Bob Enyart’s Ten Caricatures of Atheism
I recently stumbled across a webpage by Pastor Bob Enyart which claims to disprove ten atheist clichés in “eight seconds or less.” All that he actually accomplishes, however, is tearing down ten strawmen of his own creation.
To see why, let’s stipulate that atheism is the belief that God does not exist.
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 1: There is no truth!Theist Rebuttal: Is that true? [1 second]
The claim, “There is no truth,” does not follow from atheism. (It’s also self-refuting.)
Okay, well then…
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 2: Truth is unknowable!Theist Rebuttal: How do you know? [1 second]
Again, the claim, “Truth is unknowable,” does not follow from atheism.
Well then, for certain…
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 3: There are no absolutes!Theist Rebuttal: Absolutely? [1 second]
Yet again Enyart tears down a straw man of his own creation. There is nothing in the content of atheism that implies, “There are no absolutes.”
Well, okay, but…
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 4: Only your five senses provide real knowledge!Theist Rebuttal: Says which of the five? [2 seconds]
Strawman. “Only your five senses provide real knowledge” also does not follow from atheism.
Ouch. Got me there. Okay, well at least…
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 5: There is no such thing as absolute truth!Theist Rebuttal: Is that absolutely true? [2 seconds]
Yet another strawman. This is getting boring. I’ll leave it as an exercise for readers to identify the falsehoods in each of his caricatures from here on out.
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 6: Only the physical realm is real!Theist Rebuttal: That claim itself is not physical, so it’s self refuting. [3 seconds]
Yet another caricature of atheism.
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 7: Great suffering proves that a loving God cannot exist!Theist Rebuttal: The unstated assumption is false, that suffering can have no value or purpose. [4.5 secs]
Enyart writes as if atheists had never heard of the Free Will Defense (FWD) and as if he has never heard of the evidential argument from evil.
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 8: Atheism is scientific, because science does not allow for a supernatural interpretation of an event!Theist Rebuttal: This circular reasoning tricks atheists into assuming that which they thought they proved. [5 seconds]
Yet another caricature.
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 9: Widespread evil proves that a righteous God cannot exist!Theist Rebuttal: The two unstated assumptions are false: that love can be forced; and that some love is not worth enduring much hate. [6.5 seconds]
See #7.
Atheist ClichéEnyart’s Caricature of Atheism 10: If theists claim that the universe could not have always been here, then God couldn’t have always been here either.Theist Rebuttal: The natural universe is subject to the physical laws, so it would run out of useable energy; a supernatural, spiritual God is not subject to physics. [8 seconds]
Another caricature.
I don’t have much else to say, except the obvious. If this is the best Enyart has to offer against atheism, then he clearly doesn’t even understand atheism.