The Force Delusion

Professor Richard Dawkins, holder of the Charles Simyoni Chair for the Understanding Of Science, has seen fit to assail all and sundry with his non-belief in his new book, 'The Force Delusion'.

In his book Dawkins seems to miss the essential point of belief in The Force; that is, that the existance of The Force is essentially unproveable, and has been proven many, many times over.

While it is true that none of the known facts about The Force can ever really be known, those that are known are irrefutable. If we look at the source material, "Star Wars Episode 4: From The Adventures of Luke Skywalker" we find a great many of these things inside. Indeed, in reading TFD, one finds oneself wondering if Dawkins has even ever read SWE4:FTAoLS!

In maintaining his skepticism in the face of unknowable imponderables, Dawkins casts himself in the mould of a fundamentalist of the worst kind, demanding 'facts' when the balm of knowledge is all around him, surrounding him and binding him, if he would only open his mind.

Dawkins would do well to remember that not only is his rational skepticism completely irrational, but that in identifying himself as an unbeliever he allies himself with those oppresive regimes of the galaxy whose members also advocated aforceism: Darths Malak, Revan, Palpatine and Caedus all spring to mind, not to mention Exar Kun and Karness Muur.

Most unsettling of all is Dawkin's assertion that teaching a belief in the Force in young children is child abuse. Mr Dawkins, the Jedi Order does not kidnap children, we merely forcibly seperate them from their parents at birth and raise them in a communal environment to have no knowledge of their former life. To call this behaviour abuse is surely overreacting to a huge degree.

In short, Professor Dawkins' new book has the smack of fundamentalism about it. I'm not accusing him of destoying planets with a space-based superlaser, but if the shoe fits Mr Dawkins, then wear it.