Know thy Enemy: Understanding Atheism and the War on Faith

"But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me."

- Luke 19:27

Triumph of Faith over Idolatry. Jean-Baptist Theoden. Chiesa del Gesu, Rome.

In case you've been living under a rock for the past 10 years, there's been something of war on religion in the public square. The chief assailants are atheist intellectuals, the most prominent among them being the aptly-named, "Four Horsemen"; Hitchens, Harris, Dawkins and Dennett, and a whole host of knuckle-dragging secularists who can't tell the difference between Kierkegaardian existentialism and Nietzscheism. As Catholics, its incumbent upon us to stand up and defend the role of religion in society. And, in a world where knowledge is power, the first step in this defense is understanding the intellectual divide between believers and atheists. Here are some tips in that regard.

1. Familiarize yourself with atheist thought (and its flaws): Nothing is more agonizing than watching an ignorant, albeit well-meaning, Christian debate an atheist. Unfortunately, the average atheist is better versed in the art of debate and philosophy than the average Christian. In a particularly cringe-inducing example, I recall a debate broadcast on British television wherein an African Archbishop, someone whom you'd hope would know how to handle himself intellectually, was being verbally pummeled by atheists extraordinaire Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry. With copious amounts of platitude and logical fallacies, the good Archbishop somehow managed to convince an initially ambivalent audience that Christianity was not a force for good. FYI, these things are not good for Christianity.

Not for the faint of heart.

A good way avoid looking like an idiot in similar situations is to read up on atheist literature. From Hitchens to Russell, familiarizing yourself with the Apostles of Godlessness, and the flaws of their arguments, can do enormous good when trying to establish intellectual credibility. If you know their sages better than they do, you're already a step ahead in the game. If you've never heard of "the problem of evil" or the "omnipotence paradox", you're really not doing Christianity any favors.

2. Don't act like a jackass: I myself am prone to it; acting like a pompous idiot during a debate with an atheist, that is. Its very easy to fall into, really. So convinced are we of the truth of our faith, that we sometimes forget to consider the (improbable) possibility that we've got it all wrong. In doing so, we permit ourselves to turn our noses up at unbelievers, declaring them unworthy of taking seriously. This is toxic, brethren. Firstly, it makes us look like arrogant pricks who are themselves unworthy of taking seriously. Secondly, it can lead to intellectual laziness that allows the opposition to tear our own arguments apart. Either way, it isn't good.

3. Pick fights: After having equipped yourself with adequate knowledge, its time to go out and pick a fight with an atheist. Now, let me clarify. I'm not saying to go declare a crusade on the normally amiable, unbelieving co-worker in the cubicle next to yours, nor am I suggesting that you punch an atheist activist in the face whilst screaming "GOD WILLS IT" (as satisfying as that is in theory). What I'm saying is this. If you run into a person who states, "I'm not that religious" or "I don't believe in God", start a conversation.For example...

Ted: Man, Obama's really assaulting our religious liberty...
Bob: Eh. I don't believe in God, so...
Ted: You don't believe in God?
Bob: Nope.
Ted: Tell me, have you ever heard of Thomas Aquinas...?