What if God is a delusion?
      What if Nobel laureate, Steven Weinberg, is right when he says, “Anything that scientists can do to weaken the hold of religion should be done and may in the end be our greatest contribution to civilization.”
      Have you noticed two of the titles on the current New York Times Best Sellers list? Oxford scientist Richard Dawkins has written, “The God Delusion.” Sam Harris has become quite the celebrity with his more popular, “The End of Faith.”
      What both books present is a severe critique of religion. Dawkins, for example, calls one chapter in his book, “Why there almost certainly is no God.” Harris argues that human beings have for too long suspended reason in favor of religious belief and then gone on to perform some of the worst atrocities in human history in the name of religion and God.
      I must be honest and tell you that, when The End of Faith was first published back in 2004, I borrowed a copy from the library. I read a few pages and found it to be so polemic and strident in tone that I put the book down.
But the book hasn’t gone away. Nor has the controversy. That is why the Dawkins and Harris books are best sellers. And this past November a scientific conference took place in La Jolla with this title – Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason, and Survival.
      So what do you think?
      As Passover approaches, are the authors of these new books taking the place of the Seder’s proverbial “wicked” child or are they, like the “wise” child, asking honest, critical questions?
      Would you like to ask the same questions? Is God a delusion? Would our world be better off without religion?
      Would you be interested in reading either the Dawkins or Harris book with me? I’d actually welcome the opportunity to stretch my mind with you. Let me know if you if you are interested and we’ll do some challenging reading together. (markdov@sinai-temple.org)