https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:12:53 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1969115 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:38:41 +0000 Ra 1969115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just downloaded the book. I'll start as soon as I finish the one I'm currently reading. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1969078 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:26:38 +0000 Synchronicity 1969078@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm waiting for a copy to come available at my library; commenting to follow! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1969030 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:46:57 +0000 lawbee11 1969030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: Hurry up and read it before you wrap it! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1969016 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:40:47 +0000 anandam 1969016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: That sounds amazing. Adding that to my list. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1969011 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:37:53 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1969011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: I got the summary from this discussion guide that discusses the book and a debate between Richard Dawkins and John Lennox about the book. In case you are interested:<br /> <a href="http://fixed-point.org/media/phocadownload/GDD_discussionguide.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://fixed-point.org/media/phocadownload/GDD_discussionguide.pdf</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968987 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:24:02 +0000 travellingbee 1968987@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't read it but I just bought it for my DH for Christmas. When I was deep in the search for what I believed, I read the book The Year of Living Biblically and it was both interesting and funny. It is about a secular man who tries to live the bible (mostly old testament, I think) as literally as possible. I definitely learned things I never knew about the bible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968966 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:11:27 +0000 mrbee 1968966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Twine: @anandam: I can agree that religion can be used to control and coerce people... but so can a lot of things!</p> <p>Anyway I just thought that particular thesis was not particularly well worded. Maybe the author intended to provoke others though, in which case he definitely succeeded! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968946 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:05:43 +0000 anandam 1968946@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've read it, years ago during an atheist phase between my religious lives...it's a predictable Dawkins read, arrogant and full of holes, but interesting regardless, and with some valid points. If you've ever heard him interviewed, it won't be anything novel. Would be happy to review it and join the discussion.</p> <p>@mrbee: my memory of this point is less specific to Christianity and more a statement that "moderate/mainstream religion" is just as dangerous as radical/extremist. I found it to be one of the more thought provoking parts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968939 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:03:21 +0000 MrsSCB 1968939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have not read this, but I am interested. I'll have to check it out, thanks! Side note -- I started thinking, "Oh good, I've been looking for books to add to my Christmas list." Then I remembered my dad is a minister....Better just buy it for myself, ha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968934 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:01:46 +0000 Mrs. Twine 1968934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: I think it was (mostly) just unfortunate wording. The basic premise, from what I remember, is that religion can be, and has been, used as a way to control and coerce people. Female genital mutilation, control of who has sex with whom and when, who we can marry, who we should kill or fight. Personally, I would argue that this particular premise has a great deal more to do with the issues arising from being human versus those directly stemming from religion itself. I don't have enough information to say definitively that there is no god. I don't believe there is one, but many intelligent people throughout time have believed things that have later been found to be untrue. So I'm not closed off to the idea entirely. I just feel that for me right now, I don't believe. </p> <p>Anyway, I think the idea presented by the book is more accurately represented by saying that religion can be a powerful tool used to control people, sometimes in hurtful ways, and it can be incredibly hard to argue with because it is based on principles that come from somewhere else (a god or gods who cannot be contacted directly (as such)) and so can be created and corrupted by people for personal or group motives and gains. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968883 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:39:32 +0000 .twist. 1968883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: I was super impressed there for a second! :D :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968875 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:36:32 +0000 lawbee11 1968875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: Haha no, he read it about a year ago, I just didn't know until I brought it up with him last night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968872 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:33:03 +0000 mrbee 1968872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm an atheist and haven't read this book... but of the theses listed, one of the theses feels very different than the others: "Christianity is dangerous."</p> <p>Will check out the book, but that feels more like an opinion than a provable hypothesis to me! I definitely don't think Christianity is dangerous. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968871 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:31:47 +0000 .twist. 1968871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: Did he read it before you told him about it or is he just a super fast reader? </p> <p>It's a book that I want to read, but not a priority since I have 90 thousand books that I've bought and haven't read, so I'm working on those right now. It's definitely on my list thought! I can't wait to read some of the responses here to give me a good idea as to what it's about. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968867 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:29:13 +0000 lawbee11 1968867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for starting this! Planning to start reading tonight. My DH has read it and was really excited that I'm going to read it. Said it's a great book. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-god-delusion-book-discussion#post-1968796 Wed, 03 Dec 2014 09:40:41 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1968796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There was some discussion in this thread: <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-religious-but-are-now-atheist" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-were-religious-but-are-now-atheist</a><br /> about the book the The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. </p> <p>I wanted to start a discussion thread for the book. I'd also like to encourage any religious people to participate, because I'd really love to hear that perspective too.</p> <p>I know several people have read it and there are others that want to. I'd be happy to lead a book-club type discussion, or we could just just discuss the book as a whole. Any thoughts? </p> <p>For some background, these are the six major theses from the book<br /> 1. Faith is blind, science is evidence-based<br /> 2. Science supports atheism, not Christianity<br /> 3. Design is dead, otherwise one must explain who designed the designer<br /> 4. Christianity is dangerous<br /> 5. No one needs God to be moral<br /> 6. Christian claims about the person of Jesus are not true; his alleged miracles violate the laws of nature </p>