What's the New Atheism? | Episode 1204 | Closer To Truth

What are the arguments for atheism? If one hopes that God exists, they must listen to atheists and follow their arguments. If hope trumps reason one may be entombed in false belief. Featuring interviews with Michael Shermer, Alister McGrath, Keith Ward, Anthony A.C. Grayling, and Lawrence M. Krauss.

Season 12, Episode 4 - #CloserToTruth

Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn takes viewers on an intriguing global journey into cutting-edge labs, magnificent libraries, hidden gardens, and revered sanctuaries in order to discover state-of-the-art ideas and make them real and relevant.

Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

#Atheism #Religion

[johnbrzykcy]

I did not know this until a few years ago: in the first few centuries of the Roman empire, Christians who believed in Jesus the Christ ( and not the Roman deities ) were called "atheists."

[roblovestar]

Kuhn (at the end): "Hope is emotional. Reason is rational. Must the rational squeeze out the emotional?"
Apparently not in our species, as most people seem driven by emotion. But to get 'closer to truth', reason is hugely beneficial. ;)

[makeracistsafraidagain]

I don't know if I'm old or new atheist.
When I was 11 years old in the 1960s I was a deeply religious boy. Like over the top, really. How can your creator not be the focus of your life?
I started catechism and was told to bring all my questions and they would be answered. I was excited.
I brought questions. They couldn't answer them. I spoke to adults and found out the bible is full of contradictions and worse. I asked about them and was told I was too young and couldn't understand. I should come back when I'm older.
It was obvious to me that my maturity wasn't the issue. I began to question everything and study other beliefs. Then the light came on and I was frightened... I had lost my faith. Suddenly, completely gone. I was sure it was ALL fake.
Now, after studying comparative religions and philosophy in college I'm completely convinced that religion is a tool of control.
Nothing more.
Religion is something to be resisted. Something to be opposed.
And I do. I respect your right to believe whatever you want but keep Religion Out of America's Politics, Laws and Schools!

[janedoe]

I fully understand why atheism is so aggressive in the U.S. It is indeed a socio-political counter-movement caused by the "typical american religiosity", as it were. It's a kind of rebellion. Perfectly understandable from a European point of view.

[Jordy]

I live in Australia we had an open Atheist Prime Minister (Bob Hawke). If I remember correctly, nobody really put up a fuss about it. Actually, I think he was just one of many in Australian politics up to present day.

[zenbum]

Audio level is too low on the voice-over track.

[Techno.love]

Lawrence's take on this is so relevant!

[positivebuoyancy]

Every New Year's I become an eggnogstic.

[cliffjamesmusic]

Talking about “New Atheism“ as distinct from “Atheism” is an attempt to give a label to a movement that challenges unjustifiable claims against atheists made by religious believers. Atheism is merely not believing in the existence of God. A movement for change needs a matrix of activity, so it is good that there are those who go out to challenge the status quo, as well as those who provide defence against attack from the status quo. It is interesting that the existence or not of God is not the issue. It is the consequences of believing (= religion), or not, in the existence which influences us. It will be good when discussion develops more into the question of the content of the values we want to live by, rather than discussing the legitimacy of the supposed source.

[jmzorko]

I'm an unabashed atheist and find the idea of god(s) existing outside of the imaginations of their believers to be a complete non-starter in my world. That being said, I disagree with the shrillness on all sides and see _many_ common values across believers and non. I also find many (not all, but many) of the various origin stories humanity has used to provide meaning, as well as many of the cultural rituals used to phenomenologically connect these stories to our lives, to be quite beautiful and moving. I quite respect the more modern theologians who have had the intellectual integrity to honestly subject their beliefs to the crucible of science and skeptical thought (i.e. Ricouer, Tillich), even if I don't necessary agree with their conclusions.

I still _quite_ enjoy CTT (though I prefer the "Cosmos. Consciousness. Meaning." tagline, personally). Aside from ESP (which doesn't fit in any of those categories), I often enjoy and deeply appreciate the obvious thought that went into many of these discussions.

[johnbaek]

Finally, a question that RLK can definitely answer

[Jcs]

“God offers an explanatory framework” Right up until you ask to see how so then like wisp of smoke it is gone.

[gabrielduran]

The video ends with a false dichotomy: should the rational squeeze out the emotional?

He seems to not see that he is emotional about rationality itself.

Suppose he wasn't emotional about rationality. This is like saying he doesn't care about rationality. He doesn't respect rationality. And yet he is alive, humans can only survive if they know how to use reason, and humans can only reason if they choose to and people can only choose to if they are aware of the consequences of using reason and of not using reason. But that's respect for reason. That's caring for reason.

What he is really putting up against each other is the emotion of respect for reason with his emotion of hope for god.

[johnheaviside]

There is a Lawrence Krauss shows a very clear example of the shrillness factor talked about. At first I really liked his talk about symbiotic tension between theologians and astrophysicists when exploring deep questions. Then he did what I call "drag in the mud" tactic, he gets to the "Stories" thing. I'll just say that, in Buddhism we didn't have editorial centralization like there is today. It's well known that lots of "stories" made their way in and just there's only the articulate of realized lamas that can comment on certain things. But overall, very quality, respectful disagreement here.

[kokopelli]

Saying that there were philosophers in the past that believed in God so therefore a philosophical position rooted in belief in God(s) is perfectly reasonable today is a blatant fallacy.
Shame on your House, Keith Ward.

[calonstanni]

I've been an atheist for many years but I became ( I think) what others would call a NEW ATHEIST due to my need to actively fight back against the religious ideology that allowed Trump to become a leader. I am researching and studying, and I'm more outspoken. I am very anxious to lend my voice and energy to aid in the removal of theism from our government, schools and social expectations. Folks can call atheists "militant" but I suspect that just a way of expressing their dislike of atheists who actually say what they think even though it's not pleasant. This video was fun and thought provoking. Thank you so much for this.

[tshepoblom]

I love Robert Kuhn. The man is a mystic.

[blizzforte]

No matter what anyone does you won’t get closer to the truth. It’s the same for everyone: a hopeless journey. For hundreds of thousands of years human have asked the same fundamental questions. And we’re exactly 0% closer to the truth.

[frankwhelan]

'I believe there's very likely no god'' a simpler way of putting it then atheist, agnostic atheist, and all the rest.

[charlescheeseborough]

Alister: "my magical story can explain everything." 🤦🏽‍♂️