The Trouble With Atheism (2006)

The Trouble with Atheism is an hour-long documentary on atheism, presented by Rod Liddle. It aired on Channel 4 in Britain in December 2006.

Liddle begins by surveying common criticisms of religion, particularly arguments based on religious violence.

He contends that the “very stupid human craving for certainty and justification,” rather than religion itself, is responsible for violence. Interestingly, he suggests that atheism is becoming just as dogmatic as religion.

In response to atheistic appeals to science as a superior method for understanding the world, Liddle argues that science itself can be akin to religion.

He characterizes Fermilab, a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory focused on particle physics, as a “temple to science.” Even Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species is considered a “sacred text” for atheists.

Liddle focuses on objections to evolution, considering it atheism’s trump card. He interviews Steve Fuller, an intelligent design supporter, who argues that evolution provides the only “scientifically credible basis” for atheism.

Anthropologist Jeffrey H. Schwartz challenges evolutionary theory’s ability to account for novelties.

Liddle concludes that the modern synthetic theory of evolution may be superseded in the future, undermining arguments made by atheists like Richard Dawkins.

In the final part of the documentary, Liddle questions an overreliance on “cold logic” and the amoral scientific method.

He highlights the track record of secular ethics, referencing the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution and religious persecution under Soviet state atheism.

In summary, The Trouble with Atheism prompts us to rethink our assumptions about both religion and science. It’s not just a documentary, it’s an exploration of human beliefs and their impact on society.