Why America Needs Religion

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Guenter Lewy, author of Why America Needs Religion, is not religious; he’s an atheist who is sympathetic to traditional religion. Peter Taylor, who reviews Why America Needs Religion, is not religious either; he’s also an atheist who is sympathetic to traditional religion. Taylor opens his review with this summary:

I had lunch this past Tuesday with a militant atheist friend, and it left me in a sour mood. Please forgive me for painting with a broad brush. Theoretically, there is no reason why atheists can’t teach morality and socialize children well. However, in practice, Christians have been taking this problem seriously for ~2000 years. In contrast, atheists have shown up late to the game, and too often with a cavalier attitude.

The short version: regardless of whatever you may think of Mormon theology, statistically, they’re doing something right.

Human intelligence is like the human eye, Taylor reminds us:

There are blind spots. Religion, when it’s working correctly, orients the mind’s eye so that the blind spot points in a direction that doesn’t matter very much. Atheism doesn’t cure blindness, it merely allows the blind spot to be oriented in whatever direction is currently fashionable.

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