They argue that the negative approach and terrible political decisions made by Bush as the president have been a circumstance of his religious outlook even if that is not the cause behind any of them. Hence, bush's inclusion amongst the theist has hurt the category more in recent time then helped just like the inclusion of Socrates of Jean-palm stare helped provide sufficient matter for the theists to benefit from in the long run (Viney, 2004).
Some of the famous quotes that have been said in arguments that centered on theism and atheism are (Miller, 2003):
From Alexander Pope: "Atheists put on false courage and alacrity in the midst of their darkness and apprehensions, like children who, when they fear to go in the dark, will sing for fear" (Miller, 2003).
From Sir Isaac Newton: "Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the solar system, I see the Earth at the…...
mlaReferences
Atheism, (2008), taken from www.infidels.org.
Baggini, Julian (2003), Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Martin, M., ed. (2007), the Cambridge Companion to Atheism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Miller, Keith B.; (2003) Perspectives on an Evolving Creation
Atheist
Atheism
There is much controversy regarding the concept of atheism, considering that religious people are traditionally inclined to believe that it provides individuals with nothing to hope for and that it detaches them from the ethical sector of society. The fact that religions are organized makes it possible for followers to live in a constant state of planning, as they focus on acting in accordance with the legislations put across by their religion. People have even gone as far as to claim that life can be more difficult for individuals who do not believe in a divine force. Although it is difficult to determine whether atheism is better than theism, it is only safe to say that people should not discriminate on account of religious preferences.
One of the main reasons for which religious people are unsupportive when concerning atheism is the fact that they have a limited understanding of the…...
mlaWorks cited:
Martin, M. Atheism: A Philosophical Justification (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990)
McCloskey, H.J. "On Being An Atheist," Question 1, February, 1968
Michael Hecht, J. The End of the Soul: Scientific Modernity, Atheism, and Anthropology in France (New York: Columbia University Press, 2003)
Philosophy professor Alvin Plantinga explains that the argument -- "If God is omniscient, omnipotent, and all-good, He would have created the best of all possible worlds" -- is not satisfactory at all.
"How, indeed, could one argue, from the existence of evil that it is unlikely God exists?" (Plantinga, 1974, 61). We have every reason to believe that "…all natural evils have perfectly natural causes," Plantinga quotes from Cornman and Lehrer; and therefore it is "…unreasonable to postulate some non-natural cause to explain their occurrences" (62).
Is Atheism really comforting?
McCloskey may be comforted with his beliefs, and a Christian will not and would not intrude on his comfort zone without just cause. ut he is talking in circles when he speaks about the "self-respect" and "self-reliance" that comes with being part of atheism. Actually those phrases fit perfectly into the Christian theology as well. McCloskey's use of semantics and filibuster --…...
mlaBibliography
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systemic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 1993.
Comfort, Ray. How to Know God Exists: Scientific Proof of God. Alachua, FL: Bridge Logos
Foundation, 2008.
Craig, William Lane. "The Absurdity of Life Without God." In Reasonable Faith: Christian
The rigid theology of scientific, rational atheism as an antidote to the problems of religion was not found in Marx and Engels. Marx did see religion as fostering apathy to class divisions and as kind of a 'sop' to appropriate anger and revolutionary solidarity, but he believed that it would disappear of its own accord once the populace was made sufficiently aware of the cruelties of the class system. Lenin vehemently disagreed and believed that religion must be eradicated. A review of Dimitry V. Pospielovsky's A History of Soviet Atheism in Theory and Practice and the Believer noted: "The bloody persecution of the Orthodox church was well under way…on January 19, 1918…Sympathies toward the hites during the Civil ar (e.g. As shown by reciting a Te Deum) merited execution. However, even completely apolitical and even left-leaning clerics like Metropolitan Veniamin of Petrograd were tried and condemned. Veniamin's crime was to…...
mlaWorks Cited
Husband, William B. "Soviet atheism and Russian Orthodox Strategies of Resistance, 1917-
1932." The Journal of Modern History, 70. 1 (Mar., 1998), 74-107.
Husband, William B. 'Godless Communists' Atheism and Society in Soviet Russia 1917-1932
Chicago: Northern Illinois University Press, 2000.
Biblical worldview to an alternate worldview (atheism)
There have been a number of different worldviews that have populated the earth in its vast history. One of the most fascinating aspects of this realization is the fact that despite a variety of different practices and customs associated with these worldviews, there is no indisputable proof that proves that any of these viewpoints are actually correct. The many different people who practice different religions such as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, for example, are all convinced of the righteousness in their beliefs and in their God. But no one has ever offered proof of the truth of these Gods or of the religions that were developed to support them and their beliefs. In some ways, this lack of proof has led to the worldview known as atheism, in which practitioners disavow the presence of any sort of God whatsoever. This viewpoint is in…...
mlaReferences
Benckhuysen, A.W. (2012). Revisiting the psalm of Jonah. Calvin Theological Journal. 37(1), 5-31.
Klein, P. (2013). Skepticism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from
Ironically shackled to home because of her health and unable to see this irony, Hulga again suffers because of her physical appearance. The physical world is important, her lost leg teaches her, through the instruction and instrument of Manley's crime.
Similarly, Jacob dies in a way that is horrifying to him, given his moral credo. Twain's comic style renders the death of a child funny rather than pathetic, given that Jacob has been rehearsing his death speech, and hoping for a glorious end since the beginning of the story. Twain suggests that it is likely that if Jacob lived, he would be a miserable, pious hypocrite. Instead, he is mistaken for being a 'bad boy' while trying to thwart the actions of other bad boys who leave the scene of the crime 'scott free.' Alderman McWelter, "full of wrath" strikes the boy which leads to the accident that leaves poor…...
Communism and atheism are closely linked in the minds of many Americans. Similarly, most Americans see communism and Christianity and the Bible as significantly opposed to each other. Despite this association, there is a clear place for communist ideals within both the words of the Bible and many Christian practices.
Certainly, communism has a long association with atheism. The communist state of Russia abhorred religion, and those who practiced religion were often persecuted. Karl Marx, often considered the founder of modern communism, noted that "religion is the opiate of the masses," meaning that religion blinds the common people to evil and manipulation, and makes them content with their meager lives.
Interestingly, however, the Bible contains many passages that have a communist bent. These passages speak clearly to the need for communal living and sharing. Says the book of Acts, "All that believed were together, and had all things in common; And sold…...
Responding to McCloskey McCloskey conflates argument with proof because theists take the argument as proof—i.e., as something that cannot be refuted. For McCloskey just because they cannot be refuted does not mean that one has to accept that a deity is responsible for all creation. It is a leap of faith, in other words, that McCloskey is unwilling to take. For Foreman in “Approaching the Question of God’s Existence,” it is a leap of faith that one must take because it is reasonable, for instance in the face of the existence of evil, to surmise an opposite force of good that is the ultimate source of all goodness, including all of creation. Foreman’s faith is based on reason. McCloskey, however, would also argue that his atheism is based on reason. The difference in outcomes is that the proposition upon which each bases his rational argument is different. Foreman’s proposition is that…...
Reading Response1One question that I have about todays reading is why on page 132, it is asserted that Kung believes complete denial of God is possibleIndeed atheism cannot be eliminated rationally. It is irrefutable. Yet Holy Scripture tells us that the fool hath said in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1). So Kung believes that being a fool is rational and irrefutable?2I wonder about is why the mystery of God demands according to Kasper to be experienced through personal relationships which afford finite glimpses of the Infinite (p. 168). What about holy hermits or monks or religious who live apart from society? They certainly seem to have grand glimpses of the Infinite without the personal relationships element that Kasper appears to recommend....
5. Kant's "Copernican Revolution" in philosophy is in his genius use of the positive aspects of Rationalism (Descartes and so on) and Empiricism (Locke, Berkeley and Hume). How can you argue this out with the help of the "Critique of Pure Reason"?
The human experience of negotiating the universe as it seems to be presented to us is one governed by a great many assumptions. Our education of this process, and in particular our capacity to become adept or even talented in various faculties thereto, is created by experience. In experience, we gain the evolving abilities to relate to objects which we can perceive in our world. However, in order to accomplish this, there are any number of beliefs which must be possessed in us that will create a framework wherein such relating can occur. These beliefs -- and the practical, ideological and physiological experiences which are dependent upon them --…...
mlaWorks Cited:
Berkeley, G. (1994). Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. Arete Press, Claremont, CA.
Hume, D. (1738). A Treatise on the Human Nature. Escuela de Filosofia Universidad ARCIS.
Kidd, S.D. (1988). The Intersubjective Heart. Sorbonne.
Kline, A. (2009). Kierkegaard, Abraham, and the Nature of Faith. Soren Kierkegaard Biography. Online at http://atheism.about.com/od/existentialistphilosophers/a/kierkegaard_2.htm
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Hume offers a complex and multifaceted analysis of the concept of God. The ongoing debate between atheism and theism is resolved in part by an assertion that human beings are technically incapable of absolutely knowing or defining, or at least simply speaking about God. Moreover, the debate between theism and atheism is nullified by the fact that it is difficult, if not impossible, to define God in terms satisfying or agreeable to all parties. There are anthropomorphic gods, creator gods, gods that interact with or interfere with human lives and gods that are distant and detached. Hume argues that any argument related to theism vs. atheism is invalid unless a definition of terms is provided clearly and adhered to consistently. Yet paradoxically, any discussion of God is cloaked in "perpetual ambiguity" because of the limitations of both human language and human cognition (Hume 217). Through…...
mlaWorks Cited
Andre, Shane. "Was Hume an Atheist?" Hume Studies. Vol. 19, No. 1, April 1993. Retrieved online: http://www.humesociety.org/hs/issues/v19n1/andre/andre-v19n1.pdf
Hume, David. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion.
How is it possible, then, that we can come to know anything?
Methodological doubt is best represented in the first of the Meditations, "hat can be called into doubt."
In this meditation, the meditator is forced to think about everything that he has believed throughout the course of his life. He must then make a conscious decision to do away with all of these lies and begin again so that the basis of his knowledge is free of any lies.
4. hat is the difference between atheism and agnosticism?
Atheism means that there is a denial of theism (i.e., the existence of God) while agnosticism means that there is a question concerning the existence of God, a heaven, or any type of spiritual being. An atheist would believe that God does not exist and therefore does not have any control over his or her life while an agnostic would believe that God could…...
mlaWorks Cited
Allison, Henry E. Kant's Transcendental Idealism: An Interpretation and Defense. Yale University Press; Rev Exp edition, 2004.
Descartes, Rene., Cottingham, John., Ameriks, Karl. & Clarke, Desmond M. Descartes:
Meditations on First Philosophy: With Selections from the Objections and Replies. Cambridge University Press; Revised edition, 1996.
Kierkegaard, Soren. Fear and Trembling (Penguin Classics). Penguin Classics, 1986.
Watch Argument
An Assessment of Paley's Natural theology: The Watch Argument
In this section of Archdeacon of Carlisle William Paley's Natural Theology, the author constructs a detailed yet essentially simple and straightforward argument for the existence of God in the form of some primary designer. More specifically, Paley makes an argument against atheism or the belief that there is no such designer for the universe through a lengthy analogy about a watch, or perhaps a series of watches, he imagines might be discovered on the ground. Unlike a stone that can be assumed to have lain on the ground "forever," a watch found on the ground that has specific movements that appear to serve a specific purpose must have come from a creative and purposeful mind that designed the watch; the parts and their purpose could not have coalesced by simple chance the way a stone might tumble to the ground. Paley…...
conservative intellectual movement, but also the role of William uckley and William Rusher in the blossoming of the youth conservative movement
Talk about structure of paper, who not strictly chronologically placed (ie hayek before the rest) - in this order for thematic purposes, to enhance the genuiness of the paper (branches of the movement brought up in order of importance to youth conservative revolt) For instance, Hayek had perhaps the greatest impact on the effects of the movement - uckley and Rusher. These individuals, their beliefs, their principles were extremely influential in better understanding the origins, history, and leaders of American conservatism.
Momentous events shape the psyche of an individual as the person matures. A child grows up in poverty vows to never be like his parents, and keeps this inner vow to become a millionaire. A young woman experiences sexual trauma as a teen, and chooses a career that builds…...
mlaBibliography
George Nash, The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945 National review online The Origins of Conservatism George Mc Ginnishttp://www.nationalreview.com/22dec97/mcginnis122297.html .
Volume Library #2, p. 2146
Schneider, Cadres for Conservatism
McGinnis, National Review Online
evisionist historian often seek to find non-Christian association among the lives of the founding fathers, such as the Freemasons, and Humanism, yet it is clear that these organizations were not dominant to religion and that a strong Protestant ethic still reigned supreme, especially in the language of the foundational documents of the nation.
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism has in fact created a more recent expression in modern America as churches attempt to "go back to the word" and support the idea that the scripture of the church is divine and unfailing. Though interpretations are varied in this group in general they espouse and return to "family values" via some "golden era" ideals regarding the past.
At its base, fundamentalism was compatible with the religiosity of the people, for both assumed the reality of supernatural power and the prevalence of supernatural forces at work in the world. By stressing such theological notions as the virgin…...
mlaReferences
Domke, D., & Coe, K. (2007). The God Strategy: The Rise of Religious Politics in America. Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 42(1), 53.
Harries, R. (2003). After the Evil: Christianity and Judaism in the Shadow of the Holocaust. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lippy, C.H. (1994). Being Religious, American Style: A History of Popular Religiosity in the United States. Westport, CT: Praeger.
McDermott, R.A. (1993). The Spiritual Mission of America. Re-vision, 16(1), 15-25.
1. Aquinas Arguments for Gods Existence A Detailed Analysis
Exploring the key points made by Aquinas and evaluating their persuasiveness.2. Unpacking Aquinas Five Ways The Road to Gods Existence
Breaking down each of Aquinas Five Ways to determine their strength as evidence.3. Assessing Aquinas Arguments Are They Truly Convincing?
Considering counterarguments and critiques to evaluate the validity of Aquinas reasoning.4. The Impact of Aquinas Arguments on Modern Philosophy
Examining how Aquinas arguments have influenced contemporary discussions on Gods existence.5. Aquinas Rational Approach Does Logic Lead to Gods Existence?
Discussing the role of reason and logic....Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
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