Gerin oil
Encyclopedia
Gerin oil or geriniol is a fictional drug used as a device to criticize religion
in articles written by Richard Dawkins
. The word is an anagram
of "religion
".
The first article, Gerin Oil, was published in an American secular humanism
publication, Free Inquiry
, in December 2003. It was popularised in an article titled Opiate of the Masses. It describes a dangerous legal drug "Gerin Oil" or "Geriniol." Dawkins blames its effects as being responsible for historic acts of violence such as the September 11th attacks, massacres of native South Americans by conquistadors, and the Salem Witch Trials
.
In Dawkins' satirical description, users are often introduced to the "drug" at social gatherings such as weddings and funerals. In small amounts it is considered harmless, but its usage may increase over time. Medium usage of "Gerin Oil" is said to cause a disconnect with reality where users expect private wishes expressed to come true, and may be accompanied by spasmodic muscular movement or contraction. In large doses it is said to cause aural or visual hallucinations. He also links its use to child mutilation, sexual prohibition, and the tendency to smile when convicted of mass murder.
Christopher Hitchens
included Dawkins' essay in his compilation The Portable Atheist
.
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
in articles written by Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
. The word is an anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of "religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
".
The first article, Gerin Oil, was published in an American secular humanism
Secular humanism
Secular Humanism, alternatively known as Humanism , is a secular philosophy that embraces human reason, ethics, justice, and the search for human fulfillment...
publication, Free Inquiry
Free Inquiry
Free Inquiry is a bi-monthly journal of secular humanist opinion and commentary published by the Council for Secular Humanism, which is part of the Center for Inquiry. Philosopher Paul Kurtz is the editor-in-chief and Thomas W. Flynn the editor. Feature articles cover a wide range of topics from a...
, in December 2003. It was popularised in an article titled Opiate of the Masses. It describes a dangerous legal drug "Gerin Oil" or "Geriniol." Dawkins blames its effects as being responsible for historic acts of violence such as the September 11th attacks, massacres of native South Americans by conquistadors, and the Salem Witch Trials
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
.
In Dawkins' satirical description, users are often introduced to the "drug" at social gatherings such as weddings and funerals. In small amounts it is considered harmless, but its usage may increase over time. Medium usage of "Gerin Oil" is said to cause a disconnect with reality where users expect private wishes expressed to come true, and may be accompanied by spasmodic muscular movement or contraction. In large doses it is said to cause aural or visual hallucinations. He also links its use to child mutilation, sexual prohibition, and the tendency to smile when convicted of mass murder.
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens is an Anglo-American author and journalist whose books, essays, and journalistic career span more than four decades. He has been a columnist and literary critic at The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, World Affairs, The Nation, Free Inquiry, and became a media fellow at the...
included Dawkins' essay in his compilation The Portable Atheist
The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer
The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer is a 2007 book by Christopher Hitchens. Hitchens writes introductions for the selected writings of philosophers, scientists, and other thinkers such as Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, George Eliot,...
.