The following text is a piece of an article by Umberto Eco Republic published on 25 September 2009 ( reworking of a previous article in the December 2007 published in his column Espresso "The bag of Minerva") speaking of Saramago and his new upcoming book "The Notebook" which Eco has written the preface. The book in question, a collection of operations of the Blog Saramago "O caderno de Saramago," had already spoken oh heaven! time ago, but in the meantime the blog was closed .
[...] He said militant atheism Saramago. In fact, his polemic is not against God, once admitted that "eternity is not merely that of an eternal being," Saramago could keep quiet. His animus toward religion is (and this is why the attack from various parties, deny God has granted to all, argue with religion calls into question social structures ). Once, just stimulated by an anti-religious actions of Saramago, I reflected on why Marx's famous definition of religion is the 'opium of the people. But it is true that all religions have always virtus dormitive this? Saramago repeatedly lashed out against religion as fomes [reason] of conflict: "The religions, all, without exception, will not serve to bring reconciliation and men and, conversely, have been and continue to cause suffering unspeakable, of massacres, of monstrous physical violence and spiritual are one of the darkest chapters of human history miserable "(La Repubblica, September 20, 2001). Saramago concluded elsewhere that "if we were all atheists, we would live in a more peaceful society." I'm not sure he was right, and it seems that Pope Ratzinger responded indirectly had in his encyclical Spe Salvi said that is where the 'atheism of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, even if it is presented as a protest against the injustices of the world and history Universal, which has meant that "this idea has led to the greatest cruelty and violations of justice." Perhaps Ratzinger those godless thought of Lenin and Stalin, but forgot that it was written on Nazi flags Gott mit uns (which means "God is with us"), which phalanxes of chaplains blessed the banners Fascists most religious principles that inspired and supported by Guerrillas of Christ the King was the murderer Francisco Franco (apart from the crimes of its opponents, is still that he has started), which were the most religious Vendeans against Republicans who had also invented a goddess Reason, Catholics and Protestants were massacred happily for years and years, that the crusaders that their enemies were driven by religious motives, that to defend the religion of the Roman did the lions eat the Christians, who for religious reasons have been lit many fires , which are the most religious fundamentalist Muslims, the bombers of the Twin Towers, Osama and the Taliban bombed the Buddha, who for religious reasons oppose India and Pakistan, and finally invoking God bless America that Bush invaded Iraq '.
So I came to think that maybe (if at times religion is or was the 'opium of the people) more often it was cocaine. I believe that this is the 'review of Saramago's gift and the definition - and its responsibilities. [...]
Also in this same article noted that "Saramago is not complete, or not sending them to say," Eco launches into a tasteful virtuosity, a triple pike with quote final paradox:
"I quote (a memory) Borges quoting (perhaps from memory) Dr. Johnson cited the fact that this man who so insulted his opponent: "Sir, your wife, on the pretext of keeping a brothel, sells fabrics contraband."
Ps I entered in translating the book Eco Espresso named "The bag of Minerva."
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