What is the New Atheism?

Answer

The early 21st century has witnessed the promotion of secularism and atheism throughout the Western world with increasing vigor and militancy. This has given rise to the “new atheists,” prominent figures of whom include bestselling authors like Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens.

The central claim of the new atheists is that there is no God. Proponents of the new atheism philosophy argue that all the reality we perceive is the result of blind, natural forces. The new atheists are not content with merely disbelieving; instead, they actively urge others to do the same, to openly profess their lack of belief in God, and to take steps to eliminate religious beliefs and practices from the world. As outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins states in The God Delusion, “I do everything in my power to caution people against faith itself.”

An ironic aspect of the new atheism is its strong belief in the inferiority of having faith. The new atheists inaccurately redefine “faith” as an “irrational belief in the absence of evidence.” This distortion of the essence of faith is nonsensical because faith is not primarily a firm belief in something, but rather the foundation of Christian faith is trust in someone—God. A.W. Tozer remarked, “Faith relies on the character of God, not on the demonstration of laboratory or logic.” When one trusts in the character of a person, such as a mother or an aircraft pilot, one no longer requires skepticism or compelling evidence regarding any service they provide.

Regarding matters, Christians appropriately approach the subject by seeking substantial evidence while acknowledging that some issues may surpass our current comprehension. Indeed, many scientists of faith have been pioneers in the scientific field and evaluate evidence using rigorous methods and techniques.Techniques. The new atheists argue that empirical science is the sole path to understanding reality. However, this is mistaken, as the very idea of “scientism” (the belief that science is the exclusive means to acquire knowledge) cannot be tested through any scientific experiment and essentially boils down to a matter of faith. Faith, rather than being an “irrational belief in the absence of evidence,” involves accepting as true something that is not directly observable. Scientism is a metaphysical concept. Therefore, the new atheists rely on some form of faith, even if it is not directed towards God. Scientism contradicts itself and, therefore, should not be embraced. Scientism can be defined as the conviction that “empirical science is the only method to establish certainty about anything.” Naturally, one might inquire, “What scientific experiment demonstrated that empirical science is the sole means to establish certainty about anything?”

In contrast, theism is in harmony with the existence of a transcendent God. Biblical theism is centered on a set of rational principles, one of which is that there is no true atheist. Evidently, atheists have a form of faith, even if it is solely in their ability to persuade others to join their atheistic endeavors. Romans 1:19–20 plainly states that all individuals are aware of God’s existence because God has unmistakably disclosed this knowledge to them through the evidence of creation. Those who reject God are doing so due to the rebellion of a darkened heart «because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. », (Romans 1:21). The self-proclaimed atheist may perceive themselves as intellectual, but God has declared, “The fool says in his heart ‘there is no god’” (Psalm 14:1;Psalm 53:1).