Derek McMillan Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Richard Dawkins two-part program on religion on Channel 4, “The Root of All Evil” has provoked a massive over-reaction from the religious right who show no sign of turning the other cheek and forgiving him. Marxists support the right of people to practise their religion without imposing it on others, but that would include the right of scientists like Dawkins to put a contrary view. Dawkins does not confine his strictures to the soft targets of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism. He draws attention to its mirror images on the fringes of Judaism and in the religious right in the United States. “Hellhouse movies” as they are called are a new growth industry in the USA today. Graphically filmed, they quite literally “demonise” abortion and homosexuality with the explicit aim of scaring the viewers. Pastor Keenan Roberts explains that the aim is 'to leave an indelible impression on their lives that sin destroys and Jesus saves'. He is quite happy for children to have nightmares after watching because otherwise they might commit sins like homosexuality. The result, says Dawkins, is a mindset which can justify the murder of a doctor like Dr. Barnett Slepian who carries out abortions on the grounds that he is destroying a being created in God's image! There are websites in the USA which openly advocate the murder of doctors who carry out abortions. It is easy for a British audience to ridicule this kind of thing in the United States but the government’s proposals for education will include the takeover of swathes of the education service by organisations of the religious right. More than half of New Labour’s City Academies are to be run by far-right evangelists Evolution will be out. The “one-sided cult of Darwin” will be replaced with a more rounded view in which the creation of the Earth in six days is taught as an equivalent theory. Presumably the biblical view in 2 Chronicles, chapter 4 that Pi is equal to 3, will be given equal prominence with the godless Mathematical view which just happens to correspond with reality! Physicist and Nobel prizewinner Stephen Weinberg describes religion as an insult to human dignity. 'Without it,' he says, 'you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion.' Dawkins programs on Channel 4 are a valuable contribution to the debate and very timely in the light of the crusade against science being mounted by the religious right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Richard Dawkins two-part program on religion on Channel 4, “The Root of All Evil” has provoked a massive over-reaction from the religious right who show no sign of turning the other cheek and forgiving him. I find it quite odd that a Marxist would defend the author of the "Selfish Gene" quite so readily or am I thinking of another Richard Dawkins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek McMillan Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 I have started showing the Dawkins film to my class during PSE. I think it is a useful contribution to the debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 I have started showing the Dawkins film to my class during PSE. I think it is a useful contribution to the debate. "The Selfish Gene" by Dawkins is a right wing pseudo scientific tract used consistently by the Right to legitimise selfishness and the imperfectability of the human condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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