I have been a fan of Richard Dawkins since reading The Blind Watchmaker in my uni days and recently enjoyed reading The God Delusion which came out in 2006. Dawkins is of course the (in)famous atheist and this is his case for it.
The book includes theories relating to natural selection, some of which I’ve read in his material before, however the slant here is anti-religion. The case for natural selection for Dawkins is evidence that God (in all shapes and forms) does not exist. It’s heavy reading and be prepared to read that Dawkins thinks you’re stupid if you are religious.
Similarly at uni, I began reading the works of Stephen Jay Gould, who is thought to be one of the most widely read scientists in the world although I have not met many people who have heard of him. This is despite him being included in a Simpsons episode! Gould had this fabulous knack of making the case for natural selection using charming interesting language. Ever Since Darwin is a collection of short essays that relate to natural selection and includes some great images – it’s a good read despite being written in the 70s.
Gould is a creationist but you cannot tell this from his writing – yet he was a devout Christian. For Gould, believing in natural selection was not incompatible with practising his religion.
The influence of both writers affects my close family – I am still a spiritual person, yet my sister is an atheist.
Bubbly
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