Richard Dawkins making a fool of himself in public – once again!

In my blogs I have several times made reference to nutty professors who make fools of themselves in public. I have mentioned extremists wearing the cloak of respectability. I have asked the question why people who seem so smart, can say such stupid things (“why so smart yet so stupid?”).

Of those who have perfected the art of making fools of themselves in public, scientists are at the top of the list so this week I turn my attention once more to the madness displayed by Richard Dawkins – yet another person confusing his self-constructed reality with reality. Yet another person caught up in collective delusion and denial. Yet one more person spouting half-truths and propaganda which have the effect of creating divisions and disharmony in a world that is being consumed and destroyed by ideologically based conflicts.

Recently I came across an article in the Telegraph newspaper with the title “For Once Richard Dawkins is Lost for Words: Atheist’s Arrogance is their Achilles’ Heel, as a Cringmaking Radio Performance has Proved.” If you want an insight into the real nature of Richard Dawkins and his obsessions, and why he brings science into disrepute through his thoughts, words and deeds, you can read the article yourself (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9082059/For-once-Richard-Dawkins-is-lost-for-words.html). Perhaps though, you too are caught up in his ideology and dogma, and your mind, like his, has closed in on fixed opinions, so you do not want to understand how destructive, harmful, and negative Dawkins is?

In a world where extremism of many kinds is on the rise, we all need to begin to understand more about why people are so easily consumed by ideology and dogma, and what this does to them. The study of Dawkins will most certainly help in this for here is a man who well illustrates what ‘reason’ alone leads to.

Every era has its stupid beliefs. Just look back at the Victoria age, which embraced science and reason with great enthusiasm, yet time has shown that much of this was just plain claptrap which often contributed to the callousness of the age. But at the time it all seemed so credible. The example of phrenology is a case in point, as is the nonsense of Frederick Taylor’s so-called Scientific Management, which turned out to be a collection of precepts dressed up to look scientific. I would expect that 100 years from now, people will be looking at Dawkins and wondering why he said and wrote so many stupid things, and why so many people were taken-in by this very ‘Victorian’ nonsense, for this is surely the era in which Dawkins belongs.

One of my central interests is understanding the hidden forces at play which shape human lives, existence, beliefs, etc. which leads intelligent people to behave in stupid ways, and yet to convince themselves that they are being so advanced and sophisticated. This is part of my work on exploring what I call Silent Narratives.

The human mind is indeed a very dangerous thing, being as it is, inclined towards participation in collective delusions and denial. Dawkins and others, like the former chief scientific advisor, well illustrate that being highly intelligent and well educated does not protect one from the lure of ideology and dogma, from delusions, and from the appeal of simple but destructive sole truths that most often accompany Western ideologies.

We live in a time when it is essential to promote understandings among peoples, to encourage inclusion, to foster respect among people with diverse views and beliefs, to promote love … The list is long. Those who are engaged in ‘holy’ (religious or secular) wars against other peoples’ beliefs do nothing but create distrust, discord, hatred, … This list of negatives is also long. In Dawkins you will not find a path that leads to love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, understanding of the need for human life to be regarded as sacred … Once more the list is long.

Reichsfuehrer-SS Heinrich Himmler was a Neo-Darwinist. Science and reason helped to create this monster and was part of the way towards the Holocaust. Religious extremists have certainly committed appalling crimes against humanity, but so have secular extremists. Both continue to do so. The rule of science and reason, if ever such a thing were to come about, would be no different to the rule of religion. People would be slaughtered and persecuted with the same enthusiasm and conviction as they were, and are, under theocracy.

I looked from religious extremist to secular extremist and back again and could not tell the difference. From both poured forth the demons that make Hell on Earth. In both cases the source is the same – the human mind. And it is the human mind that is the problem.

The West is deeply Abrahamic. There are seven Abrahamic worldviews; three religious (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and four secular (Science, Capitalism, Communism, Western Atheism). Seven sources of sole truths; seven sources of demons ready to create Hell on Earth; seven refuges where people can hide from the complexity of human life.

And who among you knows the true nature of being human? Who among you knows the true nature of God? What we do know with certainty is that Richard Dawkins knows neither. He is indeed a very sad case who should be treated with compassion.