It is highly surprising that the article ‘Religion’s Misguided Missiles’ (published a few days after 9/11) was written by an Oxford University professor as the essay was a very superficial over-simplification of the issue at hand, politically, culturally, socially and above all, theologically. The article presents a direct comparison between a guided missile and religion, and seeks to prove how religion can produce best kind of guided missiles because it is cheaper and more effective. Though this comparison can be valid in the context of 9/11, Dawkin’s arguments are saturated with assumptions.
- There is one underlying assumption that all religions are the same, and are equally dangerous simply because of the fact that they all teach people about life after death. The article completely ignores the fact that suicide martyrdom is a concept completely at odds with Christianity and Judaism, the other two major Abrahamic religion systems. There is also no mention of the fact that the Bible teaches people forgiveness and ‘love thy enemies as thyselves’.
- Nothing is mentioned about Buddhism, in which life after death is another circle of life, thereby teaching people to get rid of all wants, anxiety and anger in this life and live harmoniously in the current life.
- The notion of ‘72 virgins’ was never the ultimate reason why the suicide bombers chose to do what they did, though it was heavily emphasized in western media. To emphasize ‘72 virgins’ is to over-simplify the issue: The 9/11 incident was rooted in a deep hatred towards the West which was formed from numerous complicated political and historical interactions and cultural misunderstandings over the past centuries. There are more and more scholars (even Islamic ones) who have acknowledged that ’72 virgins’ was a mistranslation from ancient Syriac manuscripts, which originally meant ‘fruits’.
- ‘Death is the end’ itself is a religious assumption.
- The assumption that ‘Death is the end’ will automatically make people want to value life and live longer is completely false. People commit suicide every day precisely because they believe death is the end. School shootings in America are mostly carried out by people who do not believe in God or after life, which implies that they do not need to be responsible for their actions, because there is no one to hold accountable to.
- In contrary, the belief in life after death gives eternal meanings to people’s actions in the current life. The only difference here is whether a man believes in a god who commands “kill all infidels” or a god who commands “love your neighbors”.
- Statistically, atheistic totalitarian institutions are much more deadly than religious fundamentalism. Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Kim Jong Il, all hardcore atheists, alone had killed a total of 105 million people over 2 generations.
- There is one underlying assumption that all religions are the same, and are equally dangerous simply because of the fact that they all teach people about life after death. The article completely ignores the fact that suicide martyrdom is a concept completely at odds with Christianity and Judaism, the other two major Abrahamic religion systems. There is also no mention of the fact that the Bible teaches people forgiveness and ‘love thy enemies as thyselves’.
- Nothing is mentioned about Buddhism, in which life after death is another circle of life, thereby teaching people to get rid of all wants, anxiety and anger in this life and live harmoniously in the current life.
- The notion of ‘72 virgins’ was never the ultimate reason why the suicide bombers chose to do what they did, though it was heavily emphasized in western media. To emphasize ‘72 virgins’ is to over-simplify the issue: The 9/11 incident was rooted in a deep hatred towards the West which was formed from numerous complicated political and historical interactions and cultural misunderstandings over the past centuries. There are more and more scholars (even Islamic ones) who have acknowledged that ’72 virgins’ was a mistranslation from ancient Syriac manuscripts, which originally meant ‘fruits’.
- ‘Death is the end’ itself is a religious assumption.
- The assumption that ‘Death is the end’ will automatically make people want to value life and live longer is completely false. People commit suicide every day precisely because they believe death is the end. School shootings in America are mostly carried out by people who do not believe in God or after life, which implies that they do not need to be responsible for their actions, because there is no one to hold accountable to.
- In contrary, the belief in life after death gives eternal meanings to people’s actions in the current life. The only difference here is whether a man believes in a god who commands “kill all infidels” or a god who commands “love your neighbors”.
- Statistically, atheistic totalitarian institutions are much more deadly than religious fundamentalism. Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Kim Jong Il, all hardcore atheists, alone had killed a total of 105 million people over 2 generations.
