David > This is a much more believing country than most of Western societies. I think we have pinned down Dawkins in these past exchanges. I await Romansh's point of view clarified. If you think we should treat the senior Bush's opinions on atheism and American patriotism with anything but with concern ... let me know.-If we need to treat (frankly a childlike) literal belief with same rigour as say a panentheist's belief in god ... fair enough you can do that. ->But Stove and Berlinski are just as cutting. I hope you have read them.-If you think an ability to be cutting is somehow a good thing ... just because Dawkins' cuttingness is a little blunt ... so what? ->Unreasonable praise for Dawkins beyond the pale. I think he is an intellectual lightweight, but a gifted writer and entertainer.-I don't see what you mean by "unreasonable praise"-At least he doesn't argue for ... I don't see how X can work, therefore I will believe in Y. Now to me that sort of belief is a little bit lightweight intellectually speaking.