Interview with Terry Eagleton Part 1

Terry Eagleton's witty and polemical Reason, Faith, and Revolution has caused a stir among scientists, theologians, people of faith, and people of no faith, as well as among general readers eager to understand the current "God debate." Eagleton takes aim at what he calls the "truly shocking ignorance" of religion displayed by Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens in their best-selling atheist manifestos. His own account of the "tragic humanism" at the center of the Western religious tradition includes provocative reflections on death, suffering, and love; on revelation and reasonable belief; on the relationship between science and rationality; and on the peculiarly modern tension between the claims of civilization and culture.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Dawkins
• Hitchens
• Liberalism
• Christianity
• Islam
• Islamophobia

[Lafforte]

@BullInTheHeather1 And besides, lots of us athiests know theology very well, and Harris likely knows more than this muttering fool. The only valid point he makes (practically the ONLY point at all that he makes other than his silly "jokes") is that Hitchens completely pooped the bed with his ridiculous support for Bush's invasion of Iraq. But that says nothing about his very solid book destroying religion.

[Lafforte]

@BullInTheHeather1 Absolutely. That's the utter weakness and stupidity of the argument that to see religion for what it is and have an intelligent opinion on the existence of God, one has to know Thomas Aquinas, etc.!? What idiocy. I need to read Mein Kamph and pore through the writings of the Nazis to know that the Nazis projects were stupid and immoral!?

[brokennarcissist]

@levanyzzuf Thanks I love reading people bash that pseudo philosopher secular prophet.

[junyDada]

@palmaaaa i hope you feel much better now :)

[jewfizzle]

@bertinotti he's actually not a rabbi, btw

[scarletghoul]

poinochet was '73 not '71

[levanyzzuf]

@BullInTheHeather1 the best article I've seen that outlines the various holes in Dawkins writing is titled "Who's Deluded?" and was written by Christopher Kaczor. Seek it out.

[levanyzzuf]

@BullInTheHeather1 "Dawkins is well-versed in philosophy"

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Dick-Dawk would receive a failing grade in any first year philosophy course. His "criticisms" of theology are not taken seriously by ANY professional philosopher. Read other reviews of The God Delusion, particularly one written by Alvin Plantinga.

[BullInTheHeather1]

(cont.) Finally, why is theology held to be separate from philosophy? What's unique to theology, besides religious tendentiousness and intellectual dishonesty, that separates it from religious philosophy? Dawkins is well-versed in philosophy and I'm led to wonder why that isn't enough?

I suspect the root of Eagleton's vacuous argument lies in frustration that theological knowledge is simply not required in order to dismiss a religion which has no substantiating evidence.

Apologies for rambling

[BullInTheHeather1]

(cont.)...on the logical consistency of his argument for the irrationality of theistic/deistic belief. If there is some huge, utterly convincing ontological proof in modern theology that renders Dawkins's arguments invalid then this should be elucidated. Otherwise ignorance of theology is entirely irrelevant when it comes to arguments about God's existence.

Mr Eagleton I imagine, doesn't feel the need to spend a few years studying L Ron Hubbards's writings before dismissing Scientology.(cont.)