Atheists are Believers, Too.

Posted on August 16th, 2010 by Pete Enns

My latest essay is up at the Huffington Post.


Tags: contemporary christianity, Huffington Post // 11 Comments »

  • http://polumeros.blogspot.com Brian Small

    I agree 100%

  • http://theoradical.net jobelenus

    I really liked your essay. The part about principles and uniformity is wonderful (I just read Michael Polanyi Personal Knowledge, which has dozens of pages on uniformity, and previously Stanley Rosen Limits of Analysis on assertions lying outside the processes of objective knowledge)

    “Some Christians claim this kind of knowledge, but they are wrong.” – Kant was the one who said they were wrong. St. Augustine (Bonaventure, and many other even Greek philosophers) claim exactly what you’re saying they can’t. I know your post isn’t about philosophy – but the root of the problem is located right there.

  • Anonymous

    Good thoughts jobelenus. I know this is a HUGE issue that covers so much of western Christian thought. My only point was that atheists don’t know any more than anyone else–and judging by some of the comments at Huff, they are proving my point.

  • AMBurgess

    Good article, Pete. The ignorance in the comments section is pretty astonishing. Not a hint of self-awareness or thoughtful reflection among many of those folks, it seems.

    • Anonymous

      Thanks, Alex. I’m used to this kind of reaction.

      • AMBurgess

        So just a few short years ago, you were a distinguished academic leading a relatively quiet life. Then you took it on the chin from the conservative Reformed community, and now you’re getting it from the hardcore wing of the atheists. It seems like our Lord has recruited you for battles on multiple fronts. I know you’re not looking for pity or affirmation, Pete, but you’re standing the tests well and your voice is much appreciated.

  • http://twitter.com/v02468 v02468

    bad link

    • Anonymous

      Thanks for the bad link report. I fixed it.

  • http://likeachildscience.blogspot.com like a child

    Great post, although I would venture to say that belief and knowledge lie on a spectrum, as there are many scientific thoughts that are closer to “belief” than knowledge, and I say this as a person trained in science that holds to evolution, not as a fundamentalist trying to prove that all science is based on belief. What are your thoughts on agnosticism and relativism. That is the intellectual argument that sounds most convincing to me nowadays, but I’m still trying to lean in the direction of Christianity.

    • Anonymous

      I think you are correct about the spectrum. I hear what you are saying about agn/rel. The language I use to say something similar is journey or pilgrimage. There are good days and bad days, but we keep moving along the road.

  • Matt_flannagan

    While I agree with your overall point, I think you work with an anachronistic definition of knowledge. You seem to equate the word know with “demonstrate” or prove, logically, few epistemologists would accept that really strict definition of knowledge.

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