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LOSING FAITH, FINDING MEANING

Program 06-10-15-A

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Richard Dawkins may the world's best-known atheist. A renowned biologist, he's now written his atheist manifesto called "The God Delusion." In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll talk with Richard Dawkins about why he thinks belief in God makes no more sense than belief in Thor, Apollo, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Also, two writers reflect on their faith: former Saturday Night Live cast member Julia Sweeney and novelist Mary Gordon.

SEGMENT 1:

Richard Dawkins is an eminent biologist at Oxford University and one of the world's most famous atheists. His latest book is "The God Delusion." Dawkins tells Steve Paulson why he thinks labeling children by creed is child abuse and why he won't yield an inch in what he sees as a war between reason and superstition.

SEGMENT 2:

Steve Kotler spurned religion until he came down with Lyme Disease and spent three years on the couch. Then a friend took him surfing and he began to get better. Surfing became his religion, much to his own amazement. He tells Jim Fleming about his book, "West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief." Also, Julia Sweeney grew up Catholic, but lost her faith and left the Church. The former Saturday Night Live cast member has put together a one-woman show about her loss of faith called "Letting Go of God." She tells the story to Anne Strainchamps, and we hear excerpts from her show.

SEGMENT 3:

Novelist Mary Gordon used to bristle at the label "Catholic writer," but she's made peace with it now. Gordon tells Steve Paulson about her fascination with martyrs and how she uses it in her recent book, Pearl."

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 06-10-15-A.

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Books:

Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion (Houghton Mifflin)
Mary Gordon, Pearl: a novel (Anchor)
Steven Kotler, West of Jesus: Surfing, Science & the Origins of Belief (Bloomsbury)

Websites:

• Steve Paulson's Article on Dawkins at Salon.Com
  http://www.salon.com/books/int/2006/10/13/dawkins/
  
• Richard Dawkins
  http://www.simonyi.ox.ac.uk/dawkins/WorldOfDawkins-archive/index.shtml

Music:

• After Return:
  Mavis Staples w/ “I Wanna Thank You”
  On “Have a Little Faith”
  Alligator Records

• After Dawkins:
  Jimmy Bruno w/ “Witchcraft”
  On “Cocktail Party: Jazz Moods”
  Concord Records

• After Sweeney:
  John Coltrane w/ “Dear Lord”
  On “John Coltrane Spiritual”
  Impulse Records

• After Gordon:
  Anonymous 4 w/ “Benedicamus trope: Vox nostra resonet”
  On “Miracles of Sant’iago
  Harmonia Mundi
  

Distribution dates:

week of 09/30/2007 - hour2 week of 10/15/2006 - hour 1

Listen!

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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