Richard Dawkins Shame: The Rise Of Christianity

Introduction: Significant people in human history are often known by the statements they make. Whether it's Martin Luther King stating that he has a dream or Abraham Lincoln reminding us all that a score equals twenty years, we remember the statements of iconic individuals. Those statements often live on long past the originator of the statement. It is no wonder, then, that Richard Dawkins has made several statements that are etched in the minds of skeptics and unbelievers of the Christian faith. His writings and speeches have defined the world of atheism for the last several years, so people have gravitated towards his words and they have become etched in their thinking. The question that you must answer, however, is whether his words

This paper will show that this statement is simply not true in the context in which it was written. This will be done by agreeing in part with the statement, but by pointing out that other religions and non-religions are just as oppressive and divisive. Finally, it will conclude by crafting a statement that explains the real view that one should have towards Christianity. In doing so, this will show that perhaps Dawkins is not as correct as he would think, and it might not be wise to enter his statements alongside those other immortal quotes known in human

Christianity's Shameful History. The truth is, Christianity has been divisive and oppressive at times. You can simply peruse the annals of human history to see where Christians have banned and even executed those who did not hold to our standards. In America alone, the Salem Witch trials and the scourge of slavery by Southern Christian men remind us of just how divisive and oppressive we can be. It seems incomprehensible for a plantation owner to attend a worship service on Sunday, hear a sermon from James or Galatians, and then go home to his slaves. Nevertheless, it happened. And, of course, after the Civil War, Christians in America still regarded African Americans as less than full humans and continued to segregate and discriminate, all the while carrying a big, thick, leather Bible under their arms every Sunday. For this, there is nothing we can say other than we are sorry. We freely admit our sin and apologize for our wrongs as those who consider themselves to be like Christ. However, in stating this sin as Christians, we also admit that there are times when Christianity is divisive and, as Dawkins claims, oppressive. For these instances, we can not apologize.

B. Christianity as a Divisive