Gods, Genes, Conscience: March Dialogues
Immediate Posting: The following Commentaries (or developing thinkings) were made in response to the concerned articles, sources, and dates listed in March 2006, so as to promote the Good Dialogues worldwide. Thank you for reading and scrutinizing!
- Marina Mahathir: Our own apartheid (BakriMusaUSA; March 9)
- Marina Mahathir: No cheer for Muslim women (MalaysiaToday; March 10)
- Marina Mahathir's Musings--"Open" Malaysia getting jittery (LimKitSiangMalaysia; March 11)
- Tun Dr. Mahathir: Oil price hike can be avoided (MalaysiaToday; March 16)
- Sue Blackmore: The selfish gene's birthday (GuardianUK; March 19)
- Sue Blackmore: Living without freewill (GuardianUK; March 21)
- To which H. Allen Orr: The God Project (NewYorkerUSA; March 29) the following email was sent; Subject: Scientism vs Religionism (which may or may not be selected for publication therein, depending on its future editorial relevancy, space, and timeliness)
To the Editor, New Yorker (238 words):
H. Allen Orr has deftly hit the proverbial nail—the Daniel Dennett’s new scientistic book “Breaking the Spell”—in the head: That the science of religion is not likely to come out from the labs (Books: The God Project; April 3, 2006 issue)!
“Breaking the Spell” represents the work of a philosopher in decline (or suffering from cognitive dementia) whose persistent scientism has had long been influenced by the metaphysical evolutionism of the British ethologist Richard Dawkins’ 1976 bestseller “The Selfish Gene.” Whereas in the current evolutionist-neocreationist culture war in our own backyards, Dawkins has had since been painting himself (and his followers, Dennett included) into an “anti-religionism” corner, so to speak!
Religionism is still prevailing simply because of its ability to continuously infuse, institutionalize, manipulate, and abuse the cultural origins of fear, faith, morality, and ethics. A believer in religion without this human sociological understanding is blind; whereas a scientistic debunker of religion without any common sense, empathy, or compassion is lame—as Orr clearly analyzed above; and as I’ve had also explored extensively and intensively in my book Gods, Genes, Conscience (January 2006).
At your convenience, perhaps you would consider a review of my new book for your keen readership herein. Thank you for your kind attention and cooperation in this matter.
Sincerely, Mong H Tan, PhD; Author “Gods, Genes, Conscience” (iUniverse, January 2006)
Retroactive Posting: The following Commentaries (or developing thinkings) have had been made in response to the concerned articles, sources, and dates listed in February 2006, so as to promote the Good Dialogues worldwide. Thank you for reading and scrutinizing!