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Atheism, Why Some
Accept & Others Reject It In
looking at the above title I realize the enormity of the subject under
consideration. I do not presume to know what every atheist believes or why they
believe it. Also, I do not want to build a straw man in order to tear it down.
Such is not intellectually honest. Nor do I want to claim that every atheist is
evil. I do believe there are some reasons most atheists have for not believing
in God. Those very reasons are why many people believe in God. Many
atheists believe that intellectually it is more logical to believe that life
began by time and chance than in believing in a Supreme Being that created the
Universe and life. They believe that given enough time and chance anything is
possible. Therefore, life began by blind chance millions of years ago. To prove
their point they say that we do exist and all living beings show a common
design. To the atheist, those that believe in God are being irrational and they
are being intellectual. “Reason and
intelligence are the most effective instruments that humankind possesses. There
is no substitute: neither faith nor passion suffices in itself” (Humanism:
Devotion to Mankind, page 23.) The
reason many do not believe in atheism is because of the questions that atheists
can not answer. Questions such as: Where did the universe come from? The very
building blocks of life must have had a point of origin, for matter is not
eternal. The very laws of science say that material things wear out and indeed
atheists acknowledge such is the case. Therefore
the universe had to have a beginning. Where did the material that makes the
universe come from? How did it begin? It had to have had a beginning, what
mechanics caused it to begin. They talk about the “Big Bang” but what caused
that to happen? Also, the community
of design shows a common designer, God. While atheists believe it is easier to
accept atheism than creation, others believe just the opposite. Both
are accepting their belief based on faith. The atheists can not prove evolution,
which is why it is called the Theory of Evolution. Those that believe in God
accept creationism also by faith. Which is more reasonable? Which complies with
the laws of science? Those are questions that have lead me to accept creationism
over atheism. “By faith we understand
that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are
seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11.3). Many
atheists use their belief to justify themselves. While many atheists are good
law abiding people we have to acknowledge that some believe they should be able
to do whatever they want. If God does not exist and man is merely a product of
evolution, then there will be no standard of right and wrong and no future
judgment. They believe absolute truths and standards of morality are wrong.
Ethics becomes situational and depending on circumstances any activity can be
justified. Lying is ok if it is protecting someone you love. Adultery is
justified if you are acting out of true love and compassion. Therefore, we can
do almost anything and still be a good person. On
the other hand, the theist could argue that man without God is just another
animal. There is no standard of right or wrong. Any activity becomes acceptable
if I want to do it. Love is not the standard because love does not exist. It is
hypocritical for the atheists to point to abuses in history committed by people
in the name of God and then blame religion for man’s problems. According to
the standard of situation ethics man can justify every evil or bad thing done in
the name of God because the situation justified it! We could kill millions of
people and still be ok because we believe it is OK. Instead of the atheists
condemning the person believing in God, they should be celebrating it. Also, we
can point to abuses of mankind by people that were atheists. Hitler killed
millions of people and he was an atheist. The
very fact that we talk about right and wrong means there is a sense of morality
in mankind. What makes murder, lying, adultery, or stealing wrong? That is why I
believe the atheists are hypocritical in their beliefs. Most do believe some
things are good and some are bad, but they can not explain why such is the case.
Without God man would not know what love is. Sin is defined only if we accept
the existence of God and His word. Murder, lying, adultery, stealing are wrong
because God said so. Atheists
believe religion is the source of evil. The doctrine of Calvinism teaches that
man is sinful by nature. We can not help but do bad things. The atheist says
that man is a creature capable of doing good things. Religion makes man bad and
allows him to justify his actions by blaming God. The Crusades in the Middle
Ages sought to convert people by using the sword. Religion has been used as an
excuse by certain people to do bad things. On
the other hand, some believe religion is the reason man does not behave like
mere animals. We must understand the difference when men do things in the name
of God and actually doing what God authorizes. We are told to love our neighbor
and do good to our enemies, Matthew 5.44ff. Those committing sins against their
fellowman in the name of God will be judged by Him. I reject the theology that
man is sinful by nature. In the Garden of Eden man was made in the image of God,
Genesis 1.26-27. He was made good, Genesis 1.31. Man is an intellectual being
that can choose between right and wrong. Cain was told he could do what was
right, Genesis 4.7. Joshua told Finally,
some accept atheism because they want to reject God. I know this seems to be
circular reasoning, but I believe it is true. To reject God means to reject
religion as they see it and its beliefs. They don’t have to think about the
future or the Day of Judgment. Accountability is gone when life ends here on
earth. To them it is liberating. Some
reject atheism because they want to accept the existence of God. The existence
of God means there is something more than life in the here and now. The Bible
speaks of the soul existing on the other side of the grave and having the hope
of heaven. At the same time it also means we will be held accountable for our
deeds, 2 Corinthians 5.10. Each
of us will decide for ourselves which we have the most faith. But only one can
be right. – Dennis Tucker |