God delusion Quote by Richard Dawkins
““It would be intolerant if I advocated the banning of religion, but of course I never have. I merely give robust expression to views about the cosmos and morality with which you happen to disagree. You interpret that as ‘intolerance’ because of the weirdly privileged status of religion, which expects to get a free ride and not have to defend itself. If I wrote a book called The Socialist Delusion or The Monetarist Delusion, you would never use a word like intolerance. But The God Delusion sounds automatically intolerant. Why? What’s the difference? I have a (you might say fanatical) desire for people to use their own minds and make their own choices, based upon publicly available evidence. Religious fanatics want people to switch off their own minds, ignore the evidence, and blindly follow a holy book based upon private ‘revelation’. There is a huge difference.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins, 2006
Dawkins argues that criticizing religion is not intolerance; it is a call for evidence‑based thinking, contrasting it with the uncritical acceptance of faith.
In simple terms: Criticizing religion isn’t intolerance, it’s about evidence and free thought.
Key Takeaway
Encourage independent, evidence‑based reasoning.
Themes
religion
free thought
evidence
intolerance
criticism
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
defensive
Type
philosophical
controversial
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- public policy
- education
- media commentary
Key Concepts
secularism
critical thinking
philosophy of religion
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we distinguish critique from intolerance?
- What role should evidence play in moral discussions?
A Different Perspective
Critics may view any challenge to deeply held beliefs as hostile, regardless of intent.
