Time: Tuesday, 5:00pm – 6:30pm

Location: Chapel on the Ave, 4130 University Way NE

Topic: Must honest atheism confront nihilism?

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=12102948415

In his piece “Amateur atheists”, John Haught argues that the “new atheism” movement is trying to replace religion with secular humanism “at the least possible expense to the agreeable socioeconomic circumstances out of which they sermonize. They would have the God-religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam—simply disappear, after which we should be able go on enjoying the same lifestyle as before. People would then continue to cultivate essentially the same values as before, including altruism, but they would do it without inspired books and divine commandments”

He argues that Secular Humanism is “religiosity in a new guise. [...] a full acceptance of the death of God would require an asceticism completely missing in the new atheistic formulas.”

Do these arguments hold weight? Are atheists simply taking the comfortable road of rejecting God without fully grappling what that must mean for morality? Must an honest atheist grapple and come to terms with nihilism and all that it implies? Come and discuss these questions and more surrounding the Amateur Atheists article.

It would be helpful if people attending are already familiar with the article to speed along discussion but we will devote the first 20 minutes to presenting the arguments given.

Also, if you can, stay for the Chapel on the Ave discussion group from 8 – 9 where they will be delving into The God Delusion and what it means for Christians.

http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=4497

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