Sir, - I found Richard Dawkins's "essay" (January 20th) quite interesting, though I could only agree with his opening sentence taken out of context): "We take astrology seriously".
Further, I can commend him for admitting that he is unable to prove that there is nothing in horoscopes. However, his essay is otherwise full of arrogance and snobbery particular to scientists.
Most scientists are, in fact, very narrow minded people who can see just as far as their own nose up. They reject everything that they cannot see or measure or prove, due to their limited philosophical comprehension.
It follows, e.g., that since God's existence cannot be scientifically "measured", God does not exist (for them). It follows further that once a scientist is dead, he is dead for good, which is rather a consolation to the rest of us.
Scientists in fact demean humanity; they shrivel and cheapen the universe. Scientists invented chemical and other weapons of mass destruction, they are responsible for the destruction of our immediate environment and for the past 30 years have started to clutter up outer space with their scientific rubbish. They deharnessed atomic energy - the result was Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Chernobyl. Scientists are therefore the biggest threat to humanity and the universe.
In the light of all this evidence, I challenge Richard Dawkins to swallow his own words and ask: Why are these scientists, the real charlatans, still around?
The realms of philosophy are too beautiful to be sacrificed for the sake of the limitations and snobbery of "science." Richard, Dawkins's views are an affront to humanity. - Is mise, le meas,
An Sean Siopa,
Been Eidhneach,
Co Clare.