Do people inspired by religion or secularism tend to behave virtuously or wickedly?The current atheism-religion debate launched by Hitchins, Dawkins, Harris, Dennett and other militant atheists tends to conflate these issues. Much is at stake, and I commend the new breed of atheists for their in-your-face style (lord knows the other side has been in everybody’s face for a long, long time). But clarity isn’t served by rhetoric that veers herky-jerky from morality to theology to cosmology to anthropology, etc., without ever spending enough time in one place to dig in.
Does any answer to the above question have any bearing on the existence or non-existence of God?
What are the merits and demerits of the philosophical, logical, scientific and theological arguments for and against the existence of God?
Even if the arguments for the existence of a supreme being prevail, would those successful arguments necessarily have any bearing on the status of the Bible or any other scriptural writing?
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Militant Atheists Stir the Pot
An interesting debate—Hitchens and D’Souza are capable and entertaining—but frustrating, because the debaters fail to tease apart several discrete issues:
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why do science and religion have to me mutually exclusive? it seems like them more scientific facts i learn the more wholly convinced i am of a unifying higher intellience, and the more religious philosophies i encounter the more convinced i am at the need for scientific curiosity.
ReplyDeletecant we all just get along?
You couldn't be more right. Given your open-mindedness, you might enjoy the case made at www.starlarvae.org
ReplyDeleteWe place no reliance
On virgin or pigeon.
Our method is science,
Our aim is religion.
-- Aleister Crowley
The idea of exclusivity does get in the way of critical discourse. Science harps too much on evidence, while religion too much on philosophy.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I like your Crowley quote. I'll repost it if you don't mind.
Mark, feel free. They're Crowley's words, not mine. If I remember right, that little verse was used as an epigraph on the masthead of The Equinox.
ReplyDelete