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I get the dark humor of “Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, that the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is 42, but no one knows what the question is. (In the end, the question is a math equation which does not equal 42, because of a fundamental flaw in the universe.) It’s funny. It’s cheeky. It’s cynical. But it is nihilism. If that is what new atheists are offering, they are setting atheism back at least one hundred years, before the French existentialists.

New Atheists should expect something better from their ranks than Dawkins. Just because he can poke religion in the eye doesn’t make him convincing; it just shows how weak of an opponent American evangelicalism currently is.

In an attempt to counter the general malaise and indifference within many evangelical churches to the traditional Christian calendar, Faith Interface blog will be celebrating Advent like this Australian Baptist has never celebrated it before. Come join us !!

http://www.faithinterface.com.au/discipleship-spiritual-formation/celebrating-advent

Neither can religion.

Time to tell Dawkins to step aside and concern ourselves with the atheists who ARE attempting to answer the why questions ontologically rather than scientifically. I still think they are the true challenge.

You’ve commented that Lutherans have something that the evangelicals are looking for. I absolutely want to believe you and I do but I cannot overcome a personal experience.

My father, an elder who teaches systematic theology at his evangelical church, attended my Lutheran church. Our church preached the gospel message, not X,Y,Z. My fathers impression was that the church was not spirit led and dead and did not preach growth. I know this is an anecdote but I think it is representative of how Lutheran are perceived.

1. I never commented on whether Dawkin’s questions are meaningful or not.

2. I stated clearly that I was making no judgements on where anyone got answers for their questions.

I said, and will say one more time, that Dawkins is, as usual, acting as if his conversion to scientism and resulting atheism is the key to unlock all other human beings. We’re all chasing unicorns and engaging in question begging.

Please. Amuse yourselves.

Go to the waiting room of a pediatric cancer ward and tell them- stand up and tell them all- that they are wasting their time with their “why” question. Play a Dawkins clip. Hand out free copies of the God Delusion.

Then come back tomorrow and see how it’s going.

Note, sir. I don’t know who they are talking/praying to, nor do I know what answer they are receiving. I simply know that it is characteristically human to ask “Am I loved?” It is human to ask “WHy is my child dying?” It is human to say “WHy must I be alone in my final years?”

Whether you or I have better answers interests me not at all. Dawkins is like a man seeking to eradicate poetry. Enjoy yourself.

Humanity quests for existential understanding and YES, the scientific universe is silent. Or the heavens proclaim the glory of God. The difference is Dawkins and company will invade the pediatric waiting room to tell those people they are superstitious idiots and others will silently pray with them and respect their search for answers.

You can have a reasonable last word, then this thread is closed. I am not interested in debating atheists. I’m interested in letting humans seek to understand what it means to be human.

You’ll notice that I bold-faced the source of the supposed answers that makes the questions meaningless. The universe will not answer these kinds of questions. Don’t believe me? Let’s test it; Ask. Listen. Hear that? That’s the sound the universe providing no answer.

Does this mean that there are either meaningful Dawkins questions or no questions? That’s just peevishness writing. Of course there are all kinds of meaningful questions people can ask. But when it comes to gaining knowledge from asking these kinds questions, then there is a rich source of various kinds of answers… and this source exists much closer to home than the ‘universe’ and a supernatural ‘god’; this source exists in within this collective we call humanity.

There is a rich library of human knowledge and understanding – from anthropology to zoology and all the faculties of study in between… including religion (I find the narratives particularly enlightening). But if anyone from any of these areas of study steps forward and states categorically that only this one area is actually true and it alone reveals meaning and purpose and compassion and morality because it is sanctified by the Great Mystical Unicorn Himself – but is unavailable to honest investigation because it is supernatural in revelation – then we’ve got a huge problem.

If one makes the intellectual mistake of basing one’s humanity on such an empty truth claim, then it is that person who has the huge problem and not the person like Dawkins who points it out. Dawkins calls that problem The God Delusional. Dropping the delusion should not be considered such a terrible price to pay for actually and honestly investigating what’s probably true, probably accurate, probably correct right here in the natural world, right along side each and every one of us. That’s what Dawkins is promoting! I think, like Dawkins, that it is that pursuit – and NOT the answers we think we may have found – that reveals our common humanity. And it is within that knowledge of common humanity we can experience compassionate suffering and honestly find transcendence and grace right here, at home, each and every day. No supernaturalism is required to live a meaningful and purposeful and compassionate life so experienced.