Explaining Atheism: Restoring Faith
The ‘Explaining Atheism’ Research Project undertaken by Queen’s University Belfast reports that although religion mushrooms in the other continents, in Europe atheism now dominates. For the first time in recorded history a majority of UK citizens are atheists.
The project is led by Principal Investigator, Professor Jonathan Lanman from the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s, Dr Lois Lee from the University of Kent and Dr Aiyana Willard from Brunel University of London; working in collaboration with others. It is largely funded by the Templeton Foundation. For more information on the project, visit https://www.explainingatheism.org/
Professor Lanman added: “This project helps counter negative stereotypes and stigma towards atheists and theists alike. The common claim among some religious commentators that people become atheists because of immorality and rebellion, or broken homes is not true. Similarly, the common claim among some atheist commentators that individuals become or remain theists because they are less intelligent or emotionally weaker than others is not true.”
Dr Aiyana Willard, Reader in Psychologyat Brunel University of London, said: “Such claims are used to stigmatise and harm individuals in our societies who happen to have different positions on the existence of God or gods. Our research demonstrates that these claims are false. We hope that this understanding can be utilised by the public to combat harmful stereotypes.”
The ‘Explaining Atheism’ research findings were launched during an event at Conway Hall in London on Tuesday 1 October 2024 attended by leaders from politics, education and media.
The research project concludes that theists are not less intelligent or emotionally weaker than non-believers, and that atheists often have moral values, sound family life and responsible citizenship. The main factors that produce atheism are societal. ‘Societal’ presumably embraces school curricula, social media, algorithms produced by people whose god is money and which portray religion as the unacceptable face of colonialism. Is another term for ‘societal’ mass brain-washing?
I would be interested to see research into the (universal?) human instinct to play god. Atheists set themselves up as judge and jury of belief. Believers know they are fragile, fickle and need repentance.
Whatever further insights this research yields, members of a new monastic movement need to take notice of this research in our explicit or implicit ‘evangelism’.
A conversation of one member begins as follows after the atheist has said they don’t believe in God because they believe in science: ‘I believe in God because I believe in science. Science is possible because of intelligence. Is it more intelligent to believe that intelligence emerges from nothing or that it emerges from original Intelligence?
I believe that the Bible is a reliable, responsible, historically verifiable document because of the painstaking veracity of Hebrew scribes and the authenticity of the Four Gospels of the New Testament which record the life, death and resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ, and the resulting ‘transforming power of a new affection’ throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.’
Why don’t you continue this conversation?