The Rise and Fall of the New Atheism

[@Intrepid_Insomniac]

This was happening just as I was entering college. It was very provocative and felt “edgy” to feel like we were much more critical thinkers than our elders. But then we grew up, and had families, and lived normal lives with sorrows and joys… We began to crave that relationship with God, or at least wonder who God was. We wanted something more for ourselves and for our children. Food for the soul. After being an atheist for most of my adulthood, here I stand a Catholic. Who still loves science and philosophy by the way!! 🙏🏻🕊️❤️‍🔥

[@anneturner2759]

Yay!

[@uikmnhj4me]

Amazing!

[@CarapaceClavicle]

Ditto, it was all my own pride.

[@jackiesojka9440]

A😅 😊I 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊Thank you😊😊😊😅😊😊😊Thank you Thank you 😊😊😊

[@evangarrett]

Same here, Christian to atheist for several years, then Christian again. (And then catholic)

[@stickyhairlesscats]

I was previously a self-described atheist, only because I was never exposed to the sophisticated arguments for God. This was despite attending Catholic school, where I never even heard the name "Thomas Aquinas" uttered. Bishop Barron is absolutely correct that the Church dropped the ball. It wasn't until Jordan Peterson started his commentaries on the Bible that I started to be receptive to the religious arguments. No one from the Church had appealed to my desire for answers, or satisfied my intellectual curiosity. This is absolutely puzzling given the rich philosophical and theological history of the Catholic Church.

[@yes2day100]

Interesting perspective. I don't disagree. But the Catholic Church has an impossibly vast area to cover. It is the "universal" church, and must therefore appeal to the lowest common denominator in order to touch and satisfy the spiritual needs of almost 2 billion people with all degrees of education and cultural backgrounds. Many of them respond more to mysticism and symbolic spirituality than to the intellectual (and this, too, is an essential part of the faith). The theological and scientific richness of Catholic history was always there, but it is hard to wrap that up in bite-sized Internet bon mots. I recently reread Augustine's Confessions, and it is incredibly engaging and it brings his time period to vivid life but it requires a real dedication in the reader to feel that engagement. And Aquinas's work is transcendent, but can you sum it up in three sentences for a general KZbin audience? I think Bishop Barron does about as good a job as possible in bringing the rich intellectualism of the faith to a general audience, so we are lucky to have him now!

[@xuvial1391]

Philosophy, theology, apologetics, etc has always been an incredibly niche field known to very few. I would wager that 99.9% of the human race has never been exposed to philosophical arguments and counter-arguments for God. Even back when most of the US population was Christian, almost nobody knew sophisticated arguments for God. To be Christian was just the cultural and societal default, it wasn't predicated on having knowledge of logical arguments. In fact awareness of those arguments is higher today than ever before, yet the decline of Christianity continues. The Church did not "drop the ball" because that implies the Church was once successfully carrying the ball in some prior era. It wasn't. Arguments for God is not the magic bullet that people think it is.

[@williamhocter4658]

To some extent what you experienced was a function of the post Vatican II era. We were supposed to engage the world and attempted to do so in a naive, overly friendly manner. We couldn’t do that without forgetting a lot of history and deemphasizing a lot of important distinctions. This was the “dumbing down “ the good Bishop refers to.

[@newglof9558]

@@xuvial1391 neither are arguments for atheism, which is not a lack of belief :)

[@ikkinwithattitude]

​@@xuvial1391While most of the populace doesn't rely on intellectual arguments, that doesn't make the loss of intellectual rigor any less of a dropping of the ball because of what it meant for the high culture. In general, high culture generates the plausibility structures within which the rest of society operates. Your average peasant doesn't have time to study the big questions, so he trusts the answers provided by his culture's intellectual elite. By intellectually disarming, the Church gave up on shaping the high culture, which inevitably damaged the plausibility structures needed to keep the average person comfortable in their belief. Which means the Church only has two options for recovery: either she converts the high culture, or she turns the man on the street against high culture and offers him a way to pursue the answers on his own in spite of them. At this point, the latter is probably more viable, because I'm pretty sure our high culture isn't salvageable.

[@marypinakat8594]

*"The brotherhood of man follows from the Fatherhood of God."* - BISHOP BARRON

[@SS-zg6of]

Take that Lennon!

[@VanillaGorilla3]

WRITE THIS DOWN

[@uikmnhj4me]

It’s not an original quote. He’s quoting an old Christian idea that also flows from Judaism

[@Hawka23]

He's also quoting, or paraphrasing, Fulton Sheen, who said 'The Brotherhood of man without the Fatherhood of God makes men a race of bastards'.

[@lukebrasting5108]

​@@uikmnhj4meJews don't believe that God is a father or refer to Him that way. They also believe that all non-jews are subhuman beasts and that only Jews are men. That's what Rabbinic Judaism teaches in the Talmud.

[@MarkKamoski]

Bishop Barron, Dr. Peter Kreeft, Alvin Plantinga, Jimmy Akin, and many more crush any atheist argument. Your Excellency, thank you for answering God's call.

[@RealAtheology]

Not so sure if they can "crush" the arguments for Paul Draper, Graham Oppy, J.H. Sobel, etc.

[@racheleaggleston6410]

Wasn't Jesus a man in the flesh, but Bishop mentioned the Trinity is neither male nor female.

[@damaplehound]

I mean, the whole atheist/theist debate is kinda useless, there is no way of either proving or disproving God's existence, if we were to prove God's existence there would be no faith or free will, if we were to disprove God's existence, nihilism and depression would skyrocket. No point in proving either premise

[@kafon6368]

@@damaplehound Essentially, the basic principle of cause & effect requires God for the cause of the universe. Or some prime mover, of sorts.

[@damaplehound]

@@kafon6368 I'm not an atheist, I'm just stating my philosophical pov on the issue. The cosmological argument for God's existence is not that strong, the problem is that it makes the assumptiom that God is the most probable cause for the birth of the universe and that the universe even needs a cause to begin to exist; when in reality there are other possibilities, such as the multiverse theory or the big crunch theory (which is not that plausible either to br honest)

[@alexanderangelo7284]

Remember the New Atheist movement also flourished not just from 9/11, but also from the Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal that came out several months later in February 2002.

[@phyjcb]

And also because of the evangelicals who were convinced that they had a divine mission in Iraq.

[@splinterbyrd]

@@alexanderangelo7284 It also came about with end of the Cold War. There was no new atheism during the Cold War or anything remotely like it I guess because that for capitalists religion was a useful weapon inimical to the arch-Satan communism. After communism however, and with people like Pope Francis uttering heresies like we ought to give more tax money to the poor, suddenly religion's in the firing line

[@gatehanger1385]

Yep... Not surprisingly the bishop didn't bring that up..

[@splinterbyrd]

The New Atheism was aggravated by 9/11, but started to appear after the end of the Cold War. When the arch-Satan Communism was still around and strong, the new atheism was conspicuously absent

[@Jerome616]

You have been with me every step of my Catholic journey, Bishop Baron. I am so grateful that you started your KZbin channel all those years ago. Your sermons, what you turned into podcast were also an invaluable source for me. God bless you.

[@triconcert]

"The brotherhood of man follows from the Fatherhood of God" So well put! Thanks Bishop Barron!

[@joshua_wherley]

Wonderfully said.

[@mjja00]

twaddley bollocks

[@JoseZamorano-c8h]

Masonic statement of faith

[@danieldoherty5034]

You beat me to it. Great bumper sticker summary of the argument from Tom Holland's book "Dominion," which I highly recommend.

[@mikedipeppino2248]

New Atheism drove me deeper into philosophy, science, ethics, theology and Church Tradition and came out a stronger theist for it.

[@MathewSteeleAtheology]

Then perhaps you should look into your unjustified assumptions, and the smuggled presuppositions in every theistic argument. If you care what's true more than what you want to be true, it is impossible to remain a theist.

[@newglof9558]

​@@MathewSteeleAtheologywhat presuppositions are those? And are you, an atheist, without presuppositions?

[@MathewSteeleAtheology]

@@newglof9558 The presuppositions that theism carries with it, are as follows, and every theistic argument and apologetic requires you make at least one of these, if not most of them: 1) Everything that exists as part of the cosmos is finite (where the cosmos is defined as all matter, energy and everything in between.) 2) Something can begin to exist where nothingness was the state of being before it. 3) An abstract or idea can exist independently of the cosmos. 4) The mind and body are separate. As for my own presuppositions, there is one: Experience of reality predates cognitive awareness... but even this is demonstrably the case through scientific experimentation, specifically the mark or lipstick test that proves that self-awareness only develops around age 18 months in babies. Before that, they were still experiencing life for 18 months.

[@MathewSteeleAtheology]

@@newglof9558 See my other reply to this comment of yours, if you want to know some of my criticisms. I have good reasons for objecting to all of the presuppositions I mentioned.

[@Success1-xc4by]

​@@MathewSteeleAtheologyit is impossible to remain an atheist if you reason yourself enough.

[@angbandsbane]

So basically, as far as "The Four Horsemen" goes, they weren't so much Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death so much as the Common Cold, a Slapfight, the Munchies and a Nap.

[@kieferonline]

My older brother became enamored with Hitchens and Dawkins years ago. Around 2017 or so I got switched onto Jordan Peterson. I have returned to the Church but my brother is still under the spell of the New Atheists. Im praying for him to come out of the cave and see the sky!

[@splinterbyrd]

@@kieferonline Atheism's always been around and always will be, but the "new atheism" of Dawky and Hitchens was damn silly which is why it's on the way out

[@sergiotasconmorales7021]

Amazing conversation. Thank God for the effectiveness of Bishop Barron in sharing our faith with the world

[@lapsedatheist]

I was an atheist for over two decades. I picked up on the new atheist movement as it started when I was entering college in 2000. I was very involved hosting atheist groups and meetings. I was just baptized this year as a 42 year old. The emptiness and shallowness of atheism. It offered nothing. Atheists adopting the SocJus religion of the left showed that a vacuum of amorality will eventually be filled by some religious dogma. It’s what really turned me against the movement and started moving me towards religion.

[@anneturner2759]

Isn’t it great ?!

[@xuvial1391]

I have no idea where people get the impression that atheism is some kind of alternative/substitute framework (or philosophy) on how to live life, derive meaning, obtain values, find purpose, etc. Atheism has never claimed to be a *substitute* for seeking spiritual fulfillment and finding meaning in life. It is simply a *lack* of belief in God/religion. Criticizing atheism for being "empty" is like criticizing water for being wet. Even the term "atheism" is largely a redundant term.

[@MathewSteeleAtheology]

@@xuvial1391 If you listen to what believers are really saying when they criticize atheism or say it's dying over time, they aren't addressing whether or not it's true. They're saying they don't want it to be true, therefore it isn't relevant to them. Make believe in its purest form.

[@ToxicPea]

@@xuvial1391Atheism is the absence of belief, and self-described atheists wouldn’t see it as a substitute; on that we definitely agree. But under the Catholic understanding of the nature of man it DOES serve as substitute to traditional religion, and a really shoddy one at that. It fails to fill the Purpose-shaped hole in the heart of man, as seen by New Atheism’s decline and the rise of mere-Christianity via figures like Jordan Peterson.

[@bluecomb5376]

Praise God for your journey!

[@bigfootapologetics]

I was blessed to be briefly mentioned in this book after having sat down with Mr. Brierly for his previous podcast! It's amazing to see it taking off - it's an important work that I feel will define a new era that may well be a "third great awakening" within Christianity!

[@johnh6106]

As a natural science teacher, i applaud the work of Dawkins in arguing for the soundness of the theory of evolution and the scientific method in general. It was and still is needed, especialy to evangelicals. But to my knowledge, the RCC does not reject the theory of evolution, same goes for the church of Norway (my native country). In painting every Christian as a backwards fundamentalist, they have created a monster that more and more people come to realise simply does not exist.

[@velkyn1]

alas, christians still all believe in the same hateful nonsense, that anyone who dares not agree with you deserves "hell". What's funny is that you claim you all of the truth about that, and you can't agree, or even show your imaginary friend exists or that any physical hell, seperation from this god, etc ever happens.

[@carlosgaspar8447]

dawkins is unable or unwilling to understand new evidence that questions his early work, by natural scientists like eric weinstein.

[@boom-bm1kl]

The big bang theory came from a Catholic scientist I believe

[@ob2249]

n0t every christian but ninety nine % 0f american christians are s0 badIy educated they scream the I0udest and whinge the m0st, but thats americans they are, after aII, the m0st imp0rtant pe0pIe in the w0rId

[@baustin11111]

As a Christian, I feel that the church failed by focusing on soft easy topics that make people feel good. They didn't stand up to the people who were focused on membership numbers and church amenities. And they didn't stand up to the people who couldn't accept scientific advancements. All truth is God's truth, and by not studying, addressing, and sharing our new understandings of God's creation and how it fits into God's plan, we abandoned this territory - territory that produces repeatable observable results that nonbelievers can witness - to people that hate our faith.

[@nickglaza]

Bishop Baron! We're watching your Catholicism program in our RCIA class, and I have to say, you're an amazing voice for the Church. I love your talk on Lord of the Rings, and thank you for doing what you do!

[@johnhahn9085]

“We don’t want that. We don’t want [a] God making demands of us.” (12: 10) Been puzzling over that recently, in a very personal way. Never mind, for a moment, the New Atheists. It rings so very and deeply true, and I can only speak for myself - internally. How I feel. Thank God for Bishop Bob, who understands this kind of thinking, and is always so reliable in explaining it, and so humble to throw himself in with “us sinners”. :-)

[@puritaumali932]

7v7

[@michigandersea3485]

I WANT God making demands of me, because I know just how bankrupt I am when I'm following my own emotional direction.

[@dugonman8360]

I believe that atheism is simply a smokescreen for hedonism. The 'secular inquiry' is nothing more than a Trojan horse to allow deviancy to be unjudged. I've confronted many atheists on this and none of them have been able to refute the claim without resorting to linguistic tricks.

[@LuzianJ]

New Atheism has become sort of a phase that young people mostly teenagers go through but as they grow older they realize how superficial it is and that the atheist/materialist worldview cannot comprehend the complexities of life so they abandon it even faster than they buy into it. Probably then move on to stoicism or deism or even the traditional religions.

[@alexanderangelo7284]

Or agnosticism.

[@happyfuture6515]

Great Bishop Barron! I was always critical of the atheist song "Imagine"!

[@nicolorusso3646]

Such a great video. Please, keep producing them. Greetings from Italy

[@ChildofGod98765]

As a christian I still trust in Jesus and keep faith even though I’m constantly faced with hardships. I believe in God's promise trusting in his faithfulness, and relying on him. But at times it can be difficult. Especially as a single mother and having two children with autism. I’m overwhelmed. My husband passed away unexpectedly, I’m all alone. Lord give me strength as I struggle to support my children. But even as I struggle to pay rent and I struggle to buy groceries for my kids. I KEEP FAITH in you LORD JESUS. I’m so overwhelmed and discouraged. I’m so tired Lord! Please keep me encouraged because I want to give up.❤

[@SS-zg6of]

God Bless You....prayers for you. You are not alone and your faith is inspirational!

[@filiamaria8]

I pray you find your way back to the one only church instituted by Jesus and bask in the grace he instituted thru the sacraments esp the Holy Eucharist in the mass. He is there for all of us. I guarantee you, youll know all that is missing our suffering. God bless you always.🙏🙏🙏

[@lukebrasting5108]

Why have you been posting this comment everywhere for the last 2 years? So you can get people to send you money?

[@mariaogochukwumanu4236]

You are in my prayers. God will surely hear and listen to your prayers and answer you. Hang in there, my sister.

[@marthaaroh-onuoha8496]

JESUS said, if you want to be a follower of me; deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. His life is a good example. He suffered and died for us. His trust in his father is constant. The earth is not heaven. It is a trial place.

[@Anna-ii3ee]

Thanks, “Pain looks great on on other people. That’s what their for” by Sisters of Mercy. I now understand the dangers of secular becoming atheist. It persuades some to hate not only religion but also the people of religion.

[@carlingtonme]

While not a Catholic,John Lennox,the Irish non denominational engaged both Hitchens and Dawkins and pretty much disposed of them quite well. As someone else pointed out Jimmy Akins,Trent Horne continue to push book on atheism.I must admit Catholic laity dropped the ball,my Mom knew her Aquinas well,several of my Catholic acquaintances are just starting to catch up

[@tomgreene1843]

Lennox great guy and learned ...interesting that neither of his opponents in these debates engaged in their usual flamboyance or, as John Haldane pointed out in reference to Hitchens, color

[@marynayna6327]

John Lennox is an Irish Catholic and a wonderful apologist 🙏

[@ironymatt]

​@@marynayna6327John Lennox is Irish, but as he is from Northern Ireland - Belfast if I'm not mistaken - he isn't Catholic. I also enjoyed very much his debates with Hitchens, Dawkins et al, and frankly was surprised that so many supposedly educated people were lapping up the pablum they were dishing out

[@ironymatt]

​@@marynayna6327let's pray for his conversion. The stronger the protestant, the more likely he/she becomes Catholic

[@tomgreene1843]

He is not Catholic ...but indeed a great man on belief .@@marynayna6327

[@johncordoue7829]

Thank you to Bishop Barron and folks like Jordan Peterson using this wonderful forum of digital media to lead me and others out of new atheism’s “existential dessert”!

[@karlobulic2143]

As a young man trying to find my place in the world, listening to Bishop Barron gives me hope that God has a plan for my life. 🙏

[@blancalaura1]

He does ❤

[@swedendive]

😂😂😂😂

[@sirfluffybunnyvii6329]

Me too, bro. We're gonna make it someday.

[@MidwestPyro55]

Less 'God's plan for your life' and more aligning your will with God's Will..

[@proverbios1820]

Thanks and God bless you Bishop Barron and team! I couldn't help but find your analysis reflected in Psalms 10 & 12: "...the faithful have vanished from the children of men. They tell lies to one another, speak with deceiving lips and a double heart." Then later: "You, O LORD, protect us always; preserve us from this generation."

[@godwinborg8916]

So UPLIFTING. Thank you

[@newglof9558]

The new atheism was, first and foremost, indicative of a pastoral issue. The works of the four horsemen were not particularly rigorous books.

[@xuvial1391]

Pastors weren't better in the past. Philosophy, theology, apologetics, etc has always been an incredibly niche field known to very few. I would wager that 99.9% of the human race has never been exposed to philosophical arguments and counter-arguments for God. Even back when most of the US population was Christian, almost nobody knew sophisticated arguments for God or Christianity. To be Christian was just the cultural and societal default, it wasn't predicated on having in-depth knowledge of theology or good pastors. In fact awareness of those arguments is higher today than ever before, yet the decline of Christianity continues.

[@newglof9558]

@@xuvial1391 "pastors weren't better in the past" I don't agree with this. You can't find a Jonathan Edwards or a St. John Vianney. Paul Vanderklay, a pretty good Reformed pastor, even said that Jordan Peterson's wildly popular stuff was effectively a sermon from a late 19th/early 20th century liberal Protestant pastor. Theology was clearly necessary, otherwise things like the Reformation, American Restorationist movements/First and Second Great Awakening wouldn't have happened. I'd say people in the past didn't know much about arguments for God because it was more ingrained in their lives. When we're fighting with the alternative narrative of atheism (which is an alternative narrative and the proposition that there is no God, not this "lack of belief" nonsense), arguments for God are more necessary. I'd say the decline of Christianity more or less has to do with competing with modernism and liberalism which are two distinct heresies so prevalent today.

[@ob2249]

@@xuvial1391 g00d p0int weII made

[@ob2249]

@@newglof9558 athesim is a Iack 0f beIief a Iack 0f beIief y0u fuIIy understand y0u have exactIy the same Iack 0f beIief ab0ut hinduism isIam bhuddism etc etc ad nauseum american christians take atheism pers0naIIy y0u dish0nestIy dismiss this characterisati0n because it s0 preciseIy iIIustrates y0ur hyp0crisy y0u kn0w exactIy what it means t0 be an athiest but y0u 0nIy see the w0rd as perj0rative

[@theboombody]

The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris was entirely based on a flawed premise.

[@debbiegraham5585]

Hi, Bishop Barron, Brandon thank you for all you do sharing the Word with us 🙏

[@michaelwyka9585]

I would argue that it (the New Atheists) hasn't declined. It has changed. They may not be writing books about it anymore, but the damage is done, they're goal(s) have been (mostly) achieved. The great majority of people, especially young people, do not believe and don't see a reason to justify their unbelief. To them, the New Atheists "answered the question" and that's that.

[@alexanderangelo7284]

Part of the reason was that the New Atheists were too extreme, pompous, cruel, and prejudicial for most people. They were the merely the opposite side of the right wing Christian evangelist coin. Combine that with Islamophobia and the passage of time, and there you have it.

[@Oksisterlol]

"The brotherhood of man follows from the fatherhood of God". This is etched in my mind

[@ob2249]

when ? he`s had 0ver 2000 yrs where is this br0therh00d 0f men ? gIib meaningIess statement and y0u wet y0ur drawers I0I

[@Jackjohnjay]

Thank God you were at Harvard. Spread those prayers, invoke the Holy Spirit.

[@tomgreene1843]

Surprised they let him in!

[@charlesc.9012]

@@tomgreene1843 It is actually unsurprising is scripture is to be believed. It is written that Jesus will be betrayed by his own, and Judas was the one who fulfilled the scripture. It is written in the Gospels of the disciples that the devil planted the thought to betray Jesus in the heart of Judas, and also asked to thresh the disciples, which means even the devil is doing God's work whether he likes it or not

[@DocRunaway]

And may they stop abusing children.

[@DUY-gs8qb]

So well put! Thanks Bishop Barron!

[@philsdon8932]

Carl Jung stated that he had never treated a middle aged (35 and above) persons whose problems were not spiritual in nature. Not one. By spiritual, he meant the fundamental religions practiced throughout the world. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism etc.

[@michaelsalter3459]

This one will be good!

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

As far as the the notion that people are capable of providing a brotherhood of man, I think that experiment has been tried and found wanting. I used to work with a friend who was an atheist and we would talk about God from time-to-time. I wasn't especially religious at the time but I did believe in God. I remember telling him that a universe where God didn't would seem to me to me to be a pretty cold and lonely place. He agreed, but he said he was good with that. I remember feeling bad for him being okay with it, even though I wasn't practicing any particular faith.

[@gailwedgeworth7517]

I am deeply grateful daily for the logic, reason and depth of understanding in the Catholic faith and the church's contributions to academic life. I am today 300 days into the Catechism In a Year. As a convert, I am deeply grateful for the intellectual foundation and history that underpins the catechism. I only wish I had read this when I first converted, for it provides the most fascinating in-depth look at the human condition and our relationship with the God that created all things -- Powerful. Please pray for all the young men and women lead astray by that new atheism, it has impacted so many I know, and their lives have been so hard as a result. Come home, come home.

[@poynt7957]

Wow I see you've embraced the catholic church tradition of talking ridiculous waffle. Reason and logic are left well behind in the catholic church, to believe in 900 year old noah bouncing around goes against logic, just one example. There are some 2 thousand different religions in use today to go with over 8000 god's that can be listed, to claim 1 of these is true and the rest are not, completely goes against reason and logic. What you have gained is belief and some ignorance because you have to ignore what reason and logic tell you.

[@joe5959]

​​@@poynt7957Thats a bunch of word salad and you made zero coherent points. We can objectively demonstrate the catholic church is the one true faith, because of the total quality of the history, philosophical arguments, and what it accepts from science. We dont just have the bible, we have a lineage of people explaining how the church explains and interprets the bible. So any counterargument agaisnt the genesis account effectively becomes deflated. ●Jesus Christ actually existed ●He convinced those who witnessed his bodily ressurection of his diety ●It is the most in line with reality, as far as its theological explanation of what truth and reality are. ●Subsistence existence

[@poynt7957]

@@joe5959 yeah one true church yeah yeah of course it is, its such ignorant delusional thing to say, it encapsulates the stupidity of believe. Genesis is ridiculous there so much wrong in it and as for the gospels just made up crap, there was no census sending Joseph to his ancestral home. This is pure invention which is what most of the Jesus story and those twisted narcissist church elders who layered and layered lies to sell bs to people. If there was a catholic god he would have shut the organisation down, saved millions of kids being abused.

[@almayap2525]

Thank GOD BSHOPBARRON FOR BEING A GIFT TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, GODSENT AND A BLESSING TO MANY❤

[@davideskridge9242]

Thank you guys! This was a great episode that gave me a lot to think about.

[@CMVMic]

There is no God

[@iqgustavo]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 📜 The new atheism, which emerged in the early 2000s, was fueled by the 9/11 attacks, reviving the idea that religion is inherently irrational and violent. 05:04 🎙️ The new atheism's impact was largely due to the rhetorical style of its proponents, such as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris. 13:04 💥 The new atheism began to decline in the early 2010s due to infighting, scandals, and the lack of a positive alternative to religion. 18:46 🌍 The new atheism failed to provide a satisfying alternative to the religious longing for meaning and purpose in life. 21:46 🧐 A shift is occurring in the conversation, with newer skeptics and non-believers like Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray, and Tom Holland asking different questions and showing interest in the spiritual dimension. 25:07 🙏 The Catholic Church does not teach that the Holy Spirit has a gender because God is a spirit and not material. 26:01 💡 The use of masculine pronouns for God is not to deify the male gender but rather to associate God with generative aspects, though feminine metaphors for God can also be used. 27:10 📚 A new book titled "Know Thyself: Catholic Classical Education and the Discovery of Self" by Andrew Youngblood is being launched, addressing classical education's resurgence and its benefits.

[@CyprianVox333]

Finally a genuinely good headline! Sadly, the struggle of the ‘nones’ continues. Onward Christian soldiers…

[@CyprianVox333]

@@FrancesRobinson-yn2ks I think we may have a different definition of “sin”. Regardless, I wish you nothing but love, peace and happiness. God bless.

[@Lerian_V]

@@FrancesRobinson-yn2ks You hold Calvinist/Occamist beliefs, not Catholic. And it's fueling your rebellion. God is not threatening you with hell. God is a father. You will get what this means if you were raised by a good father.

[@MarkKamoski]

If a person goes to hell, then it is by that person's free choice to do so.

[@Lerian_V]

@@FrancesRobinson-yn2ks William of Ockham was a Franciscan friar, philosopher, apologist, and Catholic theologian. Yet he was wrong about God. Martin Luther was a priest, theologian, author, professor, and Augustinian friar. Yet, like many other intelligent Catholic theologians, he too was wrong about God. In Catholicism, God is a father who treats humans like his children. In Occamism/Calvinism, God is a master who treats humans like his slaves.

[@Lerian_V]

@@russellmiles2861 You're talking about the unaffiliated. He has a couple of videos on that too.

[@jamescole322]

I am an atheist, but appreciate religion and enjoy being part of my church (I am just unable to find belief in God). I always found the New Athiests off-putting, with straw man arguments against a naive litteral reading of the bible, combined with anti-islamic opinions that were troubling. But it was hard to find the counter arguments. Here i think people like Jordan Perterson did a lot. He demolished Sam Harris' arguments thoroughly

[@torbjorntoll1481]

Thanks Bishop Barron and the team for bringing Brierley’s book to the fore of conversation. Perhaps it could be followed up by Brierley style conversations with some of those who were part of the New Atheist movement to move from confrontation to discussion on some of the more serious issues brought up by the movement?

[@mullahosk585]

Matt Dillahunty bangs on about how morality and ethics are best when agreed upon between a committee of rational free thinkers etc etc. Yet, his own little world of The atheist Experience imploded pathetically when they could not agree on what is a woman.

[@Carlos-ln8fd]

Yeah Sartre was (i think quite persuasively) insistent on the idea that you can't be an atheist and still believe in an objective morality. I think the quote is something like "there is no perfect good because there's not perfect mind to think what perfect good can be."

[@ob2249]

there is n0 0bjective m0raIity sartre is saying there is n0 g0d and n0 0bjective m0raIity g0d`s handIing 0f the canaanites indicates his Iack 0f 0bjective m0raIity and y0u accepting his w0rd is an indicati0n that y0u have fIexibIe m0raIity t0 acc0m0date g0ds imm0raI acti0ns, 0f which there are many way t0 misread sartre

[@filiamaria8]

Another very enlightening show tonight~ watching from the Philippines 😊 Thank you God and Thank you word on fire team esp Bishop Barron for all that you do❤❤❤ God bless you all🙏🙏🙏

[@alexanderangelo7284]

I think people also need to remember the role the internet played in spreading New Atheism. For 10 years or so the groundwork had been laid online. Then 9/11 and the Catholic sex abuse scandal came within months of each other

[@Swatta637]

Robert Barron is awesome. William Lane Craig - man. This guy is incredibly intelligent. I've never seen a Christian make such a compelling and rational argument for Jesus. He's pretty incredible!

[@justbarelysociable2211]

William Lane Craig is a clown just like all other apologists who lies to support his version of Christianity.

[@jhoughjr1]

I rose and fell with it. Im glad I saw the light.

[@zrobert66]

Thank you Bishop Barron ❤

[@jimmyross4352]

“The Beatles said all you need is love and then they broke up” Christian rock singer Larry Norman.

[@alexanderangelo7284]

The song never said anything about them being together forever.

[@theboombody]

Magical Mystery Tour was a fun album.

[@lindabonicelli6801]

Why would anyone believe that the best there could be is the world right now? How can people believe that there is nothing better than this life? It would be so disheartening to believe that this earthly life is the only thing to look forward to and believe in.

[@gdniteirene]

This was very interesting. I live in Western Canada and the Church seems to be behind the U.S. in using social media to reach people. We're old fashioned and traditional. I agree the Church allowed the atheists to get far ahead and I'm glad that we're fighting the good fight. I loved Imagine when I was a young teen but I often thought it was too simplistic as I grew older. Good for Dave Rubin, I liked his book.

[@Davidjune1970]

There are a lot of KZbin sites by Catholics in the USA which are far more popular than anything in Canada Council of Trent Jimmy Aiken Ascension Presents Scott Hahn Catholic Answers And many others … all based in the USA and all gaining popularity.

[@stevefaith165]

One of my favorite episodes! Keep up the fine educational work. ❤🙏

[@amaraheising4672]

Words of truth and life, thank you for sharing them Bishop.

[@michaelhaywood8262]

The thing that has annoyed me most about Hitchens is the nasty libels he spread about St Teresa of Calcutta, and what surprised me is how many people including some Catholic fell for his lies.

[@reginaldphillips7615]

“The brotherhood of man cannot happen without the fatherhood of God”. So elegantly put.

[@mjja00]

Vacuous twaddle!

[@mashah1085]

So if atheism is "falling"...why aren't the churches filling back up?

[@theboombody]

Just because God is real doesn't mean the church is the best place to get to know him. Lot of bad churches out there unfortunately, and people can tell.

[@mashah1085]

@@theboombody Naturally, it couldn't be that people are deciding God ISN'T real?

[@dawnlapka3782]

Not surprised that this discussion started with popular culture about the Beatles. Many singers and songwriters are very good at using music and lyrics to preach the Gospel. I agree with what Bishop said about God's gender being both Him and Her. God doesn't need gender to be God. God just IS. Thank you, Brandon and Bishop Barron.

[@christiandpaul2022]

People feel superior in doubting in religion. They feel that if there is a god they will find out when they die and this god will judge them well. They don't feel they will be harshly judged and are betting on both sides of the coin. They have no concept of what hell is or that they may go there because of their disbelief. (Also if you tell an ashiest they can NOT go to heaven they get REALLY REALLY MAD! if you say they will go to hel l they tell you how foolish you are for believing all of that nonsense.)

[@georgeparowski1420]

Bishop Barron is a beacon of light in a sin darkened world

[@TyroneBeiron]

Surprised no one has collated the words of recent Popes and their encyclicals on atheism and the Church’s response and rejection of it. Surely what we are hearing - even from Bishop Barron - can’t be ‘new material’ regarding new atheism and modern relativism.

[@michaelmicek]

Do you have an encyclical in mind? I can think of Benedict XVI (maybe before he became pope) trying to counter a "hermeneutic of suspicion" but that's a centuries-old problem.

[@TyroneBeiron]

@@michaelmicek Just off the cuff, and not being an academic, I don’t believe there is one specific one. I sense that one has to go through the recent 20th Century ones to glean principles and commentaries that can be applied to New Atheism and what it seems to offer. Even so, that is relatively malleable, hence the challenge.

[@hopaideia]

John Lennox is another great intelectual defending faith in God

[@JamesRutherford-rn4ul]

I have a PhD in zoology from UC Berkeley with emphasis on evolution. Dawkins' book The Selfish Gene was not much better than his atheistic writing,

[@Trifixion22]

It would be really great to hear your insights

[@dugonman8360]

I tossed the book over my shoulder when he started speaking about how animals were naturally altruistic due to tit-for-tat. If you studied any animal for longer than a year, the blind faith of natural benevolence should go out the door. It's a clear case of personal beliefs contaminating their work, since Dawkins is, much like most of his ilk, Rousseaun secular humanist and still believes in human ontological and moral innocence.

[@gnosticmonk2019]

Recovering new atheist. I rediscovered Faith as I lost faith in the modern false idols of scientism, politics, culture, etc. Faith explains AND guides.

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

I was an Atheist for such a long time, but what compounded my situation was the fact that I was already drifting away from a certain Protestant church. I had just finished high school and I realized there was something deeply wrong with the church I was in. These people who called themselves "Christian" but spoke nothing but hate towards outsiders, and constantly gaslighted the members of its church so they would not try to reach out. So I went from church to church and was met with the same toxic atmosphere, the same toxic attitudes. I thought all these so-called "Christians" were all that there was. I thought all Christians were hypocrites led by charlatans and narcissists. I had abandoned God but God did not abandon me. In college I met someone who is now the love of my life. A Catholic. She knew I was Atheist. She had heard every argument I had about religion. And with immense patience and love, she brought me into the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Only then did I truly feel the presence of the Lord.

[@Ryan-us2ls]

To say (26:40), "Strictly speaking, no person of the trinity has a gender, because God is beyond the physical" is a denial of the hypostatic union. The implication of this would be that Christ incarnate (a human male) isn't God. Entire ecumenical councils (Ephesus, Chalcedon) have been convened to condemn this notion of Christ's divinity and humanity being separate, and it feels like this is being asserted as throwing a bone to modernity at the expense of Catholic orthodoxy.

[@vintagearchie9555]

I was a new atheist, even wrote an obituary for Hitchens in a national newspaper of India. Now, I see where I went wrong and a follower of Christ.

[@wet-read]

Where did you go wrong?

[@Avalon-M.A.]

Bless you & wish you and your family well. Continue searching for God in all things we do.

[@dixonbuttes]

Wonderful!!

[@raphyd1466]

Bishop Barron said a lot of accurate things here. I would just advise him to revise his stance on the arguments of the new atheists. Lots of the arguments they mentioned are arguments that have been wrestled with by great thinkers for centuries, sometimes millenia, and cannot be brushed off as superficial and weak. And most people do not have what Barron calls a "sophisticated" understanding of faith and the Bible, so the fact that the new atheists adressed most people's understanding cannot be framed as simply a strawman.

[@brianw.5230]

I'm an ex-atheist. I only leads to misery. I mean supernatural. They will have a bad experience unless they change. I did. 😞

[@tonyiguess424]

Go back to Go back to Go back to Go back to Just messing with you. Great stuff as always

[@gaborlaszlo8389]

It’s too bad John Lennox’s name is not mentioned in this video. In my view, he’s by far the most important figure countering the new atheists. He simply destroys them in the kindest fashion possible. See, for instance, his “Gunning for God”. A great deal of credit should also be given to the Intelligent Design people, especially Stephen C. Meyer with his latest book titled “Return to the God hypothesis”.

[@janglalgoupiak1891]

John lennox is a protestant. Don't expect his name to be glorified in a Catholic channel.

[@apswindall]

Critiquing religion doesn't validate atheism.

[@loveandmercy9664]

After watching all the protest lately I think its Islam we need to be little more worried about.

[@jerryg3524]

what a fabulous discussion! Thanks BB & Brandon, will get this book . To be fair to the New Atheists they scrutinized classic atheist arguments such as the silence & non-intervention of God (esp. Christopher Hitchens & more recently Alex O'Connor) before the suffering of individuals, animals or nations. Why doesn't God put a stop to such awful suffering? I was told that even St. Jerome once asked, where were you sweet Jesus? I'm looking forward to the answers given in Justin Bierley's new book

[@flintwestwood3596]

Why? Cuz of free will. God lets us experience the fruits of free will and the fruits they produce. It's the same reason why God put the tree of knowledge in the garden. He wants humans the free will to choose, be it suffering of sin or joy of God. EDIT: There is nothing admirable in "rethinking" the truth of of our salvation. It is dangerous and leads us away from God and towards our own destruction.

[@jerryg3524]

@@flintwestwood3596 I suppose. But why was God so active in the Old Testament? He actively punished Israel's enemies & punished Israel itself the moment it broke His laws. And through His prophets He didn't mince words, did He?

[@flintwestwood3596]

@@jerryg3524 He was active because things got out hand and he needed to interfere to get things back on course. Consider the following: the OT spans many thousands of years for the events it narrates, God intervenes multiple times. The NT by itself doesn't even span 100 years in the events it narrates. So apart from Jesus walking amongst humans and doing miracles, there isn't much of a long time window in the NT to witness God's longsuffering patience wear thin like in the OT. The NT does mention the apocalypse, which is yet to ocurr and where God's hand/interference will be seen again. EDIT: I sincerely hope you don't lukewarmly "suppose" it's a bad idea to careen off into our own destruction. If you're bent on your own spiritual death, then the community of Catholics should pray for good sense to prevail in you, but even if you insist on your own destruction, that's your self-destructive choice. It's evil to suggest that others should join in something that will ruin them by dressing it up as "rethinking religious belief." Why it's morally bankrupt to will harm to innocents should never be something that needs "rethinking."

[@jerryg3524]

@@flintwestwood3596 I have never suggested that others should join the New Atheist, you're a stranger to the truth.

[@tomlabooks3263]

Sadly, still today, if one creates a channel that parrots all the New Atheist nonsense, and uses the same aggressive tone (example: the channel “Mindshift”, which is a cauldron of ignorance), they will find immediately tens of thousands of followers and supporters. Still today. Many more than a new christian channels. So I’m afraid we’re not seeing much of a U-turn.

[@tomgreene1843]

Don't forget wordsalad ....no evidence , all those bad believers, quantum physics, and many others plus the lnguge of ridicule!

[@tomlabooks3263]

@@tomgreene1843 I’m sorry, I’m not sure I understand your comment.

[@ladyjulbug]

You know who brought me back to catholicism? I mean, besides a whole bunch of major life events and synchronicities and signs...it was listening to Jordan Peterson and his lectures on the book of Genesis. His interpretation was one I hadn't considered before, that made a lot of sense to me after a few decades of living and observing human nature. I fully agree that atheism can lead to existential crisis, though.

[@ladyjulbug]

Lol I commented that before getting to the end of the video 😂 nice

[@pats3071]

These new atheists have hit an intellectual and philosophical wall that they may never know is even there. I, like many people fell prey to this “KZbin atheism” in my teen years, I’m from a Catholic family, went to Catholic school and slowly began to reject it all, feeling like I was superior and everyone around me was stupid. As I entered my twenties I began to feel drawn back to the church as I discovered more and more of the great theology that can lead to real truth that often feels unattainable. The more you explore this topic, and I mean actually explore it, the more you’ll come to realise that God is found at the bottom of it. If you’re not abandoning this reddit tier BS midwittery in your twenties then I just feel sorry for you. It’s so ironic that they think they’re so intellectually superior to us when their entire belief system is built on strawmen. They don’t seem to grasp that a huge aspect of having faith is struggling with it and asking these same questions that they ask, but eventually we start to ask even greater ones, and genuinely search for the answers, which they don’t, their questions are all rhetorical. Their whole purpose is to dunk on evangelical American Protestants and ask gotcha questions. They assume all Christians are like that, most don’t know the history of the Catholic church’s great ties to science and philosophy. They’re not actually interested in seeking answers and learning, they’ll never read Tolstoy or Aquinas or Augustine. They’ll never listen to Catholic or Orthodox or even Protestant theologians, unless they do so with the intent of giving smug remarks. They’re only interested in asking “wait so you believe Noah’s Ark is a true story? Hah, well how would that possibly happen? Case closed” I’m so glad this era of atheism is on its last legs, because at least don’t insult us with your arguments and don’t seek only stupid people to debate. Atheists should be interested in actually being intellectually stimulate and having level headed conversations with believers to learn, rather than to mock.

[@MathewSteeleAtheology]

There's nothing to learn from theists, though... except that theists don't care as much about what's true as they do about what makes them feel good.

[@haronsmith8974]

@@MathewSteeleAtheology Thats how I feel about atheists seriously. All my atheist friends I grew up with ruined their lives with porn and drugs.

[@MathewSteeleAtheology]

@@haronsmith8974 We're talking about two different things here. How people react to what's true is a separate issue from the truth. The truth doesn't change just because people don't like it.

[@MathewSteeleAtheology]

@pats3071 I'm addressing you specifically here, not just rambling: this wall you're talking about atheists hitting, is it possible that you're just projecting? I do agree that "new atheism" is running its course, but there's one thing that's been completely destroyed over the last twenty years: the supposedly firm footing that theology has in science and philosophy. I don't mean to say that people will stop believing in "God," just that the people who do continue believing don't care about what's true.

[@pats3071]

@@MathewSteeleAtheology Brother you’ve got “atheologist” in your KZbin name, I’m not sure you’ll ever see anything past your own reflection.

[@RockSmithStudio]

John Lennon also was extremely abusive to both of his wives and his child. He didn't follow what he preached, unlike our Messiah, Jesus the Holy One

[@adaff7522]

For his part, Dennett is an academically trained, influential philosopher that can‘t be simply written off as a „rhetorician“

[@drrepair]

He’s not very good at particle physics. He said the world began from nothing or something very small. So which is it?

[@Carlos-ln8fd]

I don't think he's being written off here. Barron is complimenting him for his abilities as a communicator. His credentials as an academic are irrelevant to the argument. Barron is trying to explain the success of the movement and to him that had to so with these people's rethoric abilities and not necessarily their ideas because secular irreligiosity precedes them.

[@adaff7522]

@@drrepair I can‘t imagine a world where this is relevant to my comment.

[@adaff7522]

@@Carlos-ln8fd I find it hard to consider the reduction of his influence in religious debates to emotionally compelling rhetoric an honest compliment. But, point taken.

[@1080lights]

@@drrepair Unknown

[@christophermiller3031]

@6:30 Richard Dawkins wrote several books that emphasize the gene as the driving force of evolution, The Selfish Gene (1976), The Blind Watchmaker (1986), and The God Delusion (2006) being among the most famous.

[@christophermiller3031]

I hope the channel mod understands that these messages aren't a form of irrational emotional response, but literally am attempt to communicate the inappropriate reaction to the use of Dawkins clearly scientific language...

[@Braingrandchild]

Bishop Barron, dunking on atheists worldwide

[@Ruth-q2g5h]

Success depends on the actions or steps you take to achieve it. Building wealth involves developing good habits, such as regularly setting aside money for sound investments.

[@TheCrusaderKing]

I beg to differ sir. Sam Harris has proven himself to be not that bright.

[@malice836]

Not at all bright. Becomes clearer and clearer the more you listen to him.

[@2010Juve]

Sam Harris has a low iq.

[@neoarmour]

Hes retarded

[@dugganclhallrentals2089]

Sam is a brilliant man. You just disagree with him that’s all

[@Thomas-bq4ed]

Yes he said he didn’t like Trump. We get it

[@jasonthomas1023]

I realize that I'm a little late to this conversation. But as an atheist, I wanted to contribute my own observations on this issue. To begin, I am always amused to that "New Atheism" is taken so seriously by Christians. Let's talk about what "New Atheism" really is/was: there was a moment after 9/11 when there was a palpable sense of skepticism (and at times, outright antagonism) towards all things religious. I don't think it was always well-thought out, but it was present. A bunch of book publishers could sense what was going on and thought, "How can we make money out of this?". So one of them enlisted an author of popular science texts to write a book about why he didn't believe in God and the intuition of these book publishers paid off handsomely. There is nothing deep and philosophical behind the "New Atheism" and there never was. It was an opportunity to sell a bunch of books and make money from high speaking fees. The reason why the "New Atheism" is dying is the same reason bell bottoms are no longer popular: all trends have a shelf life. And like all other trends that have ever existed, this one came to an unceremonious end. "The God Delusion" was never meant to be a thoroughgoing philosophical critique of theism. It was just some guy giving his personal opinion as to why he didn't believe in God using the kind of incendiary language he knew would give it widespread publicity and boost his profits. The only reason I can think as to why theologians take this book seriously is because it was an NY Times bestseller that sold millions of copies. Aside from that, there isn't much to recommend this book, or any of the popular books written by Hitchens, Harris, etc. In my early thirties, when the "New Atheist" movement was still going strong, I was a member of a local secular organization that hosted monthly discussion groups. These meetings were open to everyone, but as you can imagine, nearly all of the people who attended were atheists. During a 2.5 year period I was at first an attendee, but eventually was the conversation group leader. If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say "Richard Dawkins is an id*@t" or "Sam Harris doesn't know what he's talking about and needs to shut up" or "Christopher Hitchens is a mo*@rn", I would be wealthier than Elon Musk. But even those kinds of exchanges could be rare. The truth is, and I'm speaking here from my personal experience, the average atheist I encountered doesn't care about any of the most popular figures in the "New Atheist" movement. In fact, in the entire time I spent as a member of this organization, I hardly ever heard anyone mention their names, except when they were calling them an "id*@t" or a "mor*@n". Most atheists I know don't really care about what those guys think. One of my friends at that time would always laugh sarcastically whenever he heard "New Atheism" described as a movement. If there is one thing I would like for Christians reading this to take away from what I've said, it's my request to please stop taking "New Atheism" seriously and to see it for what it really is: a carefully orchestrated gimmick to publish books and make lots of money. It was never meant to be a serious philosophical refutation of theism, and to believe that it ever was would be giving it too much credit. "New Atheism" isn't in decline because it failed to give people meaning or answer life's biggest questions. It's in decline because it was just a fad. And all fads die. This is less a story of people searching for meaning and more a story of how susceptible people are to clever marketing and PR.

[@newglof9558]

I'm curious how rigorous this skeptic group was, because it seems more rigorous than the standard if they're calling out Dawkins, Hitchens etc. Those guys are largely still revered in athrist circles, and their arguments (as poor as they are) still persist in some fashion to the present. I think new atheism as a cultural force is dying, but to say it was irrelevant or anything frankly isn't true. "The God Delusion" sold millions of copies.

[@jasonthomas1023]

@@newglof9558 This was a group that I was a part of for over a 2 year period. Not all members were consistent attenders. There were some people who would attend for a few meetings and then leave. Some for longer. As a result, I got to meet people from a variety of perspectives. Some people had really thought through on their reasons for being atheist, and others had what I would consider "bad" reasons for being atheist. Were there some who had very high opinions of Dawkins and company? Sure. But Dawkins, et al were hardly ever the subjects of group conversation and had little influence on the positions attendees took in regards to most of their opinions about religion. One does not have to be "rigorous" in order to criticize the opinions of Dawkins, Hitchens, etc. as most of what they have to say isn't really all that deep in the first place. And not all the criticisms I heard of Dawkins, etc. were "rigorous" or well thought out. Christian's need to dismiss this idea that atheists see themselves as stalwarts of logic, reason, and intellect fighting against Christianity. This does not track with reality. I met some really smart atheists, but I met my share of atheists who couldn't logic their way out of a paper bag. Regardless of their level of intelligence, real or perceived, most atheists have a mind of their own and would resent the idea that they need someone, even someone as popular as Dawkins, to guide them as to how they should think. You will have to tell me more about the atheist circles that you are in communication with before I take you seriously. I never suggested that "New Atheism" was irrelevant. I just said that it shouldn't be taken seriously. WWE certainly isn't irrelevant considering how much money it pulls in. But no one who takes sports seriously looks at WWE as a serious sport.

[@benhills1340]

Thanks for sharing your search.

[@samuelstephens6904]

This is the correct take. “New Atheism,” if it can even be called a movement, was one that was defined by a loose connection of authors who wrote some books in a time where there was an appetite for such content. It wasn’t an intellectually robust movement with clear membership and a shared set of ideas. I suspect the reason why apologists today spend so much time harping on “new atheism” is because it’s sort of a scapegoat for them. Religiosity is still falling, at least in places like America. The reasons why are likely complex, but I imagine changes in social values play bigger role than the lingering vestiges of new atheism. Issues surrounding LGBTQ and abortion in particular seem to be doing a lot of the work. I would bet the overturning of Roe has done more harm to Christianity in America than all of those New Atheist books combined. Someone like Bishop Barron probably can’t acknowledge that for obvious reasons.

[@jasonthomas1023]

@@samuelstephens6904 I agree. The popular spokesmen of the New Atheism were not the only ones to profit from its success. William Lane Craig was probably well known within the broad, mainline Christian movement. Particularly within niche apologetics circles. But the rise of the New Atheist "movement" also made the likes of WLC, Greg Koukl, and Frank Turek apologetic stars who, like their skeptical counterparts, could also command generous speaking fees. For Christian apologists, these fees would be paid by churches looking for a voice to preach to the proverbial choir. What were once considered dry, academic debates about the transcendent were now "must see TV" as each side wanted to see the other get "owned" by their representative. Sure, The God Delusion sold millions. But books written in response to Dawkins and his colleagues would sell millions more. As much as Christian apologists want you to believe they bemoan the caustic discourse of Dawkins and Company , the reality is that they are keenly aware that they owe much to the rise of New Atheism for much of their public success. I get the impression that guys like Dawkins and Harris have moved on from this because their reputation as public intellectuals does not rest on being atheists. I don't think they've retreated from public debate on religion because they feel religion is "wining". They just realize that the world has moved on and have better things to do with their time. Christian apologists, on the other hand, are still living in the early aughts. Without a continued New Atheist "threat", they lose some of their relevancy. They desperately need to keep the names of Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris alive not only to scapegoat and fearmonger reactionary ideas, but also to stay relevant and to keep the cash rolling in. And yes, I believe Brierley is one of those persons who is still trying to cash in.

[@vivacristorey4363]

I find it ironic to an extent that September 11th events led to the new atheism. Why? Because religion was the only thing that could console me when such a tragic event in history was happening right before my eyes. I felt helpless and hopeless. Yet religion reminded me that I could pray which both helped me and others while offering that much needed hope. It was also faith that led so many hero fire fighters to risk their lives above and beyond during that tragic day, knowing that they were not likely going to get out of their alive.

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

Actually, those ideas (in the West) come from the Stoics. I have never understood the idea that one can be a "Militant Atheist." If there is no G-d, that is simply a fact. Being a militant atheist is like being militant about the valence of Hydrogen.

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

@@gyrate98 Things are either true or they are not. If they are true, they are not emotional things. If the other side does not want to listen to reason, they are already beaten.

[@JohnMinehan-lx9ts]

What can I do about it. If there is something, do it. Otherwise accept it.@@gyrate98

[@justbarelysociable2211]

@@JohnMinehan-lx9ts If you could reason with religious people, there would be none of them left.

[@lazornagy3735]

Good analysis. But I think fundamentally it's quite simple. Atheism eventually fails because ultimately, at the heart of it, there is nothing. And you can't build on that. It's disappointing at every level; intellectually, emotionally and - of course - spiritually. Once the initial euphoria of "wow, I'm so clever" wears off, you just end up at a dead end and surrounded by depressingly desolate landscape. In contrast, belief in God is an infinitely and inexhaustibly rich experience.

[@samuelstephens6904]

What exactly is it you think atheism is supposed to be “succeeding” at? If you count it as a failure because it hasn’t replaced Christianity or some other religion, then that seems like a strange and inappropriate metric to me. Atheism doesn’t play the game the same way Christianity and other religions do. It’s a rejection of the game. It’s not meant to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

[@heronofheaven]

The Four Horsemen of Atheism (Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett) astrological signs are all Aries.

[@pepinperalta]

Einstein: "The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible"

[@rgvonsanktpauli6250]

A lot of captivating window dressing helped sell Christopher Hitchens’ fallacious arguments for atheism -- his roguish charm, likable personality and often eloquent takes on unrelated topics like politics and literature - even when those arguments fell flat. Odd how that works with us silly, overly emotional humans.

[@BlasterMaster80]

What fallacies does Hitchens commit?

[@rgvonsanktpauli6250]

@@BlasterMaster80 Lots of hastily delivered straw men, ad hominem and non sequitur - often couched in deflective sarcasm and marked by an obstinate refusal to address subsequent counterarguments. For specifics, check out Bishop Barron's videos on "God is Not Great," for starters, as well as his other videos on the New Atheists. Hitchens’ debate with William Lane Craig at Biola University is also worth a look to see what I mean; you'll find it on KZbin, as well.

[@ob2249]

@@rgvonsanktpauli6250 iane craig???!!! I0I the gr0wn up wh0 has a "seIf c0nfessed" "seIf attesting" "feeIing" 0f the h0Iy spirit "m0ving inside him " eeeeuuuiw a reaI aduIt "sch0Iar" ???? wh0 bases his beIief 0n a warm fuzzy that`s rig0ur0us sch0Iarship right there I0I hitchens made him I00k as shaII0w and dish0nest as he 0bvi0usIy is p0int 0ut hitchen`s strawmen, where d0 they 0ccur ? which debates ? where are they "hastiIy deIivered"

[@joeschuetz3764]

Does rejection of atheism necessarily mean acceptance of Christianity? Maybe, but given declining church attendance in the U.S., am not sure.

[@betsalprince]

The movement was never intended to be a perpetual one. Its goal was to raise awareness of the dangers of religious indoctrination, encourage theists to think for themselves for once, and give nonbelievers the confidence to stand up against dogma and call a spade a spade. It did its job.

[@theboombody]

Secular humanism is for some reason adopting a lot of the dogma of the Democratic party, when it should be rejecting that dogma as well. Dogma is dogma, whether it's Christian, Democrat, or Republican dogma.

[@LennarthAnaya]

God bless intelligent people who don't believe in gods and other mythological creatures to scare children!!!🎉

[@artd4823]

Sustainable planet 🌍 Self healing biodynamics of the human & animal physiology.🧭 Deep thoughts communication🐝🛰️⛈️ Energy delivered onto Earth's surface 🌎 Great harvest 🌱 God's blessings 🙏

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

Even my great grandparents born in late 1880s had witnessed the rise of a very influential and wealthy aristocracy raised in epistemological physical lawisms, extreme naturalism movements without God and was said to be primed up for materialism as we know it today. What occurred in Germany was shared in America wealthy circles as husbandry had already took on evolutionary mythological beliefs even before it was popularized as a feature of materialism. The idea of races like Europeans being the most evolved swings in the time of the American Civil War or just before this ironically

[@0_3_6_9_0]

20:25 Accurate! Perfect. Thank you Bishop.