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UK News

Richard Dawkins says RE is vital for children, calls Islam 'most evil' religion

by Tola Mbakwe

According to the Telegraph, Dawkins was asked at the Cheltenham Science Festival if he thinks religious studies should be banned over fears kids were being brainwashed.

He said it's an important part of our culture to know about the Bible because so much of English literature refers to it.

He said: "It's an important part of our history. So much of European history is dominated by disputes against rival religions and you can't understand history unless you know about the history of the Christian religion and the Crusades and so on."

Dawkins explained that instead of abolishing religious education, he thinks a better idea is to replace it with comparative religion, Biblical history and religious history.

He said comparative religion is valuable for children because they learn about various religions, "not just the one they were brought up with."

He continued: "They learn they are all different and they can't all be right, so maybe none of the are right. Critical thinking is what we need."

He also turned the tide to discuss Islam and called it the 'most evil' religion, claiming all religions are bad but they aren't all equally bad.

He said: "...of course that doesn't mean all Muslims are evil, very far from it. Individual Muslims suffer more from Islam than anyone else.

"They suffer from the homophobia, the misogyny, the joylessness which is preached by extreme Islam, ISIS and the Iranian regime.

"So it is a major evil in the world, we do have to combat it, but we don't do what Trump did and say all Muslims should be shut out of the country.

"That's draconian, that's illiberal, inhumane and wicked. I am against Islam not least because of the unpleasant effects it has on the lives of Muslims."

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