Book review - The Devil's Delusion – Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions

The Devil's Delusion – Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions

After reading Berlinski's book, only one word comes to mind – "WOW". Actually, now that my heartbeat has returned to normal, other phrases are flowing through my cerebral plumbing. Superlative is one that strikes a chord. The thought that this might be the best book I have ever read is hard to dismiss. I have heard David speak a few times, once in person when I bought my copy of this book. It is fun to listen to him, but even the best of us always leave something unsaid or phrase something a little more clumsily than we would like when we don't have the luxury of analyzing and perfecting our thoughts before committing them to our audience. With Berlinski's power through presenting a written word to refine the many threads that pulsate through his obviously hyperactive brain, he is able to produce a masterpiece of eloquence that parallels the universe itself, at the same time complex yet comprised of simplicity. His cheek has to be slightly raw from his tongue rubbing against it as he glibly and, with the precision of a laser beam, penetrates through the veneer of pseudo science and pseudo intellectualism with his hilarious observations. He is the epitome of a scholar, providing much of his own original material, but yet deftly weaving in quotations from preceding scholars to enhance his own verbal illustrations. This book is a jewel which I will read again – with highlighter this time – so I can capture the passages that make me jealous as a writer. I'll use this as a tutorial on how to get an argument across to a target audience. Berlinski could pedantically utilize his extensive vocabulary in a fashion that would force his readers to keep a Funk and Wagnall's nearby, but he normally uses simple words to break complex arguments into a verbal feast that a lesser man can digest with gusto. His analogies use mundane, down-to-earth scenarios and jargon to which common men can relate. His grasp on philosophical and logical discourse is only surpassed by his capacity to compose phrases which break down those ideas with a witty delivery that even Mark Twain would envy. For example, this one almost had me rolling on the floor.

In reference to some contrived computer programs written to demonstrate natural selection at work in the cyber world, Berlinski says, "What these computer experiments do reveal is a principal far more penetrating than any that Darwin ever offered: There's a sucker born every minute."

What has amazed me since I entered the fray over Darwinian thought two years ago is the absolute lack of any respect from Darwin proponents for meaningful discourse or the people who are unconvinced by Sir Charles and his ambitious theory. Apparently being a doubter is of great honor if God is the target of the skepticism. However, if Darwinian gradualism through mutations is the target of questioning, being a skeptic places a person right between a skunk and a vulture on the social totem pole. The one star reviews on this book are absolutely ludicrous. There is no fairness involved. The agenda of eliminating God as opposed to seeking truth, which Berlinski outlines nicely in his book, is confirmed by the reviews of his detractors. They can't appreciate the genius of this writing because it rips holes in the foundation where they live. It culls their herd of sacred cows leaving a couple of swayback steers dreaming of days when they still bore their reproductive organs. It not only reveals their agenda, but exposes the dearth of common sense, logic, and true science behind it. Berlinski is truly a threat to the Darwinian empire. And the modus operandi of people who can't successfully dual against ideas is to assassinate the character or cast doubts upon the intellect or credentials of the speaker.
There are a lot of wonderful books out there concerning this ongoing controversy. If you are a veritable truth-seeker, you can't go wrong with choosing to dive into the depths of this marvelous work of creation (pun not intended). This book does not include a lot of scientific arguments against evolution. David resorts to tactics used by writers supporting Sir Charles. He makes statements like "there's not enough evidence". You can't judge the accuracy of that statement without more facts. You'll need to read other books to find out why he makes those claims. They are not scarce. His goal is not to shoot down evolution per se, but rather to jerk the carpet out from under those who would sound the atheistic trumpet in Zion based on alleged scientific proof. He succeeds very nicely.

With his defense of the possibility of a creating deity causing a perfect storm of negative comments concerning the legitimacy of his birthright and the prowess of his intellectual powers, you'd think Berlinski must be a mighty man of God to continue to speak out publically. Ironically, from what I can see, he seems to be a man without a stance. He's the man in the middle who points out the fallacies in everyone's arguments on all sides but takes no position of his own in regard to interaction with the potential designer/creator of the universe. He has a personal dilemma to resolve. Just believing that there might be (or even is) a god, won't cut it on judgment day. If God does exist, what are the rules of the game called Eternal Life? How does one win entrance to the celestial kingdom? At this point Sir David seems to be content with just knowing what everyone else believes, but not committing himself to any of those paths. Heaven will be bereft of one of the most interesting minds and pundits the world has ever known if Berlinski doesn't make the cut. 'Tis a journey that all men should make – that of seeking truth. Unfortunately many prefer to vegetate on their couch while others choose to grasp onto partial truths or lies and wallow in the comfort of believing they have found the truth and combating those who try to persuade they are wrong. And this, my friends, makes the world a very interesting place to dwell.

For an atheist, there is no purpose in life. It is like a basketball game where no score is kept. Shakespeare nailed their position accurately with his immortal lines – "life is a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage. It's an idiot, full of sound and fury, yet signifying nothing." For someone who accepts that there is a God, the purpose is to win the game of hide and seek. God has hidden and bids his people to find him. His hiding place is not well concealed, but there are many diversions and red herrings along the path that make it a challenging game. And it seems that one major stumbling block for people who are intelligent is that God can't be found totally with the intellect. That's a lesson I'm still dealing with on a personal basis. How much are we supposed to understand and how much are we supposed to trust in our Heavenly Father? Mr. Berlinski knows scripture. Now he needs to get a personally signed copy of it.