This is the best short critique of Richard Dawkins and his absurdly extreme materialism I have read

There are enormous holes in Richard Dawkins' supposedly intellectual case against religion and people of religious faith. The biggest, which you could drive Manhattan, Empire State and all through, is that Dawkins assumes (metaphysical) materialism is true, when the whole issue is about the truth of, not God, but materialism. In fact, as I have pointed out many times, materialism does not have the means to prove itself. And this is from a person who projects himself as the model of reason and scientific enquiry. In attempting to assert the truth of materialism Dawkins is actually engaged in philosophical not scientific enquiry, something he seems blissfully unaware of - as do most of his unthinking followers.

There is also the scandal and contradiction of his wild political activity. Here is a man who preaches tolerance to the allegedly intolerant Christian churches when his main weapon to advance the cause of atheism is to paint people of religious belief not only as stupid and ignorant, but of a irrationality that is likely to set them on the path to violence. There is hardly a greater exhibitor of intolerance in the Western world than Richard Dawkins and his fellow super-atheists.

There is much in Dawkins' writings to take apart, as many of his fellow academics have done, but for a summary of the weaknesses (and bigotry) of his position I have not read a better article than by English writer and commentator, Melanie Phillips. It appeared in The Australian (16 March) under the headline Dawkins preaches to the deluded against the divine. It can also be found on her website.

Comment: gerard@gerardcharleswilson.com