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Bush and bin Laden are really on the same side: the side of faith and violence against the side of reason and discussion. Both have implacable faith that they are right and the other is evil. Each believes that when he dies he is going to heaven. Each believes that if he could kill the other, his path to paradise in the next world would be even swifter. The delusional 'next world' is welcome to both of them. This world would be a much better place without either of them.

Richard Dawkins#4

FaithReasonViolenceWarExtremism

About this quote

What does it mean?
Opposing figures like Bush and bin Laden share a dangerous faith-based certainty over reason.
In plain terms
Bush and bin Laden are alike because both rely on faith not reason.
What can you take from it?
Faith based certainty drives violence on opposing sides.

Where it applies

  • analyzing political conflict
  • critiquing extremism
  • discussing faith

Putting it to work

  • critique faith based certainty
  • promote reason over faith

Questions to consider

  • Is faith always dangerous?
  • How do you distinguish faith from extremism?

Another view

Not all faith leads to violence and not all reason prevents it.

More from Richard Dawkins

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  2. The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I wou…

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  3. Many of us saw religion as harmless nonsense. Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people needed a crutch for consolation, where's th…

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