Lisa Graas

Posted By Lisa Graas on March 19, 2011

Jennifer Fulwiler is a former atheist, now Catholic. She shares “The Catholic’s Guide to Atheists” at National Catholic Register.

PZ Myers, an atheist, responds. Let’s take a look at his main ‘points’.

(I should first note that I am a former agnostic, now Catholic.)

#1: Jennifer Fulwiler’s points are “bubble-headed delusions“.

That’s a logical fallacy referred to as argumentum ad hominem.

#2: She lists five misconceptions.

I agree.

#3: I’m not incomplete.

Yes, you are. All of us are on some level.

Definition of “complete”: having all parts or elements; lacking nothing

In claiming that he is “lacking nothing”, Myers is claiming perfection for himself. Having Bipolar Disorder myself, I know that all people have some sort of incompleteness in their brains. It is this incompleteness, in many cases, that accounts for the fact that no person has a perfect brain. No person on earth is ever truly “complete”. Catholics would argue that the fullness of ‘completion’ will not occur until the resurrection of the body. I doubt anyone is willing to come forward and state with all honesty that Mr. Myers is perfect. Until we have been perfected, none of us will have reached “completion”. Anyone who has received the Sacraments is more “complete”, at least spiritually speaking, and in some cases physically speaking, than others are. But the main point here is that he claims to be complete, and nothing could be further from the truth. He’s not perfect, therefore he is not “complete”.

#4: She thinks it is a misconception to believe that atheists are aware of Catholic doctrine. No, we’re actually fairly familiar with the basic concepts, although we might be fuzzy on the specific details of their magic spells and incantations. I think a better case could be made that most Catholics are unaware of Catholic doctrine, or at least, that they ignore a lot of it. American Catholics and contraception, anyone?

Myers claims he is familiar with Catholic doctrine, but claims that it includes “magic spells and incantations”.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others – even if this were for the sake of restoring their health – are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.

Apparently, he is not at all familiar with Catholic doctrine.  As for American Catholics and contraception, if he is claiming that practices are equivalent to teachings, he is in error. As for practices, I have never used artificial contraception in my entire life and I converted (from agnosticism) when I was 24. I am now 43. One doesn’t have to be Catholic, or even Christian, to understand that the use of contraception is contrary to human dignity. Further, truth is not based on whether people live up to it. If I kill someone, it doesn’t mean that killing is objectively moral.

# 5: Bwahahahahahaahaha! No, not at all. Original sin, the trinity, blood sacrifice, transubstantiation, souls, Space Disneyland after you die, etc., etc., etc. Catholicism (and Christianity, heck, religion in general) is crazy town.

Again, argumentum ad hominem.

#6 Prayers will do nothing at all.

Two words: St. Augustine.

Categories: Faith
Tags: Apologetics, Atheism, Catholicism, Jennifer Fulwiler, PZ Myers