Understanding the New Atheism, an Interview with Victor Stenger
Welcome to The Promethean's exclusive Q&A with Victor J. Stenger, author of the New York Times bestseller God: The Failed Hypothesis. Even believers can appreciate Stenger's fervent discussion of an emerging atheist movement, as he explains in his newest book, The New Atheism: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason.
PB: What is the "New Atheism" and who is this book written for?
VS: The "New Atheism" is the harder line against faith and organized religion being taken by certain bestselling authors and others in the atheist community. I would hope that believers read the book, realize that the case against God is strong, and begin to develop doubts. I would hope that agnostics read the book, realize we can be sure that God does not exist, and become new atheists. I would hope that old atheists read the book, realize that for the good of society irrational faith should hot be tolerated, and become new atheists.
PB: How does the "New Atheism" differ from the concept of atheism that we know?
VS: Many atheists and agnostics take a benign view of religion and think it provides some useful benefits to society. They also seek to find common ground with moderate believers in order to obtain their support for science, especially in the battle between evolutionists and creationists. New atheists view the battle between reason and superstition to be more important. They regard all faith as folly since it is not based on evidence, and the irrational faith of moderate churchgoers provide support for more fanatical believers.
PB: In your opinion, what is the most criticized aspect of atheism? Which aspect is easiest to embrace?
VS: The most common charge is that atheism is immoral. This is easy to counter by looking at the facts. Atheists have higher moral standards than believers, who do not hesitate to force their beliefs on others. Freedom of thought is the easiest aspect of atheism to embrace.
PB: You note that the Bible -- trusted as divine revelation by millions -- fails as a basis for morality and is unable to account for the problem of unnecessary suffering throughout the world. What is some of the evidence supporting this?
VS: New atheists do not see scriptures as the source of morality. In fact, we see them as teaching much that is immoral, such as slavery and the subjugation of women. There are no original moral teachings in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic scriptures. Theologians have never been able to solve the problem of how an all-powerful, all-seeing, all-beneficent God can exist with all the gratuitous suffering in the world. The Bible claims that God punishes only the guilty, which is obviously untrue.
PB: Atheism has grown in popularity in recent years, to what do you attribute its resurgence?
VS: People are beginning to see that religion does not solve the problems of the world but rather exacerbates them. They have been turned off by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim fanaticism. 9/11 helped, but I think that science is also beginning to provide plausible natural explanations for observations. Once people learn about them they are able to free themselves from the argument from design. This has happened in cosmology, physics, biology, and neuroscience.
PB: In the preface of The New Atheism, you quote author and atheist Christopher Hitchens, who says, "There are ... atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have relinquished belief only with regret...." What is your opinion on this? Are non-atheists ever able to truly "let go" of theist beliefs to fully realize atheism?
VS: Sure, non-atheists can let go of theist beliefs, as Hitchens concludes, "How happy we ought to be, at the reflection that there exists not a shred of respectable evidence for such a horrible hypothesis [permanent, unalterable, celestial despotism]."
PB: What is the "New Atheism" and who is this book written for?
VS: The "New Atheism" is the harder line against faith and organized religion being taken by certain bestselling authors and others in the atheist community. I would hope that believers read the book, realize that the case against God is strong, and begin to develop doubts. I would hope that agnostics read the book, realize we can be sure that God does not exist, and become new atheists. I would hope that old atheists read the book, realize that for the good of society irrational faith should hot be tolerated, and become new atheists.
PB: How does the "New Atheism" differ from the concept of atheism that we know?
VS: Many atheists and agnostics take a benign view of religion and think it provides some useful benefits to society. They also seek to find common ground with moderate believers in order to obtain their support for science, especially in the battle between evolutionists and creationists. New atheists view the battle between reason and superstition to be more important. They regard all faith as folly since it is not based on evidence, and the irrational faith of moderate churchgoers provide support for more fanatical believers.
PB: In your opinion, what is the most criticized aspect of atheism? Which aspect is easiest to embrace?
VS: The most common charge is that atheism is immoral. This is easy to counter by looking at the facts. Atheists have higher moral standards than believers, who do not hesitate to force their beliefs on others. Freedom of thought is the easiest aspect of atheism to embrace.
PB: You note that the Bible -- trusted as divine revelation by millions -- fails as a basis for morality and is unable to account for the problem of unnecessary suffering throughout the world. What is some of the evidence supporting this?
VS: New atheists do not see scriptures as the source of morality. In fact, we see them as teaching much that is immoral, such as slavery and the subjugation of women. There are no original moral teachings in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic scriptures. Theologians have never been able to solve the problem of how an all-powerful, all-seeing, all-beneficent God can exist with all the gratuitous suffering in the world. The Bible claims that God punishes only the guilty, which is obviously untrue.
PB: Atheism has grown in popularity in recent years, to what do you attribute its resurgence?
VS: People are beginning to see that religion does not solve the problems of the world but rather exacerbates them. They have been turned off by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim fanaticism. 9/11 helped, but I think that science is also beginning to provide plausible natural explanations for observations. Once people learn about them they are able to free themselves from the argument from design. This has happened in cosmology, physics, biology, and neuroscience.
PB: In the preface of The New Atheism, you quote author and atheist Christopher Hitchens, who says, "There are ... atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have relinquished belief only with regret...." What is your opinion on this? Are non-atheists ever able to truly "let go" of theist beliefs to fully realize atheism?
VS: Sure, non-atheists can let go of theist beliefs, as Hitchens concludes, "How happy we ought to be, at the reflection that there exists not a shred of respectable evidence for such a horrible hypothesis [permanent, unalterable, celestial despotism]."