I always feel really refreshed when Dawkins attacks Christianity. I am grateful for the opportunity to show that Christianity as an experiential, holistic and personal reality stands up to intellectual criticism.
Is religion the root of all evil? I don't think so - I think Humans are. The one constant behind every instance of all that is depraved, life stealing, dark and abhorrent is, sadly, a human being. Sin, defined by Luther, is humanity turned in on itself. This makes every single human enterprise capable of both the highest high of purity, charity and integrity and the lowest depth of selfishness, de-humanisation and cruelty. The church is, sadly no-exception in its current state.
Many technologies or systems in the modern world are entirely neutral, until turned toward a particular purpose by human desires. Case in point - I just read an incredibly helpful article from a website which distributes high quality teaching for free. I then read here that the same technology platform is being used by obsessed and abusive ex-es as a means to torment and torture their former partners.
I wish the zeitgeist would turn the way of G K Chesterton's awareness of sin. When asked to contribute to an essay competition of leading thinkers, on 'what's wrong with the world' he answered ' Dear Sirs, I am. '. More than an echo of Romans 7 there . . . ! If well realised the depth of our fall as a race, maybe we might welcome the one who provided a rescue . . .
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Unfortunately, the Zeitgeist is a human pathos too.
All Human constructs bear the signs of human decay.
The bear the signs of fall and exile.
I see the role of the church as preaching the return from exile, the reverse of the fall to all aspects and expressions of the human experience. N T Wright is particularly hot on this - http://www.NTWrightpage.com - there is a series of four talks at the top of the audio resources page which I regard as foundaitonal and revist often.
Kinda of 'an evangelism for the rest of us' which tries to engage with the meta narrative of God, which is not a power play or a manipulation, in a real way - not the health wealth and prosperity comfort we so often settle for.
Shouldn't rant this early, really.
I totally agree with you Matt, but would you describe Dawkin's rants as "intellectual criticism?"
He's an intellectual guy, but his arguments against Christianity are poorly founded and not at all reinforced.
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