“Complex, statistically improbable things are by their nature more difficult to explain than simple, statistically probable things.” Richard Dawkins Nature
“I suppose if you look back to your early childhood you accept everything people tell you, and that includes a heavy dose of irrationality - you're told about tooth fairies and Father Christmas and things.” Richard Dawkins ChildFatherOld
“When I say that human beings are just gene machines, one shouldn't put too much emphasis on the word 'just.' There is a very great deal of complication, and indeed beauty in being a gene machine.” Richard Dawkins Beauty
“The idea of an afterlife where you can be reunited with loved ones can be immensely consoling - though not to me.” Richard Dawkins LifeLove
“The universe doesn't owe us condolence or consolation; it doesn't owe us a nice warm feeling inside.” Richard Dawkins FeelUniverseWar
“If ever there was a slamming of the door in the face of constructive investigation, it is the word miracle. To a medieval peasant, a radio would have seemed like a miracle.” Richard Dawkins
“The question of whether there exists a supernatural creator, a God, is one of the most important that we have to answer. I think that it is a scientific question. My answer is no.” Richard Dawkins GodImportant
“I do disapprove very strongly of labelling children, especially young children, as something like 'Catholic children' or 'Protestant children' or 'Islamic children.'” Richard Dawkins ChildStrongYoung
“I once wrote that anybody who believes the world is only 6,000 years old is either ignorant, stupid, insane or wicked.” Richard Dawkins InsaneLieOldStupid
“I accept that there may be things far grander and more incomprehensible than we can possibly imagine.” Richard Dawkins
“What has 'theology' ever said that is of the smallest use to anybody? When has 'theology' ever said anything that is demonstrably true and is not obvious? What makes you think that 'theology' is a subject at all?” Richard Dawkins
“Design can never be an ultimate explanation for anything. It can only be a proximate explanation. A plane or a car is explained by a designer but that's because the designer himself, the engineer, is explained by natural selection.” Richard Dawkins
“Intelligent life on a planet comes of age when it first works out the reason for its own existence.” Richard Dawkins LifeWork
“Of course in science there are things that are open to doubt and things need to be discussed. But among the things that science does know, evolution is about as certain as anything we know.” Richard Dawkins
“God exists, if only in the form of a meme with high survival value, or infective power, in the environment provided by human culture.” Richard Dawkins GodHighPowerSurviveHumanCulture
“But perhaps the rest of us could have separate classes in science appreciation, the wonder of science, scientific ways of thinking, and the history of scientific ideas, rather than laboratory experience.” Richard Dawkins ExperienceHistory
“I am very comfortable with the idea that we can override biology with free will.” Richard Dawkins LifeFree willBiology
“I mean I think that when you've got a big brain, when you find yourself planted in a world with a brain big enough to understand quite a lot of what you see around you, but not everything, you naturally fall to thinking about the deep mysteries. Where do we come from? Where does the world come from? Where does the universe come from?” Richard Dawkins BrainMeanUniverse
“I think looking back to my own childhood, the fact that so many of the stories I read allowed the possibility of frogs turning into princes, whether that has a sort of insidious affect on rationality, I'm not sure. Perhaps it's something for research.” Richard Dawkins Child
“Science coverage could be improved by the recognition that science is timeless, and therefore science stories should not need to be pegged to an item in the news.” Richard Dawkins Time
“Scientists disagree among themselves but they never fight over their disagreements. They argue about evidence or go out and seek new evidence. Much the same is true of philosophers, historians and literary critics.” Richard Dawkins Fight
“Sometimes I think it's possible to mistake desire for clarity and talking in a no-nonsense way for aggression.” Richard Dawkins DesireMistakeTime
“At least the fundamentalists haven't tried to dilute their message. Their faith is exposed for what it is for all to see.” Richard Dawkins
“At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.” Richard Dawkins
“I'm a cultural Christian in the same way many of my friends call themselves cultural Jews or cultural Muslims.” Richard Dawkins Friends
“I'm not one of those who wants to purge our society of our Christian history.” Richard Dawkins History
