5 Questions To Ask An Atheist
Posted by
patrick
"If God exists,why is there so much evil?"
"Why are there so many hypocrites in the church?"
"Why is there so little evidence of God's existence?"
Usually, it is Christians and sometimes other religious believers who must justify their beliefs, but most don't realize that atheists, agnostics, and skeptics also must answer tough questions and have their beliefs placed under the microscope!
Trust me: the questions I lead with have solid answers, but Christians (and, to a certain extent, people in other religions) can press the skeptic with their own questions. The atheist/agnostic is not off the hook:
1) Why is there something rather than nothing?
When it comes to scientific and philosophical evidence, the "big bang" is where it's at. If the "big bang" happened, the universe has not always been--it began a finite time ago. Herein lies the rub for the atheist, though: how could our universe happen uncaused? Out of nothing, nothing comes. When it comes to the beginning of the universe, we only have a few options. A much better bet is that something outside the physical universe brought it into being.
2) What do you mean by something being "good"?
Sometimes atheists say "you can be good without God," but this goes much deeper than that. If all we have is the physical cosmos, then everyone, Christian included, *thinks* he is acting good, but it's all a farce. I like cheese, you don't. I like killing people, you don't. How horrible would that be! In the absence of a universal moral good, the only thing left are preferences, pragmatics, and the herd morality. How can the atheist ground and justify a universal moral good? How can he say that racism or misogyny is not just wrong "for me," but wrong, end of story? If someone from another culture says that beating homosexuals is ok, is he really wrong?
3) No matter how complicated you arrange a chunk of material, it will remain inanimate. If there is nothing akin to a non-physical substance mind, how can consciousness arise from purely physical, inanimate matter?
This is something different than merely identifying a brain state that causes a mental state. Mental states undoubtedly exist, yet they are not part of the physical world because they possess properties that no physical state can have (they are internal and private, for instance, immediately accessible to the subject).
4) How can free will exist if the physical world is all there is?
5) And finally, one that I borrow from a fellow blogger: suppose Jesus appeared to you and said: Im really here and you need to follow me in order to flourish and achieve the goal for which I created you. A number of witnesses sees and hears exactly the same thing. Tests confirm you are not hallucinating; it was really God visiting you! How would you proceed?
The skeptic's answer to this one will shine a light on his heart and motivation. Some will not follow God no matter what the evidence, and that renders their complaint about lack of evidence as a smoke screen. Their attitude, not the evidence, is the problem.
If you are a Christian, the next time you talk spiritual things with a skeptic, turn the tables a bit! If you yourself are a skeptic, thinking deeply about these questions might lead you to a surprising truth.
"Why are there so many hypocrites in the church?"
"Why is there so little evidence of God's existence?"
Usually, it is Christians and sometimes other religious believers who must justify their beliefs, but most don't realize that atheists, agnostics, and skeptics also must answer tough questions and have their beliefs placed under the microscope!
Trust me: the questions I lead with have solid answers, but Christians (and, to a certain extent, people in other religions) can press the skeptic with their own questions. The atheist/agnostic is not off the hook:
1) Why is there something rather than nothing?
When it comes to scientific and philosophical evidence, the "big bang" is where it's at. If the "big bang" happened, the universe has not always been--it began a finite time ago. Herein lies the rub for the atheist, though: how could our universe happen uncaused? Out of nothing, nothing comes. When it comes to the beginning of the universe, we only have a few options. A much better bet is that something outside the physical universe brought it into being.
2) What do you mean by something being "good"?
Sometimes atheists say "you can be good without God," but this goes much deeper than that. If all we have is the physical cosmos, then everyone, Christian included, *thinks* he is acting good, but it's all a farce. I like cheese, you don't. I like killing people, you don't. How horrible would that be! In the absence of a universal moral good, the only thing left are preferences, pragmatics, and the herd morality. How can the atheist ground and justify a universal moral good? How can he say that racism or misogyny is not just wrong "for me," but wrong, end of story? If someone from another culture says that beating homosexuals is ok, is he really wrong?
3) No matter how complicated you arrange a chunk of material, it will remain inanimate. If there is nothing akin to a non-physical substance mind, how can consciousness arise from purely physical, inanimate matter?
This is something different than merely identifying a brain state that causes a mental state. Mental states undoubtedly exist, yet they are not part of the physical world because they possess properties that no physical state can have (they are internal and private, for instance, immediately accessible to the subject).
4) How can free will exist if the physical world is all there is?
5) And finally, one that I borrow from a fellow blogger: suppose Jesus appeared to you and said: Im really here and you need to follow me in order to flourish and achieve the goal for which I created you. A number of witnesses sees and hears exactly the same thing. Tests confirm you are not hallucinating; it was really God visiting you! How would you proceed?
The skeptic's answer to this one will shine a light on his heart and motivation. Some will not follow God no matter what the evidence, and that renders their complaint about lack of evidence as a smoke screen. Their attitude, not the evidence, is the problem.
If you are a Christian, the next time you talk spiritual things with a skeptic, turn the tables a bit! If you yourself are a skeptic, thinking deeply about these questions might lead you to a surprising truth.
About the Author:
Rich Bordner is a teacher in California who earned his B.A in English an Philosophy from Ohio State University in 2002. He blogs about philosophy, religion, spirituality, and politics at The Pugnacious Irishman and is currently obtaining an M.A in Philosophy from Biola University. If this article sparked interest in you, or if you want to discuss politics, sprituality, or philosophy, click on over!
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