An Argument Against Atheism

In his article, On Being an Atheist, H.J. McCloskey argues against the existence of God with objections popular even to non-atheists. Because he claims that most theists base their beliefs on proofs such as the cosmological argument and the teleological argument, McCloskey focuses on these. If he can point out their defects, he assumes that God‘s existence is not plausible. In addition to these arguments, he addresses the impossibility of evil and God existing together and also claims that religion is cold and comfortless. In my argument against the atheist, I will display that each of these claims can be logically shown to be faulty and illogical while God’s existence is factually logical.

The Cosmological Argument

The cosmological argument is stated as: The universe had a beginning, Anything that had a beginning had to have a cause, Therefore, the universe had a cause or a Creator.

McCloskey believes in an uncaused cause, but does not think that the universe points to a being that has always necessarily existed. He claims that the universe only needs a cause that is equal to the effects and that it does not have to be an all powerful perfect being, since the imperfect creation does not correspond with it. The creator only has to be powerful enough to create the earth and imperfect enough to be equal with its imperfections. These imperfections consist of many evils done to innocent human beings, and therefore, the evil in the world must correspond to a “malevolent powerful being… that the creator and ruler of the universe is either not a god but an evil spirit or a well intentioned finite being whose limitations result in very disastrous consequences.”

First of all, the universe does point to a being that has always existed. All earthly beings can be defined as “possible beings” in which existing is an accidental to their nature instead of an essential essence. Humans do not have to exist, but must receive this possibility from something that has the essence of a “necessary being”. “And since a being cannot give existence to another when it is dependent for its own existence on another, there must be a Being whose existence, was not given to it by another, but who gives existence to all others.”

Secondly, this Necessary Being cannot be imperfect, as McCloskey claims it must be in order to correspond with the imperfect world. The universe does have imperfections, but these are impossible to comprehend without being aware of some perfect, ultimate standard with which to compare it. Also, the cause cannot be identical to the effects. The one who caused the finite is pure actuality and can then actualize a potential. Human existence is only a potential as explained above.# God is pure perfection and actualized the potential of imperfection by giving his creation, Adam and Eve, the freedom to choose good or evil. Because they chose to do evil, imperfections arose. Thus, the human race, not God, is responsible for the imperfections this world portrays.

Therefore, McCloskey’s arguments against the causer of the universe being a perfect, necessary being have been logically shown to be false. Consequently, the cosmological argument still stands as an adequate form of reasoning for the theist’s belief in God.

Teleological or Design Argument

The teleological argument or the argument from design assumes that due to the order and design in the universe, there must be an ultimate designer.

McCloskey insists that because of evolution there are no examples of design. Nevertheless, he states that, “Even if we uncritically accepted the examples of purpose and design pointed to by exponents of this argument, all we should be entitled to conclude was that there was a powerful, malevolent, or imperfect planner or designer.”

First of all, McCloskey claims that if examples of design exist, they will not point to an all powerful God. He seems to imply that evolution can explain the “design” in the world such as the complexity of the human cell or the intelligence and rationality of humans. If considered thoroughly though, evolution and chance cannot explain such design logically. William Paley uses the analogy of watch and a watchmaker to illustrate this. No sensible person happening upon a watch with its intricate detail and complex function would think that it popped into existence without a maker or a purpose. Why then would a sensible person, seeing the design of the universe, believe that it came into existence without a designer or a purpose? Consequently, McCloskey is mistaken to say that examples of intelligence do not exist and that the theist’s examples do not point to a designer.

Therefore, McCloskey’s objections to the teleological argument have been shown to be inconsistent. Hence, the teleological argument still stands as reasonable for believing in God‘s existence.

The Problem of Evil

The problem of evil states that since evil exists, God cannot exist too.

Transitioning to evil, McCloskey states that the theist’s faith in the existence of a perfect being is an irrational, reckless risk considering the evil in the world. After describing evil as physical and moral, he claims that a perfect God would never create a world with avoidable suffering and evil acts that hurt innocent people. He states that, “It is because evil exists we do not believe God exists”. Claiming that the theistic explanation of evil is not adequate, McCloskey focuses on a few defects of this solution. He wonders why God could not guarantee that we abstain from evil when giving us free will, why God didn’t create us to be robots that always chose right, and why humans can’t have free will and avoid immoral acts like God does.

First, because theism adequately explains how evil exists logically with God, I do not think that a faith in a God with a purpose for evil is a reckless, irrational faith. Secondly, I will respond to each of his questions individually. 1) Could God have given us free will, but kept us from committing evil? No. Free will requires two choices, right or wrong. If God destroyed the option of choosing evil, he would be destroying free will. 2) Could God have created us to be robots that always chose to do right? No. Choosing to do right is identical with choosing God, who is actual goodness. If we always chose to do right, then we would always be choosing God. This is a forced love, sometimes called “divine rape”, and disagrees with God’s nature, and is therefore impossible. 3) If God has free will and does not commit immoral acts, why can’t we do the same? God does not have free will; he is actual freedom. Also, God is perfect and to commit immoral acts is to go against his very nature. Due to our free will, the ability to choose wrong is in our essence. God does not have that ability because he is all good. If something is all good, evil cannot be present. Therefore, assuming God’s freedom is identical with ours is illogical. Thirdly, he claims that because there is evil in the world, they [atheists] do not believe that God can exist. However, because he pointed out that evil exists, physically or morally, he acknowledges that something is wrong. In pointing out the wrongness of evil, McCloskey shows a standard of right and wrong. This standard, called the moral law, must have been set in place by some being not affected by this standard. The only one not affected by this moral law is God. Hence, by acknowledging the existence of evil, McCloskey acknowledges a law giver.

Consequently, due to the explanation of God, evil, and free will existing logically, McCloskey’s objections to evil and the theist’s “irrational, reckless” faith have been denied.

Purpose and Comfort without God

This argument states that belief in atheism is more comforting than the coldness of religion.

In McCloskey’s last argument against God‘s existence, he states that comfort is most needed when loved ones are “jotted by acts of God”. These acts consist of natural disasters, diseases, and physical deformities. Because he claims that theists describe evil as acts of God, the responsibility belongs to God, an imperfect being. By questioning if people really find comfort in one who plans such tragedies he says, “One must feel much happier in the knowledge that there is no God, that God had nothing to do with the blow one had suffered.” Since a comforting God fails to exist, the atheist can find comfort “where available” from friends and can attempt to reduce evils to avoid the need of comfort. He ends by saying that “Atheism, adopted by a thoughtful and sensitive person, leads to a spirit of self reliance, to a self respect which demands that we comfort and help those who need such support, and a to a furthering and supporting of all measures which will reduce or moderate the blows of fate.”

First of all, McCloskey has a false assumption that affects his whole theory. He believes that God plans evils and deliberately causes people to suffer. This is false because God did not create evil. “He created the possibility of evil and people actualized that probability” says Peter Kreeft#. After the fall of Adam and Eve, evil existed because of a lack of good in the world due to their sinful actions. Consequently, the blame falls on human beings, not on God.. Secondly, in my own opinion, I do not understand how anyone, atheists especially, find comfort without God. Comfort does not exist without God. There is no comfort in death, because atheists face non-existence at death. There is no morality in life because God the only is moral law giver. William Lane Craig says, “In a world without a divine lawgiver, there can be no objective right and wrong… this means that it is impossible to condemn war, oppression, or crime as evil. Nor can one praise brotherhood, equality, and love as good. For in a universe without God, good and evil do not exist…” There is no goal or value in life because the ultimate end is the grave whereas in theism, the value extends into eternity. Thus, an atheist may try to find comfort in his friends, but will not find the ultimate comfort that God provides; an atheist may try to reduce evils in the world, but what point is there in doing so? A spirit of self reliance and self respect are impossible and pointless because the self is in need of God, the creator and giver of all values.

Therefore, the atheist’s argument for finding comfort and purpose without a God is lost because only God gives purpose and value.

In conclusion, McCloskey’s arguments for atheism and objections to theism fail to function logically compared to the theist’s sensible defense of God. In addition to the cosmological and teleological argument’s solid defense of the existence of God, the evil in the world and the need for purpose in life point directly to God’s existence. Therefore, as I have displayed, compared to atheism, theism provides a consistent worldview that logically explains the disputes that McCloskey presents.

My Problem with Evil

Throughout the week, especially on Wednesday, I struggled a lot with the topic of evil. Subconsciously, I think I have always had questions regarding this issue, but I was too scared to ask them. I feared there not being sufficient answers to my questions, and did not want my faith to be shaken by not having answers. Hence, the questions have remained unasked. However, being faced with them this week, I was forced to ask them it seemed like. Although emotionally and mentally draining to think and question, having a clearer understanding of God and my faith is so worth it.

I will try now to explain the problem I faced. A few weeks ago I wondered, "If God knew that the majority of his creation would turn from him and ultimately end up in hell, why did he even bother creating us?" In one of the articles I read this week, "The Theistic Explanation of Evil", it explained that God created us because he wanted to love us and he wanted us to love and worship him in return. I think I misunderstood this view, and took it to mean something completely different. I know it sounds awful, but I thought of it like this: God created humans to love and worship him, and if they chose not to love and worship him, they would end up in hell. It seemed as though God acted selfishly. I hated thinking of him as selfish because deep down, I knew selfishness contradicted his nature. He is all good! He cannot be selfish. But I didn't know what else to think.

After discussing it with my sister, Mary Kate, I came to a different conclusion. Instead of focusing on the negative side of humans, evil, I realized the gift of goodness open to all of us. God is God. He does not need anything or anybody. Yet, out of love and kindness God chose to give us life and being. He did not have to, but graciously chose to do so. Life, in that sense, is a great and wonderful privilege. What a gift it is to breathe, to have sight, to enjoy pleasures, to speak. Everything we enjoy can be said to be a gift from God that none deserve. Not only did God grant us the gift of life, but he also presented us with the gift of free will. He knew that we would make ourselves our own gods and reject him, yet he still gave us this great gift. He did not force us to love and worship him, although, our adoration does belong to God. He let us choose. What a gift! Not only did God give us the gift of life and free will, but God gave us a second chance. He sent Christ, also the perfect God, who deserves our everything. Christ took on himself the evil we put in the place of God. Jesus did not have to do this because none of us deserve a second chance! Yet he chose to out of love, such love that I cannot comprehend. Not only did God give us the gift of life, free will, and forgiveness, but God gave us the opportunity to live with him for all eternity, like we were supposed to in the first place. Through Jesus' resurrection, all have the privilege to surrender their lives to Jesus and to gain the hope of new life in paradise. The all good, all loving, all powerful God of the universe, although he did not have to, chose to give us life, free will, forgiveness, and eternal life, in addition to all the other gifts we enjoy on earth today.

After considering all of this, God has revealed to me that he is NOT a selfish God, but the complete opposite: benevolent, loving, gracious, good, compassionate, kind, generous, noble.... His love is incredible and so hard to comprehend. This revelation has revealed to me how much I take for granted my very existence, not to mention all the blessings God pours out upon me. As I learn more and more about this awesome God that I serve, I am humbled and understand how much worship and thanksgiving I owe to him. Yet even when I fail in those areas, his mercies are abundant and his forgiveness always stands. How incredible is that?

I could go on and on about what I'm discovering, but I'll stop here and save it for other blogs. I'll end with a quote from the hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross": "Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."

The Problem of Evil

This week as I continued to study theology, I was assigned to write a paper on the problem of evil answering four popular questions that are raised against God. Here it is for your "enjoyment"!

Every day humanity is presented with the concept of evil and the sufferings that follow it, whether we realize it or not. Although days, maybe years, can go by without wondering why we feel pain or why we have to go through great trials, at some vital point in life we are pummeled with questions regarding this issue. For many, the very roots of their faith depend upon the answers to these pressing questions. Consequently, these questions must be given answers.

Although I am assigned to think through these questions regarding evil, I realize that I have always had the questions, but I was to scared to consider them, wondering if there would be a sufficient answer that would support my beliefs in God. I was scared of having my faith taken away from me due to unanswered questions. Having heard the argument, “If there is a God, why is there so much evil in the world?”, my response has always been to blame the problems on sin. Since this explanation became familiar to me from the Christians around me, I never considered finding a deeper answer to this probing and important question. My simple answer touches on the explanation for evil, but a much greater and more reasonable answer exists, as I have found recently.

Before I move on, defining evil is necessary. Evil has been defined by the philosopher, Augustine, as the lack of good in something and is characterized by suffering. Going straight to where suffering exists abundantly, within the human race, this question can be answered. In every human being is a force called the law of human nature, sometimes called the moral law. This law must have been given to us by a designer, such as God, for it could not have proceeded into existence on its own with its complexity and its existence in every human being. This law guides a being into choosing to do either good or evil. Now, many will argue that no such law exists, but it proves itself by the choices we make. For example, all humans have the urge to commit the selfish act, say, running from a burning building, but all know that the unselfish act, rescuing others from the burning building, is the better choice to make. Whether we make that choice or not is determined by this moral law. If we logically ponder the many choices made by the influence of this law, a reasonable human being cannot deny these two “instincts” of right and wrong, as C.S. Lewis calls them in his essay, On Free Will. Although we have this moral code within us, all disobey it. Regarding moral choices, very rarely do we turn from our selfish desires to do the good deed. Following from the definition, if evil is the absence of good, when we turn from the good deed and commit the selfish act, evil presents itself. Suffering then emerges, whether it be for yourself, another person, community, or society. Understanding this reasonable explanation of evil, a logical person must then arrive at the conclusion that evil exists in this world, not because of God, but because of the selfishness and pride of human nature. We cannot blame God for evil, because God is an all good God who desires good, while we ultimately desire evil over good.

Since God desires good and not evil, many people wonder if God can be the author of evil, and if he isn’t, who is? An argument that supports God as the author of evil says “God is the author of everything in the world. Evil is in the world. Therefore, God is the author of evil.” However, how can it be that an all good God could create evil? That idea seems quite impossible. It is impossible because the argument previously stated has a flaw. God is not the author of everything in the world; God is only the author of everything in the created world. Evil was not present when God created the world. On the contrary, good was present at creation due to the fact that God called his creation good again and again in Genesis one. In the midst of his good creation, God created Adam and Eve with free will. “He created the possibility of evil and people actualized that probability” says Peter Kreeft in The Case for Faith. After the fall of Adam and Eve, evil then existed because there was a lack of good in the world due to their sinful actions. According to Augustine, evil is actually defined as the lack of good in something. Evil is an idea or non being, and only becomes reality because good or being exists. In conclusion, this logical consistency explains that God could not have been the author of evil since evil is not a created thing, but came about after creation.

Since God is all good and created good, but not evil, the question “Can God and evil co-exist logically?” is asked. In my opinion, it seems as though this is possible because God is a logical, all knowing God. I do not believe that a logical God would create logical human beings with free will without a logical plan in mind. Because I have a finite mind, I cannot comprehend the meaning of God’s plan. But he must have one, and it must follow his nature of being logical or it would contradict his nature. Moving away from my opinion, facts prove that evil and God can co-exist logically. For example, when human beings are aware of the suffering they undergo, they are pointing out that there is an evil in the world, which then points to an objective standard which differentiates between good and evil. Even atheists or agnostics claim to believe in evil when they accuse God of not existing because of the suffering that exists. Knowing of this objective standard, or the moral law I presented earlier, it draws evidence for a Creator of the objective standard. In addition to this fact, in Lee Strobel’s book, The Case for Faith, it states that “our freedom includes the possibility of sin within its own meaning. It’s a self contradiction- meaningless nothing- to have a world where there’s real choice while at the same time no possibility of choosing evil.” Therefore, logically, evil proves that a Creator, such as God, exists. In conclusion, instead of the co- existence of God and evil being illogical, it’s actually illogical to believe in God, free will, and no evil.

Since God and evil can exist in the same realm, and God is a good God with a purpose for his plans, many have asked what the purpose of evil and suffering are in this life. To find the purpose of suffering, we must look at the greatest example of suffering, and that is Jesus Christ. Christ was spit upon, beaten, whipped, crowned with thorns, made to carry a cross, nailed to that cross, and left to suffocate hanging on the cross. But I imagine that the physical pain did not compare to the mental and emotional pain of the burden of our sins. Every sin ever committed, every pain ever felt, every suffering ever undergone of every person that has ever breathed was cast upon Jesus on the cross. The burden and the ugliness of that sin was so great that Jesus’ Father could not bear to look at him. Comparing this to our suffering is important, but even more important is remembering that there was a purpose existed in Christ’s death, which is the resurrection, which in turn gives everyone the choice of eternal life. Just as Christ’s suffering had a purpose, so is there purpose in the sufferings of mankind, if we surrender to God. Paul says it best in Romans 5:1-4, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also boast in our sufferings, because we know that sufferings produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” In addition to character traits, suffering enables believers to comfort others with their pain(2 Corinthians 1:3-5) and suffering causes us to trust God more(Lamentations 3:19-24). Most importantly suffering leads to repentance and salvation(Acts 9:1-6), and this is extended to all humanity. When people question the source of the pain they experience and try to make sense of their sufferings, if their hearts are laid open to him, God will reveal himself to them. They then have the opportunity to repent of their own evil and to receive the gift of salvation. C.S. Lewis said this: “God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks in our consciences, shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Although it is incredibly difficult to find purpose in the midst of suffering, if you examine past sufferings closely, the growth in character, the ability to comfort others, and the salvation accepted are evidences of the many purposes that suffering has.

Knowing of the all good Creator who instilled the moral law in every being, knowing of free will, and knowing that we repeatedly choose to disobey this law, an answer to the question of evil has been given: evil comes from our decisions; evil does not come from God. Knowing that God only authors created things answers the question of authorship of evil: evil was brought into existence by Adam and Eve when they chose to reject the created good. Knowing then that God, evil, and free will exist, the answer to the question of God and evil co-existing logically has been given: without evil, free will cannot exist, and without God, free will cannot exist.. Knowing that evil expounds in the world and that everything has a purpose, an answer to whether or not evil has meaning has been given: suffering that comes from evil produces strengthened characters and points us ultimately towards God’s saving grace. These answers with which I honestly suffered mentally and emotionally to figure out, also brought about in me a purpose, a trust in the all loving, infinite God and Creator of my very existence. To conclude then, the problem of evil presented in these four difficult questions, if thought about reasonably and logically, can be sufficiently answered.

The Great I AM

My mind has been blown to bits, it seems like. I have always known that God is an amazing God, but I know it for sure now. This week during theology, we studied God's attributes and the Trinity. Here are a few points that struck me powerfully.

• God is all knowing, omniscient. He knows all things. He knows the past, the present, and the future. But he doesn't know them like man does. Man thinks of them in periods, stages, sequences. Not so for God. The omniscient God sees them as a whole, all at once. They are just there for him, right there. All the time. Forever. Always. For mankind, our lives are a timeline with little dots for every happening. For God, every single person's life that ever existed is a great....big...bubble or cloud??? It's so mind blowing to think about. I can barely express these incredible thoughts.
• A man can have a few characteristics at a time. Perhaps someone is kind, joyful, merciful, and gracious at once. Those are descriptions of a finite being. And those characteristics can change from moment to moment. God on the other hand. Wow. He can be forgiving, merciful, loving, rational, just, jealous, creative, wise, personal, good, truth, long suffering, empathetic, free, righteous, beautiful, peace, blessed, patient, compassionate, gracious, glorious, honorable, faithful, awesome. All at the same time. But these are not characteristics of God. These are God's essences. His attributes are not added onto him. He does not learn to be patient or loving. His attributes are identical to him. It's so hard for me to describe, but, He just IS. He is all that he has. These essences or attributes flow out of him like rays of sunlight flow out of the burning, beautiful sun. He is The Great I AM.
• God is a simple being. When I heard this, especially after pouring over articles that described God's attributes and seeing how incredible the He truly is, I couldn't believe it. Simple? How in the world could this God be simple? As I continued to read, I realized the word means something different for an infinite being. God is simple because he is not made up of parts or a body. God is infinite and spirit.

"The mind boggles at these awesome intensifications. The contours of these truths are angular and daring. Who would imagine a God like this, so beyond us, so threatening and kind? Who would put themselves completely at his justice and mercy? Surely there must be something we can give him, some indispensable service we cold render, some godlike role for us to play? But no! As the children of Narnia are frequently reminded of Aslan, "He is not a tame lion." From The Beauty of God's Holiness by Thomas Trevethan

"Who would put themselves completely at his justice and mercy?" One of my classmates pointed out, who wouldn't? Knowing that God is all powerful, all good, all knowing, all present. Why wouldn't you put yourself into the hands of such a Being? He is and has everything. What else can we do but trust him with our lives?

I have always used words to describe God, but after this week, these words have taken on a new meaning. I think longer before I call him something. I think about what the word really means for the infinite, simple, omni-everything, God that has graciously given me life and breath and being. My worship, my adoration for God has completely changed. I am humbled at the sight of The Great I AM.

If you want to hear a beautiful, moving song, that describes The Great I AM copy and paste this link to hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5CWGi82N7k&ob=av2n