A Good Friday Response to Neo-Atheism

I have been troubled by the virulence of the "Neo-Atheist" polemic against religion and Christianity in particular. I read an exchange the other day between Sam Harris and Rick Warren (not the best pairing) and Harris denied that he's angry, just impatient. That may well be, but the tone is still angry.
Today, E.J. Dionne joins the chorus of respondents to Harris and friends in a reasoned response that defends the moderate/liberal voice and the essence of the Christian faith which does leave room for doubt and calls for moral humility. He writes in response to the challenge:

What's really bothersome is the suggestion that believers rarely question themselves while atheists ask all the hard questions. But as Novak argued -- in one of the best critiques of neo-atheism -- in the March 19 issue of National Review, "Questions have been the heart and soul of Judaism and Christianity for millennia." (These questions get a fair reading in another powerful commentary on neo-atheism by James Wood, himself an atheist, in the Dec. 18 issue of the
New Republic.) "Christianity is not about moral arrogance," Novak insists. "It is about moral realism, and moral humility." Of course Christians in practice often fail to live up to this elevated definition of their creed. But atheists are capable of their own forms of arrogance. Indeed, if arrogance were the only criterion, the contest could well come out a tie.

As for me, Christianity is more a call to rebellion than an insistence on narrow conformity, more a challenge than a set of certainties.

In " The Last Week," their book about Christ's final days on Earth, Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan, distinguished liberal scriptural scholars, write: "He attracted a following and took his movement to Jerusalem at the season of Passover. There he challenged the authorities with public acts and public debates. All this was his passion, what he was passionate about: God and the Kingdom of God, God and God's passion for justice. Jesus' passion got him killed."

That's why I celebrate Easter and why, despite many questions of my own, I can't join the neo-atheists.

I add my Amen to the chorus!

Comments

Mike L. said…
Hi, my name is Mike and I am a Pastor Bob blogaholic. I am back from a short vacation without internet access and it is good to get back to pondering my faith journey with you.

I know you spend a great deal of time blogging and finding information to write about (not sure how can you do it!). I hope you know that it helpful to many people. At least it is for me!.

Thanks. Your blog is an oasis.
Robert Cornwall said…
Mike,

Thank you for your generous words for my blog. I do have fun with it and people like you, with your questions and challenges, push me to think more fully about my faith and how it relates the totality of my life.

I probably spend too much time blogging -- If I finally get a full time preaching gig again I'll find myself in a quandry. If only I could make a living at this -- but then it would be tainted -- right? But hey, Andrew Sullivan does it -- but then, I'm not Andrew Sullivan.

Thanks again!!!

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