Gary Wolf's article ("The New Atheism," issue 14.11) was an interesting survey of atheism's current pop icons. But make no mistake, there is absolutely nothing "new" about this preachy brand of godlessness. The inconvenient truth for the evangelical atheists, those like Dawkins and Harris who argue so dogmatically for their dogma of non-dogmatism, is that they have been summarily refuted over and over again throughout history, often from within their own ranks. Nietzsche laid waste to arguments for imperatives derived from atheism. Wolf seems to clue into this when he struggles with the inherent dichotomy of Dennet's allegiance to man's "default settings," but fails to recognize the significance of the dilemma. The failure of atheism to provide any coherent basis for meaning, morality or human dignity is not just a minor side discussion, it is the linchpin that explodes the entire argument. The rationalists, the naturalists, and the pragmatists have all tried to formulate a basis for meaning and purpose in a godless universe, a reason to believe that atheism or any other concept or ideal "should" be believed and acted upon, and they have all ended up sounding more absurd than the faithful they ridicule and despise. Unfortunately for the New Atheists, there are truths that science alone cannot account for.
Bill ParkinsonTorrance, California
