And it's fascinating to me that you are very religious, you believe in God, because typically I think that mathematicians lean more towards atheism . Great pioneers of modern science were all believers in God. And I'veinterrogated myself about its truth for over 70 years. I've made myself totally vulnerable, and I find that Christ
I am, too. You are. This is why I find it so fascinating cuz you know, typically the scientific community lean more towards atheism . And typically, I think that mathematicians lean more towards atheism . Just to sense check if that's true or not, we'll throwthe numbers up on the screen. So, I I find that to be a fascinating conversation, which I'm looking forward to have with you today.
It undermines the very rationality we need to do science, let alone to believe in atheism . And, that's my main beef with people like Richard Dawkins and the new atheists,but I see they're fading. They're fading. So, here's the irony.
but I see they're fading. They're fading. So, here's the irony. Atheism , claiming rationality, destroys it.Whereas, I believe the Christian faith also claims rationality, in all in the sense that
from him than almost anyone else. Um because not everything he said was tied to atheism . So I really really learned a lot from him. Um and I make it my business really to um to um to read the opposition. I'm sure that in the book
Sure, yeah. Um I've actually got a graph here which I'll throw up on the screen which shows the rise and then the the fall of new atheism . Yeah. I was pulled in by new atheism . Mhm. And that meant that I And again, I should probably preface my beliefs because people are going to want to know what my bias is when I'm asking questions. I grew up in a very Christian household up
lots of questions. Yeah, you had these individuals who are writing these very influential works. But I sometimes wonder whether the new atheism movement worked a lot more effectively in print than it did in actual real life. Like in terms of the practicality of the application of the things that were being talked about, especially in
And then he said, you know, I've seen what you like reading, what seemed to fascinate you, and that is atheism , materialism. Now there is, of course, a larger school of atheistic thinking in India, as part of the, in fact, old Hindu tradition, than you can find almost anywhere else.
It's just that I can choose what I like. And if I like atheism and materialism, well, then, so be it. But then he said, I don't think you're reading enough of that.
What about the other way around? Do you think atheism has a blind spot? And if so, what are the benefits of a biblical perspective?
it was, that's what really got me to call her and get me out of there. Peter renounces his atheism to become a fisher of men.
and which is bad? And you might expect atheism to do better in this regard.
and which is bad? But organized atheism also had several incidents with male-dominated events, both in terms of audience
and which is bad? His approach to atheism came from a slightly different direction than mine.
I loved that, and 14th century books, where there are 18 chapters in the book, and the first chapter is about atheism . So I think you will find them interesting.
There is a conflict, a very real one, but it is not between God and science. The real conflict is between opposing worldviews-- atheism and theism-- and there are scientists, brilliant scientists, on both sides. And that means that the question we should be asking is which worldview fits best with science, atheist or theism?
In fact, I go as far as to say the real conflict is not between science and faith and God. It's between science and atheism . Then what would you say is the relevance of your Christian faith to the desire, the quest, for superintelligence and the AGI?
Christianity has played on how I relate you can make an argument that atheism is like a Christian denomination it's it's like spreading
It's weird that our court system that has "in God we trust" on the money and wants to put the ten commandments There are two references to atheism in a 90 minute show.
Hitchens and Richard Dawkins and others who have really taken that position rather forthrightly and presented a formidable opposition to organized religion as well as, along with Richard Dawkins, a very strong and scientific support for atheism . And I found myself thinking about my interviews with them and also thinking about interviews I'd had with leading theologians and people who had given themselves to lives of faith and who had done some pretty extraordinary
And these are examples of words that it's picking out in different iterations. So this is being able to distinguish the atheism and Christianity threads, which was used in previous papers on interpretability. Hence we chose it.
and which is bad? And I'm wondering is there some reason that atheism falls victim to the same traps as--
There's nothing to be scared of. But the reason that we're scared is usually that those discussions are either people have an agenda, like they wanna convert you to a way of thinking or religious belief, or an atheism belief or whatever. But there's an element of like, "I wanna convert you to how I think". Or else, it's really New Age-y and airy fairy and hippie dippie and lovey dovey in a way that makes me wanna
where we found ourselves in a time frame where we're connected more than ever. We've kind of come out of a period of time where the new atheism is very very popular. You had Dawkins, Daniel uh Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, uh Christopher Hitchens. And they made a
And if so, what are the benefits of a biblical perspective? Well, I do think that atheism has a serious blind spot, and it's this-- following atheism to its logical conclusion actually undermines the rationality we need for science.
a unique value and dignity and sets the ethical foundations for civilized life and research. Science fits very well with theism and not really at all with atheism . In fact, I go as far as to say the real conflict is not between science and faith and God.
But just among ourselves, there were definitely ones that made a lot of sense. So the first one is essentially picking out words like Christian and atheism . It seems very reasonable for the classification task at hand.
He's an internationally renowned speaker and author on the intersection of science, philosophy, and religion. He has debated Richard Dawkins on "The God Delusion," the late Christopher Hitchens on the New Atheism , as well as Peter Singer on the topic of the existence of God. Dr. Lennox's recent documentary, titled, "Against the Tide" deals with his public defense of Christianity and features the actor Kevin Sorbo
which is a logical corollary of atheist physicalism, destroys meaning. And I've often put it this way, that atheism not only shoots itself in the foot-- that's painful-- it shoots itself in the brain. And that's fatal. Now, to contrast with that, the biblical worldview asserts that there is a creator of the universe
Diderot's interest in speaking to future generations from beyond the grave had come out of necessity. In 1749, shortly after the then 34-year-old writer had published a work of intemperate atheism entitled the "Letter on the Blind," two gendarme showed up at his house, arrested him, and dragged him off to Vincennes prison.
It was special. It had a spirit, or it had a vital force, that distinguished it from inanimate objects. For him, any scientific theory that could form a basis for materialism or atheism had to be rejected.
and which is bad? I, of course, have another question on atheism and religion.
as that's what he was. He was agnostic. So he wouldn't scare people away with the atheism and can maybe slide in his message of evolution. My view of that after, you know, 150 years of using the weasel word agnostic,
It's weird that our court system that has "in God we trust" on the money and wants to put the ten commandments Do you notice people who have and interest or an affinity for magic have a predilection for atheism ?
despite or notwithstanding, all of the dreadful and horrific things that have been done in the name of religion. And I had to grapple with that as well because I realized that there was a reason that gave birth to a lot of the strong, militant atrain of Atheism . It had to do with anger and indignation, and a great deal of rebellion against what religion
his way of arguing against a position is always first you show there's no argument for it. is coming from and if you actually look at those who have been at the forefront of arguing atheism , this pushback,
Every single scientist, and some of them are very high-powered, that I've asked that question to have said, "No, I would not." So, I say, "You've got a problem, haven't you? Your atheism goes too far. It undermines the very rationality we need to do science, let alone to believe in
You had Dawkins, Daniel uh Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, uh Christopher Hitchens. And they made a big impact in the early 2000s. I think we should probably just give some color to what new atheism is. Sure, yeah. Um I've actually got a graph here which I'll throw up on the screen which shows the rise and then the the
Early on in the book I write, "Maybe we need a new category other than theism, atheism , or agnosticism that takes paradox and unknowing into account.
And I was writing this book to kind of say that, "maybe they could reconsider. Atheists are growing very, very quickly in this country, but not quickly enough for my taste." And there are a lot of books written about atheism by really smart people. You've got Dawkins, Hitchens, Dennett, , Ali . And this as I said is a book written by a really stupid atheist.
to apply to what I am is "Agnostic". And I once interviewed Studs Terkel, who said he was an Agnostic, he was a great oral historian and I said, "What do you mean you're an Agnostic?" And he said, "Well, I'm a cowardly Atheist." Maybe Agnosticism is a form of cowardly Atheism . In fact, maybe Agnosticism has become a source, because it has indeed for a lot of jokes because of this kind of almost contemptuousness that comes, as I said, from both sides of the continuum, or the spectrum. Mort Sahl came up with the
Walter: At one point, some cardinal in Boston said, "Well, it still smacks of atheism cause it's not a personal God." So, Rabbi Goldstein, head of the Reform Jewish Movement in New
It's actually the appendix of his book deal with this discomfort that you have located when answers are not forthcoming but to get back to the question that he's a psychologist of religion, I've been asked quite a few times why has new atheism emerged recently, in basically the last ten years.
The point is, as my teacher of quantum mechanics at Cambridge, Sir John Polkinghorne, said long ago that the reduction of mental events to physical events, which is a logical corollary of atheist physicalism, destroys meaning. And I've often put it this way, that atheism not only shoots itself in the foot-- that's painful-- it shoots itself in the brain.