In the News: Dad links son's suicide to 'The God Delusion'

[Whitney]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php? ... geId=81459

Dad links son's suicide to 'The God Delusion'
Says atheism-promoting book hidden under mattress, last page bookmarked
A New York man is linking the suicide of his 22-year-old son, a military veteran who had bright prospects in college
, to the anti-Christian book "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins after a college professor challenged the son to read it.

"Three people told us he had taken a biology class and was doing well in it, but other students and the professor were really challenging my son, his faith. They didn't like him as a Republican, as a Christian, and as a conservative who believed in intelligent design," the grief-stricken father, Keith Kilgore, told WND about his son, Jesse.

"This professor either assigned him to read or challenged him to read a book, 'The God Delusion,' by Richard Dawkins," he said.

Jesse Kilgore committed suicide in October by walking into the woods near his New York home and shooting himself. Keith Kilgore said he was shocked because he believed his son was grounded in Christianity, had blogged against abortion and for family values, and boasted he'd been debating for years.

My comments (re-posted from Atheist Think Tank ):

This dad is just looking for something or someone to blame for the tragic death of his son.

I do not know what situation would lead to a professor deciding to recommend The God Delusion to a biology student.  Blind Watchmaker would had been a more related book to recommend to a student who was discussing intelligent design with the professor.  Since this was in a college setting, I do not think it was inappropriate to recommend a book.  I have had books recommended to me by my own professors in the past...Ishmael was a required reading in my environmental ethics course and the professor suggested that we read the rest of the series.  For those of you who have read the books, you know they could destroy someone's religious faith too.

I also do not know how someone who read The God Delusion could walk away from it thinking their life was pointless.  Dawkins has a very positive view of the wonders of a world without god colored glasses.  In my opinion, that positive outlook was reflected in the book.

To me, it is very obvious that this kid already had emotional problems prior to reading the book.  The reason I think this is because anyone who spent a lot of time debating their religious beliefs should already be more than familiar with the basic arguments and points made in The God Delusion.  Anyone who boasts about debating but very obviously was not actually debating (I think we all know that type) must have a problem they are either trying to hide from others or themselves.

It is very unfortunate that a young, and apparently smart, man met his end in such a saddening manner.  But, don't blame it on the book, don't blame it on an open educational system, pull yourself together and don't blame anyone.    This was no child, he was an adult and adults have to face challenges to their beliefs in the real world.  Suicide rarely makes any logical sense to those other than the person who attempted or did commit suicide.  Suicidal people are not logical.

(Honestly, I'd be more likely to consider his military training and experience as a factor.  The training they go through makes other people "targets" and "kills" thus allowing a person to dehumanize others.  For someone that is in a poor emotional state, I don't think it is a far stretch to say they were able to dehumanize themselves.  To be clear, I'm not saying that all military people are suicidal or would become suicidal; just that it could be a much more obvious factor than some book.)

[Will]

The father clearly has not dead TGD, and is assuming it's message is nihilist.

At least atheists read the Bible and study religion before blaming it for some of the world's problems.

[rlrose328]

yup, the dad is looking for a scapegoat for his son's suicide and atheism is a natural enemy these days.  We can get blamed for all types of things and all you'll see is nodding heads all around.

If that book pushed him over the edge, he had more problems than a crisis of faith, that's for sure.  I'm so sorry that the family lost such a good mind and a son, but that book is not to blame.

Of course, that won't stop the dad from suing the university, the teacher and the library, as well as Dawkins I'm sure.  And everyone will settle, give him some money to go away, thus making it a payable issue.  Ugh.

I read a few more articles on that site, like one about teachers and parents being upset that the school was handing out flyers to Camp Quest.  OMG, how HORRIBLE that they're advertising a camp where kids can THINK for themselves and explore science issues!!!!  How DARE they tell my child he can think for himself and not live and breathe the brainwashing religious crap!   :brick:  :crazy:  

[Squid]

Depression is a precursor to suicide (aside from psychotic episodes and such) - it is most likely that the guy had problems long before picking up Dawkins' book but either hid it well or no one paid attention.  Blaming the book is a cop out and seems to be the desperate attempt of a grief stricken father.

[DennisK]

It's always easier to blame others.

[joy_landlocked]

this is so sad and frustrating.  maybe if the guy had felt he could go to his family or friends and discuss his feelings and doubts, this would never have happened.  i bet he felt he'd be alienated if he tried to talk about it.  it's really unfortunate that he had to feel so alone.

[karadan]

I don't understand why his father is grief-stricken. Apparently his son is now in heaven in eternal bliss. Shouldn't he be happy that his son is now in a better place?

 

[wheels5894]

I, too, think this is a very sad situation. I think the military mat well be to blame though.

I can see that the lad may have had a hard time in college too. Academics who have spent a long time studying biology and who understand the evidence for evolution are hardly going to make  it easy for a student to stick with Intelligent Design. Fellow students, too, are likely to be unimpressed with non-evolutionary views bearing in mind one has to learn and be examined in evolution not ID.

I suspect the problems carried over form the military, maybe PTSD, as well as alienation due to ID maybe what led up to the suicide but we can't blame Dawkins or the college lecturer for that - blame might be better focused on the availability of the gun.

[oldschooldoc]

That is bullsh*t. If he took the time to read the book, he would see how idiotic it is to blame it for his son's death. I have read the book twice now, and it makes want to make the most of this life because you don't get another. It makes me want to help others, help spread reason and logic, and overall be a better person for the good of mankind.

I hate people who will use a tragic event to promote their religious agenda.

[MariaEvri]

I don't understand why his father is grief-stricken. Apparently his son is now in heaven in eternal bliss. Shouldn't he be happy that his son is now in a better place?

 

yyyeah but you know, no matter what a good person you are, if you kill yourself... you know...
you burn in hell
forever

[karadan]

I don't understand why his father is grief-stricken. Apparently his son is now in heaven in eternal bliss. Shouldn't he be happy that his son is now in a better place?

 

yyyeah but you know, no matter what a good person you are, if you kill yourself... you know...
you burn in hell
forever

Oooh, yeah, i forgot about that.

I guess he has every right to be devestated then. His son, being ripped apart by demons for all eternity. His entrails being used to dress the vile fetid bodies of psychotically deranged cohorts of the devil. His eyes being boiled in vats of acid and his teeth being smashed out by fiery mallets....

Either that, or his son has no idea of all of this because he is nothingness floating in a sea of oblivion - unaware of anything because his consciousness no longer exists.

I wonder which of the above would cause his father more torment. I wonder if his father thinks any less of his beloved religion now.

Probably not...

What a ridiculous situation.

[wheels5894]

no, you have it all wrong. Dad or son, they are no Muslims so they will be made to sit in boiling water and be made to drink boiling water for all eternity.

The only thing is - how does any of it hurt if you are a non-material spirit? I don't get that bit!

[karadan]

no, you have it all wrong. Dad or son, they are no Muslims so they will be made to sit in boiling water and be made to drink boiling water for all eternity.

The only thing is - how does any of it hurt if you are a non-material spirit? I don't get that bit!

I stand corrected

[DennisK]

no, you have it all wrong. Dad or son, they are no Muslims so they will be made to sit in boiling water and be made to drink boiling water for all eternity.

The only thing is - how does any of it hurt if you are a non-material spirit? I don't get that bit!

That's because pain in a 4th dimension cannot be adequately explained in 3 dimensional terms, but it's bad.    Exchange 'hot bacon grease' for 'water' and you will get a better idea.  Or better yet, try 'stagnant YMCA hot tub water'.

[Kylyssa]

Suicide is generally inexplicable.  Really, it's just what happens when a person's ability to cope is outweighed by the pain (emotional, physical, etc.) he is experiencing.  I suspect PTSD from his war experience to be a strong contributing factor.

I suffer from PTSD and sometimes, my trauma has caused me to have some highly illogical emotions.  I've contemplated suicide quite a number of times.  Oddly enough, I never contemplated suicide while I was on the street or in the midst of that personal war.  When I was in survival mode, I was incredibly, unshakably practical.  However, once I got back to physical safety and comfort my traumas surfaced, still surface.  Once you stop thinking about how you are going to survive from minute to minute all the shit you've experienced comes crashing down on you.

I feel empathy for the poor kid's suffering.  With a fundie family he stood little chance of getting support for emotional trauma or mental illness brought on by his wartime experiences.  Without a real outlet, the young man probably suffered horribly, steeping in a pressure cooker of inescapable emotional hell.  

I don't really believe anyone can come back from a war without suffering mental or emotional harm of some kind.