Alistar McGrath on proselytizing New Atheism : "I don't like it very much"

redneF
atheistRational VIP!
redneF's picture
Posts: 1970
Joined: 2011-01-04
User is offlineOffline
Alistar McGrath on proselytizing New Atheism : "I don't like it very much"

Well isn't that too effn' bad?

Check out the double standard:

"They're really in your face. It's not sort of....here's a nice sort of Atheism...it's much more 'Let's get rid of religion' " :  Alistar McGrath

He's certainly got a new fire and brimstone lecturing approach, but behind a 'Happy Face'  mask. You have to give him an 'A' for effort.

His comments on Dawkins are also embarrassing and ignorant: " I do think he overstates, I also think he's just a little bit disrespectful to people of faith. They're not mad or bad, they've thought this through...I think we have to be a bit more respectful in this discussion..." : Alistar McGrath

'Just a little bit disrespectful'?
'We have to be a bit more respectful'?

Double standard much??

I wonder what his opinion would be if we took the historic 'Christian Worldview' approach and started burning people at the stake as 'witches' and heretics for their 'nonbelief' in 'Atheism' (sic).

The funniest thing is that he's an 'Evolutionist', and not a Literalist Christian.

His comments on what he'd say to George Bush's feeling that 'god' was advising him to go to war were priceless...

This is from a Canadian show. I don't know if everyone will be able to view it.

 

 

 

 

I keep asking myself " Are they just playin' stupid, or are they just plain stupid?..."

"To explain the unknown by the known is a logical procedure; to explain the known by the unknown is a form of theological lunacy" : David Brooks

" Only on the subject of God can smart people still imagine that they reap the fruits of human intelligence even as they plow them under." : Sam Harris


HumanVuvuzela
atheist
HumanVuvuzela's picture
Posts: 93
Joined: 2011-04-24
User is offlineOffline
This bloke's a

This bloke's a clown...

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"... I went to university, and started thinking for myself, God is rather more exciting than I thought and so I eventually became a christian ...".

Exciting? That's all it took? I find pole dancing exciting, can I worship there? 

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"... If you believe in god it gives a new intellectual depth to your science, and really makes it more interesting ...".

How? By having to explain how the concept of a god fits in with the data that's been observed? It certainly does make explaining your results more challenging. This bloke has the 'intellectual depth' of a puddle on a hot day. 

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"... If you believe in god it gives you reasons to look at science in much more detail, and brings more excitement, more depth to your science ...".

You are FORCED to look at science in more detail, to try and find a way around the bullshit you are trying to push.

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"... In some way you look at the beauty of nature and it reflects the beauty of god."

In other ways you look at the beauty of nature and it reflects an evolutionary process. 

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"What is the point of life? Why are we here? Do you matter? Are you important? I don't think science can answer these questions."

As the interviewer pointed out, this is philosophy, not science. And science can answer them. The point of life is to reproduce. We are here as a result of an evolutionary process. In the universal sense, you don't matter. You are not important. 

I can see why Dawkins is reluctant to debate clowns like McGrath - by descending to his level, it appears to give his views some legitimacy. 

 

 


Brian37
atheistSuperfan
Brian37's picture
Posts: 16463
Joined: 2006-02-14
User is offlineOffline
HumanVuvuzela wrote:This

HumanVuvuzela wrote:

This bloke's a clown...

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"... I went to university, and started thinking for myself, God is rather more exciting than I thought and so I eventually became a christian ...".

Exciting? That's all it took? I find pole dancing exciting, can I worship there? 

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"... If you believe in god it gives a new intellectual depth to your science, and really makes it more interesting ...".

How? By having to explain how the concept of a god fits in with the data that's been observed? It certainly does make explaining your results more challenging. This bloke has the 'intellectual depth' of a puddle on a hot day. 

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"... If you believe in god it gives you reasons to look at science in much more detail, and brings more excitement, more depth to your science ...".

You are FORCED to look at science in more detail, to try and find a way around the bullshit you are trying to push.

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"... In some way you look at the beauty of nature and it reflects the beauty of god."

In other ways you look at the beauty of nature and it reflects an evolutionary process. 

Alistar McGrath wrote:
"What is the point of life? Why are we here? Do you matter? Are you important? I don't think science can answer these questions."

As the interviewer pointed out, this is philosophy, not science. And science can answer them. The point of life is to reproduce. We are here as a result of an evolutionary process. In the universal sense, you don't matter. You are not important. 

I can see why Dawkins is reluctant to debate clowns like McGrath - by descending to his level, it appears to give his views some legitimacy. 

 

 

Any hot chick willing to show me their goods via consent is much more deserving of worship than any dictator god.

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog


Philosophicus
Philosophicus's picture
Posts: 362
Joined: 2009-12-16
User is offlineOffline
...

The main thing I noticed was how likeable Alister McGrath is.  I don't think I could get mad at this man.  And I like how he accepts the modern scientific worldview; unfortunately he goes too far beyond the evidence.


Conor Wilson
Posts: 451
Joined: 2008-01-07
User is offlineOffline
As I live and breathe...

 

...I have no idea what this Alistair McGrath is talking about. 

 

I *did* believe in God, and I didn't find a "new intellectual depth" for having done so.  In fact, believing was a serious problem, as I kept running into problem after problem which simply should not have happened at all if there was any validity to religion.  Looking back, I don't know why it took me so long to deconvert; by rights, I should have been an atheist for decades, now, instead of just a handful of years.  I must be slow on the uptake, and/or stubborn as hell. 

 

Conor

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Faith does not fear reason."--Pope Pius XII

"But it should!"--Me


Philosophicus
Philosophicus's picture
Posts: 362
Joined: 2009-12-16
User is offlineOffline
...

Conor Wilson wrote:

 

As I live and breathe ... I have no idea what this Alistair McGrath is talking about. 

 

I *did* believe in God, and I didn't find a "new intellectual depth" for having done so.  In fact, believing was a serious problem, as I kept running into problem after problem which simply should not have happened at all if there was any validity to religion.  Looking back, I don't know why it took me so long to deconvert; by rights, I should have been an atheist for decades, now, instead of just a handful of years.  I must be slow on the uptake, and/or stubborn as hell. 

 

McGrath's worldview is upside down -- instead of bottom-up it's top-down.  I find intellectual depth in how the universe actually works; but theologians don't offer theories for how a deity actually made anything.  There's not even a theory!  I hope McGrath is more rational than William Lane Craig, who thinks that believing in God is as rational as believing that other people have minds.