Coming out of the Closet(C)

On two issues which I feel very passionately. Have always felt passionately about. Because it is just not enough to feel, rather to admit openly and unabashedly that I do. Two controversial issues, guaranteed to ensure more than a lively debate. Feminism and Atheism.

Now that we have got the big A and the F out of the way, permit to explain why the public admission of the obvious. “It must be a book or something” only they can plant such subversive ideas. It is, two books. “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins and “Full Frontal Feminism” by Jessica Valenti. Two books as passionate and as in your face as you please.

Dr Dawkins , in eloquent prose makes the case of why religion is the root of all evil. Rather, he reiterates the point he has made earlier. And he uses the metaphor of pure science to explain the irrationalities of Faith. The beauty of the book is that anyone with a smidgeon of common sense will understand how, just how right he is. Be it the argument that faith more often than not is about childhood indoctrination- a mental abuse of children by religion which he compares to being more heinous than even sex abuse, or the concept of how “faith” uses circular logic. Of course he draws very heavily from the Judo-Christian faiths to illustrate his points, but it’s an all out argument against all organized religion.

Ms Valenti is very in the face as she inform you, you are a feminist. In her own words “You are. I s**t you not” A Queens style conversation, this book does not mince words. It calls a spade a spade and makes its case with a liberal sprinkling of the other F word. However, it does make very good sense. She talks about all of us, Third Wave Feminists as people with the good sense to believe in equality of the genders- a far cry from the popular caricature of the feminist as the lesbian with hairy legs , who hates men, Addressing issues like the age gap, the pop culture’s objectification of women with its emphasis on external appearance, debunking common myths of the bra burning and Gloria Steinham variety( She was, it wasn’t ) FFF gives sound good advice to both men and women.

Dawkins book, like his others, is an erudite conversation. The book is a must-read, if only to appreciate a refreshing wit and an engaging style of writing, Plus the fact that its arguments make sense, if you are not entirely blinded by the “this is so, no argument” rigmarole which makes even the most intelligent humans seem very stupid. (he illustrates this through the case of the aboriginals, capable of surviving the most dire situations, but following an age old belief steeped in taboos.) Of course Russel and the Celestial teapot as also St Thomas Aquinas’ arguments for the logic behind God figure prominently. As do incidents from medieval as well as contemporary times- 9/11 and the Spanish Inquisition and the huge Evolution?Intelligent Design thing. What I find the most fascinating is the realization that fanatic beliefs too often rise from a “moderate” harmless religion. It is about how Faith, the inability to question why, that allows the existence of this belief in the childhood “Invisible Friend” that grows into an illogical faith in God. Also the fact that the more religious are s obsessed with dying and the after-life they do not fully appreciate the wonders of this one- something which he amply illustrates using the metaphor and language of science in the last chapter.

Valenti is just a “seriously must read”. Entertaining, un-putdownable, her brand of dark humor evokes a degree of anger and then one realizes that all of what she is talking about happens too often or has happened to one. If I were to pinpoint what struck me the most, it is the thought provoking piece of how all women live in a “Fear of Rape” wherein all our actions, stick to familiar roads, keep emergency numbers on speed dial, be wary of venturing out of dark. We follow the idiom, better safe than sorry, not even realizing just how wrong it is for us as human beings to live in this constant fear of assault, of being the weaker sex. It has been bred into us over years and years of evolution and existence. The fact that this woman talks about what we have known too long, but have not tried to question, accepting it as the absolute and not even seeing what a Mappinned life we are leading is so chilling.

The urge to pontificate on and on about these two books is great. More so because they dare to openly speak out what I personally feel passionately about. But it would be a form of domination and proselytizing if I did so. Both of which are contrary to the principles of free thought that these books espouse. Read and see for yourself, I would say. I liked both books immensely. Excellent reads, they are difficult to digest, because only too often they shock in their crystal clarity and non-acceptance of the established norm. However, I would make my pitch as a reviewer and convert so like Colbert, of “The Report”( who did a far better job of reviewing them) I say “Buy them”. Adding “Also read them.”


For Dawkins: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3022272500017915172&q=the+god+delusion&hl=en

For Valenti: http://feministing.com/archives/007130.html