The new atheists seem to be employing the same strategies that the church has tried and failed to make work in attracting real followers of Christ.
I think Richard Dawkins and others attempts to close the discussion of theistic possibilities for explaining existence is the new fundamentalist expression of atheistic ideology. Intolerant and self contained as a one size fits all conclusion on reality. This has historically and sadly been the strategy of the church and it hasn't worked.
Extreme Materialism seems to me to look like a reverse of the age old dualism that the church has encountered in Gnosticism. Where Gnostics believed that all matter was evil and spirit was good, materialists now seem to believe that all matter is good and spirit is evil. I find this very interesting. It just proves that the tendency of man is to shape his argument around a zero sum outcome which demands, if I would win you must lose.
I like paradox because it bridges the gaps between concept and reality.
All theories and speculations on origins have gaps that can't be reconciled solely from that specific viewpoint. That's a fact. The Theistic position isn't intended to explain every nuance of reality. But I would say the same thing for Science. Each have their roles. We always seem to make "either ors" out of things that are probably "and boths"
I'm not dissing Absolute Truth here. I am suggesting that our access to Absolute Truth is limited and finite. This creates an obvious translation problem in all realms. People have used their status as being in relationship with Jesus Christ as a tool to oppress and manipulate others for centuries. It's not some new phenomenon. In the same way people have used their status as degreed scientists to oppress and manipulate people as well. It's wrong in both contexts.
It seems what we need is a touch more humility on both sides of the conversation. We haven't been able to prove or disprove God with science because God would obviously have to transcend science or science is God. In my opinion that is the flaw of extreme materialism, it makes science the God in place of a theistic God. Both positions require faith. Materialism requires a preconversational leap of faith that there can't be a God so all of the data is seen as a proof for that position.
Michael Dowd has tried to synthesize Theism and Evolutionary theory but has not been embraced by either side because we all want to believe we have it nailed down and figured out. God doesn't need me to defend him quite frankly and science shouldn't need elimination of diverse opinions to be seen as an avenue of truth. Both must stand on content not interpretation or it is inauthentic. Gotta go.