Richard Dawkins is a gratuitously unpleasant man

Richard Dawkins wants to convert everyone to atheismFor a while, Richard Dawkins worked for the public understanding of science; however, recently, he has been more notably promoting atheism. Indeed, he sees religious belief as incompatible with science. The mission statement of the Richard Dawkins foundation, for example, is:to support scientific education, critical thinking and evidence-based understanding of the natural world in the quest to overcome religious fundamentalism, superstition, intolerance and suffering (1). And in the introduction to his book, The God Delusion, he wrote, "If this book works as I intend, religious readers who open it will be atheists when they put it down. " (2)The best way to promote atheism is positively, enthusiastically - not by insulting peopleDawkins himself has admitted on several occasions that the best way to promote atheism is through positive persuasion. For example, in the context of discussing schools and education, he said: "I would never want to indoctrinate children in atheism, any more than in religion. Instead, children should be taught to ask for evidence, to be sceptical, critical, open-minded. If children understand that beliefs should be substantiated with evidence, as opposed to tradition, authority, revelation or faith, they will automatically work out for themselves that they are atheists. " (3) And in an interview with The Times he said, "Ideally what a scientist should do is enthuse people. In the best of all worlds that should be enough to kill religion off on its own. " (4) His continual unpleasantries about religious people are gratuitousSo why the constant griping? It serves no positive purpose. Journalists have put the question to him, and he has only ever given trivial responses as far as I'm aware. For example, in one interview he agrees that he would be more persuasive if more conciliatory, but says "I seem to have lost patience. " (5)But with De Spiegel, he reveals what I believe to be the true reason: he insults people because it amuses him to do so:"If I read an author who is ridiculing some idiot, I myself am rather amused. There may be some who will be turned off and I will have lost them. .. But I suspect they'll be outnumbered by those who are amused. " (6)In the tradition of the schoolyard, Dawkins enjoys flinging cheap insults at people who, for the most part, will not insult him back. Better yet, he has his gang of admirers who snigger along with him. This is an upleasant quality. It does not advance the cause of science, or even of atheism. One observer has suggested that, on the contrary, Dawkins is the biggest recruiter for creationism in the UK (7). Some examples of Dawkins' gratuitous unpleasantriesEarlier this year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that British Airways check-in worker Nadia Eweida should be allowed to wear a small cross to work, and that British Airways was wrong to suspend her from work for refusing to remove it. (8)It's an interesting case. Here's what Dawkins had to say about it: "I saw a picture of this woman," says Dawkins. "She had one of the most stupid faces I've ever seen. She actually said, 'Christians should be allowed to work for British Airways'. " He continues, face reddening: "Well, of course, Christians are sodding well allowed to work for British Airways. It's got nothing to do with it. She is clearly too stupid to see the difference between somebody who wears a cross and somebody who is a Christian. " (4) Of course, and I really shouldn't have to point it out, Nadia Eweida's intelligence or stupidity is irrelevant to her freedom to manifest her religion. Dawkins is merely amusing himself by indulging his prejudice against people with religious beliefs. It adds nothing to our understanding of the case, and is indeed nothing more than a gratuitous unpleasantry. **********************************************************Last month, two-year-old Caroline Sparks was accidentally fatally shot by her brother. Her grandmother was reported in the news as saying how sad it was, how Caroline liked singing and playing outdoors and that "It was God's will. .. I just know she's in heaven right now and I know she's in good hands with the Lord. " (9)Dawkins no doubt amused himself and some of his over 700,000 followers with these tweets:"It was God's will. It was her time to go, I guess. " "Just a tragic accident. " Poor little girl, her tragedy was her deeply stupid family. (10)"I just know she's in heaven right now. " No she's not, she's dead. Dead. Killed by some deeply stupid gun-lover who gave a gun to a 5-yr-old (11)And then, when someone wondered if this was the right time to make these comments, when the family was grieving, he replied:Yes it bloody well is the right time. Stupid gun-toting idiots. A little girl is dead, killed by her cretinous family. (11)These comments are gratuitous and unpleasant. And because they are typical of Dawkins, they make him a gratuitously unpleasant man. (1) . http://richarddawkinsfoundation.org...(2) . http://www.amazon.com...(3) . http://www.telegraph.co.uk...(4) . http://old.richarddawkins.net...(5) . http://www.guardian.co.uk...(6) . http://www.spiegel.de...(7) . http://www.independent.co.uk... (8) . http://www.bbc.co.uk...(9) . http://edition.cnn.com...(10) . https://twitter.com...(11) . https://twitter.com...