Atheism an Postmodernism

The Rise in Atheism
1. Ray Billington and science: 3 supreme, scientific catalysts for the rise in atheism. 1. Galileo and Copernicus' development of the telescope and space exploration. 2. Biological revelation of evolution, theory put forward by Darwin - conflicts with creation story. 3. Pyschological developments by Freud.
  1. Darwin and Response to science: Darwin claims that although it challenges religious teachings, science cannot disprove God's existence. Not enough evidence to confirm nor reject
2. Empiricism: That that we can only experience within our 5 sense; God is non-empirical so cannot be confined by human understanding. Hyman said 'God is exactly that that is non-empirical'/'theism is completely incompatible with empiricism' and Hume confirms that we can only draw conclusions from natural phenomenon so it is ridiculous to claim God's existence. A J Ayer's verification principle - a statement that cannot be proved or disproved is meaningless i.e God's existence.
  1. Response to empiricism: Verification principle cannot be proven so whole argument is redundant. Billington contradicts himself by claiming not all beliefs can be proved via senses i.e intuition.
3. The problem of evil: If God is Omnibenevolant/present/scient, how can he allow evil and suffering (inconsisitent triad)? Evil exists, so the concept of God as we know him cannot exist/ D Z Phillips - 'It is never justifiable to hurt someone in order to help them'
  1. Response to evil: ST Augustine claims that sin is a product of the misuse of human free will. Hume says that evil is necessary in the world to give man the option to stray from God's plan (the right path) and learn from mistakes.
4. The rebellion of moral absolutes: meta-narratives and absolute laws that are unchanging ethical truths. Atheism rebels against these as religious values, and claims that what is right or wrong is determined by individual situation and in correlation to cultural relatives, how an individual is cultured. H P Owen - 'It is impossible to think of a command with thinking of a commander', reinforced by Immanual Kant's claim that moral laws are not divine commands.
  1. Response to moral absolutes: If relativism is opposed to meta-narratives, would it not be more relative to take the approach of situation ethics, and decide based on religious values rather than absolutes.
5. Other faiths: Each religion claims to have the 'one true God'. John Hick claims that faith is often determined by geographical location, and what religions say contradicts each other - if one were to be wrong, could all religions be incorrect? Hume - 'Whatever is different is contrary'
  1. Religious pluralism: All religions recognise the a supreme, transcendant reality, and different teachings are simply interpretations and equally valid. 'A many routes to the mountain of God'
Types of belief
1. Negative atheism: The lack of belief in God's existence
2. Positive atheism: The belief that there is no god.
3. Agnosticism: The belief that it is not possible to determine God's existence without evidence
Postmodernism: The culturally relative era following the modern period, which revolved around meta-narratives and knowing where you stand, whereas the the postmodern era focuses on relativism and personal approaches to life and religion, rejecting moral absolutes.
1. Cultural constructs: The idea that our values are based on our society and culture i.e someone who doesnt know the history of the Qua'ran might put it on the floor or handle it wrong. Religious symbols i.e christian cross becoming commercialised as religious values are lost to culture
2. No right or wrong religion: James Beckford's pick and mix approach determines that people can take their own personal approach to each religion and decide what parts of what religion they chose to follow. In order to reject absolutes we must also reject religion claims to absolute knowledge of God. Postmodernism allows us to not be marginalised by the rues and closedness of 'one true God or religion'
3. Religion as a spiritual journey: No religion can be proven correct or false, so it is up to the individual to create their own mini-narrative. Heelas uses example of new age spiritualism which incorporates multiple religions. There is also the argument of antirealism (Cupitt) who says God does not exist as an extissential beimg, but a product of our minds to represent the human spiritual search
  1. This conflicts with the rejection of moral absolutes; set rules for set spiritual quest.
4. Living religion rather than intellectual faith: Religion is a way of life rather than a set of rules or teachings. Andrew right talks about 'deeds before creeds', referring to living a christian way, i.e a loving way rather than learning the bible or the teachings. Caputo talks about religion as a way of life rather than a means of gaining spiritual knowledge. Spirituality is in the action not the teaching.
Postmodernism: affirm or deny religion?
1. Affirmations
  1. God is outside bounds of human knowledge - transcendency. Rejects absolute knowledge ad focuses on faith.
    1. Living religion is emphasised - 'live as Jesus did' - situation ethics.
      1. God as not a physical being, such as 'holy spirit', 'light of God'
        Rejects also atheism as it is a meta-narrative and moral absolutes i.e God does not exist are rejected by postmodernism. This presents opportunity to explore religious and spiritual interpretations
2. Denials
  1. The rejection of absolute truths conflicts key teaching and absolute affirmation of God
    1. Living religion is a meta-narrative, which is rejected by postmodernism
      1. Freedom of thought and interpretaion (pick and mix) challenges religious values; 'God is the way, truth and light'
        God's existence cannot be verified- verification principle rejects it. Religious pluralism does conflict with the absolute that there is one true God.
        This is closer to atheism than agnosticism, as it rejects God's objective existence.

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