Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
The Big Think seems obsessed with the relationship between science and religion. I can’t think of how many posts I’ve done about their interviewees discussing this issue. The 14-minute video below features a number of prominent people weighing in on the question, “Has science made religion useless?” That’s a question different from, “Is there a … Continue reading Has science made religion useless?
Shades of Alain de Botton! First we’re told, as atheists, that we need churches; now Tanya Luhrmann, in a post today’s New York Times, “Addicted to prayer“, tells us that atheists need prayers, too. And she’s not just talking about the physical and mental benefits of meditation: she suggests invoking an imaginary, non-existent God to … Continue reading Tanya Luhrmann recommends prayer for atheists
The New Statesman, like other British publications including the Guardian, has recently decided to solicit some pushback against New Atheism (NA). It includes the latest trope in critiques of NA: they decry it on the grounds that we don’t suggest ways to meet the human needs satisfied by religion. Most of the anti-NA pieces never … Continue reading A slew of apologists and atheist butters in The New Statesman
As you know if you’ve followed this site for the past two months or so, the media have taken it upon themselves to declare the end of the Era of New Atheism. The time of the Four Horseman is gone, they say. Dawkins is now irrelevant, and New Atheism is giving sway to a kinder, … Continue reading The ultimate dumb atheist-bashing article
It took Jason a while to join the party, but as usual he proves a smart and engaging guest. His latest piece at EvolutionBlog, “What’s interesting about religion?“, comments on an essay by Alain de Botton (of “atheist temple” fame) which I also dealt with a while back. Jason does a good job, and I’ll … Continue reading Rosenhouse on the faithest Alain de Botton
. . . on HuffPo, of course, where the famous faitheist can continue to bleat about how atheists must adopt the trappings of religion. His first piece, “5 religious concepts that atheists can use,” starts off badly and goes downhill fast: Probably the most boring question you can ask about religion is whether or not … Continue reading OMG: Alain de Botton has a blog
This Spectator piece by Douglas Murray, “Atheists vs. Dawkins” (with the subtitle, “My fellow atheists, it’s time we admitted that religion has some points in its favour”), is now six days old, but deserves a brief comment. The word “Dawkins” in a title always makes me wary, for he, though perhaps the world’s most prominent … Continue reading Douglas Murray, atheist, extols religion in The Spectator
As science advances at the expense of religion, the faithful evolve new strategies to keep to the trenches and avoid a retreat. One of these runs something like this (not a literal quote; I’m confecting the argument): “The New Atheist accusation that religion rests on literal beliefs is bunk. Dawkins and all you miltant atheists … Continue reading An increasingly common argument of religionists and faitheists
This is not some weirdo sounding off at the Guardian‘s “Comment is free” section, but a editorial, meaning that it reflects the sentiments of the paper’s editors. And those sentiments are strongly in favor of Alain de Botton, decrier of Dawkins and of atheist shrillness, and purveyor of the Temple of Atheism. Just to show … Continue reading The Guardian shows its colors: an editorial praising Alain de Botton
I’ve read the whole thing and it’s not worth it. Most of the articles, save that by Victor Stenger, are accommodationist or (in the case of the cringe-making Alain de Botton) the usual atheists-should-have-the-trappings-of-faith tripe. Stenger’s article, “”God is a testable hypothesis,” is very good, but overlaps substantially with his piece recently published on HuffPo, … Continue reading The God issue of New Scientist
