Notice something interesting about the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings? Atheists are nowhere to be found. Every time there is a public gathering there is talk of God and divine mercy and spiritual healing. Even secular people like the poet Nikki Giovanni use language that is heavily drenched with religious symbolism and meaning.
The atheist writer Richard Dawkins has observed that according to the findings of modern science, the universe has all the properties of a system that is utterly devoid of meaning. The main characteristic of the universe is pitiless indifference. Dawkins further argues that we human beings are simply agglomerations of molecules, assembled into functional units over millennia of natural selection, and as for the soul--well, that's an illusion!
To no one's surprise, Dawkins has not been invited to speak to the grieving Virginia Tech community. What this tells me is that if it's difficult to know where God is when bad things happen, it is even more difficult for atheism to deal with the problem of evil. The reason is that in a purely materialist universe, immaterial things like good and evil and souls simply do not exist. For scientific atheists like Dawkins, Cho's shooting of all those people can be understood in this way--molecules acting upon molecules.
If this is the best that modern science has to offer us, I think we need something more than modern science.
Reader Comments ( Page 27 of 27)
391. Those of you who think they can stand on the intellectual ground that D'souza walks on can step up to the plate. Dazed and confused are all those who think they can play. The arrogance of meager little college students is astounding. All of the little sheep will follow where their master leads. If you all will take some thought to what he is saying and not be so angry, then you might learn something. Instead of flinging insults like monkeys, pay attention and learn something.
Joshua at 4:08PM on Dec 14th 2007
392. Never underestimate the power of believers to fashion the empty balloon of faith into a twisted dog of an argument. At a time when reasonable people would ask, "Where was god?", D'Souza asks, "Where were the atheists?" Well isn't it just like the faithful to show up in droves AFTER the disaster. And what of substance did they offer? Prayer, songs and candlelight? What did the Cho family's Christian church offer when they desperately needed help for their son? Exorcism.
No thanks to God, there are reasonable people in this world working very hard to understand the difficult problems that cause these tragedies. You can bet these people are looking to science and reason for real solutions. That's where you'll find the atheists.
blacksheep at 3:36PM on Dec 15th 2007
393. I got an email from God and he sent me the link to this site. Here is the email he sent me:
From: God
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 2:09 PM
To: xxxxx, xxxxxx
Subject: Too funny…
Hey dude, sorry it took me so long to get back to ya, couldn’t find my send button in my email, been pullin my hair out over the past several days cuza this. I had to get Jesus to show me what the heck was goin on. He said he was gonna start chargin me for all the tech support he’s been dishin. I can create the universe but when it comes to computers I just can’t seem to do anything right. Anyway I took care of that little problem you were having, those people won’t be bothering you any longer. Man you should have seen the looks on their faces. I laughed my ass off, Frickin priceless, lightning is so cool. You gotta check this article out man I found it in a google search today. The article is pretty bland and uninspiring really, but the responses are hilarious. Man has to be the most entertaining creation as of yet. I could watch you guys for hours on end and never get bored of course then I wouldn’t ever get anything else done. When I made monkeys I thought you guys would want to watch them for hours too but you, like me, go figure, seem to be happy with your own brand of entertainment. Thank God for Television eh? LOL jk. Anyway here’s that link:
http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2007/04/18/where-is-atheism-when-bad-things-happen/
Too funny I tell ya.
Later
I don’t know if I agree with him 100% sometimes, God can be kind of a dick. Seriously if you were all creator you would have a chip on your shoulder too. I guess you have to know him to understand.
Gods Pal at 4:13PM on Dec 15th 2007
394. Last time I checked richard dawkins wasn't a grief counselor nor has he ever stated the the universe is utterly devoid of meaning. The most amazing thing about this ignorant and misleading article is that author's inability to undertand how it's a reality that people are willing to believe anything in order to give meaning and purpose to their lives.
_
It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
-- Carl Sagan,
orlando at 7:58PM on Dec 19th 2007
395. Dinesh,
You are a sorry example of the psuedo-intellectual Desi! Where were the atheists? What kind of a question is that in the aftermath of such a human tragedy? Where were the automobile manufacturers, where were the Iclandic fishermen, where were the Mormons, where were the Inca's, where were the Bush's, where was your family? each of these questions is approximately as pointless and irrelevant as yours, yet I have seen no sane, thinking person who felt the overpowering need to aggrandize himself in print after this awful tragedy and write about their absence and then end with that stupid line about "...something more than modern science". What will you do if tomorrow you need to take a loved one to the latest state-of-the-art hospital in the world to be treated and someone there tells you that due to your perverted view of the procedures and equipment used there which were all discovered or created using the same "modern science" you despise they will not be able to treat you?
Fortunately for you, open, rational and right thinking people worry more about life than countering your particular brand of balderdash, so you will never have to face this sort of discrimination - not something that could be said for some religious institutions around te world, wouln't you agree?
Sanjiv Desai at 5:22AM on Dec 20th 2007
396. Wow, just came across this. Really gives some insight as to the utter depravity of DD. Good to see most believers standing beside the non-believers here. (except for the one saying Cho must have been atheist because no christian could act that way)
a born atheist at 10:34AM on Dec 20th 2007
397. I try to respect the beliefs (or non-beliefs) of others and I'm not trying to debate this with anyone, but I'd like to share my concept of why "God isn't there" when bad things happen. It's very similar to the way we don't arrest a person because they MIGHT commit a crime. That person can't be held accountable and be punished for something they haven't done.
Denise at 12:21PM on Dec 20th 2007
398. "Evil comes from good" ST.Thomas Aquinas
KIRO at 1:37PM on Dec 21st 2007
399.
Dinesh.
You are such a dishonest idiot.
oldlawyer at 2:54AM on Dec 28th 2007
400. . your argument does not stand at all. where are the cops when the shooting first happened? where are the christians when the shooting happened? where was god when shooting happened? where the hell were you when it happened. yea thats what i thought, up here on at the computer screen writing a freaking blog. stop blaming everyone else for what has happened. you know what happened? the guy was crazy and no buddy knew, thats what happened. period. nothing else.
Well lara, I would like to state that your argument does not stand. The Xians were in their school, Xians were in the hallways, God was feeling the pain of the people dying Atheist and Xian alike. The cops were at their jobs, I was in my classroom and then I was on my knees praying. And about Kim being crazy and no one knowing, his teachers and psychiatrists made comments about his unstable mental attitude. So let me assert this, Evolution is keeping serial killers alive.
Natural selection takes a genetic fluke from a sequence and preserves it for the betterment of mankind. There have been serial killers for as long as the earth has been around,to humor you (~4.7billion years) so If i look at it from a naturalistic view I see that Natural selection has chosen the sociopathic genetic fluke and preserved it for society today. Therefore, Evolution is the Cause for mass murder. !)avid
David Miller at 9:59AM on Jan 4th 2008
401. I agree. The non-religious should have a more cohesive structure for dealing with tragedy, influencing politics, and moving society forward. Time is on our side. Religions come and go.
http://www.atheistrevolution.com
Atheist at 3:22PM on Jan 5th 2008
402. Notice something interesting about the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings? God is nowhere to be found. Every time there is a public gathering there is only talk of God and divine mercy and spiritual healing, but he was not there when needed... Even Christian people like the author Dinesh D'souza are realistic enough to understand that you call the police first and pray later after their fellow humans have done everything possible to supply real support and protection.
The Christian writer Dinesh D'souza has observed that according to the findings of ancient religions, the universe has all the properties of a system designed by a supreme being that supplies all of the meaning needed for man, that he need not think for himself.. The main characteristic of the universe is complete obsession with the welfare of man. D'souza further argues that we human beings are the handiwork of an omnipotent, omnipresent, loving, caring god, and as for the soul--well, that's a given.!
To no one's surprise, Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist church has has not been invited to speak to the grieving Virginia Tech community and explain to them that this is an example of Gods' wrath because they are a bunch of Godless Perverted Sodomites. What this tells me is that if it's difficult to know where God is when bad things happen, it is even more difficult for religion to deal with the problem of evil. The reason is that in a purely materialist universe, immaterial things like good and evil and souls simply do not exist. For writers like D'souza, Cho's shooting of all those people can be understood in this way—God works in mysterious ways.
If this is the best that ancient religion has to offer us, I think Christianity needs to make up something new..
“ The Anti-theist “
Steephen at 4:10PM on Jan 8th 2008
403. well i find this very interesting dinesh brings up a good point but as a christian I have to ask myself where is God in all this. Ihope i Never stop asking that question. I feel that sometimes the answer of where was god when this happened is too easily answered by wait and see but I have to say to myself that there is reason for terrible tradgedy to happen. For me it comes down to the original sin of Adam and Eve. As i think about the views of evil that are different for athirsts as opposed to Christians I can't help but think that we have it right because I believe that under athiesm there can be no good. What appears to be good is only selfish good.
John at 12:57PM on Jan 12th 2008