The Table Briefing: The New Atheism And The Problem Of Evil -- By: Darrell L. Bock

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 171:684 (Oct 2014)
Article: The Table Briefing: The New Atheism And The Problem Of Evil
Author: Darrell L. Bock


The Table Briefing: The New Atheism And The Problem Of Evil

Darrell L. Bock

and

Mikel Del Rosario

The 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC, instigated many changes—not only in American foreign policy, but also in the overall tone of international conversations about religion. Almost immediately, outspoken atheist authors like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and the late Christopher Hitchens gained popularity among critics of all religions, focusing their angst on both Islam and Christianity. In public lectures and debates, however, the New Atheist conversations often turned to emotionally charged attacks on the Judeo-Christian conception of an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God in view of the evil and suffering present in the world.

Indeed, one need only turn on the television, access a news app, or drive past local flag poles—which so often seem to fly the American flag at half-mast—to be reminded of a fallen world filled with evil and suffering. What do Christians need to know in order to better engage a skeptical culture, especially amidst continued assertions that the existence of evil disproves the existence of God?

In a podcast called “Challenges to the Existence of God,” Darrell Bock, Glenn Kreider, and Doug Blount discuss objections popularized by the New Atheism, concerning the problem of evil. The following is adapted from their conversation. It defines the New Atheism and highlights three key points from the conversation.

What Is The New Atheism?

“The New Atheism” refers to the beliefs of naturalists with an affinity for the views of Friedrich Nietzsche who often espouse ideas popularized by atheist authors like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens. These atheists hold that God does not exist and that this is a realization worthy of celebration. Blount characterizes the New Atheism as a movement

that continues in the spirit of Nietzsche, while confidently focusing its objections to religion on Christianity:

Blount: Prior to Nietzsche, the atheist attitude was typically one of regret. The view was “Well, there isn’t God and that’s unfortunate. [It] would be nice if there were.” What you have with Nietzsche is a view according to which God’s non-existence is actually a good thing, something in fact to be celebrated. . . . I think you also have a level of vitriol and anger and criticism from the New Atheist directed toward people of faith—particularly Christians—that has seldom been seen in the past.

Naturalism And Morality
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