Thursday, January 04, 2007
Blunt Instrument
RSR has a love hate relationship with Richard Dawkins.
We love his lucid prose and the subtle way he explains the complexities of evolutionary theory in such books as The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker. We're less enamored with the jackhammer approach he employs when discussing religion in his latest book The God Delusion.
Apparently, we're not alone.
H. Allen Orr, Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester and the author, with Jerry A. Coyne, of Speciation has a review of The God Delusion in the latest issue of The New York Review of Books that deftly picks apart the many problems with Dawkins approach to religion.
Among other things, Orr writes:
Well worth reading.
We love his lucid prose and the subtle way he explains the complexities of evolutionary theory in such books as The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker. We're less enamored with the jackhammer approach he employs when discussing religion in his latest book The God Delusion.
Apparently, we're not alone.
H. Allen Orr, Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester and the author, with Jerry A. Coyne, of Speciation has a review of The God Delusion in the latest issue of The New York Review of Books that deftly picks apart the many problems with Dawkins approach to religion.
Among other things, Orr writes:
As you may have noticed, Dawkins when discussing religion is, in effect, a blunt instrument, one that has a hard time distinguishing Unitarians from abortion clinic bombers.
Well worth reading.
