User:Devilishlyhandsome/Atheism 3.0
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Atheism 3.0, also referred to as “the new New atheism”, designates [1]an emerging irenic movement amongst writers [2] which is held out by some atheists to be “a stream of atheism that maintains no belief in a deity, but views religion as a positive force for good in the world, benefitting both individuals and society.”[3] It is characterized as a “ new, milder Atheism … teaching a more forgiving attitude towards faith”.[4] A widely cited exemple of the trend is Bruce Sheiman,[5]author of An Atheist Defends Religion, maintains that humanity is better off with it than without it. "I don't know if anybody is going to be able to convince me that God exists," Sheiman said in an interview, "but they can convince me that religion has intrinsic value." [6] In Church, State and the Crisis in American Secularism, Bruce Ledewitz recognized “ a newer kind of atheism that is closer to religion than was the earlier New Atheism”.[7] PZ Myer, a biologist and University of Minnesota associate professor who follow the atheism debate, uses the characterization "Atheist But"".[8]
Seeking a middle ground[edit]
The trend emerged after the emergence of the New Atheism and provoked wide discussion and some moves towards reduction of polarization between atheists and religious believers after appearance of an influential article in Religion News Service.[9] Austin Dacey, while personally disclaiming the label of 3.0 Atheist, observes that “people are trying to find a happy medium” to seek balance after the popularity of the new atheism. Sheiman is quoted stating that the “old atheists said there was no God. The so-called ‘New Atheists’said there was no God, and they were vocally vicious about it. Now, the new ‘New Atheists’ — call it Atheism 3.0 — say there’s still no God, but maybe religion isn’t all that bad.”[10] Humanist Chaplain Greg M. Epstein, author of the forthcoming . “Good without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe,” cautions against what some call militant atheism. “When our goal is erasing religion, rather than embracing human beings, we all lose.” [11] Epstein's approach contrasts with the earlier New Atheists in that he seeks inclusion and balance. [12]
Taxonomic Controversy[edit]
This source identifies Dr.Paul Kurtz [13] but his organization self identifies as “neo-humanist”. Austin Dace, author of The Secularist Case Against Atheism, laments that he and his book were identified with Atheism 3.0 by the syndicated Religion News Service [14] but that he is” not all that happy with the taxonomy which he lampoons as a “’truth-must-lie-somewhere-in-between’ narrative”. He contends that “neither to correct atheism nor to reject religion. It is to change the subject to secularism.”
Criticisms of Atheism 3.0[edit]
PZ Myer, a self-identified New Atheist, represents the opinion that Atheism 3.0 is "atheism for people who don't like atheism".
Bibliography[edit]
- Church, State, and the Crisis in American Secularism. Indiana University Press. Ledewitz, Bruce (2011).
External links[edit]
- 3.0 Atheism: A New Way of Seeing God
- The Danger of Crusading Atheists
- Are Atheists Too Aggressive? Critique of the above.
Previous version[edit]
Atheism 3.0 is a term applied by commentators to the position of a small group of atheist writers who, while not believing in the existence of God, maintain that religion still has been beneficial to both individuals and society.[15][16]
The first-known usage of the term dates to October 2009.[16]
Austin Dacey, formerly a United Nations representative for the Center for Inquiry who has been classified as an Atheism 3.0 author, has criticized the taxonomy.[17]
Dacey is reported to have criticized the New Atheism movement for insisting on the removal of religion from the public square on grounds that doing so would shield religion from criticism and circumvent debate on morality.[18]
The following three books have been called Atheism 3.0 works: Good without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe by Greg M. Epstein, The Secular Conscience: Why Belief Belongs in Public Life by Austin Dacey, and An Atheist Defends Religion: Why Humanity is Better Off With Religion than Without It by Bruce Sheiman.[16]
References[edit]
- ^ Atheism 3.0 finds a little more room for religion|Daniel Burke,| Religion News Service ||http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/atheism_30_finds_a_little_more_room_for_belief1/
- ^ Burke|Epstein argues in his forthcoming book, “Good without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe,” that morality does not depend on a judgmental deity and that nonbelievers can lead meaningful, even purpose-driven, lives. But they can also learn from people of faith, such as California megachurch pastor and “Purpose Driven Life” author Rick Warren,
- ^ http://canadianatheist.com/tag/atheism-3-0/
- ^ Austin Dace|http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2009/10/the_secularist_case_against_atheism_30.html
- ^ http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/10/atheism-30-finds-a-little-more.php
- ^ Atheism 3.0 finds a little more room for religion|Daniel Burke,| Religion News Service|http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-10-19-atheism-belief_N.htm
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=7xgPUVgEaLoC&pg=PA197&dq=%22Atheism+3.0%22&hl=en&ei=f50oTpfyJKiO0gGn_rDMCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Atheism%203.0%22&f=false
- ^ PZ Myers|Biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris |http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/12/kings_and_queens_of_the_ther.php
- ^ "I do appreciate the sentiment. While we disagree on a major, life changing, eternal issue, there is no need to be blatantly mean to one another. Sounds quite Christian in terms of loving your neighbor instead of instantly condemning them."|Citing Burke|http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2009/10/21/atheism-3-0/
- ^ http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/10/atheism-30-finds-a-little-more.php
- ^ http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2009/10/atheism-30-finds-a-little-more.php
- ^ http://harvardhumanist.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=2
- ^ Dr. Paul Kurtz, Professor of philosophy (retired emeritus) at the State University of New York at Amherst (Buffalo) and founder of the Center for Inquiry Transnational and Prometheus Books. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and humanist laureate and president of the International Academy of Humanism.
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-10-19-atheism-belief_N.htm
- ^
Burke, Daniel (19 October 2009). "Atheism 3.0 finds a little more room for religion". USA Today. Religion News Service.
Faith provides meaning and purpose for millions of believers, inspires people to tend to each other and build communities, gives them a sense of union with a transcendent force, and provides numerous health benefits, Sheiman says. Moreover, the galvanizing force behind many achievements in Western civilization has been faith, Sheiman argues, while conceding that he limits his analysis, for the most part, to modern Western religion.
"More than any other institution, religion deserves our appreciation and respect because it has persistently encouraged people to care deeply — for the self, for neighbors, for humanity, and for the natural world — and to strive for the highest ideals humans are able to envision," Sheiman writes.
- ^ a b c
Burke, Daniel (15 October 2009). "Atheism 3.0 finds a little more room for religion". Religion News Service.
The old atheists said there was no God. The so-called "New Atheists" said there was no God, and they were vocally vicious about it. Now, the new "New Atheists" — call it Atheism 3.0 — say there's still no God, but maybe religion isn't all that bad.
- ^
Dacey, Austin (26 October 2009). "The secularist case against "Atheism 3.0"". The Washington Post.
Religion News Service classifies me and my book The Secular Conscience among the 3.0s. I have to say that I'm not all that happy with the taxonomy....The "Atheism 3.0" label may be motivated by a desire for fresh intellectual options, but it confines secular critiques to a conversational agenda set by religion (with a peculiarly Western conception of religion at that).
- ^
Burke, Daniel (19 October 2009). "Atheism 3.0 finds a little more room for religion". USA Today. Religion News Service.
Atheists who insist that religion be removed from the public square are doing themselves a disservice, argues Austin Dacey, a former United Nations representative for the staunchly secularist Center for Inquiry and author of The Secular Conscience: Why Belief Belongs in Public Life. A godless public square not only shields religion from public criticism, it also circumvents a broader debate on morality, he argues.