The Role of Religion?
At the Chronicle of Higher Education, “The New Atheists’ Narrow Worldview” by Stephen T. Asma:
most friends and even enÂeÂmies of the new atheÂism have not yet noÂticed the proÂvinÂcialÂism of the curÂrent deÂbate. If the horseÂmen left their world of books, conÂferÂences, classrooms, and comÂputÂers to travÂel more in the deÂvelÂopÂing world for a year, they would find some unÂfaÂmilÂiar religious arenas.
Asma has thought-provoking insight into the rise of the atheist debate. He maintains that writers such as Hitchens and Dawkins argue against religion versus science, but don’t take into account much more than mainstream monotheistic religions, which aren’t even the majority. Rather than religion as a source for explaining nature and guiding moral behavior, which most agree can be done better by science, Asma writes about animism throughout the world, and ponders whether the strength of religion is consoling, rather than explaining or guiding. Interesting stuff.
February 1st, 2011 at 7:21 am
Truly, I think that agnosticism is one of the only ways you can be sure, without being ‘too’ sure.