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Link Up


Haven't done one of these "linkdumps" in a long while... Its a lot easier these days just to "share" relevant pages on facebook as I spot them, but I've read a few pieces over recent days that are worthy of greater reflection than much of what is on facebook... And I know that some of you, gentle readers, have not yet joined the timewasting world of social networking.

First, as an additional ps to my own somewhat frivolous reflection on the Icelandic eruption as an "act of God" Kim Fabricius suggests that it might indeed be an act of judgement... just not as we usually understand it...

Meanwhile, over at First Things, David Bentley Hart has done an extensive hatchet job on the laziness of thinking within the New Atheist Movement (an accusation which its proponents often level at Christians). He isn't dismissing atheism as such, indeed he describes atheism and scepticism as "noble, precious, and even necessary traditions," before going on to say "In the best kinds of unbelief, there is something of the moral grandeur of the prophets—a deep and admirable abhorrence of those vicious idolatries that enslave minds and justify our worst cruelties." I would argue (and I suspect Hart would agree) that this should also characterise the best kinds of belief... Sadly it often doesn't. As with Hart's criticism of new atheism, the problem with the worst kinds of Christian belief is a laziness of thinking... a faith that is akin to credulousness... Which means that most people will believe anything they are told, especially by someone in a pulpit, rather than thinking and testing it out themselves. Thanks to Zoomtard for this.

Ben Goldacre is another celebrity atheist, though that doesn't make him a bad person... indeed his column, blog (and accompanying book) Bad Science, is a great debunker of lazy thinking in the field of medical science. This week he turned his attention to the election and some of the accusations of David Cameron re drug spending... Given that the NHS and government spending may well be an important battle ground in the closing days of this election, we are likely to hear more nonsense on this subject... So be prepared to question what is said by ALL parties. Soapbox took umbrage at right wing media... which appealled to my political sensitivities, but I'm not convinced any of the parties or the media that leans their way are any better... so my motto is, question everything. That is even more important if this BBC article is correct on the part that Christians will have in deciding the upcoming election.

Happy reading and reflecting.


Cheers
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