Exerpts from Nevyn O’Kane’s superb critique of this absurd individual and his writings (or rantings).
Mr. McGrath follows up with a wrongheaded pedantic rant that reads like transcripts of fundamentalist delirium:-
"Yet atheism has not simply run out of intellectual steam." Disbelief in gods cannot run out of steam. It has no steam, intellectual or otherwise.
"Its moral credentials are now severely tarnished." Disbelief has no moral credentials, nor does it claim any.
"Atheism's innocence has now evaporated." Disbelief has no guilt or innocence.
"In the 20th century, atheism managed to grasp the power that had hitherto eluded it." Atheism has no arm with which to grasp anything.
"The atheist critique is unpersuasive." There is no atheist critique. Critiques exist independent of atheism.
"Atheism is the ideal religion of modernity." Disbelief is not religion.
"Once, it was possible [for atheism] to argue that religion alone was the source of the world's evils." Atheism makes no such argument. Disbelief cannot argue.
"Atheism argued that it abolished ... tyranny by getting rid of what ultimately caused it – faith in God." Again, atheism is no body politic to argue a position. An individual may argue a point: disbelief is not argument alone. Atheism can exercise no power or influence like religion as it has no group ideology or canon, no rules to follow, no creed with which to tyrannize and Alister McGrath cannot make it so through repetition.
McGrath is the biggest flea in "New Atheists" ear.
ReplyDeleteRichard, i've added the label "Alister McGrath".
ReplyDeleteI could have added other labels! :)