He gave me another Dawkins book, I gave him WHY RELIGION MATTERS by
Huston Smith; he gave me an existentialism book, I gave him THE ART OF LOVING
by Erich Fromm, he gave me a book from the perspective of Buddhism, I gave him
THE BEATITUDES FOR TODAY by James C. Howell. The exchange was an enriching
series of conversations.
One comment about Dawkins’ work – For all the hype that goes with
anything this man does or says and the accompanying debates over atheism, I
found him to be a gifted writer, only so full of hate that most any point he made
was choked by that bitter tone. There is one example he gives in one of his
books, I believe when he is trying to make the point that scientists are
inspired just as religious folk, where he goes into a long segment of flowing
language to discuss the evolutionary limitations of insect sight. The point he
develops is that the insect doesn't see as humans do because their world is so
minuscule. They do not need the complex system of vision we have for color and
depth and distance; our macro world is immense in comparison. As I read and ever since, I wanted to shake
the man and say . . . exactly! Just because the insect cannot perceive most of
the universe he inhabits, does not mean it doesn't exist – just because man
cannot perceive the supernatural with his eyes, does not mean it does not exist.
