...which increase in criticism of religion. The first individuals to identify themselves using the word "atheist" lived in the 18th century. Atheism can be defined in two ways- in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is definitely the perception that there are no deities. Atheism is basically the lack of faith that any deities exist. Atheism is distinguished with theism, which in its most universal form is the faith that minimum one deity exists. Disagreements for atheism vary from the philosophical to social and historical methodologies. Excuses for not having faith in in any supernatural deity comprise the lack of observed sign of god, tricks of sinful object, disagreement from inconsistent exposures, denial of thoughts which cannot be fabricated, and the dispute from atheism. Many atheists claim that atheism is more prudent view than theism. As a result, the liability to disprove the existence of God does not go on the atheists, but on the theists to make available a justification for theism. New Atheism is the term specified to a drive of some early-21st-century atheist writers who have promoted the opinion that the religions should not just be obeyed but also should be argued, evaluated, and uncovered by logical argument wherever its influence arises (Hooper, 2010). Atheists are getting both more numerous and louder. According to WIN-Gallup International, a network of pollsters, atheists have been increased...
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...Study Guide: Lesson 16 Philosophy of Religion: Introduction Read chapter. 1 of Philosophy of Religion: Thinking About Faith, “What is Philosophy of Religion?” As you read, make sure you understand the following points and questions: Explain the distinctions between philosophy of religion and sociology, history, theology, and religious philosophy. philosophy of religion focus on the truth and reasonableness of religious beliefs. While the historian or sociologist may study religious beliefs, but his focus is not specifically on the truth or reasonableness of such belief theologian looks at religous beliefs from within, as an adherent or representative of a religous tradition. philosophy of religon may be engaged in by thinkers who are not religous at all, as well as by committed religous thinkers philosophy of religion not so much religious thinking as it is thinking about religion. Religious Philosophy is Religious thinking Explain the arguments for and problems with fideism. Fideism: human beings are never religously neutral; they are always either in faithful service to or in rebellion against God. Claims that faith is the precondition for any correct thinking about religion Problem: fideist cannot attempt to win over his critics by rational argument as the presupposition of such dialouge means the possibility of common ground (fideists deny common ground) eliminates the possibility of showing the nonbeliever the superiority of a religous worldview where should...
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... I will argue in this paper that our knowledge about pain and pleasure creates an epistemic problem for theists. The problem is not that some proposition about pain and pleasure can be shown to be both true and logically inconsistent with theism. Rather, the problem is evidential. A statement reporting the observations and testimony upon which our knowledge about pain and pleasure is based bears a certain significant negative evidential relation to theism.' And because of this, we have a prima facie good epistemic reason to reject theism-that is, a reason that is sufficient for rejecting theism unless overridden by other reasons for not rejecting theism. By "theism" I mean the following statement: There exists an omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect person who created the Universe. I will use the word "God" as a title rather than as a proper name, and I will stipulate that necessary and sufficient conditions for bearing this title are that one be an omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect person who created the Universe. Given this (probably technical) use of the term "God," theism is the statement that God exists. Some philosophers believe that the evils we find in the world create an evidential problem for theists because theism fails to explain these evils (or most of what we know about them). (See, for example, (Hare 1968).) This position is attractive. It seems to reflect NOUS 23 (1989) 331-350 ? 1989 by Nouis Publications 331 332 NOUS the intuitions of a great...
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...“GOD IS NOT YET DEAD” The pervasive presence and usages of religion in all the spheres of contemporary social life. INTRODUCTION : Arguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, scientists, and others for thousands of years. In philosophical terms, such arguments involve primarily the disciplines of epistemology (the nature and scope of knowledge) and ontology (study of the nature of being, existence, or reality) and also the theory of value, since concepts of perfection are connected to notions of God. A wide variety of arguments exist which can be categorized as metaphysical, logical, empirical, or subjective. Does God exist? Is there a god? The existence of God is subject to lively debate in philosophy, the philosophy of religion, and popular culture. The Western tradition of philosophical discussion of the existence of God began with Plato and Aristotle, who made arguments that would now be categorized as cosmological. The field of theodicy arose from attempts to answer this question. Other arguments for the existence of God have been proposed by St. Anselm, who formulated the first ontological argument; Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and Aquinas, who presented their own versions of the cosmological argument (the kalam argument and the first way, respectively); Descartes, who said that the existence of a benevolent God was logically necessary for the evidence of the senses to be meaningful; and Immanuel Kant, who argued that the...
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...Mackenzie Wade Nielsen. Atheism. Waechtler. Encyclopedia Britannica: Atheism. Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Sept. 2014. ‹http://www.britannica.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/EBchecked/topic/40634/atheism› According to The Encyclopedia Britannica, predominantly written by Kai E. Nielsen, atheism, in general, is the assessment and denial of metaphysical beliefs in gods or spiritual beings. Nielsen states atheism, in its simplest form, is defined as an overall disbelief in or denial of godly or spiritual beliefs and beings, however, Nielsen clarifies that all atheists do not wholeheartedly or similarly reject the existence of said godly or spiritual beliefs and beings. Atheism branches into three major subcategories: fallibilistic atheism, aprioristic atheism, and dogmatic atheism. Fallibilistic atheists believe their knowledge and beliefs concerning godly or spiritual beings could be mistaken. Fallibilistic atheists are usually deemed as agnostics, however, they are distinguished by the fact they presently do not believe in any godly or spiritual being. They remain conscious they may, at some point in the future, be presented with evidence which may alter their beliefs. Fallibilistic atheists are often considered empiricists—those whom believe that knowledge comes only or primarily from sensory experience—for they need to be presented with clear evidence in order to believe in any godly or spiritual beings. Aprioristic atheists do not believe in any godly or spiritual being due to their logical...
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...10 Bibliography 11 Describing Naturalism according to Naugle, Stone and Danto. “Naturalism is an impression determined by the subjugation of the intellectual facts to the mechanical order of things” (Naugle 2002:96) “This is a set of beliefs and attitudes that focus on this world on the negative side it involves the assertion that there seems to be no ontologically distinct and superior realm (such as God, soul or heaven) to ground, explain, or give meaning to this world. On the positive side it affirms that extension should be focused on the events and processes of this world to provide what degree of explanation and meaning are possible to this life” (Stone 2008:1) “Religious naturalisms the type of naturalism which affirms asset of beliefs and attitudes that there are religious aspects of this world which can be appreciated within a naturalistic framework” (Stone 2008:1) “Naturalism, in recent usage, is a species of philosophical monism according to which whatever exist or happens is natural in the sense...
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...Pcantan2 Turabian Writing Style THEO 202-B17 Hamartiology: The Problem of Evil (Theodicy) You would have to ask yourself, why does a God who is all-loving and all-powerful, allow evil to exist in a world that was divinely created by Him? Because when you ponder the problem of evil, it is the most obvious and serious challenge to belief (Faith) in God and His existence, which is why religious scholars have dedicated so much effort towards resolving it. Elwell states, “The phrase ‘the problem of evil’ is a label for a series of such problems involving good and evil.”[1] But the problem with evil is if an omnipotent and omniscient God exists, then there should be no reason God would tolerate such pain and suffering. Evil acts, thoughts, and words will always separate us from God, which was established from the beginning with Adam and Eve. Isaiah 59:2 says “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”[2] This is the only thing that separates us from God and causes Him to turn His face away from men. However, evil would have never existed had Adam and Eve not sinned and opened the door for it to enter the world upon all men (Romans 5:12).[3] The resolution then is to be united back to God, who is the source of eternal life, through His Son Jesus, (1 Jn.5:20; Jn.17:2-3). The biggest problem today, among believers and non-believers, is that they are blinded to what evil is and what...
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...purpose of this paper is to identify one of the distinctive aspects of the doctrine of God – that being His personal, Trinitarian subsistence and how it could establish one’s relationship with Him. There is a need for this study because most attention is focused on God’s nature, those things outside of Himself. It is first a necessity to know God and have a relationship with Him before one can understand those things outside of Him. This subject warrants a study because some Christians don’t know what they don’t know. Historically, God is implied as to only presenting Himself to some, but in actuality His presence is availed to all. This argument will be expressed in three parts. Those parts being our knowledge of God, the nature of God, and (one) God in Trinity. Let’s first discuss our knowledge of God. Our Knowledge of God The bulk of our knowledge of God is based on our relationship with Him. Most people do not have a personal relationship with God; therefore, their knowledge of Him is very vague. The other two that are most common is His existence and immortality which establishes some basis of our knowledge of Him. In more common retrospect, it is embedded in the perspectives of Christianity, Roman law, and the emergence of classical Western theism. To have a real relationship, one must be dependent on another. In all things which are referred to one another and depends upon another, there is found a real relation. Until one depends on God solely and not for...
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...i moved out of my parents house when i was 17 years old, but i still take care of them and touch with them. i lived in St. louis same them city. i worked and studied, but i didn't ate good or clean my clothes because i don't know. i hope have a lot of healthy children. i will raise my children better than the way i raised. i rent a small and warm house. my routines is work, pray, and study. i pray 5 time in a day. i go to school Monday to Friday. i work everyday. i like the people work with, because they're really nice with me. my planes in future be a doctor and help homeless people. i will spend all my time with my children teaching them how to love, help, and protect each other. i will teach my children the real islam and the respect between the religions. i hope my children be like me. i don't fears about them, because its all depends on me. i treated them good and teach them good they will be good. my religious belief is Islam. the religious practices are pray, fast, Theism, love, respect, and obey your parents good. The similar things between my dad and i getting mad fast, smart, polite and...
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...Hinduism is such a complex religion it is a very difficult topic for individuals to study. The fact that Hindus have no specific God and they have so many different belief systems made it difficult for me to interpret. Hinduism is considered one of the world’s largest religions’s and was created in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is not just a religion; it is more so the way of life. It has its own beliefs and traditions. It is a group formed of diverse traditions and has no specific supernatural being or no single holy text. According to Huxley (2010) “Hinduism unites the worship of many gods with a belief in a single divine reality” (p. 78). Hindus also believes that on the death of the body the soul passes to or is reborn in another body, which is reincarnation. Sense Hindus have a strong believe in reincarnation they do not determine death as the end of life or a fear, instead they acknowledge death as a resurrection of the soul. They do not focus death on fear. Hinduism is such a powerful religion that it has persuaded the world with its informed beliefs. This particular religious group has a freedom of practice and belief. Hinduism has been a huge influence amongst the world for many years. It is a known religion that has created practices such as Yoga, Tantra, Karma, and so on. It is a religious tradition that could never really be categorized with any specific belief system for instance, theism, monotheism, and so forth. Hindus believe that there is only one supreme spirit...
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...Phil- 201 Response Paper The argument of whether or not it is possible to prove or disprove God’s existence has been going on for hundreds if not thousands of years. Many scholars, atheists, and non-believers throughout the years have argued against the existence of God, but in H.J. McCloskey’s, On Being an Atheist, he shows a much deeper look at his argument by discussing what he thinks might be the overarching argument of Gods existence. After reading McCloskey’s article I have found many weaknesses in his argument and aim to point them out to show the truthfulness of Gods existence. In order for theists to properly bring truth to this matter we must understand the background to the beliefs of the atheists. The very first problem with McCloskey’s article is that he states that the theist’s argument in favor of God’s existence does not hold any proof. He believes that our proofs do not hold any girth and there for should be done away with. McCloskey states on page 64, “To get the proof going, genuine indisputable examples of design or purpose are needed. There are no such examples, so the proof does not get going at all.” This argument is an interesting one but is disproven by some other arguments atheists might have. Many traditional approaches to different solutions use proof or the idea of it to support it. If you examine the traditional approaches you will find that proof is seen as a series of logical steps which lead to a conclusion without having any unquestionable...
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...Beyond Proof and Necessity: Logically Establishing God’s Existence Scott F. Davis April 29, 2013 Beyond Proof and Necessity: Logically Establishing God’s Existence Monarchs have claimed divine ascension through Him; centuries of popes have directed pilgrimages and holy crusades according to His divine wishes, and as long as mankind’s time on Earth has been in existence, brother has slayed brother in the name of one singular and all powerful God. To be certain, no telescope ever designed could reach outwards through the universe to see God’s kingdom; no microphone ever produced would be able hear the sound of God, and no camera ever invented possessed the ability to record the likeness of God--yet somehow it became inherently possible that over three billion of the earths’ population today believe in God—whether He be called Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah or the Great I Am. What remains is the time immortal question which mankind has been left to reason: Is it necessary to prove His existence? This paper serves to clearly answer the question, using logic, reason and evidence to support, that it is not necessary to prove the existence of God. Demonstrated within this paper will be the arguments of proof, or the proof of God, that is, an address of the cosmological, ontological and origination by design theories of existence, with centering on the ontological theory. Further contained will be assessments of existence as is inherently essential to evaluate...
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...McCLOSKEY PHIL 201-D10 FALL 2011 DR. EDWARD MARTIN BY IVAN DERRICK COOKE Cooke 2 INTRODUCTION In 1968, atheist philosopher H.J. McCloskey composed a strong argument on how being an atheist was far superior to the theistic lifestyle. This imperious article was published in the journal Question and reflects McCloskey’s view that “atheism is a much more comfortable belief than theism, and why theists should be miserable just because they are theists.”1 In his article, McCloskey seeks to disprove many of the arguments that theists believe and often seemingly ridicules or persecutes those who believe in God. Among the arguments McCloskey attempts to minimalize, there are three common proofs that many, if not all, theists lean on for their belief in God. These proofs include the cosmological proof, the teleological proof, and the argument from design. Furthermore, McCloskey speaks on the problem of evil and how the existence of evil disproves the reality of a God. Near the end of McCloskey’s article, he also insists that atheism is comforting, claiming that it is more comforting than theism. This paper will debate the validity and truth of the three claims that McCloskey seeks to discount in his article and will further debate the problem of evil and disprove the idea that atheism is comforting. PROOFS VS. ARGUMENTS ------------------------------------------------- McCloskey often slights the theistic view as one of vagueness and ignorance. He states, when referring...
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...Philosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy concerned with questions regarding religion, including the nature and existence of God, the examination of religious experience, analysis of religious vocabulary and texts, and the relationship of religion and science. It is an ancient discipline, being found in the earliest known manuscripts concerning philosophy, and relates to many other branches of philosophy and general thought, including metaphysics, logic, and history. Philosophy of religion is frequently discussed outside of academia through popular books and debates, mostly regarding the existence of God and problem of evil. The philosophy of religion differs from religious philosophy in that it seeks to discuss questions regarding the nature of religion as a whole, rather than examining the problems brought forth by a particular belief system. It is designed such that it can be carried out dispassionately by those who identify as believers or non-believers. Religion: A Part of Metaphysics Philosophy of religion has classically been regarded as a part of metaphysics. In Aristotle's Metaphysics, the necessarily prior cause of eternal motion was an unmoved mover, who, like the object of desire, or of thought, inspires motion without itself being moved. This, according to Aristotle, is God, the subject of study in theology. Today, however, philosophers have adopted the term philosophy of religion for the subject, and typically it is regarded as a separate field...
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...Philosophy can be defined as the love of wisdom and theology is described as the study of God. They have some similarities and differences. Philosophy is a compile of ideas related to human nature. It is considered as a guide through out a person’s life addressing issues that maybe basic and pervasive defining the path we choose to take and how we treat others. Philosophies are based on logical arguments and rely on facts. The topic of philosophy can address several different areas such as: the theory of reality metaphysics, the theory of knowledge epistemology, the theory of moral values ethics, politics the theory of legal rights and government, and the theory of the nature of art aesthetics. However, the most common system of ideas is...
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