Contra atheism

Alan R. writes:

I observe that you (at VFR, at any rate) are not too much interested in theological discussion, preferring to concentrate on issues of how society is governed. I would like to suggest that it would be good to have a bit more discussion of the shortcomings of atheism.

As you have recently pointed out (“The contradictions of racialist materialism”), atheism has almost no chance of taking over as the ruling philosophy of America, and if, God forbid, it did, it has zero chance of forming a properly-ordered and stable society.

But atheism (and its attendant worldview of philosophical materialism, empiricism, Darwinism, ethical conventionalism, etc.) possesses a strong ability to seduce intelligent and disaffected youths, with its promise that the world can be explained more simply. Indeed, Sam Harris’s basic appeal can be summarized, with only a bit of exaggeration as “Religion is responsible for most of the world’s ickyness, so let’s abolish religion and get rid of most ickyness.”

Furthermore, atheism is the philosophical basis of liberalism, even if most liberals are at least nominal theists. The god in whom most liberals believe is a god possessing no definite attributes; for example he was once opposed to homosexuality, but now approves of it. I submit that there is no practical difference between a god who does not exist and a god who can only be called a mystery, and whose alleged beliefs always agree with society’s elites. Most liberals are functional atheists, even if many of them enjoy God-talk and religious rituals.

And as your fight with Spencer illustrates, when your opponent attacks you, you have to attack him back, or the onlookers will think that you have no honor, and that your opponent is right.

Well, the atheists are attacking not just God, but a properly-ordered society. Whenever they succeed in convincing an individual, they are making another liberal. So let’s fight back, and a place to start is with my latest essay, indirectly showing the absurdity of atheism.

LA replies:

Alan R. reminds me of an essay he sent me a couple of weeks ago. I will post it tomorrow, Sunday, which seems like an appropriate time to publish an article disproving atheism.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at February 10, 2007 08:50 AM | Send