خلاصة:
New atheism describes a movement that emerged in the first decade of the current century with the publication of a series of best-selling books and in reaction to terrorist attacks by certain religious extremists. Although this movement has roots in the past and its foundations and assumptions are the same as those of past atheists, by adopting a very hostile approach, it has turned into a stormy and new movement against religion and religious people. Its spokespersons, or so-called flagbearers, are Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens. Some of these atheists had previously undertaken a grand project of making sciences such as biology, especially the theory of evolution and natural selection, public and widely understood, and now use them to attack religious beliefs. In their critique, instead of relying on reasoning or critiquing the arguments and proofs of believers, they consider historical events as well as the behavior and conduct of certain radical religious groups, especially Islamic ones, as the criteria for their judgment regarding religion and belief in God. Furthermore, without proving their own foundations and supports, new atheists pretend, based on them, that religious beliefs are evolutionary matters and, consequently, can be empirically and naturally explained in light of this theory and by relying on its naturalistic worldview. In this article, considering the views of their critics, both theist and theologian and atheist, we have shown that first, naturalism as these atheists describe and rely upon is not a scientific theory, but is in fact a kind of metaphysical worldview and attitude. Second, atheists commit an obvious error in this position, which is the conflation of various meanings of naturalism. Third, contrary to their view, there is no conflict between science and religion; rather, if there is a conflict, as Plantinga says, it is between naturalism and science.
ملخص الجهاز:
Furthermore, without proving their own foundations and pillars, the new atheists rely on them to pretend that religious beliefs are evolutionary matters and, consequently, can be empirically and naturally explained with respect to this theory and also by relying on a naturalistic worldview.
The external characteristic is the popular appeal of this movement, its authors, and their works, and its internal characteristic is that new atheism in its approach toward religion and religious beliefs relies on science and the scientific method rather than philosophy (Pigliucci 2013).
In general, the most important claims of naturalism, as the common worldview of atheists, are that: (1) nothing else exists except nature, which includes humans and their cultural products, neither God, nor the soul or spirit, nor life after death; (2) nature is self-existent and is not the creation of God; (3) the universe has no purpose or goal, even though the human living in it has a purposeful life; (4) since God does not exist, all explanations and causes are absolutely natural and can only be understood through science; and (5) all characteristics of living beings, including human intelligence and behavior, can ultimately be explained in terms of natural matters, and today this is usually possible within scientific frameworks and Darwinian evolution (Haught, 2008: xiv).
In any case, without taking any action to prove their own foundations, the new atheists, by relying on a naturalistic worldview, specifically an extremist and reductionist type, and emphasizing theories such as evolution and natural selection, provide a scientific and natural explanation for everything, including religion and religious beliefs.
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