“God, though not technically disprovable, is very, very improbable indeed.” This is the premise that guides “The God Delusion”. I was recommended this book for being a very rational approach to atheism and why religion doesn’t make sense. Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, makes a remarkable effort to convey rationality, starting with a very organized and thorough outline. First discrediting the reasons for the existence of god, second providing arguments for the non-existence of god, third explaining why society doesn’t need religion and finally explaining why religion might actually be harmful. I finished the book with mixed feelings. I learned with this book, I like a lot of the arguments provided, but I don’t like the tone. It often sounds defensive, at times offensive, and in general makes it sound like this is a war. I don’t think the tone is the most appropriate to convey the message. And, as I said, the message is good. One example is how Dawkins resolves morals chicken and egg problem – are moral values religious or did religion adopted generally accepted moral values? Dawkins points out correctly that the church has been using established moral values in order to decide whether certain parts of the scriptures are allegories or not. Hence, we don’t need religion in order to be ethical or good. If you’re a non-believer, atheist or agnostic, you will find in “The God Delusion” a good source of arguments to cement your ideas. If you are a believer, this book won’t probably make you change your faith, and for me that is the major flaw of Dawkin’s pitch.
P.S. Para os leitores portugueses, o livro está editado em português pela "Casa das Letras" sob o infeliz título "A Desilusão de Deus". Espero que a tradução do conteúdo seja melhor que a do título.
