Defeating Atheism Class

Have you wanted the skill to defend the faith from atheist attacks? Though we all know God exists, proving this truth is not easy. After Mass, St. Stephen’s will hold a class on countering the new atheists like Richard Dawkins. This class will begin by showing Dawkins’s foundation of materialism and the weakness of his arguments. Next will be a short introduction to Thomistic philosophy, where we see the world through the mind of St. Thomas.

A key problem with the new atheists is that, though they are brilliant, they are not philosophers and make basic philosophical errors. The class will teach not just how to identify the error, but how to explain it. A prime example is a quote from Steven Hawking: “Because of laws like gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.” Though we may identify that this argument is inadequate, most of us can not explain why because we are not armed with the proper philosophical tools. Join the class and arm yourself with the tool to dismantle the augments of the enemy.

The class will begin on June 8th after the 9:30 Mass in the St. Francis room and will last for nine classes, with three classes every month. For those unable to attend a class, all classes will be recorded. The price is a freewill donation that can be anonymously slipped into a box at the beginning of class, and the textbook is “The Last Superstition” by Edward Feser. It will be helpful to have covered the first chapter by the first class, but reading the book is optional.

My name is Perry Smith. I received my master’s in philosophy at Holy Apostles College and teach at Padre Pio Academy. If you have any questions, you can find me at the potluck (social) after Mass, or contact me at psmith@pioacademy.org.