The New Atheism
I went to a boarding school in Bristol, England, that was heavily involved with the (Anglican) Church of England. We were marched to church on Sunday morning, had evensong in the school chapel, grace before meals, morning prayers, and a blessing after supper. I went so far as to attend confirmation classes, mainly I think to get out of some more irksome task, and was duly confirmed by the Bishop of Bristol.
For a time, then, I entertained a nominal belief in the existence of God. I didn't continue to be a churchgoer after school, enforced attendance having been quite enough. After a while I took a hard look at the basis of my belief. I looked, in effect, for God, and found nothing there. So I gave up any pretence at belief. This had no effect on relations with others, as religious belief was and is considered to be private and inviolate. Publically expressed religious sentiments tended to be greeted with embarrassment. The general attitude in the UK was one of agnosticism, in the literal sense of not knowing, but allowing for the existence of higher powers, supernatural entities. "There's something there", would be a common sentiment. This, as far as I know, is how it remains, outside those groups and sects that have strong religious ideologies.
In the United States religious sentiment has been and remains stronger. Although there is a nominal separation of church and state, there has been some influence on the latter by the overtly religious G.W.Bush regime and its appointees, aided by the favorable atmosphere. (I think something over 90% of Americans express belief in a personal god) Anyone overtly avowing atheism is distrusted, ranked low on the order of preference for public office-holding, for example.
This situation has begun to change over the last few months, its visible manifestation being the publication of a number of books: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris, Breaking the Spell by Daniel Dennett, and a performance piece, Letting go of God by Julia Sweeney. These people and their followers have been termed the "New Atheists", not that there is anything new about atheism, but because they are demonstrating a militancy that seems to be new. They are saying, in so many words, that not only is religious belief unfounded, but can be harmful, and it is time the world weaned itself off religious belief.
I applaud the boldness of this stance, but I'm afraid I don't have the drive or stamina to pursue it myself. I imagine going door to door in this Baptist-dominated community like some anti-Jehovahs Witness, proselytizing for secularism, would meet with a frosty response. Still, I believe, in principle, that if the occasion arises, it behoves us atheists to attempt to redress the balance and challenge those lukewarm beliefs and tolerance for superstition that the majority of people seem to hold.
Note: there are many web sources to be found on this subject so I have shown no links above. Googling any of the names or the words new atheists will produce many. Two that I found particularly useful were in Wired , and Religion and Ethics Newseekly .
For a time, then, I entertained a nominal belief in the existence of God. I didn't continue to be a churchgoer after school, enforced attendance having been quite enough. After a while I took a hard look at the basis of my belief. I looked, in effect, for God, and found nothing there. So I gave up any pretence at belief. This had no effect on relations with others, as religious belief was and is considered to be private and inviolate. Publically expressed religious sentiments tended to be greeted with embarrassment. The general attitude in the UK was one of agnosticism, in the literal sense of not knowing, but allowing for the existence of higher powers, supernatural entities. "There's something there", would be a common sentiment. This, as far as I know, is how it remains, outside those groups and sects that have strong religious ideologies.
In the United States religious sentiment has been and remains stronger. Although there is a nominal separation of church and state, there has been some influence on the latter by the overtly religious G.W.Bush regime and its appointees, aided by the favorable atmosphere. (I think something over 90% of Americans express belief in a personal god) Anyone overtly avowing atheism is distrusted, ranked low on the order of preference for public office-holding, for example.
This situation has begun to change over the last few months, its visible manifestation being the publication of a number of books: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris, Breaking the Spell by Daniel Dennett, and a performance piece, Letting go of God by Julia Sweeney. These people and their followers have been termed the "New Atheists", not that there is anything new about atheism, but because they are demonstrating a militancy that seems to be new. They are saying, in so many words, that not only is religious belief unfounded, but can be harmful, and it is time the world weaned itself off religious belief.
I applaud the boldness of this stance, but I'm afraid I don't have the drive or stamina to pursue it myself. I imagine going door to door in this Baptist-dominated community like some anti-Jehovahs Witness, proselytizing for secularism, would meet with a frosty response. Still, I believe, in principle, that if the occasion arises, it behoves us atheists to attempt to redress the balance and challenge those lukewarm beliefs and tolerance for superstition that the majority of people seem to hold.
Note: there are many web sources to be found on this subject so I have shown no links above. Googling any of the names or the words new atheists will produce many. Two that I found particularly useful were in Wired , and Religion and Ethics Newseekly .
posted by Peter Shelton at 6:50 AM
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