Saturday 12 March 2011

Where atheism takes you

A C Grayling is one of the media atheists - a professor of philosophy who also writes frequently in the press.

Look at this article and note:
  1. The sheer empty hopelessness of Grayling's creed.
  2. His sheer heartlessness in the face of a genuine tragedy.
I for one am glad atheism isn't true.

2 comments:

ACGrayling said...

am I right to take it that in your view it is a benevolent deity who so arranges things as arbitrarily and suddenly to crush and drown thousands of people? Note who is hastening to the rescue: human beings, out of compassion and concern for other human beings caught up in this catastrophe - their fellows, no matter what their beliefs or lack of them.
AC Grayling

David Anderson said...

> am I right to take it that in your view it is a benevolent deity who so arranges things as arbitrarily and suddenly to crush and drown thousands of people?

Hi, welcome. If you are the real A C Grayling, then as a professor of philosophy you should blush to be trading in caricatures like this one.

No, the Christian view is of a righteous and holy Creator who would has the double-right (as both Creator and Judge) to end the existence of all his rebellious creatures whenever he pleases. But in his kindness and mercy in the general case he still allows us to enjoy the blessings of his world, whilst sending us timely reminders that we are not in a holiday camp but that we need to repent. So that we might repent, he has prolonged our existence long to allow us to find the mercy he freely offers through the costly gift of his own Son for our sins.

> Note who is hastening to the rescue: human beings, out of compassion and concern for other human beings caught up in this catastrophe - their fellows, no matter what their beliefs or lack of them.

1) But, as your (?) article explained, this "compassion and concern", according to your view of reality, for a few specks of dust on one more rock hurtling through space is a matter of no cosmic significance. Thus your world-view gives no motivation to such acts, as they are ultimately meaningless.

2) That human life, compassion and concern have real and ultimate value is a Christian view, based on the belief that human beings are made in the image of God, and that this world is not our only existence. As a historical fact, humanitarian aid has been overwhelmingly a theistic project. Here in Kenya, I meet plenty of people involved in ministries of compassion, and 100% of them have been Christians (of course there is some selection bias in that I tend to meet more Christians); but I have not yet met in any of the slums or undeveloped places I've been to any atheist at all, much less an atheist could explain how their atheistic views motivated them to their actions.