pink lily
09-30-2009, 10:34 PM
Well, that's what I would have titled this article. It shows how the angry rhetoric of the modern-day New Atheism movement isn't very modern after all.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2009/sep/26/religion-atheism-poetry
Andrew Brown's blog
Old atheist poetry
What's new about atheism? The arguments were all being made centuries ago, and then in rhyme
People seem offended that I treat the new atheists as a social movement (http://www.guprod.gnl/commentisfree/belief/2009/sep/29/atheist-guide-christmas-religion) rather than an intellectual one. But the reason is that the arguments against god are all very old and so are even the sentiments. So here's some poetry (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/poetry) to cheer all atheists up, both old and new.
It's 160 years since Arthur Hugh Clough wrote this (http://bit.ly/Afr10):The foul engendered worm
Feeds on the flesh of the life-giving form
Of our most Holy and Anointed One.
He is not risen, no,
He lies and moulders low;
Christ is not risen.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
As of the unjust, also of the just –
Christ is not risen.
...
Is He not risen, and shall we not rise?
Oh, we unwise!
What did we dream, what wake we to discover? Ye hills, fall on us, and ye mountains, cover!
In darkness and great gloom
Come ere we thought it is our day of doom,
From the cursed world which is one tomb,
Christ is not risen!
Eat, drink, and die, for we are men deceived,
Of all the creatures under heaven's wide cope
We are most hopeless who had once most hope,
We are most wretched that had most believed.
Christ is not risen.
Eat, drink, and play, and think that this is bliss!
There is no Heaven but this!
Darwin had nothing to do with these sentiments – Easter Day was written 10 years before the publication of the Origin.
There is more at the site. The New Atheist movement is in the news today after retired CFI founder Paul Kurtz blasted them for their tactics: A struggle for the hearts and minds of "fundamentalist atheists" (http://blogs.indystar.com/thoushalt/2009/09/a_struggle_for.html)
Kurtz, who is part of the pantheon of the contemporary atheist community, wrote:
"The right to publish dissenting critiques of religion should be accepted as basic to freedom of expression. But for CFI itself to sponsor the lampooning of Christianity by encouraging anti-Catholic, anti-Protestant, or any other anti-religious cartoons goes beyond the bounds of civilized discourse in pluralistic society."
He goes on to say:
"In doing so they have dishonored the basic ethical principles of what the Center for Inquiry has resolutely stood for until now: the toleration of opposing viewpoints."
I wonder if it's any more acceptable now that we know it's all been done before. Ehh... it's not my style, but to each his own, I guess.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2009/sep/26/religion-atheism-poetry
Andrew Brown's blog
Old atheist poetry
What's new about atheism? The arguments were all being made centuries ago, and then in rhyme
People seem offended that I treat the new atheists as a social movement (http://www.guprod.gnl/commentisfree/belief/2009/sep/29/atheist-guide-christmas-religion) rather than an intellectual one. But the reason is that the arguments against god are all very old and so are even the sentiments. So here's some poetry (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/poetry) to cheer all atheists up, both old and new.
It's 160 years since Arthur Hugh Clough wrote this (http://bit.ly/Afr10):The foul engendered worm
Feeds on the flesh of the life-giving form
Of our most Holy and Anointed One.
He is not risen, no,
He lies and moulders low;
Christ is not risen.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
As of the unjust, also of the just –
Christ is not risen.
...
Is He not risen, and shall we not rise?
Oh, we unwise!
What did we dream, what wake we to discover? Ye hills, fall on us, and ye mountains, cover!
In darkness and great gloom
Come ere we thought it is our day of doom,
From the cursed world which is one tomb,
Christ is not risen!
Eat, drink, and die, for we are men deceived,
Of all the creatures under heaven's wide cope
We are most hopeless who had once most hope,
We are most wretched that had most believed.
Christ is not risen.
Eat, drink, and play, and think that this is bliss!
There is no Heaven but this!
Darwin had nothing to do with these sentiments – Easter Day was written 10 years before the publication of the Origin.
There is more at the site. The New Atheist movement is in the news today after retired CFI founder Paul Kurtz blasted them for their tactics: A struggle for the hearts and minds of "fundamentalist atheists" (http://blogs.indystar.com/thoushalt/2009/09/a_struggle_for.html)
Kurtz, who is part of the pantheon of the contemporary atheist community, wrote:
"The right to publish dissenting critiques of religion should be accepted as basic to freedom of expression. But for CFI itself to sponsor the lampooning of Christianity by encouraging anti-Catholic, anti-Protestant, or any other anti-religious cartoons goes beyond the bounds of civilized discourse in pluralistic society."
He goes on to say:
"In doing so they have dishonored the basic ethical principles of what the Center for Inquiry has resolutely stood for until now: the toleration of opposing viewpoints."
I wonder if it's any more acceptable now that we know it's all been done before. Ehh... it's not my style, but to each his own, I guess.