Saw Richard Dawkins on TV today...
He was debating Bill O'Reilly
Bill's not the best apologist but he stood his ground.
I've only recently been introduced to Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and the evangelical atheists. I did notice however that Dawkins puts a good deal of faith in scientific progress. He says that science and reason are working on one day finding all the answers. So in the end, his atheism does have some sort of eschatological dimension. His faith is in the fact that humanity is sufficient enough to solve humanity's problems. Is humanity progressing somewhere? And if so, where is it progressing to? Is it really rational to believe in the infinite capacity of science? It seems hard to deny that scientific progress in the 20th Century coincided with a greater capacity to do evil on wider scales (by atheists, incidentally).
I am not saying that science has not made us materially better off over the ages, but I will not say that man has substantially changed in his virtues and vices over the course of history. I can not say that I am more enlightened than everyone that has lived before me, but rather I simply have more past to look back upon. Moreover, I do not think that atheism, or the negation of religion has somehow freed us of dogma and irrationality. Instead, the belief in the fallenness of man who is in need of healing and redemption has been replaced by a belief in the unlimited capacity of man in a world that has ceased believing in sin.
-Steve K
Bill's not the best apologist but he stood his ground.
I've only recently been introduced to Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and the evangelical atheists. I did notice however that Dawkins puts a good deal of faith in scientific progress. He says that science and reason are working on one day finding all the answers. So in the end, his atheism does have some sort of eschatological dimension. His faith is in the fact that humanity is sufficient enough to solve humanity's problems. Is humanity progressing somewhere? And if so, where is it progressing to? Is it really rational to believe in the infinite capacity of science? It seems hard to deny that scientific progress in the 20th Century coincided with a greater capacity to do evil on wider scales (by atheists, incidentally).
I am not saying that science has not made us materially better off over the ages, but I will not say that man has substantially changed in his virtues and vices over the course of history. I can not say that I am more enlightened than everyone that has lived before me, but rather I simply have more past to look back upon. Moreover, I do not think that atheism, or the negation of religion has somehow freed us of dogma and irrationality. Instead, the belief in the fallenness of man who is in need of healing and redemption has been replaced by a belief in the unlimited capacity of man in a world that has ceased believing in sin.
-Steve K
posted by street theologian @ 10:21 PM
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