Parsing John Pieret

 
John Pieret has posted an intersting article in which he criticizes Mary Jordan for writing something silly about atheists in the Washington Post [Harebrained Hairpins]. I agree with John that she went way overboard.

However, I'm more interested in John's opening paragraph where he repeats a position he has long mantained.

I'm not overly sympathetic to the complaints of the "New Atheists" that they are unfairly being told to mute their criticism of religion lest they drive religious people further away from science in particular and rationalism in general. In my opinion, science is definitely not coextensive with atheism. And atheism, far from having a lock on rationalism, is, in fundamental ways arational, at least, if not outright irrational at times. And, it seems to me, if a dialogue is what you intend in which you hope to convince the religious to become atheists, starting off calling them delusional may be a tad counterproductive.

This is a bit confusing. Let's see if we can parse the sentences to get at the essence of John's problem. If I understand him correctly, he is saying ...

It is fair to tell atheists to mute their criticism of religion because it might be driving religious people away from science.

How, exactly, does this work, John? What is the ethical reasoning that justifies telling someone to keep quiet because you don't like their message? There is none. It's pefectly okay to disagree with us—something you do quite often—but it's a whole different thing to tell us to shut up, and maintain that it's fair to do so. It's not fair. It's unfair, ... and reprehensible.

If there's a rational argument there, then it has to be something like the following. You believe that religious people are going to embrace science—a good thing—but they won't do it if we atheists start telling them that there's no such thing as God or miracles. Hmmm ... very interesting. Does it also apply to other groups? Will astrologers embrace science as long as we stop telling them that astrology is a bunch of superstitious nonsense?

I interpret John to be saying.

It is fair to tell atheists to mute their criticism of religion because it might be driving them away from rationalism.

John, Aren't you making an unwarranted assumption here? Aren't you assuming that the average religious person already embraces rationalism? Otherwise, how could they be driven away?

What exactly are you saying? Are you saying that by criticizing religion we are making religious people abandon rationalism? And if we stop the criticism they will become rational? What arguments do you use to support that claim?

In my opinion, science is definitely not coextensive with atheism.

I agree. "Science" and the lack of belief in supernatural beings are two different things. It is possible to avoid believing in supernatural beings and be opposed to science. There are many examples. In addition, there are some people who fully accept all the fundamentals of science, and its implications, while still being religious. Deists are one example. Buddhists are another.

And atheism, far from having a lock on rationalism, is, in fundamental ways arational, at least, if not outright irrational at times.

The atheists are saying that they don't buy into the superstitious belief in the existence of supernatural beings. They don't accept most of the basic tenets of the major religions because they are not based on evidence. How in the world is this "irrational"?

And, it seems to me, if a dialogue is what you intend in which you hope to convince the religious to become atheists, starting off calling them delusional may be a tad counterproductive.

The evidence so far is against you. We've never had so much dialogue between atheists and religious leaders as we've had since the publication of The God Delusion. It is no longer possible for religious people get away with making the unchallenged assumption that there is a God. Millions of people are hearing for the first time that their core belief is being questioned. Not only that, it's being questioned in a particularly forceful way. That makes you sit up and take notice.

I'm sick and tired of this phony argument. It is completely irrational.