13AR18-38

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Apologia Report 18:38 (1,174)

October 25, 2013

Subject: What makes an atheist?

In this issue:

ATHEISM - fruit of the Christian Right's political activity?

GENETICS - downplaying the risks of bold experiments?

OLD TESTAMENT ETHICS - responses to atheist provocation

RELIGIOUS PLURALISM - a challenge to learn from the past

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ATHEISM

There Is No God: Atheists in America, by David A. Williamson and George Yancey [1] -- reviewer B. Weston of Centre College explains: "Williamson and Yancey, both sociologists at the University of North Texas, conducted an empirical study of people who call themselves atheists. This is a considerably smaller group than the 5 percent of Americans who say they do not believe in God. Since there are too few professed atheists to pick up in normal probability surveys, the authors conducted an online survey of about 1,400 members of atheist organizations and face-to-face interviews with 50 atheists, half in the Bible Belt and half in an unidentified 'progressive Midwestern college town.' Most of the atheists were educated, older, white men from weakly religious backgrounds. What seems to have pushed them into an explicitly atheist identity is their opposition to the political activity of the Christian Right. The atheists instead proposed a social ethic made of equal parts science, rationalism, and progressive politics. The authors are undecided whether there are actually significantly more atheists now, or whether social media - and political provocation - have led more of them to publicly proclaim their position. A solid empirical study that will be the best basis for future research." Choice Reviews, Oct '13.

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GENETICS

Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself, by Adam Rutherford [2] -- the author, "an editor at Nature [7] with a Ph.D. in genetics ... introduces us to a goat that produces spider's silk in her milk and a brewer's yeast that generates diesel."

From there Rutherford takes quite a leap. "Soon, 'for only the second time in 4 billion years,' [Rutherford] writes, a life will be created independently of any existing cell - this time in the laboratory."

Although the overall tone of brief reviewer's observations is quite positive, we also read: "I wished he'd shown 'a little less hubris' while championing the optimists' view, said Nick Lane in The Observer (U.K.) <www.ow.ly/q9Jsb>. As a researcher myself, I understand that today's genetic engineers are 'merely shuffling the gene pack' in the same way nature does. But concerns about something going awry can't be summarily dismissed. All of us interested in debating the risks and rewards of genetic engineering need to know the subject better." The Week, Jul 26 '13, p20.

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OLD TESTAMENT ETHICS

Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God, by Paul Copan [3] -- Frank Viola describes how Copan responds to the typical atheist complaints that the OT is "riddled with episodes of God becoming angry, God being filled with hot-boiling wrath, God changing His mind, God commanding Israel to destroy other nations — including the women and children, God creating 'seemingly' crazy unreasonable laws, God allowing injustices, etc. etc."

In an interview with the author, Viola learns that Copan has especially noticed that "slavery" and "genocide" have been key issues in the Old Testament ethical challenges coming from atheists. Viola plays devil's advocate, getting Copan to discuss passages regarding the issues in sexual regulation that opponents find laughable (such as Deut. 25:11, 12 and 23:1).

Viola moves the exchange on to the topic of genocide considering multiple Scripture passages. Laws regarding cleanliness are considered last.

Copan cites Christopher Wright's The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith [4], explaining that it "gives more of an overview of the loving character of God in the Old Testament while focusing the troubling passages of Canaanite/warfare texts. Wright offers a helpful context of showing concern for the salvation of all nations - including the Canaanites - as well and that such warfare was unique and unrepeatable. But his work does not deal with the range of Old Testament ethical challenges that my book attempts to do." <www.ow.ly/pYNUB>

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RELIGIOUS PLURALISM

Earnestly Contending: Religious Freedom and Pluralism in Antebellum America, by Dickson D. Bruce Jr. [5] -- with this brief review, M. S. Hill of Gordon College recalls a time when worldview conflict was addressed "through persuasion, not coercion": "Historian Bruce (emer., Univ. of California, Irvine) examines the boundaries of religious tolerance and uniformity within the individualistic and democratic atmosphere of the antebellum US. He argues that the nature of religious belief, in that it asserts absolute truth and fixed boundaries for belief and inclusion or exclusion, makes conflict inevitable. Ecumenism was made more difficult by the rise of non-mainstream groups such as Mormons and Unitarians. This is true, but the point is, what type of conflict? Bruce overstates the nature of the conflict. Gone were the days of established churches and burning heretics at the stake. James Madison envisioned this moment in which a plurality of religions would compete through persuasion, not coercion. For Madison, this peaceful conflict protected minorities against overbearing majorities and was a positive aspect of religious democracy. Although many questioned whether Jews, Catholics, Mormons, and Unitarians fit into the Christian fold, the point is that these were largely intermural, peaceful, academic debates within the Christian camp. The book's technical nature and jargon-filled statements make reading difficult for nonspecialists without working background knowledge. Nevertheless, Bruce nicely captures the constant tension within religious thought that promotes both doctrinal uniformity and democratic forms of expression. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, faculty. Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty." Choice,

Oct '13.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - There Is No God: Atheists in America, by David A. Williamson and George Yancey (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013, hardcover, 150 pages) <www.ow.ly/pYVEz>

2 - Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself, by Adam Rutherford (Current Hardcover, 2013, hardcover, 288 pages) <www.ow.ly/pYTqC>

3 - Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God, by Paul Copan (Baker, 2011, paperback, 256 pages) <www.ow.ly/pYOdq>

4 - The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith, by Christopher Wright (Zondervan, 2008, hardcover: 224 pages) <www.ow.ly/pYOoF>

5 - Earnestly Contending: Religious Freedom and Pluralism in Antebellum America, by Dickson D. Bruce Jr. (Univ of Vir Prs, 2013, hardcover, 224 pages) <www.ow.ly/pYZxK>

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