richard dawkins

“ If you don't understand how something works, never mind: just give up and say God did it. You don't know how the nerve impulse works? Good! You don't understand how memories are laid down in the brain? Excellent! Is photosynthesis a bafflingly complex process? Wonderful! Please don't go to work on the problem, just give up, and appeal to God. ”

“ Today the theory of evolution is about as much open to doubt as the theory that the earth goes round the sun. ”

“ When two opposite points of view are expressed with equal intensity, the truth does not necessarily lie exactly halfway between. It is possible for one side simply to be wrong. ”

“ We are survival machines robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes. This is a truth which still fills me with astonishment. ”

“ Religion is not off the table. Religion is not off limits. Religion makes specific claims about the universe which need to be substantiated and need to be challenged and, if necessary, need to be ridiculed with contempt. ”

“ Be thankful that you have a life, and forsake your vain and presumptuous desire for a second one. ”

“ We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further. ”

“ Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence. ”

“ I am often accused of expressing contempt and despising religious people. I don't despise religious people, I despise what they stand for. ”

“ When two opposite points of view are expressed with equal intensity, the truth does not necessarily lie exactly halfway between them. It is possible for one side to be simply wrong. ”