Happy Birthday Richard!
Some of Richard Dawkins’ colleagues have let me know that they feel he’d enjoy hearing surprise happy birthday wishes from the Harvard Humanist community early next week.
Some of you know I have been ‘taking on’ Richard lately in the media, critiquing the idea that we Humanists, atheists, agnostics, and non-religious are best represented by the attacking, anti-religious tone of The God Delusion.
I feel we can afford to be more generous, given the diverse, inclusive, and inspiring community we are.
But one of the many things I do appreciate about Richard is that he does genuinely listen to opposing views, and genuinely wants to represent us well, even if I don’t always agree with every word he says in doing so. And clearly he’s a brilliant man who has contributed much to science and human thought in recent years. I am proud to know him, even a little bit, and whatever my disagreements, I sure am glad we have him on ‘our’ side!
So, if you want to wish him a happy birthday with me, please post your birthday wishes here as a comment to this post, by the end of Saturday March 24.
And don’t post anything about this on any of the Dawkins Foundation’s websites or forums– we’re trying to keep it a surprise.
Michael Felsen
March 22, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
Best wishes to you on your birthday, Richard. May you, and all the rest of us, live to see a more rational and humane world, enriched by diverse cultures that treat one another with kindness and enjoy one another’s uniqueness, without proclaiming the superiority of one over the other! Let’s celebrate your birthday with the hope for such a world!
Mike Felsen
Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy Board Member
Vice President, Boston Workmen’s Circle (a secular, progressive communal organization committed to the promotion of non-religious Jewish culture and social action)
Peter Blake
March 23, 2007 @ 6:51 am
Happy birthday Professor! I wish your latest book was available when I was 17 and struggling to break from Catholicism. Your book and others provoke rich discussions among humanists that will lead to a stronger community. Thank you for helping to stoke the Promethean fire in all of us. Cheers!
Peter Blake
President, Harvard Graduate Humanist Community
Sebastián Vélez
March 23, 2007 @ 4:52 pm
All the best on your birthday! Thanks for every word in The God Delusion. Going easy on religion has not helped much in the past, and the time is perfect for reason to have an unapologetic voice.
Kind regards,
Sebastian Velez
Museum of Comparative Zoology
greg epstein
March 23, 2007 @ 4:58 pm
Dear Sebastian, thanks for disagreeing with me! Others who prefer Dr. Dawkins’ approach to my own should not at all shy away from posting their comments.
—
Greg Epstein.
Dolores Bernardo
March 26, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
Happy Birthday!
Per Greg’s critique of your advocacy stance- in a diverse and inclusive society all rational viewpoints should be welcome. I salute you in presenting your viewpoint for the world to digest and contemplate.
Thanks for your wonderful thought-leadership over the past decades. You are a true inspiration- whether we agree with your advocacy position or not.
Best,
Dolores
DayDaySite - Website of the day
March 28, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
Happy Birthday!
Nacho
April 1, 2007 @ 11:23 pm
Felicidades, Happy Birthday Prof. Dawkins. Thanks for your work indeed, and for unapologetically taking on religious nuttery. By the way, your book The God Delusion could be considered a manifestation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri! That Bodhisattva is usually depicted as carrying a sword that cuts through delusion. I think The God Delusion indeed plays the same role. Thank you, and Happy Birthday again,
N