Dawkinss writing gives the impression of clarity, but his readable style can cover over major conceptual confusions. In this section you will find arguments of many different kinds for the existence of god. Grayling, in which he counters the arguments for the existence of god, and puts forward humanism as an alternative to religion. Oct 03, 2012 this is the first in a series of ten brief posts by jeff cook, listing the top ten arguments againstfor god. Beside supporting evolution, both cosmic and biological, using verses from the bible and quran. World events are being shaped by fervent believers at home and abroad, while a new atheism is asserting itself in the public sphere.
The god delusion, by richard dawkins, is another excellent source of rational arguments against the existence of a religious deity. God is what grounds the existence of every contingent thing, making it possible, sustaining it through time, unifying it, giving it actuality. Dawkinss writing gives the impression of clarity, but his readable style. Moral arguments for god s existence form a diverse family of arguments that reason from some feature of morality or the moral life to the existence of god, usually understood as a morally good creator of the universe. When attitudes are genuine though candid, friendly though resolute, arguments can enhance knowledge about god or no god. The book is presented in four sections, which i will briefly comment on, in turn. Believers in god should be appalled when poor arguments are offered to prove the existence of god. In irreligion he presents the case for his own worldview, organizing his book into twelve chapters that refute the twelve arguments most often put. That the revolution is ongoing is evident from the appearance last year of. But it seems that the problem of evil in its various forms is the most prominent argument against gods existence.
The big argument is a response to the arguments used by atheists to try to defend their position. It gives god no credit to defend gods existence with faulty information or fallacious arguments. Mackie clarendon press, 1982 ps primary source a primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. This book fails to live up to the promise of its title. God is not great, by christopher hitchens, for instance, is a good place to start. The first of three arguments is the modern incarnation of the cosmological first cause argument, which fails to be a proof of anything but the limitations of human imagination. But it does not claim that real being is part of the content of that idea, as the ontological argument does.
I will focus on dawkins arguments in his 2006 book, the god delusion. What are the best books arguing against the existence of. Summary of the arguments for the existence of god reason. Understanding and refuting the arguments for god big think. God is the condition of the possibility of anything. Paradise lost will end on a hopeful even joyful note, since through adams fall, salvation and eternal life will come to man through gods mercy and grace. Indeed, such a refutation has been attempted by astrophysicist lawrence krauss, for example, who tried to claim in his book. Some reasons why humanists reject the bible american. Her most recent book, 36 arguments for the existence of god, is a vast, rambling fiction based on the traditional tenets of the good old university campus novel eccentric professors, beautiful postgrads, lots of barely repressed sexual tension, but which is nonetheless possessed of a steely intellectual coherence that is frighteningly. Nietzsche used the phrase to express his idea that the enlightenment had eliminated the possibility of the existence of god. Simple responses to 20 common arguments for the existence of god provides simple, easytounderstand counterpoints to the most popular arguments made for the existence of god.
Throughout history, arguments for and against the existence of god have been largely confined to philosophy and theology. It offers a comprehensive discussion of one of the most famous arguments for the existence of god. Jan 01, 2006 the big argument is a response to the arguments used by atheists to try to defend their position. May 25, 2011 but despite the suspicion of religious enthusiasm that threads through the book i found myself reading at first with attention and then with joy. As i have read much atheist literature, i am very aware of their basic arguments, which boil down to the claim that evolutionism puts god out of a job, the existence of. Goldsteins book, the fictitious part, is divided into 36 chapters. How to argue that god does not exist with pictures wikihow.
This book examines each of the main arguments philosophical arguments. The case against the book of first enoch hi im guy malone and im paradox brown and we are both known in the past as proponents, to one extent or another, of the book of 1st enoch, and of accepting it as probably inspired by god, and to some extent possibly useful for doctrine. Dec 18, 2009 45 you wouldnt know it from the title, but rebecca goldsteins 36 arguments for the existence of god is a novel. In irreligion he presents the case for his own worldview, organizing his book into twelve chapters that refute the twelve arguments most often put forward for believing in god s existence. Feb 11, 2020 god is not great, by christopher hitchens, for instance, is a good place to start. The new atheism and five arguments for god william lane craig. Moral arguments for gods existence form a diverse family of arguments that reason from some feature of morality or the moral life to the existence of god, usually understood as a morally good creator of the universe. The conversation the question of whether a god exists is heating up in the 21st century.
Moreover, even as an epic, milton says that he was attempting something different in. Humanists reject the claim that the bible is the word of god. This is the first in a series of ten brief posts by jeff cook, listing the top ten arguments againstfor god. When attitudes are genuine though candid, friendly though resolute, arguments can enhance knowledge about god or. Your next book is the reality of god and the problem of evil by brian davies. The best books on the existence of god ed feser on five. As i have read much atheist literature, i am very aware of their basic arguments. The mathematician and bestselling author john allen paulos thinks not. This book is the one weight on the scales of truth that exceeds the combined weight of all the critics arguments. Rebecca newberger goldsteins 36 arguments about god. At the center is cass seltzer, a professor of psychology whose book, the varieties of religious illusion, has become a surprise best seller. The cosmological argument chapter 1 and the moral argument chapter 2 are good, well established arguments in favour of a deistic god. The god delusion does not meet the standards of rationality that a topic as important as religion requires.
Aug 11, 2010 i will focus on dawkins arguments in his 2006 book, the god delusion. Because if it is true, then joseph smith was a prophet and this is the restored church of jesus christ, regardless of any historical or other arguments to the contrary. For this reason the arguments for and against gods existence must be, in the end, philosophical. One can only speak of an argument for the book in the sense of the canonical arrangement of the psalms e. The existence of god and other like truths about god, which can be known by natural reason, are not articles of faith, but are preambles to the articles. This book provides some solid arguments for the existence of god. But despite the suspicion of religious enthusiasm that threads through the book i found myself reading at first with attention and then with joy. Grayling the god argument is a very respectful, thoughtprovoking and accessible book that addresses the case against religion while making the compelling case for a superior ethical way of living, humanism. It gives god no credit to defend god s existence with faulty information or fallacious arguments. Skeptic michael shermer presents ten major arguments for the existence of god and counters each one. Besides calling attention to gods faithfulness, righteousness, mercy, and allegiance to his own name, david brings in two other sorts of arguments. Five rational arguments why god very probably exists. Lewis was convinced by the moral argument for god, which shows god to be the moral ideal. In addition to researching arguments in favor of atheism, investigate the rebuttals or justifications from the religious perspective.
Jan 14, 2014 a compelling new work makes the case that most modern arguments against belief are attacking the wrong god. Jul 21, 2018 my book above has been a twenty years result of research on science and religion, with the aim to use science and logic to prove the existence of god. This book is an interesting contribution to the philosophy of religion. While the existence of god cannot be proved one way or the other, a number of arguments have been put forward over the years that support both the idea and the existence of god. Only by disputations and debate may truths about god emerge. Arguments for and against the existence of god by j.
And each of those purports to list an argument concerning god too. Ontological arguments and belief in god by graham oppy. May 10, 2017 arguments why god very probably exists. The argument from the origin of the idea of god back to top this argument, made famous by rene descartes, has a kinship to the ontological argument. In his book the god delusion, which has become an international bestseller, dawkins examines and offers refutations of many of the most important arguments for god. To be reasonable, a belief must be backed by good reasons, but are there any. We realize that many people, both believers and nonbelievers, doubt that god s existence can be demonstrated or even argued about. A compelling new work makes the case that most modern arguments against belief are attacking the wrong god. The search for god in an age of science, he does not come across as the hardcore atheist. True, it carries a 52 page appendix, also titled 36 arguments for the existence of god, which lists 36 arguments, many of which you may have seen in your intro to philosophy class, then outlines and argues against each.
List of books and articles about existence of god online. According to a pew survey, the percentage of americans having no religious affiliation reached 23 percent in 2014. If you liked this book, check other books published by master books. Dubbed the atheist with a soul, he wins over the stunning. The best books on arguments for the existence of god 1 summa theologiae, questions on god by ed. New atheist to interact with arguments for gods existence is richard dawkins. They believe that because the writers of the bible lived in an. They are convinced the book was written solely by humans in an ignorant, superstitious, and cruel age.
This felix culpa or happy fault is not the stuff of tragedy. My book above has been a twenty years result of research on science and religion, with the aim to use science and logic to prove the existence of god. Adversarial proceedings about god, as if in a court of law, can provide insights. These arguments can be so bad that one might think the proponents are really atheists in disguise. Oct 23, 2015 understanding and refuting the arguments for god. Moral arguments are both important and interesting. The case against the book of first enoch a modern guide. So far, weve been talking about arguments for the existence of god. They are interesting because evaluating their soundness requires attention. As i have read much atheist literature, i am very aware of their basic arguments, which boil down to the claim that evolutionism puts god out of a job, the existence of evil, and the putative problems with the bible. Western philosophers through the centuries have advanced 3 basic arguments for the existence of a god.
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