Richard Dawkins Extols the ‘Magic of Reality’

"God is a fictional character with as much reality as Heathcliff or Sherlock Holmes," one of the world's most prominent atheists told a packed audience in Page Auditorium Thursday evening.

"Myths are fun as long as you don't confuse them with the truth," Richard Dawkins said in a talk sponsored by several Duke departments. Describing accounts of religious leaders walking on water or flying to heaven on a winged horse, he said "there's no more reason to believe them than that Cinderella's fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a coach."

Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, said religion is not an acceptable substitute for facts and reason, especially when it comes to making public policy. "There are quite a lot of people for whom facts have little appeal and evidence is of no interest," he said, arguing that science also can fulfill the human need for wonder, such as through a beautiful rainbow or sunset.

The British scientist focused much of his talk on his latest book, "The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True," which he wrote especially for young adults.

He was introduced by Sean Faircloth, director of strategy and policy at the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, and author of "Attack of the Theocrats! How the Religious Right Harms Us All -- and What We Can Do About It." Alex Rosenberg, who chairs Duke's philosophy department, opened the gathering.