A DIALOGUE ABOUT THE WRITINGS OF RICHARD DAWKINS AND WHAT, IN CHAPTER TWO, HE CALLS "THE GOD HYPOTHESIS".
==============================================================
To all readers and fellow posters--including atheists, agnostics, believers (all faiths) or the just plain curious: While taking a holiday in Florida, I took the opportunity to do a careful reading of
THE GOD DELUSION, the widely-acclaimed book by Richard Dawkins, who describes himself as a "staunch atheist" (page 13).
In the preface of his book Dawkins states his purpose for writing it:
"It is written to raise consciousness--raise consciousness that to be an atheist is a realistic aspiration and a splendid one. You can be an atheist who is balanced, moral, and intellectually fulfilled. He writes in the hope that readers "will gain enlightenment" and that we will come to the conclusion that 'the God hypothesis' is a false one.
One reviewer, Professor Stephen Pinker, Harvard University--author of The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, and The Blank State--describes Professor Hawkins as, "one of the best nonfiction writers alive today".
With the above in mind check out
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hylotheismThere, I found the word, new to me,
Hy´lo`the`ism
-------------
It is a noun meaning the doctrine of belief that matter is God, or that there is no God except matter and the universe; pantheism. See Materialism.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, published 1913 by C. & G. Merriam Co.
==============
Please, will those who respond to this post tell us: Have you listened to and/or read Richard Dawkins? Do not be afraid to tell us what you do or do not believe in matters of faith and morals. But please be clear and to the point.
Here is one of the many sites on Dawkins' work:
http://richarddawkins.net/quoteshttp://www.google.ca/search?q=richard+dawkins+quotes&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=com.mandriva:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
==================================
In my opinion, Richard Dawkins is more of a hylotheist than an atheist.
Me? In the past I have called myself a unitheist. See
http://www.unitheist.org/whatis.html I still think that unitheism is a good word, but while reading Dawkins' book the word 'holotheism' came to my mind. I think it is a new word.
Over the next few posts I will try to define what 'holotheism' means for me. I will appreciate any comments, pro or con, which will help me to do so.
Keep in mind that, as one who respects all sincerely held beliefs--especially the kind which inspire us to be moral, ethical, loving and humane beings--I am more interested in dialogue than in debate. However, I am not a moral relativist. For me, there are some things which are right and some which are wrong. I also have strong opinions about social justice issues. Look what shameless greed has done, recently, to the economy, to the hard-working middle class and the poor.
But, over the years, I hope I have learned to disagree without being too disagreeable.
