Difference between revisions of "Atheism"

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'''Atheism''', as defined by the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' and the ''Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', is the denial of the existence of any [[God]].<ref>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/</ref><ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1998</ref>
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'''Atheism''', as defined by the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' and the ''Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', is the denial of the existence of any [[God]].<ref>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/</ref><ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1998</ref>  
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== Types of atheism ==
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''See also: [[Strong atheism]], [[Weak atheism]].''
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Atheism is often divided into a number of different types.  Jacques Maritain, a theist, distinguished several types in an article he wrote in 1949.  He defined "positive atheism" as "the active struggle against everything that reminds us of God," and negative atheism as "the merely negative or destructive process of casting aside the idea of God, which is replaced only with a void."  <ref>Jacques Maritain, ''On the Meaning of Contemporary Atheism'', The Review of Politics, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 267-280, July, 1949.[http://www2.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/jm3303.htm]</ref>
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In recent years, the terms "strong" and "weak" atheism have come into use to describe the same distinction.  However, the difference is articulated in more [[epistemology|epistemological]] terms than those of Mr. Maritain.  Specifically, [[strong atheism]] is defined as the position that there is positive evidence to prove that God does not exist, while [[weak atheism]] is defined as a position that the theist bears the [[burden of proof]], and that theists have not met their burden.<ref>[http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/atheism.htm]</ref>
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== Biblical Statements Regarding Atheism ==
 
== Biblical Statements Regarding Atheism ==
 
[[Image:134t.gif|thumb|150px|left|The psalmist [[David]] wrote: "The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."]]  
 
[[Image:134t.gif|thumb|150px|left|The psalmist [[David]] wrote: "The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."]]  
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"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..." - Romans 1:20 (KJV)
 
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..." - Romans 1:20 (KJV)
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==Attempts to Dilute the Definition of Atheism==
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''See also: [[Strong atheism]], [[Weak atheism]].''
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Since 1979 proponents of atheism have often been attempting to dilute the definition of atheism to mean a mere lack of belief there is a God or gods.<ref>http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref> One of the reasons why some proponents of atheism have been attempting to dilute the definition of the term atheism is to shift the burden of proof regarding the existence of God.<ref>http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref>  In the article, ''Is Atheism Presumptuous''?, atheist [[Jeffery Jay Lowder]], a founder of [[Internet Infidels]], states that "I agree [with Copan] that anyone who claims, "God does not exist," must shoulder a burden of proof just as much as anyone who claims, "God exists." <ref>http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref>In short, the attempt to redefine atheism is a merely an attempt to make no assertions so no facts need be offered.<ref>http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref>  The attempt to redefine atheism, however, is not in accordance with the standard definitions of atheism that encyclopedias of philosophy employ which is that atheism is a denial of the existence of God or gods.<ref>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/</ref><ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1998</ref><ref>http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm</ref>  The standard definition of atheism given by encyclopedias of philosophy which is the denial of the existence of God is a definition in accordance with the biblical view of atheism.  Specifically, the Bible teaches that the creation clearly testifies of God and shows the glory of God.  However, the Bible also states that men suppress the truth in unrightousness. (Romans 1:19-20; Psalm 19:10).    In short, those who do not acknowledge God are in a active state of denying what is clearly shown by nature.
 
==Atheism and [[Communism]] ==
 
==Atheism and [[Communism]] ==
 
[[Karl Marx]] coined the saying "[Religion] is the opium of the people".<ref>http://www3.baylor.edu/~Scott_Moore/texts/Marx_Opium.html</ref>  Karl Marx also wrote: "Communism begins from the outset (Owen) with atheism; but atheism is at first far from being communism; indeed, that atheism is still mostly an abstraction."<ref>http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/comm.htm</ref>  
 
[[Karl Marx]] coined the saying "[Religion] is the opium of the people".<ref>http://www3.baylor.edu/~Scott_Moore/texts/Marx_Opium.html</ref>  Karl Marx also wrote: "Communism begins from the outset (Owen) with atheism; but atheism is at first far from being communism; indeed, that atheism is still mostly an abstraction."<ref>http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/comm.htm</ref>  
  
 
[[Vladimir Lenin]] similarly wrote: "A Marxist must be a materialist, i. e., an enemy of religion, but a dialectical materialist, i. e., one who treats the struggle against religion not in an abstract way, not on the basis of remote, purely theoretical, never varying preaching, but in a concrete way, on the basis of the class struggle which is going on in practice and is educating the masses more and better than anything else could."<ref>http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1909/may/13.htm</ref>
 
[[Vladimir Lenin]] similarly wrote: "A Marxist must be a materialist, i. e., an enemy of religion, but a dialectical materialist, i. e., one who treats the struggle against religion not in an abstract way, not on the basis of remote, purely theoretical, never varying preaching, but in a concrete way, on the basis of the class struggle which is going on in practice and is educating the masses more and better than anything else could."<ref>http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1909/may/13.htm</ref>
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==Criticism==
 
==Criticism==
 
===Atheism is Illogical===
 
===Atheism is Illogical===

Revision as of 17:31, August 22, 2007

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Atheism, as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is the denial of the existence of any God.[1][2]

Biblical Statements Regarding Atheism

The psalmist David wrote: "The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."

The writers of the Bible considered the existence of God to be self-evident and Moses simply wrote: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1). [3]

Accordingly, the psalmist David wrote the following:

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" - Psalm 14:1 (KJV)

The psalmist David also stated that "The The heavens declare the glory of God..." - Psalm 19:1

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans that the creation testifies to the existence of God when he wrote the following:

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..." - Romans 1:20 (KJV)

Attempts to Dilute the Definition of Atheism

See also: Strong atheism, Weak atheism.

Since 1979 proponents of atheism have often been attempting to dilute the definition of atheism to mean a mere lack of belief there is a God or gods.[4] One of the reasons why some proponents of atheism have been attempting to dilute the definition of the term atheism is to shift the burden of proof regarding the existence of God.[5] In the article, Is Atheism Presumptuous?, atheist Jeffery Jay Lowder, a founder of Internet Infidels, states that "I agree [with Copan] that anyone who claims, "God does not exist," must shoulder a burden of proof just as much as anyone who claims, "God exists." [6]In short, the attempt to redefine atheism is a merely an attempt to make no assertions so no facts need be offered.[7] The attempt to redefine atheism, however, is not in accordance with the standard definitions of atheism that encyclopedias of philosophy employ which is that atheism is a denial of the existence of God or gods.[8][9][10] The standard definition of atheism given by encyclopedias of philosophy which is the denial of the existence of God is a definition in accordance with the biblical view of atheism. Specifically, the Bible teaches that the creation clearly testifies of God and shows the glory of God. However, the Bible also states that men suppress the truth in unrightousness. (Romans 1:19-20; Psalm 19:10). In short, those who do not acknowledge God are in a active state of denying what is clearly shown by nature.

Atheism and Communism

Karl Marx coined the saying "[Religion] is the opium of the people".[11] Karl Marx also wrote: "Communism begins from the outset (Owen) with atheism; but atheism is at first far from being communism; indeed, that atheism is still mostly an abstraction."[12]

Vladimir Lenin similarly wrote: "A Marxist must be a materialist, i. e., an enemy of religion, but a dialectical materialist, i. e., one who treats the struggle against religion not in an abstract way, not on the basis of remote, purely theoretical, never varying preaching, but in a concrete way, on the basis of the class struggle which is going on in practice and is educating the masses more and better than anything else could."[13]

Criticism

Atheism is Illogical

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D. James Kennedy

Dr. D. James Kennedy wrote the following regarding the illogicalness of atheism:

“ Atheism is what is called a "universal negative." One of the laws of logic is that you can't prove a universal negative....You would have to examine every part of the universe....

By the way, you would have to be very, very fast because, who knows, this God, these angels....may be very, very fast, and just after you get somewhere, they may have left for another part of the universe.

This means that you would have to be omnipresent. You would also have to know everything about every part of the universe, so you would be omniscient. Then, just at the point when you proved that there was no God, you would also have proven that you were one.[14]

”

Logician Mortimer Adler concurs with Dr. Kennedy that the standard definition of atheism which attempts to prove a universal negative is a self- defeating proposition and prominent atheists such as Gordon Stein and Carl Sagan have candidly stated that God's existence cannot be disproven.[15]

Atheism is Contrary to Reasonable Argument

Theists often criticize atheism as being contrary to persuasive argument. Arguments for the existence of God include:

  • Teleological argument: The universe exhibits overwhelming evidence of deliberate, intelligent, purposeful design, which implies an intelligent designer;
  • Cosmological argument: Every event in our universe necessarily has a cause. However, it is impossible that there should be an unending chain of causes going back. Therefore, there necessarily must be a cause distinct from the universe as we know it which is capable of causing all things and is itself uncaused. That First Cause is God.
  • Ontological argument: Since existence is inherent to the definition of God, it is impossible to conceive of God without conceiving of Him as existing;
  • Historical arguments for the existence of God: Arguments stemming from historical accounts and archaeological evidence;
  • Experiential arguments for the existence of God: Arguments based on personal experience and human intuition;

Atheism and Mass Murder

Christian apologist Gregory Koukl in his essay The Real Murderers: Atheism or Christianity? states that "the assertion is that religion has caused most of the killing and bloodshed in the world. There are people who make accusations and assertions that are empirically false. This is one of them."[16] Koukl in his essay details the number of people killed in various events involving theism and compares them to the much higher tens of millions of people killed under atheistic communism.[17]

Koukl summarizes by stating:

“ It is true that it's possible that religion can produce evil, and generally when we look closer at the detail it produces evil because the individual people are actually living in a rejection of the tenets of Christianity and a rejection of the God that they are supposed to be following. So it can produce it, but the historical fact is that outright rejection of God and institutionalizing of atheism actually does produce evil on incredible levels. We're talking about tens of millions of people as a result of the rejection of God.[18] ”

Atheists in America are Generally Less Charitable

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According to the Barna Group, atheists in America generally give significantly less to charity than theist Americans.

The Barna Group found the following in regards to atheist population in America and charitable giving:

“ The typical no-faith American donated just $200 in 2006, which is more than seven times less than the amount contributed by the prototypical active-faith adult ($1500). Even when church-based giving is subtracted from the equation, active-faith adults donated twice as many dollars last year as did atheists and agnostics. In fact, while just 7% of active-faith adults failed to contribute any personal funds in 2006, that compares with 22% among the no-faith adults.[19] ”

In 2003, Arthur C. Brooks wrote in Policy Review the following:

“ The differences in charity between secular and religious people are dramatic. Religious people are 25 percentage points more likely than secularists to donate money (91 percent to 66 percent) and 23 points more likely to volunteer time (67 percent to 44 percent). And, consistent with the findings of other writers, these data show that practicing a religion is more important than the actual religion itself in predicting charitable behavior. For example, among those who attend worship services regularly, 92 percent of Protestants give charitably, compared with 91 percent of Catholics, 91 percent of Jews, and 89 percent from other religions.[20] ”

ABC News reported the following:

“ ...the single biggest predictor of whether someone will be charitable is their religious participation.

Religious people are more likely to give to charity, and when they give, they give more money: four times as much. And Arthur Brooks told me that giving goes beyond their own religious organization:

"Actually, the truth is that they're giving to more than their churches," he says. "The religious Americans are more likely to give to every kind of cause and charity, including explicitly non-religious charities."[21]

”

Atheism and Immoral Views

The Barna Group also found that atheists/agnostics in America were more likely, than theists in America, to look upon the following behaviors as morally acceptable: illegal drug use; getting drunk; having a sexual relationship with someone of the opposite sex to whom you are not married; having an abortion; living with someone of the opposite sex without being married; using profanity; gambling; looking at pictures of nudity or explicit sexual behavior; and engaging in homosexuality/bisexuality.[22]

Atheism and Questions of Origins

Atheism provides no useful input in regards to origins. Creationist scientists state that the first law of thermodynamics and the second law of thermodynamics argue against an eternal universe or a universe created by natural processes and argue for a universe created by God. [23] [24] [25] A majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the naturalistic evolutionary position since World War II have been atheists.[26][27] Creationist scientists also assert the theory of evolution is an inadequate explanation for the variety of life forms on earth. [28] In addition, the current naturalistic explanations for the origin of life are inadequate.

Atheism and the Existence of Evil

Atheists state that the existence of evil is a problem for theism which holds to a good and powerful God.[29] Theodicy is the branch of study in theology and philosophy that defends the goodness of God despite the existence of evil.[30] In traditional Christianity and Judaism the book of Job is used to explain the existence of evil.[31] In recent times Christian apologists often cite Alvin Plantinga's free will defense in regards to the existence of evil. [32][33] The work of St. Augustine is also cited in regards to theodicy. [34]

Ineffectiveness of Atheist Debaters

Doug Jesseph

In October of 1997, Jeffrey Jay Lowder stated that he believed that "the most impressive debater to date" was Doug Jesseph.[35] Yet Doug Jesseph claimed in a debate with William Lane Craig in 1996 that the origin of life had a detailed atheistic explanation(s).[36] In 1996, John Horgan wrote the following regarding what the highly respected origin of life researcher Stanley Miller believed to the case regarding naturalistic explanations of the origin of life: "Miller seemed unimpressed with any of the current proposals on the origin of life, referring to them as “nonsense” or “paper chemistry.”"[37] In addition, in 1996, John Horgan wrote the following in Scientific American: "The origin of life is a science writer's dream. It abounds with exotic scientists and exotic theories, which are never entirely abandoned or accepted, but merely go in and out of fashion."[38]

Gordon Stein

In 1985, Christian apologist Dr. Greg Bahnsen and prominent atheist Gordon Stein had a debate at the University of California, Irvine. John Frame wrote regarding the debate in which Dr. Bahnsen used the transcendental argument for the existence of God that "In the end, Stein walked and talked like a broken man."[39] The Greg Bahnsen-Gordon Stein debate was recorded and transcribed and was dubbed "The Great Debate".[40][41]

Greg Bahnsen and Michael Martin

Dr. Greg Bahnsen became known as the "man atheists fear most".[42] The reason Dr. Bahnsen became known as the man atheist fear most was that Harvard educated Dr. Michael Martin was scheduled to debate Dr. Bahnsen but pulled out of the debate close to the debates arrival. At the time, a press release stated that Dr. Martin offered ruses on why he pulled out and didn't want the scheduled debate recorded but the real reason was that "Michael Martin is afraid that he will be publicly humiliated just as his friend and fellow atheist, Dr. Gordon Stein."[43]

Dr. Michael Martin later released his transcendental argument for the non-existence of God (TANG) in 1996 which was rebutted by Christian apologists.[44]

Other Well Known Proponents of Atheism

Prominent atheists and atheist schools of thought include:

  • Carvaka school: an atheistic and materialistic offshoot of Hinduism in the 6th century b.c.
  • Samkhya school: an atheistic school of classical Indian philosophy, originating in the 6th century b.c.
  • Diagoras: Greek philosopher who denied the existence of the Greek pantheon
  • Epicurus: Greek philosopher espousing materialism, and stated that, even if the gods exist, they do not interact with humans and are therefore non-existent for all practical purposes;
  • Lucretius: Greek philosopher espousing materialism, and stated that man should not believe in the gods because their ideas about the gods and their fear of death made men unhappy;
  • Karl Marx: founder of Communism;
  • Friedrich Nietzsche: Prominent 20th century atheist philosopher;
  • Lenin and Stalin: Early Communist leaders in Russia;
  • Mao Zedong: Chinese Communist leader;
  • Paul Kurtz: founder of the Council of Secular Humanism
  • Isaac Asimov
  • David Hume
  • Bertrand Russell
  • Ayn Rand
  • Richard Dawkins
  • Douglas Adams
  • Ernest Hemingway

Atheist population as a percentage of various countries' populations

Specific research on atheists conducted in 2006 suggests that the true proportion of atheists is 4% in the United States, 17% in Great Britain and 32% in France. In the United States, however, another 14% of the respondents identified themselves as agnostic indicating that 18% of the U.S. population do not ascribe to theistic views.[45]

American's view of atheists

Research in the American Sociological Review finds that atheists are the group that Americans least relate to for shared vision or want to have marry into their family. [46]

Position: This Group Does Not At All Agree with My Vision of American Society: I Would Disapprove if My Child Wanted to Marry a Member of This Group:
Atheist 39.6% 47.6%
Muslim 26.3% 33.5%
Homosexual 22.6% NA
Conservative Christian 13.5% 6.9%
Recent Immigrant 12.5% Not Asked
Hispanic 7.6% 18.5%
Jew 7.4% 11.8%
Asian American 7.0% 18.5%
African American 4.6% 27.2%
White American 2.2% 2.3%

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/
  2. ↑ http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1998
  3. ↑ http://www.answersingenesis.org/Home/Area/AnswersBook/existence1.asp
  4. ↑ http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm
  7. ↑ http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm
  8. ↑ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/
  9. ↑ http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1998
  10. ↑ http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm
  11. ↑ http://www3.baylor.edu/~Scott_Moore/texts/Marx_Opium.html
  12. ↑ http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/comm.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1909/may/13.htm
  14. ↑ http://www.kennedycommentary.org/default.asp?pg=topicmessage&id=1419
  15. ↑ http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm
  16. ↑ http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5527
  17. ↑ http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5527
  18. ↑ http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5527
  19. ↑ http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=272
  20. ↑ Policy Review, Oct-Dec 2003 by Brooks, Arthur C
  21. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=2682730&page=2
  22. ↑ http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=152
  23. ↑ http://godevidences.net/space/lawsofscience.php
  24. ↑ http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2329
  25. ↑ http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/AstroPhysicalSciences14.html
  26. ↑ Dr. Don Batten, A Who’s Who of evolutionists Creation 20(1):32 December 1997.
  27. ↑ Jonathan Sarfati, Ph.D.,F.M., Refuting Evolution, Chapter 1, Facts and Bias
  28. ↑ http://www.icr.org/home/resources/resources_tracts_scientificcaseagainstevolution/
  29. ↑ http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/evil.html
  30. ↑ http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861719540/theodicy.html
  31. ↑ http://apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/doctrinal_apologetics/bowman-job.html
  32. ↑ http://www.xenos.org/essays/evilpo.htm
  33. ↑ http://www3.baylor.edu/~Scott_Moore/handouts/free_will_defense.html
  34. ↑ http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5124
  35. ↑ http://www.infidels.org/infidels/newsletter/1997/october.html
  36. ↑ http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/doug_jesseph/jesseph-craig/jesseph1.html
  37. ↑ http://www.trueorigin.org/abio.asp
  38. ↑ http://members.iinet.net.au/~sejones/orignl01.html#orgnflfmjrprblmschcknndgg
  39. ↑ http://www.frame-poythress.org/frame_articles/Bahnsen.htm
  40. ↑ http://prosapologian.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/great-debates/
  41. ↑ http://www.bellevuechristian.org/faculty/dribera/htdocs/PDFs/Apol_Bahnsen_Stein_Debate_Transcript.pdf
  42. ↑ http://mywebpages.comcast.net/webpages54/ap/biobahn.html
  43. ↑ http://www.serve.com/thibodep/cr/press.htm
  44. ↑ http://www.reformed.org/apologetics/index.html?mainframe=/apologetics/martin_TAG.html
  45. ↑ In addition, 6% declined to say; and 3% indicated they were unsure of their beliefs.
  46. ↑ Edgell, Gerteis & Hartmann 2006
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