As I reported last week, Robert Wright (The Evolution of God), whom we interviewed in episode #58 of the podcast, published an essay at Huffington Post titled “Why the ‘New Atheists’ are Right-Wing on Foreign Policy.” I posted a critique of this essay in which, among other things, I take Wright to task for asserting that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict was not originally a religious conflict. (I do, to be clear, agree with Wright that the problem is not solely and exclusively religious, but rather an unholy–I use that term advisedly–combination of religion, culture and politics.)
Posts Tagged ‘evolution of god’
Robert Wright takes on the “New Atheists” (including me!), Part Deux
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Podcast #59 – Bill Maher Stand-up Tour
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
David gives us a report on Bill Maher’s stand-up tour; specifically, Maher’s recent appearance at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta.
We also give listeners a heads-up on several upcoming events, including:
Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention (Oct 2-4 in Los Angeles) featuring Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Brian Keith Dalton (”Mr. Deity”), Lawrence Krauss, Eugenie Scott and more. (Say “hi” to David Driscoll, since he’ll be in attendance as well.)
Robert Wright takes on the “New Atheists”
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009Author Robert Wright (The Evolution of God) posted an essay over the weekend at Huffington Post that’s causing quite a stir: “Why the ‘New Atheists’ are Right-Wing on Foreign Policy.” This is something Wright touched on in the latter half of his interview with us (see podcast #58).
In a nutshell (and I hope I’m fairly summarizing his point), Wright argues that the venomous “religion is all bad and the cause of most of the world’s problems” attitude of Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris is a stumbling block to peace in the Middle East.
Podcast #58 – Robert Wright
Friday, July 3rd, 2009
We interview Robert Wright, author of The Evolution of God and one of the founders of the pundit-driven website bloggingheads.tv. In The Evolution of God, Wright lays out a convincing case that the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) are “illusions” shaped by completely natural forces like commerce, warfare and social instability. At the same time, Wright controversially claims that Western religion’s progressive march (from shamanistic superstition to primitive polytheism to a monotheism which recognizes the value of individual human beings) reveals an inevitable, even divine “higher purpose.” For more information visit evolutionofgod.net.
The Evolution of God
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
Review by John C. Snider
Did God make man in His image, or was it the other way around? Despite millennia of religious tradition, most scholars are convinced it was the latter–but exactly how and why man’s conception of God has developed is a matter of hot debate.
The most simplistic model for competition amongst the gods is that whichever god’s followers are the most numerous and/or the most violent wins. In The Evolution of God, Robert Wright (The Moral Animal, Nonzero) argues for a subtler, more complex model–one that offers a much more hopeful outlook for humanity’s future than, say, the kind of “religion spoils everything” absolutism of Christopher Hitchens.
Defining Anti-theism
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009by John C. Snider © 2009
It’s official. American Freethought is now a “prominent atheist website.” So implies Robert Wright in his latest essay, “End Times,” part of his guest-blogging stint at Andrew Sullivan’s “The Daily Dish” blog at The Atlantic. Who am I to argue with him? :)
“End Times” is Wright’s latest volley in the general direction of so-called “New Atheists,” which I’ve said repeatedly (and may continue saying until somebody corrects me) is a squishy term that is not embraced, as far as I can tell, by any atheist organization; has no self-identified membership or tenets, and is really just a term latched onto by the media ’cause all of a sudden they discovered atheism is sexy. (Of course, we all knew that already, didn’t we?)
New Atheist = Atheism + Anti-Theism?
Wright’s conclusion, in short, is that New Atheism = Atheism + Anti-theism. Wright never defines anti-theism explicitly, but he says it involves “the idea that religion is the cause of conflicts that involve religion.”
(more…)
Tags: anti-theism, evolution of god, new atheism, robert wright
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