162)
This solution also helps us to assert a response to one that might employ the existence of evil as a rational indication that God does not exist. That is, we are not any of us in a position of such divine knowledge as to discern how or why certain apparent evils may fit into the scheme of an inherently good and intelligent design. As Evans advises, it is useful to "recall that the reason given by atheists for thinking that it is likely or probable that there are pointless evils is simply this: it appears that there are pointless evils." (Evans, p. 167)
Atheism as Comforting:
A final point from our discussion is the rapid dismissal of McCloskey's resting point, that we may somehow find better comfort in knowing that the terrible tragedy and suffering in the world is random and without cause. e are better suited, McCloskey argues, than if…...
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Works Cited:
Craig, W.L. (2002). The Absurdity of Life Without Got. Biola University.
Evans, Stephen. C. Philosophy of Religion: Thinking About Faith. 1st ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985.
Jones, M. (2012). Pointecast Presentation. Philosophy 201: Philosophy and Contemporary Ideas.
Atheist
In "On Being an Atheist," H.J. McCloskey discusses what it means to him to be an atheist. In doing so, he criticizes the classical argument in favor of God's existence. This is not a new criticism, as people have been arguing about whether it is possible to prove or disprove the existence of God for years. However, McCloskey goes further in his argument against the existence of God by discussing what he believes is a critical argument against the existence of God, as he is portrayed by major world religions, and that is the problem of evil. However, there are several weaknesses in his argument against God. This essay will explore those weaknesses and attempt to reach a conclusion regarding the validity of McCloskey's argument.
One of the first problems with McCloskey's argument is that he describes the arguments in favor of God as proofs, and, because of how he…...
d.).
By our very nature of being able to ask questions, we refocus on our ability to image a creator who gave us the power to self-actualize. Since we know that we can think, posit, and live, if not through our physical means, then through what we write, create, and leave for future generations, then we are not doomed to death without purpose. Man can ask questions, therefore, man can imagine the infinite. Thus, for Craig, it is atheism that is, in fact, discomfiting, and without the model of God, humanity is alone in its pain and suffering, as well as its joy and elation. Craig cannot conceive of this loneliness, therefore because we can imagine God, and we can posit the existence of all things, even the atheistic argument, then it is more comforting to know the soul is not alone (Craig, p.4).
ORKS CITED
Craig, . And Q. Smith. (1995). Theism,…...
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WORKS CITED
Craig, W. And Q. Smith. (1995). Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.
McCloskey, H.J. (1968). On Being an Atheist. Questions 1. February.
Pascale, B. Pensees, 29, cited in: W. Craig.ed., the Absurdity of Life Without God.
Article Critique "On eing an Atheist" by H.McCloskey
elief in the spiritual or supernatural is almost always expressed by the individual within such a religious belief system. And there are huge numbers of people who feel that questions which deal with faith and religion should not be questioned, examined or challenged to determine their validity. The problem with this is that since such beliefs cannot be confirmed through the senses and upon initial observation appears to contradict what is reasonable with the proposition of the supernatural, they certainly cannot be considered to be "epistemologically fundamental" concept which generally requires no examination to realize their accuracy. And, since many people tend to view all religious beliefs that exist or have ever existed, except for their own, as erroneous, it would be obvious that the subject of religious beliefs not only should be questioned and investigated…...
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bronowski, J. 1972. Science and Human Values. New York: Perennial Library, Harper & Row
Carse, James. 2008. The Religious Case Against Belief. New York: Penguin.
H.J McCloskey. 1968. On Being an Athiest.
Paulos, John Allen. 2007. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences. Victoria, BC, Canada: Trafford
Atheist
An Analysis of Secular Humanism and Christianity
Critical Analysis:
Secular humanists would answer the question of the origin of man by referring to the scientific field of biology, which is centered on the ideas put forth by Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Human beings do not have a special role or purpose in the world, they simply originated through an evolutionary process that took place over millions of years. The question of identity is less sure in atheism than Christianity. According to the Theory of Evolution, humankind has slowly evolved over many generations from primordial primate species into modern humanity, as it exists today. This is far less satisfactory than the identity of man as being created by God in the Garden of Eden.
The question of meaning of man's existence is answered by Secular Humanists by suggesting that human intelligence is simply a twist of fate, that humans were essentially just…...
The terms religion and spirituality have held separate definitions only since the early to mid-nineteenth century, so advancements in hypotheses, theories and solid scientific answers or laws have been developing at quite an unprecedented rate. Within these ten years alone, scientists have been more closely following recurrent answers within outer space, within the universe, way out from our reaches of the galaxy in which we live.
On the Cosmological argument, H.J. McCloskey claims that the "mere existence of the world constitutes no reason for believing in such a being (i.e. A necessarily existing being)." This statement came from his article entitled "On Being an Atheist" (1968). trongly claiming the title of an atheist, as opposed to agnostic or rationalist, typecasts McCloskey as a disbeliever as opposed to a doubtful unbeliever; faultily narrow-minded as opposed to completely objective; one who believes it impossible to know whether a God or gods exist…...
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Sources Cited
Mahner, M. & Bunge, M., Is religious education compatible with science education? Kluwer Academic Publishers. (Science and Education, printed in the Netherlands; 1996). 189-199.
Mahner, M. & Bunge, M., the incompatibility of science and religion sustained: A reply to our critics. Kluwer Academic Publishers. (Science and Education, printed in the Netherlands; 1996) 101-123.
Nietzsche, Friedrich, the Birth of Tragedy. Trans. Douglas Smith. Oxford University Press, 2008: pgs. xxxii, 28, 109, 140.
"Theatre of Dionysus." Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Web. 08 May. 2010
In his essay "On eing an Atheist," the author H.J. McCloskey offers a multi-layered criticism of the belief in God and specifically Christian beliefs regarding God. McCloskey addresses several frequently-cited complementary yet distinct philosophical arguments advanced by Christian believers over the centuries. This paper will first discuss McCloskey's arguments and evidence and then cite potential objections.
Arguing for God from proof (ontological)
McCloskey first argues that objective, ontological argument of 'proof' in the divine is impossible. One cannot rationally 'prove' the existence of God like you can prove 2+2 equals four is true. ecause the existence of God cannot be proved; it cannot therefore be disproved, according to the positivist assumptions regarding the scientific method which states if something cannot be conclusively proven to be false by scientific methodology it also cannot be proven to be true. Furthermore, even McCloskey admits that no believer comes…...
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Bibliography
Craig, William Lane. "The absurdity of life without God." Reasonable Faith.
McCloskey responds to this by asking "might not God have very easily so have arranged the world and biased man to virtue that men always freely chose what is right?" But in that case, humans would not have genuine free will. And God is justified, Evans argues, in creating free creatures who are capable of committing evil because it is better to have both free creatures and evil than not having neither. And ultimately, "it is not necessary to know God's actual reasons for allowing evil or to be able to explain why God allows the evil he does. It is sufficient to know that there are possible reasons why an all-good, omnipotent being might allow evil" (Evans, 2009, p. 167). And it goes without saying that, with the limited reasoning capability, we might not necessarily know or comprehend the reasons behind God's allowance of evil.
Finally, McCloskey rejects theism…...
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References
Corlett, J.A. (2009) Dawkin's Godless Delusion. International Journal of Philosophy of Religion, 65: 125-138.
Existence of God
Philosophically there are a number of arguments that can be made in favor of the existence of God. When looking at the way in which planets, nature and human beings are put together, and when looking at human history, it is difficult not to believe there is a God.
Firstly, when looking at the physical universe, there is order. There are laws according to which things work, and according to which existence is ruled. The same is true of the universe of atoms, electrons and protons. Very specific scientific rules govern everything. This incredible mechanism for me speaks of an intelligent, thinking force behind it all. God is the intelligent creator of an ordered universe.
Secondly, order and rules can also be seen in the natural world on earth. The earth is the only planet in our galaxy that is known to contain life. The conditions on our planet…...
This contradicts the reason provided by McCloskey theism that only makes the life of man more difficult. If not for God, as Craig states, there will be no man and, therefore, there could be no argument that man will help each other in providing solutions to their problems. God also contributes to the knowledge of man; consequently, without God there would be no innovation or invention by man, a contradiction to McCloskey assertion.
eference
Eden, Michael 2008. The Absurdity of Life Without God - William Lane Craig. etrieved from: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2149706/posts
Evans, C. Stephen. 1982. Philosophy of religion: Thinking about Faith. Downers Grove, Ill.,
U.S.A.: InterVarsity Press.
McCloskey H.J., 1968. On being an Atheist. London: ationalist Press Association,
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Cosmological Argument. etrieved from:
Evil
The free will defense suggests that God permits, but does not cause evil. Therefore, it is possible to live in a universe in which good and evil continually coexist. Human beings are blessed with the ability to make a choice that can further the objectives of God and good, or to promote the interests of evil. Although this view is logically coherent, there are clear objections to it.
One objection is that God has nothing at all to do with evil, and human beings, made in God's image, likewise have nothing to do with evil. Free will is therefore irrelevant and in fact negated. There is no such thing as free will, according to this point-of-view. All human beings have is a fate that has been pre-determined by God. Using this objection, it is easy to see how the human being is portrayed as a passive recipient of life rather than…...
As Cline points out, Buffet resembles Bill Gates who when asked about Christianity said that he is not a believer and does not attend church regularly, but finds the moral teachers of Christianity useful and inspiring (Cline 2006). Is this so bad? Both of them can teach most people about the need to work, save money and then give back to the society that nurtured them.
This seeming dispute between faith and reason is hardly new and is an illusion that is easily dispelled. After all, Christianity did not come out of a box with Luther's theses in 1517. The seeds had already been planted in the High Middle Ages/Early Renaissance as learning revived in the wake of the Crusades. This cultural awakening of the High Middle Ages raised issues that scholars such as the great Thomas Aquinas wrestled with in his classical Summa Contra Gentiles and Summa Theologica. He held…...
Looking at the atheist worldview on believe about God as a myth that people have invented to make them feel better we tend to find out whether it is impossible to have a high moral character without belief in God.
As I was getting settled into my set for a very long plane ride home a was I got to know that the person next to me was a devoted atheist who believed that God is a myth that people have invented to make them feel better, he asked me what I believed about God. Since iam a Christian I believe that God is real, the creation the origin of life and the universe gives me a concrete reason to believe in God instead of seeking real answers. Another thing is the idea of loving God is sweet and the idea that there is eternal life. That is…...
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REFERENCES
Blaise Pascal (2010) philosophy of Religion.
Phillips, W.G., Brown, W.E. & Stone Street, J. (2008). Making sense of your world: A biblical worldview.
(2nd Ed.). Salem, WI: Sheffield Publishing Company
Robert merrihew Adams (2009) moral argument for 'theistic belief
B-Theory, one need not fear death?
There is a common assumption that all atheists fear death, given that the atheist lacks the comfort of a world which exists after this one. However, according to Robin Le Poidevin's essay "Should the Atheist Fear Death?" this is not necessarily the case. First of all, Le Poidevin points out that not all theists believe in a concrete conception of the afterlife (643). Secondly, the question arises as to why we are so fearful of the "attenuation of the effects of our life after we die" and why we "fear being forgotten" (643). Le Poidevin implies that a theist conception of the universe is in part why we regard such an eventuality as an awful thing.
Over the course of his essay, Le Poidevin makes a contrast between what he calls the A-theory and B-theory of time. The A-theorist conceives of time as being composed…...
Philosophy -- Plato's "The Apology"
"The Apology" is Plato's recollection of Socrates' trial, conviction, sentencing and last words to the jury. The Apology is divided into three parts. The first part, Socrates' principal speech to the jury, is his argument against old and new accusations. The second part, Socrates' "counter-assessment," is Socrates' rebuttal of the prosecutor's recommendation of the death penalty. The third part, Socrates' final words to the jury, consists of his speeches to the jurors who voted for his conviction and to the jurors who voted for acquittal.
Socrates' Principle Speech
Socrates first takes on the people who have slandered him over the years with "lying accusations" against him: that he is "a student of all things in the sky and below the earth" (Plato, Grube, & Cooper, 2000, p. 22) which is a physicalist or atheist; that he "makes the worse argument the stronger" (Plato, Grube, & Cooper, 2000, p.…...
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Works Cited
Plato, Grube, G.M., & Cooper, J.M. (2000). The trial and death of Socrates, 3rd edition. Hackett Publishing Company.
While people often lump the American colonies together, there were significant differences between the New England colonies, Middle colonies, and Southern colonies. These differences were not only geographical, but also based in who had the grants for the colonies, their favor in the British government, and who eventually settled in the lands. These differences initially impacted how successful the American colonies were and how prosperous they would become. They eventually impacted industrialization and, in many ways, could be cited as one of the root causes of the eventual American Civil War and even some of....
1. Individuals who subscribe to monotheistic religions, such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, often perceive death as a transition to an afterlife realm where they will face divine judgment and potential eternal punishment or reward, shaping their end-of-life perspectives and practices.
2. Conversely, adherents of polytheistic religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, may view death as a cycle of rebirth and reincarnation, influencing their beliefs about the impermanence of life and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
3. The concept of karma in Hinduism and Buddhism emphasizes the moral consequences of one's actions, leading to a belief in a cycle of rebirth until....
Sure, here is a 2000-word essay response to the question 'Is belief in God for practical advantage morally permissible? Explore Pascal's argument and criticisms.' in properly formatted HTML tags:
1. paragraph
The question of whether it is morally permissible to believe in God for practical advantage has been debated for centuries. Some argue that it is wrong to believe in God for any reason other than conviction, while others argue that it is permissible to believe in God if it provides some benefit to the believer. In this essay, I will explore Pascal's argument for belief in God based on practical advantage....
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