Is this not amazing? I have seldom read a sentence that has induced such a sharp shiver of revulsion. This man evidently dreams of a state in which it is illegal to take one's children to a place of worship, or to say prayers with them as one puts them to bed.
Indeed. I recall Elton John saying something in the same vein last year, only more extreme: "I would ban religion completely." Ever the rationalist, Dawkins doesn't go quite that far. Even so, it would seem that certain creative types are less tolerant than they would have you believe. These two are less tolerant than the authoritarian government of China, which only persecutes some religions, some of the time.
Scott Carson, to whom I owe a hat tip, adds:
The dreams of folks like Dawkins have inspired many over the centuries, inlcuding the likes of Lenin, Stalin, and others who would have the state mandate what you can, and what you cannot, offer up in the interest of the common good. The results of following up on such dreams have inevitably been far worse for the common good than following up on the theistic dream.
