I mentioned a book in class yesterday: Faith of Fatherless by Paul Vitz. The reviews I’ve read suggest it has some penetrating insights into the nature of modern atheism.
Here is a general outline of my notes and the audio file from class.
Today, I ran across the American Religious Timelines Website. It is pretty helpful in giving dates and summaries of key events in American Religion. It was put together as a collaborative effort of graduate students at Duke and the University of North Carolina. This is more proof that rivals can indeed work together!
You’ll find a fair number of Mormon history and Romans Catholic events posted here. I was pleased to see Barton Stone, Alexander Campbell, and Cane Ridge made the time line. Also, you can find information on Buddism in America and lots of other Protestant groups.
There are plenty of interesting facts in the 20th century on the shape of American religion– including links on Demographics in 1990 & 2001. Enjoy! –JF
Why would someone want to be an atheist?
- many believe that religion inherently leads to violence. They think about all the conflicts that have religion at their roots.
- many think that realists can’t believe in God. Along these lines they suppose that science has disproved God. They take it as “common sense” that the supernatural does not exist. They think that a belief in God is something of a fairy tale akin to believing in the tooth fairy.
- many have seen or experienced religious people who have abused power. How many parents (or governments) have sought to control others by using religious beliefs as a rod of punishment (or guilt)?
How can Christians prove the existence of God? There a several proofs that are offered:
- the ontological proof (worded better by Anselm and more recently Platinga) goes something like this.
God is something greater than anything else imaginable
As human can conceive of such a being.
In reality such a being must exist.
- the teleological proof (famous by T. Aquinas and Augustine before him)
There are several spinoffs on the teleological proof today. One is the concept of “irreducible complexity” that is touted by proponents of intelligent design. This states that the complex variables necessary to sustain human life could not have arisen from chance.
- the moral argument (proposed by Kant and many others). We can detect a “conservation of values” that are consistent in all human cultures. Deep down we know what is right and wrong. How can this truth be explained apart from a creator?
- the cosmological argument (as old as Aristotle). All things must have started from a “Immovable Mover.” There must be a god that has set all things into motion.
Can we really prove God’s existence?
The burden of proof in all these arguments is truly level. Ultimately they don’t really prove that there is a God. We have to have faith and believe.
- Many things that we have thought were complex processes have been explained as consistent with fixed laws (weather patterns, earthquakes, the aligment of the stars in space, etc.).
- Could not the same be true for morality or cosmology?
- Can I not conceive of a world in which there is no god? Many apparently do.
Our goal must be not to prove that God exists, but to point out that atheism isn’t “common sense.” It is a faith conviction like Christianity. The burden of proof for atheism is the same as for Christianity. Atheists have put their weight down on a faith system that is no more provable than Christianity. It has produced violence, oppression, and limited morality just as Christianity has done.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6) . The Bible does not say, “without a proof for God’s existence, you cannot please Him.”
I finished watching an interesting documentary over the weekend: Morgan Spurlock’s What Would Jesus Buy? It’s pretty funny and campy in spots, but it really will make you weigh out the time that you spend shopping. The opening few minutes paint out the true reality that many Americans are addicted to shopping. They fight and claw for deals, love the rush of the sale, and are willing to treat other inhumanely for a bargain.The major character is Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir who are on a campaign to stop the Shopocalypse. They make some pretty fun stops along the way. By the way, make sure to watch the bonus feature – “The 10 Commandments are Made in China.” It’s worth renting the DVD just to see this piece. I’ll NEVER look at Christmas lights quite the same way.
