Here is the list why God doesn't exist

Philosophy Forums Religion and Spirituality
1

First of all: What God? There are several of them and all followers claim that people of other religions will burn in hell …

Lack of evidence
Law of probabilities
It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone to believe anything upon insufficient evidence”. You should only believe in things for which you have good evidence.

There is as much evidence for the existence of God (any particular god at all) as there is for the existence of unicorns.

And although they might be more polite about it, someone who follows a particular faith may have the same sort of opinion about the existence of the gods of other faiths.

The presumption of Atheism
This is an argument about where to begin the discussion of whether or not God exists. It says that we should assume that God does not exist, and make it the duty of people who believe in God to prove that God does exist.

We should adopt the same policy that we do with people who insist the Loch Ness Monster exists:

Start by assuming that the Loch Ness Monster doesn’t exist. Form an idea of what would constitute the Loch Ness Monster. Then see if there’s anything that “proves” that particular thing exists.

God is unnecessary
Science explains everything
Atheists argue that because everything in the universe can be explained in a satisfactory way without using God as part of the explanation, then there is no point in saying that God exists.

Occam’s Razor
The argument is based on a philosophical idea called Occam’s Razor, popularised by William of Occam in the 14th century.

“The simplest answer is the best answer. “

Intelligent Design offers a creator as the simplest explanation, but they don’t realize that god must be a very complex being, an existence that is the most complex answer of them all. And how did God be created?

Not convincing
Weakness of the proofs that God Exists

The Argument from Design
World is beutiful and in order

Actually the universe is not particularly beautiful and orderly. And even if it was, why should there be a designer? And modern science shows that most of the natural things we think of as designed are just the products of processes like evolution.

The “Ontological” Argument
We think of God as a perfect being. If God didn’t exist he wouldn’t be perfect. God is perfect, therefore God exists.

Most atheists think this argument is so feeble they don’t bother dealing with it. Try to exchange “God” in the sentence above with “Flying killer tomatoes” and beware …

The problem of evil
The Argument from Evil
Most religions say that God is completely good, knows everything, and is all-powerful. But the world is full of wickedness and bad things keep happening. This can only happen if…

God is unwilling to prevent evil, in which case he is not good
or
God doesn’t know about evil, in which case he does not know everything
or
God can’t prevent evil, in which case he is not all powerful
or
Some combination of the above

Science explains
The best explanation
For most of human history God was the best explanation for the existence and nature of the physical universe. But during the last few centuries, scientists have developed explanations that are much more logical, more consistent, and better supported by evidence.

God is meaningless
Relative Philosophy
Some philosophers think that religious language doesn’t mean anything at all, and therefore that there’s no point in asking whether God exists.

They would say that a sentence like “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” is neither true or false, it’s meaningless; in the same way that “colourless green ideas sleep furiously” is meaningless.

God is in the mind
Psychological Explanations of Religon
Human beings believe in God because they want:

• A father figure to protect them from this frightening world
• Someone who gives their lives meaning and purpose
• Something that stops death being the end
• To believe that they are an important part of the universe, and that some component of the universe (God) cares for and respects them

Since religion is just a psychological fantasy, human beings should abandon it so that they can grow to respond appropriately to deal with the world as it is.

God is a social function
Sociological Explanations of Religion
Some people think that religions and belief in God fulfill functions in human society, rather than being the result of God actually existing.

• Giving a meaning and purpose to life
• Binding people together in groups
• Supporting the moral code of the group
• Supporting the social code of the group

God is not apparent
Always hide in the shadows

Why should an existing God just give “hints” of its existence? Why not making miracles every day, so clear that everybody couldn’t deny them?

Why this neurotic need of “want us to believe in God” instead of just show off God as a supreme being.

Partly, this list are shortened from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/atheism/beliefs/reasons_1.shtml

Kind regards
Tskogstrom :imp:

2

Most of that is utter rubbish, and I’ve no interest in doing a line by line rebuttal of Atheism 101. But:

The thesis that religious language is meaningless is not relativism. It’s logical positivism (though I see that that is mentioned in the BBC article, you’ve simply omitted it).

If you want to discuss any of the points I’ve glossed over, pick one. I’ll do my best to answer. I have no interest in answering hundreds of points though, since it’s boring.

3

Sorry, it was meant to be an answer to “Pinnacle of Reason”, who asked for a list. Unfortunately, it became a new tread instead. I totally agree we should take item by item in each thread, otherwise there are no use of threads …

regards
Tskogstrom

4

‘I have absolutely no experience of the non-existence of God as an outcome of reasoning - to me, it is obvious by instinct.’ - Nietzsche

5

impious summed it up with the quote. No use arguing with a subject that is without logic. Although nice summary nonetheless.

6

But that IS an argument. If the (a)theist says to the (a)theist “There’s no point in talking to you, because people like you don’t use reason,” they just snuck an argument in, at the same time as they snuck in a justification for not listening to any rebuttal.

Dirty pool.

7

Things claimed without proof can be dismissed without proof.

8

What if my proof of God is something that I just FEEL? Something that’s only logical to me? I mean come on guys. You can’t tell me that you’ve never felt the power of the lord’s prescence in your life. He’s there with you all the time.

9

Tristan- exactly my point. You say these things can be dismissed without proof, yet you never miss an opportunity to point that out again, and again, and again. Like I said, you’re trying to discuss without discussing.
It would be like if I said “Atheism is dumb, and since it’s pointless to discuss things with dumb people, there’s no need to defend my claim that atheism is dumb from dumb atheists.” That would be a lot less subtle, but the tactic is the same.

ScottMears

That’s a perfectly good starting and ending point for plenty of religious people, I think. I also think, though, that if a person wants to do philosophy of religion, that they need to move beyond it, but being a philosopher is not essential to being religious.

10

Actually, we know that belief isn’t 'there with you all the time", and this includes your belief that “He’s there with you all the time”. I mean, you likely believe that the earth revolves around the sun, but someone can’t point at you right this moment and declare that you’re currently believing that. And they can’t scan your brain and note on your chart, “Ah, you see that yellowish pattern? He’s having a God belief there.” In reality, belief is dispositional, so you don’t stop believing this about God just because your mind happens to be occupied with wondering what you’re going to have for dinner tonight. But this God belief you maintain is conditioned; it requires the right set of circumstances for the thought to arise in your mind. In this case, it was perhaps inspired by reading Tskogstrom’s list with a full stomach.

As well, you could change that belief, so its staying power is questionable in that respect, too. The God belief is a bit different in this respect from the belief or, really, the knowledge that the earth revolves around the sun. You may decide to chuck the God idea tomorrow. No one would consider you mentally lacking if you did that (although some may give rise to their own belief that you’ll face your maker with a lot of 'splaining to do). But if you started telling all your friends that, in fact, Galileo was wrong, they might start worrying.

11

Gallieo thought the sun was the center of the universe. He was wrong wasn’t he?

12

Nice try…but my point was about the earth revolving around the sun. I still have time to edit my original post to clarify that if you think it might bring the appropriate degree of specificity to it. :unamused:

13

Atheism as an active affirmative category IS dumb.

A conversation typically should go along the lines of one party arguing something something–i.e. asserting something with proof, nihilism being the default stance, then another party counter-arguing.

In the religion forum, nobody ever argues for religion. At best, the proofs offered are ambiguous, and the atheists are left bringing up what the religious person should have said or meant, then offering a counter-argument. Which, in itself says something about religion, more so than it does about the people of the site. This topic is an example of this. The atheist, thirsty yet impatient for any religious to affirm any belief, goes on to say what they should, then counter argues it. Look at the last 10 or so topics. You have phil asking if one is evil; Pinnacle of Reason with his one liner why don’t you believe in God, and the rest are atheistic claims.

I don’t know the last time somebody came in here and asserted something religious in concrete argument form. I’ve got to tell you, the fact is that the burden of proof rests on those claiming something, not those denying, but in here the opposite rings true.

  • I don’t think I’ve ad homed anybody here, nor any other atheist that I’ve noticed have done so either. I can’t say the same thing about the Dark Side though.

The force Luke…

14

Oh so now the argument has changed from Is there a God to is there logic in believing in a God? Whose logic? Believers will say yes its logical in their own way (feelings etc), nonbelievers no its not logical, agnostics will say yes its possible but maybe not logical…etc etc etc

Can belief be logical? We have faith in logic but we have no faith in God? We have faith in logic because its applicable to our everyday lives and useful for some, just like God is useful and applicable for others. So yes God exists to those who believe in God and apply feelings of “godliness” in their lives.

However disputing the logical arguments against god is not encouraged by the faithful which leads to bias and the logical arguments against god etc.

God is bullshit

God is everything

Take a side or perish into nothingness

Oh wait, there can be alternatives to these…

15

Now lets talk about whose reasoning is right! =P~ :wink:

16

So my beliefs have to be quantitativley verifiable? I don’t know what you mean. I’m not saying that I simply believe that the lord is always present. I’m saying that he IS always present. Whether you believe that or not is up to you. But if you don’t then you’re wrong and you’ll go to hell I suppose, but that’s between you and your calculator. And if I chuck out my god belief tomorrow, then we’ll both be wrong and we can go to hell together.

17

Yes he is always present to that individual if that is one’s conviction.

And for those who think i’m going to hell for not believing in their God well actually wait…yes my God told me everyone else is going to hell and i will be saved…

God will be present until people stop teaching their beliefs about their “god” and or God proves to us he exists (Which at this point i will close my eyes and believe he is not there) God might be present until we die and we become nothing as we were before birth.

We should perhaps define god?

And then the fun will really begin…

18

Been thinking more about this and well if we can’t fully comprehend god as the catholics teach due to his magnificence (from a catholic family) than God cannot be known fully. If God is revealing himself only partly than is there something he is hiding from us all?

How can i have a relationship with god if i do not and cannot know him?

How can i love someone i do not know?

How can i believe in someone i do not know?

How can i have firm faith in the unknown?

I believe in God because he loves us is my conclulsion, and i feel that love and thats better than Ecstasy. ( maybe if say love and jesus enough times bad people won’t hurt me) Well maybe only a tad better.

19

And I’m saying that’s still a belief. It has nothing to do with “him”, only your idea of “him” and what you think he happens to be doing. Or being, or whatever.

And who’s “him”, anyway? You’re anthropomorphizing the thing, for crying out loud. This doesn’t give you pause?

Hey, we agree on something. I think you can believe he’s always present, too, if you wish.

Sorry, but I’m riding in a non-smoking car. Although one would wonder why at that point, no? :smiley:

20

You have this relationship with me, even though you don’t know me by virtue of this very conversation. Know God through prayer. You can!
You can love God, once you know him through prayer. You should do this, because he loves you.
Do you believe in Einstien?
You can have firm faith in anything once you make the choice to. Faith isn’t dependent on logic or knowledge God doesn’t have to be unknown to you. There’s as much evidence for him as thier is against him.