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
BSac 171:684 (October-December 2014) p. 472
The Table Briefing: The New Atheism And The Problem Of Evil
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Mikel Del Rosario
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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
BSac 171:684 (October-December 2014) p. 473
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.
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