On TT's Narratives

I posted the blog entry Narratives at Telic Thoughts. Quoting:

There is prominent opposition to Intelligent Design which is by no means all encompassing but whose adherents dominate the expression of opposing views. These opponents generally fall under the rubric of what are dubbed New Atheists. They too have both core tenets and narratives. The core tenets include the belief that God is both non-existent and irrelevant to the way one lives his life. Nothing new here. But it is the narratives that are more interesting.

New Atheist narratives hold that the belief in God is part of an ancient tendency toward superstition. It is inherently irrational and evidence for God is to be found in the gaps of our knowledge. Yet the belief in God is not simply a useless, harmless thing. It has resulted in great historic injustices attributable to those holding the superstition. Science, on the other hand, is a tool which reveals reality. Scientific data debunks the foundation for theistic beliefs. Those who disbelieve in God are aligning their beliefs with rational scientific data and those who advance a belief in God are furthering an ancient, outdated superstition that is out of step with history.

By arguing that design is detectable in the physical universe Intelligent Design advocates are lending support to superstitions and undermining a pillar of the New Atheist narrative namely, the linkage of scientific rationalism to atheism.

It is the challenge of the linkage of science to atheism which most agitates atheist critics in my view. The difficulty for atheist critics of ID is that even if ID is not placed on solid empirical grounds its potent criticism of scientific support for materialism runs counter to a basic narrative tenet of New Atheism. Maintaining the integrity of one's narrative is more important than truth for most critics.