Daniel Dennett Doesn't Want to Exterminate Religions
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-03-06 22:17:43
As I've been ranting lately on my blog there's a spectrum of the NewAtheists. Dawkins. Harris. Hitchens and Dennett may have been labeledunder the same banner but their views and approaches to religionvary. So to say that the New Atheists are fundamentalists,reductionists and are only talking about the mythic God are naivesweeping generalizations.
It's very different from Richard Dawkins's (anti-theist) approach and Sam Harris's approach. Dennett is a proud and avowed atheist but he doesn't want toexterminate religions. He just wants to undergo the "toxic" versionsexpunged via comparative religious education--where religion is taughtas a natural phenomenon similar to language or music.
For example although Dennett might not accept with the fact that Dowd is ,I don't think Dennett would undergo a big air with it. It would be coolto hear a dialogue or friendly debate between Dennett and Dowd though. In the meantime. Michael Dowd is raving ""
That said. IMHO a more integral response to the New Atheists is toacknowledge their partial truths accept or constructively critiquetheir proposals set them on an integral framework and talk to them
In the meantime. Michael Dowd seems to be filling in that "integral" dialogue by meeting people where they're at. analyse out this quote :
The New Atheists and Young-Earth creationists are both playingvital necessary roles in furthering the evolution of religiousperspectives.
The New Atheists are assisting the evolution ofreligion by ridiculing trivial uninspiring notions of God; theYoung-Earth Creationists are doing their move by ridiculing trivial,uninspiring notions of evolution."
Good post. I just got Dennett's schedule and I'm looking send to reading it. I've always liked him (change surface though some of his ideas seem reductionist to me desire all neuroscientists). But in terms of the "new atheists," he is definitely different than Harris who has different ideas than Dawkins and then there's Hitchens who is mostly just entertaining because of his wit.
I think as integral thinkers we be to support Harris and Dennett as much as possible since they undergo the beat chance of having an force on the wider culture especially Dennett. I can totally support his teaching religions ideas -- I've been advocating that for years.
And I'm ordering Dowd's book -- overall he might be able to act the most change because he is a member of the religious community as you have pointed out and not an outsider trying to eradicate Christian beliefs.
Hope all is well man - you should analyse out Owen Flanagan's bring home the bacon while you are making your way through some of these other writer's work if you haven't already. Very good stuff in my opinion.
hey Shawn great to hear from you! thanks for the heads up with Owen Flanagan i've added his books to very interesting. ;)
account i like Dennett's idea of teaching world religions to kids too but Chris D has a good challenge.
To take an example in the news. Is Mormonism a Christian denomination?[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://coolmel.typepad.com/iblog/2007/12/daniel-dennett.html
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