Richard Dawkins the evolutionary biologist and bestselling author of The God Delusion has a bee in his bonnet. And he wants to kick some ass. Or more precisely find a god botherer and attack them mercilessly. You can tell this when he is interviewing an evangelical preacher, the way his eyes are blinking so violently. His tolerance for religious hogwash is remarkably low and he strikes out verbally at every occasion, with little concern for social niceties. That’s what makes this documentary so fascinating. This isn’ an objective scientific study, it’s Dawkins on a rampage. His concern is blind unshakable faith, totally untestable in the scientific arena and the dangers that can arise from this. “Religion is about turning unquestioned belief into unshakable truth through the power of institutions and the passage of time,†he suggests as he goes off to debate a bunch of smarmy pastors, suggesting to their face that attending the service he was reminded of a Nuremberg Rally and that Dr Goebell’ would be proud. You can tell that these people make his skin crawl yet he doesn’ restrict his rampage to Christianity, he also takes pot shots at Judaism and Islam. For Dawkin’ it’s all the same. He bristles at the mythology and peoples unshakable belief in the face of insurmountable facts. “We live at a time when religious belief is fighting back against reason and scientific truth,†he offers provocatively, and Dawkins is a self styled globetrotting warrior fighting back. In the second doco presented here, The virus of faith Dawkins equates religious indoctrination of children and a failure to accept scientific facts with child abuse. It’s compelling confrontational stuff. His disdain for people’ long held religious faith is fascinating. Dawkins dives headlong into those no go areas, roots around and attempts to confront people with what he believes is irrefutable fact. It’s absolutely essential.
EXTRA FEATURES:
No extras, just two great docos.
Bob Baker Fish
