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 7 of 27)
91. Andy
You asked how many have died in the name of atheism? Have you never heard of the Soviet Revolution, The Maoist Revolution, etc . . .
The last thing I would try to be in your shoes would be a moral elitist!
dalosophy at 6:25PM on Apr 18th 2007
92. what a pointless piece of religious propaganda,
this article makes no valid point, and just takes the opportunity of a horiffic happening like this and molds it into a pathetic attack at atheism.
Do you want to know why there were no atheist speakers? because the USA is a profoundly religious nation, this very article gives proof to the point that in the USA atheism is frowned upon, so a religious speaker would be more accepted
in times of need people turn to the thing they see as being beyond this universe, God, just like the berieved families of the deceased seeing haluccinations of their dead relative, people like to live in ignorance so they can kid themselves that everything is fine and their beloved has gone to a 'better place'
as they say 'ignorance is bliss'
Matt at 6:26PM on Apr 18th 2007
93. The irony of D'Souza's latest divisive sputum is that his politics (see "The Enemy At Home") are probably a lot more like Cho's than the secularists and atheists he is now trying to lead a crusade against. Just as Cho lamented the "debauchery" of his peers at Virginia Tech and found his fellow students deserving of murder, D'Souza thinks radical Islamic terrorists are justly inflamed by the debauchery of American pop culture, and that we ought to change our culture so as to not invite another 9/11. In D'Souza's fantasy world, if we just got rid of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon and Michael Moore and Britney Spears, somewhere in Afghanistan a young jihadist would put down his AK-47.
As for the nonsense about Dawkins, D'Souza makes the same simpleminded assumption that most fearful theists make: If we deny the existence of a magic man in the sky, then the world will collapse into an orgy or murder, gay sex, and explicit lyrics!
Wake up, folks. We have morals and ethics because they've developed culturally over thousands of years after millions of years of evolution. They will still be with us tomorrow, even if we retire Jesus, Allah, and all the other magic men to the mythology retirement home, where they've belonged for many years now.
tinosoli at 8:46PM on Apr 18th 2007
94. "To no one's surprise, Dawkins has not been invited to speak to the grieving Virginia Tech community."
Neither have you. Apparently this makes you evil as well.
Dawkins, however, is at least fair-minded and perceptive. That you can try pin this tragedy on godlessness (where was your compassionate, omnipotent deity, by the way? Not in Blacksburg, I guess) or "the best science has to offer" reflects both a barren intellect and a craven, opportunistic streak.
kemibe at 6:36PM on Apr 18th 2007
95. Mr. D'Souza appears to be a victim of one of the most common religious delusions noted by Dawkins. God does not exist simply because the existence of God would be comforting or otherwise appealing.
Mike at 6:50PM on Apr 18th 2007
96. It says a lot about you, Mr. D'Souza, that you would pick a time like this to spew hatred of minority groups. Have you met Fred Phelps? I think you two would get along great.
Most atheists tend to be respectful at times like this, so you don't hear from us very much. We're certainly not the ones blabbering about how this is "God's plan" or "the victims are in a better place." If the families are comforted in this most painful moment by retreating into their religious beliefs, most of us atheists will simply remain quiet and respectful. Concepts you apparently have trouble with.
Curt Cameron at 11:28PM on Apr 18th 2007
97. You are a jackass of monstrous proportions.
Hey, I wonder which Christian is going to stand up in front of the families and say, "Your loved ones are now burning in hell if they didn't accept our boy, Jesus."
You going say that to them, Christian-boy? No?
Then shut your mouth, Dinish.
Scott Koerner at 7:15PM on Apr 18th 2007
98.
Maybe because atheists aren't heartless enough to come a grieving parent and say "your son/daughter was just a statistic in the great game of survival and now he/she will decay into the earth to feed the plants and further the cycle of life." Some might find that consoling, most would rather here that they're going to be reunited with their loved ones some day.
Sometimes it is better to give those who are grieving hope that their loss will not be permanent as part of the healing process, even if by all indication it is a false hope. Just because nature is immoral and unemotional does not mean humans have to be.
Peter at 7:12PM on Apr 18th 2007
99. There are no gods, just deal with it.
"Atheists: You Hate them because deep
down,you know they're right..."
David Johnson at 8:48PM on Apr 18th 2007
100. Do you, sir, have no humanity? Are you so caught up in your fantasy of greed and power that you would say such things about fellow humans because they don't believe in your tripe?
You use a tragedy to push your sorry agenda of superstition and hate?
You are not worthy to shine Dawkins' shoes, but I am sure Richard would be too human to allow it were such a possibility come to pass.
afterthought at 7:30PM on Apr 18th 2007
101. "Even secular people like the poet Nikki Giovanni use language that is heavily drenched with religious symbolism and meaning."
Hardly. Here is her entire beautiful godless statement:
We are Virginia Tech.
We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.
We are Virginia Tech.
We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.
We are Virginia Tech.
We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.
We are Virginia Tech.
The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.
We are the Hokies.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We are Virginia Tech.
im.back at 7:37PM on Apr 18th 2007
102. 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 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. But look under any rock, and no actual God will be found.
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!
But just because we are the result of natural processes, that doesn't mean we cannot love and care for one another, grieve for the loss of innocent human lives, and most importantly, endeavour to learn why this happened, and how this was allowed happen, so that there won't be a "next time," so that, in the future, it can be prevented. Because the evidence is in: God isn't going to stop these kinds of tragedies for us.
John at 7:42PM on Apr 18th 2007
103. What does a lack of belief have to do with people's death?
Better yet, where was YOUR god when those people were being killed?
If this is the best God has to offer, I think we need something more than God.
Fili at 7:47PM on Apr 18th 2007
104. If you want to know where the atheists (like myself) are in this tragedy, I'll tell you.
We're standing with everyone else in sympathy for the victims, not using the suffering of everyone involved as a soapbox to mouth off.
Next time there's a tragedy like this, do us all a favour and be sure to shut the f**k up if the idea pops into your tiny brain to use it to make a cheap political statement.
William Cowan
Chicago, IL
William Cowan at 7:52PM on Apr 18th 2007
105.
"Without religion, there can be no good or evil, no right or wrong, only the primal struggle between the weak and the strong."
Me
Thomas J Gassett at 7:54PM on Apr 18th 2007