Category Archives: New Atheism

“Defending Sexism at The Reason Rally” — Reasons for God

Hemant Mehta, who runs The Friendly Atheist blog, and who has been helping to organize The Reason Rally, has recently addressed a number of criticisms of The Reason Rally. But surprisingly, Mehta’s argument is that the documented sexism of some of the biggest speakers is just not a big deal! As he puts it, “Yes, …

March 23, 2012 – 12:30 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged , , , | Comments (7)

Dawkins Continues To Demonstrate My Point

My point in my Washington Post column was that the New Atheists have a poor track record in practicing reasoned discourse. Our team of authors said the same thing in the ebook True Reason: Christian Responses to the Challenge of Atheism. In his article, currently sitting next to mine there at On Faith, Dawkins does it …

March 21, 2012 – 9:43 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (118)

Washington Post: Atheists Don’t Own Reason

Online at the Washington Post, my column Atheists Don’t Own Reason. “New atheists have no business proclaiming themselves the defenders of reason.” Of course in 800 words it’s impossible to explain a point like this in the depth it deserves. That’s why we wrote a book on it. Just $2.99! But I have say I …

March 21, 2012 – 6:52 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged , , | Comments (6)

“More Human than Humanism”

My current Worldview and You Column is up at BreakPoint.: More Human than Humanism

March 20, 2012 – 4:58 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged , | Comments (0)

To Respect Reason Rally Attendees As Thinking Individuals

From the very beginning, the True Reason group I am helping to lead has made it clear that we are not going to the Reason Rally to badger, bother, harass, interrupt, or disrupt any person’s enjoyment of the day. I believe I have re-stated this commitment almost every time I have spoken of our plans …

March 20, 2012 – 8:11 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged , , , | Comments (17)

Reason Rally Organizer To Reasoning Christians: We Want No Dialogue

On March 12 I wrote an email to David Silverman, president of American Atheists. It was a message from the leader of one organization to another, on behalf of both our organizations. I introduced myself as a leader of the True Reason initiative, which I described to him as “bringing Christians to the Reason Rally …

March 19, 2012 – 5:45 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism, Religious Freedom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (180)

Believability Low, Reasonability Lower

David Silverman says the only purpose of the billboards in this video is to assure atheists in their neighborhoods that they are not alone. Do you see that message on the Arabic and Hebrew billboards anywhere? (I’m told that the non-English languages on them are nothing but translations of the English.) Is it possible he’s …

March 19, 2012 – 12:30 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged | Comments (6)

Interview On World Magazine Radio

I had an interview this week with World Magazine radio (“The World and Everything In It”) on the True Reason book and outreach responses to current New Atheist initiatives. It’s about 5 minutes long.

March 17, 2012 – 3:12 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Stenger Should Stick To Physics

Victor Stenger, atheist physicist, emeritus professor at the University of Hawaii, writes in New Scientist of why scientists ought to stick to their own competencies. Well, no, he doesn’t say that in so many words, in fact he tries to say the opposite, that science can judge against the existence of God. He tries, but …

March 16, 2012 – 3:29 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism, Origins and Science, Prayer | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (10)

The Reason Rally’s Brilliant Strategic Maneuver

I’ve got to hand it to those Reason Rally organizers.1 I’m a strategist, but I have never come up with anything quite this excellent. They are setting themselves up for the world’s most brilliant marvelous strategic maneuver ever. They have a challenge before them, you see. It’s quite an obstacle for them to overcome. It …

March 13, 2012 – 1:56 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (200)