Imagine its 2040 the Christian Alliance runs the United States and led by a egoist General Cruz (think if dubya actually stayed in the military and was on steroids) and the Muslim world is led by a bitchy little terrorist named al-Zee (think Bin Laden on crack). Both men believe that God is guiding them and that they will each be victorious over their enemy, each other. Only one man can stop these two, the smartest man in the world, the former UPS driver that learned everything he knows from the former Avatar of Adam's previous publication God's Debris: A Thought Experiment.
Mr. Adam's philosophy of the Universe/Humanity, is that it is not unlike a computer, the internet being our conscience, bringing the world together through unfiltered thoughts and idea's with just a dash of porn for um, recreational titillation. In the Religion War, all the computers are filtered and censored, to protect all from the terrorists, the computer is clogged about to crash a reboot is in order and the Avatar needs to find one person on this godly earth and change the path the delusional have brought us to.
[the Avatar speaking with al-Zee]
"There is one hope to end this," said the Avatar.
"Enlighten me."
"This is a man-made crisis, based on superstition. If minds can be changed, the problem disappears."
"What do you mean by superstition?" al-Zee asked with a threatening tone.
Superstition is a belief in the supernatural, that something exists beyond nature. You and General Cruz believe God is not part of nature, but somehow outside it. That is, by definition superstition."
"It sounds like an insult," said al-Zee, displeased.
"That's the problem with clarity," responded the Avatar. "It often sounds insulting.
Now if that's not a bitch-slap moment, I don't know what is. The dialogue in The Religion War is smart, thoughtful and logical and if you enjoy philosophical discussion on maniacal religious zealots and how their absurdly selfish thoughts and beliefs can cripple a society, then I highly suggest that you read both books. True, Scott Adam's is the father of Dilbert, but when haven't you enjoyed or giggled at his perspective of cubical hell?
There are questions to ponder at the end of the book, such as "Could atheists and believers accept the same definition of God?" I think they can, if you realize that God is as imperfect and at once, as perfect as a fart, sometimes its a relief knowing it's there and when it escapes from your ass, you feel comforted and relieved, you may not want to breath in for a second, but its there nonetheless and so is relief.
