The God Debate

Updated: Aug 24, 2022

the god debate

Variation is a natural part of creation. It can be defined as the gap between an ideal and an actual situation. An ideal situation represents a standard of perfection—or the highest standard of excellence. In a biblical worldview, God has defined the ideal and is the moral authority. In a secular worldview, “man” defines the ideal and determines what is right and wrong. Regardless of a belief in God, variation is a constant. ASQ: Law of Variation

New Atheism. New Atheism advocates the view that superstition, religion and irrationalism should not simply be tolerated. Instead, they should be countered, criticized, and challenged by rational argument, especially when they exert undue influence, such as in government, education, and politics.^[3]^[4] Major figures include Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennett—collectively known as the “Four Horsemen”, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, known as the “plus one horse-woman”.

On 6 November 2015, The New Republic published an article entitled, “Is the New Atheism dead?”^[15] The atheist and evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson wrote, “The world appears to be tiring of the New Atheism movement.”^[16] In 2017, PZ Myers who formerly considered himself a new atheist, publicly renounced the New Atheism movement.^[17]

The book The Four Horsemen: The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel C. Dennett, 2019.

- The Four Horsemen HD: Hour 1 of 2 – Discussions with Richard Dawkins, Ep 1
- The Four Horsemen: Hour 2 of 2 – Discussions with Richard Dawkins, Ep 1
  
  The God Debate

Jordan Peterson vs Susan Blackmore • Do we need God to make sense of life?

- Jordan Peterson – “Lives his life as though God exists” to the best of his ability – belief reinforced by how you act, not what you say. He acknowledges that he is a religious man; Judeo-Christian worldview ethics has a significant influence on western culture
  - Archetype – a pattern of behavior grounded in biology – the behavior itself.
  - Critical of the new atheists, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennet, and Richard Dawkins. They do not take it seriously enough, they do not contend with the great thinkers ( Nietzsche, Dostoevsky) …
  - The Judeo-Christian ethic-based systems work quite well … (24:57) predicated on the sovereignty of the individual in relationship to the state …that is fundamentally religious in its essence – predicated on honest speech – these are religious predicates …
  - Two definitions or aspects of religion – dogmatic (Blackmore) or spiritual. (Dogmatic – Asserting or insisting upon ideas or principles, especially when unproven or unexamined, in an imperious or arrogant manner.)
- Susan Blackmore – Christianity did not make sense to her …; religion a virus of the mind. Virus — (mindset) – on balance, the world would be better off without religion …. but religions have positive benefits, good qualities
  - Archetypes are a given. A Meme is that which is imitated or copied.
  - Applauds the majority (based on polls) of the country (England) are not religious
  - “Accept meaninglessness and ultimate emptiness of everything” as a way of life
    - (Nihilism – The doctrine that nothing actually exists or that existence or values are meaningless. Relentless negativity or cynicism suggesting an absence of values or beliefs.)
  - Peterson: “A miracle for you” — “… Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mathew 22:21 ESV
  - Final Question: “Do we need God to Make Sense of Life?”
    - Susan Blackmore: “Absolutely not.”
    - Jordan Peterson: “God (whatever you are following, the hierarchy of your values)) is what you use to make sense of life”