Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

Dawkins did a beautiful series of programmes in 2006 called "The Root of All Evil?". It was an incredibly life-affirming, semi-spiritual experience just watching it. Dawkins looked at evolution, the inter-connectedness of all life on Earth and the sheer wonder, mystery and effort involved in its gradual ascent up the evolutionary slope.

Given that Britain had just been taken into a couple of wars by Tony B Liar (who told us he was only answerable to God) I don't think it is like "shooting fish in a barrel" to challenge religious hypocrits face on - not enough people do it. A US preacher claimed that "fear of God's wrath" was the only thing which stopped most of us being rapists and paedos! However the two part series was not an attack on organised religion and its questionable moralities. Dawkins simply based his statements on scientific facts and allowed religions to speak for themselves, climb into their own barrel and cock their own trigger themselves. And Dawkins didn't attack, he simply spoke as a scientist who knew his subject. He didn't ridicule anyone. It was not necessary.

Dawkins rounded off the first part with a presentation of Bertrand Russell's "celestial teapot analogy" - that just because science has not yet answered every conceivable question about the universe, there is no need to turn to "religious faith", which has never answered anything of significance. Evolutionary biology has better explanations of codes of morality than (say) bible texts and can be looked at more convincingly if seen in the light of primordial kin selection, survival strategies and "reciprocal altruism" (or as my granny used to say "A giving hand aye gets"). A morality based on empathy was discussed with author Ian McEwan I remember.

Dawkins made no cheap shots at New Age-ism, no pot shots at the philosophies of Taoism or Buddhism. No need to. I really rather think Dawkins would find plenty of common ground with New Agers, Taoists and Buddhists who see the interconnectedness of all life on Earth and who see wonder in the creative energies which have shaped our being. I do not think Dawkins would smirk, laugh or take cheap shots at anyone who found a "spirituality" in the mystery of life and who didn't feel the need to create a God in order to live with that mystery. Atheism, Dawkins concluded, is life-affirming in a way that religion can never be.

May peace and general grooviness be with you at all times you funky sea-cat sir!