fault someone for not liking meat or the same color as me or choosing not to wear a mask or shoes in public. Do you. That also doesn’t mean that others can’t have strong opposition. Not to be confused with an attack.

While I have strong beliefs against religion, I can also understand why it exists. Boredom? Loneliness? Fear? What would people do on a Sunday if there weren’t religion? Minus Sunday night football.

The age-old question is where is the science in religion? I heard a quote today that said, “No one in the bible read the bible.” If there did, there would be so much more wrong with the bible. The Bible can’t possibly be the only source of evidence. Given that it isn’t evidence at all.

One thing that the bible does well is teach us how to be selective and shallow. It tells us who to love and who to hate. At least amongst the pages that aren’t missing.

This is taught at an early age, ie, child indoctrination. Children are forced into their parents’ religion early in life and mostly keep that religion into adulthood. However, I’ve met many who rebel against their parents’ beliefs. Not because they do not believe it but because they want to display autonomy. According to Dawkins, there’s no such thing as a kid having a religion because it’s their parents and not them. They aren’t old enough to know what they believe.

Here are a few quotes that stuck with me (I do not agree with all of these):

When one person suffers from a delusion it’s called insanity. When several people suffer from a delusion it’s called religion.

God is used for an explanation where there isn’t one. For example, what was the first tangible or physical “thing?” Only a spirit could have created it. Who designed the designer?

The bible is not evidence but ancient fiction.

The devil was created to explain God’s bad behavior.

God is necessary for us to be good.

He is a lazy God who’s not useful and may as well not exist because He’s an underachiever.

Religion is what divides all cultures. Without it, there wouldn’t be differences…(nah?).

My question is what if God is the scientist and invented all of us? All things. Does that mean that religion is science and that believers believe in science? Or, believers refute science and therefore, deny God. What does that truly make them? Contradictory skeptics? Frauds? Confused?

Is The God Delusion fiction or non-fiction?