51. Lunch with the FT: Richard Dawkins

Comment #13613 by ldmiller on December 18, 2006 at 6:41 pm

Religion in America

One thing that Professor Dawkins and most of the European commenters here seem not to realize nor remember is that the country was ORIGINALLY SETTLED by religious nuts who LEFT EUROPE so that they could set up their own little heaven-on-earths-- over HERE. Later waves of religious immigrants settled the middle states (AKA the Heartland or the Red States).

Even a cursory glance at the list of the Colonies and immigration waves substantiates this.

1) So it should be nothing strange that the US has a strong religious bent (it is our heritage, for better or worse). It has always been thus.

2) Since the Colonies were populated by competing and mutually hostile religious groups, the founding fathers felt it necessary to scotch religious influence in the UNITED federation. Hence, explicit language to "separate church and state" at the national level to avoid religious infighting.

So why is this so hard for Europeans to understand???

52. Blaming 'The God Delusion'

Comment #12964 by ldmiller on December 14, 2006 at 4:42 pm

This looks like a pretty balanced review of TGD. Well, Mr Demers had the same gripes I did-- that is, by definition, "balanced"!

I fully agree with the notion that Dr Dawkins has apparently led a rather sheltered existence as an Oxford Don (which is reflected in political naiveté). I suspect that his book promotion tour has been quite a consciousness-raising experience for him (as well as for his audiences).

That in no way detracts from the fact that if you removed all of the religion-induced cruelty and killing you would have solved most of the world's worst problems, past and present.