Logical Arguments from Evil According to logical arguments from evil, some known fact about evil is logically incompatible with God’s existence. (In contrast, evidential arguments from evil merely claim that some known fact about evil is evidence for God’s nonexistence.) Ever since Alvin Plantinga rebutted J. L. Mackie’s logical argument from evil, the majority of […]

Evidential Arguments from Evil The argument from evil (or problem of evil) is the argument that an all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good God would not allow any—or certain kinds of—evil or suffering to occur. Unlike the logical argument from evil, which holds that the existence of God (so defined) is logically incompatible with some known […]

Evidentialism Do Atheists Bear a Burden of Proof? A Reply to Prof. Ralph McInerny (1997) by Keith M. Parsons Parsons rebuts Prof Ralph McInerny’s claim that the burden of proof should fall on the unbeliever. Is Atheism Presumptuous? A Reply to Paul Copan (2000) by Jeffery Jay Lowder Lowder refutes Paul Copan’s claim that Antony […]

Evidential Arguments Evidential arguments for atheism attempt to show that certain known facts that are (at least so far as we can tell) consistent with theism nevertheless provide evidence against it. Typically, such arguments start with a known fact, such as the amount of suffering in the world. The arguments then attempt to show that […]

Atheistic Perspectives on Specific Ethical Issues Abortion: Is There a Secular Case Against Abortion? The Carrier-Roth Debate (2000) [ Index ] by Richard Carrier and Jennifer Roth A debate between two freethinkers, one pro-choice and one pro-life. Reproductive Freedom (1999) (Off Site) by Christopher A. Stafford and Janet Brazil Another secularist-vs.-secularist debate on abortion. Animal Rights: Secular Ethics […]

On Naturalism, Why Do We Have Particular Moral Dispositions? Review of Darwinian Natural Right: The Biological Ethics of Human Nature by Larry Arnhart (2002) by Evan Fales It has become something of a leitmotif among evangelical apologetes to argue that morality can have no objective foundation if there is no God. Such is the argument […]

Without God, How Do We Determine What’s Right and Wrong? Nonbelievers have several options when it comes to choosing a normative ethical theory. These options include ethical egoism, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, social contract theory, and ideal observer theory, to name just some of the numerous choices available. Since an entire website could be […]

Debates See also Theistic Arguments: Debates [ Index ] Debate Transcripts The Cooke-Aijaz Debate: Does God Exist? (2002) An Internet debate on the existence of God between Dr. Bill Cooke of the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists and Imran Aijaz of the Auckland University Islamic Society. (See also the debate review, below). The Craig-Washington Debate: […]

Atheistic Cosmological Argument   [ Român / Romanian ] In recent years, Quentin Smith has tried to turn the tables on theists by arguing that Big Bang cosmology, if true, is evidence for atheism. This page highlights the relevant articles that are available online. Atheism, Theism, and Big Bang Cosmology (1991) by Quentin Smith Smith […]

Arguments from Confusion “There are two things,” your mother may have warned, “that you should never discuss over dinner: religion and politics.” Confusion about such fundamental issues as the nature of God or ultimate reality, the purpose of life, how one should live, what has been revealed to mankind, what constitutes right and wrong, what […]

Arguments for Atheism In this section, “arguments for atheism” means “arguments for the nonexistence of God.” (Worried about the logic of “proving a negative”? Click here.) In the jargon of the philosophy of religion, such arguments are known as “atheological arguments.” The argument from evil (sometimes referred to as ‘the problem of evil’) is by […]

About Atheism An Introduction to Atheism (1997) by mathew This is a gentle but thorough introduction to the different varieties of atheism and agnosticism. It covers many common misunderstandings, and defines and explains terms used elsewhere. Recommended for all readers, religious or not. To provide a sense of cohesion and progression, the author has presented […]

Atheism About Atheism [ Index ] Various introductions to atheism, including its definition; its relationship to agnosticism, theism, and noncognitivism; and its value. Arguments for Atheism [ Index ] In this section, “arguments for atheism” means “arguments for the nonexistence of God.” In the jargon of the philosophy of religion, such arguments are known as “atheological arguments.” The argument […]

Nontheism Atheism Naturalism Secular Humanism Testimonials

Does the Free-Will Defense Constitute a Sound Theodicy? Niclas Berggren 1. Proem A strong argument against the existence of the Christian god (henceforth referred to as God) is contained in the theodicy problem, which can be stated in the following manner: If God exists, he is all-knowing, all-powerful, and perfectly good.[1] The existence of suffering […]

On the Nature of Morality (1998) An Internet Reply to Eugene Khutoryansky’s “Objective Morality Based on Scientific and Rational Reasoning” Niclas Berggren   “There are no objective values.” – J. L. Mackie, Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1977, p. 15. I. There has long been a discussion in philosophy regarding the nature of […]

The Errancy of Fundamentalism Disproves the God of the Bible (1996) Niclas Berggren 1. Introduction This essay will investigate the often-made claim from Christians, that the Bible is the inspired word of god, a corollary of which is that it is perfectly without error. This view is exemplified by the following statement of Jimmy Swaggart, […]

A Note on the Concept of Belief (1998) Niclas Berggren “Ratio omnia vincit” (“Reason defeats everything”) – Manilius, Astronomica 4, 931 The purpose of this note is to proffer a needed clarification as to what determines beliefs. Particular attention will be devoted to the idea that it is possible to choose beliefs, i.e., that beliefs […]

A Critique of Miracles by C. S. Lewis (2000) Nicholas Tattersall   Introduction More than thirty years after his death, C. S. Lewis is still world-famous as a literary critic, as an author of children’s fiction and as a Christian apologist. His works have been translated into many languages and they are widely read and […]

The Evidential Argument from Evil (1998) Nicholas Tattersall   “Please understand, it is not God I do not accept, but the world he has created.” Feodor Dostoyevsky The Brothers Karamazov Introduction The purpose of this essay is to explain and argue against various common objections to the Argument from Evil (AE). It is necessary to […]

Substance Dualism and Disembodied Existence (2000) Nicholas Everitt   An edited version of this article was originally published in Faith & Philosophy, Vol. 17, No. 3 (2000), pp. 331-347. I Substance dualism, that most unpopular of current theories of mind, continues to find interesting and able defenders.[1] I shall focus on one set of arguments […]

We Are Too Weak to Walk Unaided A Family Therapist View of the Pathogenic Aspects of Prayer (2000) Michael Moore Technion — Israel Institute of Technology Daniela Kramer Oranim Teachers’ College Israel Author Note Michael Moore, Department of Education in Science and Technology; Daniela Kramer, Division of Psychology. The quotation in the title comes from […]

Religion as a Total Institution (2019) Michael Moore According to sociologist Nicki Lisa Cole, “A total institution is a closed social system in which life is organized by strict norms, rules, and schedules, and what happens within it is determined by a single authority whose will is carried out by staff who enforce the rules” […]

Religion and Violence (2017) Michael Moore There is no greater social evil than religion. It is the cancer in the body of humanity. — A. C. Grayling (2005, p. 34) The connection between religion and violence is a long-standing one. Its roots can be found in Edward Burnett Tylor’s description of the “murderous practices” found […]

Prejudice in Religions (2018) Michael Moore Gordon Allport (1897-1967) was one of the most influential personality psychologists of the 20th century. He defined ethnic prejudice as “an antipathy based on faulty and inflexible generalization” (1954, p. 9). In The Nature of Prejudice, Allport devoted an entire chapter to the connection between prejudice and religion, noting […]

Religion and Cultural Cleansing (2019) Michael Moore Traditionally, the transmission of knowledge across generations happens through spoken and written words. Both methods have their disadvantages: spoken words get distorted, whereas written ones are often destroyed. In this essay I will discuss the willful, ideologically guided destruction of religious and cultural heritage by representatives of competing […]

Psychopathology in Religious Ideation: The Case of Death by Proxy (2013) Michael Moore Though there is no unequivocal evidence for a causal relationship between religiosity and psychopathology, a large body of data suggests a connection between these two phenomena. (For some of the controversial research findings, see my paper with Daniela Kramer titled “We are […]

On Miracles and Miracle Workers (2019) Michael Moore Washerwoman to French queen: “Is Milady making the pilgrimage to Chartres?” “Yes”, says the queen, “God has cursed me with barrenness, and I am going there hoping to be cured.” “Useless!” replies the washerwoman; “the big, strapping monk that used to do the miracles is dead”      —Gershon […]