I had the chance to see Dinesh D'Souza author of What's So Great about Christianity. He was an intelligent engaging speaker but his content missed his intended mark; to defend Christianity against neo-atheists. D'Souza proposed a few main arguments neo-atheists make to discredit Christianity; as science advances it discredits Christianity and History is full of Christian violence and that Christianity is an invention used for comfort. D'Souze's proposed arguments are well in line with the main arguments used by neo-atheists to discredit Christianity, however, D'Souze misses the ideas behind the arguments which create neo-atheist thought.
The background argument to neo-ahteist thought is not that Christians have been violent, or that as Christian morals are bankrupt, it is an objection of power. The objection of power gives birth to the the other objections. Whether they admit it or not, neo-atheists hold onto the idea that Christianity is ultimately corrupt because of its power, their goal being to remove the power from the Christians and hand it to a secular authority, namely themselves.
The main arguments proposed by D'Souza steam from the objection of power. When atheists point out the violent acts perpetrated in the name of Christianity, they are real attempting to point out the lengths Christians will go to stay in power. When the bring up evolution a story is created in which they Christians are battling for the power of education. To be fair Christians fuel this argument when they make statements attributing the basis of moral society to Christian morals and when they push for laws promoting intelligent design. The arguments the neo-atheists are using to discredit Christianity are the visible ways in which Christians are attempting to gain the upper hand. This struggle is the same struggle that was fought during the crusades, the reformation, the witch trials, and is being fought today between Israel and Palestine. Each side is seeking a point of safety which includes land, money and people, as with any power struggle supporters will go to great lengths to gain the upper hand.
The Church's need for power is perhaps best seen in the persecution of Galileo. The church wanted to place the earth at the center of the universe and the church at the center of the earth. Not only making the earth the focus of power but the church the very focus, this line runs all the way up to the Pope as the inevitable center of the universe. They imprisoned Galileo in order to keep the church as the center of power. This argument was all about the perception of power on the earth, if people believed the earth was the center and the church the center of it they would acknowledge the church's power.
Since the Christian struggle for power uses the same tools and tactics as a secular struggle for power atheists conclude that Christianity is morally bankrupt and false. This means that the church needs to focus it's apologetic power on the external and internal struggle for power. The church needs to reconsider how it wants to achieve that power.
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D'Souzza made note that Hitler's reign of terror was a atheist event, while this is true it is an event in which the atheist establishment used the name of Christianity to gain power. Hitler attempted to gain power by first gaining the church and Christians. This leads to the frequent argument that Hitler's murders were perpetrated in the name of Christianity. While he did use the name he took over the church in a hostile manner usurping the name, credibility and power for his own use.
