The independent nones

Published August 22, 2026 7:05am ET



It is an easy and entertaining setup. Recruit one fervent believer and one atheist, give them microphones, and let them have at it. And that is exactly what happened when Catholic New York Times columnist Ross Douthat debated atheist psychologist Steven Pinker on the subject, “Do we need God?” inside Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church earlier this year.

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