The Atheism Tapes
The Atheism Tapes (English for: The Atheism tape recordings ) is a British television documentary, which was published by Jonathan Miller. It also performs as an interviewer through the film. A total of six personalities are interviewed on the subject of religion and atheism. Originally the interviews were for the series Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief made , but then used for The Atheism Tapes. The BBC broadcast the film as a six-part series.
The programs
All six people were interviewed in a half-hour interview.
Colin McGinn
The English philosopher McGinn speaks about various reasons for not believing in God. He is also called the ontological argument and also highlights a difference between atheism ( lack of belief in a deity ) and anti-theism ( active opposition to theism ) significantly. He identified himself as an atheist and Antitheist. Finally, he is concerned about a post- theistic society.
Steven Weinberg
The American physicist Weinberg talks about the significance of the design argument. Both in the past and today. He cites reasons why people become religious, including the influence of physical and biological arguments against religion. Miller has the higher probability that biologists are more likely not a believer, as a way physicists. This takes vineyard surprising. Weinberg distinguishes between the misery that is arranged in the name of religion, and that which is done by religion. Both are very dangerous. He also refers to differences between religion in America and religion in Europe. He emphasizes that he does not like the "character " of the monotheistic God. He concludes the interview by saying that science and faith can not tolerate.
Arthur Miller
The American writer Arthur Miller talks about his atheism from a Jewish perspective. He describes his view that some cases of antisemitism are rooted in Christianity, because Christians believe that the Jews were in disbelief because they do not believe in Christ as the Son of God. They not only discuss the superposition of religion and patriotism, especially in American politics, but also about how many of today's wars resulting from a mixture of nationalism and religious beliefs. Finally, he explains that he does not believe that there is life after death, except in the sense that one remembers the people and their material possessions they leave behind, or to their deeds.
Richard Dawkins
The English biologist Richard Dawkins speaks first about how the view that evil exists, can only arise from faith. He further explains the process by which he became an atheist, although he was raised in the Anglican tradition. Then they talk about natural selection and how they acted as the driving force for evolution. He also points to the deception in the use of a God of the gaps argument to explain the world. Next, he goes about the importance to stick to an atheistic worldview and to defend it.
Denys Turner
The British theologian Denys Turner emphasizes the importance played by the own background questions for atheism. He believes that atheism can suffer from a form of fundamentalism. You ask the question how something can arise from nothing.
Daniel Dennett
The American philosopher Dennett explains why he has one of his books called Darwin's dangerous idea, and in particular why many of Darwin's contemporaries, the theory of evolution einstuften as too dangerous. He addresses the question of consciousness and talks about Darwin's rejection of the soul. Moreover, it discusses the possible causes and psychological purposes of the belief in an immaterial soul.
Next he talks about his Christian upbringing and how he became an atheist. He goes to the question why you think it is rude to ask critical questions about religious faith and believes that it lie on the influential status of the religions. He ended the interview with the question of whether we actually live better in a post- theistic world.