Books Quote by Richard Dawkins
““Faith is an evil precisely because it requires no justification and brooks no argument. Teaching children that unquestioned faith is a virtue primes them - given certain other ingredients that are no hard to come by - to grow up into potentially lethal weapons for future jihads or crusades. Immunized against fear by the promise of a martyr's paradise, the authentic faith-head deserves a high place in the history of armaments, alongside the longbow, the warhorse, the tank and the cluster bomb. If children were taught to question and think through their beliefs, instead of being taught the superior virtue of faith without question, it is a good bet that there would be no suicide bombers. Suicide bombers do what they do because they really believe what they were taught in their religious schools: that duty to God exceeds all other priorities, and that martyrdom in his service will be rewarded in the gardens of Paradise. And they were taught that lesson not necessarily by extremist fanatics but by decent, gentle, mainstream religious instructors, who lined them up in their madrasa, sitting in rows, rhythmically nodding their innocent little head up and down while they learned every words of the holy book like demented parrots. Faith can be very very dangerous, and deliberately to implant it into the vulnerable mind of an innocent child is a grievous wrong.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, 2006
Blind faith without critical examination can foster extreme ideologies and violent actions, especially when indoctrinated in children.
In simple terms: Unquestioned faith can lead to dangerous extremism.
Encourage critical thinking and questioning of beliefs.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- school curricula
- parental guidance
- religious instruction
- media literacy
- community dialogue
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance freedom of belief with the need for critical inquiry?
- What role should education play in fostering questioning?
Blind faith may provide comfort and social cohesion for some, making its critique sensitive.