Is atheism as rational and tolerant as it claims to be?

Atheism often presents itself as a ‘rational’ and ‘tolerant’ alternative to religion. But is this true either in theory or in practice? David Quinn discusses this question with Gerard Casey, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at UCD in the latest Iona Institute video interview.

The Iona Institute has just published a new paper by Dr Casey called ‘The Atheist’s Bluff’, which examines some of the implications of atheism. In the interview, Dr Casey talks about the paper, but he also discusses:

  • Why he became an atheist himself when he was still in school
  • Why he returned to the Catholic faith
  • How officially atheistic regimes such as the Soviet Union have behaved towards religious believers in practice
  • The nature of religious belief in Ireland
  • The very widespread denial of the existence of God among professional philosophers
  • The type of God many Irish people really believe in.

You can watch the interview by clicking here, or the picture above. Dr Casey’s new paper can be found here.