Andrew Genova

Krista Tippett's “Speaking of Faith”: Atheism

1. Must we see Atheism and Religion as enemies?

   1. Faith in omnipotence of market.

   2. Conversation between science and religion.

   3. Nietzsche: God is dead.

   4. Religion is the opium of the common people – Marx

   5. The fight between believing or unbelieving obscure the truly important interplay between them.

2. Original title: God in the Secular City

   1. Marginalization of religious institutions does not imply God is confined with those institutions.

   2. What is secular?

   3. Into the 60's: Exhaustion with religion. It doesn't fit into the society any more.

   4. Dawkins and Hitchins: Religion has gone amuck. Violence and whatnot imply that it is evil.

   5. Religious institutions are fairly versed narratives. They are formed by the leaders, not by God.

   6. New humility of scientists: Recognitions on part of best scientists on what science can really do.

3. Rocks of Ages by Stephen J. Gould

   1. Two different projects, magisteria: science and religion

   2. Science does not have competence in questions about human life: philosophic questions.

   3. “One cannot know.”

4. On Dawkins and Hitchinson: They don't seem to be interested or don't have the time or don't have the discipline to really tune in on these conversations...

   1. In 1960s, people were more religiously open. Catholics had Vatican II which encouraged openness.

   2. Throughout 20^th century: Religion was on surface.

   3. Religion on the horizon that is “ominous”.

5. Religion and Secularism

   1. See-saw battle

   2. Most people hold a truce between the two argumentative sides.

   3. Natural for humans to question and doubt themselves.

   4. Something interesting and creative going on between the two sides.

   5. Young new leadership interested in social problems.

   6. Agnostic: Not necessarily non-religious. They are interested in these conversation.

6. When Jesus Came to Harvard

   1. Harvard could not neglect moral reasoning about public issues.

   2. Agnostics agreed Jesus was pretty influential.

   3. Jesus is much larger than the Church.

7. Societal separation between every discipline; increase in interest in the subject

   1. Rise of scientific method split healing and faith.

   2. After split, healing and spirituality is coming back, but in a different light.

   3. Not giving answers, but included as part of the conversation.

   4. Interest in these does not imply that they are willing to be deeply committed to these causes.

   5. More kids are helping out in soup kitchens, and ghettos, and whatnot. On small scale where they can see a big difference. Skeptical about large scale changes.

8. How does Religion affect Society?

   1. Some of the major movements towards improving and deepening our democratic society have been led by religious people; Martin Luther King, Jr., etc.

   2. Perhaps we should look at where it all went wrong?

9. Interesting to see how religion is and will be integrated into every day society and education.