In the online web site "On Faith", Greg Epstein made a distinction between atheism and 'anti-theism'.
While atheism is the lack of belief in any god, anti-theism means actively seeking out the worst aspects of faith in god and portraying them as representative of all religion. Anti-theism seeks to shame and embarrass people away from religion, browbeating them about the stupidity of belief in a bellicose god.
So . . . I have to ask:
What word do we use for the view that the worst aspects of faith and God apply to no religion. Because this seems to be a position that some people adopt.
It is as if to say that so long as one person does not have a particular quality, that religion itself is beyond reproach. It is as if to say that Dawkins and Harris are saying nothing worthy of concern, as long as only some religions fit their descriptions.
Which, of course, is nonesense.
So, what is the word we should use for holding that, for the good of humanity, there are some or many religious beliefs worthy of condemnation?
1 comment:
Samuel Skinner
I don't seek out the worst aspects- I seek out the common and fundamental aspects- that way it can't be dismissed as insanity.
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