A Prayer - A Poem

Perhaps it was the wings of the dove

Beating the airs and conquering them,

Able to move from Heaven to Earth

And returning again with ease,

I sat in an open air temple once

Squared in a great expanse,

Walls but four feet high

With no roof, just the vaulted dome

In the nave, a sculptured dove

Graced the altar of stone

Beneath an inverted flower-bud

Which cast the shadow of a mature Rose

And there in the shadow of the Rose

I made my silent prayer

I prayed for understanding and Peace

Perhaps ignorant one could have both

And just as the boundary walls

Marked off the sacred territory

From the surrounding wild countryside

And the Rose’s shadow caught my supplication...

My prayer vanished into the ether

The vast dome Round,

And I had faith it had reached it’s destination

As a child can find his way home…

An Answer to the 'New Atheism'

New Atheism is not to be confused with classic Atheism of the stripe of Iris Murdoch or other older classical authors. New Atheism, as opposed to classic Atheism, is characterized by dogmatism, polemic and as the author shows throughout this book, uncritical thinking which has devolved into brute force and name calling.

While Alister McGrath gives plenty of leg room for the classic Atheistic writers, showing them respect for their open minded and open handed approach to their world view; where they respect the opinions and arguments of their recognized Christian or Theistic peers, Mr. McGrath shows in short order the New Atheists, namely the 'Four Horsemen' consisting of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett, can be characterized finally as foaming at the mouth dogmatists...exactly what they accuse those of a more religious stripe to be.

Mr. McGrath has read their books and studied the online communities of New Atheism for years now, and is well equipped to answer questions this rather new (and ultimately quickly dying out movement in my view) has raised.

Specifically, the author shows the leaders of the New Atheism appeal to Science and Rationality, yet show gaping holes in their knowledges of either. Mr. McGrath takes us on a short cruise through the philosophy of Science, where we are shown there is a huge difference between those who practice Science (empiricists who recognize the limits of human reason and their Art), and those who proclaim Scientism....folks like the New Atheist who believe credulously Science is the ultimate saviour of mankind and is infallible practically. Most interesting in these chapters is Mr. McGrath's distinction between Proof and Truth. Proof, he maintains, is limited to the sphere of Logic and Mathematics, while Truth ultimately is what we (Atheists or Theists) believe, for what ever supporting Reasons we have.

A very quick read, but containing a liberal and broad minded approach to the tension between Faith and un-Faith, I highly recommend this book to any Believer or no.