The Atheism Tapes

Programmes

All six programmes were conducted as interviews. English philosopher McGinn discusses reasons for not believing in God and some reasons for belief, giving a thorough treatment of the ontological argument. He draws a distinction between atheism (lack of belief in a deity) and antitheism (active opposition to theism), identifying himself as both an atheist and an antitheist, and speculates about a post-theistic society. American physicist Weinberg talks about the effectiveness of the Design Argument, past and present, and discusses why people become religious, including the influences of physical and biological arguments against religion.

Miller connects this to a higher likelihood of biologists being non-believers than physicists, which Weinberg finds surprising. Weinberg distinguishes harm done in the name of religion from that done by religion, stating both are very real and dangerous. He discusses differences in religious belief between America and Europe, says he does not like the character of the monotheistic God, and concludes that science is corrosive to religious belief, which he considers good.

American playwright Arthur Miller discusses his atheism from a Jewish perspective, noting that some antisemitism comes from Christians who view Jewish people as disbelievers because they do not believe Christ was the son of God. He discusses the overlay of religion and patriotism, particularly in American politics, and how many wars today come from nationalism mixed with religious beliefs. He explains he does not believe in an afterlife except in the sense that people are remembered by material possessions or deeds that still affect the world.