Dawkins Revisited

I guess I needed to come back to Dawkins given that my previous post was somewhat tangential to the actual topic.

Where to start - well there is the fact that, by his own admission, he has never actually spoken to a serious theologian (well he doesn't believe in theology does he); the self referencing statements directed back to his own books; the fact that he believes that anyone with any kind of religious belief (no matter how slight) is mentally ill & should have their children removed (yes seriously); that religion itself is a virus which should be destroyed; the fact that he honestly believes that "science & atheism" together can be the basis for a new utopia (in the 20th century science and atheism accounted for the murders of 10s of millions of people - Hitler, Stalin & Mao anyone?); the fact that he purports to be arguing from a basis of science when he is clearly arguing about a philosophical world view - either a major category error or at best disingenuous; his definition of faith - "belief in the absence of evidence even in the teeth of evidence" - I don't think that that would be any serious theologian's definition "these things are written that you might believe" - i.e. that your faith might be based on evidence; his misrepresentation of the history of science - modern science is historically traced back to the Hebrews (predating the Greeks) who because they believed in one God who governed through laws - believed therefore that his creation was equally governed by laws that could be understood rationally; that Darwin, Galileo & Newton were never atheists (quote from Darwin - “In my most extreme fluctuations I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God.” (Letter to John Fordyce, May 7 1879) in fact the history of the development of science is closely associated with people of faith; that there are historical records which are still in existence that demonstrate that the famous discussion between Huxley and Bishop Wilberforce was not the whitewash that Dawkins would have us believe - Darwin himself described Wilberforce's paper against his 'Origin of Species' as 'uncommonly brilliant' because it, to quote Darwin 'picks out with skill all the most conjectural parts, and brings forward well all the difficulties', Wilberforce himself was an amateur scientist, had a first class degree in mathematics and was Vice President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and although a theologian, didn't argue from a theological position. The outcome of the debate, rather than being 'overwhelmingly on the side of science and the great conception of evolution' was actually seen to have been a draw. To say that 'Wilberforce was annihilated by Huxley' is simply a lie and doesn't [ironically] stand up against the actual evidence. Darwin himself said that the debate had done good by 'showing the world that a few first rate men are not afraid of expressing their opinions'; then there are 'memes' - 'cultural replicators' which Dawkins has postulated to explain why religion is still in the evolutionary mix - of course (ironically again) there isn't actually any evidence for them. I could go on as Dawkins himself does at great length....

There are some really great resources for those who are interested - some you pay for some are free (yipee). The excellent - I could not recommend this site highly enough - http://www.bethinking.org/ is an absolute treasure trove of Christian apologetics resources. The best thing is you can download stuff onto your iPOD and listen to it in the gym, as you drive around in your car, walk the dog etc. etc. - how fab! Both John Lennox and Alister McGrath have talks on the subject of Dawkins - so if you want to listen to people who know what they are talking about [then you don't have to take my word for it] - check them out.

They also both have books (by the way if you're reading this and it was you I lent my copy of 'Dawkins God' to - could you return it please!)

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John Lennox is Research Fellow in Mathematics at Green College, University of Oxford and Senior Fellow of the Whitefield Institute. He recently was part of a live debate with Dawkins in Birmingham Alabama and is shortly to debate with him again in Oxford. Download his bethinking session on this link

http://www.bethinking.org/science-christianity/advanced/god-and-richard-dawkins.htm

Atheist philosopher of science, Michael Ruse, commented, ‘I would like to see Dawkins take Christianity as seriously as he undoubtedly expects Christianity to take Darwinism. I would also like to see him spell out fully the arguments as to the incompatibility of science (Darwinism especially) and religion (Christianity especially). He has also written, ‘The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why'.

Space & Time - It's a Continuum

Just too busy with work, with church and with Street Pastors; as well as all the domestic calls with family etc. that it's easy to feel life is completely out of balance. Sometimes feel that I'm on the end of an elastic thread. The good thing is it's still anchored but it's scary being stretched so far. I'm keenly aware of needing time for prayer and contemplation but not finding that it can be very easily accommodated in the midst of everything else.

The couple of courses from last September through to May this year exploring Ignatian spirituality were the best things I've done in terms of spiritual growth and understanding about prayer and reflection. Not only the opportunity to explore ways of praying and contemplating God and the movement of God in my life but I discovered the absolute value of having a Spiritual Director. This morning, after a sorely missed 3 months, I met with my Spiritual Director again. What a huge help and encouragement - she seems to straighten out the crooked paths and things seem to fall into place. She has amazing spiritual discernment and wisdom and I so appreciate that. There is such a sense of peace and she leaves me with lots to think and pray about.
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Check out the Epiphany website in my blog list for more information on courses locally. A good introduction to St Ignatius of Loyola, would be Landmarks by Margaret Silf - a book I can't recommend highly enough.

Street Pastors

At Street Pastor training last night - we're still hoping to be 'Christ on the Streets' come December - Looking out for people and demonstrating, practically, the love of God. Making sure people are safe and have a good night out. Street Pastors has now been endorsed by the Home Office in England and Roseanna Cunningham has raised it as an issue in the Scottish Parliament, asking for the recognition and support for Street Pastors in Scotland. The Ascension Trust who are the group reponsible for Street Pastors in the UK and now developing further afield in lots of places across the world, see the church as part of the 'Urban Trininty' including the Police and the local authority. It's about starting to put 'community' back into our city centres.

Last night the topic was, believe it or not, Sociology. Brought back memories of studying Durkheim, Marxist and Feminist theory. We looked at 'deviance' and I guess the conclusion I drew is that Christians are probably now a deviant subculture. Deviant doesn't mean 'bad' - just deviating from the norm. You can be a positive deviant! Probably the best books I've read around this in the last little while are by Dave Ping 'Outflow' '>
and by Michael Frost 'Exiles: Living missionally in a Post- Christian World'.
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We're not the mainstream in society and maybe that's a good thing - maybe that means we have to think a bit more deeply about our faith - not take for granted that Christian values are the norm and live in a way that challenges the prevailing culture.

Street Pastors embrace the very thing that Dave Ping talks about - 'a ministry of noticing' - looking out for people and laying down our own needs and interests for a little while.

John Cornwell meets Dawkins

Currently in Christian culture there is a great deal of discussion about 'community'. While reading John Cornwell's book 'Darwin's Angel' which is a light touch counter to Dawkins 'The God Delusion', I was struck by a passage where he discusses the question 'what is religion?' - he says

"Religious rituals and symbols, from the dawning of human history, marked and celebrated birth, growth, age, death and burial, the makings of families and communities, the coming together for feasts, husbandry, hunting, journeys, the life cycles of plants, animals, and human beings, the changing seasons, the diurnal, lunar, and annual rounds, the mystery of existance...It is exciting to think of the deepening of our awareness of the world through the scientific dimension, especially cosmology and biology and yet science cannot encompass the multi-dimensional symbols of religion, which by their nature resist explanation and control...

..It was only after the Enlightenment that the word 'religion' principally came to mean an aspect of human behaviour or culture. And in the conflicts between throne and altar, church and state, priesthood and politics, there emerged a concerted and determined effort to describe religion as a private, purely personal activity. The struggle to banish religion to the private sphere continues to this day."

There is something powerful in recovering 'community' which was so strong in the early church. Celebrating together, marking events significant to the people in our community, whether our immediate church community or the wider community. The church can't be hidden in the box marked 'private activity'. The church has a call to justice. So if we are radical participants in a high commitment endeavour then that requires us to interact - to weep with those who weep and be happy with those who are happy [Rom 12.15]. This stands in contrast to the 'communitylessness' which people often experience, both in the church and without.

This is important for me particularly in thinking forward to some of the things on the horizon, like 'Advent' and the development of Street Pastors. These things re-emphasise the centrality of community and recovery of something fundamental to Christian practice.

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More later.

Tony Campolo meets Mother Teresa

A formidable pairing..listening to Tony's podcast 'Across the Pond' and thinking about 'blessed are the meek' or as the NLT puts it 'God blesses those who are gentle and lowly - for the whole earth will belong to them'. Struggling with what it means to be meek - what a difficult word that is.... But Tony says a great thing - the world will take us seriously when we have sacrified enough. That's where authority comes from - from sacrifice - what has the church sacrificed recently? - what have I sacrificed in my life to gain that authority? - not power.

Someone once said you have to earn the right to preach the gospel - How do I earn the right, through sacrifice, to speak with authority of God's love?
http://feeds.feedburner.com/TonyCampoloPodcast