"Atheism deserves better than the new atheists whose methodology consists of criticizing religion without understanding it, quoting texts without contexts, taking exceptions as the rule, confusing folk belief with reflective theology, abusing, mocking, ridiculing, caricaturing, and demonizing religious faith and holding it responsible for the great crimes against humanity. Religion has done harm; I acknowledge that. But the cure for bad religion is good religion, not no religion, just as the cure for bad science is good science, not the abandonment of science."
- Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
This is one of the greatest, most comprehensive and sound quotes I've seen in philosophy. This sums up so much I and others have tried to say in a simple, short paragraph. He is right. Sure religions has caused bad, it has caused good as well. Heck, the State Atheism of the USSR unfortunately stuck the atheists in a position most of us are too familiar with: people doing something terrible in the name of our philosophies. And likewise atheism has done good, I've seen it with my own eyes, we can show people who have benefitted from atheism.
It's also become impossible to discuss religion online without the behavior mentioned by the rabbi. "...criticizing religion without understanding it, quoting texts without contexts, taking exceptions as the rule, confusing folk belief with reflective theology, abusing, mocking, ridiculing, caricaturing, and demonizing religious faith and holding it responsible for the great crimes against humanity...". You see this absolutely everywhere, from here to Reddit, YouTube to Facebook, Kindle to Vastne and Noble. I've often argued in favor of the term "new atheism", and it's specifically because "Atheism deserves better than the new atheists ..."
Finally, I love the quote about science. Far too often do people hold positions they disagree with to different standards than their own. This is the best possible metaphor For why we need "good religion" rather than "none".
Thoughts?
- Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
This is one of the greatest, most comprehensive and sound quotes I've seen in philosophy. This sums up so much I and others have tried to say in a simple, short paragraph. He is right. Sure religions has caused bad, it has caused good as well. Heck, the State Atheism of the USSR unfortunately stuck the atheists in a position most of us are too familiar with: people doing something terrible in the name of our philosophies. And likewise atheism has done good, I've seen it with my own eyes, we can show people who have benefitted from atheism.
It's also become impossible to discuss religion online without the behavior mentioned by the rabbi. "...criticizing religion without understanding it, quoting texts without contexts, taking exceptions as the rule, confusing folk belief with reflective theology, abusing, mocking, ridiculing, caricaturing, and demonizing religious faith and holding it responsible for the great crimes against humanity...". You see this absolutely everywhere, from here to Reddit, YouTube to Facebook, Kindle to Vastne and Noble. I've often argued in favor of the term "new atheism", and it's specifically because "Atheism deserves better than the new atheists ..."
Finally, I love the quote about science. Far too often do people hold positions they disagree with to different standards than their own. This is the best possible metaphor For why we need "good religion" rather than "none".
Thoughts?