The Catechetical Review - Communicating Christ for a New Evangelization

Advice to an Atheist's Daughter: Exposing the Delusion of The God Delusion

Authored by William Newton in Issue #35.2 of The Sower
In this article Dr. William Newton addresses the fundamental philosophical deficiencies in Richard Dawkins’ arguments to “prove” God does not exist. Dear Patience, Many thanks for your letter. Yes, I remember you telling me that your father was an armchair atheist. That is why I was so surprised when you said that your mother had bought him a “bible” for his birthday. It took me some time to realize you meant Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. Armed with all that new ammunition to throw at you, I guess that made your visit back home more interesting than usual! Yes, I read that book a while back…with trepidation. I braced myself for an onslaught against our shared faith like a man about to be hit by an intellectual tsunami. I was happily disappointed. Let me explain. As far as I can see, The God Delusion has two main points. Professor Dawkins’ first point is that it is very improbable that God exists, so improbable that we ought to live as if He didn’t. The second point is that religion is a travesty in the world and we would all be a lot better off intellectually and morally if it were to disappear completely. The second point seems so obviously wrong in the face of universities, hospital systems, humanitarian outreaches and so many more good things that are directly linked to Christianity, but I’ll have to leave a more thorough comment for another occasion and deal with the first thing first.

The rest of this online article is available for current subscribers.

Start your subscription today!


This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

Articles from the Most Recent Issue

We Belong to One Another: Seeking Solidarity with the Poor
By Philip Couture
When encountering a person living on the streets, a distressing question is imposed on the well-intentioned passerby: “Should I do something?” The question is especially disquieting for the Catholic who is reminded of the Savior’s exhortations, who tells his disciples that anything they do for the “least of these” is done for him. And what... Read more
Practical Strategies to Promote Vocations
By Fr. Tyron Tomson
Most of them didn’t go to Catholic schools. A quarter of them never served at Mass. Only about half were ever in a youth group, and a good chunk are converts. A majority of them are over 40 years old. One in three has no European ancestry. By statistical and anecdotal analyses, the newest priests of the United States come from varied, even... Read more
Resting in the Lord: Liturgy and Education
By Leonardo Franchi
In his important apostolic letter Dies Domini (“Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy”), St. John Paul II argues that to rest is to re-member (put together again) the sacred work of creation on the day set aside for worship, thus orienting times of rest toward a deeper contemplation of God’s vision of humanity. “Rest therefore acquires a sacred value: the... Read more

Pages

Watch Tutorial Videos

We've put together several quick and easy tutorial videos to show you how to use this website.

Watch Now