One of many world's most outstanding atheists says in a brand new interview that he considers himself a “cultural Christian” and believes Christianity is a “basically first rate faith” that is much better for society than Islam.
Evolutionary biologist and self-proclaimed atheist Richard Dawkins took to the UK's LBC YouTube channel this week, saying he was grateful the UK was a “culturally Christian nation”. Dawkins is the writer of a 2006 ebook God's delusion.
“I name myself a cultural Christian,” Dawkins stated. “I’m not non secular, however there’s a distinction between a spiritual Christian and a cultural Christian. And so I like hymns and Christmas carols and I really feel at house within the Christian ethos, I really feel we’re a Christian nation in that sense. …Statistically, the quantity of people that actually imagine in Christianity is reducing. And I'm pleased with that.
“However I wouldn't be glad if, for instance, we misplaced all our cathedrals and delightful parish church buildings. So I name myself a cultural Christian,” he stated. “…Definitely, if we changed some various faith, it could be actually horrible.”
There may be, he stated, “an energetic hostility in the direction of girls” within the “Holy Books of Islam”. Islam can be “hostile to gays”, he stated. Dawkins stated he disagrees with “fundamentalist” Christians on abortion and evolution, saying he “doesn't imagine one phrase of the Christian religion.” Nonetheless, he stated, he cheers for Christian missionaries after they compete with Muslim missionaries.
“If I had to decide on between Christianity and Islam, I’d select Christianity each time.”
A self-proclaimed “cultural Christian”, @RichardDawkinsnarrates @RachelSJohnson is 'a bit horrified' to listen to Ramadan lights on Oxford Road, relatively than Easter. pic.twitter.com/ZY2ePfpms1
— LBC (@LBC) March 31, 2024
“If I had to decide on between Christianity and Islam, I select Christianity each time. I feel it seems like a basically first rate faith in a approach that I don't suppose Islam is. …If Christianity could be seen as a bulwark towards Islam, I feel that could be a superb factor. And in Africa, for instance, the place there are missionaries of each faiths, I'm on Workforce Christian with regards to that.”
He added: “I like dwelling in a culturally Christian nation.”
Picture credit score: @LBC on X
Michael Foust has coated the intersection of religion and information for 20 years. His tales have appeared within the Baptist Press, Christianity At this time, Christian PoHoly, and Leaf chronicle, and Toronto Star and and Knoxville Information-Sentinel.