A few decades ago, it was unthinkable to express non-Catholic views. If you practice yoga and meditation, the CWL die hards call you a satanist or an anti-christ. If you had Protestant friends -- you needed to be “saved”. On the other side of the fence, my Protestant friends wanted to save me from the “Harlot of Rome”. Then the Jehohah witnesses or the INC come knocking at your door after mass. Then comes Velarde, Quiboloy, and the biggest bully of them all the Roman Catholic Church and its local franchise -- the CBCP and its retail outlets -- the RCC parishes which dot the archipelago.
Pinoy catholics (and their equally rabid towelheads) -- seem to think they have a monopoly of the truth -- or what they present as truth anyway. As if Catholic morality is the only way of life. Here’s the news buster -- RCC ain’t the only morality in town.
With the recent national debates on Jueteng and the RHB, there is a constant name dropping on a return to Catholic morality as the solution to economic problems. Morality does provide a filter through which we view life and make us do the things that we do. However, such morality should guide us in our search for truth and not evade it. It should go beyond the shallow emotions of fear and guilt but it should reach into our deeper capacity for reason, compassion, and a deep understanding of the dystopian world brought into life by irrational beliefs.
As more Filipinos discover that there are alternative belief and value systems which provide a more liberating and enlightening frameworks than just going to an edifice on Sunday, strutting around like a peacock, mumbling a few words here and there, taking a swig of an expensive piece of wafer and consider oneself as free from eternal damnation -- and ready to sin again -- after all one has a blanket forgiveness from sins because a dude died on the cross two millenia ago. Right.
As a response to the Philppines’ three hundred years of catholic indoctrination, I am posting this provocative video documentary by Richard Dawkins -- that takes a diametrically opposite view of faith and religious morality.
SYNOPSIS
The Root of All Evil?, later retitled The God Delusion, is a television documentary written and presented by Richard Dawkins in which he argues that humanity would be better off without religion or belief in God.
The documentary was first broadcast in January 2006, in the form of two 45-minute episodes (excluding advertisement breaks), on Channel 4 in the UK.
Dawkins has said that the title The Root of All Evil? was not his preferred choice, but that Channel 4 had insisted on it to create controversy.[1] The sole concession from the producers on the title was the addition of the question mark. Dawkins has stated that the notion of anything being the root of all evil is ridiculous.[2] Dawkins’ book The God Delusion, released in September 2006, goes on to examine the topics raised in the documentary in greater detail. The documentary was rebroadcast on the More4 channel on the 25th August 2010 under the title of The God Delusion.[3]
In “The Virus of Faith”, Dawkins opines that the moral framework of religions is warped, and argues against the religious indoctrination of children. The title of this episode comes from The Selfish Gene, in which Dawkins discussed the concept of memes.
Sectarian education
Dawkins discusses what he considers as the divisive influence of sectarian education, with children segregated and labelled by their religion. He describes the Hasidic Jewish community of North London as cloistered away from external influences such as television, with children attending exclusive religious schools. He questions Rabbi Herschel Gluck to find if their culture allows children to access scientific ideas.
Gluck believes that it is important for a minority group to have a space in which to learn and express their culture and beliefs. Dawkins states that he would prefer traditions taught without imposing demonstrable falsehoods. Gluck emphasizes that although the students believe that God created the world in six literal days and have studied evolution in school, the majority will not believe in it when they leave the school. Gluck contrasts the tradition of Judaism with scientists who “have their tradition”. Dawkins’s facial expression at this point seems to suggest he is taken aback[citation needed] at the assertion that science is based solely on “tradition”. Gluck then goes on to contend that it’s called the “theory of evolution” rather than the “law of evolution”.[6] When Dawkins points out that the term is used in a technical sense and describes evolution as a fact, Gluck suggests he’s a “fundamentalist believer”. However, when Dawkins asks Gluck how many children from his school have grown up believing in evolution, Gluck is lost for words, and eventually admits that most of them probably don’t.
Dawkins expresses concern about increasing religious influence in British schools with over 7,000 faith schools already and the government encouraging more, so over half of the new City Academies are expected to be sponsored by religious organizations. He says that the most worrying development is a new wave of private Evangelical schools that have adopted the American Baptist Accelerated Christian Education curriculum, and as an example calls on Phoenix Academy in London.[7] Dawkins is shown around the school by head teacher Adrian Hawkes and remarks on how the teaching material appears to mention God or Jesus on almost every page; such as a reference to Noah’s Ark in a science textbook. Hawkes responds by saying that the stories could have a lot to do with science if you believe in them, and that the science he was taught at school is laughable today. As an example, he mentions that he was taught that the moon came from the Earth’s ocean and was “somehow flung out into space” during the early years of the Earth’s life. Dawkins says that it should have been presented as a strong current theory.[8] Another lesson talks about AIDS as being the “wages of sin”, so Dawkins inquires whether this might not be mixing health education with moralistic preaching. Hawkes responds that without a law-giver, “Why is rape wrong? Why is pedophilia wrong?” and that if people believe they can get away with committing bad deeds then they will tend to do them. Dawkins responds to this claim by asking Hawkes if the only reason he doesn’t do these things is that he’s frightened of God and subsequently suggests that this attitude is characteristic of the warped morality that religion tends to instill in people.
Religion as a virus
Next, Dawkins discusses specifically the idea of religion seen as a virus in the sense of a meme. He begins by explaining how a child is genetically programmed to believe without questioning the word of authority figures, especially parents – the evolutionary imperative being that no child would survive by adopting a sceptical attitude towards everything their elders said. But this same imperative, he claims, leaves children open to “infection” by religion.
Dawkins meets the psychologist Jill Mytton who suffered an abusive religious upbringing in the Exclusive Brethren[9] – she now helps to rehabilitate similarly affected children. Mytton explains how, for a child, images of hell fire are in no sense metaphorical, but instead inspire real terror. She portrays her own childhood as one “dominated by fear”. When pressed by Dawkins to describe the realities of Hell, Mytton hesitates, explaining that the images of eternal damnation which she absorbed as a child still have the power to affect her now.
Then Dawkins visits Pastor Keenan Roberts, who has been running the Hell House Outreach program for 15 years, producing theatre shows aimed at giving children of twelve or older an indelible impression that “sin destroys”. We see rehearsal scenes depicting doctors forcing an abortion on a woman despite her changing her mind, and a lesbian gay marriage ceremony presided over by Satan in which the women swear to “never believe that you are normal” and Satan cites First Corinthians 6 as God saying homosexuality equals sin. Roberts absolutely and unapologetically believes the scriptures about sin, and when Dawkins questions this basis for morality, replies that it is a faith issue.
Biblical morality
Next, Dawkins questions whether the Bible really does provide a suitable moral framework, and contends that the texts are of dubious origin and veracity, are internally contradictory and, examined closely, describe a system of morals that any civilised person should find poisonous.[10] He describes the Old Testament as the root of Judaism, Christianity and Islam; and, as example, readings are given of Deuteronomy 13 which instructs believers to kill any friend or family member who favours serving other gods, and Numbers 31 where Moses, angered at the mercy his victorious forces show in taking women and children captive, instructs them to kill all save virgin girls, who are to be taken as slaves: an act Dawkins describes as genocide. Dawkins also questions another story from Judges 19 in which Lot, an old man, offers his maiden daughter out to an angry mob of “wicked men” to be raped and humiliated to save his male guest from being raped by the “wicked men”. In Dawkins’s opinion, the Old Testament God must be “the most unpleasant character in all fiction”.
Dawkins then discusses the New Testament which, at first, he describes as being a huge improvement from the moral viewpoint. But he is repelled by what he calls St Paul’s nasty sadomasochistic doctrine that Jesus had to be hideously tortured and killed so that we might be redeemed – the doctrine of atonement for original sin – and asks “if God wanted to forgive our sins, why not just forgive them? Who is God trying to impress?” He says that modern science demonstrates that the alleged perpetrators Adam and Eve never even existed, undermining St Paul’s doctrine.
Dawkins then interviews Michael Bray who interprets the Bible literally – he would like to see capital punishment enforced for the sin of adultery, for instance. Bray was a friend of Paul Hill, who was executed in 2003 for murdering a doctor who performed abortion and the doctor’s escort, James Barrett. Bray defends Hill’s actions and speculates that he is now “doing well” in Heaven. Later, Dawkins converses with his friend Richard Harries, the former Bishop of Oxford and a liberal Anglican. Harries sees the scriptures as texts which should be read in the context of the time they were written, and interpreted in the light of modern insights. Dawkins asks Harries about his attitude towards miracles – does he believe in the Virgin Birth, for instance? It’s not “on a par with” the resurrection, says Harries.
Secular morality
Finally, Dawkins searches for an explanation of morality based upon evolutionary biology, which he considers more hopeful than ancient texts. Together with the evolutionary psychologist Oliver Curry, he discusses the primordial morality to be found among chimpanzees. Curry explains his view that we don’t need religion to explain morality and if anything it simply gets in the way. Instead, he claims, a more convincing explanation is to be found in the concepts of reciprocal altruism and kin selection.
After briefly addressing the rise of secular values, Dawkins goes on to discuss morality with the novelist Ian McEwan. McEwan takes as his starting point the mortality of human life, which he says should naturally lead to a morality based on empathy – one which he claims should confer upon us a clear sense of responsibility for our brief span on earth.
Dawkins finishes by arguing that atheism is not a recipe for despair but just the opposite; rather than viewing life as a trial that must be endured before reaching a mythical hereafter, an atheist sees this life as all we have, and by disclaiming a next life can take more excitement in this one. Atheism, Dawkins concludes, is life-affirming in a way that religion can never be.
(Wikipedia)
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The Virus of Faith (1/5) -- Richard Dawkins
The Virus of Faith (2/5) -- Richard Dawkins
The Virus of Faith (3/5) -- Richard Dawkins
The Virus of Faith (4/5) -- Richard Dawkins
The Virus of Faith (5/5) -- Richard Dawkins
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These are interesting times for the Philippines -- CBCP, meet Richard Dawkins.
If the Philippines is to think itself out of the paperbag it has trapped itself in -- it needs reason not superstitition.
About the Author
BongV has written 4 stories on this site.
Comments on “Video: The Virus of Faith”
Very interesting and informative article. The CBCP people must read it. Religion is like a double edge sword. If you don’t use it carefully; it will do a lot of harm. if used in a proper way: it will help you evolve to a better Human Being. I have relatives who are members of the Iglesia Ni Kristo. The parents encourage to have their daughters marry non-Iglesia ni Kristo members, in order to increase the membership of their Church. They are all afraid to be “Tiwalag” by their Church. People reading their Holy Books; must use their brains. Because to interpret the Scriptures literally will do you more harm than good. I encourage all to re-examine their faiths. Study other faiths. Do not believe in Hell and the Devil. They don’t exist. They are just tools used by religious leaders, to make their followers behave.
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Hell is just a state of mind. Heaven is also a state of mind. The Spirit World is real. I prefer to study more of the Eastern Religions. Because their premises are for the improvement of our consciousness. Rather than: fear, bigotry, hate, ignorance, etc…The Devil is only the personification of evil in the Mind. The Devil is greed done by our politicians; deception and lying done by the Aquinos, in order to maintain their ownership of Hacienda Luisita.If a Catholic Priest sexually abuse a child. Did the Devil made him do it? Or he is just satisfying his sexual orientation of pedophilia?
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It would be awesome if Dawkins would go here. No really.
inb4 media sensationalize Dawkins as a living devil.
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Any religion, ideology or belief system that sacrifices the present for no matter what the price for a reward of a glorious future is flawed and dangerous. We have a huge gamut ranging to the relatively benign such as the Catholic Church retarding the development of the Philippines by opposing population control to save the souls of Filipinos from everlasting fires of hell to the more extreme types like suicide bombers killing innocents so that they can go to heaven with virgins on their side.
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I actually do know that Yoga and TM are not good in the long term. It’s like taking meth or LSD only it’s natural. It’s one of those false promises to godhood that will ultimately destroy the human being. There have been many cases. Yoga is not enlightenment, it’s just a natural high. If you don’t believe in gods, then you should not believe in “Ascended Masters” or so-called “UFOs”.
But we do agree upon one thing. Too much of religion and less of a personal relationship with God is just plain hypocrisy. That’s why i believe Atheism is the largest religion in the world, and Richard Dawkins and countless agnostics attests to this.
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Ponse Reply:
October 9th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
About Yoga, I disagree, I have been doing Yoga since I’m 25 years old (I’m 60 now). It has done nothing but good for my health, wellness and the meditation it teaches helps me relax and focus. I have as much stamina and resistance then any man 20 years younger then me. It also helped me forge a successful carrer because it taught me how to properly focus my attention on the most essential things in life.
However I agree, TM is a crock of bull. Even devout Buddhist monks I spoke too tell me that TM is not needed for their enlightenment.
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Ponse Reply:
October 9th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
Oh yeah, I have spent countless hours meditating in my life (I meditate 2 hours a day) and never once went flying in the sky, seeing the future or leaving my body. Goodness, where in the blue blazes these TM crazies get these experiences/ideas?
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Hyden Toro Reply:
October 10th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
You simply is ignorant about Meditation. True Meditation is just listening to our Divine Source, or to God, as most call him. How do you listen to someone speaking? Be still; be attentive of what the other fellow is saying; and keep quiet…If you know how to worry; you know how to Meditate. Worry is Meditating in a Negative Way…
“Atheism is the largest religion in the world, …” You have got to be ****ing kidding me. You must actually think that bald is a hair color. How much meth did you have to take to come to this conclusion?
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Richard Dawkins as well as Stephen Hawkings are my two heroes of this decade.
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To go boldly where no one has gone before, is a true measure of adventure. If we are afraid to go where we dare to go; because our religions tell us: will end up in Hell, and be with the Devils; or it will do us harm; is not only ridiculous, but stupid. The Human Consciousness is still a field waiting to be explored. It is just on top of your neck. We are still in the Dark Ages, because of these obsolete beliefs from our obsolete religions. Renaissance came out from the Dark Ages. Because men put behind, most of the Church beliefs. It produced: Philosophers, Scientists, great Engineers, Mathematicians,etc…It lead also to the discovery of the New World. Life is an adventure. To learn and discover things is adventure. We must not cuddle in the little corner of our ignorant minds. Because a stupid Priest, or an ignorant Bishop tell us, to do so…
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Thanks for posting this. Despite the film lamenting that this “virus” will continue to be passed-on to future generations, there is some hope in knowing more and more people are waking up to realize that it’s ok to explore and question what they’ve been taught to believe when it doesn’t make any sense. They will also realize that their mental health will start to improve in the process.
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You are obviously a type of (non-catholic) Christian. As “Personal relationship with God” is a quite a Christian mindset. I’m Agnostic but I don’t see what is wrong with people finding pleasure from meditation as it harms no one – I have never seen any one died, lose their love ones or had their lives destroyed from meditation. So some of them believe in imaginary UFOs, or masters from another parallel universe – SO WHAT? Have you seen these people wipe out civilizations, kill innocents and destroy cultures? These beliefs have been with us for centuries and despite of the fact they have strange to us they are HARMLESS.
On the other hand, Christianity and Islam throughout history have brought large full scale ignorance, suffering and death to countless people. The Inquisition, the suppression of critical thinkers like Galileo, Crusades, the Holocaust (Yes, the Nazi were Christians and had ties with the CC at the time. Read Mein Kampf, Hitler professes his twisted Christianity several times in the book) various Jihad, the subjugation and destruction of countless cultures (Look what Spain did to our native culture in the name of Catholicism. Rizal rages about it in his literary works).
You say that it is the evil heart of human nature but what guides his heart is his core beliefs. I have yet to see Yogis or Jainists bear arms and strap unbelievers into torture chambers because they do not share the same belief. I bet if FUNDAMENTAL Jainism would spread it would benefit humanity a lot.
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Mari Reply:
October 9th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
My apologies, my response above was for Enlightened Filipino.
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Great posts here, I agree with Mari, organized religions such as Islam and Christianity, two monotheistic religions have caused so much historical suffering to humanity, having said this though, a lot of the progressive ideas in the modern world have originated in the Christian world. Perhaps because of the intense human suffering Christianity had caused to the Western world, secularism blossomed into enlightenment to bring forth humanist centered ideas for progress.
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Ponse Reply:
October 9th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
@ Miriam
I respectfully disagree. Saying progressive ideas come from Christian society is like saying that coffee is black because of water.
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
October 10th, 2010 at 1:59 am
Progressive ideas like “equality between the sexes”, “basic human rights guarantees”, “civil rights”, etc. have all emanated from the Western world, there may be traces of these in other societies, but in terms of institutionalizing progressive ideas that promote human progress, the Christian world has been at the forefront of these struggles.
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Ponse Reply:
October 10th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I disagree. If you do research, you will find out that many of these concepts do not originate from Christianity. Equality of the sexes was championed by women’s liberation not Christianity (Women had lower status then men in the Bible), . Equality between all humanity is classic Socrates. Lincoln who fought for the equal rights of the black man was not very found of Christianity in general. Also remember the South which was once the biggest slave country in the US was also predominantly religious. The founding fathers of the US believed in the separation of religion and state for a very good reason. One could that that the reason why the West is blessed by progressive liberal ideas because it has a rich history and pedigree of great thinkers: The greek philosophers, the Roman lawmakers, the renaissance thinkers etc. Most of these great thinkers had to fight close minded organization such as the Catholic Church and went against the ideals of Christianity.
Miriam Quiamco Reply:
October 10th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
They originated from the secular sector of Christian societies, not in Buddhist, Hindu or Islamic societies. These great men in history you mentioned were bred in extremely conservative societies, their response to the shackling effects of Christianity was Secularism and Enlightenment. Not only that they espoused progressive ideas in their writings and speech, they also founded a nation embodying these great ideals. By the way, the founding fathers of America were men of God, Christians, though they clearly saw the wisdom of the separation of state and church in government. Ever wonder why newly elected presidents in the U.S. are sworn in with their hands on a bible?
The founding fathers of America, were mostly members of the Free Masons. If you look at the Reverse Side of the U.S. $1 Bill. You will see the features of: Unfinished Pyramid; on top of the Pyramid is: the Eyes of the God, Ra; then, the Latin words: “NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM”, which means: “New World Order.” This is not an Illuminati, conspiracy theory. You get hold of a $1 U.S. Bill. Then, you will understand what I’m talking about. Globalization, anyone?
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Over 50% of the Founding Fathers of America were Anglican/Episcopalian, at least that’s what their religious affiliations indicated. . .
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Hyden Toro Reply:
October 10th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Research about the Free Masons. There are Filipino Free Mason Members. Definitely, I am not one. I am more of a Free Thinker. The belief of the separation of the Church and the State was a Free Mason belief.
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ChinoF Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
I read Rizal was a mason, and that was one point that got him in trouble with the local church. I know the RCC in general dislikes the masons.
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Hyden Toro Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Jose Rizal was rumored to be a Free Mason. Although, there were rumors, he denied it before his execution. U.S. President George Washington was a no. 33 Free Mason. The highest order in the Free Masonry. So are most of the signers of the U.S. Constitution. Some Filipinos are members of the Free masonry. Free Masonry has great influence on the political development in our world. It will; continue for this century. Josef Stalin of Russia was also a Free Mason
Morality is now a science and a pretty exciting one at that. See here:
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/morality10/morality10_index.html
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Let me reiterate. The West became progressive NOT because of Christianity but because the West was and is a hot bed of great critical thinkers. If you research all the groups and individuals who moved the progress of human civilization forward such as Galileo, the thinkers of the Enlightenment era, the adherents of liberalism (these are the people who fought and spread for democracy and free and fair elections originated) you will find out that they fought against the close minded dogma of the church and the superstitious thinking of the Christians of that time.
Do not discount the contributions of non Christians to humanity for they also made their mark. Ancient Muslims translated the knowledge, science and Philosophy of the Greeks and spread it to the world. The Muslims also preserved these knowledge at the time when the Christians were burning books and poor old women during the middle ages. The Hindi’s taught us the true meaning of non-violence through Gandi (a real undisputed historical figure) and for the first time in the World we discovered that peace can actually a effective tool for social and political change. While Buddhism have been teaching for thousands of years what Western psychology just discovered in the turn of the century. In fact the more science learn about the workings of the human mind the more the core concepts of Buddhism are proven correct. The Buddha was also one of the pioneers of critical thinking (you can google his quotes).
I’m sure there are plenty of examples out there of Contributions of NON CHRISTIANs to the improvement of humanity.