The Dawkins Letters

The Dawkins Letters: Challenging Atheist Myths David Robertson Pages: 144 Trim: Pocket paperback Isbn: 1845502612 Isbn 13: 9781845502614 UPC: 02614 List Price: £4.99 Our Price: £3.99 Released: March 2008 Imprint: Christian Focus Category: Theology & Doctrine > Doctrine > Apologetics

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About David Robertson

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Reviews

Note from the author The poster, 'richarddawkins.net' (is this an official view?) accuses me of lying and gives the example of the quotes on the cover of the book having been made up. From a Christian perspective this accusation of lying by either myself or CFP is very serious. Lying for Jesus is obviously self contradictory and wrong. The example that the poster gives is just wrong. All the quotes came from the Dawkins website, were seen by many people, and I have copies of them all. However over 300 posts were removed from that particular thread - including many of my own posts and all the ones referred to in the book. Perhaps it was just a coincidence but whatever the case those quotes did exist. If the poster is writing on behalf of richarddawkins.net, they know this and therefore are themselves not telling the truth. It is not the first time that a lie is told in order to accuse others of lying. It is very strange that richarddawkins.net are so keen to accuse me of lying, it indicates a certain level of desperation. They are struggling to answer 'The Dawkins Letters' and so have to revert to attacking the author.

David Robertson

“The shortest, the cheapest and in some ways the sharpest book is The Dawkins Letters (Christian Focus, Ł4.99) by David Robertson. David, Free Kirk minister in Dundee, writes ten letters to Dawkins, and they are clever, humourous and right to the point.”

Ron Ferguson, Life & Work, Church of Scotland magazine

"This book is a refreshing, excellent read...I wouldn’t hesitate to pass this book on to a non-Christian, atheistically-persuaded friend."

Hannah Wooley, Evangelical Magazine, Evangelical Movement of Wales

No preacher or church leader should be without this remarkable book. Arch-atheist Professor Richard Dawkins is campaigning to banish religion in general and Christianity in particular from our schools, government and all significant areas of public life. Dawkins’ big idea is that Christianity does more harm than good and he’s aggressively campaigning on both sides of the Atlantic. He won’t succeed but he will do a great deal of damage as his poisonous lies permeate Western culture. David Robertson has written a brief, brilliant and compelling rebuff to Dawkins’ latest book, ‘The God Delusion’. It is a remarkable apologetic for the Christian faith and an essential tool in winning the battle of ideas. I’d give it ten stars if I could!

Richard Morris, Wesley Owen

This book is a more than useful contribution to the ‘Dawkins Debate’ and one which has helped me to understand more about the flawed arguments contained within ‘The God Delusion’. The book comprises a series of ten letters to Dawkins, the first of which was published on Dawkins’ own website, which counter the arguments in Dawkins’ book chapter by chapter. Robertson is clearly well-read and marshals his arguments in a balanced and intellectually sound way. But this is not an inaccessible academic treatise; he writes clearly and understandably in such a way that most people will be able to grasp the arguments easily. He avoids the temptation to ‘rubbish’ Dawkins, just dismantles and challenges his arguments frankly and cohesively. The final letter (to the reader) “Why Believe”, contains a very useful and extensive reading list which most will never get to read in entirety but is helpful to have.

Clem Jackson, Editor, Christian Marketplace

Comment about the initial 'Letter' that appeared on Richard Dawkins website and which prompted the writing of the book “Wow, this is an intelligent and well-crafted view of RD's book.”

Response from an atheist on Richard Dawkins Website

“…probably the book's greatest triumph is that it doesn't come across as being a knee-jerk polemic right back at Dawkins, but rather a book that deals with bigger atheist arguments (myths) and as such has more value than just for the next few months.”

Gary Aston, Youth Pastor, England

"I have read your manuscript. In a word, it is SUPERB! You really do an extraordinary job.”

Samuel T Logan, Chancellor, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia

“The content is excellent. It’s a fun, engaging read that seeks to be as charitable as possible (with an obviously virulent opponent) while not shrinking back from pointing out and exposing the fallacious, emotional, and often-childish arguments constantly employed by Dawkins.”

Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi

Customer Reviews

apologies to RichardDawkins.net - obviously he may believe in Michael Faraday as he may have heard of him (NB he has also heard of Jesus, does he believe in him too?). However, to have as his evidence grid that only people he has heard of are really 'real' is - well - farcical. Also to say that the qualifications of being a skeptic are to only believe in scientific evidence is an interesting method of pre-determining your conclusions according to your prejudices. It is rather like saying 'prove to me the optical spectrum exists but you are only allowed to use the wavelength of indigo to do so. The Greeks identified 4 ways of 'knowing' - to limit this to just one means that all your conclusions will always match your pre-suppositions. That is not Scientific - that is bias.

Posted by mlearnedfriend at 20:21 on Tuesday 29 April 2008

Sadly the poster from 'RichardDawkins.net' is exhibiting the typical behaviour of a frustrated atheist lashing out at someone to vent their 'unfaith'. I saw the quotes that are on the book - ON THE DAWKINS WEBSITE. Our friends requirement of evidence to believe that these are real means that he is not able to believe in anyone that he does not know!! So, President Harrison didn't exist, or Michael Faraday!! As regards the accusation that David 'has a reputation of lying' well, yes he does - given to him by the same people who refuse to come up with any evidence that he has done so - and this despite repeated requests to do so. Obviously evidence only works one way for our friend. The example of 'lying' he gives - saying you are not going to do something and then doing it, is what is called a change of mind. To lie David would have to change his mind and then say that he didn't! Einstein an Atheist Freethinker - well that's actually a matter of conjecture as you can read his writings as more agnostic that Atheist. The Bible is not a myth when read as a historian - well if your historical research was not 100 years out of date and based on presuppositions that outweigh any evidence you may discover, then you might think that - but the latest historical methodologies place a much greater reliance on the Bible as history. Your definitian of a liar is actually 'someone who disagrees with me'!!

Posted by Batreader at 15:07 on Monday 28 April 2008

I notice that David Robertson has written a review of his own book in the section at the top -if only we could all write our own reviews. I'm not officially from richarddawkins.net but i regularly post there and I'm sure david will tell you that i'm not the only one claiming he made all his reviews up. As a skeptic I only count scientific evidence and therefore don't accept David's word that the posts saying his book was good were once there, particularly when he has a reputation for lying for Jesus. I also have reason to believe that the other reviews were also made up and that Ron Ferguson, Hannah Wooley, Richard Morris etc don't even exist as i've never met or heard of these people. In fact I can imagine David sitting at his computer thinking 'drat nobody likes my book so I better make some reviews up' But another lie he told was saying in a post that he would never post again only to do so a few days later. He even claimed that Einstein wasn't a freethinking atheist and that as a historian he doesn't think that the bible is a myth. If that's not lying then I don't know what is. Then to cap it off he ran to the BBC and told them a load of lies.

Posted by richarddawkins.net at 22:45 on Tuesday 22 April 2008

All I have to say in response is - just read the thread on the Richard Dawkins website. I don't have to make any appeal apart from that. I also leave to your judgement the style of arguement exhibited below and on the site.

Posted by Ian at Christian Focus at 17:32 on Thursday 03 April 2008

Oh dear - it appears that Ian has a problem with lying too.

Posted by richarddawkins.net at 16:39 on Thursday 03 April 2008

For those interested in a more balanced view than anonymous from richarddawkins.net I advise you to visit the website and read the thread he is referring to. You will notice several things. a) the review referred to by Paula Kirby does not really review David's book at all. She misses out key content because that is inconvenient to her and makes interpretations that are not justified by text or context. b) David provided the website with the source of the reviews on the book and they were verified by contributors to the website as being sourced from there. c) far from being demolished, David's detailed rebuttal to Paula Kirby on this thread shows up her 'review' to be a piece of propoganda unworthy of the name. d) It is sad that people like the reviewer below take their hate to such blind extremes. A short perusal of the website will show you how far well-meaning, but misguided, individuals will go in order to stifle free speech.

Posted by Ian at Christian Focus at 15:40 on Thursday 03 April 2008

David Robertson is a liar and pretty much everything he says on the Richard Dawkins website simply isn't true. He just makes stuff up as he goes along. For example he simply made up all the reviews on the back of his book and we proved to him that nobody on Richarddawkins.net said his book was intelligent. Just look at all his posts (http://richarddawkins.net/userComments,page1,25843) and you'll see how he lies in pretty much everything he says. His book gets demolished here (http://richarddawkins.net/articleComments,2285,Fleabytes,Paula-Kirby,page149#153728) I wouldn't read this book if you paid me to.

Posted by richarddawkins.net at 14:06 on Thursday 03 April 2008

Well, thanks for the review below by 'an intelligent reader' - although to be honest you should address yourself as 'an intelligent non-reader' (-: I don't dispute that you are intelligent, just wrong-headed in your head-in-the-sand like response! All people who disagree with you aren't, by definition, stupid!! David's book is not bad, in fact last week the official Dawkins website said that it was the best of the books that argued against the God Delusion. Of course, they didn't agree with it, but I didn't expect that! The God Delusion is not a convincing read to people who have some knowledge of the subject area - and The Dawkins Letters is no doubt not a convincing read to those in the Dawkins camp - but it's not designed to be a 'read this and be converted' book - it's designed to be a 'you see, other people have a different opinion that can be argued' book. You do not do your 'side' justice by scoffing! Oh! and one last thing, David has been banned from the Dawkin's website for (and I kid you not, this is the reason given) 'when you post it causes arguments' - I mean, isn't that the point of lively discussions between people who disagree. So much for free speech! I guess that it makes life easier to only allow those to speak who agree with you - but it's just not British!

Posted by Ian at Christian Focus at 10:35 on Monday 25 February 2008

Whilst I haven't read the book myself I've been told by others that it isn't any good. As he has apparently read the God Delusion and is still a Christian he must have either misunderstood Dawkin's arguments or be very stupid. The guy who wrote it is a troll over at Dawkin's website and don't take him seriously and i'd advise others to do the same.

Posted by an intelligent reader at 22:45 on Sunday 24 February 2008

I left Christianity two years ago as a 23 year old in a cloud of anxiety. I began then to resort to atheism and science as a means of comforting myself and not having to delve bellow the surface spiritually. As a natural searcher I began to read from sceptical and atheistic websites and books and found myself quite emotional and reassured at times by what I read. However, on reading The God Delusion and witnessing Dawkins in interviews I began to doubt his honesty as a scientist and began to see his blinkered stubborness towards Christianity. A recurring bias I see in published atheists is to refuse to acknowledge the good verses in the Bible (which without doubt far outway the morally difficult)and instead childishly focus on any reasons (as uncontextual or feeble as they may be) to believe that the Christian God is a fallacy. It is Dawkins who through his transparent advocation of science as a new, all encompassing belief system and his stubborn disregard for beliefs unmeasurable or observable through science, who has lead me back to the door of God.

Posted by Sean Sayer, Cape Town at 23:17 on Thursday 31 January 2008

I read Robertson`s book before reading 'The God Delusion'. I have now read Dawkins' immensely fair-minded book, and have to say that except in one or two minor respects, Robertson`s unctuously written and disingenuous 'critique' simply does not address Dawkins' arguments in any satisfactory or responsible way. It will doubtless appeal, though, to the self-deceived.

Posted by Tim Harris, Tokyo at 02:33 on Monday 14 January 2008

"The Dawkins Letters" is a well researched and scholarly response to "The God Delusion." It is quite devasting for Richard as it demolishes his atheistic evolutionary arguments. Perhaps this is why Richard has banned further chapters from his website and why he refuses to debate with David.

Posted by Will Brooks at 10:32 on Saturday 17 November 2007

This is a really good book which I read very quickly. This is an easy thing to do as it is succinct (and thus not too long) and also it is written in a very easy to read style with good referencing throughout. This book is an analysis of Dawkinss God Delusion examining the evidence that Dawkins supplies for his statements, exposing the (many) places where no such evidence is presented and testing the logic of his inferences. If Dawkinss atheistic naturalistic view is to hold water then his base assumptions must be supported by good hard objective evidence and his logic impeccable, as both are an absolute requirement for any conclusion to be proved true. This type of 'proof concept' seems to be absolutely essential in Dawkinss worldview in order to believe in anything (which must make relationships somewhat difficult!) Robertson succeeds in each chapter and on page after page to show that Dawkins fails badly in both areas citing many good references often to non christian and atheist authors. He is humorous and sometimes quite scathing but without resort to the personal abuse that this book seems to have engendered in some atheist retorts on the Dawkins web site. This is a great book to read as a Christian and also to pass on to non Christian friends who have probably only heard one side of the story mass marketed by the largely atheist media machine of our modern western society.

Posted by Gordon Mackley at 12:45 on Wednesday 03 October 2007

"Congratulations on a monumental rebuff of some of the most hideous and down right evil attacks on not only what we believe by Mr Dawkins but in fact the deeper issue of our and anyones right to choose to believe The Gospel or any other ideals that dont line up with his Materialist world view. Once more thank you from one grateful soul! Bless you."

Posted by Bob Anderson (Falkirk area) at 20:27 on Friday 21 September 2007