Pope: You Don't Have To Believe In God To Get To Heaven

[CatholicsAreKewl]

Atheism in the Eastern world is less antagonistic towards religion (except perhaps the Communist variety) because Eastern religions are not commensurable to Western faiths. There is no monotheism, so there is no mentality of non-believers who will burn in hell due to their lack of faith. Hell is generally thought of part of a wider cycle of life and rebirth. Eastern religion is indistinguishable from philosophy in many respects and thus, its practitioners tend to be less exclusivist. In a certain sense, Daoists and Buddhists are commonly atheists. The Dao is not particularly supernatural in the same sense as the God of the western world in post-Christ era. Asian Atheists do not feel the need to establish themselves in contradistinction to the religious for these reasons. Sorry, I am not explaining myself eloquently. My mind is sluggish today. 

Interesting. Thanks for explaining.

 

 

 

And, Terry Eagleton summed up my thoughts  about new atheism much better than I ever could in his review of The God Delusion in his "Lunging, Flailing, Mispunching". New atheists are childish with their idiotic concepts such as the Flying Spaghetti Monster and their comparisons of faith to belief in the Loch Ness Monster. New Atheists attack the lowest common denominator of religious belief and then pronounce themselves the victor. As someone who studies philosophy, I had to keep face-palming myself of how utterly stupid Richard Dawkins seemed compared to John Lennox in their debate. Dawkins barely seemed to be able to comprehend Lennox's philosophic points. 

Meh, Lennox Vs. Dawkins was interesting but I wasn't impressed with either of them. Neither one was really making points that would convince the other camp. I suggest looking up Dawkins' interviews with theists. My favorites are the ones with Dr. Aliister McGrath and Dr. George Coyne.
 

 

 

I cannot remember if Eagleton mentions this, but I also think that new atheism leads to a cultural nihilism. New atheism has a strong tendency to create science as the new god and minimize humankind in the process. Dawkins balks at the idea that human existence is meaningful in the cosmos

Could you provide an example of this? I honestly don't remember him saying this before. 

 

 

 

I cannot remember if Eagleton mentions this, but I also think that new atheism leads to a cultural nihilism. New atheism has a strong tendency to create science as the new god and minimize humankind in the process. Dawkins balks at the idea that human existence is meaningful in the cosmos, and Daniel Dennett has spearheaded the philosophical denial of consciousness. Unlike the old atheism of Marx, new atheism is the denial of the human. Metaphysical naturalists can call themselves secular humanists all they want, but I still believe their philosophy tends towards anti-humanism. 

Sorry but I might need help following your explanation. Why does only new atheist lead to nihilism? And how does new atheism create science as a new god and minimize humankind? How is Dennet's explanation of consciousness related to this? How do you believe the atheism represented by these figures is a denial of the human? 

[John Ryan]

I like how Westerners know a lot about Eastern religions, but know nothing (or practically nothing) about Eastern Christianity.

 

I adopt many of the viewpoints of Eastern Christianity, particularly the essence-energy distinction.

 

 

Could you provide an example of this? I honestly don't remember him saying this before.

 

 

He says it in the second Lennox debate.

 

Sorry but I might need help following your explanation. Why does only new atheist lead to nihilism? And how does new atheism create science as a new god and minimize humankind? How is Dennet's explanation of consciousness related to this? How do you believe the atheism represented by these figures is a denial of the human? 

 

We would have to begin a new thread for this. I do not feel like going so far off topic.

Edited September 21, 2013 by John Ryan

[CatholicsAreKewl]

I adopt many of the viewpoints of Eastern Christianity, particularly the essence-energy distinction.

 

 

We would have to begin a new thread for this. I do not feel like going so far off topic.

That's gravy. We could also continue this in private if you'd prefer.

[Apotheoun]

I adopt many of the viewpoints of Eastern Christianity, particularly the essence-energy distinction.

Well that news warms my heart. The essence / energy distinction is a fundamental theological idea that goes back to St. Irenaeus and St. Clement of Alexandria, and which can later be traced through the Cappadocian Fathers to St. Maximos the Confessor and St. John Damascene, and then to St. Gregory Palamas, doctor of uncreated grace.

Edited September 21, 2013 by Apotheoun