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Life & Arts

DVD's look at danger of religion shallow

by AUSTIN HAVICAN 
The Daily Cougar 

Aside from the Internet, DVDs have become one of the most powerful media used to communicate ideas to the masses. 

The explosion of religious zealotry and retail outlets that capitalize on showing off one's personal deity have furthered consumers' access to "historical" documentaries, recorded sermons and informational presentations.

On the other end of the religious spectrum, a few atheists and humanists have found DVDs to be a highly effective method for furthering their own feelings about the cosmos and God. Documentaries and presentations that may not be televised in the U.S. can be ordered online and watched in the comfort of one's own home.

Richard Dawkins, the New York Times best-selling author of The God Delusion and a prominent figure in the figurative battle between theists and atheists, has one such documentary that first aired on Channel 4 in England. Unfortunately, the recent trend in American adaptations of British series skipped over his presentation, Root of All Evil? However, it is available via mail order from www.skeptic.com.

The two disc DVD-R set comes in a case with a poorly designed, inkjet-printed sleeve, and almost looks like a bootleg version of itself.

The first disc, also called "The God Delusion," is a broad summarization of the violent consequences that result from thoughtless religious conviction. In it, Dawkins notes the "lighter sides" of religious faith: mass prayer, pilgrimage to holy locations and having a personal belief in God. Dawkins observes how these lighter sides are really the tip of a much more dangerous iceberg. Dawkins cites suicide bombers, holy crusaders and the overly strong presence of religion in schools and science. His arguments are based mostly on the absence of a scientific method, facts and accepted theory -- other than tradition --in religious ideologies.

"The Virus of Faith," the second half of the set, shifts the focus to the questionable methods in which children gain exposure to the world through the scope of their parents' (or community's) religious convictions. Dawkins visits American "hell houses" to watch the rehearsal of a terrifying anti-abortion play and is shocked to find out the intended audience is "as young as possible." Dawkins also visits English schools that push the idea of creationism and ignore the overwhelming proof of evolution, instead teaching students that dinosaurs and man lived at the same time and that the Earth is only a few thousand years old.

While the DVD is compelling and well made, it's hard to discern who Dawkins' intended audience really is. The subject matter and somewhat shallow depth of argument for each of his points only repeat common points most atheists are familiar with. However, one can't say he's trying to convert anyone, either -- his somewhat condescending and potentially insulting monologues would cause even the moderately religious to eject the disc.

While the subject matter is interesting, the DVD comes across as more of an introduction to atheism, not a substantial argument for the danger of religion. Dawkins' frequent urges toward a world based on science and reason are welcome, but adopting a hostile tone toward even pseudo-Christians does more to alienate potential free-thinkers than ask them to sit down and seriously consider their world view.

Although The Root of All Evil? makes for an interesting examination of the problem of evil in the world, it brashly answers the question by filling in the blank with "God" without the necessary conditions of logical premises.

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