One of my favorite writers, Theodore Dalrymple, aptly quips, "To regret religion is to regret Western civilization." He has a great editorial exposing the farce of neo-Atheism in the current issue of the
City Journal. In it, he surveys the bevy of new anti-religious best-sellers, noting their inevitable "sloppiness and lack of intellectual scruple, with the assumption of certainty where there is none, combined with adolescent shrillness and intolerance." Its almost enough to prompt one to suddenly stand and shout "Amen," though that would likely make Dalrymple, himself a skeptic, more than a little uncomfortable.
It's refreshing to see the neo-Atheists taken down a peg by a self-avowed non-believer. I'm amazed at his clarity of thought, and suppleness of pen.
ReplyDeleteHe has to appeal to personal preference at the end of his article since he lacks any other standard by which to measure. This is why his is a fading breed of non-belief. But, the neo-Atheists use the language of zealots.
I loved this article!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could tell everyone about the absolute brilliance in the article, but really it seems to be simply a return to common sense. It was greatly appreciated and needed...