Kimberly Winston has a good summary of the New Atheist movement since its inception right after 9/11.
In September 2001, Sam Harris was an unknown doctoral student who didn’t believe in God.
But after the World Trade Center crumbled on 9/11, he put his studies aside to write a book that became an instant best-seller—and changed the way atheists, and perhaps Muslims, are perceived in this country.
Published in 2004, Harris’s “The End of Faith” launched the so-called “New Atheist” movement, a make-no-apologies ideology that maintains that religion is not just flawed, but evil, and must be rejected.
But did it reshape what had been a mostly quiet, academic movement? Some think the New Atheists have created a rift. Others, well . . .
Ryan Cragun, a sociologist of religion at the University of Tampa, is more qualified in his assessment. In their extremism and intolerance, he likens the New Atheists to Fox News Channel—“so far to the right,” he said, that they opened up the middle.
“Now it is OK to be a moderate atheist because you can point to the stridency of the New Atheists and say, `At least I am not one of them,”’ he said. “It opens up a bigger space for freethinkers to actually communicate.”
Sort of reminds me of Luke 18
[Jesus told this parable . . . "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people . . .”
. . . while the tax collector was beating his breast. Well, maybe, but remember that Harris is thumping his chest (ego) not beating his breast before God.
Jesus said, “I would that you were hot or cold, but because you’re lukewarm I will spit you out of my mouth.”
At least we completely know where the “New Atheists” stand. I don’t think the Atheists are much different from the New Atheists in their basic beliefs: it’s just that the New Atheists are more confrontational or Evangelical.
Possibly the “regular” Atheists were fooling themselves. Their views ARE extreme, it’s just that they didn’t want to create waves so they stayed low-key in promoting their philosophies. The New Atheists are not shy, they’re out and about, loud and clear. They’re obnoxious, they know it and they love it.
So are the satanists, they’re coming out of the closet now as well. Lots of fringe groups are showing up, showing off and PROUD of their anti-Christian behaviors and beliefs.
According to Jesus’ own words, He would rather have it this way. The gray areas of morality are disappearing. People are polarized in their beliefs. This is GOOD because it leaves far less room for hypocrites who want to play it both ways.
Atheists: you wanted an anti-God society and you’re getting it. Just see what good it’s going to do this world, without the moral constraints of Jesus’ teachings (AND the influence of the Holy Spirit) to keep mankind’s impulses in check. Things are already getting very interesting, and it’s because the self-sacrificing nature of a Christian culture is disappearing quickly. It all began with the rebellions of the 1960’s. The hippies raised their kids with the new moralities, and those kids are raising their children with even newer moralities. Each generation grows up to be totally selfish and self-centered, in addition to being increasingly more violent.
The Atheists don’t have alternative moralities to offer these kids. The only suggestion they have is to continue to reject whatever God might have to say about anything. So far it’s not working out very well at all.