The Devil’s Delusion - A Profoundly Witty Book By David Berlinski

David Berlinski takes on militant atheists in his new book

Joel Kontinen

Militant atheists have left their bunkers and began a fierce assault on religion in their best-selling books. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens have certainly not been shy about their lack of belief.

Now David Berlinski takes on militant atheists in his new book The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions and finds the inherent weaknesses in their views. Berlinski, a secular Jew living in France, is a philosopher and mathematician. He has written a highly readable book that is both extremely witty and scientifically profound.

Berlinski, who has a Ph. D from Princeton University, shows that no one has ever provided proof of God's inexistence. Attempts to do so betray more about the militant atheists' beliefs and lack of knowledge than about anything else.

The book makes for delightful reading. Much of his ammunition is targeted at Darwinian evolution which seems to be the sine qua non of modern atheism. Doctor Berlinski quotes a number of evolutionists. For instance, Robert Carroll says, “most of the fossil record does not support a strictly gradualistic account” of evolution. Berlinski adds, “A ‘strictly gradualistic’ account is precisely what Darwin’s theory demands: It is the heart and soul of the theory.” (page 189)

Later, Berlinski goes to say, “Although Darwin’s theory is very often compared favorably to the great theories of mathematical physics on the grounds that evolution is as well established as gravity, very few physicists have been heard observing that gravity is as well established as evolution. They know better and are not stupid.” (page 191)

The Devel’s Delusion shows that the atheists’ basic premises are all but logical. While I might not agree with his view of biblical inerancy – I take the Bible to be the Word of Truth – I would not hesitate to recommend this book for all who are interested in one of the greatest issues of our day.

Source:

Berlinski, David. 2008. The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions. New York: Crown Forum.