The New Atheist Delusion: Dawkins and Movement ‘Lost the Heart of the Cause’ – Sputnik International

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19:39 03.05.2017(updated 19:47 03.05.2017) Get short URL

A recent editorial that appeared inthe New Scientist (NS) magazine shortly beforeEaster 2017, laid outthe argument that atheism is just another religious disguise.

The author, Graham Lawton, deputy editor ofNS, himself an atheist, said that being one put him ina group that many people mistrusted or discriminated against.

Lawton's view was not an isolated one, asColin Hart, Director ofthe Christian Institute, a nondenominational Christian charity committed toupholding the truths ofthe Bible, believes that atheism has not been helped bymilitant campaigners likethe scientist Richard Dawkins who is also the author ofthe book, The God Delusion.

Mr. Hart believes that Dawkins' hostile rhetoric has alienated asmany people asit has won over.

So why have atheists fallen away fromthe "progressive" movement?

Paul Z. Myers, a lecturer fromthe University ofMinnesota also an atheist agrees that Richard Dawkins is correct insaying that atheism is as 'intellectually rigorous asit has ever been" and believes his viewpoints are just assound aswhen he published The God Delusion, however Myers is concerned that the movement has lost its way.

"My concern is that we have lost the heart ofthe cause and all the New Atheist movement is aboutis saying that God doesn't exist and that's not enough," Mr. Myers told Sputnik.

"The New Atheist movement was established onthe basis that there is no God and that is not really something that reaches outand grabs people. I think we have squandered the effort todevelop a deeper meaning. If there is no God, we need a better foundation formorality, we need human interactions and atheists just haven't grasped that yet," Mr. Myers added.

Mr. Myers' views are not isolated. Colin Hart also feels the atheist movement has somewhat lost its way and this is downto the fact that Dawkins and his peers have given it a bad name.

"There is no meeting ofminds. In Dawkins' book, The God Delusion, he claims its child abuse if you bring upa child tobelieve inGod and he argues that it's worse thanthe sexual abuse that took place inthe Catholic Church," Mr. Hart told Sputnik.

"Yes, I think he [Richard Dawkins] puts people off," Mr. Hart added.

This viewpoint was echoed byMr. Myers, who claimed that many people had fallen away fromthe New Atheist movement which once upona time was considered progressive.

"What is happening is that a number ofus are falling away and it's because the New Atheist movement doesn't give us that peace. Some people tried tostart a new movement called Atheism Plus, inan effort tocombine concern forour social needs and it got shattered bythe New Atheist asit was seen asrepelling. People don't want torepeat the same mistake, Mr. Myers told Sputnik.

He argues that the movement has also become associated withIslamophobia, which has unfortunately put people off.

"The New Atheist movement was driven bythe September 11 attacks, butnow it's evolved intosomething else that says, we hate those people withforeign ideas,' and this is not what atheism is all about," Mr. Myers added.

However, others have called Dawkins and his atheist followers an "intellectual bunch ofmen," who are a necessary part ofthe debate astheir aim is toquestion and challenge religious groups.

Sources that have supported the movement believe it has driven solid debate amongstatheists and people fromall religious backgrounds.

Sputnik reached outto the Richard Dawkins Foundationfor their views onthe New Atheist movement, however atthe time ofthis article being published, no response had been received.

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The New Atheist Delusion: Dawkins and Movement 'Lost the Heart of the Cause' - Sputnik International