Catholic Loon: writes about “The Blind, Irrational Faith of Atheism”

There is a (long) article in yesterdays National Catholic Register (click this link), by a chap called Frank Cronin. Now what makes it interesting is that he was once an Atheist, but no longer is, so this is his attempt to explain why there is something beyond.

He is also qualified, he has a degree in theology and converted to Catholicism in 2007

Side observation: A degree in theology? … Regardless of what many might think, that is almost akin to claiming you have a degree in toothology so you are qualified to do dentistry, I’d contend it is not real education.

Shall we start mocking now … oh come on now, you know this is going to be silly … right? Well, lets take a look.

He starts off by claiming that we (atheists) think its a done deal and that the demise of religion is here. OK quick straw poll, hands up all those who, as you look at the rising tide of religious kooks, actually think “Christendom itself teeters on a total collapse” … I sure as heck don’t, and I also do not know anybody else who thinks like that, so yes its a straw man argument which he quickly demolishes … nope, not impressed. (In fact you do not need too look to hard to realize that the article stuffed full of straw men, it is a complete army of them)

He then moves on to do a bit of hand waving nonsense in which he argues that …

For science deals effectively with many aspects of the physical universe. But, it also relies heavily and conceptually on reason. And reason is not physical. It is mental. It is not a tangible thing. It is an intangible thing.

Yep, I bet you can see where this is going … and sure enough, this is where he slips God into the mix … (I can’t help but feel that he would make a great illusionist) …

Yet for these atheists, the supposed champions of science, brain activity is all there is. Nothing more. Reason for them is an illusion. For them, reason is intangible; it can’t be seen regardless of the instrument employed. And, if it can’t be seen, then it does not really exist.

For such atheists, only brain activity exists because it is physical and observable. For such atheists, brain activity is the only real aspect of any reasoning good or bad, sound or spurious, cogent or confused. But, for those who recognize an intangible dimension to the universe, reason is more than mere brain activity. It is real and lawful. Reasoning can be evaluated according to reason’s laws and principles.

And his evidence for this silly claim is … (yep you got it) … zero.

He then proceeds to build upon this bit of religious levitation into the twilight zone of the truly daft …

Why do we allow them to use reason to defend and debate a view of the universe that eliminates reason as a real and legitimate source of knowing any truth about the physical universe or the legitimacy of ideas or emotions, arguments or explanations?

Now that deserves a WTF!! … but then what else should we expect from somebody who joined this infamous abuse cult except some weird rationalizations to justify it all.

And so of course, for him it all boils down to this …

We must show those who think we are just biochemical machines, who think we are just the current configuration of a material universe, that mankind, like the universe, is both tangible and intangible. We must show them we do not inhabit a universe that is empty, silent, meaningless, purposeless, without order or structure, rhyme or reason.

We must open their eyes to the universe’s true reality. We must show them the sublime and wondrous discovery that reason, justice, love and all the other dimensions of human life are not just simple sensations stimulated by biochemical events or mere emotions grounded in biochemistry. But, like reason, they are that and so much more.

So in essence … the phrase, “opening our eyes to the universe’s true reality” translates as, “embracing the whack-a-loon idea that reason is something you can’t see, so that justifies accepting other unseen things such as his supernatural entity that cares passionately about your sex life and what you eat”. Sorry, not buying it, I think I’ll deploy my logic and reason to point out that there is not one jot of evidence for any of the supernatural insanity on offer from the Vatican loons.

Sigh! … I guess I just failed their gullibility test.