Show 261a: “Beyond the ‘New Atheism’: Religion and Politics Worldwide” – Equal Time For Freethought
Posted on October 26, 2008 February 8, 2021 by etff
The traditional secularization thesis needs updating. Religion has not disappeared and is unlikely to do so. Nevertheless, the concept of secularization captures an important part of what is going on. Ronald Inglehart’s and Pippa Norris’ 2004 book, Sacred and Secular: Religion and Politics Worldwide, addresses the concerns of the current “new atheist” movement – mainly whether the human species will self-destruct due to the influence of religion and irrational thought – from the point of views of human values and needs. While not ignoring the serious dangers inherent in religious traditions, Inglehart and Norris take a big-picture look at why some nations embrace secularism while others, religion. They ask the questions few of the “new atheists” (including Bill Mahar in his new film, Religulous) have … Why does religious fundamentalism arise in the first place, why is religion a natural outgrowth of human social and biological evolution, and what can we do to temper the dangerous manifestations of religious belief?
While the “new atheists” may be surprised at what the research into these questions has informed scientists, it’s a good bet that those familiar with social science, as well as critics of current economic systems, will deem some vital information along these lines from this work.
To discuss these important issues as we head toward a post George W. Bush world, we will be joined by co-author Ronald Inglehart, and – for an evolutionary perspective – biologist David Sloan Wilson (Darwin’s Cathedral: Evolution, Religion and the Nature of Society). Part one will air on October 16th at 6:30pm EST, to be followed by part two on November 2nd at the same time.
CategoriesShows Tagsatheism, Evolution, new atheists, religion, science, values survey
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