Respondeo:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/12/19/a-holiday-message-from-ricky-gervais-why-im-an-atheist/

I wish to attempt a short refutation of some of Gervais' points in his article. I can not set out a complete apology of the Christian Faith here as that has been done elsewhere (has our defender of logic and reason bothered to read them?).
 There are many objections that he makes, too many to counter. However, there is a deadly flaw in his arguments. He implicitly accepts, without any proposed reason, that such a thing as morality exists. He claims to be guided by natural science and he says that he is fascinated by beauty, love and the environment. Very well, these things appeal to me too.
It is a law of any branch of knowledge (scientia: knowledge) that one must proceed upon the appropriate lines of inquiry. This truth is often forgotten by many who go astray from their area of expertise and end up making rash pronouncements on issues that they are foreign to. One may arrive at some truth (such as the spherical nature of the earth) by approaching the object through different methods (empirical observation or geometry etc), but the correct line of inquiry must be upheld in each branch of science.
 The category of good or evil can not be accessed by empirical investigation. It is certainly true that good is the aspect of being that is desirable. Being is also the first thing apprehended by our intellect (the proper object of the human intellect is the essence of sensible things) Far too many atheists will launch the tired objection, 'If God exists, why is there evil?'. I can mentally picture the lips curl to a smug grin. I answer with Boethius and St. Thomas Aquinas, if there is evil (which you claim), then you must accept a prior good. It is an illegitimate leap to go from a claim that something is unpleasant (which is empirically verifiable) to something being evil. Goodness is a reflection beyond what appears to the senses (can we even trust what appears? If we say yes, there is another belief and assumption about the universe and humanity) Neither, it is not a self-evident truth that one must be nice to one's neighbour. This is a moral belief. From a naked, mechanistic, cause and effect approach to the universe, such a belief exceeds one's line of inquiry. Being nice, holding to the dignity of each man, democracy and accepting people for who they are, have no basis of truth in an atheistic account of the universe. It is a belief system (or sentiment) derived by religion, whether they like it or not. These new atheists instead of sneering with their 'unsolvable' objections to theism have not truly reflected upon their own innate assumptions of life and man.
 I ask you to propose a reason why, in a universe that exists without any sufficient external reason, you can have a dogmatic belief in morality. You may respond that morality is a convenient way to foster cooperation and achieve progress, yet this can only be a human construct with no universal validity.
I believe that so many of our modern errors are simply a distortion of Christianity. Our Lord certainly wills the salvation of men, but He was (and is) not a simple-minded fool who wants us only to be nice to each other. Christianity is far more radical and unique than that.
 The Catholic Tradition and its consideration of God, the universe and man are far more profound that what is normally presented or believed. It is an article of faith that man can prove with certainty that God exists, not from a consideration of the terms (a priori) but from an investigation into what surrounds us (a posteriori), advancing from cause to effect with a correct understanding of metaphysics. It is not a surprise that many will claim that they 'simply feel' their belief in God, and that he 'adds meaning and comfort to my life'. This latter may be true yet there is an objective validity to the existence of God and His Revelation. It is modernism to claim that a belief in God arises from a subjective 'need' for Him. True Catholic catechesis would go a long way in combating these nefarious errors of so many believers.   


I have yet to encounter a serious objection to the existence of God that is not based upon some unreflected assumption of reality or a distortion of Christianity or religion.