"There is...a curious connection between the doctrine of creation out of nothing and the professional life of Richard Dawkins. Without God, Dawkins would be out of a job. it is thus particularly churlish of him to call the existence of his employer into question."
- Terry Eagleton from Reason, Faith, and Revolution
10 comments:
I've been dying to read Terry Eagleton's new book. I've loved what few encounters I've had with Eagleton's sharp wit.
Eagleton is a great writer. It's interesting because as a man of the left he has the most devistating critiques of the left. His book on postmodernism absolutely demolishes it.
Wit and sarcasm often wins the crowd but I find rarely gets to the issue. Eagleton's quote is a good example. If the book is based upon that, I'll pass.
I can't speak for Mr. Eagleton but I'm pretty sure he won't lose any sleep.
nor will I when it is published...It will most likely convince the already convinced and do little to further the discussion that would be worthwhile having.
While I disagree with Dawkins on many points including his presuppositions about God he is not an idiot...to characterize him as such is a mistake.
Mike,
Dawkins is a fool. "The fool has said in his heart..."
He has a tremendous amount of knowlege. But any one with a decent bachelor's degree in philosophy could take apart his book "The God Delusion."
"any one with a decent bachelor's degree in philosophy could take apart his book"...yet we would not apply the same level of critique to the Bible b/c of our presuppositions. This is why I am inclined to listen to Enns, Sparks, and others.
This has led me down the path to think that in the end we all (Christians and non-Christians) believe what we want to believe. A degree of truth has to be woven in there somehow but it gets lost in the agenda of proving our "rightness".
Mike,
We're going nowhere.
If you think anyone with a bachelor's degree can take apart the Bible then I don't know why you even bother. If you think that the inspired Scriptures are no more philosophically sound than Dawkins' screed then I honestly don't know why you would even want to claim the name "Christian."
You are absolutely wrong that Christians only believe what they want to believe. That may be the reason you retain some semblance of Christian belief. Indeed, based upon your ideas of truth then I can only conclude that you believe only what you want to believe. But please do not lump the rest of us into your view of truth and belief.
Do you think Christians WANT to believe that we are called to deny ourselves? Do you think we WANT to believe that we are not to indulge our most sensual desires? Do you think we WANT to believe that we must forgive our enemies?
Mike some of your comments leave me wondering if you are just a contrarian and that if I said grass was green you would insist that it was red.
not really trying to be a contrarian just for contrarian sake. A lot of my comments (probably most) reflect the deep crisis of faith that I have experienced over the past few years. Imagine yourself believing all that you have believed for most of your life and having those beliefs turned upside down. It is why I struggle with issues of truth and belief...nothing seems outside the realm of examination.
So while I recognize we see things very very differently...it is, for me, working out my salvation. I have appreciated reading your POV even when I disagree with it and your commitment in interacting.
Thanks Mike.
I know what it is to have a crisis of belief. You are in the hands of a good and sovereign God and He is using this for your good.
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