New Atheism

New Atheism is a modern movement that emerged in the 21st century. It is composed of various academics, including scientists, philosophers, and writers. These thinkers are generally opposed to superstition, religion, and irrationalism. Many proponents of this movement advocate for antitheism. Antitheism is the view that religious beliefs should be actively examined and countered with rational arguments. This is especially important to them when religion exerts a strong influence on society. They focus on how faith impacts government, education, and politics.

One central mechanism of the movement is the application of scientific inquiry to religious claims. Many New Atheists argue that the existence of a god is a scientific hypothesis. A hypothesis is an idea that can be tested and potentially proven wrong, or falsified. For example, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins argues that the "God Hypothesis" affects the physical universe. Because it affects the universe, it can be tested like any other scientific idea. Similarly, physicist Victor Stenger suggested that the Abrahamic God can be tested using standard scientific methods. Both men concluded that these tests fail and that naturalism can explain everything we observe.

This scientific approach extends to specific religious practices and claims. Some non-believers argue that claims like the virgin birth or the afterlife are actually scientific claims. They believe science is capable of investigating these supernatural assertions. For instance, institutions like the Mayo Clinic and Duke University have studied intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is the act of praying for someone else's healing. According to Stenger, these empirical studies found no evidence that such prayer actually works. This reflects the movement's desire to use evidence rather than faith to understand reality.

There are several distinct types of arguments used within the movement. Some thinkers use logical arguments to suggest that certain types of gods cannot exist. Victor Stenger used the term "3O God" to describe a being that is omniscient, omnibenevolent, and omnipotent. He argued that such a being is logically impossible. Other thinkers focus on the intersection of science and morality. Sam Harris, for example, argues in his book "The Moral Landscape" that science can answer moral questions. He believes science can help humans maximize the well-being of conscious creatures. This contrasts with moral relativism, which suggests that morality is not objective.

History shows that the movement gained significant momentum through influential books and public figures. In 2004, Sam Harris published "The End of Faith," which became a bestseller in the United States. Harris was motivated by the events of September 11, 2001. He also wrote "Letter to a Christian Nation" in 2006 to criticize Christianity. In 2006, Richard Dawkins published "The God Delusion," which stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 51 weeks. These books helped define the movement's presence in the public sphere during the early 2000s.

Several prominent figures are often grouped together by the media. Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris are collectively known as the "Four Horsemen." This name is an allusion to the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Before her conversion to Christianity in 2023, Ayaan Hirsi Ali was sometimes called the fifth "Horsewoman." These individuals have participated in significant public debates and discussions. In 2007, the four men held a private, two-hour round table discussion in Washington, D.C. This event was videotaped and titled "The Four Horsemen."

Other notable contributors have explored different facets of atheism. Daniel Dennett conducted research into religious leaders who are secretly atheists. He and Linda LaScola co-authored "Caught in the Pulpit" in 2013 to share these findings. They described a "don't ask, don't tell" atmosphere within religious communities. This research showed how some clergy members feel isolated while providing required rituals to their congregations. Additionally, many other writers like Dan Barker and Jerry Coyne have contributed to the discourse. Some, however, have chosen to distance themselves from the specific label of "New Atheist."

Finally, the movement connects to broader debates about how different fields of knowledge interact. A major point of connection is the debate over "non-overlapping magisteria," or NOMA. This concept was proposed by Stephen Jay Gould. NOMA suggests that science and religion should exist in separate domains. Under this view, science handles the empirical world, while religion handles questions of meaning and morals. Richard Dawkins strongly disagrees with this separation. He argues that because religions make claims about the physical universe, they are inherently part of the scientific conversation.