Atheists In Praise Of Christianity?

Jonathon Van Maren, author of The Culture War, recently posted an article entitled, Atheists in Praise of Christianity? In this piece, Van Maren reviews a new book by the respected British historian, Tom Holland. This new book is titled, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.

Van Maren calls Holland’s work “one of the most ambitious historical defenses of Christianity in a very long time.” This in itself would not be so remarkable, except for the fact that Tom Holland is an atheist.

An atheist defending Christianity? . 

“While many [atheists] — including Holland — cannot quite bring themselves to believe Christianity is true,” writes Van Maren, “they are starting to believe that Christianity might be necessary.”

Necessary for what? Things like human rights, evenhanded justice and moral goodness in society.

Van Maren says Holland’s passionate defense of Christianity appears to be part of a trend. He cites Douglas Murray, also an atheist, who in recent years has warned of the dangers of a declining Christianity. “Society now faces three options. First, Murray says, is to reject the idea that all human life is precious. ‘Another is to work furiously to nail down an atheist version of the sanctity of the individual.’ And if that doesn’t work? ‘Then there is only one other place to go. Which is back to faith, whether we like it or not.’”

Murray lauds the “revolutionary moral insights” of Christianity, and occasionally refers to himself as a “Christian atheist.”

Van Maren continues: “Even Richard Dawkins has now admitted that Christianity might be preferable to the alternatives. He once called for Christianity to be destroyed. Now he begrudgingly says it has good effects on society.”

Van Maren also cites Charles Murray, the American agnostic sociologist, who “believes the American republic will not survive without a resurgence of Christianity.”

Say what?

“Without Christianity,” Van Maren concludes, “we are heading into a thick and impenetrable darkness. Christianity gave us human rights. It gave us protection for the weak. Compassion rooted in commands to love. Forgiveness for enemies. It revolutionized the world. We are now in the process of undoing that revolution."

"We should look at what we are destroying before we carry on...We should listen to the atheists nervously telling us that Christianity is necessary.”

For Van Maren’s full article, click here.

When atheists express concern about the undoing of Christianity, you know we’ve entered "The Twilight Zone." An unusual space indeed.

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