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The Atheism Tapes

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When you watch "The Atheism Tapes" by Jonathan Miller, be sure and find a copy of "A Rough History of Disbelief" also by jonathan Miller. It is also know for some strange reason as "A Short History of Disbelief", but "A Rough History of Disbelief" is the correct title. At the time of this writing, (you should probably check), "A Rough History of Disbelief" is not available on DVD. Which is backwards because "A Rough History of Disbelief" came before "The Atheism Tapes". (Shame on you BBC ).

The Atheism Tapes are 6 video recorded conversation with well know atheists who explain their point of view on the subject of atheism. These recording were meant to be included in some form in the documentary of "A Rough History of Disbelief" but due to time constraints they were not included.

These recorded interviews were so good, that Mr. Miller and his producers decided to make and release these interviews as, "The Atheism Tapes".

I have seen The Atheism Tapes by Jonathan Miller and they are my favorite DVD on the subject of Atheism. Jonathan Miller is a well educated man that speaks plainly, easily and clearly about the subject of Atheism. He does not believe in God but he is not preachy about the subject when he talks about it. You can tell he is thoughtful and genuinely wishes to understand how how people can believe so firmly in something that has never been show to exist.

I would highly recommend them for all people to watch. Atheists should watch it to see how others atheists think about the subject. Those that "believe" can watch it and learn what atheism is all about, not what they have been told which may be wrong.

Jonathan Miller's "Atheism Tapes" consists of six 30-minute interviews with various scholars regarding religion and atheism. The interviews were to provide material for Miller's BBC documentary "Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief," which is regrettably not available for sale in the US.

Before offering my thoughts on this DVD set, here is a brief descriptioni of the interviews.

**Richard Dawkins (Cambridge zoologist and atheist): MIller and Dawkins talk about what led Dawkins to disavow belief in God in light of the theory of evolution and why he thinks religion is a dangerous mindset.

** Daniel Dennett (American philosopher and ahtiest): Dennett ruminates on why religion should be studied as a naturalistic phenomenon, like any other belief and why the theory of evolution is simulteneously elegant and threatening.

** Colin McGinn (British philosopher and atheist): Miller and McGinn discuss why reasons for believing in God are unsatisfying and why it may be best not to believe. In this, they discuss whether morality can be rooted in natural principles.

** Denys Turner (Cambridge theologian and Christian): Miller and Turner argue over whether there is evidence for God's existence, whether anything can be said about God (if it does exist), and whether atheists are simply "dodging the quesiton" of explaining how something can come from nothing.

**Steven Weinberg (American Cosmologist and atheist): Weinberg talks about whether physics/cosmology gives good reasons for believing in God, why physcists don't seem to care much about the quesiton, and why Weinberg - a physicist - does.

**Arthur Miller (American playwright and atheist): I confess not to fully understand what the point of Miller's interview being included here was. He talks about a wide variety of things, most having to do with his impressions of America's recent resurgence of religious thought coupled with patriotism. He also talks about being an atheistic jew and what (if anything) that means.


I delighted in these interviews (with the exception of Arthur Miller's whose inclusion I see as not adding much to the discussion). In contrast to videos like "The four Horsemen," where four prominent atheists sit in a disucssion and agree with themselves, these mano-a-mano interviews were very informative, polite, and never redundant. All the innterviewees talk about different things and all add something quite different to the mix.

I will say that the novice or anyone unschooled in at least elementary philoophy will probably not take to this film one bit. Excepting Arthur Miller, all the interviewees are academics and speak like academics. (The easiest to understand may be McGinn, who seems the most laid-back of the bunch, followed by Dennett.) And since these are 30 minute interviews, the watcher without a keen interest in the subject will proabbly find themselves somewhat bored. (More directly, the film is slow-moving.)

For those with some interest in atheism (atheist and believer alike) this is a worthwhile set to see or own. Miller is a good interviewer, both steering the conversation and letting the interviewee free to expound. The interviewees are all articulate (with the possible exception of very "postmodern" theologian Denys Turner) and quite the opposite of the "angry atheist" caricature. Anyone who pays attention to the interviews will come out more knowledgeable than before they sat down.

All in all, I reccomend this DVD set to anyone curious about atheism and the reasons disbelievers have for their disbelief. Next step: Hopefully Miller's similarly masterful "Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief" will be released on DVD

No idea has any true merit without its being tested, and though the idea of faith is not based on facts, acknowledgement of facts-- clear and undistorted-- is necessary nonetheless. As much as science is villified, when done properly and tested according to rigorous methodology, it offers evidence for all manner of scientific, medical, and technological progress; who can really doubt that, despite occasional drawbacks-- our lives would by-and-large be significantly worse without it?

For those with little background, these tapes are easily understandable, and whether you agree with the scientists and philosophers presented here or not-- the ideas they present make for provocative viewing. There is interesting history in these interviews; interesting philosophy; and interesting debate.

Should you still choose to believe, even after viewing Dr. Miller and his interviewees, at least you will also know the reasons why others choose not to-- and that their lack of belief does not make them immoral, selfish, and without hope. (They are often just the opposite, in fact.) There is nothing more empowering than having an open mind; and nothing more oppressive than having a closed one. Faith is ultimately a feeling, after all; but having that feeling doesn't mean you should abandon thinking as well.

"The Atheism Tapes" are truly an eye opening experience for all, whether you are already an Atheist, or don't really know or a firm believer in God, these tapes will surely give you some very interesting insights into the beliefs and scientific rational thought behind why one might be an Atheist. I highly recommend this film to all; the speakers interviewed are both highly intellectually stimulating, as well as extremely good humored. This movie even from a non-Atheist point of view is something I regard should be viewed by all especially those who are not Atheist. It is always good to challenge your own beliefs so that you can truly understand and know if those are the beliefs right for you and "The Atheism Tapes" does precisely that. The interview with Arthur Miller is especially good and very thought provoking, if nothing else you should get this collection just to watch his interview, it is extremely intellectually stimulating. Again don't let the title of this film disswayed you in any way, it is an extremely thoughtful film for all.

As an admirer of Richard Dawkins, I look for more and more of him speaking, giving interviews, or asking questions of his own. These tapes have such a variety of personalities that every interview stands well on its own. Having two discs is a prize! These are very well worth the money.

This is a great bunch of conversations. And I feel like Miller in that, I don't try to be an atheist, I just am one. It is not an act of effort on my part. It's nice to hear people talk about it like that and understand their confusion over the animosity toward atheism.. as if it were some kind of aggressive enemy. I wish "A Rough History of Disbelief" was on DVD. (Why is it not?)

I will say, the last interview with Denys Turner (Cambridge theologian and Christian): about whether atheists are simply "dodging the quesiton" of explaining how something can come from nothing, is now dated. Atheists and physicists have indeed not been avoiding such a question and have now in fact answered it. It seems that if you take some space, and remove all the particles, all the radiation and all the energy... make it what we would call "nothing", quantum fluctuations will create virtual particles and dark energy and these will eventually become "something". The reason there is something, rather than nothing, is not because of some god, but, as usual, because of physics.

There is a fantastic lecture explaining these findings on Youtube. It's called "A Universe From Nothing", a lecture by Lawrence Krauss, presented at the 2009 AAI Conference. It's about an hour long and NOT BORING. It is a must see...
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This was very good and I love how he talked to a variety of people. Very entertaining and enlightening. I highly recommend this for the religious, non religious and those who are seeking.

Wonderful series, I wish these interviews had been available 30 years ago. I agree with physicist Steven Weinberg that liberal believers are harder to deal with, "self" has actually become God. The Pharisaical or SELF-righteous mindset defines what "morals" the believer will follow at that moment. The literalist or fundamentalist once confronted with the errors in the Bible are forced to acknowledge it to some degree. Whether they disregard the evidence is another matter.

Many people believe that faith and truth go hand in hand, that they cannot be separated. Actually truth can be faiths greatest enemy. When you're believing a lie, truth is faiths greatest opposer. This being the case, the next greatest enemy of faith would be education, the learning of the truth. Facts and reality have very little influence on a believer, which is ironic since the Bible is very explicit about liars and where they will end up. The Bible states emphatically that "all liars" will burn in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). Believers also believe that Jesus is the very embodiment of truth (John 14:6) and that God seeks only those who are truthful to worship him (John 4:23). How is it that the believer is able to knowingly lie and yet have no care as to the biblical consequences they purport to believe? Martin Luther clues us in, "What harm would it do, if a man told a good strong lie for the sake of the good and for the Christian church...a lie out of necessity, a useful lie, a helpful lie, such lies would not be against God, he would accept them." Oh really, so God is now the liar, and the believer, as long as they believe the lies they tell are good lies, will be acceptable to God, even though he says "all liars" shall suffer in hell. Of course this makes God a collaborator with their lie and establishes a delusional "partnership" with God. So telling your children about Santa Claus and the inerrancy of the Bible are "useful lies" that God will uphold.

Having dealt with the religious mind for over 30 years, I have seen patterns that keep the believer in a box of self-imprisonment. The obvious of course being the fear of death, which is exploited with an extreme punishment and an extreme reward. Another is character assassination or demeaning non-believers by putting them in a box to easily disregard or reject. However, another factor that keeps the believer subjugated to conflicting beliefs is contradiction itself. "Our God is a loving and merciful God, and if you don't accept him he will burn you in hell." "Sex is nasty and wrong, save it for your wife or husband." "Yes, we are a chosen people, a royal nation, but we are just sinners saved by grace." Religious text is filled with contradictions which allow for almost any interpretation and excuse, this is one reason there are so many denominations. However, when it comes down to the bottom line, the force or strength behind faith is the WILL. Having almost a "spiritual feel", and in spite of evidence, truth and reality, believers WILL refuse to be moved from their beliefs to the point of being a martyr. Actually believing the more they "stand in faith", even if it is a lie and against all truth and reality, they will be more acceptable to God because of their "great faith". Read some of the reviews of atheist books or films and you will see for yourself that some believers have admittedly not read or seen the material and yet give it poor "reviews".

Another problem is that belief plays a major role in many societies, creating an atmosphere of gullibility in order to quickly sway the mind of the people. Corporations consistently try to convince you that their product is the best or doesn't harm you. It doesn't have to be true, as long as they get you to believe it to be true. You will notice this same pattern in politics. It is not a coincidence that religion and belief are connected and pushed by political parties that have significant wealth. This creates a pervading tone that can influence the people to abandon their freedoms and vote against their own interests. Just because you believe something DOES NOT make it true.

There was a time in history the church taught the erroneous idea that the sun and stars revolved around the earth. As science progressed it lead to conflicts with the church, such as the trial of Galileo. It wasn't until over 300 years later that Pope John Paul II apologized for that proceeding. What had to change? Faith of course, in this case the acceptance of a fallacy and an unsound argument. Although you can lie about the truth or choose not to believe the truth it doesn't change the truth. The proof of lies and deception are readily available to anyone who is willing to see it. To accept falsehoods simply to establish your cause or belief is self-defeating, for eventually the truth will be known by someone who is willing to accept it. This is one reason religion must resort to violence or force conformity through laws.

"The true-believer syndrome merits study by science. What is it that compels a person, past all reason, to believe the unbelievable. How can an otherwise sane individual become so enamored of a fantasy, an imposture, that even after it's exposed in the bright light of day he still clings to it -- indeed, clings to it all the harder?... No amount of logic can shatter a faith consciously based on a lie." -- M. Lamar Keene

this is an absolute must for all 'freethinkers' worldwide, the definitve DVD on the subject of atheism; this is highly recommended.

I think this is a wonderful set of interviews. It really helps understand the views of atheists in a comfortable environment. I think all Christians should watch these interviews to make sure we do not create "straw men" of the views of atheists. It is also wonderful to watch and see that true Christianity has nothing to fear by the arguments made in these interviews. You will find through an intelligent examination that the faith of these atheists far out ways the faith needed for a belief in God.

I think many Christians are seen as unintelligent and blind in their pursuit of God (and for many that may true, just as is the case for many atheists) but watching these interviews you get to see the most "brilliant" of modern atheistic thinking and the arguments are often elementary and biased. (Not that Christians don't sit around and make similar poor arguments.) With a truly open mind to the evidence these videos will only help you see the truth of God and the delusion of man. A must see.