National Atheist Leader Lauds New Book: The God Virus

Edwin Kagin, the national legal director of American Atheists, Inc., the premier organization laboring for the civil rights of atheists and the separation of government and religion, has stated that a new book, The God Virus by Dr. Darrel Ray, is one of “the most readable and important piece[s] of work” [on the subject of God and religion]. Mr. Kagin wrote that the book is for those “who are not overly burdened with too much formal education in the arcane aspects of theology and philosophy. Mr. Kagin wrote that [The God Virus] should be welcomed by the educated person who wants good factual and logically solid reasons that can be used in discussion, as well as in argument, without calling down the curse of academic boredom and in helping in the building of a personal unified Atheistic view of the world. [The God Virus] is a convenient handbook on how real life Atheists can stay sane while others are freaking out with religious madness….”

The God Virus carefully details the practical consequences of fundamentalist religious beliefs, infecting personalities, families, and cultures. It deals with the superstitions of religion propagated by clerics who, for example, tell congregants that cancer and other diseases are the results of sinful living and hurricanes, such as Katrina, are God’s punishments.

Dr. Ray, as a resident of Kansas, has seen first hand how fundamentalist religious beliefs have a negative effect on education, for it was in his state that members of the board of education wanted to ban the teaching of evolution and substitute the teaching of creationism, which propounded that the Earth is only a few thousand years old.

As Dr. Ray has written, “Religion seems to inject itself into schools, courts, legislatures, presidential politics, and local school boards, detracting from rational conversation about real-world problems, such as science, education, economics, economic development, disaster relief, and war.”

Whether one is a believer, an atheist, or an agnostic, The God Virus presents an exciting and challenging intellectual experience for those who wish to explore the role of religion in one’s personal life as well as in the life of the country.

For further information, please visit www.thegodvirus.net

Postscript: Yes this is just a cut and paste of a press release. I have been busy this week and so not able to write original content. In the meantime I am trying to making daily posts on themes not yet covered elsewhere in the athesophere.