Won't anyone stand up for God?
in today's Daily Mail. Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are in his sights -- along with the church leaders who have refused to do battle with the "new atheism". Money quote:
Why has no one joined in the battle against these warriors for atheism? Where are the Defenders of the Faith that they ridicule? Are our bishops and cardinals, our preachers, imams or rabbis too supine, too complacent or too scared to argue back? Have they no arguments? In the past there have been eloquent fighters for Christian belief: churchmen such as Cardinal Newman and Archbishop Temple, writers like G. K. Chesterton or C. S. Lewis, of Narnia fame. Where are their successors?
Comments
I cant take Dawkins and Hitchens seriously. Why are bishops so afraid to debate them?
Maybe they just give each of them a 'fool's pardon' and leave it at that?
Desmond
He does a pretty good job in answering his question in these quotes re Christianity!
The Old Testament is easy meat for destructive criticism. It contains the largely invented stories that sustained a primitive, hard-pressed nomadic tribe whose God Dawkins describes as 'a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak'.
Just for good measure Dawkins adds: 'A misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal megalomaniac and capriciously malevolent bully.' Does he think anyone believes in a God like that today?
It is not difficult to show the absurdities of the Old Testament myths: Genesis, for example, where Adam, having been created by God hungry for knowledge, is then banished for trying to obtain it.
The stories in Genesis and Exodus, like Jehovah's obliging parting of the Red Sea and stopping of the sun in its tracks to enable the Israelites to complete some slaughter, are read nowadays by most thoughtful people as the myths they clearly are.
Myth-making is as old as man and inevitably also enters into the New Testament in such stories as the Annunciation and the Nativity, both of which are noticeably absent from two of the Gospels (the earliest, Mark, and the most sophisticated, John).
Hitchens is well aware of current New Testament scholarship which acknowledges that the canon of 'authentic books', which was fixed after nearly three centuries of argument, is a man-made selection of much modified texts.
They were based on other texts that have been lost, which in turn depended on oral traditions which are not verifiable.
Thinking Christians would no more take every word of either Testament literally than they would offer up burnt offerings or take their moral teaching from Deuteronomy and stone adulterers to death.
If god is so omniscient and omnipotent, let him stand up for himself. I dare you god here and now, let's see a meteorite just miss the earth or a bolt of lightning from out of the blue hit my backyard this very second as a sign you mean it. Hmmm, nothing, just as I thought. He, must have a hearing loss problem from all those thunder claps. Folks, that's the reason he doesn't answer your prayers, he's deaf.
Warriors for atheism, or for common sense? Well at least Dawkins is. I wouldn't say Hitchens political head is screwed down tight. I never trust people who one day "saw the light," there's always a dark shadow somewhere in the back of their brain and having heard him, he's no exception. At least he put on a good show for the paying customers when he ran around America debating George Hollowhead.
Man that hurts. Ooooh that was a close one, a meteorite fell right out of the sky just after I typed that last message and I went outside and it grazed my left arm leaving a nasty burn. Another inch or two and it would have hit me in the head and killed me. The Emergency room doctor says it will be better in a few weeks. :-) Hey, God,....gotcha, your aim stinks. Haha. Missed me by a good ten feet. And I said my backyard, not my front yard. Told you he has a hearing problem.
Articulate Christian spokesmen are very often ignored by the media. Robert Winston and Richard Dawkins were each given a TV series in which to promote their views - when was the last time a Bible-Believing Christian was given such an opportunity?
Some of us are only too willing to express the orthodox Christian view, but it seems that to have a film crew at your door, you have to hold views that are weird, daft or indecent.
As someone observed: "God has spoken - but man has stuffed his fingers in his ears."
Philip asks
when was the last time a Bible-Believing Christian was given such an opportunity?
Every Sunday!! Radio and TV!!
Philip
So you disagree with Robert Winston?
His Queen Charlotte's Appeal recently raised over £13 million to build and equip the most advanced reproductive research centre in Europe, with space for 130 scientists and doctors working to improve the health of women and babies.
BTW - What is the orthodox Christian view of the floods and other natural disasters?
To Philip- when was the last time we seen a Bible believing Christian get his opportunity to express his views? Turn on the God channel, turn on the TV on Sunday mornings. It is ridiculous for you to claim that Christians dont get the same opportunities to express themselves. The fact is that it is a novelty for any Atheits to get a program for expressing his views about God! Christians have had a monoploy in the respect for far too long!
To BLkpar- you cant take Dawkins seriously?? Why not??? You are one of these irritating people on both sides of the argument who make such an all encompassing statement without even trying to explain why??? Oh you cant take them seriously? That must mean that I shouldnt either??? At least explain yourself if you want me to take your comment seriously!!!!!!!!!
Philip - give Will some suggestions. Articulate biblical christian spokespersons in Northern Ireland? Hmmm. Who you have in mind there Phil?
The Rev Phillip - you must be joking !
....errrrr have we forgotten that Dawkins refuses to debate Plantinga??
I think Dakwins vs Ian Paisley would be a rivetting debate - go for it Will...
PB
pb- I love the way you seem to have insider info on all matters Richard Dawkins. Please provide me with a reference to show that Dawkins has "refused" to debate Plantinga?
They have not debated, so bloody what! It doesnt follow that either Dawkins or Plantinga have refused to debate each other! If you followed that kind of reasoning, many people the world over have been "refusing" debates with each other!!!!
Rabbit and pork