Back to the full dot-point answer
NSWStudies of ReligionQuick questions
Religion and Non-Religion (Studies of Religion II)
Quick questions on New atheism as a non-religious worldview: HSC Studies of Religion
2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is its challenge to religious belief?Show answer
New atheism challenges religion on three fronts: it disputes the evidence for God, arguing belief is unsupported; it contests religion's account of morality, holding that ethics can be grounded in human reason and wellbeing; and it questions religion's social value, pointing to conflict and harm. These challenges have pressed believers to articulate the rational and evidential basis of faith and the grounding of morality.
What is evaluating the challenge?Show answer
A balanced evaluation recognises the force and the limits of new atheism. Its insistence on evidence and reason is a genuine challenge that has sharpened religious self-understanding. At the same time, religious thinkers respond that questions of ultimate meaning, purpose and value may lie beyond the scope of empirical science, that many believers integrate faith and reason, and that religious traditions have also been powerful sources of compassion, justice and community. Examining new atheism fairly means presenting both its arguments and the considered religious responses.
Have a question we have not covered?
This dot-point answer is short enough that we have not extracted many short questions yet. Read the full dot-point answer or ask Mo, our study assistant, in the chat for follow ups.