There's nothing more infuriating than the new atheists, says W. as we walk through the Oxford Meadows. Nothing worse than what they take religion to be.
Belief in a world beyond this world has nothing do with religion, W. says. The world beyond is the business of metaphysics! The religion of philosophy: that's metaphysics. Whereas philosophy conceives of religion as an illusion, wish fulfilment or hallucination, metaphysics itself is a form of religion, W. says. Whereas philosophy has characterised itself as sober, real and objective over against the illusion of religion, metaphysics itself is a form of illusion, and religion has to do with what is sober, real and objecive, W. says, he's quite certain.
The true object of religious belief has always been this world, the world as it currently is, W. is certain of that. It's philosophy that got it wrong. And it's philosophy that infests our current understanding of religion.
Of course, by religion, he has in mind Judaism, W. says. And by Judaism, he has in mind the Judaism of Cohen and Rosenzweig, he says. If only the new atheists could read Rosenzweig and Cohen, W. says. If only he could read, really read, Rosenzweig and Cohen, W. says. He's on the brink of it, W. says. He's on the brink of religion, real religion, which is only interested in this world.
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