About Me
- Russell Blackford
- Australian philosopher, literary critic, legal scholar, and professional writer. Based in Newcastle, NSW. My latest books are THE TYRANNY OF OPINION: CONFORMITY AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM (2019); AT THE DAWN OF A GREAT TRANSITION: THE QUESTION OF RADICAL ENHANCEMENT (2021); and HOW WE BECAME POST-LIBERAL: THE RISE AND FALL OF TOLERATION (2024).
Friday, April 29, 2011
The public square of USA Today
H/T Jason Streitfeld for drawing my attention to this erudite article in USA Today about the evils of atheism. It's always good to see such high standards in the public square. In this case it comes from a bloke who has written a book on angels and demons and the "spiritual realities" that surround us. I can't wait to read that one.
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9 comments:
You're not having much luck with links the last couple of days, Russell! ;)
After seeing it in 1000 reviews, I think that `erudite' should be retired in that context.
- Jesse Parrish
In this case, though, it was entirely my fault - I got distracted.
Link added.
It follows the usual formula:
1) Morn the passing of a formerly great civilization based on a Judeo-xtian morality now under attack by hordes of non-believers.
2) Misrepresent what atheism is, usually it's a belief in nothing combined with a narcissistic hedonism as practised by Caligula.
3) Quote mine a famous and usually dead scientist, attributing theist beliefs to said person.
4) Lament the fact that religion no longer gets the undeserved respect it used to receive in the public space.
5) Conclude with vague threats about the fate that atheists face in the now (blind to the beauty of the world etc.) and the hereafter (the best part of being an xtian/muslim, you get to watch them suffer for eternity) and re-iterate unfounded belief in the invisible sky fairy of choice and how that gives my life meaning it otherwise wouldn't have and keeps me from raping and pillaging as would be my wont without bronze age mythology to guide my life.
I don't know about you, but I definitely live surrounded by spiritual realities. Well, not so much "surrounded by" as "down the street from". And by "spiritual reality" I mean "the liquor store", of course.
Pretty bad stuff even for USA Today.
G.K. Chesterton, over a hundred years ago: The Christian is quite free to believe that there is a considerable amount of settled order and inevitable development in the universe. But the materialist is not allowed to admit into his spotless machine the slightest speck of spiritualism or miracle.Time-honored bullshit.
What a thoroughly ignorant, disparaging person. That he gets mainstream support (what an atrocious comment thread) is disheartening.
Watch it there, buddy—with your strange furrin fuseeshusne... facietiusn... focee... sarcasm, you're casting aspersions on our national daily periodical. You can tell because it says so itself.
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