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Reality vs. Religion?

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    Atheist author Richard Dawkins tells Alan why he puts his faith in science instead of a higher power.

  • Duration 8:49
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In the world that you often get that they'll monitor but not much I wasn't I -- -- you I'd rather be known as a scientist -- -- I am an atheist I'm -- I'm proud of -- and -- -- hope that people seem to is that I'd rather it wasn't at all kinds I'd rather be known animal positively as a dentist.

The magic -- reality is your latest book and how we I know what's really true.

We were talking in the last segment about.

Threats and and people who if there weren't for god might have off Q you -- a lot of that stuff from so called Christians or or yes people of allegedly of faith who who died and this is the -- -- are supposed to think that's what I do yes I do.

A -- I should emphasize as I think you dominant that this book is not an -- to vote this now this is a scientific book but you're right your goal is to ground children this is aimed -- kids ten and up I guess yeah.

In reality.

In reality and to -- -- evidence.

Rather than traditional and revelations.

-- have -- taken that to another level would be well you know up to get what they're teaching your church or synagogue or the -- Because this is you -- would you embrace reality won't need any of that other.

That's right you should believe only if as evidence and the that the -- synagogue -- have no evidence -- -- -- is one religion worsen another religion I think his -- was finished in Iran amendment to -- that because it believes in not not everybody needs is to say.

But that they do believe the car on his -- true.

And you'll find that people actively -- -- in the name of of the Islamic ground.

Fumble frequently in the name of the Christian what you know that millions of and of it and Muslims living states peacefully -- positive or millions around the world casually elegant they had everybody in camera lights and and that that they're not really following the -- -- and in the winter and create tote too.

He had He -- christianity and you follow Jesus taught you love your enemy.

Right and -- Jesus was a very good moral philosophy -- exists.

Probably there was a person you believe has now -- candidates there's not much evidence that but my guess is that people need to do and what should the -- you might call the myth of Jesus or the whoever we believe Jesus to be.

Based on even earlier mythology where they were similar carriers there are other mythology is where you you recognize the same things that will come.

Being killed rising again on the -- -- today virgin these these -- will be found in other religious cults.

It's interesting this book is aimed at then we just mentioned 1012 year old and you've you've grounding young people in reality people grow up.

They are in families families.

You become normally whatever religion your family is I mean if I'm Jewish -- but parents were Jewish or there would have been something else.

So kids.

Become adults who believe they've -- and a belief system because they were taught that the very young age is it your goal to kind of pry them away.

I don't -- mean.

In in the sense that it's not a very convincing reason to believe something just because you happen to be brought up in a family that believes it.

Mean it's a lousy reason to believe next just because all people have always late comer to public view my followers are exactly that's a terrible reason to -- here we duration of religious -- Not really in that I mean I listened to religious schools but my parents.

I'm up went out provisions and you sit there and religious school though -- unemployment in this crowd there's not really I mean and I did after I got.

To a certain age but but when when I was a small child was there a time when you actually were believer and thought that there oh yes yes and I was confirmed -- the Church of England at the age of thirteen.

And what was it was there a moment.

An epiphany that you don't have that epiphany I would think it was more graduate from that and I graduate I sort of went through a stage of being -- deepest -- cleanest public.

Some kind of intelligence behind tool.

But not Christian and then I AM.

And then I learned about the evolution and and I thought well there's no reason even to be -- How do you and this is who could lot of people.

Glum on to religion because they can't accept that -- when you're dead it's -- that said there's nothing else to live for there's no afterlife.

How do you embrace the idea that when your gun.

If you years was our lifespan just a short that's it.

Give us a terrible reason to believe something just because you'd like to believe it -- guess what's true is true with you like it or not -- a year I mean when you're dead.

That said that -- it -- nothing else there's no afterlife to those spirit there's why should of the inning lead that.

We've evolved brains and brings the brains -- develop consciousness and -- our brains go.

Consciousness -- you wonder if somewhere in the universe of loans we mentioned cosmology earlier is there another species another.

Living entity or group of them that are for so far be honest I looked down upon us and say these people are religious -- tomorrow.

Yes.

It's kind of like an idiot I I do have a chapter called -- and then in the magic generality.

And that chapter is about whether there is life elsewhere in the -- -- and what do you think about.

When I think it probably is but -- I consider the other possibility is well.

And if there is life is -- more advanced than us do you think -- probably I would expect some of the issues but is ahead of us and television is behind us.

If we -- make contact with it which I think is unlikely.

And I'd -- to be ahead of us -- you believe will be extinct when they which as we mentioned earlier another hard concept to embrace.

How Long Will -- take.

The thing I don't know I mean I I I didn't even though that we will and technical we might blow ourselves -- give -- what we do with weapons yes -- and one -- idea is that life out anywhere in the universe.

And once it reaches and intelligence -- doesn't take very long to blow itself up.

-- -- But I -- suspects that it's but what we know that -- -- to go extinct sooner or later because the sun is going to.

He's been slots in the system so that and we'll certainly be extinct and we can't last forever now and as -- travel -- you lay out to a different style system and that's.

And that's years ahead of -- and technology.

The magic of reality how we know which really choose a book what what is yet another one in the works that you're -- well you're -- tell utilities that you're -- children I -- didn't I yes I know I I don't have another one in the -- some of them but I I certainly got plenty of drive to produce a what do you.

-- is there something else you want to say.

Then I mean there -- enemies and and I could I could easily do and -- alarm another book for young people.

Because this is only twelve chapters and -- -- questions and plenty more questions to -- will the world be a better place when we get beyond religion.

I think it will yes I really do and do you think we are headed toward a post religion proposed really -- we all the service stories done.

About how religious America is -- vs other countries and yet we we call ourselves to religious country here people -- -- Christian nation.

Do we get to the point.

Delusional in an evolutionary sense.

That we are no longer a religious.

People at some point.

I would -- I mean these people say that America is a Christian nation -- -- against those that grabs Tuesday that He will Muslims now now.

-- or atheists or or indeed atheists.

-- I mean it into the United States is a bit of an anomaly because.

Western Europe is becoming largely.

Post religious.

Under the Islamic world of course -- highly -- And says United States and so it's rather it.

I'm fortunate bedfellows percent of purchasing that Islam in its evolution is where christianity was maybe a couple of centuries ago I'm not a that I -- that but I think it's true -- then maybe have gleaned that from one -- -- has applied at night and heard -- pentagon who have said that and I think it's dated cruise it does that mean that Islam overtime evolves and becomes a more peaceful religion over a -- and hopes.

But you see it do you see the world becoming nonreligious at some point.

Ultimately yes I think it's good to be a kind of -- youth votes going up and down.

But I think that ultimately histories on our side are the smarter more intelligent people the ones are less religious there is some evidence that.

If people think theory kind of arrogant when you say that regular pushed back I guess.

-- I prefer just look at the evidence -- the and the evidence is equivocal but on the so when you -- and you say that 10% of elite scientists may believe -- can be you look at -- you look at people who are religious and say.

-- media not the brightest bulb on the chandelier if you believe.

There are some extremely bright people who -- religious but they're not that numerous in my in my -- that would be my guess you get when you're scientific -- try to convince them.

That you're right I'm very seldom need to scientific friends who religious there are few of them are about but -- -- -- none inner circle perhaps.

-- the -- reality is the waves were very Richard Dawkins how we know which really true and great illustrations by Dave McCain thank you so much professor of theater ten countries -- much indeed.

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