Arguments for Atheism

The essay I chose was Arguments for Atheism on the Philosophy of Religion website. This source’s primary goal is to provide sufficient answers and reasoning supporting the belief in no god. Atheists and anti-theists use the presumption of atheism as a principle in their philosophy. This attaches the burden of proof on the theist and if the theist is unable to make a persuasive argument for the existence of God, then this confirms the atheist’s doctrine. The next point atheists assert is the problem of evil. It basically states that if God is omniscient, omnipotent, and forgiving why is the world in suffering, chaos, and disarray? If God is omniscient, he would know how to bring an end to all the suffering. If God is omnipotent, then he is able to bring the world out of its misery. If God is forgiving and munificent, then he would wish to save and protect his creations. The simplest conclusion, many atheists say, is that He does not do these things, because He does not exist. The problems with God’s omnipotence and omniscience, is that these are logically incoherent and cannot possibly be true because of the lack of evidence. Atheists also believe that there are flaws within the belief of divine justice. Many say that it dissents with God being all-forgiving. The Christian view of heaven and hell also seem to conflict with God’s justice. Hell is an eternal punishment for a mortal sin, and many don’t think that any sin or mistake is costly enough to be equivalent to infinite condemnation. Criticism has also been raised against the idea of immortality. Many believe that death is the final conclusion, death is the destruction of a person, and if a person is not destroyed by death then the person did not die. Also, arguments concerning prayer seem to be in contradiction with theism. If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, then prayer and worship are meaningless to this entity, and should never work to change his mind on one’s life and decisions. Atheists use psychology as a way to “explain away religious beliefs” (1). Two philosophers and critics of religion have used this process of thought: Ludwig Feuerbach and Sigmund Freud.
This paper was excellently written. It contains many intriguing philosophical arguments justifying atheism. It is definitely subject to enormous consideration and contemplation. The problem of evil was indeed a “mind-probing” argument and will definitely saturate in my thoughts on making my final decision. Many of the points were plausible and not just ridiculous, bogus thoughts, but coherent and logical conceptions.
"Arguments for Atheism." Philosophy of Religion. Technokinetics, 2008. Web. 15 Apr 2010. .