Sunday, December 21, 2008

The Delusion of Disbelief



Yestday, I bought a book at Chapters: "The Delusion of Disbelief", by David Aikman. I'm about half way done and have found it informative. His four New Atheist horsemen (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris and Dennett) are introduced in a readable fashion. I am familiar with them and what they have to say from videos on the internet. I hesitate to spend money on their books, several of them available in the religion section, I noticed, so I am grateful for Aikman's review and response. Alister McGrath's "Dawkins Delusion" was not available at this Chapters.

I am concerned about the tone taken by atheists on the blogosphere. It seems positively hatefilled and abusive at times. These atheists, especially our four horsemen, seem to come mostly from the English speaking world--people who have not lived through Communism and Nazism.

This worries me. I grew up listening to stories about the horrors of Nazism and the Second World War. The English speaking world has spent too much time reveling in its glory and not enough time taking lessons from how the evil arose and affected civilian populations. They have not felt the horror of the populations whom they liberated. Think, people, think.

I grew up watching weekly documentaries about human rights abuses behind the iron curtain, about dissidents sent to psychiatric hospitals, about the Gulag, about churches turned into swimming pools and priests sent to labor camps. I went to East Germany and felt the oppression like lead hanging over everything, experienced the meanness of small people with a job that lets them intimidate and harass others. You don't want this Orwellian world. Don't minimize what atheistic ideologies have done to people. Millions upon millions have been affected. A recent statistic I learned from the Truth Project: 180 million dead by a handful of dictators.

You can believe or disbelieve what you like, but don't see fit to be on the offensive other than with reasonable arguments and proper dialogue. Be mighty with the pen, only.

8 comments:

Eric Sotnak said...

You wrote:
"I am concerned about the tone taken by atheists on the blogosphere. It seems positively hatefilled and abusive at times."

Dawkins and Hitchens, possibly. But Harris and Dennett (especially Harris) I think are surely not. If you disagree, I'd be interested to see examples.

Bror Erickson said...

I was not aware that Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, and Dennet were blogging.

Bror Erickson said...

correction, The above post should read the were only atheists blogging,as I'm sure the above four have at one time or another entered that arena.

Brigitte said...

The author of the Delusion of Disbelief thinks that the "four horsemen" are actually quite polite in comparison to others.

I don't know if they blog. But I spent hours on Dawkins' site watching them in conversation. Quite interesting and fairly civilized.

Eric Sotnak said...

Please note that my response was prompted by:

"His four New Atheist horsemen (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris and Dennett)....These atheists, especially our four horsemen...."

I usually endeavor to remain polite, myself.

Brigitte said...

What' you up to Eric? Are you going to be celebrating Christmas the next few days? What's the weather like where you're at? We're really struggling with the cold and all the traveling. Usually, it does not get this cold til after Christmas (Jan./Feb.).

I finished the Delusion of Disbelief. The chapter on the communist ideologues and dictators, Hitler and his inspiration by Nietzsche, etc. was probably the strongest.

Generally, I have a lot of sympathy for intellectuals who are articulate and smart and so I enjoy the four horsemen (musketeers) when they let loose, to some degree. Yet, one needs to worry about the content and the effect on people. Often Dawkins does not know what he is talking about and Hitchens, however smart, is often just plain harsh and unfair. When they start talking about the Bible they are out of their element. It is a huge subject which they treat in a manner way too facile and superficial.

Eric Sotnak said...

Brigitte wrote:
"What' you up to Eric? Are you going to be celebrating Christmas the next few days? What's the weather like where you're at?"

As I write this we're waiting to spring a load of presents on our twins (aged 21 months). Christmas dinner with family is also in the works.

Weather is crazy. 50 degrees yesterday, 31 today, and 60s this weekend.

"Often Dawkins does not know what he is talking about and Hitchens, however smart, is often just plain harsh and unfair."

Sins are committed on all sides of the debate(s). It's much easier to reject a position when one has reduced it to a caricature.

Merry Christmas!

Brigitte said...

21 month old twins! Oh, how wonderful and how busy. I call that the terrible 1 1/2 to 2 and 1/2. Got to watch them like a hawk.