You (maybe not you Colman, but you in general) say it is sophistication, they (we, I) say - we are only taking serious your questioning of our position, and that is the way we can make sense of it.
The next step then of your (generic) reply being "haeh?!?" would have to follow further explanation and only some are able to do so. (I only ever read Dalferth, never heard or spoke to him personally, so would not really know, what he is like in everyday language, but I would guess not very different...)
Most people on this planet are worshipping a guy in the sky (or his representative) in the hope of an afterlife and other more immediate payback: that's the reality of religion for 5B people.
There have always been more sophisticated sub-cults within religions for those who find the folk version unacceptably simplistic.
from my conversations with "normal" people of faith, and the evaluation of countless of sociology of religion studies on this matter. the guy in the sky that is being worshiped is a far more complex beast than what you think. You disregard the complexities of faiths expressed and shown very easily by all the splits and differences in faith. (getting four different answers from three people f.e)
simply to say - ah Faithies just want their mobile phone in heaven (I actually heard that - about 15 years ago, how time flies...) and the seven virgins, (aeh damn translation error, it actually says raisins) is unacceptably simplistic.
If you want to be taken seriously by those +5B then putting them all in one pot is not conducive to that matter.
Ah, and that group is actually much bigger, than you give it credit for. That group is also open to discussions on issues that R Dawrkin raises.
Sweet Jesus! That only applies to the Abrahamic religions AND NOT EVEN ALL OF THEM!
So at the outset you are missing the majority of actual, practiced religion on this planet.
This is kind of absurd, slopping, thinking by (SOME) atheists can only give atheism a bad name--not that I care ;) The Fates are kind.
Now, do you have any specific criticisms (with arguments and evidence - not just dismissals as in your other comment) of what Dawkins has actually written or said in the links in the Diary ? Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.
