Not Skeptical Enough

April 27, 2008 by Dr. Mc.

I want to be sure my readers are not only aware of books
like Bondage of the Mind., but of who promotes such books. I do not recommend the
review linked above, but to give you a flavor for its position, the sixth paragraph begins,
"Gold [the author] begins his book with a series of chapters detailing the Old
Testament’s failure to live up to the Orthodox claim that it is the word of God
rather than the writings of men." In other words, before convincing the reader
that belief in the the Bible is bondage, the author must convince the reader
that the Bible is rubbish. This is good. No, not that he thinks the Bible is
rubbish, that he thinks it important to begin with that. Some "thinkers" today
would dispense with the truth position as irrelevant. Regardless of what you or
I think of his truth arguments, at least he has not gone off that deep end.

If you will scroll up the page from the above-mentioned
link, you will find that the commentary is provided by the Skeptics Society.
Interestingly enough, the Skeptics Society does not completely live up to its
name. Its most recent magazine issue presents articles on both sides of the global warming argument, but in
its issue on religion v. atheism, even in its article
against Dawkin’s atheistic position, they cannot bring themselves to seriously
question evolution. I defend that observation by how the article objects to
Dawkins. He does not object to evolution in general. Indeed, "Darwin’s theory
was enormously bolstered" by the discoveries of genetics, the author says (no
evidence provided). He merely
objects that Dawkins thinks randomness leads to evolution. So the alternative is
God, right? Wrong. The author’s argument
is not that there is an Intelligent Agent behind the universe, but that the
universe itself possesses intelligence: "The universe evolved along intelligent
lines." (Personally, I’d translate that as pantheism.)

Lest you think this is an out-of-touch organization, please
note that their positive review of Bondage of the Mind is promoted in the
Arts & Letters Daily, a publication of the Chronicle of Higher Education, the
most recognized publisher in the American education world. Does that sadden anyone besides me.

———-

Posted in Culture & society, Science and faith | No Comments »