arguments for atheism

Atheistic Teleological Arguments, Part 5: Dawkins’s Ultimate Boeing 747 Gambit

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(Redated post originally published on 7 December 2011) A. The Argument Formulated In chapter 4 of his book The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins advances an argument for atheism he calls the “Ultimate Boeing 747 Gambit,” in reference to Fred Hoyle’s famous comment about a Boeing 747 arising by chance in a junkyard.[26] Just as Hoyle’s … Atheistic Teleological Arguments, Part 5: Dawkins’s Ultimate Boeing 747 Gambit

What Are The Best Arguments for the Non-Existence of God?

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(Redated post originally published on 20 October 2011) In a recent interview with Christian philosopher and apologist Douglas Groothius, Lee Strobel asks, “What’s the strongest argument in the arsenal of atheists these days? And why does it fall short?” Groothius answers: That’s a big question. Different atheists will use different arguments, but they often confront … What Are The Best Arguments for the Non-Existence of God?

Summary and Assessment of the Craig-Draper Debate on the Existence of God (1998)

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(Redated post originally published on 15 October 2011) This is a another very old debate summary, which I wrote back in 1998. I have made some minor changes. SUMMARY AND ASSESSMENT OF THE CRAIG-DRAPER DEBATE: DOES GOD EXIST? (1997) United States Military Academy at West Point Note: the audio of this debate may be heard … Summary and Assessment of the Craig-Draper Debate on the Existence of God (1998)

Do Proponents of the Argument from Evil Try to Have it Both Ways? A Reply to David Wood

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(Redated post originally published on 26 October 2011) According to David Wood (see here), atheists who appeal to the argument from evil are logically inconsistent. Why? Wood offers the following explanation: For instance, atheists seem to be arguing (1) that human beings are so good that God shouldn’t allow us to suffer, and (2) that … Do Proponents of the Argument from Evil Try to Have it Both Ways? A Reply to David Wood

Hostility of the Universe to Life: Understated Evidence about Cosmic Fine-Tuning?

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(Redated post originally dated 22 January 2013) I’ve blogged before about the fallacy of understated evidence. Here I want to explore further how it applies to fine-tuning arguments. Let us define the “general fact of cosmic ‘fine-tuning’” as follows. FT: some universe or other has the initial conditions, laws, and constants which make the existence … Hostility of the Universe to Life: Understated Evidence about Cosmic Fine-Tuning?

Paul Draper, the Fallacy of Understated Evidence, Theism, and Naturalism

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(Redated post originally published on 23 November 2011) Paul Draper has usefully identified a fallacy of inductive reasoning he calls the “fallacy of understated evidence.” According to Draper, in the context of arguments for theism and against naturalism, proponents of a theistic argument are guilty of this fallacy if they “successfully identify some general fact … Paul Draper, the Fallacy of Understated Evidence, Theism, and Naturalism

Here’s One Way to Resist Naturalistic Arguments: Lack Belief that Matter Exists!

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A Christian apologist writing under the pseudonym ‘InvestigativeApologetics’ stated the usual objection to atheism, namely, that it’s impossible to prove or give evidence for the non-existence of God. The fact is that atheists who yell that “there is no evidence for God (or Christianity)” are protesting too much, so to speak, and they are, in … Here’s One Way to Resist Naturalistic Arguments: Lack Belief that Matter Exists!

Are Pain and Suffering the Only Evidence for Atheism?

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Frank Turek is a Christian apologist, debater, and author or co-author of several books, including I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist (see my rebuttal here). He recently tweeted the following: Truth? https://t.co/MobF1LkyjF #truth #apologetics pic.twitter.com/hb8cfJobtX — Frank Turek (@Frank_Turek) February 11, 2016 Make sure you click on the link that begins with … Are Pain and Suffering the Only Evidence for Atheism?