July 8, 2012

Divided We Stand

By G. Murphy Donovan
"Churches must learn humility as well as teach it." -George Bernard Shaw Atheism was all the rage a few years ago, when several books received a measure of notoriety.  The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and God Is Not Great by the late Christopher Hitchens are examples.  Ironically, neither author claimed to be an atheist. Apparently, agnosticism is the all-purpose hedge for rationalists.  Religious beliefs are impossible to quantify, but by the same token, the tenets of faith are also impossible to disprove.  Empiricists, with few exceptions, are loath to assess the qualitative or civic virtue of religion.  On the other hand, these same critics are quick to catalogue depredations committed in the name of faith.  For many on the progressive side of the political spectrum, religion is little more than a historical anachronism.  Now comes Harvard's Niall Ferguson with a more utilitarian view of religion.  In a nutshell, the author of...(Read Full Article)