DOCSLIB.ORG

Peter HITCHENS, the Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith, Michigan, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010, 224 Pp., 16 X 24, ISBN 978-0-310-32031-9

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Peter HITCHENS, the Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith, Michigan, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010, 224 Pp., 16 X 24, ISBN 978-0-310-32031-9 12. Reseñas 2/3/12 18:04 Página 239 RESEÑAS Luego, el diálogo se enfoca sobre el ac- tencia del diablo; la resurrección de los to de fe del que explica su racionalidad, y muertos y el juicio universal. Y este diálo- desde ahí aborda el tema de los milagros, go no podía concluir sin una reflexión so- especialmente la Resurrección de Jesús, po- bre el «Amén», la última palabra de la Pro- niendo énfasis en que la teología liberal los fesión de fe. niega porque de entrada ya ha rechazado Estamos ante una estupenda obra, que todo fundamento sobrenatural (pp. 79-95). combina la profundidad con la amenidad, Sigue después un largo coloquio sobre y que aborda tópicos complicados para el Jesús de Nazaret (pp. 97-153), que toca la hombre de hoy, tanto creyente como no historicidad de los Evangelios, la impor- creyente. Junto con la sencillez narrativa, tancia (relativa) de los hallazgos de Qum- hay una gran riqueza de contenido, ya que ran, las objeciones racionalistas a la Con- a lo largo de las páginas entran al diálogo cepción virginal de María y a la aparición autores importantes como Marx, Engels, de un grupo de ángeles a unos pastores con Goethe, Pascal, Kierkegaard, Camus y sin motivo del Nacimiento del Salvador, así nombrarlos Lutero y Bultmann; en reali- como también las discusiones sobre su Pa- dad, son mencionados tantos más que se sión, Muerte, Resurrección y Ascensión a echa en falta un índice onomástico. La uti- los Cielos. lidad de este libro puede ser grande pues, Continúa hablando sobre la Iglesia: su como afirma en el prólogo el teólogo y pe- santidad y sus culpas, y también sobre la riodista Giovanni Gennari (Roma, 1949), comunión de los santos (pp. 155-165). esta entrevista no agota los temas referen- Luego vienen las realidades últimas (pp. tes a la fe, pero los que toca dan «para pen- 167-206): el infierno y su existencia; la sar, para creer o incluso para volver a «realidad incómoda» del pecado para el creer» (p. 22). hombre moderno autónomo y emancipa- do, y su consecuencia: la muerte; la exis- Luis-Fernando VALDÉS Peter HITCHENS, The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led me to Faith, Michigan, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010, 224 pp., 16 x 24, ISBN 978-0-310-32031-9. El libro The Rage Against God: How de estos. En esta obra, de lectura ágil, el Atheism Led me to Faith (La Ira contra Dios: autor esgrime un argumento que, a su vez, como el ateísmo me condujo a la fe), de Peter es una fuerte crítica contra los pensadores Hitchens, ofrece un argumento más bien ilustrados o de la izquierda que siguen poco aducido en la apologética cristiana: aferrados a la ideología socialista (comu- el colapso de la sociedad comunista en nista), para la cual no existe Dios y el Rusia constituye un argumento indirecto hombre debe construir su paraíso aquí en en favor de la fe en Dios. La creencia en la tierra. Pero no sólo esto, sino que el es- Dios se apoya frecuentemente en argu- tado, el que sustituye a Dios, tiene que mentos sobre la naturaleza, la causalidad, erradicar la fe en Dios, sobre todo la de la conciencia, los milagros, o un conjunto los niños. SCRIPTA THEOLOGICA / VOL. 44 / 2012 239 12. Reseñas 2/3/12 18:04 Página 240 RESEÑAS Hitchens es un periodista británico, 2) se puede conocer el bien (lo bueno) sin autor de varios libros, entre ellos TheAboli- referencia a Dios; y 3) el ateísmo, por me- tion of Britain (1999) y A Brief History of dio de las ciencias, puede construir un pa- Crime (2003). Además de sus propios meri- raíso aquí en la tierra. tos es conocido por ser hermano de Chris- En las últimas páginas del libro, el autor topher Hitchens, el promotor acérrimo de critica fuertemente la idea de su hermano, un ateísmo anti-cristiano. Peter dedica la quien sostuvo, como otros, que la revolu- primer parte del libro a recontar su vida a ción bolchevique pudo haber tenido éxito, grandes rasgos y a dibujar una imagen de y que Trotsky fue un gran hombre que con- su patria y de los cambios espirituales y re- siguió importantes logros sociales. Para ligiosos que sufrió a lo largo del siglo XX. Cristopher Hitchens y otros, el mayor lo- Se centra en describir la marcada pérdida gro de Trotsky y otros revolucionarios fue de fe y de religiosidad, la cual relaciona con el de erradicar la idea de Dios del pueblo y, las consecuencias de las dos guerras mun- especialmente, el de evitar que los niños re- diales (si bien es cierto que ambas tuvieron cibieran este envenenamiento. Hoy en día efectos en este sentido, el autor deja de algunos como Richard Dawkins opinan mencionar que, ya desde mediados del si- que la enseñanza religiosa constituye un glo XIX y antes, hubo una creciente pérdi- abuso hacia los niños. Hitchens, quien por da de fe y de la práctica de la religión en In- tres años fue corresponsal en Rusia, piensa, glaterra). Hitchens explica el culto que se a diferencia de otros como su hermano, que dio a Winston Churchill, con la correspon- Lenin y luego Stalin destruyeron el cristia- diente confusión entre patriotismo y fe, nismo en Rusia mediante la violencia y pro- además de la desilusión que el país experi- gramas deliberadamente ejecutados para mentó después de ambas guerras. Según él, adoctrinar al pueblo. Peter Hitchens fue la Iglesia Anglicana apoyó la decisión de lu- ateo en su juventud y comenzó un proceso char en estas contiendas, que conllevaron de conversión a raíz de ver el cuadro del grandes pérdidas de vidas humanas. Juicio Final de Roger van der Weyden. La segunda parte del libro responde Cuando fue a vivir a Rusia, ya había reco- más propiamente al titulo del libro, el cual brado la fe en Dios, pero su estancia en esta podría llevar otro subtítulo: Cómo el comu- nación, marcada por el poder de las mafias nismo soviético me condujo a la fe cristiana. y un alto índice de alcoholismo, confirmó Hitchens repite, de diversas maneras, la te- en su mente el error de uno de los princi- sis de que la izquierda intelectual de Euro- pales argumentos de los ateos, a saber, que pa y de los EE.UU. ha sido hostil hacia el el hombre puede construir por sí mismo un cristianismo, apoyando de modo ingenuo paraíso sin Dios. El comunismo en Rusia, la difusión del Islam, que aumenta de ma- que destruyó al cristianismo, también des- nera marcada en Europa, y que atenta con- truyó al hombre y a la sociedad. tra las libertades que en sus torres de mar- Este libro, sin pretender ser en lo más fil ellos disfrutan. El autor afirma que el mínimo un libro de teología, presenta efi- comunismo no ha cesado y que el pensa- cazmente la crítica al ateísmo ya vislum- miento social-comunista continúa vivo en brada por Dostoievsky, para quien el hom- los pensadores de izquierdas. En esta parte bre sin Dios deja de ser moral. Los del libro se señalan tres argumentos falli- argumentos son más bien de carácter mo- dos de los ateos de izquierda, a quienes de- ral e históricos. El libro adolece un poco de nomina frecuentemente anti-teístas. Estos una falta de perspectiva histórica de más son: 1) Las religiones (concretamente la siglos, por ejemplo, del siglo de la Ilustra- cristiana) han sido la causa de las guerras; ción francesa y del desarrollo de algunas de 240 SCRIPTA THEOLOGICA / VOL. 44 / 2012 12. Reseñas 2/3/12 18:04 Página 241 RESEÑAS las ideas expresadas, especialmente de los ideas expuestas, hace que este libro ofrezca argumentos en la segunda parte del libro. una crítica valiosa al ateísmo contemporá- Sin embargo, el realismo del libro, el co- neo de pensadores de izquierdas. nocimiento de primera mano del comunis- mo ateo y del ateísmo, y la fuerza de las Juan Rodrigo VÉLEZ Jean-Miguel GARRIGUES, La Saint-Esprit sceau de la Trinité. Le Filioque et l’originalité trinitaire de l’Esprit dans sa personne et dans sa mission, Paris: Cerf, 2011, 245 pp., 13,5 x 21,5, ISBN 978-2-204-09384-2. El libro es una recolección de artículos se pueden reducir a tres: a) La fontalidad del publicados en Irenikon, Nouvelle Revue Padre; 2) El orden trinitario; 3) La pericho- Théologique, Revue Thomiste y Scripta Theo- resis. En el fondo, Garigues va buscando logica. Tienen todos estos artículos en co- «clarificar», o mejor, explicitar aún más qué mún el tratar del Espíritu Santo. El hilo entiende la Clarificatio con el verbo «carac- conductor que da unidad a la gran variedad terizar» cuando utiliza frases como esta: de temas que se abordan y que van desde el «De igual forma que el Padre está caracteri- comentario a la Clarificatio romana de 1995 zado como Padre por el Hijo que Él engen- y la reciprocidad trinitaria del Espíritu con dra, también el Espíritu, que recibe su ori- el Padre y el Hijo, hasta la cristología y la gen del Padre, lo caracteriza de manera pneumatología del Vaticano II, es la pro- trinitaria en su relación al Hijo y caracteriza fundización en la cuestión del Filioque si- de manera trinitaria el Hijo en su relación al guiendo el planteamiento ya iniciado por Padre: en la plenitud del misterio trinitario la Clarificatio. Y aquí, en las ponderadas re- ellos son Padre e Hijo en el Espíritu Santo». flexiones sobre la Clarificatio, radica el ma- El verbo «caracterizar» ha sido elegido yor interés de este libro que el Autor cali- en la Clarificatio con sumo cuidado para fica como un «estudio de las exigencias mostrar al mismo tiempo la importancia trinitarias de una recepción más profunda del ordo trinitarius y la importancia que tie- y equilibrada del Filioque» (p.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Answering the New Atheists: How Science Points to God and to the Benefits of Christianity
    Answering the New Atheists: How Science Points to God and to the Benefits of Christianity Anthony Walsh Boise State University Series in Philosophy of Religion Copyright © 2018 Vernon Press, an imprint of Vernon Art and Science Inc, on behalf of the author. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Vernon Art and Science Inc. www.vernonpress.com In the Americas: In the rest of the world: Vernon Press Vernon Press 1000 N West Street, C/Sancti Espiritu 17, Suite 1200, Wilmington, Malaga, 29006 Delaware 19801 Spain United States Series in Philosophy of Religion Library of Congress Control Number: 2018904925 ISBN: 978-1-62273-390-3 Cover design by Vernon Press using elements by Kjpargeter - Kotkoa - Freepik.com, geralt – pixabay.com Product and company names mentioned in this work are the trademarks of their re- spective owners. While every care has been taken in preparing this work, neither the authors nor Vernon Art and Science Inc. may be held responsible for any loss or dam- age caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in it. Table of Contents Acknowledgements v Preface vii Chapter 1 Science Points the Way to God 1 Chapter 2 Christianity, Rationality, and Militant New Atheism 15 Chapter 3 Christianity, Atheism, and Morality 29 Chapter 4 Christianity, Western Democracy, and Cultural Marxism 43 Chapter 5 The Big Bang and Fine Tuning of the Universe 59 Chapter 6 Earth: The Privileged Planet 75 Chapter 7 Cosmological Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse 91 Chapter 8 Abiogenesis: The Search for the Origin of Life 107 Chapter 9 Cracks in Neo-Darwinism: Micro is not Macro 125 Chapter 10 Answering the Tough Questions: God of the Gaps, Free Will, and the Problem of Evil 141 Chapter Footnotes 157 References 171 Index 187 Acknowledgements I would first of all like to thank commissioning editor, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rage Against God Pdf Free Download
    THE RAGE AGAINST GOD PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Peter Hitchens | 256 pages | 21 Jul 2011 | Continuum Publishing Corporation | 9781441195074 | English | New York, United States The Rage Against God PDF Book This is the work of the sculptor, Charles Sargeant Jagger, who also executed the astonishing Royal Artillery Memorial in the heart of London. The engines that took me home from school in those days had resounding patriotic names — called after Royal Air Force squadrons that had fought in the Battle of Britain, or famous ships of the enormous Merchant Navy we then had. He also briefly touches on Dawkins's writings, like The God Delusion. However, events like the Crusades were not exclusively foisted upon humanity out of just "religious" motivations. But eventually finding atheism barren, he came by a logical process to his current affiliation to an unmodernised belief in Christianity. If you welcome them, they have an astonishing power to reassure and comfort. Are Atheist states not actually Atheist? See larger image. So I was hoping for some more background on the excellent podcast I heard earlier. It is very much so today. The second half of the book examines Soviet Russia as the fulfillment of every atheist's utopian dream. Hitchens provides hope for all believers whose friends or family members have left Christianity or who are enchanted by the arguments of the anti-religious intellects of our age. But they knew, and everyone knew, that they had been fooled and that whatever they had fought for had been lost during the squalor of war. Who Created God? We had won the war.
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Selection
    Book Reviews the new and exciting developments which emerge virtually every week, Natural selection— the book should be regularly revised every couple of years to keep the issue evolution’s phantom at the forefront in the hotly contested fields of intelligent design and creation science. This is particularly important mechanism given the fraudulent rhetoric actively promulgated by theistic evolutionists and popular science authors. A review of What Darwin Got Wrong References by Jerry Fodor and Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini 1. Williams, A., Astonishing DNA complexity demolishes neo­Darwinism, J. Creation Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 21(3):111–117, 2007; creation.com/images/ New York, 2010 pdfs/tj/j21_3/j21_3_111­117.pdf. 2. Wells, J., Icons of Evolution, Regnery Publishing, Washington, DC, 2004; www. iconsofevolution.com/. Jean K. Lightner 3. Clamp et al., 2007, Distinguishing protein­coding and noncoding genes in the human genome, his book is not a creationist or Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 104:19428–19433; Tintelligent design book. In fact, it see also review: Truman, R., What biology was written by two men who consider textbooks never told you about evolution, J. themselves atheists, have no problem Creation 15(2):17–24, 2001; creation.com/ what­biology­textbooks­never­told­you­about­ with the idea of common descent, and evolution. assume “that evolution is a mechanical 4. Probst, A.V. and Almouzni, G., Pericentric process through and through” (p. xiii). heterochromatin: dynamic organization during So what is it that the authors believe early development, Differentiation 76:15–23, Darwin got wrong? The mechanism 2007. for evolution; namely, the theory of 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Review: the Rage Against God
    Review: The Rage Against God Here’s a lesson in “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” My expectation of this book by Peter Hitchens, the Christian brother of prominent atheist polemicist, Christopher Hitchens, was guided by blurbs and dust-cover pieces that could be pronounced by the voice-over of a Bruce Willis movie trailer: “Two brothers. Two beliefs. Two revolted. One returned.” From the subtitle (“How atheism led me to faith”) I was expecting something autobiographical mixed together with some apologetics and philosophical defense of the Christian worldview against today’s myriad attacks by the neo-atheists. I was expecting an armourer handing out rhetorical ammunition. There is a very small amount of that, and you can tell that a Zondervan editor has done his or her best to shoehorn the book into that very sellable category. Which is a shame – because that is not where the heart of this book lies, and the attempt to dress it in sensationalist clothes is simply annoying. What we do have in this book is not a broad-ranging apologetic. Rather we have an excellent analysis of 20th Century sociology, particularly with reference to the impact of socialism and communism and the associated decline in the influence of the church in Western society. In the notes I jot down as a I read I included this observation: “a commentary on being British more than a commentary on being atheist.” There is some autobiography which borders on nostalgia for its own sake at times. Its value lies in his identification with a generation that “was too clever to believe” (title of Chapter 1, page 17) and allows him to use the first person as an abstractive tool both in the singular: For instance: I had spotted the dry, disillusioned, and apparently disinterested atheism of so many intellectuals, artists, and leaders of our age.
    [Show full text]
  • Hope's Reason: a Journal of Apologetics Vol. 2 No. 1
    69 Reviews REVIEWS Ravi Zacharias (ed.), Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007. xx + 360 pp. Pbk. US$15.99. Ravi Zacharias is one of the most well known apologists of today. Even if one does not agree with his apologetic method, it is difficult to not respect his impact both in his own ministry and that of the organization he has founded. Perhaps Ravi Zacharias’ most enduring legacy will not be what he has done himself but the network that he developed of both experienced and younger apologists. Beyond Opinion reflects that legacy, containing essays by a number of those Ravi Zacharias has been working with. The book has three sections: 1) Giving an Answer, 2) Internalizing the Questions and Answers, and 3) Living Out the Answers. The first section begins with a chapter on postmodern challenges to the Bible by Amy Orr-Ewing, who sees much hope for the power of the Bible to speak into today’s culture. Alister McGrath presents the challenges from atheism, drawing on both research and his own experience as a former atheist. There are some promising opportunities as well as serious challenges from youth culture, as Alison Thomas explains in her chapter. One of the great concerns for many is the impact of Islam, and Sam Solomon presents those in his informative essay. L.T. Jeyachandran deals with the challenges of eastern religions, seeing great hope for those followers to find their aspirations fulfilled in Christ. Challenges from science are summarized by John Lennox, who deals with the presuppositions of all scientists, secular and Christian.
    [Show full text]
  • Radical Atheism and Religious Power New Atheist Politics
    STUART McANULLA Radical atheism and religious power New atheist politics he increased visibility of assertive forms of athe­ within the ‘New Atheist’ movement. Even Hitchens’ ism has provoked much public debate. This art­ own terminal illness would become (as he himself Ticle argues that new atheism primarily seeks to described it) ‘an Event’ as it provoked public debate contest what it considers to be the unjustifiably power­ concerning how atheists may approach the assumed ful role of religion through a multi­faceted challenge to finality of physical death. In many ways Hitchens religious beliefs, practices and institutions. Influential might be taken to have personified the uncomprom­ theories of power are drawn upon to unpack the char­ ising attitude of new atheists towards religion, which acter of new atheist positions. It is proposed that new he argued arises ‘from the bawling, fearful infancy of atheism seeks to challenge four perceived ‘dimensions‘ our species’ (2007: 64). New atheism is best known as of religious power, in particular (i) religion’s role in pub­ a literary and media phenomenon, being particularly lic decision­making; (ii) the ability of religious groups associated with the publication of a range of bestsell­ to shape policy agendas; (iii) the power of religion to ing books in the UK, US and elsewhere (e.g. Dawk­ create preferences that run counter to an individual’s ins 2006, Harris 2004, Dennett 2006, Harris 2008, true interests and, (iv) the role of religion in consti­ Hitchens 2007, Loftus 2008, Barker 2008, Stenger tuting forms of subjectivity more generally. Focussing 2008, 2009, Onfray 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • The Spirituality of Atheism
    Lutheran Mission Matters, the journal of the Lutheran Lutheran Society for Missiology, serves as an international Lutheran forum for the exchange of ideas and discussion of issues related to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ globally. Mission Matters TheThe Lutheran Lutheran Society Society for Missiology for Missiology http://LSFM.Global Volume XXV, No. 1 (Issue 50) May 2017 The Spirituality of Atheism Armand J. Boehme Abstract: An increasing number of people today are saying they are spiritual but not religious. Many new spiritualities have surfaced including atheistic spirituality. Atheists have developed their own creed, Sunday gatherings, Sunday Schools, chaplains, devotional books, Bibles, ethics, Ten Commandments, summer camps, and weddings and funeral services. This raises the question as to whether atheism has become a non-theistic religion like Buddhism Taoism and the Raelians. The American legal system has recognized atheism as a religion. Parallels to attempts at secular religions are also explored, as are ways in which Christians can respond to the increasing secularism of the age.i For some today spirituality and religion are separate, if not distinct, realities. Spirituality exists in many places not traditionally associated with spirituality in past days. Currently there exist “Eastern and Western spirituality, women’s spirituality, New Age spirituality, secular and esoteric spirituality, interfaith and ecumenical spirituality, children’s spirituality, even spirituality and aging, spirituality and health, spirituality
    [Show full text]
  • A Wesleyan Open Inclusivist Approach to Religious Diversity and New Atheism
    Durham E-Theses A Wesleyan Open Inclusivist Approach to Religious Diversity and New Atheism DEVAN, BENJAMIN,BRADFORD How to cite: DEVAN, BENJAMIN,BRADFORD (2016) A Wesleyan Open Inclusivist Approach to Religious Diversity and New Atheism, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11464/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 A WESLEYAN OPEN INCLUSIVIST APPROACH TO RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AND NEW ATHEISM By: Benjamin Bradford DeVan Abstract Probing the “New Atheism” reveals not an isolated phenomenon, but a contemporary expression of a longer tradition of atheist advocacy and antagonism toward religion, beliefs about the Divine, and associated practices. Although not all critics of religion are atheists, and atheists display diversity among themselves, A Wesleyan Open Inclusivist Approach to Religious Diversity and New Atheism argues that New Atheists are sufficiently similar to religious people to be fruitfully approached utilizing conceptual tools that pertain to religious diversity, interaction, and dialogue.
    [Show full text]
  • The Owen Powell Memorial Lecture "Britain in the World"
    The Owen Powell Memorial Lecture "Britain in the World" Lord Peter Hennessy, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, Queen Mary University of London Before joining the Queen Mary School of History in 1992, Peter was a journalist for 20 years with spells on The Times as a leader writer and Whitehall correspondent, for the Financial Times as its lobby correspondent at Westminster, and as a columnist on The Independent. Understanding the hidden wiring of the constitution and the power of the machinery of government in Britain remained at the heart of his research and teaching at Queen Mary when he moved from journalism to academia in 1992. He co- founded the Institute of Contemporary British History in 1986; and later the Mile End Group, a postgraduate research hub and forum at Queen Mary. He won the Times Higher Education Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. His books include Never Again: Britain 1945-51, The Secret State, The Hidden Wiring: Unearthing the British Constitution, Cabinet and Whitehall, and Distilling the Frenzy: Writing the History of One's Own Times. He won the Orwell Prize for political writing in 2007 for Having It So Good: Britain in the Fifties. He was appointed to the House of Lords in November 2010, sitting as a non-political crossbench peer. "Economic Inequality and Our Grandchildren’s Future" Professor Danny Dorling, Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography, University of Oxford Danny Dorling joined the School of Geography and the Environment in September 2013 and was previously a professor of Geography at the University of Sheffield. He has also worked in Newcastle, Bristol, Leeds and New Zealand.
    [Show full text]
  • Why and How Christianity Changed Humanity
    Why and How Christianity Changed Humanity By Dr Jim Rawson Preamble Most people have very little knowledge of the contribution Christianity has made to science, human thought and civilisation. The growing influence of secular humanism in Australia and the rise of evangelistic atheism are enabled by widespread ignorance of this Christian contribution across our society and human history. The aggressive promotion of atheism by Richard Dawkins and others involves the repeated claims that there is no evidence for God, and that Christianity is an irrational delusion with no value to society. This paper summarises the historical contribution of Christianity that refutes the false claims of atheists, and strengthens the belief of Christians and those undecided. The paper acknowledges and discusses the “evil contributions” of Christianity that are highlighted by atheist speakers as evidence against the truth of Christian faith. These include the brutal events of history, as well as how Christians in the West often live by Western values rather than by Biblical ones. As well as 4 pages of Christian contributions to humanity, the paper discusses why and how Christianity has had such a profound positive impact on humanity’s wellbeing. Why do Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris et al Believe Christianity is Bad for Humanity? Within the last 10 years, militant atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens (now deceased) and Sam Harris have become polemicists for an attack on all religions, which they claim are unnecessary and even harmful in explaining and managing the world. It is even dangerous to give them any credence in the public square.
    [Show full text]
  • BULLETIN Founded 1994 Vol
    The North Texas Church of Freethought The Fellowship of Unbelievers BULLETIN Founded 1994 Vol. XXI No. VIII Sunday, August 2, 2015 IS FREETHOUGHT JUST ANOTHER RELIGION? At our June 2015 service we heard a very of grand cosmic narrative, aims to appeal to the hu- interesting presentation from a Freethinker who left man ego and its needs and desires. a ministry of missionary work overseas after “decon- This is seen not only in the book mentioned verting” from a deeply fundamentalist strain of bibli- but in the writings that influenced that book’s author cal Christianity. Another of our members happened and many others, of perhaps the most well-known to mention this to a believer coworker who helpfully convert to Christianity, that of the 20th Century Brit- - or mischievously, if not ungraciously - suggested ish author C.S. Lewis. Lewis is usually referred to as a that the NTCOF should be addressed by someone former atheist, but his wikipedia entry states that he who had been an ardent atheist and then converted had come to view the religion he was raised in, the to Christianity. Not that he knew of anyone in par- Church of Ireland (an Anglican offshoot), “as a chore ticular but he suggested a book by “a former atheist and duty,” and that around the time he is said to have English professor” who became a Catholic. [1] become an atheist he developed an interest in the Do churches generally do this? Do Catholic occult. A sympathetic reading of his works indicates churches invite former Catholics to explain why they that his theism developed out of his love for fantasy became Buddhists or Unitarians? Do mosques host and for a poetic view of life and, perhaps, an inability speakers who have left Islam? It seems doubtful, to accept or perhaps even to grasp any other.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rage Against God Download Free
    THE RAGE AGAINST GOD Author: Peter Hitchens Number of Pages: 256 pages Published Date: 21 Jul 2011 Publisher: Continuum Publishing Corporation Publication Country: New York, United States Language: English ISBN: 9781441195074 DOWNLOAD: THE RAGE AGAINST GOD The Rage Against God PDF Book Basically, I liked Christopher's over Peter's but not because of flaws in his style. I peered at the naked figures fleeing the pit of hell Steve Austin Jul 19, at pm. Lists with This Book. Most think it is just a crutch that I need to lean on yet nothing could be further from the truth. The mutual antagonism is in some respects surprising. In a sympathetic review in The Guardian , Rupert Shortt wrote, "Hitchens does not seek to mount a comprehensive defence of Christianity. Nathan Keen Jun 14, at pm. She refused and was taken into the arena twice, for on the first occasion the animals ignored her. Find it at JCPL. In many ways, Peter is man Christopher might have been had he taken a different road. Whereas religious persecution by the Church can be and has been tempered over time by conscience and a calling to account of the fundamental call for love of neighbor, attempts to create an atheistic utopia have proven several times over to be a much more ruthless and intolerant form of persecution, tempered only by failure and fueled by the hope of doing it better next time. Honestly, I think all the five star reviews here are expressing solidarity over reviewing the quality of the book. Hitchens writes how he moved from being an outspoken Trotskyite Atheist to an orthodox Christian.
    [Show full text]