God delusion(Dawkins, Richard)

 1. It is the role of science to let us know the facts.

Mystics rejoice in riddles and wish for them to remain mysterious. Scientists rejoice in riddles for a different reason: they give them something to do. mobile e-book: 320p

In the past, humans practiced totemism, animism, and shamanism, offering sacrifices to improve the weather, performing rain rituals, or, as in the legend of mantou from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms where twenty head-shaped buns were offered to a river god to calm its waters, taking various measures to appease the wrath of gods through sacrifice.

However, because science has developed, modern humans can now predict, to some extent, why weather phenomena like the rainy season and typhoons occur and where they will strike. We can even induce rain through artificial rain technology. Thus, when we are ignorant of the facts, things may seem miraculous and be seen as the work of gods, but once we know the facts, we can understand them.

It seems that humanity becomes more "human" as scientists lift the veils one by one, allowing everyone to gain understanding. Just as people thought the sun revolved around the Earth until a few hundred years ago, we humans, now knowing the truth, understand that we revolve around the sun. We are specks on a speck, living on a planet called Earth, which is but a dust mote in the cosmos. We may think humans are the masters of the Earth, but in reality, we cannot survive if just one element, like oxygen, disappears. If honeybees were to become extinct, plants could not grow, and as the ecosystem gradually collapses, humans too would be unable to survive. In this way, the Earth's ecosystem is maintained by the supply and demand of its current animals, plants, insects, and microbes.

Personally, I believe that if faith is kept within reasonable bounds, it can help one manage their emotions and build a healthy sense of self through belief. However, I think that excessive belief or blind faith in anything is problematic.

2. Religious belief must not be allowed to justify murder and war.

If someone commits a premeditated murder in front of witnesses, he is executed by the sword. Needless to say, if you kill a heretic, you are not executed. mobile e-book: 642p

Religious wars are indeed fought in the name of religion and have occurred with terrifying frequency throughout history. However, I have never heard of a war fought in the name of atheism. mobile e-book: 703p

In the past, humans waged war to seize resources and slaves. As societies grew and religion became involved, wars also arose from differences in thought and faith. The Crusades are a prime example of a religious war, a tragedy that unfolded over approximately 200 years. I believe it began due to religious conflict and became a war that demanded sacrifice out of blind faith.

I think the witch hunts were a similar problem. Blind faith turned into madness, leading to the atrocity of branding anyone they disliked as a witch. For example, in the "trial by water," a person's hands and feet were bound and they were thrown into water. If they floated, they were judged a witch and burned at the stake; if they sank, they were innocent. But since sinking meant death by drowning, it was essentially a death sentence either way. It was a truly absurd method of identifying witches, and the madness of humans was absurdly terrifying.

Thus, excessive faith can devolve into madness. While a moderate level of faith can be used for self-reflection and emotional regulation, I hope people avoid developing an excessive faith.