British academic Richard Dawkins has been a scientist in the public eye for many decades, but it wasn’t until the publication of his 2006 book “The God Delusion” that the man became a household name. Given his harsh criticism of religion (famously referring to the God of Christianity and Judaism as “arguably the most unpleasant character in all of fiction”), you wouldn’t expect him to offer any praise of Christianity, but as Islam continues to spread globally at a record pace, Dawkins is reconsidering a role for Christianity.
Most people seem to erroneously think that all religions are more or less the same, simply because they’re all in the category of “religion.” of course, nobody would assume that all books, or all movies are the same simply because they’re in the same category of “book” or “movie.” Even if we’re to concede to the liberal argument that all religions have their crazies, no where is violent radicalization as prevalent in Islam.
Christian anti-abortion extremists have only killed eleven people in the history of legal abortion. That’s what ISIS calls a “bad day.”
Despite spending years criticizing Christianity, well-known atheist Richard Dawkins is now admitting that Christianity is much better than Islam.
Dawkins even conceded that “Christianity may actually be our best defense against aberrant forms of religion that threaten the world,” according to The Gospel Herald.
Dawkins noted that Christianity, unlike Islam, does not make use of violent methods to fulfill its teachings. “There are no Christians, as far as I know, blowing up buildings. I am not aware of any Christian suicide bombers. I am not aware of any major Christian denomination that believes the penalty for apostasy is death,” he said.
He admitted that he has “mixed feelings” concerning the decline of Christianity, because this faith-based group might just be “a bulwark against something worse.”
The atheist reasoned that he constantly attacked Christianity in the past simply because it is the religion he is most familiar with, having attended Christian schools while growing up. Even though he was born in Africa, Dawkins and his family moved to England when he was nine years old.
Even Dawkins realizes that people have a natural inkling toward belief in something (how else are we to explain the fact that the overwhelming majority of people throughout history – and alive today – believe in some higher power, even if they’re irreligious?).
Rather than being anti-religion for the sake of being anti-religion, it appears that Dawkins views have taken a shift into prioritizing his attacks on religions that do the most harm, and he knows he’s more likely to dissuade people from a particular religion than convert them to atheists.
Do you agree with Dawkins’ assessment about Christianity? Share your thoughts below!
Muhammad – killed captives
Jesus – never took captives or killed anyone
Muhammad – Encouraged men to rape enslaved women
Jesus – Never encouraged either one
Muhammad – Demanded slaves and loot from war
Jesus – Son of man came not to be served, but to serve
Muhammad – tortured people
Jesus – suffered torture, never caused pain to anyone
Muhammad – Kill all in battle so there is no more
Jesus – Love your enemies as yourself
Muhammad – Blessed the murder of 1/2 blind man
Jesus – Healed a blind man
Muhammad – ordered a slave to build his pulpit
Jesus – washed the feet of his disciples
There are many more such comparisons but, I think you get it
John 3;16 psalm 2
Well, it’s nice to know that idiocy is not the exclusive province of Muslim extremists – it is a shared trait with atheists. Does it ever occur to anyone to reflect on evolution and religion not as opposites, but rather as a pair? For religion to be as widespread a phenomenon world-wide and over millennia, there HAS to be a reason, and one that confers some evolutionary benefit on those who practice religion vs. those who do not. Religion is not just a belief in one deity or another – it is a communal undertaking, establishing shared beliefs and norms of behavior that confer stability on a society and establish rules for punishment of those who ignore those behavioral norms. Societies without religion failed; those with religion prospered. It does not matter why – it just is. Defective religions gave way to superior ones – superior as measured by the resultant benefits those religions conferred upon their believers. It is clear as a bell that religions have been more beneficial to mankind than they have been detrimental – whatever faults some or all may have had. And most likely, despite the apparent benefit that Islam has had in Muslim societies, the current aberration of violent, extremist Islam is NOT going to succeed against the combined forces of societies revulsed by its violent practices. They will continue to exist, but will not prosper, because: people! Amen.
As marxist leninist and atheist I believe in coalitions to achieve immediate goals and the most imperative goal of the humanity at this time is to defeat the British Empire and its lackeys in the Muslim world to lead us into chaos for them to launch a WW III of nuclear magnitude to decimate the global population and then impose the New World Order of the Illuminatis with Satanic ideas. And when I say Satanic is not because Satan exists but evilness does and Dawkins proposal has to be look at seriously before it is too late.
“Christian anti-abortion extremists have only killed eleven people in the history of legal abortion. That’s what ISIS calls a “bad day.”
Despite spending years criticizing Christianity, well-known atheist Richard Dawkins is now admitting that Christianity is much better than Islam.”
Well, of course Christianity, even though it is just another silly, childish superstition, is better than Islam. Just like a flu is “better” than meningitis…
And since our ape species don’t seem to outgrow silly, childish superstitions any time soon, I would much rather live in a world run by the relatively peaceful Christians than the raving lunatics following Islam.
Well, of course Christianity, even though it is just another silly, childish superstition, is better than Islam. Just like a flu is “better” than meningitis…
Don’t get too smug on this topic.
In the scale of time, it hasn’t been that long since Christians were killing non-Christians for religious reasons. A few million died at the hands of Christian nazi and fascists. Hundreds of thousands of Native American “savages” died under Christian guns from first colonization through the 1930’s in the United States. Smaller numbers of Jews died in the various polgroms in Eastern Europe. Catholics and Protestants had all of Europe at war multiple times. Many Jews and non-Roman Catholics died under the inquisition of the Middle Ages when Christianity controlled most of the nations of Europe. Christians of the Roman legions were very willing to kill the Christians of the Byzantine empire during the crusades.
So, the violence of the Muslims is at most, a century removed from the violence of Christians against non-Christians.
The real argument isn’t whether atrocities have been committed in the name of religions by over zealous followers. The argument needs to focus on the content of the so called holy documents, that guides each religion. “About sixty-one percent of the contents of the Koran are found to speak ill of the unbelievers or call for their violent conquest; at best only 2.6 percent of the verses of the Koran are noted to show goodwill toward humanity. About seventy-five percent of Muhammad’s biography (Sira) consists of jihad waged on unbelievers.” Dr. Moorthy Muthuswamy.
A few excerpts from the Koran/Quran…directives for the so called “Religion of “Peace” : Fight for the sake of God those that fight against you, but do not attack them first. God does not love the aggressors. Slay them wherever you find them. Drive them out of the places from which they drove you. Idolatry is worse than carnage. Quran 2:190-2:191, “The Cow,” Dawood, p. 28
When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. Quran 9:5; “Repentance,”
Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal firmly with them. Know that God is with the righteous. Quran 9:123, “Repentance,”
Muhammad is God’s apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. Quran 48:29, “Victory,”
Those that deny Our revelations We will burn in fire. No sooner will their skins be consumed than We shall give them other skins, so that they may truly taste the scourge. God is mighty and wise. Quran 4:56, “Women,”
For the Atheists in the crowd: Those that make war against God and His apostle and spread disorder in the land shall be slain and crucified or have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, or be banished from the land. Quran 5:33, “The Table,”
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I will let you know what I think after he himself professes belief in a higher power even if he does so without acknowledging faith in any religion.
May he be worthy of a Miracle…
Although Richard sees Christianity as the best possible organization to defeat the moo=oo=slums, his position on this matter in no way changes his attitude toward god or any religious belief. It’s the same as saying he thinks Sarin Gas is the best way to kill moo=oo=slums, but he continues to condemn Sarin Gas as a terrible form of warfare.
Egad! I was guessing he was coming out of his closet to confess he is gay. The gnarly little gnome has to be correct once or twice based on the probability of the number of comments he makes.
I think the world is waking up to the dangers of Islam.
I absolutely agree with Dawkins. While he is not about to convert to Christianity, it is clear that he is reaffirming a truth that all religions are not the same. In the case of Islam, we have an ideology that overshadows any peaceable religious aspect. It is not a religion of peace; far from it. In practice it is replete with intolerance, hatred, misogyny, warmongering, pedophilia, and a host of other evil practices abhorrent to modern Christianity.
There has been a truism for centuries upon centuries. “THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTE TRUTHS” No matter what you believe to be an absolute truth when compared to other ‘truths’ becomes totally without truth.
Philosophers, scientists and great thinkers have lived with this conundrum for many centuries and the fact remains, all life forms have finite wisdom. Einstein and all geniuses are now proven in error. Richard Dawkins is just another thinker without any evidence of his truths.
https://socraticsociety.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/there-are-no-absolute-truths/
One godsucker for another doesn’t mean anything to me they are all dangerous, although mohammadans are beyond dangerous and are thoroughly deadly, they should be wiped from existence.
This sounds like obvious common sense to me.
While I am not a hard core atheist, I have read Richard’s books.
Of the people who are sympathetic to Islam, I want to ask, where are their Albert Schweitzers their Mother Teresas and other humanitarians?
Islam has none of this and advances its teaching through fear and murder.
mother theresa was not humanitarian, all she wanted was to have children born, they could then die in anyway possible and the sooner the better, she was a whore for death. search out Christopher Hitchens for the truth about this catholic whore.
“Despite spending years criticizing Christianity, well-known atheist Richard Dawkins is now admitting that Christianity is much better than Islam.”
Here, Matt of Political Insider is putting a spin on what Dawkins probably said.
It isn’t that “Christianity is much better than Islam”.
That’s wrong on two counts; it implies that Islam is good and Christianity is better.
And the truth is that Christianity isn’t as evil as Islam simply because Christians have long ago stopped practicing most of the horrors prescribed in the Bible whereas the Muslim have continued to practice, and even enlarge upon, the horrors prescribed in the Koran.
Those horrors you are referring to are in the Old Testament. Christianity is based on the New Testament. Christ preached Love, tolerance, peace, and forgiveness.
I don’t believe in atheists.
Fay: So you don’t believe in people who are real but you do believe in a God for whom there is not, nor has there ever been, a shred of proof or evidence?
You are delusional and delusion is a form of mental illness.
It’s ok for you not to believe, while the person you are slamming does believe in God.
They are both basically an opinion in this matter. You don’t need to be critical of him because of your choice.
I suppose the 2005 University of Chicago study has had no rivals, thus it still holds true that 76% of doctors in the US believe in God, and 59% believe in the afterlife. It also found that 90% of doctors attend religious service, compared to 81% of all adults. Also, 55% of doctors say their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine. And stop the crap that there’s no proof of God…look around you! I, for one, know that I was created by divine intervention, having absolutely nothing to do with ancient monkeys…speaking of which, there is absolutely NO PROOF that evolution is a given…even Darwin himself wrote a follow-up book, “The Descent of Man” in which he states that there is absolutely no proof to support his evolution theory! There is not one single cross-over relic to prove such…that is, we go from one species type to an entirely new species type, with absolutely nothing in between to prove there was a progression, or evolution. Finally, we have Jesus Christ…who was executed and rose from the dead three days later. Now, you can argue that as a “theory” or a religious story, but we can dig and find bodies of people who lived 3,500 years ago, yet no one has ever dug up the body of Christ. We know where he lived, the route he took to Golgotha, and the burial grounds of the poor of that day, as well as the grave location owned by Joseph of Arimathea….so it’s not as if no one knows where to look! Be that as it may, there will always be the naysayers. But I for one, would rather believe in God and find at death He doesn’t exist, rather than to live thinking He’s a fairytale to learn at death it ain’t no fairytale and my soul is doomed for eternity. Otherwise, my friend, to each his own!
Nelson, I get agnostics, they admit that they just don’t know. I can totally respect that. But I have never gotten atheists. You have to believe that absolutely nothing caused and created something with great order. I don’t care how much time has past, nothing begets nothing. Nothing cannot create since it is nothing. What fueled your “big bang” and how is that any different from “let there be light.” If “let there be light” is fiction then so is the “big bang.” The point of the Bible was never to explain the totality of creation. The people it was first written for would not have understood it, and I don’t think we would even get it now. The Bible must be first interpreted in it’s time and then applied to today. Not take today and apply it to the Bible. Atheists spend a lot of time taking the Bible out of context and criticizing it. You think you would have something better to do like explaining how nothing can create. And if there was always some force that made it happen, isn’t that your god??? It would have to be your god, since the basic definition of god is one that was not created but created. And what created that force that caused your “big bang” if it is not your god??? Everyone has the right to their religion, your religion is atheism. That’s your choice and aren’t you glad you live in a country where you can freely choose your religion? It is just in bad form to attack other’s religion. If that is the only way you can build up your own “faith” then that is not saying much for atheism. Religion is deeply sacred to everyone and should be treated with respect whether you agree or not. If you want to debate Christianity get your facts straight or hush up.
How can any scientist or other highly educated person be an Atheist. Atheism is the belief that there is no intelligent entity that built the universe and thus no “God” exists. Atheism believes in evolution only. In other words the universe, and everything that came after the beginning, just happened. There was no intelligent design behind it all. If the Atheist believes that evolution is not just a random happening, but is a structured plan, then an intelligent entity is most certainly behind everything that exists. If the belief is that evolution is a random happening and is not a structured plan, then what is the meaning of it all? This universe and everything in it, as superbly complicated as it is, cannot be a random accident as that would go against the very structure of science.
I have always wondered why some people are so against the “Ten Commandments.” If everyone lived by those 10 seemingly simple command there would be no problems in the world. There would be no need for police – jails – lawyers as there would be no crime. There would be no war everyone would live in peace. But as simple as they are and most people would agree they should be able to abide by them – we can’t.
Our entire legal system is based in the Ten Commandments. Find a law that doesn’t reflect or refer back to one or more commandments. By the same token, American culture and law are based entirely on Christian/Judeo principles.
I never heard of Dawkins before this article but yeah I can understand his self-interest in this. Modern day Christians won’t kill him for being an atheist. Modern day Muslims will.
Yep!
The higher power is Nature and there belief in themselves (Humans). Humans don’t need anything else.
Indeed!
He may be saved. Hawkins may be. His problem could be that he was exposed to the same kind of ignorance and weak teachings that are very much mainstream in Christianity… and he did not reject Christ. He rejected the religion that been built around what should have been Christianity. Christianity is a matter of discovering the Truth and rejecting what gets in the way. Martin Luther did that. And? The corrupt religion of Catholicism put a contract out on his life. Catholicism had turned into a religion using the name of Christ… sad to say. Lutheranism has over time also fallen into the same kind of trap, but not as badly. Many believe in Jesus. Only a few find Christianity.
Jesus Christ = Christianity. You can’t believe in one and not the other. You can reject the confines of a religion, such as Catholicism or Judaism, but not the belief that God exists.
“World’s Top Atheist”? Is there some sort of ranking? Is there, like, a “top 10” list of atheists? Who is the “World’s Top Christian”? Or Muslim? Or Taoist? I completely understand why “Matt” doesn’t use his last name.
He generally does — or used to, until he became known. It’s “Palumbo”.
Check LinkedIn and see how many “Matt” Palumbos there are. “Matt” is not THAT famous.
Top Christian is Christ!
well said Hank