I need to vent...

A more detailed and careful critique of Dawkins will be on its way when I've finished the book, but for now, I just need to vent a little. I'm up to chapter 7, page 243 (over half way!) and for the first time, I really would have thrown the book across the room, except that it cost me $31.50 and I don't want to damage it (at this point I'd like to include a comment from my Jesuit friend: "I've read unfavorable reviews of Dawkins, but would like to read it - however I can't see giving him any more money").

So, I'm getting fed up with Dawkins. I don't know why I get so worked up (breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out...). It's not that I'm offended as such. He's not actually attacking anything I believe, though he is claiming to. He is trying to discredit the whole of religion by attacking a few examples, and he picks the easy targets, ignoring anything that might give his argument some trouble. So, US conservatives and TV evangelists become typical of evangelicals, while Dawkins only acknowledges as "sophisticated", "reflective", or "advanced" thinkers people like Bishop Spong and those whose beliefs barely resemble Christianity.

While ultra-conservatives, "Christians" who write hate letters and bomb abortion clinics, and people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson could be typical of Christianity in America (I don't have the numbers, but I'm not convinced), and while watered-down liberal theology may be typical of the Church of England or Episcopal Church in some parts of the world (also not convinced), there are many, many intelligent, reflective and sophisticated thinkers who have considered the issues that Dawkins raises against Christianity, and have some (but not all) answers. Does Dawkins genuinely believe that all Christians are either stupid or barely believers? Does he really think that we haven't considered issues such as the problem of evil or the historical origin of the biblical documents?

I'm not offended, because Dawkins is rejecting as Christianity something that I would also reject as Christianity. However, this is part of his larger project of eliminating all religion, and he is attempting to achieve this by knocking down a straw man and (though I can't comment on his intentions) assuming that his readers won't know the difference.

More on this in a week or so. Right now, I'm going to go to bed, finish my cup of tea, read some Tom Wright, get an early night, and perhaps in the morning I'll feel up to reading some more Dawkins!

Breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out...