John Haught - Science, Faith, and the New Atheism

This talk was delivered February 21, 2015, by John F. Haught, Distinguished Research Professor and Professor Emeritus of Theology at Georgetown University. His area of specialization is systematic theology, with a particular interest in issues pertaining to science, cosmology, evolution, ecology, and religion. - The bestselling books by the “New Atheists” Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens provide colorful portraits of the evils of religions, especially those that profess belief in a personal God. In their passionate denunciation of faith in God, the New Atheists appeal not only to morality but also to reason to convince readers of the absolute wrongness of belief in God. This lecture aims to summarize the main claims of the New Atheists and examine whether these claims are themselves reasonable.