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Christianity Today, March, 2009 |

UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Staring into the Abyss

Why Peter Singer makes the New Atheists nervous.

Dinesh D'Souza | posted 3/17/2009 09:55AM

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Some of Singer's critics have called him a Nazi and compared his proposals to Hitler's schemes for eliminating those perceived as unwanted and unfit. A careful reading of his work, however, shows that Singer is no Hitler. He doesn't want state-sponsored killings. Rather, he wants the decision to kill to be made by private individuals like you and me. Instead of government-conducted genocide, Singer favors free-market homicide.

Why haven't the atheists embraced Peter Singer? I suspect it is because they fear that his unpalatable views will discredit the cause of atheism. What they haven't considered, however, is whether Singer, virtually alone among their numbers, is uncompromisingly working out the implications of living in a truly secular society, one completely purged of Christian and transcendental foundations. In Singer, we may be witnessing someone both horrifying and yet somehow refreshing: an intellectually honest atheist.

Dinesh D'Souza, a former policy analyst in the Reagan White House, is author of What's So Great About Christianity and other books.

Related Elsewhere:

What's so Great About Christianity can be purchased at ChristianBook.com and other book retailers.

D'Souza previously wrote "The Evolution of Darwin."

Christianity Today also has a special section on atheism.

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March 2009, Vol. 53, No. 3

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el Hatchet

Posted: March 31, 2009 7:01 AM

Do not forget, the static morality of christians does not account for situational exceptions, except in extreme instances. The words of singer are often bent to make atheists out to be evil as they do here, but do not forget the great many atrocities commited in the name of christianity. The crusades, the holocaust, the bashing and burning of homosexuals all over the united states. You may claim that they do not represent you, but you would fall victem to your own statement of singer. Hopefully you will consider facts before writing your next article. I suggest watching steven hawkings 'a brief history of the universe' so that you can better understand and debate science, instead of making baseless, false claims. Thank you for your time.

The Hatchet

Posted: March 30, 2009 6:40 PM

This article was almost well written, until it based the second 2/3 of it on the false premise that people are aimless without a god. For tens of thousands of years people managed just fine without a god. People have functions built into us so that we can peacefully live together. People keep people in check as far as morality goes. I am an Atheist, and I am moral not out of habit or tradition, but because I do not want to cause harm to others, and because I want to live a good life, which is impossible as a social outcast. Although, many christians I know have worked to slander my name because I am an atheist, and cast me out of society. I have won several awards and been granted high honors for being such a good person, with several hundred hours of community service under my belt. I do it because of human relationships, not because of a silly book. Either way, non-standard, humane, situational morality makes more sense than you. Do not hate what you do not understand.

Tom W

Posted: March 23, 2009 3:20 PM


I wonder if he knows the gospel.

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