Alistair McGrath

Thanks to a few readers who pointed me to Alistair McGrath as the Christian answer to Richard Dawkins. I wonder if there is an Islam answer, a Buddhist answer or a Hindu answer out there?

Alistair McGrath is an Oxford professor, scientist and theologian, was an atheist but is now a Christian, as opposed to Dawkins, who's also an Oxford professor, also a scientist but was raised a Christian and is now an atheist. Isn't it funny that somewhere out there, there is always someone whose situation is opposite to yours? For example, if the discussion is between Christianity and Islam, the Christian can always point to someone who was a Muslim but converted to Christianity, while the other side can also point to someone who was a Christion but became a Muslim. Despite this diversity, the important thing is that we've all got to live together so it is important to hear and respect other people's views.

One of the points I remember, after listening to McGrath is that he highlighted the atrocities of the Soviet government towards religous people in the name of atheism. Similarly, in this region, we've heard of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, where they exterminated many intellectuals as well as religious people because the regime abolished all religion. McGrath is correct in his observation that it is a tendency for people to sometimes lose the plot or turn mad, irrespective of the cause - either religious or not. We even see it in stock market bubbles, the Dutch tulip mania and etc as evidence of the madness of crowds. This, I think, is part of an even more interesting subject which is a study of crowds and social networks. For further reading, try James Surowiecki's The Wisdom of Crowds and Duncan Watts' Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age.

McGrath, of course, criticized Dawkins' bipolar stance on science and religion. He says that is not the case, as there are many in-betweens. But then he tells of a man in the audience at the end of one of his talks, who having heard McGrath, says that he no longer know what to believe. Clearly, that man's thinking is bipolar (if Dawkins is wrong, then McGrath must be right) yet McGrath never explained to him that this is not the case. Atheists do not agree 100% with Dawkins, and we don't need to. My stance for example, is probably 80% Dawkins and 40% McGrath. Their views are not mutually exclusive.

McGrath also claimed that he was interviewed for Dawkins' documentary, the Root of All Evil, but was edited out. I think this is just a dirty low blow. I mean, what is McGrath trying to imply here? During the canonization of the Bible, the church applied some measure for including some books and excluding others in the Bible. In either cases, they're just gathering and publishing supporting views. I think this statement is totally unnecessary.

There was a point about the resurgence of religion in the 90s especially in America, implying that this had something to do with God's will. Hence, the Christians there believe that God has a plan for America (such as defending Israel). Is that really the case? I think it is the separation of church and state in America (their first amendment) that has led to this resurgence, mainly in the red states. This is unlike Europe where there isn't a separation. This separation has really led American churches to be creative and to work harder to attract members. This has led to them introducing livelier music, for example, to attract youths. This article from Businessweek talks about churches borrowing tactics from the business world like conducting market surveys, offer free counseling, do niche marketing and packaging self-help programs to make sure members keep coming back. As a result, they end up with mega-churches.

So, in short, McGrath raised some good points, but that doesn't mean he has dismissed Dawkins' arguments altogether. It's unfortunate that Dawkins chose to stick his neck out by taking one end of the spectrum. He's bound to draw the most criticisms from the religious lot. Still, I encourage everyone to read both sides and form your own opinions about the subject. Don't just read other people's reviews and opinions, because I know how religious people are reluctant to criticise their own kind. But remember, it is important to hear and respect everyone's views.

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