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 3 of 27)
31. Did you ever stop to think that the reason you are not hearing from atheists after such a tragedy, is that they are remaining respectfully silent?
It is better to believe and not speak, than to foist ones beliefs as the meaning for every occurrence.
Constance at 6:19AM on Oct 9th 2009
32. D'Souza is right and not nearly as offensive as Dawkins. Can you imagine any comforting words from science here? I can't. The same goes for Dawkins, who bases his world view entirely on this science. There is a universal and very strong feeling that what happened was wrong. Yet science does not even know the concepts of right or wrong. Listen to the most comfortable words that Dawkins can come up with regarding to right or wrong: 'All I can say is, That’s just tough. We have to face up to the truth.'. An idea that rejects so much of a universal and strong feeling cannot be a complete representation of reality. That's where D'Souza is right: We need more than science.
JW at 3:06PM on Sep 2nd 2009
33. God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.
-- Rev Jerry Falwell on September 11th.
Maybe he could have gone to Virgina Tech and told them that thier children deserved to be murdered because we tolerate gay sex and the aclu! Lot of comfort in that!
Chris at 4:26PM on Sep 19th 2009
34. Better late than never...
Where are the atheists? Same place we always are. Going about our business; observing; questioning. The theists are making noise and pretending to do something by praying. Atheists have just as much sympathy for the shooting victims. We get together and try to reason out the situation. We lend a hand, or a shoulder to cry on. Same as any other normal human being with feelings. What we don't do is say "Well, God has a plan," or "We may not understand this, but God does," or "Don't question God's wisdom," or "The shooting victims are in a better place."
Atheists think the shooting victims are noplace. They're GONE. No amount of wishin' hopin' or prayin' is going to change that. We are still here, walking, talking, breathing, thinking. And as long as we're here, we're going to keep questioning, talking, and attempting to reason. Such tragedy may (or actually, more than likely WILL) recur. We have tools at our disposal such as psychology, medicine and psychological intervention to try to prevent such a tragedy. Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. There are no supernatural interventions. The universe works in a more or less orderly fashion. Sometimes it hiccups; the outcome changes against all probability. Believers call these "miracles." We like to think we just got a lucky break, and the best thing we can do is use it.
OfficeLady at 4:01PM on Oct 7th 2009
35. Haha, where is atheism? No atheists? I'm sorry, did you go and inquire into people's beliefs after the incident? What a ridiculous statement for a grown man to say.
Atheism is NOT a belief system, not a lifestyle, and in simply being the absence of a trait (theism) why would EVER you expect it to BE there for people?
Does your disbelief in Shiva help you through crisis?
matt_barchus at 3:10PM on Nov 1st 2009
36. Wow...Mr. D'Souza...you said a mouthful.
"If this is the best that modern science has to offer us, I think we need something more than modern science." Praise God.
Kris Howard at 1:31PM on Apr 18th 2007
37. 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.
Lara at 1:42PM on Apr 18th 2007
38. You are someone who has a fellowship at stanford university???? How is it that you're not able to understand that certain chemicals in the brain affect our emotions and that a child's upbringing can shape future behavior? Of all the reasons for rejecting atheism that I've heard, never have I heard of someone who believes in god out of skepticism of modern psychology. And there's a reason religion is invoked after tragedies. It's comforting.
dan at 3:53PM on Apr 23rd 2007
39. Ridiculous.
"well, that's an illusion!"
Why is that an illusion? Maybe in your apparently twisted perspective... and of course Dawkins was not invited to speak, this nation is a Christian nation in a large way, why would they invite an Atheist to speak to a largely EMOTIONAL Christian population? Your whole article is in fact, pointless as it goes without saying that people probably would NOT invite an Atheist...or a Muslim...or any other type of religion, OTHER than their own (Christian) to speak after an event like this.
Sean at 2:26AM on Apr 19th 2007
40. This article by D'Souza displays all the intelligence of a clever sixth grader. What does any of it have to do with the truth or falsity of religious belief systems? Just a few cheap debating points.
David at 1:49PM on Apr 18th 2007
41. So, your point really is that atheists already have the answer (evil/good/God/devil don't exist), and that's why they aren't called to commentate or officiate. In difficult and confusing experiences, people don't "get" concretes. That's why religious folk discount evolution - too provable, makes too much sense. Amazing and horrifying things can only be attributed to a higher power. But how conveniently those same people can disregard the question "why does your loving, powerful God allow this?"
Deborah at 1:58PM on Apr 18th 2007
42. Religious types should be asking: "Why didn't some superpower (God, Jesus, Whatever) stop the bullets?" Atheists don't have to ask.
zeke at 1:52PM on Apr 18th 2007
43. We don't know why God does all that he does, but all of the believers can ask Him when we get to heaven. Then we'll say, "Oh! That's why!" and finally we will understand everything that our small brains could not perceive before here on earth. As for the nonbelievers, you will not get to heaven, so you will NEVER know. If you really want the answers to your questions in life, seek God! Otherwise you will be lost forever. Soul and all.
Tonette Howell at 2:04PM on Apr 18th 2007
44. Wow is right! In the aftermath of this tragic event, you make a comment about the absence of atheists? What kind of comfort could an atheist bring to anyone here? None whatsoever. Not because they don't have an answer but because their answer would do nothing for the grieving families. I'm not stating that I'm an atheist or a God fearing man, but do you blame Satan or evil when a child is depressed or hyperactive? Do the majority of Christians in America simply pray to God that their children will become happy, or do they turn to science and put the kid on some kind of pill that helps them feel better? I know plenty of Christians/Religious people that use science to help treat even the most minute mental problems. So, where do you draw the line? A child that commits suicide because of depression has a chemical imbalance, but a child that kills others is obviously Evil? And lastly, not to spawn a new topic, but how come God is always called upon AFTER the tragedy, to watch over the family and friends of those deceased but never even considered for causing the event, or not stopping the event. I'm guessing your comment is going to say something along the lines of...well God doesn't intervene on Earth, that's up to us. Well if God doesn't intervene prior to a tragedy, why would he intervene afterwards? I think that's a very legitimate question that each of you should ask yourselves. Most of you disillusioned religious people are constantly using double standards. In my personal opinion, the belief of an all loving God is nothing more than an insurance policy to help make you feel better because you can't stand the possiblity that this may be all there is. Whether or not there is a God, I truly don't know. What I do know is that if you're going to draw a line of Good vs. Evil, then that line is forever ongoing. As a matter of fact, if you are so much against an atheists belief in science, you should never visit another doctor again in your life. Which brings me to one last significant point. If a man is having a major heart attack and is quickly brought to the hospital and he survives, is it because of science and medicine or because of God? If you answer that God was behind the medicine, what about the heart attack victims that the science didn't work for, the ones who did die? Must have been some sort of evil huh?
Paul at 2:04PM on Apr 18th 2007
45. I think a better question would be "why do you suddenly hear from opportunistic zealots who only seek to push their own agenda when bad things happen"?
I don't have any answers to the tragedy that has occurred. The difference between you and me, though, is that I admit it.
If anyone seeks comfort in religion in terrible times, I genuinely wish them well. It's not my choice, but I don't presume to know what's better for anyone else. Just myself. People practicing religion does not offend me. But opportunistic zealots who take a national tragedy and use it to promote their own relgious agenda do.
John at 2:11PM on Apr 18th 2007