Ryan David Leack

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A. Simple Definition:

Atheism means the absence of God. This stance is different from agnosticism in that it does not simply hold that God cannot be proven to exist, but it rejects the entire possibility that God could exist. It is also different from deism, which claims there is a God who acts as the watchmaker. This watchmaker set the universe in motion and has more or less left it alone since creation. Therefore, God does not play an interactive role in society. Atheism is considered a philosophical view and atheists are mostly not affiliated with any religious groups; however, some sects within Buddhism are commonly labeled as atheistic. The minute that an atheist acknowledges that God cannot be either disproved or proven, or accepts the possibility that God may exist, that atheist becomes an agnostic. Many atheists, in order to seem less critical of religious people, have attempted to reform atheism into a stance which accepts the possibility of God's existence, yet this view is actually the agnostic's view and intrudes into another philosophy and way of thought.

B. Types of Atheism:

Practical atheism

This branch of atheism, also called apatheism, involves the belief that religion and the very question of God is completely irrelevant to human affairs. Apatheists do not typically deal with debates between theists and atheists and use atheism as a practical way of focusing on human affairs and not spending time on questions that have no significance to their lives, but that they view as neither harmful nor helpful. In essence, apatheism is like indifferent atheism, which is why the prefix "apa," for apathy, is placed in front of the word..

Theoretical atheism

This branch is very much the opposite of apatheism. It deals with theistic arguments for the existence of God and attempts to respond in ways which disprove God's existence. This branch is highly philosophical and metaphysical in nature, and therefore it can be labeled as impractical by apatheists. An integral part in theoretical atheism is the debate against intelligent design and supernatural occurrences.

Famous Atheists
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C. Defense:

The atheist's argument is simple, yet there are many levels of understanding and a vast array of philosophy that surrounds a basic idea. Let's take a look at some of the most basic yet most popular arguments that atheists use to support their views.

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ATHEISM STANCE

Claim:

Due to the many factors, from the absence of God's physical presence to the irrationality of supernatural intervention, God is a product of the human mind, a projection of the perfect human, and a being designed by humans to fulfill their wishes and ease their doubts about death.

The Claim's Conditions:

1. Only what the eye can see is trustworthy.
2. There must be no evidence of miracles.
3. Christ and the resurrection must be mythical.

Evidence for Conditions:

1. One cannot know of God's existence because God cannot neither be seen nor heard, therefore, he does not exist. One cannot be certain of anything, even things he or she sees, for connections between events may find their relationship only within contiguity and not continuity (David Hume 1, 2).

2. God is merely the projection of a perfect man into the heavens. In this sense, man is imagining the perfect image of himself, which he believes to be God. Because this perfect version is better than he is, he longs for a place of perfection, or heaven, where this version will be attained and he will become like God. Therefore, God is a product of imagination, hope, and the longing for absolute perfection in an evil world (Ludwig Feuerbach 1, 3).

3. Miracles cannot corroborate supposed religious truths because miracles can no longer be observed, and are therefore only relevant in history where they could be observed. In other words, what cannot be repeated and observed, as by the scientific method or by supernatural intervention in the past, cannot serve as proof for outrageous truths like the of Jesus Christ and the many miracles he performed. As he is no longer in the flesh and performing miracles, previous miracles cannot be known or trusted. In conclusion, "The accidental truths of history can never become the proof of necessary truths of reason," (Gotthold Lessing 1, 4).

4. "Religion is for the psychologically weak." It is a crutch for those who cannot handle the reality of the world, which has elements of physical and emotional suffering. There are three points which describe religion: religion is wish-fulfillment; religion is illusion, not delusion; religion is neurosis, not psychosis. His argument is that religion and God is a product of the mind which seeks for comfort and consolation, hope and eternal life (Sigmud Freud 1, 5).

5. "Everything must be rejected which is not beyond doubt." "Even physics are only a high probability." Sense data is always doubtful and, in the end, the world is entirely subjective, meaning that no one can be certain of anything, especially God (René Descartes 1, 6).

6. "Religion is the opium of the people." It is used for consolation and to suppress the psychologically and circumstantially weak. Religion is thus a form of control and not guided at obtaining a personal relationship with a supreme Creator, but guided at suppressing the lower class (Karl Marx 1, 7).

7. There are various kinds of biblical criticisms which demonstrate that the Bible cannot be trusted for the supposed truths it offers. There are four types of modern biblical criticism which place doubt on the Bible's claim: textual criticism, source criticism, form criticism, redaction criticism (8, 9).

8. Due to the history of religion, it is apparent that religion is only harmful to society, as this is evident from the sale of indulgences, the inquisitions, the crusades, and many other horrific events involving religious parties and figures (Christopher Hitchens 10).

Claim's Conclusion:

As God cannot be seen nor heard, and due to the fact that religion would appeal to the psychologically weak who are incapable of providing for themselves, God is a product of the human imagination designed to aid those who cannot handle the psychological troubles of reality and, therefore, God only exists in the minds of individuals.

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D. Conclusion:

Atheism was initially a response to theism, where many sought to involve themselves in philosophical arguments to disprove God's existence and demonstrate the impracticality of religion. Atheism has rapidly increased the growth of philosophy and reason. Today, atheism is seemingly becoming less about attacking religion and more about applying philosophy to daily life for practical purposes. In other words, more people have become apatheists than theoretical atheists. Atheists have always been engaged in debates with theists, and the field of atheism has expanded into the scientific field of evolution, which has brought about atheistic evolution, a combination of science and philosophy. Many religious figures have labeled atheism as a religion in itself, being that prominent atheists are just as involved in the topic of God as Christians and other theists. In addition, their Bible is considered On The Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, who was interestingly enough not an atheist, but a Christian who spent his earlier years studying theology until he decided that God used the process of evolution to aid the originally created life forms. As atheism grows, many atheists set out to disprove religion, like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, while common atheists merely do not include God in their daily lives.

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SCIENCE AND RELIGION REUNITE

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