James McGrath defends his liberal theology contending that liberal theology fathered modern atheism. Seems like a counterproductive defense strategy, if you ask me.
http://www.patheos.com/community/exploringourmatrix/2011/08/22/are-atheists-basically-just-like-liberal-believers/
He basically admitted that liberals are atheists with cleric's collars who sometimes get together on Sundays and have donuts.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate McGrath's post. "Coming out" of the LibProt closet is a good thing.
ReplyDeletehttp://theologicalsushi.blogspot.com/2011/08/mind-your-presuppositions-or-they-will.html
ReplyDeleteWow! What timing. Take a look at Dr. Albert Mohler's post today:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.albertmohler.com/2011/08/24/is-god-a-problem-modern-theology-faces-its-alternatives/
I never heard of this Harvard theology professor Gordon Kaufman before today, (he also served as president of the American Theological Society and the American Academy of Religion) and Mohler's article provides support for Dr. McGrath's contention that atheists are basically just like liberal "believers."
I don't think he 'admitted that liberals are atheists' in this case.
ReplyDeleteI think a more accurate, or at least charitable, way to put it would be that he pointed out that some major "atheist arguments" aren't "atheist arguments", but arguments made by religious believers already.
Think of it this way. I see a lot of arguments against Catholicism on this site (and I'm a Catholic myself.) Would you say that these arguments from Catholicism are "atheist arguments"? I don't think that's either accurate or fair. They're protestant Christian arguments.
Crude,
ReplyDeleteMy point was that he admitted that they all pretty much affirm all the same values. He just dresses up those values in a different way. What who borrowed from which group is irrelevant.
Here are some of his statements with my emphasis:
"On another level, it can be frustrating to have someone say many of the same things that you do, and marginalize you because of a ***relatively minor disagreement*** without acknowledging that those points on which you agree were largely the work of people ***with an outlook like your own***."
"And what, if anything, do you think really separates liberal religious believers and atheists? ***Is it the willingness to use or (not always successful) attempt to avoid using religious language to express our ultimate concern?*** ***Or is it merely the fact that liberal religious believers still have social gatherings, with donuts?***"
S&S,
ReplyDeleteI admit I'd like to know what McGrath thinks is the 'relatively minor disagreement'. McGrath doesn't seem to spell out what he believes about God in that post - does he think 'God' is just shorthand for 'mystery'? But I don't think a 'liberal believer' necessarily means atheist.
On the flipside, I do find it pathetic that there are liberal believers who are whining about how atheists won't treat them as allies. I see this sort of thing with theistic evolutionists (of whom, I admit, I am essentially one - though one with beliefs that keep me out of the usual TE club) - this belief that atheists should be on their side against those damn YEC and OEC hillbillies, and utter dismay when the atheists turn out to have no time for them either.