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Notes
Preface
1 Wendy Kaminer, 'The last taboo: why America needs atheism',
New Republic, 14 Oct. 1996;
http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/kaminer.htm .
2 Dr Zoe Hawkins, Dr Beata Adams and Dr Paul St John Smith,
personal communication.
Chapter 1: A deeply religious non-believer
Deserved respect
3 The television documentary of which the interview was a part
was accompanied by a book (Winston 2005).
4 Dennett (2006).
Undeserved respect
5 The full speech is transcribed in Adams (2003) as 'Is there an
artificial God?'
6 Perica (2002). See also http://www.historycooperative.org/
journals/ahr/ 108.5/br _151.html.
7 'Dolly and the cloth heads', in Dawkins (2003).
8 http://www.oyez.org/ cases/2000- 2009/2005/2005-04-1 084/.
9 R. Dawkins, 'The irrationality of faith', New Statesman
(London), 31 March 1989.
10 Columbus Dispatch, 19 Aug. 2005.
11 Los Angeles Times, 10 April 2006.
12 http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/02/islam ic-societyof-
denmark -used -fake.html.
13 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4686536.stm;
http://www.neandernews.com/?cat=6.
14 Independent, 5 Feb. 2006.
15 Andrew Mueller, 'An argument with Sir Iqbal', Independent on
Sunday, 2 April 2006, Sunday Review section, 12-16.
Chapter 2: The God Hypothesis
16 Mitford and Waugh (2001).
Polytheism
17 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608b.htm.
18 http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm?NF= 1.
Secularism, the Founding Fathers and the religion of America
19 Congressional Record, 16 Sept. 1981.
20 http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ ctrl/buckner _tripoli.html.
21 Giles Fraser, 'Resurgent religion has done away with the
country vicar', GuaMian, 13 April 2006.
22 Robert 1. Sherman, in Free Inquiry 8: 4, Fall 1988, 16.
23 N. Angier, 'Confessions of a lonely atheist', New York Times
Magazine, 14 Jan. 2001:
http://www.geocities.com/mindstuff/ Angier.html.
24 http://www.fsgp.org/adsn.html.
25 An especially bizarre case of a man being murdered simply
because he was an atheist is recounted in the newsletter of the
Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia for Marchi April
2006. Go to http://www.fsgp.org/newsletters/newslettec
2006_0304.pdf and scroll down to 'The murder of Larry
Hooper'.
26 http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/200 1/11I 181
stories/2001111800070400.htm.
The poverty of agnosticism
27 Quentin de la Bedoyere, Catholic Herald, 3 Feb. 2006.
28 Carl Sagan, 'The burden of skepticism', Skeptical Inquirer 12,
Fall 1987.
29 1 discussed this case in Dawkins (1998).
30 T. H. Huxley, 'Agnosticism' (1889), repro in Huxley (1931). The
complete text of 'Agnosticism' is also available at http://
www.infidels.org/library/historical/thomas_huxley/
huxley _wace/part_02.html.
31 Russell, 'Is there a God?' (1952), repro in Russell (1997b).
32 Andrew Mueller, 'An argument with Sir Iqbal', Independent on
Sunday, 2 April 2006, Sunday Review section, 12-16.
33 New York Times, 29 Aug. 2005. See also Henderson (2006).
34 Henderson (2006).
35 http://www.lulu.com/content/267888.
The Great Prayer Experiment
36 H. Benson et al., 'Study of the therapeutic effects of
intercessory prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients',
American Heart Journal 151: 4, 2006, 934-42.
37 Richard Swinburne, in Science and Theology News, 7 April
2006, http://www.stnews.org/Commentary-2772.htm.
38 New York Times, II April 2006.
The Neville Chamberlain school of evolutionists
39 In court cases, and books such as Ruse (1982). His article in
Playboy appeared in the April 2006 issue.
40 Jerry Coyne's reply to Ruse appeared in the August 2006 issue
of Playboy.
41 Madeleine Bunting, Guardian, 27 March 2006.
42 Dan Dennett's reply appeared in the Guardian, 4 April 2006.
43 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/03/the_
dawkinsdennetcboogeyman.
php; http://scienceblogs.com/
pharyngula/2006/02/ oue double_standard. ph p; http://scienceblogs.
com/pharyngula/2006/02/the_rusedennetcfeud. php.
Little green men
44 http://vo.obspm.fr/ exoplanetes/ encyclo/ encycl.h tml.
45 Dennett (1995).
Chapter 3: Arguments for God's existence
The ontological argument and other a priori arguments
46 http://www.iep.utm.edu/o/ont-arg.htm. William Grey:
'Gasking's proof', Analysis, Vol 60, No 4 (2000), pp. 368-70.
The argument from personal 'experience'
47 The whole subject of illusions is discussed by Richard Gregory
in a series of books including Gregory (1997).
48 My own attempt at spelling out the explanation is on
pp. 268-9 of Dawkins (1998).
49 http://www.sofc.org/Spirituality/s-of-fatima.htm.
The argument from scripture
50 Tom Flynn, 'Matthew vs. Luke', Free Inquiry 25: 1,2004,
34-45; Robert Gillooly, 'Shedding light on the light of the
world', Free Inquiry 25: 1, 2004, 27-30.
51 Erhman (2006). S'eealso Ehrman (2003a, b).
The argument from admired religious scientists
52 Beit-Hallahmi and Argyle (1997).
53 E. J. Larson and 1.Witham, 'Leading scientists still reject God',
Nature 394, 1998, 313.
54 http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9610/reeves.html gives a
particularly interesting analysis of historical trends in
American religious opinion by Thomas C. Reeves, Professor
of History at the University of Wisconsin, based on Reeves
(1996).
55 http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/3506.asp.
56 R. Elisabeth Cornwell and Michael Stirrat, manuscript in
preparation, 2006.
57 P. Bell, 'Would you believe it?', Mensa Magazine, Feb. 2002,
12-13.
Chapter 4: Why there almost certainly is no God
The Ultimate Boeing 747
58 An exhaustive review of the provenance, usages and quotations
of this analogy is given, from a creationist point of view,
by Gert Korthof, at
http://home.wxs.nl/-gkorthof/korth046a.htm.
Natural selection as a consciousness-raiser
59 Adams (2002), p. 99. My 'Lament for Douglas', written the day
after his death, is reprinted as the Epilogue to The Salmon of
Doubt, and also in A Devil's Chaplain, which also has my
eulogy at his memorial meeting in the Church of St Martinin-
the- Fields.
60 Interview in Der Spiegel, 26 Dee. 2005.
61 Susskind (2006: 17).
The worship of gaps
62 Behe (1996).
63 http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/ evol!design2/ article.html.
64 This account of the Dover trial, including the quotations, is
from A. Bottaro, M. A. Inlay and N. ]. Matzke, 'Immunology in
the spotlight at the Dover "Intelligent Design" trial', Nature
Immunology 7,2006,433-5.
65 J. Coyne, 'God in the details: the biochemical challenge to
evolution', Nature 383, 1996,227-8. The article by Coyne and
me, 'One side can be wrong', was published in the Guardian,
1 Sept. 2005: http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/
feature/story/O, 13026, 1559743,00.html.
The quotation from the 'eloquent blogger' is at http://
www.religionisbullshit.net/blog/2005_09_0 I_archive. ph p.
66 Dawkins (1995).
The anthropic principle: planetary version
67 Carter admitted later that a better name for the overall
principle would be 'cognizability principle' rather than the
already entrenched term 'anthropic principle': B. Carter, 'The
anthropic principle and its implications for biological
evolution', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of
London A, 310,1983,347-63. For a book-length discussion of
the anthropic principle, see Barrow and Tipler (1988).
68 Comins (1993).
69 I spelled this argument out more fully in The Blind
Watchmaker (Dawkins 1986).
The anthropic principle: cosmological version
70 Murray Gell-Mann, quoted by John Brockman on the 'Edge'
websi te, http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/bios/smolin.html.
71 Ward (1996: 99); Polkinghorne (1994: 55).
An interlude at Cambridge
72 J. Horgan, 'The Templeton Foundation: a skeptic's take',
Chronicle of Higher Education, 7 April 2006. See also
http://www.edge.org/3 rd_ culture/horgan06/
horgan06_index.html.
73 P. B. Medawar, review of The Phenomenon of Man, repro in
Medawar (1982: 24~).
74 Dennett (1995: 155).
Chapter 5: The roots of religion
The Darwinian imperative
75 Quoted in Dawkins (1982: 30).
76 K. Sterelny, 'The perverse primate', in Grafen and Ridley (2006:
213-23).
Group selection
77 N. A. Chagnon, 'Terminological kinship, genealogical
relatedness and village fissioning among the Yanomamo
Indians', in Alexander and Tinkle (1981: ch. 28).
78 C. Darwin, The Descent of Man (New York: Appleton, 1871),
vol. 1, 156.
Religion as a by-product of something else
79 Quoted in Blaker (2003: 7).
Psychologically primed for religion
80 See e.g. Buss (2005).
81 Deborah Keleman, 'Are children "intuitive theists"?',
Psychological Science 15: 5,2004, 295-30l.
82 Dennett (1987).
83 Guardian, 31 Jan. 2006.
84 Smythies (2006).
85 http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/ 14223.htm.
Chapter 6: The roots of morality: why are we good?
86 The movie itself, which is very good, can be obtained at
http://www.thegodmovie.com/index. php.
A case study in the roots of morality
87 M. Hauser and P. Singer, 'Morality without religion', Free
Inquiry 26: 1,2006,18-19.
If there is no God, why be good?
88 Dostoevsky (1994: bk 2, ch. 6, p. 87).
89 Hinde (2002). See also Singer (1994), Grayling (2003), Glover
(2006).
Chapter 7: The 'Good' Book and the changing moral Zeitgeist
90 Lane Fox (1992); Berlinerblau (2005).
91 Holloway (1999, 2005). Richard Holloway's 'recovering
Christian' line is in a book review in the Guardian, 15 Feb.
2003: http://books.guardian.co. uk! reviews/ scienceandnature/
0,6121,894941,00.html. The Scottish journalist Muriel Gray
wrote a beautiful account of my Edinburgh dialogue with
Bishop Holloway in the (Glasgow) Herald: http://www.sundayherald.
com/ 44517.
The Old Testament
92 For a frightening collection of sermons by American clergymen,
blaming hurricane Katrina on human 'sin', see
http://universist.org/neworleans.htm.
93 Pat Robertson, reported by the BBC at
http://news.bbc.co.uk!2/hi/americas/ 4427144.stm.
Is the New Testament any better?
94 R. Dawkins, 'Atheists for Jesus', Free Inquiry 25: 1,2005,9-10.
95 Julia Sweeney is also right on target when she briefly mentions
Buddhism. Just as Christianity is sometimes thought to be a
nicer, gentler religion than Islam, Buddhism is often cracked
up to be the nicest of all. But the doctrine of demotion on the
reincarnation ladder because of sins in a past life is pretty
unpleasant. Julia Sweeney: 'I went to Thailand and happened
to visit a woman who was taking care of a terribly deformed
boy. I said to his caretaker, "It's so good of you to be taking
care of this poor boy." She said, "Don't say 'poor boy,' he must
have done something terrible in a past life to be born this
way.'"
96 For a thoughtful analysis of techniques used by cults, see
Barker (1984). Mote' journalistic accounts of modern cults are
given by Lane (1996) and Kilduff and Javers (1978).
97 Paul Vallely and Andrew Buncombe, 'History of Christianity:
Gospel according to Judas', Independent, 7 April 2006.
98 Vermes (2000).
Love thy neighbour
99 Hartung's paper was originally published in Skeptic 3: 4, 1995,
but is now most readily available at
http://strugglesforexistence.com/?p=article_p&id= 13.
100 Smith (1995).
101 Guardian, 12 March 2002: http://books.guardian.co.uk!
departments/politicsphilosophyandsociety/ story/0,,664342,00.
html.
102 N. D. Glenn, 'Interreligious marriage in the United States:
patterns and recent trends', Journal of Marriage and the Family
44:3,1982,555-66.
The moral Zeitgeist
103 http://www.ebonmusings.orglatheism/new 1OC.html.
104 Huxley (1871).
105 http://www.classic-Iiterature.co. uklamerican-authors/
19th -century /abraham -lincoln/the- writings-of-abrahamlincoln-
04/.
What about Hitler and Stalin? Weren't they atheists?
106 Bullock (1991).
107 Bullock (2005).
108 http://www.ffrf.orglfttoday/1997 /march97 /holocaust.html.
This article by Richard E. Smith, originally published in
Freethought Today, March 1997, has a large number of relevant
quotations from Hitler and other Nazis, giving their sources.
Unless otherwise stated, my quotations are from Smith's
article.
109 http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/mischedj/ ca_hitler.html.
110 Bullock (2005: 96).
111 Adolf Hitler, speech of 12 April 1922. In Baynes (I942: 19-20).
112 Bullock (2005: 43).
113 This quotation, and the following one, are from Anne Nicol
Gaylor's article on Hitler's religion,
http://www. ffrf.orgl fttoday /backlhitler. html.
114 http://www.contra-mundum.orglschirrmacher/
NS_Religion.pdf.
Chapter 8: What's wrong with religion? Why be so hostile?
Fundamentalism and the subversion of science
115 From 'What is true?', ch. 1.2 of Dawkins (2003).
116 Both my quotations from Wise come from his contribution to
the 1999 book In Six Days, an anthology of essays by young-
Earth creationists (Ashton 1999).
The dark side of absolutism
117 Warraq (1995: 175).
118 John William Gott's imprisonment for calling Jesus a clown is
mentioned in The Indypedia, published by the Independent,
29 April 2006. The attempted prosecution of the BBC for blasphemy
is in.BBC news, 10 Jan. 2005:
http://news.bbc.co. uk/ lIhi/ entertainment!
tv_and_radio/4161109.stm.
119 http://adultthought.ucsd.edu/Culture_ War/The_American_
Taliban.html.
Faith and homosexuality
120 Hodges (1983).
121 This and the remaining quotations in this section are from the
American Taliban site already listed:
http:// ad ultthought. ucsd.edu/Culture_ War/The_American_
Taliban.html.
122 http://adultthought.ucsd.edu/Culture_ War/The_American_
Taliban.html.
123 From Pastor Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church official website,
godhatesfags.com:
http://www.godhatl;~fags.com/fliers/jan2006/20060 131_
coretta -scott -king- funeral. pdf.
Faith and the sanctity of human life
124 See Mooney (2005). Also Silver (2006), which arrived when
this book was in final proof, too late to be discussed as fully as
I would have liked.
125 For an interesting analysis of what makes Texas different in
this respect, see
http://www. pbs.orglwgbh/pages/frontli net shows/
execution/ readings/texas.html.
126 http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Karla_Faye_ Tucker.
127 These Randall Terry quotes are from the same American
Taliban site as before:
http:// ad ultthought. ucsd.edu/Culture_War/The_American_
Taliban.html.
128 Reported on Fox news:
http://www.foxnews.com/story /0,293 3,96286,00.html.
129 M. Stamp Dawkins (1980).
The Great Beethoven Fallacy
130 http://www.warroom.com/ethical.htm.
131 Medawar and Medawar (1977).
How 'moderation' in faith fosters fanaticism
132 Johann Hari's article, originally published in the Independent,
15 July 2005, can be found at http://www.johannhari.com/
archive/ article. php?id=640.
133 Village Voice, 18 May 2004:
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0420.perlstein.53582. l.html.
134 Harris (2004: 29).
135 Nasra Hassan, 'An arsenal of believers', New Yorker, 19 Nov.
2001. See also http://www.bintjbeil.com/articles/en/O 11119_
hassan.html.
Chapter 9: Childhood, abuse and the escape from religion
Physical and mental abuse
136 Reported by BBC news:
http://news. bbc.co. uk! l/hi/wales/90 1723.stm.
137 Loftus and Ketcham (1994).
138 See John Waters in the Irish Times:
http:// oneinfour.org/ news/news2003/ roots/.
139 Associated Press, 10 June 2005: http://www.rickross.com/
reference/ clergy/ clergy426.html.
140 http://www.av 1611.org/hell.html.
In defence of children
141 N. Humphrey, 'What shall we tell the children?', in Williams
(1998); repro in Humphrey (2002).
142 http://www.law. umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/ conlaw/
yoder.html.
An educational scandal
143 Guardian, 15 Jan. 2005:
http://www.guardian.co. uk/weekend/ story /0" 1389500,00.h tml.
144 Times Educational Supplement, 15 July 2005.
145 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/
opinion/2002/03/ 18/do 180 1.xml
146 Guardian, 15 Jan. 2005: http://www.guardian.co.ukl
weekend/story/O" 1389500,00.html.
147 The text of our letter, drafted by the Bishop of Oxford, was as
follows:
Dear Prime Minister,
We write as a group of scientists and Bishops to
express our concern about the teaching of science in
the Emmanuel City Technology College in
Gateshead. Evolution is a scientific theory of great
explanatory power, able to account for a wide range
of phenomena in a number of disciplines. It can be
refined, confirmed and even radically altered by
attention to evidence. It is not, as spokesmen for the
college maintain,~"faith position' in the same
category as the biblical account of creation which has
a different function and purpose.
The issue goes wider than what is currently being
taught in one college. There is a growing anxiety
about what will be taught and how it will be taught
in the new generation of proposed faith schools. We
believe that the curricula in such schools, as well as
that of Emmanuel City Technical College, need to be
strictly monitored in order that the respective
disciplines of science and religious studies are
properly respected.
Yours sincerely
148 British Humanist Association News, March-April 2006.
149 Observer, 22 July 2004: http://observer.guardian.co.ukJ
magazine/story/O, 11913, 1258506,00.html.
Consciousness-raising again
150 The Oxford Dictionary takes 'gay' back to American prison
slang in 1935. In 1955 Peter Wildeblood, in his famous book
Against the Law, found it necessary to define 'gay~as 'an
American euphemism for homosexual'.
151 http://uepengland.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=
184&mode=linear.
Religious education as a part of literary culture
152 Shaheen has written three books, anthologizing biblical
references in the comedies, tragedies and histories separately.
The summary count of 1,300 is mentioned in
http://www.shakespearefellowship.org/virtualclassroom/
Stritma tterShaheenRev. htm.
153 http://www.bibleliteracy.org/Secure/Documents/
BibleLiteracy Report2005. pdf.
Chapter 10: A much needed gap?
Consolation
154 From memory, I attribute this argument to the Oxford
philosopher Derek Parfitt. I have not researched its origins
thoroughly because I am using it only as a passing example of
philosophical consolation.
155 Reported by BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co. uk/ Uhi! special_report/ 1999/06/99/
cardinaLh urn e_funeral! 376263 .stm.
The mother of all burkas
156 Wolpert (1992).
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