Search Results for: John + Gray

John Gray and Sean Illing go after New Atheism for the bazillionth time, but offer no new (or incisive) arguments

Well, several readers sent this article to me, expecting or asking me to respond to it. But do I really have to go through this again? Really? In a new piece in Vox featuring an interview of philosopher John Gray by journalist Sean Illing (click on screenshot below), the old criticisms of New Atheism, made by … Continue reading John Gray and Sean Illing go after New Atheism for the bazillionth time, but offer no new (or incisive) arguments

Andrew Sullivan responds to me and others about his faith

Andrew Sullivan’s latest “The Intelligencer” column in New York Magazine has three subjects: Theresa May, gay jokes (he’s for them), and why atheism, like his Catholicism, is a religion. On December 9, I wrote a critique of Sullivan’s original column about atheism (“America’s new religions“), as well as giving him praise for recognizing the similarity … Continue reading Andrew Sullivan responds to me and others about his faith

Andrew Sullivan: the bad (atheism-bashing and religion-osculation) and the good (seeing American ideologies as religions)

Several people sent me links to Andrew Sullivan’s latest column in New York magazine (click on screenshot below). The curious thing is that half the senders thought the article was great while the other half despised it.  After reading it (it’s long, but read it anyway), I can see why. His opening attacks on atheism … Continue reading Andrew Sullivan: the bad (atheism-bashing and religion-osculation) and the good (seeing American ideologies as religions)

The New Yorker once again slams New Atheism

About two weeks ago I dissected an interview at Vox in which Sean Illing talked to John Gray about Gray’s new book, Fifty Shades Seven Types of Atheism, and both interviewer and interviewee embraced each other in their hatred of New Atheism. Their mutual beefs (both are atheists but are “atheist-butters”) include these four: 1.) … Continue reading The New Yorker once again slams New Atheism

John Gray: an atheist-hating atheist

John Gray is an English writer, philosopher, and atheist—one of those atheists who really, really hates New Atheists, doesn’t think much of science, and positively loves religion. I’ve dissected his pieces before on this website (see this collection, for instance), and, truth be told, I can barely muster up the energy to discuss any more of his … Continue reading John Gray: an atheist-hating atheist

John Gray’s scurrilous attack on Richard Dawkins

It’s not a good time to be Richard Dawkins, for he alone, like the scapegoat of Leviticus, must bear the brunt of everyone’s hatred of atheism. (Sam Harris sometimes serves as a backup goat.) Even though Dawkins has never proclaimed himself as any kind of atheist “leader”—his eminence among nonbelievers was purely a byproduct of his … Continue reading John Gray’s scurrilous attack on Richard Dawkins

Philosopher John Gray denigrates reason and promotes religion on the BBC

John N. Gray (b. 1948) is an English political philosopher  who is an emeritus professor at the London School of Economics.  According to Wikipedia, he “contributes regularly to The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplementand the New Statesman, where he is the lead book reviewer.” For a philosopher, Gray shows a curious tendency to denigrate reason and praise faith. We’ve … Continue reading Philosopher John Gray denigrates reason and promotes religion on the BBC