The main concerns of the book are with arguments to with
morality and the alleged dangers of religion. It’s a book which is the product
of public engagement with Atheists (by the Christian apologist, John Lennox) –
not a product of passive analysis.
New Atheists
New Atheists are not just content on denying the existence
of God but they are more anti-theist and anti-theism characterised by a total
lack of respect for religion. New Atheists are not a representation of all
Atheists
New Atheists argue religions are the problem, listing in
lurid detail the tragic history of horror and evil associated with religion.
The solution, according to the New Atheists (NA) is to get rid of religion.
Their stated goal is to weaken the hold of religion on society. A process of
secularisation. The NA’s leading figures are looking to replace religion as the
arbiters of what humans should believe – enthroning science as supreme.
More people are more comfortable in making the negative
claim that they don’t believe in God than making a positive statement that they
are Atheists.
Atheism: disbelief in or denial of the existence of God OED
Science and God
Big Bang model of the universe confirm Biblical and Quranic
teachings of the Universe having a beginning. A theist (Georges Lemaitre
1894-1966) had the idea which led to the
current widely accepted Big Bang model of the origin of he Universe.
“God is the creator of the bits of the universe which we do
understand and those bits we don’t understand”
Sir Isaac Newton hoped science would help persuade the
thinking man to believe in God.
“The world of strict naturalism in which clever mathematical
laws all by themselves bring the universe into existence, is pure (science)
fiction”
Allan Sandage, widely regarded as the father of modern
astronomy (discoverer of the quasars and winner of the Crafoord Prize,
astronomy’s equivalent of the Nobel), is in no doubt about his answer: “I find
it quite improbable that such order came out of chaos. There has to be some
organizing principle. God to me is a mystery but is the explanation for the
miracle of existence – why there is something rather than nothing.” [Gunning For God - John Lennox]
Multiverse
Multiverse: the idea that there are many universes that anything
that can happen will happen. Thus it’s not surprising we have a universe like
ours (i.e. one which appears to be designed/finely tuned). The Multiverse
concept does not rule God out – God can create as many universes as he wants.
Multiverse concept is speculation (no evidence). There’s no purely scientific
reason to believe in an ensemble of universes. Believing in God is the more
rational option.
Faith
New Atheism sits ill with rationality and science
“faith conceived as belief that lacks warrant is very
different from faith conceived as belief that has warrant”
Evidence based faith. Little tidbits of evidence which all
add up. Accumulation.
If human cognitive faculties were the product of unguided
natural processes then how can one have confidence in any belief – including atheism.
Monotheism and violence?
Yet blaming monotheism for most wars in history is a
widespread popular view, as German philosopher and theologian Klaus Muller
observes: “The thesis that there is a connection between monotheism and intolerance has been for a
long time regarded as common sense even in prominent philosophical textbooks.”
This thesis does not stand up to serious scrutiny. Religious persecution and
intolerance are anything but peculiar to monotheistic cultures, as anyone with
any grasp of world history should know. 69
There has been persistent violence against religion – in the
French Revolution, in the Spanish Civil War, in the Soviet Union, in China. In
three of these instances the extirpation of religion was part of a program to reshape society by
excluding certain forms of thought, by creating an absence of belief. Neither
sanity nor happiness appears to have been served by these efforts. [Marilynne
Robinson] 84
Morality and Atheism
Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot were cruel heads of officially
Atheistic states.
Atheism does not provide an intellectual foundation to moral
evaluations. Can you get moral absolutes without religion? Cannot have timeless
values without invoking God.
If God does not exist, everything is permissible [Fyodor
Dostoyevsky]
An atheist is a philosophical naturalist who *believes*
there is nothing beyond the natural, physical world
Biologist Marc Hauser suggests morality is hardwired into
human nature very much as language appears to be. [This hardwiring view is consistent with the religious view
– all humans possess an innate sense of morality]
Evolution has found moral altruism difficult to account for,
it makes it more difficult for an individual/race to survive.
New Atheists and Christianity
NA’s moral assessment of Christiantiy is characterised by a
lack of balance. They do a hatchet job – they’d complain if the same was done to
science. No even handed scholarly analysis, the net result is patent
superficiality. An abandonment of thoroughness when examining topics outside
of their competence.
Exaggeration hypothesis
“Joshua struck down all the inhabitants with the edge of the
sword”. This does not actually mean all. Draws from Nicholas Wolterstorft’s
interpretation that this means to score a decisive victory
Problem of evil, Caricatures and Miracles
Dealing with the problem of evil is easier when you believe
in an afterlife. God is a God of compensation.
Dismissing ideas by caricature is the hallmark of lazy
superficiality. Caricatures can help us pinpoint underlying misunderstandings.
NA’s oppose miracles because they are vehemently convinced
they violate the principle of science. If there’s a God who created the
universe then surely there is no difficulty believing that he could do special
things.
Mockery is not an argument. It is an attitude, and it does
no credit to the person who employs it in this connection
Lennox finishes off with the standard crucifixion and resurrection
apologetics. Boring and unconvincing.
Sharia Law against terrorism
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
Christians having dreams and converting to Islam
Learn about Islam
Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk
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