The Atheism Myth

By Ian McCoy

Over the past decade there has been resurgence in literature claiming to know that God does not exist. Richard Dawkins has led this campaign against Theists in general and Christianity in particular. Sometimes labelled the “New Atheism” Dawkins and others express two popular prejudices: First that all religious belief is baseless, and second that religion is the principle cause of violence, division and oppression and hence should be abandoned for the sake of peace and tolerance.

This book will argue that the only thing that is “new” about the New Atheism is the vitriol with which they state their erroneous case. Mr McCoy explodes the four great myths of Atheism; first that our universe appeared from "nothing", second that human consciousness is a product of simple brain function, third that there is a contradiction between science and religion and finally that Morality is a relative affair and a product of evolution.

The Atheism Myth has its new priests - Daniel Dennet, Sam Harris, the late Christopher Hitchin’s and of course Richard Dawkins. Again, they offer nothing new - accept for being actually less insightful, less subtle, less refined, more emotional and more ethically complacent than previous thinkers.

Mr McCoy argues that New Atheism’s attempt to propagate the Atheism Myth is merely a regression to the logical positivist philosophy that was renounced decades ago even by its most ardent proponents. However the positivists were never so naïve as to suggest that God could be a scientific hypothesis (they said the concept was meaningless because it was unscientific) - unlike Dawkins, who considers the question of His existence a scientific one. Of course, as any philosopher will tell you, it is not.

There is however a sinister aspect to the “New Atheism” and its attempt to propagate the Myth - it doesn’t merely disagree with religions – it disagrees with tolerating them. Unlike traditional atheists they emphasise anti theism with an intense anger because they think that religion poisons everything. However on closer examination New Atheism consists of largely vacuous arguments based on historical ignorance and strident self righteousness and therefore becomes as contemptible as any other form of fundamentalism. They fail to realize that Wisdom, as Socrates said, begins in wonder, and it increases when we become aware of our pre suppositions and question them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ian McCoy
• Release date: Dec 10, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310731754

Ian McCoy

Ian McCoy (www.ianmccoy.com) is a master magician and mentalist, a motivational speaker and teacher, a published author, a musician, singer/songwriter and a writer/journalist. For over a decade he was one of California's top magical acts and performed all around the world for blue chip companies, Hollywood celebrities, a cruise line, Las Vegas hotels and thousands of private individuals. . He also set up magic classes and camps teaching children of all ages throughout the Bay Area of San Francisco. He relocated back to the UK seven years ago and has performed around Britain and on TV. Ian is also a credentialed high school and junior college teacher in both the UK and USA. He has degrees in history and politics and post graduate degrees in education and theology. He is the published author of the book Magic in the Center : God Consciousness and You a work in Philosophy that examines the concept of the Soul. He has also developed an online environmental news and information service with his brother and sister called just4theplanet . Ian is lead writer. Ian's keynote speech Magical Values is a call for people to be their best. It is truly inspirational and incorporates entertaining magic and mentalism to illustrate some perennial wisdom and motivate his audience. In his Kindle books on the art of Mentalism and Mindreading, How to be a Mentalist , How to be a Mentalist II, How to be a Mentalist: Time Flies and In Mind, Ian takes his 35 years study and experience to teach this fascinating art. Every technique and performance has a video link. So as well as reading, the student gets to see both performances and live explanations. His related book Memory teaches incredible techniques to develop your mind to it's full potential. Ian has also published two books on the art of card magic under the title McCoy's Miracle's: World Class Card Magic and one book on mentalism with cards: McCoy's Miracles: World Class Mentaism with Playing Cards. As with his other work - they all have video links to performance and explanation. Ian's book Angels: An insight into their Existence, taps his academic insights from theology, science, philosophy and history. It is a fascinating study. Ian has two publications on the person of Jesus Christ.The Historical Reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ examines just that and argues that historians while agreeing with the historicity of Christ's life and deat...

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The Atheism Myth

Ian McCoy

Copyright 2013 Ian McCoy

Smashwords Edition

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The Atheism Myth

Introduction

Atheists have great faith and belief. They have faith in the myth that we live in a random universe. They believe the myth that the material world constitutes the whole of reality.

Atheism as well as believing in the material universe….as the only ultimate reality also has faith that this universe is controlled by fixed physical laws and blind chance. More than anything of course Atheism believes the myth that the universe has no Intelligence or Mind behind it - no God. The Atheism myth states that there is no objective purpose and no objective meaning or destiny.

Another aspect of the Atheist belief system is the Cosmos came into being spontaneously and that at some point in its evolution molten rock became living things by chance and then living things developed consciousness also by chance.

The great Myth also states that all ideas about God or gods - enlightened beings - prophets and saviours - or other non physical beings or forces - are superstition and delusion. Life and consciousness are totally identical to physical processes and arose from chance interactions of blind physical forces. Like the rest of life - your life - and your consciousness - have no objective purpose or meaning or destiny.

The Atheism Myth states that all judgements, values and moralities whether my own or others are subjective, arising solely from biological determinants, personal history and chance. Free will is an illusion therefore the most rational values I can personally live by must be based on the knowledge that for me - what pleases me is Good - what pains me is bad. Those who please me or help me avoid pain are my friends - those who pain me or keep me from my pleasures my enemies - Rationality requires that friends and enemies be used in ways that maximize my pleasure - and minimize my pain.

According to the Atheism Myth churches have no real use other than social support - that there are no objective sins to commit or be forgiven for - that there is no divine or supernatural retribution for sin or reward for virtue. Although there may be social consequences of actions - Virtue for me is getting what I want - without being caught and punished by others.

The Atheism Myth states that what you can see, touch, hear, smell and taste is all that is real and that knowledge can only be gained through hard science. Science and Religion contradict each other. Religious/Spiritual Knowledge or any other sort is not valid.

And finally the Atheism Myth states that the death of the body is the death of the mind - there are no experiences after death - you cease to exist - and all hope for anything is nonsense.

Over the past decade there has been resurgence in literature claiming to know that God does not exist. Richard Dawkins has led this campaign against Theists in general and Christianity in particular. Sometimes labelled the New Atheism Dawkins and others express two popular prejudices: First that all religious belief is baseless, and second that religion is the principle cause of violence, division and oppression and hence should be abandoned for the sake of peace and tolerance.

This book will argue that the only thing that is new about the New Atheism is the vitriol with which they state their erroneous case. Indeed thinkers in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries such as David Hume and Frederick Nietzsche were much more profound thinkers than the present batch. It was these men who invented the Atheist Myth. The crusade by people such as Daniel Dennet, Sam Harris, the late Christopher Hitchin’s and of course Richard Dawkins is nothing new - accept for being actually less insightful, less subtle, less refined, more emotional and more ethically complacent. The New Atheists are simply propagating a myth a myth that has been around in small part from time immemorial - but only gained prominence in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The main thrust of the Atheism myth is that a scientistic (note not scientific) materialist account of everything constitutes the full story. Transcendent realities are illusory and imaginary. The myth has been persuasive - so much so that throughout the twentieth century and beginning of the twenty first, a naturalist assumption has been integral to western culture – especially academia. To this day many take the doctrine of materialism to be established scientific facts, not just assumptions. It is a fundamental error to see such assumptions as necessarily true. Indeed we say that they are extremely flawed.

Another main plank in the Atheist Myth is that science and religion contradict each other. It is a matter of historical truth however that science is a Western development precisely because of its Judeo/Christian tradition of Theism. Genius’s like Isaac Newton wanted to understand the Laws of nature put into existence by a Creator. Almost all of the great scientists of the Enlightenment – the men who began the scientific revolution - were Theists. The Atheist Myth presents us with a foolish and false dichotomy between science and religion. Albert Einstein – clearly one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century certainly didn’t buy into the Atheism Myth. He famously said that science without religion was lame and that religion without science was blind. The reality is that the difference between the Atheism Myth and the Theist position has nothing at all to do with science; it has to do with philosophy and belief. The New Atheists want to drive a wedge between science and religion – to suit their own philosophy and belief – and in this they are joined by the religious fundamentalists. But their position is philosophical not scientific. People are not wooed by the Atheist Myth because of scientific facts. They are drawn to the myth because of their philosophy. Of course many religious people use science to justify their position also. The question is not science – but rather the presuppositions that we bring to science.

The Atheism Myth has led to a widespread notion that people who believe in God are irrational and ignorant. Priests of the Myth build up their straw men by highlighting the ridiculous views of fundamentalists – just so they can easily pull them down. But faith in God is not blind and unintelligent. Theists – or at least many of them, argue and think carefully about what they believe to be true.

According to Richard Dawkins religion is anti-rational – faith is blind trust in the absence of evidence. But does this really describe the faith of any serious believer? While rational argument will not prove Gods existence – serious thinkers from Aristotle and Kant to Descartes and Whitehead and Francis Collins (A biologist who headed the genome project) - have demonstrated that belief in God is very plausible. It is easy and disingenuous to say the least – to put forward a caricature of faith – for it is not real faith at all.

In terms of the Judeo – Christian tradition, the Bible encourages both the believer and the non believer to use their minds when investigating their faith. Jesus Christ said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Nothing in scripture indicates that faith is equal to foolishness, and much indicates the opposite. Thou shalt not think is not one of the Ten Commandments.

New Atheism’s attempt to propagate the Atheism Myth is merely a regression to the logical positivist philosophy that was renounced decades ago even by its most ardent proponents. However the positivists were