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Who plans on reading and participating?I'm looking for a head count on who plans on reading "The God Delusion" and participating in this book discussion. I've already contacted Professor Richard Dawkins through his assistant and want to be sure we've got a large enough group of participants to warrant asking him to a live chat. Please take the below poll immediately. Obviously, the "yes" answers are all I need to see so this poll just has the affirmative responses. Thank you. Results (total votes = 11):Yes, I have the book and plan to participate&nbsp6 / 54.5%&nbsp Yes, I will get a copy and participate&nbsp3 / 27.3%&nbsp I'm just not sure whether or not I will participate&nbsp2 / 18.2%&nbsp 

My answer is that I own the book already and do indeed plan on participating. As I mentioned in another thread I'm already on page 66 and thoroughly enjoying this book. If you are teetering on the edge of buying a copy I highly recommend you do so.

I'm not sure how much material the book contains that I haven't seen before. A book that simply re-affirms my current beliefs doesn't interest me.I'll wait and see what the rest of you think. Also, if Dawkins plans to chat with the group, I'd be more inclined to participate.

I am about a third of the way into The God Delusion. However, like Julian, I'm not sure if you can count me as a participant in the discussion, because I'm not really sure how much useful discussion the book is likely to stir. Thus far, what I've read in this book reminds me, ironically, of how I felt when a priest would lecture congregants who were actually present in mid-January about the failure of CAPE Catholics to continue to attend Sunday services. (i.e. Dawkins, like those priests, is preaching to the choir.) We're all here; we're all atheists. I imagine most of us understand why we are atheists, give us something more. Thus far, Dawkins has yet to do so. I rarely pick up atheist-specific texts for this reason.Also, though I understand the social, political and, at times, legal influences that inspire writers like Dawkins and Sam Harris to rail so fervently against religion, I sometimes question the effect. Dawkins likes to claim that he is atheist in the same way he is a tooth fairy atheist, but he's not writing books about the need to not believe in tooth fairies. Now I'm not putting the social ramifications of tooth fairy belief and religious belief on the same page, I understand the significant difference. The point I'm trying to make

I am sorry...but this book has drawn much discussion even before it was picked. Even if the discussion was a tangent, the ideas in this book can generate discussion.Like my point about religion being given a free pass in certain areas like child vaccinations. I got that topic from this book. Lets talk about things that Dawkins brings up, not a dissection of the book itself necessarily.I think sometimes people are too tied up in staying on a specific topic, whereas I see book discussions as opening doors...any doors will do. Then the conversations can flow free.Mr. P. Mr. P's place. I warned you!!!Mr. P's Bookshelf.I'm not saying it's usual for people to do those things but I(with the permission of God) have raised a dog from the dead and healed many people from all sorts of ailments. - AsanaThe one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

I will get a copy and participate!

I'm just starting chapter 7, "The Good Book and the Changing Moral Zeitgeist." I'll probably be going back to reread some sections after my first run-through. Of what I've read so far, chapter 3 "Arguments for God's Existence" is the least impressive, clearly demonstrating Dawkins' lack of training in (or for that matter, apparently, concern for) matters philosophical, though some interesting arguments and lines of thought are presented. One of the highlights of the book so far for me is Dawkins' assertion that God is the Ultimate Boeing 747 (p. 113 ff), an ingenious twist on improbability arguments from the Intelligent Design crowd.I'm looking forward to a lot of interesting and entertaining dialog from other readers of The God Delusion.Fiske

I own the book and am about halfway through my second reading

I am in chapter 4 right now, but the reading is going pretty hit and miss. Tomorrow I am starting Wintersession so I will have no life for 3 weeks but I will still try to participate as I can. I'm enjoying the book so far and I look forward to reading the discussions!

I think the fears that this book would not draw any good discussion were premature!Hopefully we will have many contributors, this way Fiskes "ignoring" of my input will be a non issue! Mr. P. Mr. P's place. I warned you!!!Mr. P's Bookshelf.I'm not saying it's usual for people to do those things but I(with the permission of God) have raised a dog from the dead and healed many people from all sorts of ailments. - AsanaThe one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy PiperEdited by: misterpessimistic  at: 1/3/07 1:31 pm