"Winston Marshall explores the transformative power of faith in overcoming personal struggles, noting a cultural revival of Christianity in intellectual circles as a response to the void left by atheism and the rise of ideologies like trans activism."
Let's assume for the sake of argument that Christianity repudiated the repressive and sects and beliefs that make a mockery of Jesus' command that we love one another. Suppose Evangelical Protestantism abandoned its hatred of modern ways and mores, especially those having to do with sex, gay sex, sex roles and the equality of women. Imagine also that the Catholic Church gave up its compulsion to control humankind's sexuality in order to extirpate all non-procreative sex (see Natural Law) and use the instruments of government to impose civil disabilities on the noncompliant (see 303 Creative v. Elenis 600 U.S. 570). The great sticking point would still be faith.
Lord knows that throughout history many Christians have tried to compel faith (or the appearance of faith) in others, but it cannot be done.
I am a gay man and an atheist in my late 60s. It offends me deeply that a Christian chauvinist would presume to conclude that atheists exist in a void of some sort because they are not believers in things for which there is no proof. Yes, we do know the difference between right and wrong without having to be reminded every Sunday.
Now, I am not a card-carrying doctrinaire atheist for whom atheism is a surrogate for the religion that I have rejected. I have no more interest in marinating my mind in the atheist canon of Hitchens et al. than I do in poking my fingers into the tar baby that is Christianity. That way lies scrupulosity (like the teen Evangelical boy who would grab the latest issue of Sports Illustrated when it came through the mailbox so he could rip out all the smutty pages) or a barren plain perforated by infinite rabbit holes full of different dictates about how I should think and behave because of this or that pastor's interpretation of this or that passage in the Bible.
In closing, of course it's clear that this episode is meant to be an exploration of thought provoking ideas and not a sermon. It worked! This listener was provoked into putting his thoughts in writing.
Richard Dawkins is one of the few atheists who is clear that it’s above all a matter of evidence and reason, not belief. He resigned from an atheist organisation on that. If you read his full thinking eg “The God Delusion” you can be hugely inspired and educated about science and reason. But also inspired about how he values all the other higher moral and artistic awe that is not found only in supernatural religions. His Substack is named “… Poetry ….”. He has specifically criticised and classed gender identity ideology as having the typical features of an authoritarian anti-evidence-based religious belief system, although it purports to be secular and has stacks of pseudo-science in it’s (“No”!?) debate arsenal. Here’s a starter from RD:
Personally I can see why we may all want a God or strong ideology to call on or guide us. But I know that a humanist funeral is more effective than a church one. Also I know that many of the best people quietly draw strength from spiritual sources. But when push comes to shove, it’s the process or ideology of liberalism and evidence and reason that I trust most. The best prolific (if not the only!) reliable source on that score is Helen Pluckrose here on Substack. As Stella and Sasha know to their benefit.
Speaking of « god-shaped holes » and drawing strength from spiritual sources, Jonathan Haidt has a section on this in his book The Anxious Generation. That’s about the harm caused by the loss of a play-based childhood plus the recent addictive smartphone-based childhood. He is an atheist but suggests that some of the rituals and richness humans have universally benefited from under a framework of religion are part of an answer to the harm. They don’t need to be done for supernatural reasons.
We LOVE Mumford and Sons here in Virginia, USA! Especially because of the banjo😂. I unapologetically love country music, too, sooooo, there is that.
We have enjoyed M &Sons music for years and this was an exciting interview for me to watch. I am not on Twitter so was only vaguely aware of the saga. Love the idea of Stella and Winston playing together. That was cute.
"Winston Marshall explores the transformative power of faith in overcoming personal struggles, noting a cultural revival of Christianity in intellectual circles as a response to the void left by atheism and the rise of ideologies like trans activism."
Let's assume for the sake of argument that Christianity repudiated the repressive and sects and beliefs that make a mockery of Jesus' command that we love one another. Suppose Evangelical Protestantism abandoned its hatred of modern ways and mores, especially those having to do with sex, gay sex, sex roles and the equality of women. Imagine also that the Catholic Church gave up its compulsion to control humankind's sexuality in order to extirpate all non-procreative sex (see Natural Law) and use the instruments of government to impose civil disabilities on the noncompliant (see 303 Creative v. Elenis 600 U.S. 570). The great sticking point would still be faith.
Lord knows that throughout history many Christians have tried to compel faith (or the appearance of faith) in others, but it cannot be done.
I am a gay man and an atheist in my late 60s. It offends me deeply that a Christian chauvinist would presume to conclude that atheists exist in a void of some sort because they are not believers in things for which there is no proof. Yes, we do know the difference between right and wrong without having to be reminded every Sunday.
Now, I am not a card-carrying doctrinaire atheist for whom atheism is a surrogate for the religion that I have rejected. I have no more interest in marinating my mind in the atheist canon of Hitchens et al. than I do in poking my fingers into the tar baby that is Christianity. That way lies scrupulosity (like the teen Evangelical boy who would grab the latest issue of Sports Illustrated when it came through the mailbox so he could rip out all the smutty pages) or a barren plain perforated by infinite rabbit holes full of different dictates about how I should think and behave because of this or that pastor's interpretation of this or that passage in the Bible.
In closing, of course it's clear that this episode is meant to be an exploration of thought provoking ideas and not a sermon. It worked! This listener was provoked into putting his thoughts in writing.
Richard Dawkins is one of the few atheists who is clear that it’s above all a matter of evidence and reason, not belief. He resigned from an atheist organisation on that. If you read his full thinking eg “The God Delusion” you can be hugely inspired and educated about science and reason. But also inspired about how he values all the other higher moral and artistic awe that is not found only in supernatural religions. His Substack is named “… Poetry ….”. He has specifically criticised and classed gender identity ideology as having the typical features of an authoritarian anti-evidence-based religious belief system, although it purports to be secular and has stacks of pseudo-science in it’s (“No”!?) debate arsenal. Here’s a starter from RD:
https://richarddawkins.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-the-god-shaped-hole
Personally I can see why we may all want a God or strong ideology to call on or guide us. But I know that a humanist funeral is more effective than a church one. Also I know that many of the best people quietly draw strength from spiritual sources. But when push comes to shove, it’s the process or ideology of liberalism and evidence and reason that I trust most. The best prolific (if not the only!) reliable source on that score is Helen Pluckrose here on Substack. As Stella and Sasha know to their benefit.
Speaking of « god-shaped holes » and drawing strength from spiritual sources, Jonathan Haidt has a section on this in his book The Anxious Generation. That’s about the harm caused by the loss of a play-based childhood plus the recent addictive smartphone-based childhood. He is an atheist but suggests that some of the rituals and richness humans have universally benefited from under a framework of religion are part of an answer to the harm. They don’t need to be done for supernatural reasons.
We LOVE Mumford and Sons here in Virginia, USA! Especially because of the banjo😂. I unapologetically love country music, too, sooooo, there is that.
We have enjoyed M &Sons music for years and this was an exciting interview for me to watch. I am not on Twitter so was only vaguely aware of the saga. Love the idea of Stella and Winston playing together. That was cute.
Stella:“Why do people hate the banjo?
Winston: Whats to like?”
That was hilarious. 😂🎶. Great insights. Thanks.