2f) Atheism

What has John Polkinghorne said about the compatibility of religion and science?

Polkinghorne explains how his research and exploration of how the physical world works only deepened his faith. Science offers one way of looking at the world and religion offers another- they are not conflicting views, but different lenses that reveal different and complementary aspects of truth.

What did Karl Marx say about religion being a form of social control?

Religion is used to influence a population and keep the lower classes in their places- telling them that there will be rewards for them after death if they stay meek and accept the role God has given them.

Why do the beliefs of religious people affect the pursuit of science and progress?

Religious people are involved in ethics committees, making decisions about research and public health.

What broad religious belief often inhibit science and progress?

Religious people often object to scientific research involving human embryos because of the belief that human life is sacred.

Which other notable figures have also aligned themselves with aspects of New Atheistic thinking?

Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry, among others.

Which 4 thinkers is New Atheism associated with?

Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens.

How did Bertrand Russell define an agnostic?

"An agnostic thinks it impossible to know the truth in matters such as God and the future life"

Marx quote about religion?

"Religion is the opium of the people."

What did Hume call the problem of evil?

"the rock of atheism"

What is New Atheism also known as?

'Antitheism'

What is the name of Daniel Dennett's best-selling New Atheist book?

'Breaking the Spell'

What is the name of the Dennett's book in which he makes a similar argument to Dawkins in 'The Selfish Gene'?

'Darwin's Dangerous Idea'

What is the name of Hitchens' best-selling New Atheist book?

'God is not Great'

What is the name of Sam Harris' most well-known best selling New Atheist book?

'The End of Faith'

What is the name of the work in which Flew distinguishes between 'positive' and 'negative' atheism?

'The Presumption of Atheism'

What are some of Dawkins' best-selling New Atheist books?

'The Selfish Gene', 'The Blind Watchmaker' and 'The God Delusion'

What does agnostic literally mean?

'without knowledge'

What does the word 'atheism' literally mean?

(Greek)- 'A' (not) and 'Theos' (god).

What types of agnosticism are there?

1) 'Strong agnosticism'- those like Huxley and Russell who argue that the question of the existence of God cannot be answered with any certainty. 2) 'Weak agnosticism'- those who think that the existence of God is currently not known but might become known at a later date, so they withhold judgement for now.

What is an example of the increase in fundamentalist religious activity relating to morality and community in response to Western New Atheism?

1) Fundamentalist Christians have reaffirmed their belief in the literal truth of the Bible, rejecting science. 2) In Islam, there has been a growth in fundamentalism, with some Muslims seeing the Western media as the greatest threat to their faith.

Who are some of the people who have successfully combined religious faith with a career in science?

1) George Lamaitre, who discovered the expansion of the universe, was a Roman Catholic priest. 2) Francis Collins, the American director of the Human Genome Project, considers himself a serious Christian. 3) Physicist at Cambridge University and an Anglican clergyman John Polkinghorne.

What are some of the ways in which religion has been supportive of scientific endeavour?

1) Gregor Mendel, who developed the science of genetics, was a monk and his research was funded by the Catholic Church. 2) The Dalai Lama promotes dialogue between science and Buddhism- the research of his Mind and Life Institute funds neurological research into the relationship between meditation, compassion, and happiness.

What is Dennett's argument in his 'Breaking the Spell'?

1) He argues that religion should be analysed according to scientific principles and studied as a human phenomenon. 2) He argues that there would be no problem with people holding false beliefs if they did no harm, but because religion impacts politics and causes conflict, it becomes a problem.

What is Hitchens' argument in his book 'God is not Great' (2007)?

1) He argues that religion was used to explain features of the world which can now be explained by science. 2) And that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of stories, full of contradictions. 3) He argues that religion, especially organised religion is damaging to society- it is intolerant, encourages bigotry, racism, ignorance, and oppression of women.

What is 'New Atheism'?

A primarily British and American movement, a modern form of atheistic thinking that is deliberately and publicly hostile to religion.

What is Sam Harris' argument in his book 'The End of Faith' (2004)?

1) He talks about the dangers posed by religious extremist groups and how religion has been the cause of conflict, terrorism, and torture throughout history. 2) He compares religious belief to mental illness and emphasises the lack of empirical foundation to support religious belief. 3) He argues that religious tolerance has gone too far. There are some beliefs that should not be tolerated.

What are the religious responses to the challenge of New Atheism?

1) Increase in religious apologists in the media. 2) Rejection by religious groups of New Atheist claims regarding incompatibility of science and religion. 3) Increase in fundamentalist religious activity relating to morality and community.

What are the common criticisms atheists often make of religion?

1) Religion is non-thinking. 2) Religion is an infantalising form of social control. 3) Religion impedes scientific progress.

What are 2 examples of how the belief that human life is sacred has inhibited science and progress?

1) Some Christians object to stem cell research used to develop therapies and cures for illnesses such as AIDS and multiple sclerosis. 2) The Catholic Church opposes the use of artificial contraception, proving a barrier to safe sex and family planning, especially in developing countries.

What are some of the contradictory, nonsensical, incoherent ideas within Christianity that allow it to be criticised as non-thinking?

1) The problem of evil. 2) The contradictions in predestination.

Who are some of the religious apologists involved in the defence of religion against the New Atheists?

1) Tutu 2) Ward. 3) Beattie.

When was 'The Selfish Gene' first published?

1976

When was Dawkins' other best-selling work 'The Blind Watchmaker' first published?

1986

When was 'The End of Faith published?

2004

When was 'The God Delusion' published?

2006

When was Dennett's 'Breaking the Spell' published?

2006

When was Hitchens' 'God is not Great' published?

2007

What was Sam Harris' book 'The End of Faith' (2004) a response to?

9/11 terrorist attack.

Who has come forward in the media to respond to New Atheism?

A wide range of figures, from individuals in popular culture such as Russell Brand, to academics and philosophers.

What is usually put forward as the 3 attitudes people have towards religion?

Atheism, agnosticism, and theism.

What did Russell say was the difference between atheists/ theists and agnostics?

Atheists and theists think they know the truth about whether or not there is a God. Whereas agnostics think that the truth cannot be known- although they can hold views in practicality that are very close to atheism.

What philosophical attitude do atheists generally have towards life and the world?

Atheists are generally materialists.

What is flawed about the general distinction of people into atheists, agnostics, and theists?

Belief exists on a spectrum and there are a multitude of attitudes within these distinctions.

What is the late Christopher Hitchens' background?

British-American author and journalist.

What does Dawkins say was his reason for rejecting religion for science?

Dawkins talks about his awe of the complexity of nature having been the main basis of his faith but when he "realised that Darwinism was a far superior explanation", he had no basis for belief.

What is Dawkins' main argument for New Atheism?

Dawkins' main argument is that in light of modern science and particularly Darwin's theory of evolution, it is no longer rational to cling to belief in God.

In his 'Breaking the Spell' (2006), what example does Daniel Dennett give of how even a well-intentioned, humane religious belief can impede science and progress?

Dennett gives the example of the belief in the equality of all people. Because of this belief, some people will not allow scientific enquiry into possible biological differences between ethnic groups for fear of racism. This leads to us not being able to find out useful information about how people of different ethnicities respond differently to medication or are more prone to certain illnesses.

What does Flew say about how debate between theism and atheism should be held?

Flew argued that discussions about whether God exists should start from a 'negative atheist' perspective.

What comparison did Flew make for positive atheists asserting their view that there is no God rather than negative atheists waiting to see if they can be convinced by theism?

Flew made a comparison with people applying for welfare benefits: the person making the judgement should not assume that all applicants are frauds and cheats unless they are persuaded otherwise, instead they should be prepared to listen.

What is Dawkins' argument in 'The God Delusion'?

He argues that religion is damaging: religion and its encouragement of blind following of authority is detrimental to scientific enquiry, and is at the root of wars and terrorism.

What distinctions within atheism does Anthony Flew make?

He distinguishes between what he calls 'positive' and 'negative' atheism.

What is Richard Dawkins' background?

He grew up Christian but rejected religion at a young age in favour of a scientific worldview. He studied zoology, receiving a doctorate from Oxford.

What is Daniel Dennett's background?

He studied philosophy and cognitive sciences.

What is Sam Harris' background?

His upbringing was secular, he became interested in spirituality and studied meditation. He later received a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, conducting neural research into belief, disbelief, and uncertainty.

What is Dawkins' argument in his 'The Selfish Gene' (1976)?

In 'The Selfish Gene', Dawkins promotes Darwinian ideas of evolution, using genetics to argue that our sense of morality is the result of the evolutionary process, rather than having anything to do with God.

What does Dawkins argue in his 'The Blind Watchmaker' (1986)?

In his 'The Blind Watchmaker' (1986), Dawkins directly attacks the Christian design arguments for the existence of God, arguing that all apparent evidence of design can be attributed to natural processes.

How was the term atheist first applied?

It was a negative, pejorative term denoting someone who was godless and without moral values.

Which prominent figure argued that religion was a form of social control?

Karl Marx.

What does John Loftus say about religion being non-thinking?

Loftus gives the view that religious believers often have a blind spot for their own faith, and will often criticise other belief systems as being unsupported but will not subject their own faith system to the same tests.

What are some of the several different responses of religious apologists to New Atheism?

Many religious commentators have argued that the New Atheists concentrate on anecdotal evidence of the misuse of religion, rather than on the content of religion itself- many argue that New Atheists they are ill-informed about religion.

What is different about New Atheism?

Modern thinkers have a much wider platform to publicise their views, publishing books and taking part in discussions and debates that are available to be watched by millions of viewers.

What do they mean when New Atheists criticise religion of being an infantalising form of social control?

New Atheists argue that religion encourages people to believe in fairytale stories and an imaginary father-figure (like children who believe in Father Christmas), which rewards people for being good and punishes them for being bad.

What do they mean when New Atheists criticise religion of being non-thinking?

New Atheists argue that religious truth claims are not open to being tested or backed by evidence. Instead, religion encourages blind acceptance without testing, and dogmatically rejects scientific evidence.

What does Tutu say in response to the New Atheists?

Of course there are people who misuse religion and cultures in which religion is a tool of oppression, but religion itself is not the problem. Tutu used the analogy of religion as a knife: in the wrong hands, it can be a murderous weapon of hatred, but in the right hands, it can cut bread to feed the hungry.

What did Huxley use the term agnostic to refer to?

People who have thought about the possibility of God, and conclude that it is impossible to know either way- they take a neutral stance.

What does Beattie say in response to the New Atheists?

She criticises the New Atheists for their uncritical engagement with an outdated model of religion, rebuking Dawkins' demands for proof of God's existence as God can no more be proved "than we can prove the existence of love, beauty, compassion, or hope."

How is the teaching of science often impeded particularly in the US as a result of religious belief?

Some Christians have campaigned to prevent evolution from being taught in schools, instead wanting children to learn Bible stories as if they were science.

What is an atheist?

Someone who does not believe in the existence of a God or gods.

What is 'negative atheism'?

Someone who merely does not believe in God, sometimes called 'weak atheism'. These people might be indifferent to religion.

What is 'positive atheism'?

Someone who positively asserts the non-existence of God, sometimes called 'strong atheism'. These people might be hostile to religion.

What does a philosophical materialist believe?

That the physical world is what constitutes all of reality. All of our experiences can be explained by science and there is no reality outside of the physical world.

What are the 4 thinkers associated with New Atheism known as and why?

The 'Four Horsemen' of New Atheism. This is a reference to the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the Book of Revelation in the Bible.

What is a notable historical example of religious beliefs putting up barriers to scientific endeavours?

The Catholic Church placed Galileo under house arrest for spreading the idea that the Earth revolved around the Sun, which was deemed heretical by the Church.

The development of what era witnessed the rise of atheism and people declaring themselves atheists?

The Enlightenment of the 18th century and enlightenment values of reasoning and science over faith.

What is the link between the four horsemen of the apocalypse and the New Atheist movement?

The four horsemen in the Bible heralded the end of the world, and the New Atheist movement considers itself to mark the beginning of the end of religion.

What is one of the main reasons for the rise of New Atheism and the growth in hostility towards religion?

The increase in religiously-motivated terrorist attacks.

As well as religious apologists, what is one example of how atheists have also objected to the antitheism of the New Atheists?

The journalist Owen Jones has condemned Dawkins for using atheism as a platform for bigotry, particularly anti-Muslim bigotry, and should not be allowed to represent most atheists.

What logical fallacy have religious commentators accused the New Atheists of committing?

The logical fallacy of the 'straw man'.

In what way is New Atheism not a new movement?

The views put forward by New Atheism are not new- they argue that religion is out of date, irrational, and anti-scientific, just as thinkers before them such as Hume have argued.

How have religious believers rejected New Atheist claims that religion and science are incompatible?

They often draw attention to the ways in which religion has been supportive of scientific endeavour, as well as the many people who have successfully combined religious faith with a career in science.

What is the logical fallacy of the 'straw man' that the New Atheists have committed?

They use the example of religious extremists to criticise religion as a whole- they tend to criticise Christian believers as if they all reject evolution and have a literalist view of the Bible, and Islam as if all Muslims are terrorist extremists.

Who introduced the term 'agnostic'?

Thomas Huxley

What does Ward say in response to the New Atheists?

Ward points out that religion has greatly contributed to good in the world (struggle for equality, charity work, promoting morality), arguing that human society would be considerably worse off without it.