Λόγος περί αθεΐας στην εποχή των θρησκευτικών αναβιώσεων: οι τέσσερις ιππότες της αθεϊστικής Αποκάλυψης: Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Hitchens

Abstract

The revival of religiosity quite recently inspired the discourse on religious faith, God as well as on atheism. In these discussions, atheist theorists did participate actively and they also dared to put under the scrutiny of science and rationality both religious faith and religion per se as a social phenomenon. The same group of theorists not only identified the biological origins of human religious consciousness but also included religion in those theoretical schemes of ‘explans’ and ‘explanandum’, according to which religion could be seen alternatively as a parasite, a psychological compulsion, a wasteful advertising or even as an artefact of inherent human intentionality. For militant atheism, the role of religion was always that of a multiplier of hatefulness and intolerance, of religious crimes and persecutions, of the Inquisition, antisemitic feelings, witch hunts and holy wars. In the contemporary world, religious conflicts are closely related to the existing breach between the West and Islam. For the atheist theorists, the real reason underlying religious conflicts is our excessive indulgence towards religious faith; an ungrounded tolerance which makes humanity incapable of recognizing religion as the genetic reason of all maliciousness that makes us suffer. According to the four knights of the atheistic revelation, the only solution to our contemporary problems is to put a final end to religion, so that humanity may be emancipated from the tyranny of irrationality and intolerance.